25 Memorable Meals of 2025
A year in review, Dinnertime style.
As we wrap up 2025, I’m looking back at memorable meals from the year. Whether for the food or the company, these were the standouts as I scrolled back through my camera roll. Let’s begin!
Jan 30 - Tekka Chirashi at Yopparai
A go-to favorite that has marked celebratory occasions and unremarkable evenings alike. The rest of my order changes depending on their daily menu, but the tuna chirashi is my mainstay.
Feb 24 - Breakfast at Home
Sourdough dunked into a soft-boiled egg alongside comté and jam. No better breakfast. Typically I’ll cut the bread into soldiers for easy dunking, but it looks like on this occasion a giant pat of butter on the bread was absolutely necessary.
March 30 - Spring Butter Beans with Salsa Verde
Brothy beans are a year round staple in our household, but this early spring variation was particularly memorable with the inclusion of asparagus, puréed peas, and salsa verde. This meal felt like emerging from winter hibernation.
April 20 - Easter Brunch for Eight
Ham and gruyère quiche, roasted potatoes, little gem salad with shaved asparagus, snap peas, goat cheese, and nasturtium. Paired with champagne and chocolate robin’s eggs. A tradition in the making.
June 1 - Classic Turkey Sandwich
Summer lunch on rotation. This one is pepper turkey, bibb lettuce, comté, avocado, mayo, and mustard on a sourdough baguette. Don’t forget the grapes, kettle chips, and a pickle.
June 21 - Terry Black’s BBQ in Austin
When in Austin… Summers growing up, my great Uncle Bubbie would smoke brisket out back on Lake Anna in Virginia. This meal was reminiscent of that. Every side required.
July 4 - Gelato at Il Laboratorio del Gelato
Don’t let the color fool you — fior di latte and marscarpone gelato are better versions of traditional vanilla and transcendent on a hot day. This becomes a nightly occurrence in the summer. My all time fav combos are: fior di latte with tarragon, basil with lemon, and yuzu mint with watermelon.
July 19 - Ricotta Ravioli with Sungold Tomatoes at King in NYC
My birthday lunch this year at King. Ricotta ravioli with burst sungold tomatoes, basil, and shaved ricotta salata. Nothing compares to sungolds in the summer. I replicated countless versions of this dish in varying form for the rest of the summer after eating.
July 26 - Steamed Clams with Tomato Butter under the Manhattan Bridge
Clams steamed with tomato butter and finished with basil, cooked on a grill in the East River park alongside hotdogs, vegetables, and peaches with a group of friends.
August 29 - Cheese Plate at Chez Panisse in Berkley
The best meal of the year. So many courses and photos I could post, but I think it’s best encapsulated with the dessert cheese plate. Each the highest quality and best version of the item conceivable. Incredibly complex flavors contained in humble cheese, grapes, and almonds.
August 30 - Salad at Zuni Café in San Francisco
En route to another restaurant with friends, we drove past Zuni Café. I remarked that I’ve always wanted to go there and my friends insisted we stop the car and change plans (thank you Trevor and Lexi). It proved to be a memorable evening. Little gem, nectarines, pumpkin seeds, lemon cucumbers in a light buttermilk dressing.
I realized in writing this that I unwittingly replicated this salad with persimmons last week in California and have already written it up as the next Meal In!
September 3 - Wagyu Don at Kijurou in Arashiyama
I was a vegetarian from 2013-2020. It took me over two years after that to be able to eat a piece of steak. This meal after hours of walking and touring temples in Kyoto felt like my formal baptism as a meat eater. It was incredible.
September 5 - Chilled Eggplant at Farmoon in Kyoto
My second favorite meal of the year behind only Chez Panisse (hard to beat). Eggplant, shaved carrots, tomatoes, cashews, and shiso served chilled over ice at Farmoon in Kyoto. This was my dream food experience. The restaurant is in a machiya (traditional Japanese townhouse) that feels more home than restaurant with its welcoming round table, open kitchen, and inner courtyard. We sat at the kitchen island/counter next to endless bowls of dinner preparation. The lunch was simple and delicious.
September 5 - Dinner at Yagyu No Sho in Shuzenji
While in Japan, we experienced the total shutdown of the Shinkansen due to typhoon. This resulted in us arriving to our ryokan around 9pm instead of 4pm as expected. Upon arrival, they asked if we were hungry and brought us into a room with an eight course kaiseki they had kept warm for us “just in case”.
September 6 - Breakfast Dessert at Yagyu No Sho in Shuzenji
Same ryokan, different meal. After coursed savory breakfast, the sweet taste of homemade red grape sherbet was magical. The delightful color match to the haori jacket selected for me for that day could not have been an accident.
September 11 - Kale Salad with Green and Red Grapes at Margo in Yutenji
A rare kale salad in Tokyo at the loveliest restaurant, Margo. We were connected to the owner by friends Sammie and Riley, and ended up staying hours past close drinking natural wines with Mariko and her husband. I had never considered grapes in salad, but will not make the same oversight in the future!
September 12 - Sake and Popcorn in Shinjuku
Butter soy sauce popcorn out of the bag and sake in a five stool upstairs bar in Shinjuku that allowed smoking (any leads for finding Mike popcorn in the US are welcome).
September 13 - Zaru Soba at Kanda Matsuya in Chiyoda
The best soba I’ve had at a historic restaurant in operation since 1884. The only time in recent memory I have waited in a line for food that was worth it (it was quick, they are very efficient).
November 3 - Soba-ya lunch special in NYC with my sister
Same meal, different city. Lunch with my sister, Grace, at my favorite restaurant in the city (and now hers). We went back again the next day for the same. I’m wearing a Soba-ya shirt as I write this.
November 4 - Marry Me Salmon with Eve in Brooklyn
Salmon in a creamy tomato sauce with a fennel arugula salad at Eve’s house while watching mayoral election results come in. Unexpected dessert of banana bread with a pat of butter and a sliced nectarine with flaky salt. A perfect evening.
November 14 - Champagne and Mint Chip Ice Cream at The Odeon
Champagne lunch at The Odeon was in order following the city hall wedding of friends Ethan and Owen. I order their mint chip ice cream by the pint for home!
November 19 - Winter Gozen at Ootoya with parents
Searching for a last minute meal near my parent’s hotel in Bryant Park and landed at Ootoya. My dad and I both had the winter gozen with miso, chirashi, katsu curry, miso, and sashimi. Warm and welcome on a cold evening — I will be going back.
November 27 - Thanksgiving
December 27 - Chicken Dinner at Knott’s Berry Farm with extended family
What started as taking the nephews to Knott’s Berry Farm became a full family affair that ended with chicken dinner at the historic restaurant. A set meal of: dinner rolls with berry jam, salad, chicken noodle soup, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, and your choice of apple or boysenberry pie.
December 31 - New Years Eve at Cove
Sending this late to include my last meal of 2025 at Cove. We ate at the original Gem almost every Friday in the back half of 2020. A perfect punctuation on the year — pork collar, lamb, turbot.
Happy New Year! Feel free to drop a comment with your favorite meal of 2025! I hope your 2026 is filled with good memories and great meals. I have a lot of fun things planned for Dinnertime in the new year. Talk soon!