Dining and drinking are always top-of-mind while we travel, so it’s no surprise many of our road trip memories revolve around tables and bar stools. When something especially good catches our attention, we write it down. Now at the end of the year, we look back and remember which ones still stand out in our minds. Our 2015 selections cover ground from Utah to Baltimore, all the way down to the tip of Florida and even into the Caribbean. 15 dishes, 10 beverages and our favorite overall meals, bars and hotels.
Here they are in chronological order:

FOOD
1 Especialidad de la Casa Chicken – Havana 1957: Miami Beach, FL
2 Pulpo (charred octopus) – Azur: Key West, FL
3 Cayman-Style Flounder – Vivine’s Kitchen: Gun Bay, Cayman Islands
4 Salmon – Brazen Open Kitchen: Dubuque, IA
5 Maple Bacon Frozen Custard – Culver’s for Beer Bacon & Cheese Fest: New Glarus, WI
6 Buratta – Pullman: Iowa City, IA
7 Elk Shepherd’s Pie – Metate Room: Mesa Verde National Park, CO
8 The Sirloin – Swingin’ Steak: Mexican Hat, UT
9 Smoked BBQ Pork Ribs – Rim Rock Restaurant: Torrey, UT
10 Fried Zucchini – Jeffrey’s Steakhouse: Moab, UT
11 Bacon Flight – The Berkshire: Denver, CO
12 Crab Tart – Woodberry Kitchen: Baltimore, MD
13 Entrecôte de Boeuf – Antietam: Detroit, MI
14 The Mudgie – Mudgies Deli: Detroit, MI
15 Breakfast Frittata – Terra: Grand Rapids, MI

DRINK
16 Key Limeade – Buttonwood Cafe: Everglades National Park, FL
17 Desert Nectar Smoothie – Peace Tree Juice Cafe: Moab, UT
18 Manhattan – Ghost Bar: Moab, UT
19 Coral White Cabernet Sauvignon – Colterris Wines: Palisade, CO
20 Dirty Hippie Dark American Wheat – Palisade Brewing: Palisade, CO
21 Caramel Pecan Coffee Stout – Lena Brewing: Lena, IL
22 Barrel Aged Apple Cort – Butcher and the Rye: Pittsburgh, PA
23 Victory Dance – Butcher and the Rye: Pittsburgh, PA
24 Dragon’s Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout – New Holland Brewing: Holland, MI
25 Pepper in the Rye Ale – Brewery Vivant: Grand Rapids, MI

MEAL OF THE YEAR – Antietam: Detroit, MI
Runners Up:
Azur: Key West, FL
Brazen Open Kitchen: Dubuque, IA

BAR OF THE YEAR – Butcher and the Rye: Pittsburgh, PA
Runners Up:
The Sugar House: Detroit, MI
Baxa’s Sutliff Tavern: Sutliff, IA

HOTEL OF THE YEAR – NYAH: Key West, FL
Runners Up:
Far View Lodge: Mesa Verde National Park, CO
Inca Inn: Moab, UT
Atheneum Suites Hotel: Detroit, MI