The New York strip from Lafayette Tavern (Photo by Dillon Burke courtesy Lafayette Tavern)
1. New York Strip
$58 at Lafayette Tavern
This cowboy cut of grass-fed, corn-finished American beef was raised by Creekstone Farms and is also halal. It arrives at the table sliced and accompanied by a clove of oven-roasted garlic cleaved open to reveal juicy buds of spreadable pungency. Pair with a Caesar salad for date night G.O. (garlic overload). Feeling generous? Order the rib-eye instead and let your partner be the one to nibble the bone.
Julio’s Bagels (Photo by Jay Paul)
2. Everything Bagel
$2.50 at Julio’s Bagels
There are many ways to devour the soft, kettle-boiled everything bagels at this quaint Brookland Park Boulevard counter shop. Two favorites stand out: One boasts a hearty schmear of housemade herby cream cheese, spiked with dill; the other assumes the more heightened form of a pizza bagel, whose aroma blooms in the air like garlic chives waving in warm spring grass.
3. Penne Karl
$21 at Edo’s Squid
The triumphant triumvirate of mushrooms, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil allows simplicity and high-quality ingredients to shine. Buttery olive oil and unblemished — fresh, never jarred — garlic are sauteed with button mushrooms and applied in quantities that render a cross unnecessary during an interview with a vampire. This pasta dish reigns supreme among the many vegan options on Edo’s seafood-dominated Italian menu.
4. Garlic-Parmesan Wings
$6.99/5 at Die by Fry
Dirty South wing snobs should seek their garlic-Parmesan chicken wings at this eye-catching, buzzy foodery in North Side. Tossed in an unctuous, creamy, savory Parmesan pool electrified with garlic, they’re reminiscent of wings made famous in Atlanta — wet lemon pepper wings, which are also on the menu.
5. Croquetas de Bacalao
$7.95 tapa /$14.99 plate at Importante Bodega Bar
A one-two punch of garlic-softened salt-cod flakes, folded into a silky bechamel with a cheesy pull, crackles through a crisp breadcrumb shell. This rich, classic nibble in both Spain and Portugal looks like fried buds or nuggets on the plate and nods to garlic’s nickname “the stinking rose.”
