For someone with quite a few opinions on food (I literally write a food column), I have relatively few barriers to what I’ll eat. I am well known for being willing to try anything once and, oftentimes, liking it. The only thing I’ll truly turn my nose up at is canned tuna, much to my sandwich-loving mom’s dismay.
While my palate is great for avoiding drama at dinner, it can sometimes make a tricky job of deciding the age-old question: what’s your favorite food? The more indecisive foodies will understand how difficult a question this can be. It’s like choosing a favorite child. However, inspired by Food Network’s The Best Thing I Ever Ate, I am challenging myself here to create a decisive list of my top three favorite restaurant dishes, in no particular order.
Chicken Cardinale — Olazzo, Bethesda, MD
Picture this: it’s the day after your 19th birthday and you’re staying in Bethesda, the small city one might call the Hoboken of Washington, D.C. You’re in a restaurant near the hotel, and your family is annoyed by a particularly raucous fellow diner. However, you aren’t really listening because you’re knee-deep in the best pasta you’ve had in your life.
The Chicken Cardinale at Olazzo is so delicious that it sent me off into dreamland. The creamy sauce envelops roasted chicken and penne, pairing nicely with zingy, chewy sundried tomatoes. The combination of textures really makes this dish and knocks it out of the park. I’m not the only one that thinks so; it’s their most mentioned item on Yelp (a feature I highly recommend using when trying a new restaurant).
Spicy Chocolate and Cherry Gelato — Gnocco, New York, NY
I would be amiss if I failed to mention my go-to restaurant recommendation. Make the trek to the East Village and slip through an unassuming front room before finding yourself in a lush courtyard’s dining room. The menu is a guaranteed hit; I suggest starting with their namesake Gnocco Fritto, a fried dough puff topped with cured meats. Enjoy a top-notch meal before the dessert knocks you out of your seat.
This gelato feels like the stylish older sister to your grandmother’s favorite Queen Anne cherries. Silky smooth chocolate meets red-hot flavor. Served simply with long-stemmed maraschino cherries, this is the perfect ending to an already perfect meal. If they sold this stuff in grocery stores, I would have 10 pints in the freezer right now.
Camarones Enchilados — Casa Vasca, Newark, NJ
I have Joana Fardad, fellow member of The Stute, to thank for this recommendation! When she brought my roommate and I to Casa Vasca after a day outdoors, we loved it so much that we just kept ordering. We left very full and very happy. Everything was great, but it was my entrée that I still reminisce about today.
Comprised of shrimp served in a spicy tomato sauce, Camarones Enchiladas is one of those simple dishes that goes from good to awe-inspiring when cooked by an expert. At Casa Vasca, you will experience the latter. Packed with the culinary magic of garlic, peppers, and onions, this is something you just can’t help but gobble up. The servings are generous, so ask for a to-go box and relive the experience for lunch the next day.
So, there you have it: the three dishes I still dream about. If you have any suggestions or want to share your own top three with me, email me at jdwight@stevens.edu.
The College Gourmet is an Opinion culture column written and created by Julia Dwight ‘22 to discuss cooking tips for students, explore local restaurants available to students, and more.
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