Most unforgetable meals
 

Throughout my life I have traveled and dined or just eaten some very good food. some of those meals I will never forget and wouldn't have thought they would have made such an impression on me. Some examples are;
A tomato salad at Chez Panisse in Berkeley about 20 years ago. Buckets of clams at a roadside stand north of Marblehead, Ma, a pork chop at the Blue Moon Cafe?? on the River Walk in New Orleans, Fan Tailed shrimp and Linguini at Scomas in SF,CA, Hobenero salsa on a back street seafood stand in Cancun, Mexico, hot chocolat in Grindalvald, Swiss. What are some of your most immpressionable food memories during your life of travel? thereyet

The French Laundry, Yountville, California; Angle De Faubourg, Paris.

McDonalds in Port Charlotte - the stomach cramps and diarrhea make the meal unforgettable as much as I would like to

The French Laundry would be a dream to visit. I have heard about there 15 course menu but have not got the nerve to go. Something about the cost scares me away. theeyet

robjame, I only find myself at mcD's on bad days so no surprise there. thereyet

For good experiences:
Dinner at Jules Verne on the Eiffel Tower on our first full day in Paris - not so much for the food but for the situation. Amazing.

For food - L'atelier de Jean-Luc Rabanel, in the center of Arles. This tapas type serving od multi courses was sublime in every way.

Here's a short list from a very long one: Chez Panisse (over French Laundry); a large bowl of moules mariniere & frites with local cider, outside on a bluff in Brittany; soft mushroom pate from a vendor in the market of Florence (alla boscaiola); a clam roll on Bradford Street in Provincetown, MA; arugula salad with parmesan and corn at Tra Vigne in St. Helena, CA; oysters at Duarte's in Pescadero, CA.

OH! I almost forgot... the cheese course at La Bastide de Moustiers in Moustiers-St.-Marie, France!

ExpertTripPlanner, Tra Vigne, I had this huge seafood ravioli once that will not be forgotten. thereyet

Yeah - Tra Vigne was great when it first opened, in the late '80s. I'm afraid it's now a bit of a "scene," with the store and the olive oil and everything...

My most unforgetable meals were in Paris. No, not the quality of the food, but the surroundings and the events.

First, an Italian restaurant at the corner of Boulevard Raspail and Boulevard Montparnasse.

We were eating when one of the regular customers came in for his evening snack.
He walked to the end of the bar, took a seat on the floor, and waited patiently until the man in charge dropped some meat in his mouth. No barking, no whining.

After dining, at least two gulps, he left as quietly as he came.

Second, a small restaurant on a side street near the same intersection. The food was ordinary, but payment was not.
When we were ready to leave, I handed the waiter my credit card.

He returned a few minutes later in a highly agitated state, making noises like an overheated tea kettle. He was waving his arms and saying "No good."

I began fumbling for my back-up credit card when my wife decided to go to the ATM down the street for euro notes.

The waiter did not understand anything she said and, when she took a step, he really did become agitated.

By this time I was digging through my passport case in search of the elusive second credit card. Fortunately, I had a few traveler's checks in the top compartment which I laid on the table.

This action calmed him down long enough for me to locate the second card.

In a few minutes, the waiter returned all smiles. Tempest over. We could leave without the danger of an explosion.

Bob, Now if you were a dog in the second restraunt the waiters expectation that you would be better prepared would not have been that great. Seriously though, have these people been ripped off so many times that a scene must be made when an incident such as you describe occurs? This is not the first time I have heard stories like that. thereyet

Restaurant at CN Tower in Toronto. Best sirloin steak I had.

The French Laundry, mainly because it was mostly pretentious B.S. I've ever encountered. Every course would start off with "This is Thomas' interpretation of". Don't forget to eat before you go, or you will certainly leave hungry. It's totally off any list of recommendations I'd give.

