List: Atlanta Mag's Top 50 Restaurants of 2011

x = Have eaten at this restaurant once.
y = Have eaten at this restaurant twice.
z = Have eaten at this restaurant three or more times.

y 01. Bacchanalia
x 02. Restaurant Eugene
y 03. Cakes & Ale
y 04. Holeman & Finch
y 05. Tomo
z 06. Empire State South
x 07. Bone's
y 08. Miller Union
y 09. Aria
x 10. Sotto Sotto
x 11. 4th & Swift
z 12. Abattoir
y 13. Antico Pizza Napoletana
x 14. Bhojanic
x 15. Bistro VG
z 16. Bocado
x 17. Busy Bee
z 18. Canoe
x 19. Carver's Country Kitchen
x 20. Chops/Lobster Bar
z 21. Community Q BBQ
z 22. Desta
x 23. Ecco
z 24. Floataway Cafe
x 25. Greenwood's
26. The Hil
y 27. Holy Taco
x 28. Honey Pig
z 29. JCT Kitchen
x 30. Kevin Rathbun Steak
x 31. Kyma
x 32. La Pietra Cucina
y 33. La Tavola Trattoria
x 34. Lunacy Black Market
35. Myung Ga Won
36. Nam Phuong
x 37. Pura Vida
x 38. Rathbun's
x 39. Rumi's Kitchen
x 40. Sam's BBQ1
x 41. Saravana Bhavan
42. The Sound Table
x 43. Sushi House Hayakawa
z 44. Taqueria Del Sol
x 45. Taqueria La Oaxaquena
x 46. Tasty China
y 47. Tierra
x 48. Vingenzo's
z 49. Watershed
z 50. Woodfire Grill

List: Pazz & Jop's Top 100 Albums of 2011

x = Have listened to the album.

x 100. Ty Seagall, Goodbye Bread
x 099. Braids, Native Speaker
x 098. Tyler, the Creator, Goblin
x 097. Eric Church, Chief
096. Grouper, A I A
x 095. Feelies, Here Before
094. Lou Reed & Metallica, Lulu
093. A$AP Rocky, LiveLoveA$AP
x 092. DJ Quik, The Book of David
x 091. Cults, Cults
x 089. Laura Marling, A Creature I Don't Know
x 089. Elbow, Build a Rocket Boys!
x 088. Liturgy, Aesthethica
x 087. Miranda Lambert, Four the Record
x 086. Julianna Barwick, The Magic Place
x 085. Austra, Feel It Break
x 084. The Caretaker, An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
x 083. Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Belong
x 082. Washed Out, Within and Without
x 081. White Denim, D
x 080. The Horrors, Skying
x 079. Zola Jesus, Conatus
x 078. Matana Roberts. Coin Coin Chapter One: Gens de Couieur Libres
x 077. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part 2
x 076. Hayes Carll, KMAG YOYO (& Other American Stories)
x 074. Nick Lowe, The Old Magic
? 074. Demdike Stare, Tryptych
x 073. R.E.M., Collapse Into Now
x 072. Low, C'mon
x 071. Kills, Blood Pressures
x 070. Tinariwen, Tassili
x 069. Panda Bear, Tomboy
x 068. The Antlers, Burst Apart
x 067. Big KRIT, Return of 4Eva
x 066. Nicolas Jaar, Space is Only Noise
x 065. Mountain Goats, All Eternals Deck
x 064. My Morning Jacket, Circuital
x 063. Fountains of Wayne, Sky Full of Holes
x 061. Atlas Sound, Parallax
x 061. Clams Casino, Instrumental Mixtape
x 060. Florence & the Machine, Ceremonials
x 059. Feist, Metals
x 058. Joy Formidable, The Big Roar
x 057. The Men, Leave Home
x 056. Iceage, New Brigade
x 055. Dum Dum Girls, Only in Dreams
x 054. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
x 053. Britney Spears, Femme Fatale
x 052. Katy B, On a Mission
x 051. Gang Gang Dance, Eye Contact
x 050. Charles Bradley, No Time for Dreaming
x 049. War on Drugs, Slave Ambient
x 048. Das Racist, Relax
x 047. Mastodon, The Hunter
x 046. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic
045. The Beach Boys, The Smile Sessions
x 044. Kendrick Lamar, Section.80
x 043. TV on the Radio, Nine Types of Light
x 042. Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
x 041. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Ashes & Fire
x 040. Wye Oak, Civilian
x 039. Raphael Saadiq, Stone Rollin' 
x 038. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
x 037. Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow
x 036. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath, 1972
x 035. Oneohtrix Point Never, Replica
x 034. James Blake, James Blake
x 033. Radiohead, The King of Limbs
x 032. Real Estate, Days
x 031. Bill Callahan, Apocalypse
x 030. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
x 029. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
x 028. Danny Brown, XXX
x 027. Gillian Welch, The Harrow and the Harvest
x 026. Beyonce, 4
x 025. Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
x 024. Yuck, Yuck
x 023. Pistol Annies, Hell on Heels
x 022. Wilco, The Whole Love
x 021. The Black Keys, El Camino
x 020. Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for My Halo
x 019. M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
x 018. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
x 017. The Roots, Undun
x 016. Frank Ocean, Nostalgia, Ultra
x 015. EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
x 014. Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What
x 013. The Weeknd, House of Balloons
x 012. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
x 011. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life
x 010. Shabazz Palaces, Black Up
x 009. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
x 008. Drake, Take Care
x 007. Destroyer, Kaputt
x 006. Adele, 21
x 005. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
x 004. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
x 003. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
x 002. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
x 001. Tune-Yards, Whokill
 

