Best dishes of 2011

Now Salt Lake: Best tomato soup companion - The Cheesy Siegel Brother's sandwich features provolone and fontina melted on thick farm bread allowing for generous dips in tomato basil soup. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best sauceless pizza - Arella Pizzeria's namesake pizza comes with mozzarella, brie, Gorgonzola, caramelized pears, candied pecans with arugula tossed in house-made blue cheese dressing. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best tantalizing Italian - Try the pasta e polpette: a piled high plate of spaghetti, topped with savory tomato gravy and finished with 2 hand-made meatballs, simmered in sauce for more than an hour. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best comfort food - Try the steaming chicken pot pie. The buttery, flaky crust hides huge chunks of poached chicken mingled with fork-tender celery, pearl onion, carrots & peas in a savory, rich sauce Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best noodle soup - Try the ramen noodles. The rich broth comes with half of a hard-cooked egg as well as kamaboko (Japanese fish cake) and make sure to get the pork belly and pork shoulder combo. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best offal appetizer - Try the Chicken Liver Mousse with grainy mustard, kicky, pickled green beans and Riesling-soaked currants. Grilled toasts come on the side. It could easily feed two or three. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best dessert - Try the Salted Caramel Sundae, combines sweet and salty sensations on a buttery platform. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best locavore steak sandwich -The steak sandwich is tender, hearty, and somewhat messy to eat. Diners have no choice but to lick their fingers. Happily. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best scrumptious pie - Selections change often, but staples like the utterly decadent peanut butter and chocolate or the out of this world citrus and creamy Key lime. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best tandoor meal - Try the mixed kebab platter, marinated lamb chops, several preparations of chicken as well as shrimp and fish--all cooked in the tandoor oven -- are included as well as two sides. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best greens - Try the butter leaf salad, scattered among mixed greens are ribbons of parmesan, date nubbins, roasted corn, toasted pumpkin seeds and wisps of jalapeno. Tossed in a basil vinaigrette. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best use of sweet potatoes - Try the sweet potato gnocchi, diamond-shaped morsels of chewy pasta on top of earthy sauteed spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms and onions then bathed in creamy cheese alfredo. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best Thai spice and pineapple combo - Try the pineapple curry with shrimp. Carrots, bell pepper, mushrooms, chunks of pineapple and shrimp are mixed with coconut milk for a fruity, creamy Thai dish. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best prime porcine - Try the Kurobuta pork. The slow-cooking technique imbues white beans with rich pork flavor. Golden beets and steamed asparagus add color and a small pieces of goat cheese. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best umami - Try the beef tenderloin, topped with a slice of umami-laden blue cheese and a drizzle of port-demi glace. The medium-rare steak and blue cheese meld together beautifully. Read more.

Now Salt Lake: Best worldly flavors - Try the scallops with almond, curry and red wine ($12) feature delicately prepared shellfish countered by the robust flavors of curry and a red wine reduction. Read more.