At the end of every year for the past 25-plus years, I’ve listed my top 10 dining experiences from the year that just wrapped. This year was a bit of an outlier, as you’ll see when you get to No. 1.

These days, I spend about four months a year overseas working with my Yonderlust Travel business. I host roughly 250 guests annually across about 10 trips – five in the spring and five in the fall. Every one of those meals is different and memorable in its own way. I could easily fill 50 spots with meals we share over there, but I’m including only two on this year’s list.

10. “Ya Gotta Eat” meals

My friend and production partner Drew Wootton and I launched a podcast this year called Ya Gotta Eat. At press time, we’re seven episodes in. The idea is simple: interesting people from all walks of life, all with limited time. But everyone has to eat, so we sit down over a meal – in a location of their choosing – for an hour and talk about life. Every one of these meals has been compelling so far. Look us up wherever you get your podcasts.

9. The Roast/Hub Award

In any other year, these would have landed just behind a high-ranking family meal. I was roasted by the Mississippi Press Association in September, and two months later, my hometown gave me its highest honor. I couldn’t tell you a thing about what was served at either dinner, but the experiences themselves were singular and deeply meaningful. I’ll always be honored and grateful for both.

8. Thanksgiving, Hattiesburg

Anytime I can get both of my kids around the same table these days is a good day. Add extended family, and it’s an easy pick. Almost all the food came from Loblolly Bakery’s holiday grab-and-go section. My son put that money I spent on his culinary education to work, cooking the turkey and making the gravy. He also made his brown butter mashed potatoes – so good they ended up in my new cookbook. For the record, they deserved it.

7. Emeril’s, New Orleans

I saw this one coming a couple of years out. I first met EJ Lagasse when he was a teenager working a summer at Emeril’s Coastal in the Florida Panhandle. Even then, he spoke like a mature, focused and committed 40-year-old man.

After my first meal at the reimagined Emeril’s, I wrote that it was not only the best restaurant in New Orleans, but the best restaurant in the South. EJ’s food sits just a fraction of a notch below the best meals I’ve had at The French Laundry and Per Se.

6. Shere, Surrey Hills (with Holleman)

We had a few days off between groups in Ireland and Tuscany and ducked into London to unwind. Our daughter had never been, so she flew over to meet us. After some time in the city, she wanted a taste of the countryside.

A little research led us to Shere in the Surrey Hills – a charming village straight out of central casting. Turns out it literally was: The Holiday, Four Weddings and a Funeral and Bridget Jones were all filmed there. We had cream tea midmorning, a lovely lunch, poked through shops, then headed back to London. When she said, “I could live here,” I knew I’d nailed it.

5. The Ninth Wave, Isle of Mull, Scotland

There are meals, and then there are journeys disguised as meals. The Ninth Wave on Scotland’s Isle of Mull is firmly the latter. Reaching it requires a boat across a dark loch, a long drive on a single-lane road, and a willingness to be lost without a guide. That remoteness is the point.

Run by Carla and John Lamont since 2009, the restaurant is shaped entirely by place. John catches the lobster and fish each morning. Carla grows the herbs, vegetables and heirloom plants outside the door, cures and smokes on-site, and cooks with a confidence born of travel and deep respect for the island. Each course unfolds like a story – local seafood and venison layered with global influences, explained tableside by Carla herself. Open only five months a year, The Ninth Wave has become a destination people cross oceans to reach. Shared with friends, it felt personal, rare and unforgettable.

4. Scotland farewell dinner, Historic Prestonfield Golf Club, Edinburgh

I’ve now hosted two Yonderlust tours in Scotland. This September, my wife and I flew over early with friends and spent a week roaming that remarkable country. On the final night, the entire group dressed in formal Scottish attire – yes, kilts, and don’t knock it until you try it – and sat down to a memorable dinner. The food was good. The company was even better.

