(Photo: Courtesy of Pamplona)

WD-50’s Eggs Benedict
Wylie Dufresne, the man who invented fried mayonnaise, has had another astonishing kitchen-lab breakthrough: fried nuggets of hollandaise served with an almost fudgy tube of egg yolk, available on the $125, nine-course tasting menu. 50 Clinton St., nr. Rivington St.; 212-477-2900.

Café Gray’s Foie Gras Meat Loaf
Unlike Mom, Gray Kunz makes meat loaf from hand-chopped veal and house-cured foie gras. It’s shaped into miniature loaves, glazed with kecap manis, plunked down in a shallow pool of foie gras emulsion, and, instead of bacon, topped with a nice slice of seared foie. Available at lunch for $26, or as part of a $38 two-course prix fixe. 10 Columbus Circle, at 59th St.; 212-823-6338.

Insieme’s Lesso Misto
Perhaps this excellent $32 dish isn’t indulgent enough for a list of this type, since all the toothsome meats—beef cheek, organic chicken thigh, house-made cotechino, and veal tongue—are boiled. Consider it haute Italian spa food. 777 Seventh Ave., at 51st St.; 212-582-1310.

Pamplona’s Hamburguesa
Alex Ureña gets in on the custom-blend burger trend with this substantial specimen (pictured) fashioned from beef, suckling pig, and chorizo; $18. 37 E. 28th St., nr. Park Ave. S.; 212-213-2328.

Gottino’s Pieducci e Castagne
What an odd but inspired idea for a wine-bar snack: A little $8 cup of buttery bread stuffing flavored with pig’s-feet meat and mingled with chestnuts. 52 Greenwich Ave., nr. Perry St.; 212-633-2590.

Eleven Madison Park’s Pizzetta
Invigorated by a recent trip to Piedmont, Daniel Humm returned home with this brainstorm: a miniature pizza topped with shaved white truffle, mascarpone, and quail eggs; $125 at the bar. 11 Madison Ave., at 24th St.; 212-889-0905.

Related:

• Archive: “Food Features”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: Dec 24, 2007 issue of New York | Subscribe!