My best dishes of the year for 2023 are a more varied group than ever in all respects. Interestingly enough, there was more “comfort food” this year because this is where the innovation was really happening. And more ethnic varieties as well. I’ve reviewed all of these so to read more, click on the link on the restaurant name.  Enjoy! Coming up next, best desserts of the year (you knew I wouldn’t pass on this category!).

Veal Milanese is a staple at most fine Italian restaurants. At Contessa in the Miami Design District , they did it the best and when it’s well done, it’s great. Here the veal was very tender – not easy to do with a Milanese – and perfectly fried, topped with fresh tomatoes and arugula or, as you wish, a light tomato sauce which is topped with parmigiano.

Also at Contessa I loved the squash carpaccio, oh so thinly sliced butternut squash that’s honey glazed with a little added balsamic vinegar and topped with pumpkin seeds and arugula. The sweet and sour taste along with the crunch was perfect .

The Eastern Med spot Koolulu in Surfside shined with its Moroccan cigars. A crisp phyllo pastry in the shape of a cigar is filled with finely seasoned chopped beef and lamb and served with tahini and lemon cream.

There are steak tartars, and then there’s the one at Katsuya in South Beach. Hirohito’s tableside Wagyu tartare, named after the Emperor of Japan, is a  twist on a French classic . It features Miyazaki’s award wining A5 Wagyu beef combined with Asian inspired ingredients. It’s served with a framed certificate of authenticity detailing everything from the name of the steer along with the  paternal and maternal names to the feedlot cooperative and feeder cattle origin . A Wagyu sommelier tells the fascinating story of what makes the beef special including — get this, cattle being taken to the hot springs and treated to music at night. It comes with scallion pancakes that are delicious as well.

The Rum Room adjacent to the Miami Beach Convention Center scored two big hits. One was a dish that I usually pass on, but here so glad I didn’t. Dish one was the conch fritters. . Filled with local conch and corn batter, they were oh-so tasty, plump, and exquisitely fried, served with creole mayo on the side. Dish two was the jerk chicken sandwich.

The tender and tasty jerk chicken thighs with red slaw and grilled pineapple are served on rosemary focaccia and housemade (from scratch) French fries that you can have with parmesan truffle.

New Spanish Basque restaurant Casa Xabi stood out with its hot dog de tsixtorra  (Basque chorizo sausage) on a bun with house made piquillo ketchup,  caramelized onions, alioli of Basque peppers and microgreens.  It came with house made French fries that we gobbled up.

Surpised I like chicken wings? Well I usually don’t. But at Tam Tam in Downtown, the fried wings are incredibly delicious. They’re perfectly fried and seasoned with fish sauce caramel , crispy garlic, cilantro and lime almost had me wanting to lick my fingers (almost).The other terrific dish is the whole steamed fish. It’s simply prepared but divine, made with soy.

A clever take on the tuna tartare is the tuna spaghetti at Ostrow French Brasserie in Buena Vista West. Spirals of fresh tuna laced with fried capers were oh so tasty.

A Mexican friend who knows her food swears by the mole negro made with black mole, chicken breast, goat cheese, sesame seeds and house rice . And sure enough, Mr. W – who has become pickier than even I – raved about two moles he had at KoKo, the coloradito with Chilean sea bass, string beans, sesame seeds and house rice  and the mole negro with chicken breast, goat cheese, sesame seeds and house rice . Note, the review on KoKo by Bakan is coming up next week.

It’s not one dish, but I had to mention in this company the buffet breakfast at the Makedonia Palace in Thessaloniki. It now gets my vote for one of the best hotel breakfasts in the world, joining the Peninsula in Bangkok, Adlon in Berlin and Grand Velas Los Cabos. Entire sections were devoted to the best breakfast cereals with varied nuts, dried fruits and granolas; Greek meat, cheese and zucchini pies; traditional eggs, meats and roasted potatoes; Greek salad mixings; several yogurt varieties with fresh fruit and compotes; cheese and cold cuts; breads and French pastries; and a huge selection of Greek pound cakes and other national favorites like yogurt pie, Christmas cake, and many more.

Note: If you want to try any of the dishes mentioned, be sure to call and ask if they’re still on the menu since, as you know, menus can change over the course of months.