Most Memorable Dining Experience
Jul 1st, 2004, 04:44 PM
#21
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Since this is anywhere in the world...I would have to say that... after we spent an entire day getting to St. Barts we showered, changed and arrived at Franscois Plantation for dinner. The smells alone were unbelievable. The setting was just beautiful. Our dinner was sublime.
We have eaten at wonderful restaurants the world over but this is my "standout".
We have eaten at wonderful restaurants the world over but this is my "standout".
Jul 1st, 2004, 05:03 PM
#22
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Dinner with my then boyfriend/now husband at Taillevent in Paris. Absolutely amazing and perfect. We still talk about it regularly.
Lunch with my mom at Jules Verne in Paris. She was so overwhelmed, it was our first day in Paris and it was so fantastic to share that childlike wonder with my mom. She has since passed away so it will always be one of the nicest meals with my mom before she became sick.
Capo- I'm sorry to hear that you are not in love with her anymore (if it is the woman I met at our Seattle Indian food lunch a few years back)
Lunch with my mom at Jules Verne in Paris. She was so overwhelmed, it was our first day in Paris and it was so fantastic to share that childlike wonder with my mom. She has since passed away so it will always be one of the nicest meals with my mom before she became sick.
Capo- I'm sorry to hear that you are not in love with her anymore (if it is the woman I met at our Seattle Indian food lunch a few years back)
Aug 30th, 2004, 02:52 PM
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There are four that immediately come to mind:
Xenia Palace hotel, Nafplion, Greece (on the terrace overlooking the bay)
John Ash, Sonoma County
Scarlet Begonia, Portland, OR -now closed
(Beachbum & Carmen- funny so many of us responding to this thread are from Portland. This is definitely an eater's city!)
The Ivy, London
All: gorgeous food, service, and ambiance. Absolute perfection!
Xenia Palace hotel, Nafplion, Greece (on the terrace overlooking the bay)
John Ash, Sonoma County
Scarlet Begonia, Portland, OR -now closed
(Beachbum & Carmen- funny so many of us responding to this thread are from Portland. This is definitely an eater's city!)
The Ivy, London
All: gorgeous food, service, and ambiance. Absolute perfection!
Aug 30th, 2004, 02:57 PM
#26
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I'd have to say the funniest dining experience we ever had occured in Vernazza (Cinque Terre, Italy). The town has stray cats galore, and we chose to sit outside at one of the tables lining the town square. My husband ordered a pasta dish with fresh anchioves. He excused himself during dinner to go to the men's room and lo and behold, a stray cat leaped onto our table and buried its nose in his anchioves! The waiter replaced his dinner 
Too bad he didn't allow the cat to finish "his dinner"!!
Too bad he didn't allow the cat to finish "his dinner"!!
Aug 30th, 2004, 04:27 PM
#27
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Hi pandaschu. Portland definitely is a great town for eaters! (I must have missed out on Scarlet Begonia.) But speaking of Scarlett, she's visiting Portland in September some time. I hope she has many memorable meals here too!
Aug 31st, 2004, 05:03 AM
#28
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La Maison in the Mas de Bournissac near Noves/St. Remy in Provence. The outdoor dinner we had there several years ago has become a standard for all meals we have while traveling.
"Inside" restaurant in New York City for a reasonably-priced, excellent meal. It is located at 9 Jones Street in Greenwich Village. It is owned by the former chef of Arcadia. Decor is simple, service is great; food distinctive; price, for Manhattan reasonable. Mention Anthony and Carole.
"Inside" restaurant in New York City for a reasonably-priced, excellent meal. It is located at 9 Jones Street in Greenwich Village. It is owned by the former chef of Arcadia. Decor is simple, service is great; food distinctive; price, for Manhattan reasonable. Mention Anthony and Carole.
Aug 31st, 2004, 06:45 AM
#29
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It's hard to narrow it down, but one night in Paris comes to mind. My wife's boss had lived in "the city of light" for a while many years earlier, and wanted to show off his favorite place. It was my first time in Paris, and I was eager for experience.
It was over on the east side of town (I don't remember the arrondisement), and it was called a "brasserie"...but it was far more upscale than what you'd expect from that term. It was very crowded, but we didn't have to wait too long for our table.