A good meal at Terra in St. Helena is always unforgetable. Hiro Sone and his wife are amazing. They recently opened a new restaurant in the City, called Ame, which I can't wait to go to.

When Philippe Jeanty was chef at Domaine Chandon, it was wonderful. Nothing like a 4 hour lunch of heaven. His Bistro in Yountville is also excellent.

Best meals and atmosphere and all around great:

Le Louis XV: Monaco
Le Manoir Aux Quai Saisons: Great Milton, England
Jules Verne: Paris
Le Violin: Paris
Guy Savoy: Paris
Selene: Santorini
Charlie Trotters: Chicago
Maestro: Tysons Corner, VA ( where I live!)
Gordon Ramseys: Claridges, London
Linquin roast duck; Beijing: Not for its atmoshpere necessarily, but the whole experience was surreal: see my report on the Asia board
Green Tea House: Beijing: One of the hippest ( till it hurts) restaurants I've ever been too and the food is great too
Not a meal, but one of the coolest experiences for a drink:On top of the Sky Bar in the State Tower in Bangkok: like being in a movie

I can on and on, but these are but a few of the many many many food experiences that we will remember until we ... well you know....

Tripgirl, if you have a chance would you mind posting the link for your report on LiQuin in Beijing? I tried to find it, but...

Here are a few European places that come to my mind at the moment; they are just a handful of what have been so many outstanding meals....

Cal Pep in Barcelona
Lunch on the terrace at El Yantar in Pedraza de la Sierra (Spain)
Lunch at "Tinin" in Sepulveda, (Spain)
Da Cesari in Bologna
Chez Denise in Paris
Osteria alla Botte in Venice
Spaghetti with sea urchin at Don Camillo in Siracusa
Jamon Iberico at the bar at Paco Gongora, Seville


And many, many meals in Rome including a recent lunch at Armando al Pantheon




Interestingly, with the possible exception of Don Camillo, none of these is an elegant or very expensive restaurant.

1. blue crab feast in annapolis, MD
2. Swordfish in lagos
3. wild boar in florence

ek,

Here is the link:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads..._name=tripgirl

Trip girl the link did not work...sorry to be a pain, I am bound that way soon and would love to read your thoughts...

so sorry,

It's entitled: Wake up and Smell the Service. See if you can't search that on the Asia board.

Let me know

Tripgirl, I found it and brought it up to read later...how did I manage to miss what looks like a wonderful tale?? I am leaving tomorrow so will be sure to read it carefully tonight once I finish packing!!

SO-O-o-o long ago in St Tropez, my first sea urchins,
Tellines in the Camargue,
Écrevisses, two inches long in Fountaine de Vacluse,
Cavaillion Melon with Beaume de Venise poured over it .
The baby eels of Spain. They look like spagetti and cooked in olive oil and garlic.

EK, I am going to Barcelona this summer and will put Cal Pep on the list. Also going to London and the Basque region for first time. I can't wait. It has been a couple of decades since I have been back to Europe as my wife has been reluctant. I guess I finally wore her down. thereyet

Tripgirl, can you tell me a little more about Gordon Ramsey's. I have also been to Charlie Trotter's, where I grew up, a friend of my wifes guest chefed there. Very nice list. More specifically what food or taste will you never forget? thereyet

Thereyet...how could I have left out La Cuchara de San Telmo in San Sebastian? The Basque country in both France and Spain takes eating to a whole new level!

As for Cal Pep..there can never be enough superlatives to describe my meals there. Let's just say we went over and over again during a week in Barcelona a few years back...

And over the French border, how could I have forgotten the roast chicken and potatoes from the vendor at the Sunday St. Cyprien market in the Dordogne? Or the long multi-course, duck-saturated afternoon repast at the walnut oil mill outside Martel....???

I could go on and on..not to mention the other parts of the world.........

Food tastes, hmmmm..

I love all food so for me it all blends together, I usually rave about everything in a great place.

today, my brain is not functioning as well ( just getting over a horrific cold), but I will tell you that that roast duck in Beijing, ooooohhhh, I can still taste it!!!

