Topper

Topper is hungry.

elizabeth

This is like trying to choose which child you love the most! <BR> <BR>I narrowed it down to 10: <BR> <BR>In the early 80's we set out to eat at all the 3 stars in France (it was the 80s after all!). At that time they were still (relatively) undiscovered and dinners could be had in the $100-$150 CDN range and the owners were all in attendance. <BR> <BR>Our first stop (looking like absolute greenhorns) was La Mere Blanc. We oohed and aahed louder after each course and at the end of our meal Georges Blanc took us on a tour of his kitchen, and proudly displayed his new microwave oven! (He maintained that microwaves had a role in play in fine cuisine!) <BR> <BR>Next was Troisgros in Roanne. As one of my courses I ordered lobster which was flamed at the table with calvados. After I finished I excused myself to go to the ladies room and came back to find a minor catastrophe at the table. Apparently they serve the course in two stages - one half of the lobster first, then they flame the second half. When they arrived to flame the second part of my lobster and I was gone - the captain gave the waiters holy hell and they started all over again with a new lobster! At the end of the meal we decided to stay another night. The second night we ended up in the bar with Pierre Troisgros, taste testing Armagnacs. (in a blind tasting I chose the most expensive - he winked and said that women always do!) (BTW - 2 years later when we went back they asked us if we would like the same table - early data base marketing!) <BR> <BR>Onto Pic. Sigh. Pigeon, a "lasagna" of fish, foie, and a tour of the kitchen with M. Pic and a lovely gift of a bottle of wine from his cellar (we sent him a tin of maple syrup from Canada when we arrived home - who knows, maybe it ended up in a dish?) <BR> <BR>Bocuse and Moulin des Mougins - totally forgettable (sorry to the previous poster) - tourist machines. <BR> <BR>L'Oasis was wonderful. Outhier was rewiring a lamp and before he electrocuted himself my husband (he's extremely handy) stepped in (after all we hadn't eaten yet and we wanted to ensure he could cook!) <BR> <BR>After all these wonderful experiences (in one trip) we finished at Freddie Giradet's in Crissier. Although not rated by Michelin it was regarded as one of the finest restaurants in the world. We had the most amazing meal I have ever had - foie, fish, sweetbreads, I could describe every dish in minute detail 16 years later. With a bottle of Swiss wine it was $105 (Canadian!). (Two years later we went back for lunch and it was $400!) <BR> <BR>For our next trip we decided to avoid 3 stars (at that time the Canadian dollar was REALLY weak) and try other restaurants. Ravi Provencau is just outside of Les Baux. Jean-Francois was a lawyer in Paris who hated law and just wanted to cook. His father in law owned the restaurant so he quit his practice and started experimenting in the kitchen. We arrived late for lunch, so he simply pulled out all the leftovers and sat and ate with us (complete with cats all over the table). The highlight was a ham he had just smoked in the chimney over a whole rosemary bush - he apologized because he usually served it cold but it had just come out of the oven - I still dream about that ham. <BR> <BR>That's six - are you still reading? <BR> <BR>Galeries des Arcade in Biot (5 km north of Cap D'Antibes) is a wonderful restaurant/hotel/bar. No menu, 2 choices, house wine and the most amazing welcome (and an art gallery downstairs with original Vasarelys - after one lunch we almost spent a fortune (see: house wine, above) but sanity prevailed. <BR>(Subsequently we have stayed at the hotel a number of times - the room at the top has a great balcony overlooking the Med and Thursday is Ravioli day - don't miss it!) <BR> <BR>After a few more visits we discovered Gites (actually their bed and breakfast counterparts - Chambres d'Hotels). We were driving to our Gite outside of Pau, hopelessly lost and it was getting dark. We stopped at a 'Tabac' to ask directions - they gave us great directions and we found our lovely accommodation. M. Labat had kindly made a reservation for us for dinner and insisted on driving us to the restaurant (he said it was hard to find) and would pick us up later (don't get me started on how wonderful he was!) Low and behold, he takes us back to the Tabac! Which is actually Chez Josee. What a meal - we were the only people there, basically in their living room - started with rouladen and the main course was the most amazing confit. A bottle of red was dropped on the table and at the end of the meal we were presented with a check for $22.00 (Canadian). The next day we asked M. Labat to make reservations for us again for that night. He came back to our room to tell us that Mme Josee was so excited we were coming back she was making a "special" meal. Much to our chagrin the "special" meal was steak - something not so special for North Americans - but she did have some leftover confit which we took home with us! <BR> <BR>We do, on occasion, holiday somewhere other than France (although it's hard to do!) <BR> <BR>This year we went to Puglia in Southern Italy and had two (of many) remarkable meals. <BR> <BR>A Michelin One Star in a town just north of Bari (Barletta)called Antica Cucina doesn't see too many tourists, let alone North Americans. They had a simple solution to the language barrier - take us into the kitchen, drag everything onto the counters and between Italian, French, English, sign language and charades constructed an amazing seafood meal. At the end of lunch when we asked for the bill we braced ourselves - the menu had a fixed price lunch for 35,000 lire but we had easily had twice as much food as was listed on it. The bill came - 35,000 lire each and one bottle of wine (that was complete fiction!). Throughout lunch 'regulars' kept coming up and introducing themselves - happy to see tourists at "their" restaurant! <BR> <BR>And finally (yes this has an ending, patient reader) Al Fornello da Ricci, near Alberbello. A Michelin one star specializing in Puglian cuisine. We stopped by there on a Sunday - they were jammed! We explained (in fractured Italian/French/English/sign language) that we didn't want to stay that day, we would come tomorrow, but could we have a menu to look at. Back to the Agriturismo we went with the 10 page menu which my husband spent 2 hours painstakingly translating with the help of an excellent Italian menu book we had. We were ready for lunch. On Monday we turned up at 1:00pm - all ready to order. We were the only people in the dining room (and it would remain that way) and the captain quickly ran into the kitchen to get someone who spoke English. Nigel, the Malaysian Second course (grill) chef (a whole story in itself) arrived at our table, gently took the menu away and proceeded to order for us. Unbelievable! First, we had enough food for an army (yes, we asked for doggie bags) and again, at the end we steeled ourselves for the bill. Once again, it was for 2 'menus' which in no way approximated the amount of food we ate (or took home). Nigel asked us back to his house which unfortunately didn't work out - but we'll be back! <BR> <BR>Oh, I've missed so many - all my children are beautiful! <BR> <BR>

