My mom is notoriously hard to take out to eat. She's a homebody, so she doesn't look forward to a night out. She's also a pretty good cook, and she doesn't dread dishes. So anytime I finally convince her to try a new dinner spot with me, I usually get the same response: It's good, but why couldn't I just do this at home?
This year's Dining Out guide is an ode to dishes that are best not attempted at home. Some are intensely technical, others are way too time-consuming, and one calls for more ingredients than a typical grocery list.
Let's leave it to the professionals to simmer the perfect broth for hours on end or mold chocolate into pinecones or deep-fry hand-rolled sushi. Go ahead and taste the hard-earned fruit of someone else's labor. Let the experts impress you with their most dramatic skills.
Besides the featured dishes, make sure to check out the list of recommendations from local chefs for dishes even they don't want to make for themselves.
Here's to memorable meals and impressive imaginations that are way beyond our skill level. This one's for you, Mom.
— ELIZA BILLINGHAM
