Best meals I had in 2008

In 2008, I had some great trips, a couple of good restaurants and also some experiences of enjoying more eating home, cooking my own meals and testing new ingredients. I abandoned the salad-chicken type of lunch for vegan, macrobiotic stuff or just soup from Fresh Market. Below, where I had my memorable meals of the year:

1. Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles
Do you know that perfect restaurant, that perfect table in a perfect weekend? LA was full of light and I had slow cooked meat with polenta and a glass of red wine where nobody could get a table for weeks. Tom Colicchio and Mario Batali at their best.

2. La Buena Tierra, Jaso and Café Ó in Mexico DF
Because being vegetarian and continue to have pleasure is possible. I remember very well that perfect macrobiotic rice I ate alone in a pleasant afternoon in La Buena Tierra.. yummy. I can't deny I had tons of meat at Jaso, a newly opened place in DF. Cozy, small, great service. For breakfasts, I like to go fancy at Café Ó. While we eat huevos estrellados con tortilla bodyguards wait for the wealthy mexicans outside. Hard reality.

3. Spice Market in New York
I hate crowded restaurants in a saturday night. And Spice Market at the Meatpacking District is as crowded as you can get any day of the week. I really expected it to be all show off but no real good food because all Jean Jorge Vongeritchen restaurants I've visited before didn't impress me at all! Here, a fusion of ingredients, tastes and colors resulted in a magnificent dinner with a couple of friends.

4. Ubuntu, in the Napa Valley
A restaurant that doesn't rely on meat to give you a entrée always calls my attention. Here, the stars are cauliflower, beets and pastas. Before or after, find your inner balance at the yoga studio inside the restaurant.

5. La Piaggia, in Miami
Because I love a jetset restaurant.. mainly if it's at the beach so I can have my favorite combination: chardonnay and seafood pasta after toasting under the sun. Or, hamburger with dijon mustard.