RJ food writer: The best thing I ate in Vegas in 2023

Naming your top dish of the year depends, of course, on where you ate. Given the number and diversity of Las Vegas restaurants, my dining universe this year could have been endlessly populated.

In 2023, I ate in a couple hundred restaurants, from haute to humble to (yes, I admit it) a few swings by Taco Bell for bean burritos, extra cheese.

But no matter where you eat, you always know when you’ve had something superlative: Your taste buds sharpen, then expand, trying to gather in all the flavors. Perhaps a moan escapes. You always wish you had one more bite.

There have been splendid dishes in front of me in 2023. Deeply savory chilled ramen from Mizunara in The Sundry food hall. A perfect slice of Margherita pizza from Double Zero Pie & Pub. Incredibly tender charred octopus from Brezza in Resorts World. Fearlessly al dente chitarra verde pasta jabbed with anchovies, lemon and chili at Esther’s Kitchen. And a surprising sage panna cotta — lush sweetness seamed with herb — that came encased in a creamsicle shell of white chocolate at Toscana Ristorante & Bar in Eataly at Park MGM.

But the dish that tops my list for 2023 is the Peruvian scallops crudo with tom kha sauce from Anima by EDO in the southwest. The sauce mingles coconut, galangal, lemongrass and lime for a sweet-savory-citrusy gust of flavor that lifts the delicate seafood, retaining its essential character without overwhelming it. I could have eaten a dozen.

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Winnie & Ethel’s Downtown Diner, winner of the Great Las Vegas Coffee Shop Giveaway, has introduced new dinner items and new hours.

Look for chicken cordon bleu in white sauce with peas and carrots ($18); Salisbury steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, peas and carrots ($18); meatloaf in brown gravy with mashed potatoes, peas and carrots ($18); fried pork chop with applesauce, sweet or baked potato, peas and carrots ($19); and a 12-ounce ribeye with choice of two sides (market price).

The restaurant, 1130 E. Charleston Blvd, Suite 140, in Huntridge Center, is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays and Mondays.

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We All Scream, the ice cream-themed nightclub at 517 E. Fremont St. downtown, has launched its Blackberry Basque Cake flavor by Sorry, Not Sorry Creamery. The hometown ice cream shop operates the ice cream counter at We All Scream.

The flavor, exclusive to downtown, pays homage Nevada’s Basque history with blackberry swirl and housemade Basque cake (traditionally, a cream-filled shortcrust torte) in Sorry, Not Sorry’s sweet cream base. Scoops begin at $5.50, pints are $11.95, tasting flights are $14.

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Edmund Wong has been named chief operating officer of Three Square Food Bank. He is responsible for expanding Three Square’s mission of providing wholesome food to hungry people in Southern Nevada, increasing the organization’s food procurement and warehousing, and ensuring the quality of food distributed to agency partners.

Before joining Three Square, Wong served as CEO and vice president of food and beverage for the Culinary Academy of Los Vegas. He also has been vice president of food and beverage at The Mirage and executive chef at Bellagio, among other positions.

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