I was fortunate to travel a whole heck of a lot in 2025, but whether I was in a distant city or just in my backyard, I experienced a ton of memorable gustatory delights. Here are just a few of the highlights. Caveat: Most of these aren’t high falutin’ or extraordinarily fancy. They’re just damn good things I ate and still remember — and will mostly recreate or re-seek out.
Tomato pie, my house
The official kick-off to summer in my house is when I make the very first tomato pie using vine-ripe ‘maters that I usually get at the Freedom Park Farmer’s Market. A tomato pie isn’t terribly well known, but it’s one my most favorite dishes on planet Earth. I don’t use a recipe, just slice up a few shiny red, plump ‘maters (not Romas), then pat them dry a bit. Layer them on a pie crust, interspersing layers with salt, pepper, and green onions. For the topping, mix together a whole heap of Duke’s mayo and freshly shredded cheddar cheese. Salt, pepper, garlic powder it, then toss in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 until bubbly. Serve to folks you love and enjoy. As I write this, ‘mater season is still a good 3 full months away, and I think about how much I miss ’em every single day.
Parmesean toiles with roe and creme freshe from The Grey, Savannah, Ga.
I grew up in Savannah, but I haven’t lived there since my last summer spent working a part-time job in a old-timey pharmacy in 2003. The city is truly magical, and every winter I return to run the Tybee Island Half Marathon, which is absolutely perfect due to its sheer flatness and size. It’s a far cry from the monstrous hills and overwhelming amount of people in Atlanta road races. This past February, my girlfriend and I ventured out after our 13.1 miles and ate dinner at Mashama Bailey’s The Grey, an award-winning restaurant in an old Greyhound bus terminal in downtown Savannah. We had delicious drinks before our prix-fix menu, and my favorite part were these parmesean toiles with roe and creme freche, which were absolutely bursting with savory flavour. Savannah is an old city, and reclaiming an old workhouse building is a very cool way to witness a long-forgotten version of its past.
A slice of chicken ceasar salad pizza at Roma Pizza
I met some of my favorite folks in NYC in March to see the Moby Dick opera at the Met, and a few hours before, we decided to squeeze in yet another show and see Death Becomes Her on Broadway. It was incredible, of course, and exceedingly hilarious. But before we stepped into the theatre, we found one of the million pizza parlors in Manhattan and scarfed down a few slices. I chose the chicken caesar slice, and it was divine. I’ve always been one to pile on my side salad on to a slice, and with this pizza, it cuts out the middle man. Crunchy, cool, salty, and 100% delicious. I wish every pizza joint in America kept this particular slice on deck.
A lobster roll at Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Company
My former company had our annual work retreat in Maine this year, and I flew up a week early to take a trip on the schooner Mary Day. While driving up Highway 1 on my way to Camden in the midcoast, I took my time and experienced Maine for the first time in my life. Maine is incredible, and it’s almost like a nautical theme park. It’s equal parts Stephen King setting, lobsterman’s paradise, and a seaside adventure land. While driving up, I sought out a non-touristy spot for lunch and landed on Harraseeket Lunch and Lobster Company, a bit north of Portland and truly delightful, all hand-painted signs and cash-only vibes. This was the first lobster roll of many on my trip, and the beauty was in its simplicity. Buttery bun, mayo-soaked fresh chunks of lobster, and a little lemon. Absolutely divine.
A peanut butter, jelly & pickle sandwich, BRAG Spring Tune Up
In 2024, my girlfriend and I participated in our first BRAG ride, or Bicycle Ride Across Georgia. That route in particular took us from Atlanta to Savannah, biking about 50 miles a day while camping on college campuses at night. In 2025, we did the smaller version — Spring Tune-up — which sees you biking out and back each day but for only a weekend. What both share in common, however, are the snacks you get at each rest stop.
As you bike across rolling Georgia hills, every 10-20 miles or so you stop at a farm or a church or a middle school and refill your water bottles, grab some snacks, and take a breather. At each, you’ll find volunteers mixing together huge bowls of peanut butter and jelly, while others are handing out chips, Rice Crispy treats, and dill pickles. When you’re cycling in the spring heat, keeping your electrolytes in balance is of the utmost importance, so you scarf down whatever you can stomach. An old friend of mine mentioned tossing a pickle into your PB&J as a way to save time, and this year I actually tried it. Spoiler alert: It’s great. Salty, sweet, crunchy, and so, so satisfying. Would I eat this in my normal life? Hell no. But on a long bike ride, it’s exactly what the doctor ordered. It strangely works!
An Ice Cream Potato from Westside Drive-in in Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho, is known for its potatoes, but it’s also known for a famous dessert. Enter an Ice Cream Potato, which is a huge round chunk of vanilla ice cream heavily dusted in cocoa powder, and topped with (not sour cream) but whipped cream and Oreo chunks, and eaten after your meal of another Boise favorite: Finger steaks. This is a deeply silly thing, but it’s clever and delicious. If you visit Boise, it’s a must-eat, especially when it’s super hot in late July.
Assorted izakaya deliciousness at Mr. Max in Dallas, Texas
I accompanied my sister on a work trip to Dallas this spring, and was able to explore some of the city. From visiting the local cowboy shops to going on an awesome ghost tour that took us by the sight of the JFK assassination, I learned a lot about this Texas town. Previously, I’d only ever been to Austin, so it was nice to go a bit north. An old friend of mine that studied abroad in Japan and who had also lived a few years in Dallas mentioned that Mr. Max was a must-do, and boy was he right.
Set back in an unassuming, windowless strip mall outside the city center, Mr. Max was delicious, charming, and something I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. I ordered a frosty mug of Sapporo and sat at the sushi bar, ordering the chef’s choice appetizer, a crispy sesame cabbage salad, and some sushi. On the walls was fudemojI — literally “brush lettering” of the day’s specials. I felt like I was in Japan, which is a feeling I haven’t gotten in Japanese restaurants in Atlanta. I keep thinking about flying back to Dallas just to eat at Mr. Max again, it was that good. I became so obsessed with the Japanese vibes while eating that I actually downloaded Duolingo and started practicing the Japanese language. Seriously.
Grilled chicken thighs and corn with lime-basil butter from the New York Times, Highlands, N.C.
A New York Times Cooking subscription is honestly a wildly underrated app, and these dishes never, ever miss. Similar to a tomato pie, grilled chicken thighs and corn with lime-basil butter is yet another harbinger-of-summer recipe, and I can’t recommend it highly enough. When you use the freshest yellow summer corn, farm-grown basil, and roast everything on your backyard grill while drinking a PBR, it comes together perfectly. We cooked this at my family’s cabin in Highlands over Fourth of July weekend, and it encapsulates summer in one single dish. Serve with a side of freshly sliced ‘maters seasoned with salt and pepper and crusty French bread. It’s all you need.
A Christmas low country boil in Savannah, Georgia
I grew up in Savannah, and major celebrations and holidays usually involved a low country boil — shrimp, sausages, corn, and potatoes all boiled together outside over a huge boiler, seasoned with Old Bay and lemon and served on newspaper on a picnic table. This Christmas, my brother-in-law, also a Savannah native, treated us to an extraordinary version of one, with a secret blend of extra spices and steps. Sweetening the pot was 6 pounds of king crab legs that I ordered with a gift card to Lobstergram, courtesy of the game show 25 Words or Less, which I won last summer with a friend. That chilly December night on the river, we cracked juicey crab legs, peeled plump shrimp, and poured savory melted butter onto potatoes and corn as we cheered the end of the year. There’s no better way.