List: Pitchfork's Top 50 Albums of 2011

x = Have listened to the album.

x 50. Youth Lagoon, The Year Of Hibernation
x 49. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
x 48. Toro Y Moi, Underneath The Pine
x 47. Sepalcure, Sepalcure
x 46. Cults, Cults
x 45. Kendrick Lamar, Section.80
x 44. Colin Stetson, New History Warfare Vol. 2: Judges
x 43. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
x 42. SBTRKT, SBTRKT
x 41. Liturgy, Aesethetica
x 40. AraabMuzik, Electronic Dream
x 39. The War On Drugs, Slave Ambient
x 38. Sandro Perri, Impossible Spaces
x 37. Iceage, New Brigade
x 36. Kate Bush, 50 Words For Snow
x 35. Frank Ocean, Nostalgia, Ultra
x 34. Katy B, On A Mission
x 33. Fucked Up, David Comes To Life
x 32. Panda Bear, Tomboy
x 31. Ty Segall, Goodbye Bread
x 30. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath, 1972
x 29. DJ Quik, The Book Of David
x 28. Cut Copy, Zonoscope
x 27. Beyoncé, 4
x 26. The Field, Looping State Of Mind
x 25. Gang Gang Dance, Eye Contact
x 24. Julianna Barwick, The Magic Place
x 23. Bill Callahan, Apocalypse
x 22. The Caretaker, An Empty Bliss Beyond This World
x 21. Jay-Z & Kanye West, Watch The Throne
x 20. Nicolas Jaar, Space Is Only Noise
x 19. Danny Brown, XXX
x 18. Atlas Sound, Parallax
x 17. Clams Casino, Instrumentals
x 16. Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring For My Halo
x 15. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
x 14. Shabazz Palaces, Black Up
x 13. EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
x 12. James Blake, James Blake
x 11. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
x 10. The Weeknd, House Of Balloons
x 09. Real Estate, Days
x 08. Drake, Take Care
x 07. Tune-Yards, Whokill
x 06. Oneohtrix Point Never, Replica
x 05. Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
x 04. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
x 03. M83, Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming
x 02. Destroyer, Kaputt
x 01. Bon Iver, Bon Iver

List: Rolling Stone's Top 50 Albums of 2011

x = Have listened to the album.

x 50. The Lonely Island, Turtleneck & Chain
x 49. Wavves, Life Sux EP
x 48. Charles Bradley, No Time for Dreaming
x 47. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
x 46. White Denim, D
x 45. Tedeschi Trucks Band, Revelator
x 44. Raphael Saadiq, Stone' Rolling'
x 43. The Kills, Blood Pressures
x 42. Destroyer, Kaputt
x 41. Little Dragon, Ritual Union
x 40. Gary Clark Jr., The Bright Lights EP
x 39. Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for My Halo
x 38. Mastodon, The Hunter
x 37. Panda Bear, Tomboy
x 36. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic
x 35. Dawes, Nothing Is Wrong
x 34. SuperHeavy, SuperHeavy
x 33. Josh T. Pearson, Last of the Country Gentlemen
x 32. Big K.R.I.T., Return of 4eva
x 31. Miranda Lambert, Four the Record
x 30. Tom Morello, World Wide Rebel Songs
x 29. Pistol Annies, Hell on Heels
x 28. Das Racist, Relax
x 27. Florence and the Machine, Ceremonials
x 26. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
x 25. Beyonce, 4
x 24. Frank Ocean, Nostalgia, Ultra
x 23. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
x 22. Drake, Take Care
x 21. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
x 20. Foo Fighters, Wasted Light
x 19. Eric Church, Chief
x 18. Feist, Metals
x 17. TV on the Radio, Nine Types of Light
x 16. R.E.M., Collapse Into Now
x 15. Cage the Elephant, Thank You Happy Birthday
x 14. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Pt. Two
x 13. Tune-Yards, Whokill
x 12. The Black Keys, El Camino
x 11. My Morning Jacket, Circuital
x 10. Robbie Robertson, How to Become Clairvoyant
x 09. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
x 08. Wilco, The Whole Love
x 07. The Decemberists, The King is Dead
x 06. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
x 05. Radiohead, The King of Limbs
x 04. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
x 03. Paul Simon, So Beautiful or So What
x 02. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
x 01. Adele, 21

