The 100 best things we ate (and drank) this year (76-100)

Honeydew limeade | Fan Si Pan
Susan Furst's signature drink is so refreshing and strikes such a perfect sweet-tart balance that she could have been a bartender. And then maybe we'd get it how we really want it: with a shot of gin. (1618 W Chicago Ave between Ashland and Marshfield Aves, 312-738-1405)

Palace crepe | Crepe and Coffee Palace
This hidden Algerian gem's namesake dish—a crepe bulging with arugula, goat cheese, caramelized onions, pine nuts and roasted garlic—is a revelation. (2433 N Clark St between Fullerton Pkwy and Arlington Pl, 773-404-1300)

Cheese plate | Cyrano's Bistrot and Wine Bar
We've had a lot of amazing cheese plates, but none as cute as this one. Nine little tastes, all lined up in a row, are accompanied by a scroll explaining which is which. The delicious house-marinated goat cheese bears a tiny flag that reads, you will love me!!! | am rare! (546 N Wells St between Grand Ave and Ohio St, 312-467-0546)

Sgroppino | Romeo Romeo
It may look like a lemon-sorbet float to you, but in Italy this creamy sorbet/prosecco/vodka concoction is a traditional digestif. Here's to getting this tradition off the ground in Chicago. (1415 N Milwaukee Ave between Wolcott and Evergreen Aves, 773-227-6636)

Tres leches cake | Bombon Cafe
We don't know who Laura Cid Perea is trying to fool—her cake is so rich and delicious, we just know there are more than three milks involved. (36 S Ashland Ave at Monroe St, 312-733-8717)

Nehari | Sabri Nehari
This spot's eponymous sweet-and-spicy Indian lamb pot roast is so good, you'll know why they named the place after it. (2511 W Devon Ave at Campbell Ave, 773-465-3272)

Baby lamb cassoulet | Custom House
Chef Shawn McClain has reinvented the classic steakhouse, adding contemporary flair and seasonal ingredients. His cassoulet—braised baby lamb, house-made fennel sausage, al dente cannellini beans, carrots and turnips—inspires you to risk lip burns by drinking the last drop straight from the cast-iron crock. (500 S Dearborn St at Congress Pkwy, 312-523-0200)

Kifta kebab with rice and charred vegetables | Noon o Kabab's
This Persian gem is the most consistent kitchen around for smoky kebabs and the world's fluffiest saffron-laced rice. (4661 N Kedzie Ave between Eastwood and Leland Aves, 773-279-8899)

Thai sausage | Sticky Rice
Kritsana Moungkeow's recipe for her sai ua (Thai sausage) includes ground pork, lemongrass, galangal, garlic, hot-chile pepper, cilantro, red-curry paste and kafir-lime leaves. (4018 N Western Ave between Irving Park Rd and Cuyler Ave, 773-588-0133)

Goat curry | J.R. Caribbean Cuisine's
We can't resist this fragrant, smoky, meltingly tender, allspice-laced stew. (3660 S Indiana Ave between 36th and 37th Sts, 773-924-1900)

Barcelona Bar | Vosges Haut
Chocolat Chocolate maven Katrina Markoff can play around with those Red Stripe beer truffles all she wants—we'll stick to her sweet, salty, crunchy and deceptively simple bar of milk chocolate, smoked almonds and fleur de sel gray sea salt. (951 W Armitage Ave between Bissell St and Sheffield Ave, 773-296-9866)

Roasted chicken | Lula Café
Food trends come and go, but nothing will ever replace a good roasted chicken. And these juicy, pasture-raised birds from nearby Gunthorp Farm are as good as it gets. (2537 N Kedzie Blvd between Albany Ave and Linden Pl, 773-489-9554)

"Southside-style fried shrimp" | Southside Shrimp House
Preferred by Sox fans and Chicago's Finest, these juicy shrimp with crunchy, spiced, greaseless coating are served in a paper bag. (335 W 31st St at Shields Ave, 312-567-0000)

Cigar potstickers | Ed's Potsticker
House The place flaunts its namesake dish on its sign and its menu. Did you think they wouldn't be the best in the city? (3139 S Halsted St between 32nd and 31st Sts, 312-326-6898)

Cheeseburger | Paradise Pup
Here's the lowdown: juicy, cooked-to-order burgers over charcoal, a dense challah bun, freshly sliced raw onions and plenty of the much-loved Merkt's cheddar. (1724 S River Rd, Des Plaines, 847-699-8590)

Smoky apple tart | HotChocolate
We like the savory menu just fine at chef Mindy Segal's Bucktown eatery, but it's her desserts that blow us away. And when she sneaks a little savory into the sweets, we swoon all the more. Perfect example: This fall tart of bacon-roasted Honey Crisp apples is topped with caramel streusel and served with a tiny square of salty pecan pie under roasted apple ice cream. (1747 N Damen Ave between Willow St and St. Paul Ave, 773-489-1747)

Veal agnolotti | Spiaggia
Chefs Tony Mantuano and Missy Robbins blow us away with seasonal Northern Italian dishes that are at once elegant and rustic, like these perfectly al dente veal-filled pasta pillows with crispy veal breast, shaved Parmesan and a sprinkling of fennel pollen. (980 N Michigan Ave between Oak St and Walton Pl, 312-280-3300)

Blueberry cardamom granola | Grazers Gourmet
Heavily spiced with fragrant green carda-mom and loaded with dried blueberries, this granola has sustained us on many mornings (and late nights). (5333 N Lincoln Ave between Summerdale and Balmoral Aves, 773-561-5500)

Nam khao thawt | Spoon Thai
Salty, spicy and tart, it's the ultimate: a crunchy salad of fried jasmine-rice, ham, roasted peanuts, cilantro, red onion and scallion. (4608 N Western Ave between Wilson and Eastwood Aves, 773-769-1173)

Taleggio focaccia | Avec
Choosing our favorite dish at this small-plates Med spot is impossible, especially given the everchanging menu. But this indul-gent creation has been around since day one—a gooey, crunchy "sandwich" stuffed with melted taleggio cheese and drizzled with truffle oil. (615 W Randolph St between Jefferson and Desplaines Sts, 312-377-2002)

Beer | Piece
The pizza's good, but we love this Wicker Park spot for its hilariously named Gentrification Ale and tasty, award-winning Dysfunctionale and Top Heavy Hefeweizen. (1927 W North Ave between Wolcott and Winchester Aves, 773-772-4422)

Foie gras ravioli | Scylla
If those foie gras foes tasted chef Stephanie Izard's creation—big, meaty scallops resting on perfectly al dente ravioli stuffed with foie and oyster mushrooms—well, they'd still protest, but they'd at least be slightly conflicted about it. (1952 N Damen Ave between Homer St and Armitage Ave, 773-227-2995)

Shirauo | Meiji
This sushi newcomer impresses with its uncommon varieties of seafood, particularly the shirauo: slick little translucent slivers of (ice fish), served in a cup carved out of cucumber. (623 W Randolph St between Jefferson and Desplaines Sts, 312-887-9999)

Langoustines | Las Islas Marias
These Indian Ocean prawns—split open, coated in a top-secret garlicky, salty, fiery "seven-spice" mixture and grilled—inspire a legion of loyalists. (6635 N Clark St between Wallen and North Shore Aves, 773-973-4752)

El Bigote | Zapatista
Those grinning celebs can have their "Got milk?" moustaches; we'll take this cocktail version instead. The El Bigote (Spanish for "the moustache") blends the flavors of a margarita, piña colada and mojito with tangy, frothy, lip-licking results. (1307 S Wabash Ave at 13th St, 312-435-1307)