Communal Yet Customized

Sometimes dishes that are portioned for sharing leave little wiggle room for customization. That’s far from the case at Goodnight’s in Healdsburg, Calif. The steakhouse’s signature dish is a 42-oz. Tomahawk that’s dry-aged for 28 days and served with a French-trimmed 5-in. rib bone for dramatic effect. “It never fails to wow the guests,” says David Lawrence, executive chef.

Beyond its eye-catching presentation, Lawrence credits much of the Tomahawk’s success to its personalization, noting that it allows guests “to feel that they are participating in customizing their meal to their personal taste and idiosyncrasies through our variety of carefully crafted salts and sauces,” he says. “What makes the Tomahawk such a hit is its generous portion size, which encourages sharing while still affording guests the opportunity to curate their own distinct dining experience.” Sauces run from the traditional Bordelaise and Béarnaise to an Armagnac-green peppercorn sauce and chimichurri. Flavored salts include truffle, smoked, pink Himalayan and black Hawaiian sea salt.

This roundup features entries and insights from the 2024 edition of Best of Flavor. Check out all 100 reader-submitted menu inspirations here.