D. Spiegel

Most memorable would be the nut ravioli at Da Baicin in Santa Margherita Ligure on the Italian Riviera. I wanted to lick the plate. The second would be a bowl of steamed mussels in a small non-descript cafe in the south of Belgium in 1996. I dreamed about those mussels for months. Have not have equal since.

D. Spiegel

Sorry. I meant to say the ravioli with nut sauce.

Kavey

Elizabeth - you are my god. <BR> <BR>i am not worthy... <BR> <BR> <BR>Kavey

Al

Elizabeth, you are a gifted writer. Here I am, sitting at my computer after a cup-of-yogurt-diet-lunch, and you are making me drool into my keyboard. PLEASE keep contributing! Your descriptions make marvelous reading. By the way, have you ever been to Belgium? I understand their cuisine is top-notch.

Caryn

My most memorable meals do not involve expensive restaurants. Here is what sticks out in my mind the most: <BR> <BR>1) On my very 1st trip to England with my parents at age 14. We were on the river cruise between Warwick Castle and someplace. I remember eating that Shepherd's Pie and the tourguide telling us that the English call this plastic food. (Something like airline food). <BR>2) A chicken pot pie on the same trip at Fortnum & Mason. <BR>3) On my 1st backpacking trip my friend & I were befriended by 2 non-English speaking Italian guys at a piazza in Genoa. Somehow we communicated that we were hungry and they took us god knows where and I had the best pasta I ever had in my life. <BR>4) A little later on the same night these two guys introduced us to our first Gelato! Yummy! <BR>5) On the same trip, 5 weeks later, we were just so hungry for something HOT. We bought a rotisserie chicken in Amsterdam, sat on a bench, and devoured that chicken so fast leaving only a carcass behind. <BR>6) On the same trip at the home of a family friend in Southern Germany, being served some sort of wurst, that meat that looks like American raw bacon, and that really heavy dark bread for breakfast. While some might love this food, it just didn't appeal to me and my bowl of cereal or bagel and cream cheese for breakfast taste. Actually, while I am not a picky eater in general, I am very picky for breakfast and have trouble eating this meal anytime I leave the NY metropolitan area. <BR>7)Eating Indian food for dinner 5 times in a week on my most recent trip to London.