List: Spin's Top 50 Albums of 2011

x = Have listened to the album.

x 50. Britney Spears, Femme Fatale
x 49. Yob, Atma
x 48. Various Artists, Drive (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
x 47. Gillian Welch, The Harrow and the Harvest
x 46. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light
x 45. Azari & III, Azari & III
x 44. The Roots, Undun
x 43. Kendrick Lamar, Section.80
x 42. Eric Church, Chief
x 41. Frank Ocean, Nostalgia, Ultra
x 40. Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne
x 39. Beyonce, 4
x 38. Zola Jesus, Conatus
x 37. The Field, Looping State of Mind
x 36. The Black Keys, El Camino
x 35. Washed Out, Within and Without
x 34. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy
x 33. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues
x 32. Hayes Carll, KMAG YOYO (& other American stories)
x 31. Yuck, Yuck
x 30. Tune-Yards, Whokill
x 29. Lady Gaga, Born This Way
x 28. Tim Hecker, Ravedeath, 1972
x 27. Big K.R.I.T., Return of 4Eva
x 26. Liturgy, Aesthethica
x 25. Cass McCombs, Wit's End/Humor Risk
x 24. Deer Tick, Divine Providence
x 23. Iceage, New Brigade
x 22. Drake, Take Care
x 21. Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation
x 20. Shabazz Palaces, Black Up
x 19. M83, Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
x 18. SBTRKT, SBTRKT
x 17. Dum Dum Girls, Only in Dreams
x 16. Das Racist, Relax
x 15. The Men, Leave Home
x 14. Bon Iver, Bon Iver
x 13. The Weeknd, House of Balloons/Thursday
x 12. Telekinesis, Desperate Straight Lines
x 11. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic
x 10. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes
x 09. Wild Flag, Wild Flag
x 08. G-Side, The One...Cohesive
x 07. The Rapture, In the Grace of Your Love
x 06. Danny Brown, XXX
x 05. Girls, Father, Son, Holy Ghost
x 04. Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for My Halo
x 03. EMA, Past Life Martyred Saints
x 02. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
x 01. Fucked Up, David Comes to Life

List: 12 Non-Dining Goals for 2012

01. Buy a new suit
02. Take swimming lessons
x 03. Visit a new city
x 04. Visit a new state
x 05. Visit another new state
x 06. Visit a new national park
x 07. Visit a new baseball stadium
x 08. Visit a new museum
x 09. Visit an island on the Georgia coast
x 10. Visit a new place in Florida
x 11. See a new Broadway show
12. Do something I've never done before

List: 12 Dining Goals for 2012

x 01. Cuban food in Miami
02. Porterhouse at Peter Luger's (Brooklyn, NY)
x 03. Find another fantastic donut joint
04. Finally grab a meal atop The Sun Dial (Atlanta, GA)
x 05. Eat at a new 3-star Michelin restaurant
x 06. Eat delicious pizza in a city that is not New York or Chicago
07. Eat pizza at Totonno's (New York, NY)
08. Eat BBQ at a new joint in Memphis
09. Quinones at Bacchanalia (Atlanta, GA)
x 10. Eat delicious BBQ in a place that isn't Memphis, KC, NC, or Texas
x 11. Find a new delicious place to eat fried chicken
12. Eat at all 50 of Atlanta's Top 50 Restaurants of 2011 (46/50 complete!)

A Year in Pictures 2011 (Part II)

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A Year in Pictures 2011 (Part I)

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List: Top Foods in 2011

Okay, because I ate so much this year, let's break down my favorites by category, shall we? 

