The best things I ate in 2020

2020 was the year that put business owners, consumers, and the way we think about food to the test. Not only has the pandemic impacted the restaurant industry and how we eat out, but it has created a divide that is driven by a new moral code. Both consumers and leaders in the industry have been put on the spot to make decisions about what they prioritize. How different restaurants approach the safety of their physical space and their employees has welcomed new customers and turned away old. On the other side of the coin, how diners support restaurants, and which ones they chose to support, has caused us to evaluate what compromises we are willing to make in order to return to our old lives.

This year, the intersection of consumerism and racism that is ever-looming in BIPOC communities was a conversation heard across America. “Black-owned businesses” became an ecommerce filter, and Juneteenth became a business holiday to the world of majority-white Fortune 500 companies. Food wasn’t and still isn’t absent from this discourse. In fact, it is at the center of the small circle of things we have some control over during this pandemic. Whether it is the publications we subscribe to, the restaurants we order delivery from, or simply the stories we chose to listen to, where we give our support speaks louder than it ever has.

In a nutshell, 2020 has redefined the way we eat. During any other year, good food would make for a feel-good, light-hearted read that requires little to no critical thinking. But it is imperative that we reflect on how we chose to nourish ourselves during a time of constant distress and uncertainty. What we eat, who we eat with, who makes our food, and so many other factors not only influence our perspectives, but influence our courses of action and decision-making.

In my universe, the food I’ve made at home has been sacred. If you told 2019 Brittany that she’d be giving her grocery store trips the same amount of effort that she used to give to a night of going out, she would have beat herself up over “wasting her twenties.” Now, time in the kitchen is anything but wasted. I’ve listed below some of my favorite recipes that I made this year, along with the resilient restaurants that have come to the rescue after many failed kitchen experiments.

Thank you for reading what accidently became a five-paragraph essay, and I can’t wait to eat more delicious food in 2021 with you!

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Recipes

Weeknight Thai Curry Stir Fry Udon

These 30 minute noodles were my go-to this year for when I was craving something delicious with minimal effort. I replaced the pork with tofu and it always worked like a charm!

Creamy Tumeric Pasta

Picture credit: NYT Cooking
For me, 2019 was the year of lemon pasta. In 2020, we raised the bar with this creamy, aromatic turmeric pasta. This dish screams fancy without the headache and is perfect for a weeknight meal.

Lisbon Chocolate Cake

Picture credit: NYT Cooking
This is the sole reason I purchased a NYT Cooking subscription this year. I traveled to Lisbon at the end of 2019, and fell in love with the infamous Landeau chocolate cake. Now this indulgent masterpiece of a cake can reside on my kitchen counter without the 8 hour flight!

Vegan Shredded Rotisserie Chicken

I started developing recipes in August of this year, and this is the one that I am most proud of (so far). Watching these mushrooms transform into look-alike rotisserie chicken is astonishing, and more importantly, delicious. I’ve scratched the surface by using them in soups, pastas and sandwiches, but I know the limits are endless!

Creamy Golden Rice with Spiced Chickpeas

I made a lot of HBH recipes this year, and this rice and chickpeas dish is hands-down my favorite. The textures and flavors are a match made in heaven, plus it makes plenty of extra servings for leftovers!

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Restaurants

Loba Pastry + Coffee

I can make a whole separate list of coffee shops that saved me this year, but Loba’s inventive drinks and quite literal perfect pastries give it a spot on this year’s list. Available for online order pick ups only, getting anything from this Lincoln Park café feels like a special event.

Sam & Gertie's Vegan Jewish Deli

Yes you read that right: vegan Jewish deli. Do I even need to explain? This Uptown deli is a treat for vegans and carnivores alike, and is sure to surprise even the most devoted meat eaters.

Art of Pizza

I refuse to look back and see how many pizzas I’ve ordered this year. But if I were to reflect, I’m confident that most of them would be from Art of Pizza. From their nostalgic thin crust to underrated deep dish, this place leaves every type of pizza lover smiling

Veracruz All Natural

I traveled to Austin, TX in February with expectations to try as many restaurants as possible. For the three days I was there, our group ended up eating breakfast tacos at Veracruz All Natural every day. For all my Texans or aspiring Texans- it exceeds the hype!

BiXi Beer

A brewpub with amazing Asian fusion? Say no more. The beers here are absolutely incredible (my favorite is the Rules of the Rhein- brewed with green tea flowers). The food is also inventive and delicious, just take a look at those vegan yibin noodles!