Donna

It's back, almost a year later! The most memorable meals in Europe! The thought of great food just doesn't get boring. <BR> <BR>Here's another meal we remember fondly: the restaurant was the Wild Geese in Adare Village, Ireland. 6 small tables in all, upstairs room, specialties of the chef. One must make a reservation, and plan to arrive a few minutes early to sit in the parlor and enjoy a before dinner drink. Cozy, peat fire burning, delightful, we've been back three times now. Can't remember the menu of any of the three meals, but LOVED it, relaxed as it softly rained outside, felt at home. <BR> <BR>Thanks for bringing this around again. <BR>No calories to read!

Jeff

The best meals I've ever had have been in Europe, though I must say New York runs a very close second. I stayed at a wonderful B&B in Cornwall called the Trebrea Lodge. The food was fantastic and the atmosphere was great, not to mention the view. Another favorite meal was in Brussels at Aux Armes de Bruxelles. My final favorite was in Edinburgh at The Marque on the Causeway. Each one of these meals evoke special memories.

sabrina

Donna, <BR> <BR>The next time you are in Rome you must eat at a place called Re Ferdinando. It was a small, family owned place right around the block from our hotel, the Hotel Regency (near the Spanish steps). <BR> <BR>Anyway, this was a place where, from beginning to end, they made you feel right at home with great service, great wine and food that was clearly made with care. I couldn't even tell you everything we had because you know how they serve you like six or seven courses, but I can tell you that it just got better and better with each course. The owner liked us so much he gave us pictures that had been drawn by a local artist whose artwork decorated the place. He even signed the pictures for us. My Italian isn't great, but I trust that he wrote something nice about me. <BR> <BR>Seriously, whoever is going to Rome should eat there. Re Ferdinando, 137 Via Sardegna, 0338 3877 490.

sabrina

Duh, I forgot the price: For five of us it was about 200,000 lire. All in all, not a bad deal.

Alan

I had a number of memorable meals in Italy a few years ago, but wanted to relay a couple. <BR> <BR>In an attempt to avoid the touristy restaurants in most cities, we (my wife and a few relatives) would go wander off into one of the local neighborhoods to find a 'local' establishment. <BR> <BR>In Venice, we found this tiny place with a lot of locals inside. Only issue was that nobody spoke any English and we had about six weeks of night school Italian. My brother-in-law and I eventually ended up in the kitchen pointing to ingrediants for the chef to prepare (and looking at a post of fish on the wall trying to determine the species). At one point, the waitress was drawing pictures (in one case of a jack-o-lantern to describe a pumpkin based dish). <BR> <BR>We had a great time (so did the staff) and a great meal. When the bill came, the total was under $120 for 7 people with wine and beer. <BR> <BR>Another memorable meal was buying groceries (salami, cheese, proscuitto, fruit, BOXES of wine, etc) and sharing them with fellow travelers on the train from Rome to Florence...

Elizabeth

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Ismael Libanio

One of our most memorable meal: <BR>We went to Vezelay and at "L'Esperance" we couldn't have a table. So we follow the road to the small town of Quarré-les-Tombes. We're looking for "Auberge de l'Atre" (chef Salamolard). It was a few mile from Quarré at Lavaults. We got a table and we had a wonderful lunch. The restaurant was completed and all patrons were french except my wife and I. From our arrival to our departure nobody left the restaurant! Chef Salamolard was very charming. He has a star in Michelin Guide.

