2011 BEGAN with an “Ole!’’ We rode in on a wave of tequila and yuppie tacos, as half a dozen upscale Mexican restaurants arrived on the scene almost simultaneously. This was the year Kendall Square and the South Boston waterfront took off as restaurant neighborhoods, albeit with very different flavors - the former a haven for small, independent establishments, the latter trending bigger and glitzier. Legal Sea Foods got a flagship with Legal Harborside, complete with roof deck and bouncers; the Fenway branch of El Pelon Taqueria returned from the ashes. File both under “how far they’ve come.’’ Celebrity fueled several restaurants, such as Wahlburgers from the Wahlberg brothers, Sweet Cheeks from Tiffani Faison of “Top Chef,’’ and Blue Inc. from Jason Santos of “Hell’s Kitchen.’’ We ride out of 2011 on a wave of craft cocktails, as a generous handful of new bars arrive on the scene almost simultaneously. Before we bid the year goodbye, let’s take a look back at some of its most delicious moments. Here are 11 favorite dishes from 2011.
11 favorite dishes of 2011
G COVER
EVERYONE serves pork belly. No one serves it quite like chef Antonio Bettencourt at 62 Restaurant & Wine Bar. His confit pork belly with spicy red cabbage slaw offers more than simple, fatty pleasures. The dish is infused with a spectrum of flavors - Thai chilies, cilantro, vinegar, brown sugar. It’s as complex as it is delicious. 62 Wharf St., Salem. 978-744-0062. www.62restaurant.com
80 THOREAU was one of my favorite new restaurants of 2011, and it’s hard to single out one dish. Perhaps the perfect soft-shell crabs with hakurei turnips, fried chickpeas, and harissa? The grilled lamb with phyllo dough turnovers? No, the gnocchi, tiny dumplings seared until their outsides are crisp and chestnut brown, their insides soft and chewy. Served with morels, peas, herbs, and artichoke cream, they were craveable. 80 Thoreau St., Concord. 978-318-0008. www.80thoreau.com
JASON BOND knocked everyone out with his restaurant, Bondir, where the menu is ever in flux, every day its own season. I enjoyed many dishes here, but a composition with Scituate scallops stands out for its simple, focused flavors. Giant scallops, sweet and expertly seared, sat alongside pickled mushrooms, celery puree, and a pink radish roasted into melting tenderness. Celery and radishes don’t get enough love, but Bond’s kitchen offers all vegetables pride of place. 279A Broadway, Cambridge . 617-661-0009. www.bondircambridge.com