Eagle dining panelists pick their best meals of 2016

Another year of eating is over.

The best part about that? Another one is about to begin.

Members of the Wichita Eagle Dining Panel, a group of Wichita foodies I assembled to help review restaurants, took me up on my invitation to reminisce about the best Wichita restaurant meal they enjoyed in 2016. I threw in my pick, too.

Here’s what we chose.

▪ Brad Seehawer’s pick: Tonkotsu ramen at Yokohama Ramen Joint, 613 W. Douglas

Yokohama’s success is largely thanks to owner Jack Fukuda, who has already once proved his ability to successfully import Japanese trends through Beard Papa’s, the cream puff kiosk in Towne East Square, and Yokohama similarly makes no compromises. To understand ramen is to know the importance of the broth, and it’s here where the restaurant sets itself apart in its tonkotsu ramen. This grand ambassador of soups, ladled from a giant pot constantly simmering away in the tiny kitchen, packs a startlingly large amount of flavor into its broth: silky, rich and overwhelmingly redolent of everything great about pork. The rest of the ingredients take a backseat, which is hard to believe considering that in any other circumstance, the braised chasu pork belly or the marinated soft-boiled egg would be treats unto themselves. The chewy alkaline noodles serve as the foundation of the dish, tying everything together and providing substance. Served with some straw mushrooms and scallions, it’s an immensely satisfying meal and easy to see how an unassuming bowl of soup has stolen the spotlight from sushi as the Land of the Rising Sun’s premier export.

▪ Dana Fleming-Mastio’s pick: Grand-Mere chicken at Georges French Bistro, 4618 E. Central

If a trip to France isn’t in the near future for you, the next best thing is a visit to Georges French Bistro in the heart of College Hill. While everything I’ve tried there is delicious, I’ve chosen the Grand-Mere chicken as my favorite meal of 2016. It begins with an airline cut of chicken, which is a boneless chicken breast and thigh with the drumette attached. Also known as the Frenched breast, it is baked to begin with, then finished in a roasting oven, which explains the delectable, crispy outside skin and tender, juicy meat inside. It is finished with a garlic butter sauce with caper berries and whole roasted garlic cloves. If you’ve never tried whole caper berries, you are in for a treat. They’re a cross between a gherkin and a caper, and you’ll be tempted to pop them in your mouth like candy.

The meal is accompanied by Yukon gold potatoes that are parboiled, then broken apart and deep-fried. Again, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, they are tossed in a light garlic butter sauce with parsley, tarragon and thyme. Tarragon is a prevalent herb used in many of Georges’ recipes, thus adding to the French flair.

▪ Johnna Kolar’s pick: Chicken shawarma with fattoush salad at College Hill Deli and Catering, 3407 E. Douglas

College Hill Deli is more than a deli. It is a quaint restaurant where owner Ali Yassine greets you on each visit and makes sure you enjoy your meal. Mediterranean, Italian and American dishes are made to order seven days a week. My favorite meal is the chicken shawarma, marinated grilled chicken in a secret seasoning with tahini sauce, lettuce and tomatoes served warm in a grilled wrap with a side fattoush salad. The salad, made with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, black olives, red onions and pita chips, is mixed with a homemade salad dressing and topped with feta cheese. It’s one of the best in town. Wichita’s best-kept secret, offering reasonably priced meals, is College Hill Deli.

▪ Philip Warren’s pick: Al pastor pork taco and Hawaiiana torta at Taqueria El Fogon, 1555 S. Bluffview Drive

I am all about hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and this year, I had the pleasure of discovering Taqueria El Fogon. This humble Mexican restaurant serves cheap, hand-held selections such as tortas, tacos and other tortilla-based items. Its specialty is al pastor pork, a thinly sliced pork shoulder that is marinated in a chili and pineapple sauce. El Fogon scores style points for preparing its version on an impressive vertical spit right behind the register.

