Top Michelin-Starred Bites of 2019

Love or love to hate the Michelin Guide? I, for one, continue to find their star system valuable. It doesn’t necessarily mean I agree with all the ratings, but I’ve experienced more hits than misses while following its star system.

My travels this year brought me to many new and tried and true starred restaurants. I’ve continued to think and talk about these bites long after I returned home.

This is not a list of how these experiences ranked overall, although I will talk about that briefly toward the end. These are the dishes at each spot that captured my full attention. The ones I OMGd through. The unforgettable ones.

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Gourmand Getaway: New York City

For committed food enthusiasts, planning a trip means meticulously researching restaurants, and coming up with the perfect schedule. I’ve been blessed with a group of friends who are on board with the art and challenge that is marathon dining. We discuss potential restaurants for months, compare notes, and sometimes even bicker about the top “candidates.” All in good fun, of course, it’s part of the process. Most in-demand New York restaurants open reservations only a month in advance. Once those are set, and only then is it time to figure out what to do in between reservations (besides working out, napping, and recuperating in time for the next epic meal).

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Eleven Madison Park: the sequel

Beyond excited to return and experience the updated menu and concept, our group of six actually extended the trip one more night to fit this restaurant in.  Will travel for food. Clearly. I love my tribe! Welcomed by sommelier Jane Lopes (of the Uncorked reality series following six aspiring master sommeliers as they prepare for the Court of Masters Sommelier exam), dinner started on a fun note. If you haven’t watched the series, get to it! Fan-girl moment aside, Jane happily put up with all of our questions and decanted our wine. Two enthusiastic thumbs up from her for our choice too!

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