All my posts lately have been heavy and super long, so today, I wanted to start a discussion that would be quick and fun for everyone. It’s random, but here goes… when you go to a restaurant and look at a menu, everybody’s got a few ingredients (I’m talking accoutrements or seasonings, not the main component) that jump out at them like neon signs, saying “Pick me! Pick me!”
For instance, I will order any salad that has shaved pecorino, I’ll rarely turn down anything that involves pesto (bonus if it involves peas), I’m a sucker for the word “yuzu,” my mouth waters every time I read “sprinkled with toasted breadcrumbs,” and for dessert, I’m going straight for the option that involves hazelnut.
What ingredients are hard for you to pass up, no matter what the dish?
One thing about me: I don’t care where you work or what your hobbies are, but I DO care what your food non-negotiables are.
I will sell my soul for anything hot honey, especially in a savory-sweet combo, if a sandwich is made on pretzel bread, you can count me in, and if anything is candied (citrus peels, nuts, fruits), just go ahead and add it to my bill.
If a dessert involves marshmallow, I’m frothing at the mouth for it.
I just reviewed a recipe for the Wisconsin Cheese website - "Sweet and Savory Caprese Stacks" with most of those components! Instead of burrata and pesto it had a basil farmers cheese though. They were SO good, look up the recipe!
Anything with avocado 🥑 is definitely at the top of my preferred menu choices. Mainly because I'm curious how restaurants are able to have good avocados and when I buy them they go to crap so fast.
Fried onions. Spicy aioli/mayo. Bacon. Warm breads. (Ok I've pretty much described my dream burger. LOL) Lobster. Sweet potato. For dessert, key lime anything, dark chocolate, or marshmallow.
My number one is a chipotle or spicy aioli. Even if it’s just on the side with fries. After that is anything that involving Fig spread (which usually also means brie or prosciutto), and then any dish served with roasted corn or corn salsa.
For dessert, if the description says anything about being topped with sea salt, I’m sold.
Aioli has actually been on my list for years, I can't believe I forgot -- and I think Big Aioli needs to do some PR for mayonnaise bc mayo is ick but aioli is incredible
Come for dinner in Ardsley and we'll go get a delicious ricotta and crust bread app. I feel confident others of your list will be on this place's often changing menu!
There's so many people on here that I want to go to dinner with and share everything! My husband is the pickiest and most boring eater so I live for nights out with friends who will share!
I’d believe your “weird” allergies. Recently inducted into the allergy mom club, I’ve seen a lot of foods that I didn’t think people could be allergic to.
This is so fun! Thanks for brightening my day with this post. I second almost all of the above and add anything with black (not white) truffle oil, butter, shaved truffles, etc. Also horseradish cream on rare roast beef slices served on a Parker roll. Best canapé ever- let me just stand next to that tray. White clam sauce with tons of tiny tender clams. Finally, the best BLT sandwiches in the south. They do tomatoes and bacon down there really well. PS. I’ve been following you since Mazzy was a baby. ❤️
For a meal: goat cheese (most cheeses, to be honest), garlic, pine nuts or hazelnuts, balsamic vinegar, salmon, caramelised onion, fresh basil.
For dessert: I can never say no to passionfruit. Ever. I also love desserts that are citrus-based (especially lemon), and chocolate too (on the dark side)… but passionfruit is my ride or die.
Anything with pumpkin or butternut squash. Curry, stew, salad, grain bowl. Doesn't make a difference. I will order it and I will love it.
If i am at a Chinese restaurant i only order items that have the spicy symbol next to it. I am sure sweet and sour is good but I've never ordered anything that isn't spicy
I love this discussion! I’m an absolute sucker for any dish where cherry tomatoes are roasted. If it’s a gnocchi dish—bonus! Anything with dill (so underrated) or capers… I’m there. If it’s lemon, I’m eating it. For dessert - always, always crémé brûlée. Even if I’m stuffed from dinner. If crémé brûlée is on the menu, I’ll find the room.
I always order something that I don't cook at home like fish, duck, or lamb if I am ordering meat. I also love a big salad with a lot of components and textures. So, for me, it isn't a particular ingredient but more about something I don't have often. For dessert, I always go for fruit: pie, crisp, crumble, cobbler.
