More favorite dishes of 2017....still can't get the taste off my mind

And I'm back to finish off a trip down my taste buds memory lane with a wrap up of some of the dishes I rather enjoyed last year. From sweet to savory and local spots to food trucks it was definitely a mish mash of things. But after it all shook out, I did have some faves whose flavors lingered long after I finished eating them. And as I previously promised, I will mention one I ended up liking more than I thought from first bite to last. What could it be? Read on to find out.

First up is the monkey bread appetizer from Corridor. Usually when you see monkey bread it is the sweet version with all the cinnamon and sugar stickiness you can handle. This one however was of the savory variety with cheese, chives and butter! Fluffy, cloud-like pull apart pieces of bread that almost melt in your mouth like cotton candy. It came with a basil aioli I wasn't all that stoked about and had asked for a side of butter with this because you know, bread. Turns out there is more than enough in the mix it wasn't necessary and how many times to you hear me say that. An appetizer worth the indulgence for sure.

Since I seem to hit up so many food trucks, seems only appropriate some of them had dishes I would definitely go back for like this Hungarian style lango from Rills Chimney Cake and Langos. The fact it was deep fried dough was only part of the appeal. It was also covered in a house made sausage, a spicy sweet tomato sauce, sour cream and dill, a favorite herb of mine. All together it was like comfort on a warm day. Yummy, tasty and most importantly of all, filling. Sure, it might not be the healthiest of things (of which they do have a more healthy vegetarian version) but sometimes you gotta treat yourself without guilt.

Speaking of deep fried and not so healthy, I couldn't forget the cheddar scallion "tater tots" from Jackrabbit food truck. Potato and cheese rolled up into a little ball, lightly battered, deep fried and served with a side of sriracha ketchup. They were a real cheat day kind of delight that was well worth the $4 they cost. You get an ample supply and they are served up made to order hot and crispy. Value and taste from a food truck definitely make these little balls a delight.

More dessert! Okay, seems this wrap up is all the things that sinful and not particularly good for your waistline, but that is what New Year's resolutions of exercising more are for, so you can eat the things you want without guilt. The pecan pie from Bayou is one of those things. This traditional version of a Southern fave dessert is all things you want in a pie from buttery, flakey crust to sweet filling to crunchy nutty topping. Yes, it is a super sweet treat for some but nobody says you have to eat the whole pie or even the whole slice. This is a dessert you can share if you want or you can just be like me and chow down on it by yourself. It's a no judgement zone as far as desserts are concerned.

Which finally brings me to my last choice and probably most liked dish I had this year. You may be surprised to hear it didn't involve sweets, bread, butter or anything deep fried. In fact, it was a savory option that seemed to spark my taste buds from first bite to last. Drumroll please! My mostly favorite pick for 2017 was.....

...the queso cheese dip from Mestiza. I know I rag on upscale taquerias and what not, but was pleasantly surprised by the food I got here. First and foremost of it was this giant bowl of arbol chili cheese sauce that was warm, rich and creamy. I just wanted to dive in and swim about in all its lusciousness. It came with a giant bowl of different types of chips for dipping and after one bite I just couldn't stop eating it. For $7.50 is was a large appetizer portion and I'm sure made for sharing but in truth, I just wanted it all for myself. It is a dish good enough to go to a restaurant and have only that and be totally satisfied. Fortunately, Mestiza is a taqueria and no one will give you any side eye for being there eating only chips and cheese with a beer or Mexican Coke. And most likely, you won't be the only one there doing it either, I might just be at the next table doing the same thing.

There you have them, my favorite dishes around SF for the past year. Sure there are many more out there that are good, but these just happened to resonate the most with me. Next week it will be back to food news and nosh and on to my next great food finds in 2018. Till then, keep eating to find your own faves as I know I will!