Even if you’re among the most ardent of restaurant fans, chances are good you haven’t been to all 50 spots on The New York Times 2026 Restaurant List. (Though, if you have, call us.)
All that traveling, all that reservation hunting, all that indulgence adds up. But don’t worry: For those hoping for a taste of the list without the travel, our scouting team brought back six recipes that they hope you’ll fall for just as they did. Make one or all: Use them as a weekend treat or the fodder for a dinner party (and, if you do, call us about that, too).
Recipe: Brown Butter Dates With Ras el Hanout
At Albi, Michael Rafidi’s elegant and welcoming Palestinian restaurant in Washington, D.C., enormous Medjool dates from Jericho, a town near the Dead Sea, are gently poached in butter infused with ras el hanout, a vibrant North African spice blend that brings toasty notes of earth and citrus. The dates are then roasted over coals until smoky and luscious, with a dark, caramelly sweetness. (At home, if you don’t already have a charcoal grill going, just pop them in a grill pan or under a broiler for a minute or two.) The last, elevating touch is a gloss of that brown butter, along with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of flaky salt. You’ll want to save any leftover butter to spread the love around: It’s transformative, whether brushed on warm bread, spooned over grilled meat, or whisked with a little vinegar or lemon juice as a sauce for roasted vegetables.
Recipe from Michael Rafidi
2 cups/1 pound unsalted butter
5 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
2 1/2 teaspoons ras el hanout
12 to 16 large whole Medjool dates, unpitted
1. Heat a charcoal grill to medium heat. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, stirring frequently until it reaches a foamy state. Add the smashed garlic cloves and stir continuously with a rubber spatula until the milk solids are lightly browned. Strain the butter through the sieve into the bowl to remove the garlic, scraping any milk solids back into the butter.
3. Return the butter to the pot over low heat and stir in the ras el hanout. Cook, stirring frequently, to lightly toast the ras el hanout spices and allow them to bloom, 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Add the dates to the pot and gently poach the dates over low heat, keeping the butter at a gentle simmer. Cook, turning the dates occasionally, until tender and infused, about 15 minutes.
5. Using a slotted spoon, remove the dates from the pot, reserving the butter. Grill them over coals until lightly caramelized, about 30 seconds. Using tongs, transfer the dates to a mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the reserved ras el hanout butter along with the lemon juice. Toss gently to coat. Transfer dates to a platter, garnish with flaky salt and serve.
Recipe: Tirokafteri (Spicy Whipped Feta With Peppers)
Kouklas, a Greek restaurant just outside Chicago, makes a subspecialty of the cuisine’s wide variety of dips and spreads. Its tirokafteri, a tangy silky dip with feta and roasted red peppers, is an easy-to-make example that may remind your guests of pimento cheese. The dip is only mildly spicy, but if you’re sensitive to heat, start with half the Fresno chile and then add more to taste.
Recipe from Jimmy Bannos Jr.
Adapted by Brett Anderson
2 ounces plain cream cheese, such as Philadelphia, softened
2 ounces creamy sheep’s milk feta, such as Valbreso
3 tablespoons full-fat Greek yogurt
1/3 cup jarred roasted red peppers, preferably Greek Florina peppers, drained well, plus more for garnish
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Warmed pita wedges, for serving
1. If you have a gas burner, use it to char the Fresno chile, turning occasionally, until blackened and blistered (for broiling instructions, see Tip). Remove the skin and seeds.
2. In a food processor, blend the cream cheese until completely smooth. Add the feta, yogurt, honey, roasted red peppers, half the charred chile and a pinch of salt. Blend until the spread is completely smooth and develops its signature vibrant orange color from the roasted peppers. Stir in lemon juice.
3. Slice another roasted red pepper into thin strips. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl and garnish with a tangle of sliced red peppers and a drizzle of olive oil. Serve with warmed pita for dipping.
To char the Fresno chile in the oven, set a rack about 5 inches under the broiler. Set the oven to broil (preferably low). Place the chile on a small sheet pan or small ovenproof skillet and broil, turning occasionally, until charred and blistered, about 10 minutes.
Recipe: Steakhouse Shrimp Cocktail
All great steakhouses are improvisations on a beloved playlist. Each may have their distinctive flourishes, but they must play the hits, and play them well. Shrimp cocktail is one of those hits, and Durant’s in Phoenix is one of those steakhouses. Their recipe — in which the shrimp are boiled to a perfect tenderness not in a court-bouillon, but a zesty crab boil mix — is easy and so right. The cocktail sauce has a classic flavor profile punched up with just a bit more horseradish. A creamy, punchy Dijon dip is another flourish, and very welcome.