BEST BREAKFAST

This one goes to the Big Nasty chicken biscuit smothered in gravy served at Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC.   Just plain fantastic.  Second place: the red velvet pancakes at The Bongo Room in Chicago.

BEST BRISKET & SAUSAGE

This category makes me realize how much BBQ I ate this year.  Though you can't go wrong with any place in Lockhart, TX for brisket or sausage, my personal favorite was Black's Barbecue.  Brisket perfection.  Sadly, very hard to get to.  Honorable mention: Smitty's Market and Kreuz Market (both in Lockhart, TX) and the surprisingly good Hill Country (New York, NY).

BEST BURGER

Shake Shack (New York, NY) still remains my favorite burger I've eaten this year.  Best place that serves burgers?  The heavy metal themed burger place, Kuma's Corner in Chicago.  Others to note: Duane's Ono-Char Burger (Anahola, Kauai, HI) and Bocado (Atlanta, GA).

BEST BURRITO

The Surfin' California Burrito at Lucha Libre Taco Shop (San Diego, CA).

BEST CUPCAKES
Red velvet cupcakes at Little Cake Bakery (Atlanta, GA).

BEST DONUTS

The glazed donuts are simple, crisp, warm, and perfect at Round Rock Donuts (Round Rock, TX) that it beats out a personal favorite of mine, Doughnut Plant (New York, NY).  Others to note: Dat Donuts (Chicago, IL) and Top Pot Doughnuts (Seattle, WA).

BEST DUCK
Any duck served at Empire State South in Atlanta.  No one is a close second.  (The duck meatballs at Abattoir in Atlanta are worth nothing, though.)

BEST FINE DINING

Le Bernardin (New York, NY).  Perfection from beginning to end.  In a close second is Atlanta's best, Bacchanalia.  Empire State South rounds out my Top 3.
 
BEST FRENCH FRIES
The Burger Joint (New York, NY).  Delicious and can't beat the brown bag presentation.

BEST FRIED CHICKEN
This one's a tie between Frenchy's (Houston, TX) and Gus's (Memphis, TN).  These two places serve the most crispy, tender, and flavorful fried chicken I've ever eaten.  To round out the Top 3 would be Stroud's in Kansas City, an amazing fried chicken place lost amidst a sea of barbecue.

BEST HOT DOG

Hot Doug's (Chicago, IL).  As a New Yorker, it pains me to say that the best hot dogs are in Chicago.  Hot Doug's has the well-known foie gras and sauternes duck sausage dog.  Decadent.  But I thought their Chicago-style dog is their best.  Also fantastic: Superdawg and Portillo's (both in Chicago, IL).

BEST ITEM INVOLVING BACON

Talk about an arbitrary category.  One of the single best things I've had this year was the pimento cheese & bacon marmalade at Empire State South (Atlanta, GA).  Bacon in a spread?  Amazing.  But Atlanta had some other great dishes involving bacon: the angry mussels at JCT Kitchen and bacon cookies at Abattoir.

BEST LOBSTER

The lobster roll at Red's Eats (Wiscasset, ME) is the stand out.  Others deserving mention are the lobster at Street & Co. (Portland, ME) and the lobster roll at The Lobster Shack (Cape Elizabeth, ME).

BEST PIZZA

Nearly magical watching Mr. DeMarco make pizza.  DiFara's (Brooklyn, NY) hands down.  Runner-up: Grimaldi's (Brooklyn, NY).

BEST PULLED PORK OR PIG

As a region, North Carolina is clearly superior.  In my mind, no contest here: Grady's Barbecue (Dudley, NC).  The pulled pork with potato salad and cole slaw was as satisfying a meal as they come.  Second place goes to Allen & Son Bar-B-Que in Chapel Hill, NC for my favorite pulled pork sandwich.  Worth mentioning is The Publican in Chicago, a temple to the pig, with the best chicharron, and 4th & Swift in Atlanta, which serves a dish called the Three Little Piggies: pig served three ways.

BEST RIBS

I loved Charlie Vergos Rendezvous.  Then I went to Jim Neely's Interstate BBQ (Memphis, TN), and that absolutely knocked my socks off.  This is the current gold standard for me.  Other excellent ribs: Danny Edward's and Arthur Bryant's (both in Kansas City, MO) and Dreamland BBQ (Birmingham, AL).  For Chinese style?  Nancy Lee's Pig Heaven in Upper East Side New York.