Truffles 100% of the time. I’m vegetarian so my meal is always cheaper than everyone else’s. I try to even the score every now and then when there are freshly shaved truffles on pasta 🤩
I love artichoke anything, asparagus, a cold salad with a hot protein on it, blue cheese. For dessert, I can easily pass up chocolate but if the dessert has caramel and/or nuts (not peanuts) in it, get out of my way.
I am shook at everyone saying goat cheese because that is the one thing I loathe more than anything. I’m not a picky eater either.
But if anything has nduja or some sort of spicy sausage/soppressata I’m sold. Also very into crispy artichokes, lemon, burrata, lobster/crab, etc. Also been going to a lot of restaurants in the city recently that have bread with butter and some sort of canned fish and I immediately order it. Via Carota/Buvette have bread and butter with anchovies and Pastis has bread and butter with sardines. CHEFS KISS!
Cheese, olive oil, avocado, fresh bread or bacon. I’m also C a sauce girl so I’ll have a ramekin of each house-made sauce on the menu for my dipping pleasures lol.
Food: Brie cheese (bonus points if there is a sweet aspect too). Also, any egg roll that is not the traditional kind - Philly cheesesteak egg roll, crab cake egg roll, etc.
Love anything with fried chicken, even better if it has a sweet component to it. Anything with cheesy grits, bacon, Gulf shrimp preferably grilled (IYKYK), fish tacos, southern tomatoes or peaches in the summer.
I literally teared up going to the farmers market back in TN when I was there for a week this summer (I live in NYC) -- I bought like 11 peaches and ate them all myself, and an heirloom tomato as big as my face. Nothing compares!
Yes! How about Grainger County tomatoes? I’m originally from East TN and they are the best tomatoes in the world. I was a die hard for southern peaches but I’m in MN now and we get Colorado peaches. They are different from the southern ones, but also amazing.
Catching up on some old emails… I approach a menu the opposite way, it’s all about what ingredients I won’t eat to remove some options because I’ll eat just about anything. What won’t I eat? Sausage, clams/mussels/oysters, and anything too spicy. (Although I’ve complained about something being way too spicy while finishing it so that’s a grey area for me) There are some seasonings that aren’t my favorite but won’t deter me if the rest of the dish sounds yummy. Also if it’s later in the evening, I might shy away from things that I know will give me indigestion like red sauce or some peppers.
Recently, I do find myself gravitating towards fish and seafood because my husband doesn’t cook anything from the sea except maybe shrimp.
One thing about me: I don’t care where you work or what your hobbies are, but I DO care what your food non-negotiables are.
I will sell my soul for anything hot honey, especially in a savory-sweet combo, if a sandwich is made on pretzel bread, you can count me in, and if anything is candied (citrus peels, nuts, fruits), just go ahead and add it to my bill.
If a dessert involves marshmallow, I’m frothing at the mouth for it.
We could 100% share an order. This is me.
Burrata, heirloom tomatoes, pesto, peaches. And if they happen to be all together, I would eat nothing but that forever.
We can have lunch together. I forgot about peaches! A few years ago I was obsessed with making salads with peaches, pistachios and goat cheese.
It is peach season in CO and I have a flat on my dining room tables so I just eat one every time I walk by.
Next time I'm in NY for work it's a date.
Ilana, did you add anything else to that salad (greens? dressing?). It sounds like a good combo for arugula.
Oh god peaches and goat’s cheese sounds amazing. That’s my plan for today.
I just reviewed a recipe for the Wisconsin Cheese website - "Sweet and Savory Caprese Stacks" with most of those components! Instead of burrata and pesto it had a basil farmers cheese though. They were SO good, look up the recipe!
Sign me in, please! Utterly delicious
YES! All of these.
Goat. Cheese.
Me too - love it!
Artichokes. I love artichokes and anything they exist in are 100% going to be ordered.
Same here! I can never eat enough of them.
same, love artichokes!
Capers. I cannot resist a dish with capers. And even typing the word is making my mouth water. Must. Find. Capers.
I actually have capers on this week’s grocery list.
Anything with avocado 🥑 is definitely at the top of my preferred menu choices. Mainly because I'm curious how restaurants are able to have good avocados and when I buy them they go to crap so fast.
I say the same thing every time I cut open yet another black avocado! And I really do know how to pick one… 😂
Same!!
Fried onions. Spicy aioli/mayo. Bacon. Warm breads. (Ok I've pretty much described my dream burger. LOL) Lobster. Sweet potato. For dessert, key lime anything, dark chocolate, or marshmallow.
Yes! Key lime everything!