Recipe from Raul A. Del Pozo
Adapted by Brian Gallagher
Total time: 35 minutes, plus chilling
1 tablespoon crab boil seasoning, such as Zatarain’s
2 pounds peeled, deveined jumbo shrimp, tails on
Prepared white horseradish, for serving
Crushed ice, for the platter
2 to 3 tablespoons prepared white horseradish (use more for more spice)
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For the Creamy Mustard Sauce
2 tablespoons buttermilk (or plain yogurt)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon (or a large pinch) garlic powder
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1. Make the shrimp: Fill a large pot three-quarters full with water. Add the crab boil and one lemon half and bring to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl and place it near the shrimp pot.
2. Once the water boils, add the shrimp. Bring the water back to a simmer (this will take about 3 minutes), then adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the shrimp turns pink and is cooked through, about 2 minutes more.
3. Using a spider or a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp directly to the ice bath and discard the cooking liquid and lemon. Allow the shrimp to cool completely, about 5 minutes, then drain and refrigerate until you are ready to serve.
4. Meanwhile, make the cocktail sauce: In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire and garlic powder and whisk until blended. Taste and adjust with black pepper and, if desired, more horseradish to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5. Make the mustard sauce: In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, mustard and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Serve the chilled shrimp over ice on a rimmed platter, with bowls of cocktail sauce, mustard sauce and horseradish on the side, along with the remaining lemon half for squeezing.
Recipe: Braised Butter Beans With Broccolini
At Bar Panisse in Berkeley, California, a platter of big, creamy butter beans is always on the menu, cooked simply with aromatics and topped with something highly seasonal, depending on the week and chef Amelia Telč’s mood. Here, the beans are paired with crisp, broiled Broccolini with lemon juice and a bit of chile crisp on top, but feel free to switch things up. Telč has covered them with garlicky sauteed spigarello, smoked eggplant or olive tapenade. Telč buys her dried butter beans from Iacopi Farms in Half Moon Bay, California, so seek out similar ones (see Tip) and make sure to soak them overnight and cook them until they’re completely tender all the way through.
Total time: 55 minutes, plus overnight soaking
2 cups dried butter beans, see Tip
Kosher salt, such as Diamond Crystal
1 small or medium yellow onion, cut in half
1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
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1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Chile oil (preferably with a bit of sediment), for drizzling
1 bunch Broccolini (about 1/2 pound), tough stems trimmed
1. Soak dried beans in 2 quarts of cold water mixed with 1 tablespoon salt; leave at room temperature to soak overnight.
2. The following day, drain the soaked beans and place them in a large heavy pot along with the onion, garlic, carrot, parsnip, celery, lemon, chile, herbs, 2 tablespoons salt and olive oil. Cover with enough water to fully submerge the beans by a few extra inches — roughly 3 quarts of water total.
3. Place the pot over medium heat and bring it to a simmer, skimming off any froth as needed. Adjust the heat to a gentle simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, then begin checking for doneness. The beans should have intact skins and a very creamy interior. If they’re still chalky or al dente, allow them to keep cooking and check them every 5 minutes until done. They will continue to “cook” slightly as they cool.
4. Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables, then pluck out as many of the herbs as possible with tongs. Stir in the vinegar and taste the broth for seasoning; it should be just slightly over-seasoned, which helps to flavor the beans.
5. When ready to serve the beans, place a rack 6 inches under the broiler heating element. Heat the broiler to high. On a sheet pan, toss the Broccolini in the olive oil and season with salt. Broil the Broccolini until bright green, barely tender and starting to char on the ends, flipping halfway through, about 8 minutes total.
6. Remove the Broccolini from the oven and immediately drizzle with lemon juice. Using a microplane, finely grate the garlic over the Broccolini and toss until well combined. Serve the beans with some of their cooking liquid, topped with the Broccolini and drizzled with a spoonful of chile oil.
Butter beans are an especially large, plump variety of lima beans that are ivory-colored rather than green. For the best results, seek out the best-quality dried butter beans you can find; Telč prefers those from Iacopi Farms, but also recommends those from Rancho Gordo. Any dried butter beans that have a plump, rounded appearance even when uncooked are likely to yield the best results. Gigante beans also work well.
Feel free to double the beans and freeze the extra for another use.
Recipe: Taho (Sweet Silken Tofu and Tapioca Pearls)
Made with layers of silken tofu and tapioca pearls covered in arnibal, a brown-sugar syrup, taho is a classic Filipino snack that’s served as a mildly sweet dessert at Lasang Pinoy, a welcoming Filipino restaurant in Rogers, Arkansas. Bill Martfeld, the restaurant’s chef, makes silken tofu from scratch, but store-bought silken tofu also works well.
Recipe from Bill Martfeld
Adapted by Brett Anderson
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup prepared jarred tapioca/sago pearls, drained, or 2 tablespoons boba-size dry tapioca pearls
1 (14-ounce) package silken tofu, drained and patted dry
1. Make the arnibal syrup: In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, water and vanilla over high heat; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool until warm.