I enjoyed the best cassoulet ever prepared by human hands, and we shared a couple bottles of a spectacular burgundy. I think Ms. Go had the duck (or was it veal?). Intensely delicious profiteroles were the dessert, <i>mais bien sur</i>.
Anyway, we talked about Paris all night, and my wife's boss insisted on picking up the sizeable check afterward. That was nice.
It was over on the east side of town (I don't remember the arrondisement), and it was called a "brasserie"...but it was far more upscale than what you'd expect from that term. It was very crowded, but we didn't have to wait too long for our table.
I enjoyed the best cassoulet ever prepared by human hands, and we shared a couple bottles of a spectacular burgundy. I think Ms. Go had the duck (or was it veal?). Intensely delicious profiteroles were the dessert, <i>mais bien sur</i>.
Anyway, we talked about Paris all night, and my wife's boss insisted on picking up the sizeable check afterward. That was nice.
Aug 31st, 2004, 07:06 AM
#31
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I have two:
A tiny little beachfront restaurant near Huatulco, Mexico at sunset with a few sailboats in the bay behind us. It was at that moment in 1999 that I knew I'd marry my now wife.
Taillevent in Paris on both occassions we've dined there. Just the perfect combination of food, ambiance, and service. Three hours of pure indulgence.
A tiny little beachfront restaurant near Huatulco, Mexico at sunset with a few sailboats in the bay behind us. It was at that moment in 1999 that I knew I'd marry my now wife.
Taillevent in Paris on both occassions we've dined there. Just the perfect combination of food, ambiance, and service. Three hours of pure indulgence.
Aug 31st, 2004, 07:11 AM
#32
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A seafood feast at the Marco Polo Guest House, Zadar, Croatia .... twas end of the tourist season, Madame was about to close for the winter .... she had just arrived home with a haul of mussels, oysters, fish, octopus, and prawns, fresh from the boats .... was supposed to be for her own family, but since we were the only ones in house she treated us to this mouth watering feast with chilled local white wine !
Memorable not only for the fresh seafood but also for the hosts generosity.
The other wonderful dining experience we had while on holiday in Croatia (a holiday dominated by one mediocre meal after another)was on the island of Vis , in the village of Komiza .... to the west of the village along the beach is Jastozera Tavern, formerly a lobster storage warehouse, now a unique seafood restaurant perched out over the ocean ... on a late summers evening, was a wonderfully romantic setting, and the food DELICIOUS !
Memorable not only for the fresh seafood but also for the hosts generosity.
The other wonderful dining experience we had while on holiday in Croatia (a holiday dominated by one mediocre meal after another)was on the island of Vis , in the village of Komiza .... to the west of the village along the beach is Jastozera Tavern, formerly a lobster storage warehouse, now a unique seafood restaurant perched out over the ocean ... on a late summers evening, was a wonderfully romantic setting, and the food DELICIOUS !
Aug 31st, 2004, 07:41 AM
#34
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I have had more than one flawless meal at "The Bridgewater Mill" in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. If anyone is in the area then please go for lunch, I promise you wont regret it ...
Aug 31st, 2004, 07:42 AM
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The comment on Chanterelle made me think about an expanded answer to memorable.
While my previous two certainly qualify as my favorite, the night one of my firm's clients, an EXTREMELY obnoxious Frenchmen from Credit Lyonnais in Paris, got into an arguement with the Maitre'D at Chanterelle over the size of the bubbles in the expensive champagne he ordered (without asking us first) then proceeded to yell "SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN" at the then Chairman of Mobil Oil as he was presenting the owner of the restaurant with his award. (4 or 5 star, can't remember.) The truely absurd part was having another of my firm's clients translate the aguement between the obnoxious Frenchmen and the Maitre'D from French to English. "He just said the food is not fit for pigs." "The Maitre'D told him that isn't true because he is most certainly a pig." The next morning, my firm's CEO called my colleague into his office to ask why he received a call from Chanterelle that morning banning our firm from their establishment.
