Okay, we’ll admit it: One of the great perks of working at Ravenous is getting to eat some really, really great food. Whether that’s a splurge-y dinner at a New York City fine dining temple or a drunken snack enjoyed in a dimly lit East Dallas bar, we’re always hunting for compelling plates wherever we may be.
Every once in a while, one of those plates completely blows our minds. You know, it’s the kind of dish you can’t stop thinking about, that was so memorable that you keep looking back at the crappy photos you took of it on your phone to experience the taste of it again; the kind of incredible cooking that makes you feel feelings again!
Without further ado, here are the best things that Team Ravenous has eaten in 2026 — so far, all accompanied by contemporaneous photography that is as bad as these dishes were great.
Frances Dumlao
I took a trip to Traverse City, Michigan in late February to avoid the summer tourists and finally have a chance to hit up some spots I’ve been eyeing without having to fight for a reservation. One highlight from that weekend was the kohlrabi dish on the winter menu at Modern Bird. The chefs here transformed the bulbous vegetable into delicate, thick ribbons, which could be mistaken for pappardelle at first glance.
Drizzled with tangy green goddess dressing with crunchy sourdough croutons, bits of corned beef tongue add the right amount of salty punch. It’s reminiscent of corned beef and cabbage, but lighter and fancier. This felt so appropriate for the season since St. Patrick’s Day was around the corner. It was totally worth driving through the several hours of wintry mix.
Jaya Saxena
I should admit I am lightly embarrassed here, so allow me to unpack my feelings. On one hand, I do not want to be one of those New York food writers who insists only upon the city's most expensive and European-derived restaurants, because those are by-and-large not where I eat. I wish I could be telling you about a dish from an undersung cuisine at a much cheaper restaurant. On the other hand, as I scroll through the photos of every meal I've eaten out this year, I cannot deny the photo of the Salade Lyonnaise at Le Veau D'Or immediately returned me to the shocked reverie I felt the freezing afternoon I ate it.
Often, a salade lyonnaise fails to live up to its promise. What could be a beautiful marriage of fat and bitterness and vinegar typically resulting in sad frisee and an overdone egg. But here, finally, was what it was supposed to be. Tight radicchio, thick lardons, and everything just-overdressed-enough. I know I got a steak after but I can barely remember it, that's how great this salad was.
Ashok Selvam
The charm of eating at a bar often surpasses any satisfaction from a meal that required reservations made months ahead of time. Part of that joy may stem from diminished expectations, but let’s be clear — bars still suffer from visions of frozen chicken fingers and stale corn nuts. Bar Chenin, a 10-seat spot hidden inside the Siren Hotel in Downtown Detroit, delivered my most memorable bite, so far, of 2026.
This is a wine bar with delightful cocktails and a menu featuring Detroit-style square pizzas. There’s also an extensive selection of ice cream. But the headliners weren’t what attracted me. The mortadella sandwich — a buttery symphony of cured meat, pistachio pesto, and whipped ricotta — comes nestled between slices of sourdough focaccia that’s studded with the occasional olive. I don’t know of a more satisfying bar snack. One sandwich is a snack, an ideal pairing with any of Chenin’s tasty beverages. The crust on the focaccia crackles to reveal a soft and pleasantly sour middle. The sandwich is so tasty that no one will shame you if you order more than one. There’s joy in simplicity. And there’s joy in enjoying food while sitting at a comfy bar counter when the food is unexpectedly exceptional.
Amy McCarthy
I am never going to shut up about the Nugz at Rainbowcat, chef Misti Norris’ laid-back, long-term pop-up inside the East Dallas bar Saint Valentine. The much-lauded chef’s take on the McDonald’s McNugget is, in all ways, perfect. They begin with ground chicken thigh, which makes for a juicy nugget that’s just the right amount of bouncy in texture. They’re wrapped in some kind of alchemical tempura batter that manages to taste just like that nostalgic childhood favorite, but better. More spiced, more evenly cooked. Just…superior in all ways.
The Nugz are typically served with burnt scallion ranch dressing — which I have to practically restrain myself from eating straight out of the ramekin with my fingers — but make sure to ask for whatever other sauces Norris is cooking up in that funky little kitchen. If the hot mustard is on offer, get it. It will blow your socks off in the absolute best way possible.
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Courtney E. Smith
The meal I can’t stop thinking about this year was at Da Marco in Houston, an Italian spot that has been open since 2000 and has an entryway lined with old copies of Gourmet in which it was featured. It’s a little out of fashion now, and I don’t hear much about it from food writers anymore, but it is still amazing. I had a dish called duck two ways, both pan-seared and confit, stacked on top of each other. A raspberry and Lambrusco sauce was drizzled on the plate.
With a dish like this, that is so full of rich flavors, you often run the risk that whatever else is on the plate will fall flat, but this duck was on a bed of black rice loaded with Parmesan cheese that was a secret sleeper. I found myself compulsively going back to it, sticking my fork deeper in to get a nice mix of confit duck and rice, and eventually just the rice. I can still taste that savory, gamey flavor when I stop to think about it. Remarkable.