2. Meanwhile, if using dry tapioca pearls, fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Add the tapioca pearls, stir, and when the water returns to a boil adjust the heat so it maintains a lively simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 25 minutes, until the pearls are plumped and mostly translucent (with only a few small opaque centers). Turn off heat and let tapioca pearls stand in the liquid until completely translucent and chewy, about 25 minutes more.
3. For both freshly cooked and store-bought pearls, drain and rinse under cold water, then stir into the arnibal syrup. (The pearls and arnibal can be prepared in advance and refrigerated. Before serving, gently warm the mixture until hot but not boiling.)
4. Place the drained tofu block in a microwave-safe bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap and microwave until heated through and warm to the touch, 30 to 60 seconds.
5. Using a tablespoon measuring spoon, scoop a few spoonfuls of tofu from the block into 2 tall (12-ounce) dessert glasses for sharing, or divide between 4 smaller dessert glasses. Top each with a couple spoonfuls of arnibal, then repeat, alternating tofu and arnibal a couple more times and ending with a spoonful of arnibal on top. Serve immediately.
Recipe: Lamb Shank Birria
Carlos Salgado uses lamb shanks, in place of the more traditional whole animal, for his version of birria, which he serves at La Sirena, the excellent Mexican restaurant he runs in rural Wisconsin with his wife and business partner Emilie Coulson Salgado. The stew is a particularly satisfying dish to make in the heart of winter, and well worth the effort. Toasted chiles, caramelized onions and avocado leaves, slow-cooked in lard and then blended with coffee and vinegar, form the foundation of the dish. Carlos Salgado marinates the lamb in the birria paste overnight, then gently simmers the shanks until tender and surrounded by rich consome, ready to savor with warm tortillas.
Recipe from Carlos Salgado
Adapted by Brett Anderson
Total time: About 12 1/2 hours (4 1/2 hours, plus overnight marinating)
2 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns
3 whole Mexican (Ceylon) cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each), broken into a few pieces
2 dried avocado leaves (hoja de aguacate) or dried bay leaves
6 dried guajillo chiles, seeded
3 dried mulato chiles, seeded
9 dried puya chiles, seeded
3 cups boiling water, plus more as needed
1 large white onion (about 1 pound), chopped
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano, plus more for garnish
1/4 cup grated piloncillo or light brown sugar
1/2 cup cold brew coffee concentrate
1 cup malt vinegar, divided
4 meaty lamb shanks (4 1/2 to 5 pounds total)
2 limes, zested and juiced, plus more zest for garnish
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
6 to 8 cups beef or lamb stock (1 1/2 to 2 quarts)
Very thinly sliced white onion rings, rinsed in cold water and patted dry, for garnish
Finely ground espresso powder, for garnish (optional)
Warm corn tortillas and black beans (such as Frijoles de Olla), for serving (optional)
1. Make the spice paste: In a spice grinder, grind the peppercorns, cumin seeds, star anise, cinnamon sticks, allspice and cloves until finely ground; set aside.
2. Heat a dry medium frying pan (not nonstick) or comal over medium-low heat. In batches, toast the avocado leaves and chiles in the pan, turning occasionally, until slightly softened, aromatic and a shade darker, 2 to 3 minutes per batch. Set aside the toasted avocado leaves, and transfer chiles to a large bowl and cover with 3 cups boiling water; let soak until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
3. Using tongs, remove chiles from the bowl, reserving the soaking liquid. Transfer the chiles to a blender along with about 3/4 cup of soaking liquid (reserving the remaining soaking liquid) and puree to make a thick paste.
4. In a large pan, heat the lard over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelized, about 15 minutes. Stir in the reserved ground spices and stir constantly until they release their fragrance and darken slightly, about 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
5. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the toasted avocado leaves to the pot, along with 1 1/4 cups of the reserved chile soaking liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer, adjusting the heat if needed, then cover and gently simmer until the oil floats to the surface and the solids are deeply flavorful, about 40 minutes.
6. Remove the avocado leaves, then stir in the oregano and piloncillo. Return the mixture to the blender and puree with the coffee and 1/2 cup of vinegar, adding a bit of water or more reserved chile soaking liquid if the mixture seems too thick. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a large bowl and set birria paste aside to cool.
7. Make the lamb: Place the lamb in a large baking dish and rub with the remaining 1/2 cup vinegar and season with the lime zest and 2 tablespoons salt. Coat with the birria paste and refrigerate overnight, uncovered.
8. When ready to cook, transfer the lamb along with any liquid in the dish to a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot and cover with stock (it’s fine if the lamb isn’t fully submerged). Bring to a simmer, then adjust the heat to the lowest simmer and braise until tender, about 2 1/2 hours. Turn off the heat and let the shanks rest in the pot for 30 minutes. Pull the meat off the bone, reserving the consome it cooked in.
9. Adjust the seasoning of the consome to taste with lime juice and salt. Serve the lamb with a generous amount of consome, garnished with onion rings and a light dusting of lime zest, oregano and, if desired, ground espresso. Serve with warm corn tortillas and black beans, if you like.