3. Fallow, London

When I visit a city, I come armed with a well-researched list of restaurants, and I usually visit each just once. Fallow connected with me like no other place has in years. I went back the next day. Then again the following morning. I also visited their sister restaurant, Roe.

In any other year – one without so many meaningful family meals – this would have topped the list. It felt like the owners of Fallow sat down and said, “Let’s build a restaurant just for Robert.”

2. Dinner with Harrison at Maple & Ash, Chicago

When my son came to me as a teenager and said he wanted to go into the restaurant business, I made him a deal: four years of college, two years at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park – in my opinion, the Harvard of cooking schools – and at least two years working for other people.

Last January, six years into that plan, he headed to Chicago to begin that final stretch. Our last dinner before leaving him was at Maple & Ash. The bone marrow butter alone is worth the reservation.

But the pride I felt watching my son fully commit himself to this industry eclipsed anything that came out of the kitchen.

1. My daughter’s wedding, Longleaf Plantation

I gave my wife and daughter a budget. They blew right past it – and by the end of the weekend, it didn’t matter one bit. Every dollar was worth it.

My team at Purple Parrot Catering knocked it out of the park. Kerrin Hightower, our queen of cakes at Loblolly Bakery, created something beautiful. After 37 years of catering every kind of event imaginable, this was – by far – the pinnacle.

As grand and unique as the reception was, the lunch the next day – with the bridal party and a few close family members after all the dust had settled – may have been the most special meal of the entire weekend. And of the year.

Onward into 2026.

CHOCOLATE CHRISTMAS CHEESECAKE

It’s all about balance. The deep, smooth chocolate filling meets a crisp, slightly salty crust for a perfect bite every time. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing, or you’ll end up with lumps. When melting the chocolate, allow it to cool slightly before adding it to the batter to prevent curdling. The patience is worth it.

A few techniques elevate this recipe: chilling the crust overnight for deeper flavor, using a water bath for an ultra-smooth texture, and letting the cheesecake rest at least 24 hours before serving for the best taste.

Serves: 8 to 10

Crust ingredients:
8 full-size graham crackers
16 Oreo cookies
6 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Crust directions:
■ Place graham crackers and Oreos in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a mixing bowl, drizzle with melted butter and mix well.
■ Pour mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Starting in the center, press crust firmly, moving excess crumbs toward the edges. Press remaining crumbs up the sides of the pan.
■ Place pan on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 300 degrees.

Filling ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 ounces dark chocolate, melted and cooled
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 egg yolks, room temperature
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Filling directions:
■ Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high for 1 minute. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and repeat three times.
■ Add sugars and salt. Beat on high for 3 minutes, scraping the bowl every minute.
■ Add melted chocolate and cocoa powder and mix well. Lower mixer speed and add eggs and egg yolks one at a time, making sure each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape sides to ensure no lumps remain.
■ Add cream and vanilla and beat until smooth.
■ Pour filling into crust and place on the center oven rack. Bake 50 to 60 minutes, until the center jiggles slightly when the pan is tapped.
■ Water bath option: Wrap the springform pan in heavy-duty foil and place it in a larger baking dish. Add hot water halfway up the sides of the pan to prevent cracking and create a silkier texture.
■ Remove cheesecake from oven and cool at room temperature for 2 hours.

Topping ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping directions:
■ Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate chips until melted. Pour evenly over the cheesecake. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight before serving.
■ Serving tip: For clean slices, dip a knife in hot water and wipe it clean between cuts.

Optional flavor enhancements
■ Add 1/4 cup finely ground espresso beans to the crust for a subtle coffee note.
■ Stir 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder into the filling to deepen chocolate flavor.
■ Drizzle salted caramel sauce over the finished cheesecake before serving.
■ Infuse the heavy cream with crushed espresso beans or cinnamon sticks before mixing.

Robert St. John is a restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, and world-class eater from Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He has spent four decades in the restaurant industry, written 13 books, and written a syndicated newspaper column for more than 24 years. Read more about Robert at robertstjohn.com.

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