It’s that time again, when we look back and remember the best of our year in travel. Spring break found us in the southwest, with one meal even happening after crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico. In the summer we took a northern route, circling Lake Superior and Lake Michigan and passing through Canada. A long weekend in Door County, Wisconsin in October added to the already impressive cluster of amazing food and drink in the northern Lake Michigan region. We’ve narrowed our list to 15 food items, 15 beverages and a handful of our favorite overall restaurants, bars and hotels.
Here’s the 2016 collection in chronological order by category:

Food
1 Cheese Enchiladas – Boquillas Restaurant: Boquillas Del Carmen, Mexico
2 Guacamole – Starlight Theater: Terlingua, TX
3 Lasagna Bolloco – Trinity: Carlsbad, NM
4 Blue Corn Pizza Crust – Rooftop Pizzeria: Santa Fe, NM
5 Cheddar Nuggets – Ethel’s at 250: Bayfield, WI
6 Burrito – Natural Harvest Food Co-op: Virginia, MN
7 Home-cooked meals – Arrowhead Lodge: Kabetogama, MN
8 Fried Walleye – Kettle Falls Hotel: Voyageurs National Park, MN
9 Athenian Pork Souvlaki Salad – The Foundry: Thunder Bay, ON
10 Pasty – Tahquamenon Brewing: Tahquamenon Falls State Park, MI
11 Trois de Pork – Bistro FouFou: Traverse City, MI
12 Cream Puff – Trattoria Stella: Traverse City, MI
13 Fire Roasted Brussels Sprouts – Hotel Washington: Washington Island, WI
14 Tartine – Island Cafe & Bread Co.: Washington Island, WI
15 Bratwurst Potstickers – Brown Bottle: Milwaukee, WI

Drinks
16 Prickly Pear Margarita – Chisos Mountains Lodge: Big Bend National Park, TX
17 Gin Gimlet – Cochineal: Marfa TX
18 Green Smoothie – Natural Harvest Food Co-op: Virginia MN
19 Blueberry Blonde – Boathouse Brewpub: Ely, MN
20 Lake Superior Water – Isle Royale National Park
21 Vanilla Latte – North Perk: Petoskey, MI
22 Whiskey Margarita – Traverse City Whiskey Co.: Traverse City, MI
23 Cabernet Franc – 2 Lads Winery: Old Mission Peninsula, MI
24 Sparkling Rosé – Bowers Harbor Vineyards: Old Mission Peninsula, MI
25 Beer Flight – The Filling Station Microbrewery: Traverse City, MI
26 Iced Latte – Redolencia Coffee: Ludington, MI
27 Greyjoy – Staymaker at Journeyman Distillery: Three Oaks, MI
28 Barrel Aged Old Fashioned – Boone & Crocket: Milwaukee, WI
29 Silurian Stout – Door County Brewing Company: Baileys Harbor, WI
30 Angostura Bitters Shot – Nelsen’s Hall Bitters Pub: Washington Island, WI

Best Overall Restaurants (in no particular order)
Cochineal – Marfa, TX
Trinity – Carlsbad, NM
Bistro FouFou – Traverse City, MI
Trattoria Stella – Traverse City, MI
Morel – Milwaukee, WI

Bar of the Year: Fiddler’s Green – Washington Island, WI
Runners Up:
Boone & Crockett – Milwaukee, WI
The Mitten Bar – Ludington, MI
Lowbar– Traverse City, MI

Lodging of the Year: Arrowhead Lodge – Kabetogama, MN
Runners Up:
Summer’s Inn – Ludington, MI
Chisos Mountains Lodge – Big Bend National Park
Hotel Paisano – Marfa, TX
Jackson Harbor Inn – Washington Island, WI
El Rey Inn – Santa Fe, NM