Our annual end-of-year tradition continues as we take a look back on the best things we tried last year. Here are our five favorite appetizers of 2019:

Corn soup topped with pico de gallo, pork belly and avocado crema

Corn Soup – Heritage Restaurant

One of my favorite meals of the year came courtesy of the Heritage Restaurant and their chef’s tasting dinner. All five courses were delicious, but for me, the soup outshone the salad (if only barely). The creamy soup featured fresh pico de gallo, pork belly and avocado crema with lime. It was the pico, especially the bursts of flavor from the tomatoes, was really what set it apart. Review: Heritage Restaurant

Rangoli Indian Street Food Exploding Samosa

Exploding Samosa – Rangoli Indian Street Food

Rangoli is one of my favorite new restaurants of the year, and my exploding samosa made a great first impression. The “exploding” samosas take the dumplings and load them up with a mountain of toppings that includes chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, green chutney, tamarind and yogurt sauces and crunchy noodles (I also added chicken to mine). Each bite was a little different, but I really enjoyed the cool, refreshing, sweet-and-sour profile that the yogurt sauce added. Review: Rangoli

A square-shaped bowl of deep green poblano soup from Alebrije in Wyomissing

Poblano Soup – Alebrije (State Hill Road)

One of our first reviews of the year provided one of my favorite appetizers. In January, I had my first taste of Alebrije’s poblano soup. It was one of the best soups I have tried on Berks County Eats. It was creamy; it was flavorful (but not spicy); it was just exactly what I was hoping for. Review: Alebrije Wyomissing

An aluminum foil pan with two rollatini (pepperoni rolls) and two cups of tomato sauce from Tony's al Taglio in West Reading, PA

Rollatini – Tony’s al Taglio

There is a lot to love about Tony’s al Taglio. Their unique pizza is a must-try, but it was the rollatini that earned a place on this list. Looking like pinwheels of meat and cheese, the rollatini were filled with prosciutto and crescenza strachino cheese, topped with a pistachio pesto. The sweet, salty, nutty food earned a place on my favorite appetizers list. Review: Tony’s al Taglio

square plate with thick-cut fries topped with shaved cheese and scallions

Duck Fat Fries – Beer Wall on Penn

Duck fat fries are my weakness. I love the rich flavors that come from frying in duck fat instead of oil, and Beer Wall on Penn’s did not disappoint. The addition of scallions and shaved Parmesan cheese took the fries to another level. Review: Beer Wall on Penn