where's the best in 2022?

   

All you can eat at Maalu Maalu

 

While we're not nearly as prolific as we once were, where's the beef? has made it through another year and it's time to update our where's the best? page. At the conclusion of 2021 I was pleasantly surprised at how few of our favourite eateries had closed; this year it seems that the stresses of running a business in a pandemic have only compounded, and I've regretfully made more than a dozen deletions. Many of these are brunch spots. Breakfast was probably our favourite meal out pre-pandemic but we've lost our knack for it - please tell us your current favourite spots for scrambled tofu, pancakes without icecream, and hash browns!

Other businesses have moved or changed their format: Admiral Cheng-Ho has rebranded as Kaede, Beatrix has shut its storefront and shifted to whole-cake pick-ups, Beku Gelato has moved from the Brunswick to the Carlton end of Lygon St, the once-brunchy Merri Clan is now an evenings-only Merri Bar, Smith & Daughters & Deli have coalesced at a new address with a new look, Moroccan Soup Bar has switched from Fitzroy dine-in to North Melbourne pick-up and delivery, and Warung Agus endured fire damage and is farewelling a core staff member. We'll aim to revisit many of these venues and report on their revised offerings in 2023.

   

Sandwiches from Nico's

I've been getting into fancy sandwiches this past year. While Smith & Deli set a gold standard long ago, I've enjoyed new items at Good Measure, Rusty's Sandwich Parlour and Nico's. Here Fishy Fishy is another favourite picnic dinner. Sable is absolutely smashing out the mock meat, while Kale Mary serves great veg*n food without it. We've had memorable banquets at the new, casual Maalu Maalu and the higher-end decades-old David's.

   

Florentines

At home, 2021's leek & mushroom quiche and pineapple upside-down cake earned on-repeat status in 2022. Confit chickpeas entered the dinner rotation, and we've baked spring rolls at least three times. My grandmother's bienenstich was a special new bake, and these vegan Florentines are so versatile that we've made them four or five times between us - for home, for friends, for sports games and for long rides. We had some stellar new recipes from In Praise of Veg late in the year: we were so impressed by the haloumi with roasted rhubarb & tomatoes and roasted butternut pumpkin with sage & macadamias that we made them for family on Christmas day. My one shot at coconut rum truffles for new year's eve was a success too. 

Some of these themes will doubtless spill over into 2023 - I've got my eye out for more deli sandwiches, and am fond of picnics in general; we'll be back at Maalu Maalu before this week's done. I might also ramp up my pastry-making: I just picked up a charming new pie dish from a Dandenong op shop that's begging for a bake.