Our Top 10 Meals of 2024
At the end of each year, Charlie and I reflect on all the meals we’ve eaten together, and we come up with a joint list of our top 10 favorites.
Because we traveled a ton in 2024, half of this list is from all over the globe. But nothing beats getting wowed in your hometown. Case in point, the meals topping last year’s list were made by our talented friend Amy at her beautiful home right here in Austin TX.
Note: We haven’t been eating much meat this year, so all these meals are either vegetarian or pescatarian-friendly!
1. Amy’s House
Every time we go to our friend Amy’s house for dinner, she knocks our socks off.
When we got back from India in April, she welcomed us home with a three-course radish-themed meal that could turn anyone into a radish lover.
In the fall, she flexed her pasta-making skills with homemade agnolotti. And on one of the first cold nights of winter, she casually whipped up a lentil bolognese with spaghetti squash that was divine.
✨ Thank you, Amy! We love you!! ✨
2. Bangkok Supper Club
We went to Bangkok Supper Club to celebrate my 40th in NYC with our dear friends, Jenny & Jackson. The butterflied branzino was outrageous. And the yum khai dao with trout roe. And the scallop ceviche with chili watermelon granita!! I would go back in heartbeat just for the pandan parfait.
3. Landrace
While visiting friends in Bath, England we became regulars at Landrace, an airy cafe above a from-scratch bakery and fruit stand. On one occasion, we brought home 1 kg of the MOST perfect blueberries AND a half dozen cardamom buns after enjoying a farm-fresh lunch of sugar snap peas with Corra Lynn cheese, homemade tagliatelle with asparagus, heritage grain bread with fresh churned butter, and vibrant lettuces in buttermilk dressing. This place is next level.
4. Bibi
Bibi is Michelin-level execution of homestyle Indian cuisine in a gorgeous Georgian building in the Mayfair neighborhood of London.
We had such a delicious, dreamy experience doing the prix fixe lunch at Chef Chet’s counter in early summer that we rerouted our end-of-summer travels to come back to London for our anniversary dinner. Not only did they remember us, but the entire team signed a sweet card wishing us a happy anniversary! 🥰
5. Moondrum
Moondrum is a couter-service Indochinese restaurant near the Isha ashram in Tamil Nadu.
Charlie and I have a fun memory of “sneaking out” of the ashram to enjoy an indulgent dinner of paneer manchurian, gobi 65 with naan, and fresh squeezed grape juice at Moondrum for Valentine’s last year!
I barely took any photos while I was at the ashram, but I happen to have this one snapshot of Moondrum’s dry erase menu board. :)
6. Bacalar
We sadly only made it Bacalar in Austin TX once before it closed, but it was so good it inspired us to cook Yucatán food at home! Sikil pak with za’atar bread, sweet potato with crema and salsa macha, and cabbage with mole on fresh corn tortillas, wow wow wow.
7. Pimenta Spice Garden Bungalows
We did a 3-day culinary retreat at The Pimenta Spice Garden Bungalows in Kerala with the most hospitable host named Jacob. On our final day, he taught us how to make a traditional Keralan breakfast of steamed rice cakes, cooked bananas, chana masala, and jackfruit preserves. It was so good, we told him we’d return just to learn how to make his jackfruit preserves.
8. Friendlys
The Loghmeh Platter from Friendlys (the Persian brunch pop-up at Nixta in Austin TX)!
What a freakin party for the palette: Mast O Musir, Zeytoon Parvadeh, Shooree, Salad, Shirazi, Mirza Ghasemi, and a ton of fresh herbs from their garden.
9. Kismet
The Kismet collab with Birdie’s was phenomenal. We also got to meet Sara and Sarah at their First Lights’ book signing. Everything we’ve made from their cookbook so far has been fire! I especially love their marinated feta, ranchy labneh, summer squash sautéed in olive oil, and roasted sweet potatoes with Aleppo peanuts and dill.
10. Casa Bianca
Last but not least, CASA BIANCA! Charlie’s childhood friend Richard opened this restaurant in East Austin, and we are obsessed.
Get the caesar salad with boquerones, celeriac sashimi with trout roe, shrimp & artichoke with aioli and extra cocktail sauce, and omg—the crab toasts.
Your turn to dish!
Most of these favorites came from recommendations by friends, so if you have any recipes or restaurants you’ve been loving, drop a line in the comments. We’d love to hear about‘em!
- With Love, Leanne & Charlie