Every year, one of my favorite things to do is compile Don Day’s “best of” list. The choices don’t necessarily come from the best restaurants. They’re simply the best dishes. But you can presume that a restaurant that makes at least one dish very well is probably going to make a few others very well.

There are a lot of new additions this year. Mostly from brand new restaurants. But some just from new discoveries at restaurants that have been in San Miguel for years. There are quite a few deletions as well. Mostly from restaurants that have joined the dear departed.

Last year, there were 60 best dishes on the list. This year, it’s grown to 70. And, of course, like Robin Hood’s men, the more the merrier. Here they are in no particular order. And my apologies for the overflow of gushing adjectives. When you love the food in this town as much as I do, it’s very hard not to get overly excited.

Chicken liver pate. Hansen’s. A tennis ball sized mound of heaven.
Pork riblets. The Restaurant. Melt in your mouth meat coated in a sweet and savory sauce.
Cabbage and kale salad. DeliCa Mitsu. Makes me wonder why the Japanese aren’t famous for great salads.
Bacon wrapped asparagus. La Posadita. On a plate that includes perfectly grilled tomatoes and onions.
Squash blossom soup. Olivo Verde. From mother to son comes the recipe for a rich, cheesy version of this seasonal soup.

Lemon cheesecake. Mi Vida. The cheesecake is just the start. Then they add chocolate and preserves and egg whites and strawberries to make one of the prettiest presentations in town.
Sweetbreads. La Virundela. Trust an Argentinean steak house to know how to make mouthwatering mollejas.
Barbacoa. El Pato. Can’t think of anything else I’d rather fill a taco with.
Onion rings. Hank’s. Not exactly a gourmet dish. But I don’t think you’ll find any better rings.
Steak tartare. Tannat. How did I live without this restaurant classic for all those years?
Eggplant Parmesan. Olivo Verde. Not a hint of bitterness in the aubergine. And so generous with the cheese.

Paella. La Choperia. Yes I can remember better paella but I can’t remember a better priced paella.
Sopa de lima. La Casa del Diezmo. The Veracruz classic. And yes, it’s the verdadero McCoy, made with limas not limes.
Sopa de queso. La Puertecita. So rich I want to pour it over fettucine.
Pork in a coffee cream sauce. Sabores y Salsas. Often a part of one of the best bargain prix fixe lunches in San Miguel.
Tuna tostadas. The Restaurant. Closest thing to the taste of Japanese sushi.
Short rib of beef. Firenze. Tender loving care produces the tenderest, tastiest meat in town.
Crema de pistache soup. Baile Cafe. Pistachios without the telltale red fingertips.

Geisha roll. DeliCa Mitsu. No, there isn’t much competition but this is the best maki in town.
Cochinita pibil. La Posadita. One of Mexico’s great dishes with the right amount of orange in the sauce.
The bread dip. La Puertecita. Olive oil with orange peel and nuts. What an innovation.
Baked Brie on toast. Paprika. Adding peppers, capers and walnuts completes a very appetizing appetizer.
Duck and vegetable rolls. The Restaurant. With that wonderful ginger chili dipping sauce.

Higaltidos asaltados. La Parada. The best treatment of chicken livers in SMA.
Spaghetti carbonara. Osteria del Italia. That dusting of nutmeg makes the difference.
Squash ravioli in brown butter and sage. Firenze. A classic sauce kisses a classic pasta.
Cebiche La Parada. La Parada. The addition of mango creates pure Peruvian pleasure.
Rabbit mixiote. MX. The only mixiote I’ve ever tasted really made in maguey leaves.
Carnitas. Apolo XI. With lots of juicy belly just for the asking.
Pescado a la Veracruzano. La Casa Olvera. Another of Mexico’s great sauces prepared exactly as it should be.
Prime rib of beef. Hansen’s. I don’t think anybody can cook a roast as well as Dick Weber.

