Food and Wine Fest 2013: Top Five

Food and Wine Fest has come to another close, Actually, this happened a couple of weeks ago already, so I suppose it's time for me to stop living in denial that it's over again for another year. As always, after completing my passport and trying all the dishes on my list, it was time for my Grand Finale Tour.

Without further ado, the 2013 "best of the fest" (in no particular order, because, let's face it, we're lucky I managed to narrow it down to five) were...

5. Florida Grass-Fed Beef Slider with Monterey Jack and Sweet and Hot Pickles (Florida Local)

4. Venison Sausage with Pickled Mushrooms, Baby Arugula and Black Currant Reduction (New Zealand)

3. Kalua Pork Slider with Sweet and Sour Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise (Hawaii)

2. Shrimp Taco with Purple Cabbage (Mexico)

1. Vegetarian Haggis with Neeps and Tatties (Scotland)

It was so unbelievably difficult to eliminate these two from the running:

Honorable Mentions

Seared Rainbow Trout with Bacon, Frisee and Maple Minus 8 Vinaigrette (Canada)

Crispy Pork Belly with Black Beans, Onions, Avocado and Cilantro (Brazil)