The rising cost of eating, medium-rare pork, nutrition guidelines and foodborne illness top the list of hot stories

Every December, the Hunter PR firm announces the results of a nationwide survey for the top 10 food news stories of the year. The list says as much about the media that writes the headlines as it does about the people who remember them.

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Courtesy of Masa

A foodie’s pilgrimage to Prune and Masa

There’s a lot you can cram into two days in New York City. Over one weekend this fall, my friend Mike and I visited the Museum of Modern Art, took pictures at the Empire State Building and listened to Chick Corea at the Blue Note with Gary Burton and the Harlem String Quartet. But we came for the food.

No contest—my choice for No. 1 meal in 2011 is Masa’s omakase in New York City, and Prune is certainly in the top 10 (see Have Fork, Will Travel). But I’ve eaten some amazing food here at home this year. The dishes that follow, available on regular menus or as specials, stand out as top notch. I have a hard time distinguishing between them for quality and sheer enjoyment, so in no particular order: