BEST OF 2012: The Very Best of Food + Drink!

The year is slowly coming to an end and we're pretty happy with what we've done so far - we've explored a lot of new places, read a lot of menus, and taken lots of pictures, but most of all, we've eaten a lot of food, and drank a ton of drinks.  Here's our roundup of the best places we've been and foodie things we've done this year.

Best Bar/Restaurant (Boston): Volle Nolle

In an overwhelming sea of Italian restaurants in Boston's North End, Volle Nolle is the perfect cozy spot to enjoy a delicious sandwich during the day or even night, when the wine glasses come out.

Best Bar/Restaurant (Philadelphia): Kraftwork

Fishtown's Kraftwork earns major points for holding a late-night happy hour on a selection of 12 craft beers, and also its offerings of beer in various sizes, ranging from 8 0z, to pints, to flights, to growlers that you can take home and share with your friends (or drink by yourself).

Best Bar/Restaurant (NYC): Baohaus

The best place to grab a quick and delicious meal on the go - these baos are like crack and we could eat them like popcorn if we could.  Combine that with the totally casual atmosphere, the funky wall art, and the line cooks rapping right along to the thumping music while frying up your bao and we've got plenty of reasons to keep coming back.

Best Foodie Event: The 2012 Vendy Awards

The best four word phrase in the English language is "all-you-can-eat," and that's definitely what we did at this year's Vendy Awards.  Pretty much every major NYC food truck met on Governor's Island for a friendly battle of vendor food, bringing their very best to the plate (literally).  We can't wait to go next year, and we strongly urge you to, also - just make sure to bring an empty stomach, and remember to pace yourself!

Best Foodie Interview: Jean Grae at Il Bagatto

"Foodie" may not be the the first word that comes to mind when you think of Jean Grae, but she's got a lot to say on the subject - our first food interview highlighted Jean Grae's favorite spots in the city, her favorite things to cook, and her favorite things to eat.