BEST SCALLOPS

I ordered the scallops from East End Brasserie (Fort Lauderdale, FL) almost every day for nearly a week.  They serve it with porcini mushroom & foie gras.  This was one of the most satisfying things I've eaten all year.  Worth mentioning: Bacchanalia and Cakes & Ale (both in Atlanta, GA) and 555 and Street & Co. (both in Portland, ME).

BEST SOUP

The saimin at Hamura's Saimin (Lihue, Kauai, HI). 

BEST STEAK
The wood-grilled prime New York strip at Bacchanalia.  Second goes to Bone's (Atlanta, GA).

BEST THING I HAD NEVER TRIED BEFORE
Anything I had never tried before that was on the menu at Le Bernardin.  In particular, the turbot was unbelievable.  Worth noting: ahi poke at Wahooo (Kappa, Kauai, HI).

BEST VEGETARIAN
The tasting of vegetables at Restaurant Eugene (Atlanta, GA), featuring saffron-orange turnips, garlic chips, red wine purple cabbage, sweet potato dauphine, sunchoke barigoule, parsnips & honey, strawberry glazed beets, fourth generation peas, and radish salad.  Phenomenal. 

List: 11 Sandwiches I Loved in 2011

Who doesn't love a good sandwich?  Here are my 11 favorites in 2011, including mostly new ones but there are a few old ones as well. 

11. El Toro at Phil's BBQ (San Diego, CA)

A tri-tip sandwich.  Incredibly tender and lathered in BBQ sauce.  A winner!

10. Pastrami sandwich at Katz's (New York, NY)
I prefer the pastrami at Katz's over Second Ave.  But that's a fine detail.  If I eat a pastrami sandwich in NY, chances are it will end up on a list somewhere.

09. The Big Nasty at Hominy Grill (Charleston, SC)
Chicken, biscuit, gravy, sloppy, big, and nasty.  I loved it.

08. Famous Ferdi at Mother's Restaurant (New Orleans, LA)
A sandwich dripping wet, stuffed with amazing ham, roast beef, and topped with debris.  That's right, debris, basically a concoction of sauce featuring roast beef.  Eat one and you will happily endure your new diagnosis of gout.

07. Banh mi at Star Provisions (Atlanta, GA)
My favorite sandwich shop in Atlanta.  One of the most addicting sandwiches I've eaten this year.

06. Shrimp po' boy at Star Provisions (Atlanta, GA)
Another old favorite.

05. Cochon de Lait po' boy at Jazzfest (New Orleans, LA)
Pig with a coleslaw-like topping.  It's available at Jazzfest.  It almost always sells out by early lunchtime.

04. Chopped pork sandwich at Allen & Son (Chapel Hill, NC)
The best pulled pork sandwich ever. 

03. The Poor Russ at Fiorella's Jack Stack (Kansas City, MO)
I don't know why it's called the Poor Russ.  But if Russ had dibs on this sandwich, I'd say he was awfully lucky.  In a city that has mastered the burnt ends, this is best sandwich form in Kansas City.  Chopped and topped with their signature sauce.  This is utterly fantastic. 

02. Brisket sandwich at Black's Barbecue (Lockhart, TX)
This is not as simple as the counterpart sandwiches at Smitty's or Kreuz.  But it's still simple.  There's a bun.  There are a few pickles.  You can add sauce.  But the brisket stands out.  This is sublime.  And you receive it in a brown paper bag.

01. Grilled Pork at Paseo (Seattle, WA)
I had a fantastic Cuban sandwich at El Siboney in Key West.  It makes sense that, outside of Cuba, Florida would have fantastic Cuban sandwiches.  And especially Key West, since it's 90 miles from Havana.  Who knew Paseo in Seattle would have something to say?   Paseo kept popping up in all these lists, web sites, and magazines that talked about the country's best sandwiches.  Plus, one of my best friends, a vegetarian, was oddly endorsing this place.  Since I would be in Seattle for a wedding, I knew I had to stop by and try it.  Yes, yes, yes!  The real deal.  So good I was talking out loud to myself about how good it was.  This proved awkward to people nearby.  I don't care.  This Cuban sandwich is perfect.

Honorable mention:
Jibarito at Borinquen (Chicago, IL)

A steak sandwich with fried plantains as the bun.  Densest sandwich consumed this year. 

Tuna nicoise at Bouchon Bakery (New York, NY)

A light and delightful tuna sandwich, courtesy of Thomas Keller. 

Duck sandwich at Momofuku Ssam Bar (New York, NY)

Duck in a sandwich?  It works.  But don't forget to leave room for those steamed pork buns.

The McRib at McDonald's 

Synthesized, yes, but delicious anyway.  Unless you've had it, you can't say a bad thing about it!