Burrata, heirloom tomatoes, browned butter...
Any salad with goat cheese
Anything with prosciutto
Any chocolate with some sort of fruit
And I know we aren't talking the main part of the dish, but scallops get me every. Single. Time.
Are we the same person?! If scallops are on the menu, I can’t see anything else.
All the other stuff too!
Goat cheese! It is an automatic yes from me if something has goat cheese!
My number one is a chipotle or spicy aioli. Even if it’s just on the side with fries. After that is anything that involving Fig spread (which usually also means brie or prosciutto), and then any dish served with roasted corn or corn salsa.
For dessert, if the description says anything about being topped with sea salt, I’m sold.
Aioli has actually been on my list for years, I can't believe I forgot -- and I think Big Aioli needs to do some PR for mayonnaise bc mayo is ick but aioli is incredible
I'm a sucker for ricotta. And any sort of stone fruit dessert. Or any combination of chocolate and PB.
I love whipped ricotta with crusty bread as an app.
Come for dinner in Ardsley and we'll go get a delicious ricotta and crust bread app. I feel confident others of your list will be on this place's often changing menu!
There's so many people on here that I want to go to dinner with and share everything! My husband is the pickiest and most boring eater so I live for nights out with friends who will share!
Brown butter, burrata, lemon vinaigrette, shallots (not all together but all those things).
Also will usually pass on dessert but if homemade churros or homemade creme brûlée are on the menu I cannot pass those up.
Reading the comments on this is making this pregnant lady hungry AF.
Truffle oil, truffle infused, truffle aoili - truffle truffle truffle. I scan for it and whatever it’s in, I’m getting!
My kids got obsessed with truffle salt on vacation in Italy this summer. They will put it on ANYTHING.
I have weird allergies that no one believes.
But if it says “shrimp” I will eat it.
If it is a “hash” I will eat it.
If it is a “beet salad” I will eat it.
I will ask no questions.
I’d believe your “weird” allergies. Recently inducted into the allergy mom club, I’ve seen a lot of foods that I didn’t think people could be allergic to.
This is so fun! Thanks for brightening my day with this post. I second almost all of the above and add anything with black (not white) truffle oil, butter, shaved truffles, etc. Also horseradish cream on rare roast beef slices served on a Parker roll. Best canapé ever- let me just stand next to that tray. White clam sauce with tons of tiny tender clams. Finally, the best BLT sandwiches in the south. They do tomatoes and bacon down there really well. PS. I’ve been following you since Mazzy was a baby. ❤️
For a meal: goat cheese (most cheeses, to be honest), garlic, pine nuts or hazelnuts, balsamic vinegar, salmon, caramelised onion, fresh basil.
For dessert: I can never say no to passionfruit. Ever. I also love desserts that are citrus-based (especially lemon), and chocolate too (on the dark side)… but passionfruit is my ride or die.
Anything with pumpkin or butternut squash. Curry, stew, salad, grain bowl. Doesn't make a difference. I will order it and I will love it.
If i am at a Chinese restaurant i only order items that have the spicy symbol next to it. I am sure sweet and sour is good but I've never ordered anything that isn't spicy
Ahi tuna! Ahi tuna salad, ahi tuna bowl, ahi tuna nachos I do not care.
Spicy and citrus flavors, blood orange, jalapeños, spicy margs. Love lemon for desserts. And also pecans. I freaking love pecans.
I love this discussion! I’m an absolute sucker for any dish where cherry tomatoes are roasted. If it’s a gnocchi dish—bonus! Anything with dill (so underrated) or capers… I’m there. If it’s lemon, I’m eating it. For dessert - always, always crémé brûlée. Even if I’m stuffed from dinner. If crémé brûlée is on the menu, I’ll find the room.
Beets bring my heart joy. Pickled, hot, cold, Juiced, etc. if beets are on a menu, that’s what I’m ordering without question.
Dwight Schrute's perfect woman! (Pickled beets are incredible)
Hahahaha! I’ve never watched The Office but any lover of beets is a friend I want.
If you’re ever in Chicago, you have to eat at Boka and order the beet salad. I actually hate beets, but this salad is to die for!
Oooh a beet salad with goat cheese and hazelnuts is the goat!
🤣
I always order something that I don't cook at home like fish, duck, or lamb if I am ordering meat. I also love a big salad with a lot of components and textures. So, for me, it isn't a particular ingredient but more about something I don't have often. For dessert, I always go for fruit: pie, crisp, crumble, cobbler.
