Erin Byers Murray and Nancy Vienneau
Erin's Five Favorite Bites
Aji Verde | BokBox
Yes, technically this is a sauce and not a bite but the addictive Peruvian-style side coming out of BokBox makes just about every bite taste better. Whether slathered on the take-out joint’s roasted chicken, buttery rolls, or as a dip for one of the sides, this has become my latest addiction.
Rescuer Pizza | ‘za
All of the pizzas at ‘za are worth trying but I keep going back to the simple brilliance of adding fresh mint to this otherwise sausage-heavy pie. It’s bright, herbal greenness brings the whole pie to a new level of extra.
Duck Cassoulet | Santo
Available at lunch or dinner, this rendition of cassoulet is superbly light and flavor-packed all at once. The dinner version gets amped up with sausage and pork belly but at lunch, it’s a lighter deal.
Any kind of gyoza | Black Dynasty Ramen
The pop-up secret ramen house also makes a mean dumpling—whether they’re filled with Porter Road Butcher pork, stuffing, and sage, or pickled peas, chili, and mint, they’re worth every minute of Instagram stalking.
Nathan Zucker
Pate De Campagne
Pate de Campagne | Once Upon a Time in France
This spectacular slab of pate has a rough, rustic texture but piles on the flavors of liver, pepper, and red wine. Tastes best when smeared on a slice of crusty bread and topped with an accompanying cornichon.
Nancy's Five Favorite Bites
Green Chile Cheeseburger | Redheaded Stranger
Possessing a depth of earthy-sweet heat, New Mexican Hatch chiles, roasted and chopped, add the compelling layer to this smash burger, melding with and perfecting the already near perfect toppings of Gifford’s bacon, American cheese and Ranch dressing, tucked in a soft potato roll.
Ricotta Agnolotti | Setsun
Bite into these handcrafted pasta pillows, filled with a ricotta mixture more liquid than solid, bathed in a sauce of Calabrian chiles and showered with Gran Padano cheese and prepare to swoon.
Eggs Baked in Mole Sauce | lou
At her all-day café and natural wine bar, chef Mailea Weger makes magic with many egg dishes. But this gratin, juxtaposing the purity of baked two eggs in a pool of red mole sauce, multi-layered in its tastes of fruit, nut and spice, is her most magical.
Dhokla | Tailor
A seemingly simple bread with complex tastes, this Gujarati Indian street food is a family labor of love. Vivek Surti’s mother grinds rice and chickpea into flour. He folds the dough with ginger, green chile, and turmeric. After steaming, he tops it with mustard seed, sesame seed, coconut and cilantro. The result is a marvel of sweet, savory, and piquant flavors: surprising and irresistible.
Spicy Lamb and Beef Meatballs | Hathorne
Chef John Stephenson has always had the touch with ground meats, first garnering praise for the Local Burger he created during his tenure at Fido. His Spicy Lamb and Beef Meatballs are as praiseworthy, the tender rounds sparked with pequin chile dust and balanced in a bright mint pistou and preserved lemon. No surprise they’ve become a Hathorne menu mainstay.