List: 11 Best Albums of 2011

My 11 favorite albums in 2011, in alphabetical order:

01. The Black Keys' El Camino 
02. The Decemberists' The King is Dead
03. Explosions in the Sky's Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
04. Girls' Father, Son, Holy Ghost
05. The Go! Team's Rolling Blackouts 
06. The Kills' Blood Pressures
07. Lykke Li's Wounded Rhymes
08. M83's Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
09. Pistol Annie's Hell on Heels

10. PJ Harvey's Let England Shake
11. Wye Oak's Civilian 

Honorable mention, in alphabetical order:
Adele's 21
Bon Iver's Bon Iver
Brad Paisley's This Is Country Music
Childish Gambino's Camp
Gary Clark Jr.'s The Bright Lights EP 
The Civil Wars' Barton Hollow 
Cut Copy's In Ghost Colours
Destroyer's Kaputt
Drake's Take Care
Dum Dum Girls' Only in Dreams
Eric Church's Chief
Feist's Metals
The Field's Looping State of Mind
Fleet Foxes' Helplessness Blues
Florence & The Machine's Ceremonials
Foster the People's Torches
Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, Ultra
Friendly Fires' Pala

Jay-Z & Kanye West's Watch the Throne
Jessica Lea Mayfield's Tell Me
The Joy Formidable's Big Roar
LIGHTS' Siberia
Little Dragon's Ritual Union
Low's C'mon 
Mastodon's The Hunter
Cass McCombs Wit's End/Humor Risk
Miranda Lambert's Four the Record
My Morning Jacket's Circuital 
Liturgy's Aesthethica
Frank Ocean's Nostalgia, Ultra
Josh T. Pearson's Last of the Country Gentlemen
Radiohead's The King of Limbs
Russian Circles' Empros 
Those Dancing Days' Daydreams and Nightmares
Tune-Yards' Whokill
Wild Flag's Wild Flag
Youth Lagoon's The Year of Hibernation
Yuck's Yuck
 

List: 11 Best Live Acts in 2011

Drum roll, please ...

11. TV on the Radio (Austin City Limits 2011)
10. Brandi Carlile (Austin City Limits 2011)
09. The Joy Formidable (Lollapalooza 2011)
08. Mumford & Sons (Coachella 2011)
07. Cut Copy (Coachella 2011)
06. Eminem (Lollapalooza 2011)
05. Arcade Fire (Coachella 2011)
04. The Kills (Live at The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA)
03. The Black Keys (Music Midtown 2011)
02. Coldplay (Music Midtown 2011)

01. Kanye West (Coachella 2011)

Honorable mention: 
Toro Y Moi (Bumbershoot 2011)
Lykke Li (Lollapalooza 2011)

List: 11 Most Memorable Meals in 2011

My dining experience in 2011 was immensely dense this year.  My hunger took me to the far reaches of this country (Hawaii, Maine, the Florida Keys, and southern California) yet to many places well within it (such as Kansas City, Memphis, Carolina, and central Texas for barbecue).  I've been to two restaurants, each one arguably the best in their respective city: Le Bernardin (New York) and Bacchanalia (Atlanta).  Based on food alone, Le Bernardin and Bacchanalia would be No. 1 and 2.  But food is only part of the experience.  For me, these are the 10 most memorable meals in 2011. 

11. New Orleans Jazzfest (New Orleans, LA)

I remember the mad rush to the food stations in the first hour of the first day of the first weekend of Jazzfest.  I ate the fabled Cochon de Lait Po' Boy, available only at Jazzfest on a yearly basis.  Delicious.  I shared a table with a couple who had been attending Jazzfest regularly for years.  "Who are you here to see?" I mistakenly asked.  They proceed to tell me their Jazzfest 2011 list: it contained foods, no artists or musicians.  The food is as phenomenal as the music.  Complete sensory overload.  

10. DiFara's (Brooklyn, NY) 

Of any meal I've eaten in my life, this is the one that I replay in my head in slow motion.  Then I realize I'm actually remembering it at full speed.  You can argue that pizza is fast food.  My brother Joel and I watched Mr. DeMarco craft each and every pizza with such care and perfection, from the preparation of the dough and the fresh grating of cheese to its final removal from the oven and the scissoring of fresh basil to finish it off.  Yes, it's a wait.  But a glorious one at that.  Best slice of pizza you can have.

