The Best Things I Ate (And Baked) In 2024

My annual list of dishes that I enjoyed during the past year

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My Top Dishes For 2024

In 2024, I traveled primarily for business but a little bit for pleasure. I was able to make multiple trips to Canada, which I wasn’t able to visit as much as I usually like during the Covid years. And I was excited to speak at the Bay View Association this summer.

Here are some of the things I enjoyed eating and drinking during 2024. I’m linking where available, and many of these places are on Instagram. Some of them will ship, and have order-ahead capability.

Best In Baking

Baked goods and a vegan banh mi sandwich from Crooked Tree Breadworks, Petoskey, Mich. I discovered Crooked Tree on a visit up north in 2023. This year, I got to spend several days in Petoskey when I was invited to speak at the Bay View Association. That gave me a chance to try a number of pastries at Crooked Tree, including fruit Danish, a butter croissant and kougin amann, which is one of their specialties. In their grab and go sandwich section, a vegan banh mi caught my attention. It substitutes a mushroom pate for meat. I ate it on a beach and loved every bite.

Shortcake from Bear Creek Organic Farm, Petoskey, Mich. The folks at Horton Bay General Store tipped me off to Bear Creek, a sprawling organic farm in the hills outside Petoskey. They have a bountiful farm store and a food truck, with outdoor umbrella tables. I had a cherry shortcake for dessert and had to take half of it back to Bay View where I finished it while watching the Biden-Trump presidential debate. I’d rather remember the shortcake.

Pizza and bread from Raterman Bread Haus & Bistro, Dexter, Mich. Nick Raterman gained a reputation for his bread at farmer’s markets around Washtenaw County. In 2023, he opened his own cafe, where he sells bread, sandwiches, bowls and especially pizza. You can create your own pizza, or choose one of his concoctions. Lately, I’ve been getting goat cheese, often with an argula shower, and topped with a balsamic glaze. Nick’s pizza reheats beautifully and a single pizza easily lasts me for three meals.

Hot Cross buns from Au Pain Dore, Toronto. During Lent, bakeries in Europe, the U.K. and in North America bring out hot cross buns. They’re a yeast bun studded with candied fruit. Many of them use white icing for the crosses, but the most traditional version makes a cross from dough. Au Pain Dore, a chain based in Montreal, has a delicious one. I ate one in the shop near St. Lawrence Market and took another one home.

Bagels from Bev’s Bagels, Ann Arbor, Mich. Max Sussman is a polymath. He’s owned restaurants with his brother Eli in New York, launched a pop up called Pizza Replicator during Covid, and earlier this year, began selling bagels from his home. While I’ll always be loyal to my friends at Flour Moon Bagels in New Orleans, Max’s hand rolled bagels are on a par with those and the best NYC bagels, Max has been doing pop ups at Argus Farm Stop with bagel sandwiches, and he’s opening a new restaurant in Ann Arbor in 2025. It’s called Alo, named after his son, and hopefully his bagels will be on the menu.

Savory dishes

Heirloom tomatoes from Spiedo, Ann Arbor, Mich. I’m big fan of Spiedo’s Mediterranean-inspired fast casual dishes. I could easily put everything I ate there this year on this list, but their heirloom tomatoes last summer really stood out. They were beautifully sauced with harissa and feta and topped with cashews. I took half an order home, combined it with warm pasta, and got a second meal from it. Sadly, the tomatoes are now out of season, but if you are here next summer, nab them.

Khao Soi from Khao San Road, Toronto. While I was riding Via Rail last spring to Toronto to see Jon Batiste, I struck up a conversation with my neighbor, who loaded me down with restaurant recommendations. One was for Khao San Road, named for the famous thoroughfare in Bangkok. Its menu featured Khao Soi, the piquantly sauced noodle dish. I got mine with tofu and I’m looking forward to trying more of their menu.

Crispy tofu at Dumpling Time, Windsor, Ontario. I make regular trips to Windsor to drink coffee and go grocery shopping. Windsor has a sizable Asian population and some terrific Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese restaurants. I discovered Dumpling Time in a strip mall, and while their specialty is dumplings, they also serve a number of main dishes. I loved their crispy tofu, which is lighter than air and simply prepared, so that you can add your choice of condiments.

Onigiri and Green Curry at Korner Kitchen, Ann Arbor, Mich. I was excited to see Korner Kitchen open in Galleria, one of the best Asian supermarkets here. The menu features a variety of appetizers, sushi, and poke bowls, and it also sells onigiri, the Japanese rice balls. It’s hard to find them here, and I’ve been enjoying the salmon and ume (plum) varieties. Korner Kitchen also has specials and occasionally offers green curry with chicken, which is slightly spicy and filling.

Potato skins with brisket at AB’s Smokehoise, Dearborn Heights, Mich. AB’s is a special treat. All its meats are halal and it is known for its beef brisket, which it serves sliced on a platter as well as sandwiches. It offers a hearty special of brisket on top of potato skins. You can’t eat too many of them — an order easily yields leftovers — but they are perfect when you want something filling. I recommend ordering ahead because they regularly sell out.

Nachos with stewed chicken at Comerica Park, Detroit, In all the time I’ve been attending Detroit Tigers games, people have said, “You have to get the nachos by Section 128.” I resisted, expecting fluorescent yellow cheese and stomach-upsetting toppings. But when the Tigers made the American League Division Series, I decided to check them out. The chicken is stewed in a delicious sauce, and you can choose what you would like on top. It’s almost more of an entree than a snack. I grabbed many napkins and vowed to get them again in 2025.

Sweet Endings

Lavender Honey Tres Leches Cake at Karl’s Cabin, Plymouth, Mich. For my birthday this year, my brother took me to Karl’s, a vast roadhouse in farm country west of Detroit. Our server told me that I would receive a free dessert, and I went for the tres leches cake. It was rich and moist with just a hint of lavender, not floral but simply an accent.

Granola from Momma Sherm. Ypsilanti, Mich. Momma Sherm — Madeleine Sherman — operates a home kitchen from which she caters and also sells meals via text message. (You can connect with her via her Instagram account.) While her main dishes are delicious, I’m a huge fan of her granola. It’s chewy, rather than dry, and almost the consistency of oatmeal cookies. I can easily polish off an eight ounce bag. Lately, she’s offered bigger bags and I’ve been able to stretch those longer. Momma Sherm also has a cookbook that explores her Middle Eastern roots.

Specially Selected Double Chocolate Brownie Mix from Aldi’s. During the pandemic, I became a fan of Aldi’s. I’m not alone: food writers across the country are frequent Aldi shoppers, too. One of my favorite products is their brownie mix, which costs about $2.29. I always keep a couple of boxes on hand to whip up some brownies to take to a gathering. You can tart it up with dried cherries or nuts or add some powdered sugar or frosting. No need to pay more.

I hope you’ll be able to try some of these places. I’ll be back tomorrow for paid subscribers with a favorite gift that I send to my friends every year. Stay safe and warm, if you’re in a cold climate. I’ll see you soon.