Warm bread. I'm a cheap date!
A good bread basket is a make-or-break restaurant category.
Burrata!
Truffles! I’m such a sucker. I also truly love a great Caesar salad and will often order that
Pickled red onions. I will immediately order anything with them on it.
Same!
Burrata (bonus if there is prosciutto and a balsamic glaze). Octopus. Chocolate Mousse. And now I’m hungry.
Prosciutto, lemon, and goat cheese! Not necessarily all together, though.
Oh I’m right there with you with the goat cheese — if it’s whipped, even better.
I like anything with lemon. I actually didn't realize that yuzu is basically lemon until I put it on my list and looked it up!
You picked my exact list!
Truffles 100% of the time. I’m vegetarian so my meal is always cheaper than everyone else’s. I try to even the score every now and then when there are freshly shaved truffles on pasta 🤩
My choice is easy when I see pesto or eggplant or gnocchi — 3 things I rarely make at home, so I'm always ready to treat myself when I'm out.
Truffle anything!! Mmmm. I go for it every time.
I love artichoke anything, asparagus, a cold salad with a hot protein on it, blue cheese. For dessert, I can easily pass up chocolate but if the dessert has caramel and/or nuts (not peanuts) in it, get out of my way.
Truffles. The minute I see it on a menu, I’m done looking.
I am shook at everyone saying goat cheese because that is the one thing I loathe more than anything. I’m not a picky eater either.
But if anything has nduja or some sort of spicy sausage/soppressata I’m sold. Also very into crispy artichokes, lemon, burrata, lobster/crab, etc. Also been going to a lot of restaurants in the city recently that have bread with butter and some sort of canned fish and I immediately order it. Via Carota/Buvette have bread and butter with anchovies and Pastis has bread and butter with sardines. CHEFS KISS!
I always pick the item with goat cheese! Yum. Also, brussel sprouts.
Cheese, olive oil, avocado, fresh bread or bacon. I’m also C a sauce girl so I’ll have a ramekin of each house-made sauce on the menu for my dipping pleasures lol.
Food: Brie cheese (bonus points if there is a sweet aspect too). Also, any egg roll that is not the traditional kind - Philly cheesesteak egg roll, crab cake egg roll, etc.
Drink: sour beer
Dessert: something warm topped with gelato
Scallops, lobster, short ribs, mushrooms, brown gravy & for dessert anything that has a chocolate mousse component I'm in!
Love anything with fried chicken, even better if it has a sweet component to it. Anything with cheesy grits, bacon, Gulf shrimp preferably grilled (IYKYK), fish tacos, southern tomatoes or peaches in the summer.
I literally teared up going to the farmers market back in TN when I was there for a week this summer (I live in NYC) -- I bought like 11 peaches and ate them all myself, and an heirloom tomato as big as my face. Nothing compares!
Yes! How about Grainger County tomatoes? I’m originally from East TN and they are the best tomatoes in the world. I was a die hard for southern peaches but I’m in MN now and we get Colorado peaches. They are different from the southern ones, but also amazing.
Yes!! Love them. I've never had a CO peach but will need to try one!
Anything with olive oil base, kalamata olives, tomatoes, artichokes, cucumbers, and feta cheese. Oh and avocados!
Truffle oil. Always. Forever.
Agreed!!!
Risotto gets me every time
Pesto! Balsamic Glaze! Roasted cherry tomatoes! Or if it comes with a slice of grilled freshly made bread
Oh the grilled bread gets me every time
Mushrooms. I always go for the Mushrooms, but if there is a duck dish on a menu I will usually order it.
Au Poivre Sauce!
Oh good one! Yum!
Catching up on some old emails… I approach a menu the opposite way, it’s all about what ingredients I won’t eat to remove some options because I’ll eat just about anything. What won’t I eat? Sausage, clams/mussels/oysters, and anything too spicy. (Although I’ve complained about something being way too spicy while finishing it so that’s a grey area for me) There are some seasonings that aren’t my favorite but won’t deter me if the rest of the dish sounds yummy. Also if it’s later in the evening, I might shy away from things that I know will give me indigestion like red sauce or some peppers.
Recently, I do find myself gravitating towards fish and seafood because my husband doesn’t cook anything from the sea except maybe shrimp.
Pistachio encrusted or truffles with entrees. And anything salted caramel for dessert.