09. Pierre's (Islamorada, FL)

Touted as one of the Florida Keys' best restaurants.  Yes, the scallops and lamb ravioli were fantastic.  But I remember being given my own quiet table so I could read my book (Desert Solitaire, as I had just hiked in Utah with my brother Jay).  The staff let me breathe.  The first and only interruption was to be alerted that sunset was approaching.  I grabbed a drink and was escorted to a cushioned seat on the porch.  In the background was a man with an acoustic guitar playing.  The porch faced the Florida sunset.  I couldn't be happier. 

08. Le Bernardin (New York, NY) 

The best meal I've eaten in my life.  Dressed in suits, we entered Le Bernardin.  To this day, I'm still trying to figure out how my brother got reservations on short notice.  Each dish was so remarkable, that I had the giggles by the third dish.  Over the top, fantastic.  An all star line-up: Caviar-Wagyu, Tuna, Lobster, Turbot, Hiramasa, Black Bass, Pineapple, and Chocolate-Olive Oil.  Picking a favorite is a challenge, but the Turbot and Chocolate-Olive Oil (dessert) stood out to me.  My brother had frantically tried to memorize all the items before our menus were taken away.  No worries; we were given copies of the tasting menu and a complimentary special edition Zagat Guide.  I remember leaving the restaurant and hearing the sirens and car horns on the city streets.  Back to reality. 

07. Lucha Libre Taco Shop (San Diego, CA)

The pastels completely contradict the black and white lucha libre matches being broadcast on the TV screens inside.  At a complicated intersection, parking is difficult here so that when you see all these visual stimuli, you are jarred and clueless.  The Surfin' California Burrito is the best burrito I've eaten in my life.  It's literally bursting with steak, shrimp, fries, avocado, cheese, pico de gallo and whatever else they threw in there.  A few bites and all of a sudden the bright pink colors and masked wrestlers make you feel at home. 

06. Street & Co. (Portland, ME) 

When we paid the bill, we were no longer sitting in our original seats.  Fresh, fresh seafood, this place is an argument why coastal seafood is always superior.  Just when you thought one dish was perfection, the next one one-upped it.  Mussels, scallops, oysters, you name it.  The final thing I ate was the lobster.  So juicy and tender, I ripped it apart with my own bare hands.  Nutcracker?  No, thank you.  Why did we switch seats?  The final dishes were served on steaming hot frying pans.  How awesome is that. 

05. Paseo (Seattle, WA)

Who knew that the best Cuban sandwich in America was in Seattle?  I ate my first sandwich on the premises, which blew me away about what a Cuban sandwich could be.  The meat was fresher, more tender.  The bun was different.  There was a bigger kick.  Not like what I've had in Florida.  Perhaps it wasn't a Cuban sandwich?  Whatever it was, it was so good I ordered a second one to go.  Three hours later I was at my final destination.  The second sandwich was a few hours older and heated by a car's interior.  The white paper wrapping was keeping it in one piece.  With my feet up and a view of Mount Rainier out the window of my room at the National Park Inn, this sandwich tasted even better than the first. 

04. Red's Eats (Wiscasset, ME)

I heard that parking and traffic can be a problem so I arrived one hour early.  I was not the first person on line.  Thirty minutes before opening, trucks with fresh lobster stop and unload in front of Red's Eats.  These are the best lobster rolls.  Period.  Thomas Keller & Mario Batali's favorite lobster rolls are at Pearl's in Manhattan.  I don't think they've been to Red's Eats.  (I have eaten at Pearl's.)  Each roll is beyond overflowing with the freshest lobster, served with warm, melted butter.  I was lucky enough to snag a table where I could enjoy my meal and soak in the summer sun.  As I left, I stopped back in front of Red's Eats.  When you travel Route 1 west towards Red's Eats, you cross over water via a bridge.  I saw that bridge had bumper to bumper traffic, backed up for a maybe a mile if I had to guess.  Each car was trying to stop and sneak into Red's Eats.  People were spilling out of cars to try to get on line.  I've never seen anything like it. 

03. Grady's Barbecue (Dudley, NC)

I had happily finished lunch at Wilbur's Barbecue in Goldsboro, NC.  A delicious and filling meal, with pulled pork, cole slaw, hush puppies, and potato salad.  I was staying over an hour away back in Raleigh.  There was this other place called Grady's in Dudley, NC only 10 miles from Wilbur's, also known for their pulled pork.  Do I go back to Raleigh, then drive all the way back for dinner?  Or do I pass on Grady's?  But I heard such good things.  I decided to go to Grady's to grab dinner to go.  This was a confusing ten miles.  I got lost.  GPS didn't work.  I kept on this long-winding road, fingers crossed.  I eventually found it.  Only one other car in front.  Empty inside (the owner's car?).  With the order to go, I hopped back into my car and started driving.  I should taste it while it's warm, right?  I was too stubborn to pull over.  I ate the meal in my car.  While driving.  On top of a full lunch.  This was the best pulled pork I've ever eaten in my life.  Perfectly moist, tender, spiced, smoky, with pieces of skin for more flavor and crispiness.  This was truly divine.  It made me forgot about my previous meal.  Which was literally no more than thirty minutes earlier.