Agustinas. La Agustina. A tortilla filled with fall apart pork in a not too peppery sauce.
Tacos al pastor. Pancho’s. There’s a reason this is the busiest stand at San Miguel’s Tuesday Market.
Helado queso con zarzamoras. Jimmy’s. The creamiest of ice creams studded with solid chunks of cream cheese and ripe blackberries oozing juice.
Pepperoni pizza. Mi Vida. The wood-fired oven that bakes some of the town’s best breads also bakes thin crust pizzas. But only on Sundays.

The traditional hamburger. Hansen’s. Fresh ground sirloin served thick with the essential grilled onions.
Pizza Cipriani. Chiquita’s. Because carpaccio, black olives, sundried tomatoes and arugula are four of my favorite flavors. Especially on a wood-fired, Neopolitan style crust.
Pork belly. De Temporada. A nicely butchered belly imaginatively rubbed with allspice, pepper, orange and sage and slow cooked to perfection.
Lime meringue pie. Victoria’s. There’s a reason they call them fruit tarts. Because that’s how people like me want them. Not sweet but tart.

Grilled quail. Da Andrea. Crispy on the outside. Fall apart tender on the inside. Delightfully but lightly seasoned. Wonderfully moist.
Gorditas. Ceci. They sell about 2000 of these chubby stuffed tortillas every Tuesday at the market. Enough said.
Bobby Waters soup. Paprika. There’s no such thing as too rich in my vocabulary.
Lasagna. La Casa Olvera. Yes, please, to so much gooey cheese.
Corned beef. Bollito Relleno. Preferably on levant bread from Cumpanio.
Smoked oysters. La Sirena Gorda. In an almost authentic cantina setting.
Consome. El Pato. So very, very rich in lamb flavor.
Jamon y queso empanada. Empanadas d Loreto. The flakiest crust in San Miguel.

Pay de cacahuates. Hecho en Mexico. As addictive as a can of Planters and then they add thick cream and chocolate syrup.
Sopa la premiada. La Casa del Diezmo. Pumpkin, peppers and cheese blended into one delightful soup.
Bruschetta. Mi Vida. Proof that you should never take a simple dish for granted.
Samosas. Bhaji. So they’re not authentic, the phyllo works.
Triple Chocolate Ice Cream. Helado Santa Clara. Like life, you’ve got to enjoy it before it melts.

Seared yellowfin tuna. Hecho en Mexico. A premium denizen of the deep at a deep discount price.
French Fries. Hansen’s. Thin cut. Twice fried, Nicely dusted.
Drowned Burrito. La Frontera. An absolute, definite, at least once a month experience when I’m in San Miguel.
Baguette. Cumpanio. Simply the very best loaf in town. Not to mention the best croissant.
Burnt caramel sundae. The Restaurant. Proving that sugar and salt make great bedfellows.
Sopa Azteca. Café Muro. Not sure where the cockles of my heart are but this definitely warms them.

Pulpo a la Parilla. Mi Vida. The most tender grilled octopus with a lot of extra added attractions all singing in harmony.
Orange chicken. El Dragon Chino. Rivals the very best of Toronto’s Chinatown.
Pozole con puerco. La Alborada. When it comes to pozole, this is San Miguel’s legendary destination.

Oysters parmesan. R Deck. Barely warm with garlic and butter.
Chicken Madras. Bhaji. The perfect amount of chile heat.
Fried steamed dumplings. El Palacio Chino. The plumpest pot stickers in town.
Pizza fantasia. Osteria del Italia. I’d almost give up pepperoni for this tuna topped pie.
Braised short rib tacos. The Restaurant. Peppery heat cooled by cilantro and onion.
Cafe Mexicano. Sabores y Salsas. Amazing what a a touch of canela does to coffee.
Lamb stew. MX. Memories of what lamb used to taste like, this time with a wonderful sage sauce.
Meat lover’s pizza. Pizza Pig. A conventional crust but a very good one. And I’ve never had too much meat on a pizza.
Gnocchi. La Parada. Mighty clouds of joy no matter what they’re served with.

There you have it. I know I’ve missed at least one or two delights. So I apologize to the restaurants. And even more so to the readers. And if there’s any dish I might not know about that you think belongs on the list, let it be known that I’m always hungry for more. You can share it by posting a comment or by emailing dondayinsma@yahoo.com. And help me continue to eat my way through the town I love so much.