Last year I did a recap of my 12 favorite foods for 12 months and it was so fun I had to do it again for foods of 2024.

Sharing in no particular order…

1. Lumpia, Lat14 Asian Eatery

Lumpia: Filipino Pork Eggroll, Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce

I was excited to try out Lat14 after years of it being on my list. All the food I tried was good, but nothing beats lumpia. Yum.

Lat14 Asian Eatery
8815 7th Ave N
Golden Valley, MN 55427

2. Marinated Beets, Dario

Marinated Beets: Sauce gribiche, dill pickle chips

Dario was one of of my most anticipated tries of the year. Their marinated beets dish blew me away. I do believe it is seasonal, so make sure you don’t miss out next time it is on the menu.

Dario Restaurant
323 N Washington Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401

3. Peasant Pelmeni, Moscow on the Hill

Peasant Pelmeni: Mushroom sauce and cheese broiled over beef and pork filled dumplings

This was comfort food in a dish. 10/10 would order again.

Moscow on the Hill
371 Selby Ave.
Saint Paul, MN 55102

4. Yang Yumm, Mochi Cheese Dog

Mochi Cheese Dog: Full Cheese filling with Hot Cheetos Crust

I tried out my first Mochi Dog at a food truck festival and it’s now a fair food staple for me. I got the full cheese version, but you can also get a hot dog or half dog/half cheese option.

Yang Yumm
Food Truck

5. Double D, Billy Sushi

Double D: Spicy salmon, snow crab, cucumbers topped with hon maguro and white tuna, thin slice of jalapeño & sriracha sauce

(also pictured: Naughty Ninja: Yellowtail, tuna, white tuna & avocado wrapped with red and black tobiko, unagi sauce, spicy aioli and tempura flakes)

Sushi is my love language. I was so excited to try out Billy Sushi for the first time. Every roll sounded delicious so I was lucky to have my friend with me who shared her favorites.

Billy Sushi
116 N 1st Ave
Minneapolis, MN 55401

6. Saku Block Tuna, The Brickhouse

Saku Block Tuna: Sesame-seared Ahi Tuna, poke glaze, sriracha avocado, green onions, crispy onions, rice paper, pickled ginger, wasabi

This is one of the appetizers available at The Brickhouse, while I do think it works all seasons, for me nothing beat having this fresh dish in the sunshine on the rooftop patio.

The Brickhouse
4746 Washington Sq
White Bear Lake, MN 55110

7. Masa Crusted Zucchini, Colita

Masa Crusted Zucchini: Corn puree, parmesan, soy nuts, cilantro

There were a lot of great dishes at Colita, but the sleeper hit was definitely the Masa Crusted Zucchini. I highly recommend adding this to your order.

Colita
5400 Penn Ave. S
Minneapolis, MN 55419

8. Egg Roll, eM QUE VIET

Egg Rolls

There is nothing I love more than a Que Viet egg roll so I was excited to still see these on the menu at the elevated Em Que Viet restaurant.

eM Que Viet
1332 Grand Ave
Saint Paul, MN 55105

9. BLT Dog, Minnesota Renaissance Festival

BLT Dog: Crumbled Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Mayo with a Brat on a Bun.

I get that this isn’t super high class, but the taste profile was fantastic. Such an unexpected mixture that just works.

Minnesota Renaissance Festival (King’s Gate)
3525 145th St W
Shakopee, MN 55379

10. Brussels Sprouts & Prosciutto, Buca di Beppo

Brussels Sprouts & Prosciutto

This shareable side was my favorite dish of our dinner. It was, in the words of my husband, like “sexy mashed potatoes.”

Buca di Beppo
2728 Gannon Road
Saint Paul, MN 55116

11. Deep Fried Halloumi, Minnesota State Fair

Holy Land Deli Deep Fried Halloumi Cheese: Halloumi cheese, crafted from a blend of sheep and goat milk, wrapped in pastry dough and deep-fried. Served with a side of sweet chili sauce. (Vegetarian)

These were my favorite new food of the Minnesota State Fair this year. I mean, I already love fried cheese, but the added level of the halloumi was delicious.

Holy Land Deli – Minnesota State Fair

12. Casarecce, Olio

Casarecce: Roasted garlic cream – marsala housemade fennel sausage wild mushroom – ricotta salata

Fresh homemade pasta, just cannot be beat. Olio was such a fun try this year and I’m surprised it took me so long considering it’s basically in my back yard being in Bayport!

Olio
338 5th ave N
Bayport, MN 55003

And that’s a wrap!

I hope you enjoyed my 2024 recap. My stomach is ready for 2025.

Not everything I try gets a full-on review, because it may be a dish from a place I’ve tried before or recently so be sure to check out all things I’ve tried over on my instagram.