02. Edith's Restaurant (Cabo San Lucas, Mexico)

Leah and I had met some people at an outdoor jacuzzi in our hotel.  They talked about this amazing place called Edith's Restaurant.  "Make reservations now."  We did.  A festive restaurant with pastel colors inside.  Service was impeccable.  In fact, before I ever set foot into Bacchanalia or Le Bernardin, this place set the standard for service.  With a smile.  An army of servants.  It started with the most perfect Caesar salad (and a history lesson on Caesar salad, born in western Mexico).  Shrimp.  Lobster.  Steak.  Simple in preparation.  Fresh, fresh ingredients.  In fact, they bring out the ingredients so you can see how fresh they are prior to cooking.  When has advice given in a jacuzzi ever steered anyone wrong?  The meal was unbelievable.  Bring on the mariachi band!  (And there was music!)  Bring on the tequila!  (And there was drinking!)  Still remains the most festive fine-dining experience.  We never wanted to leave.  But when we did?  That stroll along the beach back to the hotel will do just fine.

01. Dasheene (Soufriere, Saint Lucia)

To others, it would just be a seafood buffet.  My day started out in Soufriere.  My taxi driver during my time in Saint Lucia and I agreed we would hike up Petit Piton.  Hike is too weak a word.  Petit Piton is about 2500 feet in altitude.  Gros Piton, the smaller twin peak, had a paved trail to the top.  Petit Piton doesn't.  It's about 45 degrees straight up.  We started out.  Kester, my cab driver, led the way (your taxi driver is your tour guide in Saint Lucia).  No trail.  He led the way and I followed.  "It's as much pull with your arms as push with your legs," he said.  After close to two hours of hiking (with multiple breaks on my part), we were 3/4s towards the top.  "What are those I asked?"  "Ropes," Kester replied.  "You just pull, like this," he said.  Yes, we rope climbed the majority of the final fourth.  The views at the top were breathtaking.  And not due to shortness of breath.  The route down was even more painful.  A complete reversal of muscle groups.  I was cramping by the time I got back down.  Knees were achy.  We headed to a nearby natural springs.  Perfect temperature, heated by the volcano under Soufriere, I rinsed myself of all the sweat.  I let my muscles shut off for a little bit.  It was bliss.  It was lunchtime, so I went back to Dasheene, the restaurant at the resort Ladera, perched at altitude between the Pitons.  I had already witnessed amazing sunsets there on previous nights.  I was seated outside at a table staring down the very mountain that I had just hiked.  There was a seafood buffet and it featured the catch of the day, red snapper.  My meal was very simple: red snapper and local vegetables.  I had two plates.  I had lots of water.  I sat back in disbelief that I was at the top of that peak.  But it is still a high I haven't come down from nearly one year later.

Honorable mention: 
Bacchanalia (Atlanta, GA) 
I went with three co-workers; the reason we went was because we, individually, had been wanting to go here for years.  It certainly did not disappoint.  It briefly held the title of best meal of my life (until that was surpassed by Le Bernardin).  The freshest ingredients available.  Simple preparations.  Each dish was artfully prepared and presented.  A waltz for the taste buds.  They take care of you here.  You feel spoiled and leave, not disgustingly full, but ready to go to bed, because, what can top that?  It did not take long for us to go back.  I ordered different items: tuna (instead of Kumamoto oysters), Nantucket scallops (instead of of the snapper), quail (instead of the steak).  And I may have even had a better time the second time around.  It really is Atlanta's best fine dining. 

Duane's Ono-Char Burger (Anahola, Kauai, HI)
My friend Sarah and I had just landed in Kauai and our spin around the island got us lost and subsequently we were very, very hungry.  A stop at the "next place we see" turned out to be an unexpected and delicious find: a red-painted burger shack.  Though the burger quickly fixed my appetite, it didn't take long to take note of the hordes of wild chickens roaming the premises.  Chickens everywhere.  Perhaps they were taking revenge for all those Chick-Fil-A commercials on TV.