It has been said that “eating well is the best revenge,” a play on the “living well…” quote. I’m not sure what we are getting even for, but at the end of the year I was left with a number of fond memories of some of the best things I ate while reviewing area restaurants over the previous 12 months. Listed below, in no particular order, were some of my favorites.
Ember and Eagle
Eggplant and Zucchini Scapece ($18) with shaved caciocavallo cheese and Trapanese pesto, was a delicious and very different vegetable dish. It consisted of round discs of eggplant and zucchini which had been marinated, topped with the shaved cheese and a Trapanese pesto, which is based on almonds and tomatoes, as opposed to the usual Ligurian pesto, which has pine nuts and no tomatoes. Vegetables elevated to a whole new level!
Brothers Daley
The entrée menu had something for everyone, from which I chose Confit Black Bass ($42) which arrived with mussels, potato, artichoke, fennel and saffron. The large filet of juicy fish had been slow cooked in a bit of fat (confit style) and was perfectly tender and juicy. The addition of the mussels and veggies made this preparation satisfying and memorable, but allowed the fish to be the star of the dish.
Catezza
An entrée that attracted my interest was the Airline Chicken ($32), a juicy, skinless, boneless chicken breast, plated with parsley salsa verde (a mildly spicy Mexican sauce made with tomatillos and green chiles), roasted tomatoes and zucchini. Part of the first wing joint remained to create a handle, making it easy to eat when on an airplane, hence the name. The chicken was perfectly cooked: moist and tender, and not at all chewy.
Saffron
Dum Vegetable Biryani ($26) was a mixture of roasted fresh vegetables and aged basmati rice cooked together paella-style. This was the regular version, but it was also available in gluten- and nut-free forms as well. The slow-cooked rice was unexpectedly flavorful and satisfying.
Saltwater Social
A special of the evening we dined there, the Seared Salmon ($38), arrived as a thick slab of the fish, rare as requested, and shared the plate with Dutch runner beans, yellow squash, spring onion and a smoked tomato vinaigrette. The generous serving of fish was perfectly juicy and moist and a pleasure to eat.
Marina at Oceanport
I enjoyed the Jumbo Lump Crab Cake ($24) a juicy, very tasty appetizer. Plated with avocado crema, miso lime greens and fruit salsa, it was virtually all crabmeat with very little detectable filler. This is also offered as an entrée-size portion which is served with grilled asparagus, wild rice, fruit salsa and beurre blanc. Memorable!
Another of my favorite dishes of the night was Calamari Salad ($24), which a dining companion shared with me. The fried calamari was airy and crispy, and not a bit greasy. The accompanying salad of cucumber, tomato, cashews, frisée lettuce and a miso-lime vinaigrette, was an excellent foil to the rings.
Strada
Caulilini ($18), wood-fired cauliflower with capers, raisins, mint and pecorino cheese, was an unexpected treat. This Asian variety of small-flowered cauliflower, also known as baby cauliflower, was cooked al dente and perfectly done – with no chewiness or toughness. I really enjoyed the mix of flavors and textures of the dish. It was worthy of a return visit.
Fresh
I’m a fan of restaurant octopus and the Grilled Octopus ($22) on the menu attracted my attention. I was presented with two very large tentacles, served with arugula, capers, grilled lemon and salsa verde. Many times, octopus can be chewy or rubbery, a common flaw in many restaurants’ preparations, but this version was perfectly cooked. This was tender, tasty, and flat-out delicious.
River Pointe Inn
One of the entrée offerings, the Spring Vegetable Tagine ($29) sounded interesting. The vegetables had been braised in verjus, which is pressed from unripe grapes and a relative of vinegar. This created a pleasant, mild vinegar-like, acidic element. The vegetables were served over Carolina gold rice and a coconut carrot cream, and arrived in a traditional tagine pot. Our server removed the cone-like cover at the table, revealing carrots, asparagus, peas, baby onions and more. The rice at the bottom of the pot was crispy and addictive.
Toro Rojo
I found the flautas de Pollo – Chicken Flutes ($13) to be an excellent appetizer. Crispy rolled corn tortillas were stuffed with chicken and plated with queso fresco (white cheese), sour cream, avocado sauce and pico de gallo (chunky tomato salsa). Lots of enjoyable crunchiness in this dish made it worthy of favorite status.
There were a number of other dishes I also enjoyed while reviewing different restaurants, but these were the most memorable over the course of 2024. It was hard to narrow the list down, but lots of fun and good eating creating it!
Bob Sacks, longtime food and wine buff, writes about food, wine and restaurants in this column. His past reviews can be found at tworivertimes.com. Follow him on Instagram @dinnerwithbob.
The article originally appeared in the February 6 – 12, 2025 print edition of The Two River Times.