While my previous two certainly qualify as my favorite, the night one of my firm's clients, an EXTREMELY obnoxious Frenchmen from Credit Lyonnais in Paris, got into an arguement with the Maitre'D at Chanterelle over the size of the bubbles in the expensive champagne he ordered (without asking us first) then proceeded to yell "SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN" at the then Chairman of Mobil Oil as he was presenting the owner of the restaurant with his award. (4 or 5 star, can't remember.) The truely absurd part was having another of my firm's clients translate the aguement between the obnoxious Frenchmen and the Maitre'D from French to English. "He just said the food is not fit for pigs." "The Maitre'D told him that isn't true because he is most certainly a pig." The next morning, my firm's CEO called my colleague into his office to ask why he received a call from Chanterelle that morning banning our firm from their establishment.
Aug 31st, 2004, 08:29 AM
#37
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An Italian farmhouse 'slow dinner' at the Malverena just outside Assisi. It was a cool rainy April night at this isolated farm in the Umbrian hills. It was just us, another American couple and two Italian couples, in the large, oak beamed stone dining hall. We sat close to the fireplace where much of the cooking was done, and many bottles of local red wine were on the long farmhouse table. The delicous 9 course meal went on long into the night, and the conversation and wine flowed freely. Much more fun than any Michelin 4* 'haute cusine' eatery!
Aug 31st, 2004, 09:02 AM
#38
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A)Lutece in New York in the old days. Grand but not pretentious.
B)Le Bernadin in New York, anytime. How can such a famous and formal restaurant seem so relaxed and welcoming?
C)Le Chanticleer at the Negresco Hotel in Nice.
D)Arkle in Chester, England. I have no idea why, it was just special.
E)A tiny nameless French place near Malaga, Spain where six of us showed up for lunch one day, to find out it was closed -- despite what an article in a recent travel magazine had said. The owners invited us into their dining room (they lived upstairs) and proceeded to prepare dinner for the next three hours. It was incredible. They pouted because we wanted only four Grand Marnier souffles to share, but obeyed us. The four each came out in an iron "skillet" about 10 inches across, with souffle peaking about 6 inches high!
F) Eating under the stars on a terrace at Villa Athena in Agrigento facing the amber lit temples, the full moon rising behind them. I forget the food, who cares?
G) A house/restaurant in Konya, Turkey where we wandered in. No one spoke a word of English and there was no menu. We somehow ordered, feasted, laughed, and felt totally welcome.
H) A "tempura house" on the outskirts of Toyko, which mirrored the experience above.
I) Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner at my house for family and "displaced" friends.
B)Le Bernadin in New York, anytime. How can such a famous and formal restaurant seem so relaxed and welcoming?
C)Le Chanticleer at the Negresco Hotel in Nice.
D)Arkle in Chester, England. I have no idea why, it was just special.
E)A tiny nameless French place near Malaga, Spain where six of us showed up for lunch one day, to find out it was closed -- despite what an article in a recent travel magazine had said. The owners invited us into their dining room (they lived upstairs) and proceeded to prepare dinner for the next three hours. It was incredible. They pouted because we wanted only four Grand Marnier souffles to share, but obeyed us. The four each came out in an iron "skillet" about 10 inches across, with souffle peaking about 6 inches high!
F) Eating under the stars on a terrace at Villa Athena in Agrigento facing the amber lit temples, the full moon rising behind them. I forget the food, who cares?
G) A house/restaurant in Konya, Turkey where we wandered in. No one spoke a word of English and there was no menu. We somehow ordered, feasted, laughed, and felt totally welcome.
H) A "tempura house" on the outskirts of Toyko, which mirrored the experience above.
I) Hosting Thanksgiving Dinner at my house for family and "displaced" friends.
Aug 31st, 2004, 01:06 PM
#39
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The "Crazy Cow" steakhouse in Prague. The combination of the best steak I have ever had in my whole life, and the company of somebody I had a massive crush on, was a heady one indeed
It was a seriously good steak, though, and only a few pounds for the whole meal including wine. The same crowd of us are travelling to Krakow via Prague in a couple of months' time, and we are going back to Prague a day early specifically so that we can have dinner there again!
It was a seriously good steak, though, and only a few pounds for the whole meal including wine. The same crowd of us are travelling to Krakow via Prague in a couple of months' time, and we are going back to Prague a day early specifically so that we can have dinner there again!
