2023: Bangers only
My favorite restaurant dishes, film performances, shopping finds, songs and wild takes
This is my favorite thing to do each year. Below you’ll find lists of favorite restaurant dishes, film performances, shopping finds, songs and outlandish takes I believe wholeheartedly.
In previous years, these lists have bounced around various platforms, but 2023 is the first time it’s behind a paywall. So I’m opening up seven day free trials for the next week or so, if you wanna dive into it. Then I’m turning that feature back off because I don’t really believe in it.
Enjoy. (Bangers & Jams City Guides are all updated, too).
Jump around to each section here:
Food | Movies | Music | Books | Everything else
Food
I’ve aged into being way more Chris Black than
in my dining out, and that’s cool with me. The pure food discoveries are dwindling and the “you have to eat here because it’s an incredible time” recs are increasing.I don’t really have patience for the whole New York City reservation panic. If you really want to go somewhere, make a friend who works there. Be smart about the apps. Book day-of. Sign up for a Bangers & Jams Reckless Spender membership (I got you). Or just don’t go if you can’t get in. Like, it’s fine. It’s dinner. Get over it. I was at a party the other week and a guy was telling me about the Resy bot he set up so he can hold tables at Cote a month in advance. That sucks. But mostly it’s … lame?
With all that said, it was a very good restaurant year. All the favorites are listed below. (And, of course, RIP Cool World).
Best food things
London, a better restaurant city than New York: I don’t even think this one is that hot. The restaurants feel more special, with a more distinguished point of view. The cooking is more dialed in and interesting. The service has just the right level of warmth. Somehow the entrees are amazing. And you don’t need to only sell steak frites and martinis to survive.