On my visit, I ordered a basic taco with al pastor as well as a Hawaiiana torta. The simple street taco came with just the essentials: pork, cilantro and onion, and allowed the sweet chili flavor of the tender meat to take center stage. The Hawaiiana torta could have been called the kitchen sink torta, as it contained ham, al pastor, pineapple, avocado and cheese on a toasted bolillo bun. This colossal sandwich pleased all the taste buds with its flavor and texture combinations. The only thing I needed after this lunch was a nap.

▪ Vanessa Whiteside’s pick: Big Mike’s Meatloaf at Bricktown Brewery, 2035 Rock Road and 2142 N. Tyler

Some Wichitans wouldn’t consider ordering meatloaf from a restaurant. They would be making a big mistake. For me, Bricktown Brewery has the best meatloaf in town, and that’s a tall order considering Redrock Canyon Grill’s version is so good. Bricktown’s meatloaf dinner includes two thick slices made with moist black angus beef and ground pork that’s wrapped in the restaurant’s famous bacon and glazed in a spicy but sweet dark chile sauce. It arrives on the plate sitting on fried onion strings and nestled next to perfectly cooked broccoli and skin-on mashed potatoes.

This quintessential comfort food is beyond delicious. Bricktown serves a huge portion and is unapologetic about its heaping size. You’ll thank them the next day for your glorious leftovers.

▪ Ashley Watkins’ pick: Banh mi at Public at the Brickyard, 129 N. Rock Island

I’m pretty sure that if you asked my family, friends and co-workers what my best meal of 2016 was, they would all be able to tell you. That’s mostly because I wouldn’t shut up about the banh mi from Public at the Brickyard. The sandwich is made of tender, flavorful, sweet-and-sour hoison-smoked pork shoulder topped with slightly tangy carrots and sprouts, cilantro and a few slices of jalapeno pepper. The chewy Bagatelle baguette that it’s served on acts as a wonderful vessel to sop up the delicious sauce from the meat. When you eat this sandwich, your hands are going to get a little messy, and your lips are going to tingle (in the best possible way) from the heat of the jalapenos. Whether I ate it with a side of delicious, crispy, hand-cut fries or a side of haricots verts with pine nuts, this was a meal I wanted to keep going back to in 2016.

▪ Jocelyn Clonts’ pick: Porchetta and sticky rice ensemble from The Kamayan Truck

I love food trucks and the clever fusion of flavor they have to offer. This year, The Kamayan Truck won me over with its porchetta and sticky rice ensemble. Seasoned with lemongrass and jalapeno, the porchetta was a flavorful surprise. The outside of the pork belly was crispy and had a creamy yet firm, meaty center. The sticky rice was made to perfection, neither too dry nor too soggy. The dish was complete with a side of the truck’s “Bang Bang” sauce and pickled vegetables. The sauce was an outstanding blend of garlic, spices and vinegar that made a perfect dressing over the sticky rice and as a dip for the pork belly. To find where The Kamayan Truck is serving, check its Facebook page.

▪ Denise Neil’s pick: Margherita pizza at Piatto Neapolitan Pizzeria, 1706 E. Douglas

I love pizza in all of its forms. I love Picasso’s giant New York slices on chewy crust. I love Ziggy’s square-and-meaty pizzas. I even occasionally love a thin-crust beef pizza from Pizza Hut. But this year, I tried a pizza that rocked my pizza world, and I waited almost all year to find it. In November, Robert McMullin and his wife, Carolina Tabares, opened Piatto Neapolitan Pizzeria, and their pillowy pizza pies are pretty special. The secret is the crust, which ferments for three days, giving it an indescribable lightness. McMullin cooks the pizzas in his imported wood oven, and he tops them with a simple yet simply amazing sauce made of just two ingredients: tomatoes and salt. And McMullin, who trained in Naples, adds only modest amounts of fresh mozzarella, just like the Italians do. He has all kinds of interesting gourmet ingredients, including prosciutto, crushed pistachios and even fresh sliced lemon, and I love them all. But I dream about the simple Margherita pizza, topped with mozzarella, fresh basil and olive oil.

This story was originally published December 29, 2016 at 11:51 AM with the headline "Eagle dining panelists pick their best meals of 2016."