Thanks for the sense memories

2009’s roster of memorable dishes

November 25, 2009|Devra First, Globe Staff

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Lemon and yuzu crystalline at Sensing Dessert can be so dull. Will you have the molten chocolate cake, the crème brûlée, the molten chocolate cake, or the crème brûlée? I will have the lemon and yuzu crystalline at Sensing. The dessert surprised and delighted. It came in a goblet sealed with a thin sheet of citrus-flavored hard candy. You shattered it with your spoon, sending shards into the glass below, to be eaten along with lemon sorbet, yuzu gelée, and bits of cookie. It was full of great flavors and textures, and it was fun to eat. Other desserts should creep away in shame. Fairmont Battery Wharf, 3 Battery Wharf, Boston. 617-994-9001. www.sensingrestaurant.com.

Strozzapreti at Sportello Barbara Lynch and her yummy pasta strike again. Her prune gnocchi at No. 9 Park are so snazzy they practically wear a bow tie. At Sportello, things get a little more rustic. These pasta twists - “strozzapreti’’ means “priest stranglers’’ - were served with bits of braised rabbit, green olives, and a rosemary-spiked rabbit jus. They were the weekly habit to the gnocchi’s special occasion. 348 Congress St., Boston. 617-737-1234. www.sportelloboston.com.

Polvo guisado at T.A. Restaurant The word that comes to mind when I think of this dish is “righteous.’’ Octopus and potatoes stewed in a wine-dark sauce until tender, it was rich and mysterious, simple but much more than the sum of its parts. The restaurant is frequented by old guys drinking tiny cups of coffee at the bar during the day, and by families and couples at night. If you haven’t explored the Azorean fare of Fall River (not to mention the chow mein sandwiches, Coney dogs, and other regional foodstuffs), you’re missing out. 408 South Main St., Fall River. 508-673-5890. www.tarestaurant.com. Boudin blanc at Ten Tables I Yassa guinaar at Teranga Senegalese food came to Boston and managed to make grilled chicken interesting again. Yassa guinaar featured moist, smoky meat and a fantastic sauce of lemon juice and caramelized onions. Or maybe it Chicken and waffles at Trina I admit it. I do have a weakness for chicken and waffles. The dish combines my love of breakfast for dinner with the naughty glee of eating something really delicious and not that good for you. (With four different hot dogs on the menu, I think Trina Daube of beef at Tupelo This dish showcased the beauty of slow cooking: humble brisket doused with red wine and braised until it was tender and mellow. For me, pozole is a comfort food in the way potatoes are for other people; here hominy was combined with mashed potatoes, making things doubly cozy. 1193 Cambridge St., Cambridge. 617-868-0004. www.tupelo02139.com. Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.