And the desserts at La Manoir.....oooohh......

Gordon Ramseys was all terrific, but I do remember my lamb dish... sublime... I loved the setting and the serve was perfect!

And yes, believe it or not besides the courses, what I still enjoy from Le Louis XV was the bread table... yes it was a large cart brought over with about a zillion different breads to choose from, not just some sloppy bread basket on the table and I loved the little dishes for each type of butter... salted or unsalted and all molded into a beautiful creations.

But the best was actually that DH got up everytime I left the table to go to the ladies room... he was a perfect gentleman!

ek,

so glad you found it, have a wonderful trip; you will love Asia, fantastic part of the world....

Happy travels ( and eating!!!!) Try EVERYTHING ( but do be careful of street vendors, choose, but choose wisely, I opted out of it, but it did look good, wanted to take extra care not to fall ill, but probably now in retrospect a little too cautious on my part!)

Rastaguy,
Don't know who was chef when I went to Domaine Chandon, but I also had a leisurely lunch there with my Mom in the 80's. Just remember wonderful sweetbreads and wishing we didn't have to drive back to SF after drinking all that champagne (along with the wine at the vineyards we visited before lunch.) :-)

Paella at a little restaurant (no clue what the name was) in a little town called Sitges, just outside of Barcelona. But...it was 30 yrs ago.

ekscrunchy and thereyet.

I will be going to Arzak in San Sebastian in May. Totally looking forward to that meal. Great Basque food is always my favorite!

Entrecot au sauce poivre at 'La Boucherie', I think the place was called, in Villeneuve les Avignon, right across the way from the Mairie.

Something I whipped up myself in Santorini for my wife and I. From supplies at the local grocer I concocted "Penne al Santorini". Served at sunset overlooking the caldera, washed down with a good bottle of red.

Rastaguytoday, just checked out the web for Arzak. Wow. I don't think I will be able to talk my wife into that one but it sounds cutting edge fantastic! I'm guessing it is a long range reservation needed to dine there. Anyway, from what I am gathering it will be Pinxtos heaven in San Sebastian. thereyet

So much delicious food, so little time!

My most memorable meal for the food and atmosphere was probably at Citronelle in Washington DC: Potatoes cut like railroad ties,fried in clarified butter, paper thin fried potato discs stacked between truffled mashed potatoes in a tower 6 inches high, both served with butter tender chateaubriand preceded by escargot atop tarragon/cream infused tiny pearl pasta, followed by chocolate/hazelnut heaven.

A close second was at Guy Savoy in Paris. The foie gras with apricot french toast was outrageous. Although the huge slab of foie gras on top of the creamiest mashed potatoes ever (only 20 euro!) at Le Hanger in Paris was a fantastic meal, made memorable by sharing it, along with duck shepard pie, beef stroganoff, and a number of great appetizers with my 2 daughters.

Other amazing meals were at Daniel's in NYC and Jean George aso in NYC. I also remember some fantastic street food on the west coast of Mexico (yes I was young and brave then!)and fresh caught boiled in sea water lobster at a small shack on the coast of northern Maine.

a small locally recommended tratoria in seina italy. first courdse of the wide loccal noodles with a hare sauce and a main meal of roast rabbit with greens asn oven brown potatoes. much more had eaten there 2x best meals we ever had

Reminded me of an old thread... http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...amp;tid=105286

Just back from Morrocco, and the sheeps head and brains with cuscus. UGH

blightyboy, brains are a bit too grainy for my taste. thereyet

Moving to Latin America, the provoleta grilled cheese and the steak at Cabana de la Lilas in Buenos Aires is another of my all-time great food memories. Also the fried chicken at the bus stop in Guatemala's Cuatro Caminos junction.....I can go on andd on.. And the best part is that there is always another amazing meal waiting to be discovered...