jeanne

What a great thread. I am going back to Provence this summer in search of a restaurant I have lost. In 1985, I was living and working in France-part of my job was going up and down the riviera working with the computer dealers. I had no idea then that it was my Zelda Fitzgerald days...as an earlier poster said, their were 10 francs to the dollar and I was being paid in $$ and on an expense account to boot! So I should have been drinking champagne from my slipper.... <BR> <BR>Anyway, I will nver forget one meal I had in Aix-en-Provence. My husband still teases me about it because I have lost the name of the restaurant. I was staying at the Hotel des Thermes and this place was in walking distance. I know I found it in an old version the Gault Millaut guide for France. The name was some King's name like Henri IV or something. Anyway, I had this amazing ravioli filled with lobster mousse and a champagne cream sauce. The pate (pasta) was embryonically thin and the lobster mousse was flavored with truffles and was exquisite. And that was just the starter. <BR> <BR>Anyway, I seem to have lost the restaurant-but we are headed back to Provence this summer in June and one stop will be at the Hotel des Thermes to see if we can canvass the area!! I know it can't be further than a 1/4 mile radius away and imagine the appetite we will work up

Clare

I have to add. Nine Years ago, my husband and I spent our honeymoon in France. We arrived in Paris some time in the afternoon (middle of the night to us), and wandered in a daze until our room was ready. Climbed the six flights of stairs, did what honeymooners do, and fell fast asleep in a definite state of deshabille (sp). Well, the maids awoke us by coming right into the room, marking a great start on our private life together. I'm glad they did, because it allowed us to get into our now favorite restaurant before the locals arrived. Yes, I'm getting to the meal! Leo le Lion, right off of Rue Cler, 17th Arr. welcomed us with open arms, high-school French and all. Pots of appetizers (pate, lentil salad, cabbage salad), passed around table to table. Cesar the dog, wandering around looking for scraps. Wine list snatched from my hands with the words "non - Noveau" (it was October, and the B. Nouveau had just come out). Finally, the dish that will live in infamy: my husband ordered a cassoulet. When the waiter (who spoke not a word of English the entire time) brought it in, bubbling and beautiful, he announced: "voila - Daffy Duck!" Cassoulet has never been the same since. Drank two bottles of Nouveau, prompting a warning from the two Dutch ladies at the next table that the French don't drink too much wine - just enough. <BR> <BR>Postscript - we went to Leo again last year. Same Madam d', same waiter. We asked about Cesar - "Cesar et mort" we heard. We all mourned Cesar. The food was just as great, but we were a little sad to see Steve's book prominently displayed at the counter. Oh - the waiter now spoke perfect English! <BR> <BR>What a great introduction to our life and travels together.

Jim

Elizabeth, <BR>I'm in love. Marry me and take me to Europe for our honeymoon and your favorite restaurants. <BR>Jim

Clay

<BR>Without question..."El Buli" <BR>up (and down) on the Costa Brava outside of Roses. <BR> <BR>25 courses! (no lie) of the most spectacular items ever consumed!!! And... (literary license) 5 hours later, after the 8 miniature sculpted chocolates, we felt perfectly satisfied, not overstuffed. We were cared for by 5 eager waiters who were always there (but invisible). <BR>At the end, the owner walked us through his amazing 2001 kitchen. Introduced some of the 35 chefs (for 25-30 patrons) all clean and shiny, and asked us to come back soon. Wow, that's the way to run a world class operaton! <BR> <BR>I was a waiter in a nice dinner house here in the San Francisco area while going to school. I've managed restaurants and been around good food all my life. My wife and I have eaten in the best resaurants over many years of travel. Friends... <BR>Dis is De Place!!!

Beatchick

Topping for Wren - I love this thread!! : D

cigalechanta

This was memerable but not for the food. we were staying in normandy near Les Andelys at a favorite B&amp;B before heading to the landing beaches. We were too late for dinner, every place we tried was closed. As we cruised by car along the seine we spotted a bistro still open.There were several men drinking at the bar, but no one at tables. The owner introduced himself to us as he staggered and rocked himself as he seated us. He announced that there was only one dish to choose from and we were hungry so we said ok. He sat himself down with us and had the bartender bring us an apertif on him and told us of his trip to the USA. He pointed out the paintings on the wall. Painted by him. As he talked to us, an army of ants took over the table and walked up his arm and we pulled our seats away from the table but still had to flick the the ants off us. He seemed oblivious to all this. Meanwhile, his cronies left the bistro. The food arrived.And somehow we lost our appitite, played around the plate with our folk. Finished the bottle of wine we had ordered and excused ourselves, saying we were tired after a long drive.<BR>This year we returned to the area and walked along the seine to this bistro. There was a sign on the door in French that read Ferm� because of retirement