What are some of the best meals you've ever had?

[fakebusiness 129]

What are some of the best meals you've ever had? What restaurant was it at? And I'm strictly talking about the food. Not the ambiance or if it was a special occasion or anything gay like that.

For your time:

[futureman 22324]

cereal at your mom’s house. 

[elfenix 34000]

what was this thread about?

[Sam Lin 3532]

What thread?

[tx 3 putt 74769]

1 hour ago, elfenix said:

what was this thread about?

That chick’s ass ?

[Horn Draoi 254]

Cassoulet, of all things, at a literal hole in the wall restaurant 3 or 4 blocks from the Musee d’Orsay, on my first trip to Paris.  Peasant food, but it showed clearly what the French attitude toward perfection in cooking could produce-especially since I grew up on post-WWII convenience foods and chewy ranch beef

[After irth 1240]

The pasta at Bugatti in Coral Gables is one of my favorite meals. A very simple, elegant, yet unpretentious restaurant that is a fine restaurant indeed. 

[Underdog 27966]

McRib. 

[hornbri 1345]

That's a really tough question if you are talking about just food. The ambiance and who you are with can often take a meal to the next level. I guess you also would exclude anything like wine since you want to focus on food?

Given those constraints, I think for me it would be Sushi eaten for breakfast as the Tokyo fish market. 

[LW Goatman 1117]

An opas jap and cheese cooked over an open fire, in flour tortilla with processed cheese hinge. Add some mustard and a cold beer. All after a successful morning hunt. 

[RPM 26073]

Used to be a little place in the middle of nowhere between Azle and Boyd called The Wild Onion. My God that place was awesome. I swear their chicken fried steak had to be an inch thick ribeye. Everything was homemade and their desserts were amazing. Closed in the late 90's.

[NOMAAA 1694]

cuban sandwich at jimmys in dallas.

[billfromlaketravis 11267]

Probably my first meal Commander's Palace. We took the trolley up from the Quarter. I was about 16 at the time and I never really had tried much New Orleans Cuisine. My mouth damn near exploded when I tasted Turtle Soup for the first time. I had the Mixed Grill for my entrée and bread pudding for desert. Fantastic. 

Irene's in the Quarter is a close second. Great meal and I got married the next day. 

[Brisketexan 103148]

45 minutes ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Probably my first meal Commander's Palace. We took the trolley up from the Quarter. I was about 16 at the time and I never really had tried much New Orleans Cuisine. My mouth damn near exploded when I tasted Turtle Soup for the first time. I had the Mixed Grill for my entrée and bread pudding for desert. Fantastic. 

Irene's in the Quarter is a close second. Great meal and I got married the next day. 

Man, my wife and I might each type the exact same post.  First meal at Commander's was eye-opening for both of us.  And I had been eating all around NOLA since I was an infant, strong family ties.  But we were not, ummm, a family of the Commander's caliber.  So the first meal we ate there was transformational.

[midtown 3334]

Le Cirque at the original

[CooterBrown 17695]

Great meal and I got married the next day. 

Sorry but your wife has a fucked up name.

[Longhornfan1024 1707]

This is so tough.  One of the best meals I've had was at a fucking BJ's during happy hour after a long day at Magic Mountain.  We were starving and it was the only half-way decent place available with open seating.  

But when it comes to actual, nice food.  It's Eleven Madison Park followed shortly by Blue Hill at Stone Barns.  Both were tasting menus.  EMP had the better food but Blue Hill had the better experience.  It's on a working farm about an hour north of NYC and the bulk of what they use was grown or raised on the farm. It's half dinner, half food education.  They do a great job of explaining what you are eating, how they grew it, and how everything they do is done with food sustainability in mind.

[Carl Spackler 3455]

As far as restaurant meals, typically what happens is that one course really outshines the others, e.g., the appetizers will kick ass but the entrees will be anywhere from shitty to merely good.  Or vice versa.  Or everything leading up to the dessert is great but then the dessert is mediocre, etc.  Or sometimes the problem isn't with the food, it's that the service and/or ambience leave a lot to be desired.  

But every so often all the elements come together.  Everything clicks.  The service is great, the ambience is terrific, the wine is to die for, and the food is so fabulous that the meal really stands out.  That has happened for me at Quince in San Francisco and Spago in Beverly Hills.

  

 

 

[Brisketexan 103148]

But don't sleep on the simple meals, defined by basic food, great places, and great people.

Red table wine, ham, cheese, bread and an apple on the sunny bank of an Argentine trout stream after giving dozens of trout a run for their money.

Beans and a hot, fresh tortilla sitting cross-legged on a dirt floor with other kids after a full day of running wild on the ranch.

A Norwegian gas station hot dog after a long day of hiking.

Splitting a half kilo of incredible German strawberries with the family sitting on the lawn next to the Berliner Dom.

My grandmother's fried cottontail rabbit, that my dad and I went out and shot that afternoon, cooked in a cast iron skillet.  Makes me tear up just thinking about it.

My aunt's javelina tamales, first real meal I'd eaten in three days because I'd been fishing so hard.  Didn't realize how hungry I was.

[52-80 18962]

Off the top of my head:

les Nomades Chicago. We were deeply tanked, but the food was delicious.

first time at Franklin’s Austin. Did not disappoint. 
 

porcao Rios (churascaria) in RDJ. At one point we went multiple times a week because it slammed so hard. 
 

Fresco pizzeria Naples. By no means was it one of the legendary Napoli joints, but it changed the way I saw pizza...forever.  Pizzarium in Rome was different style but equally orgasmic. 
 

La Cabrera steakhouse Buenos Aires. It was everything I imagined and more.  That was 15 years ago - they have better places there now and I’ve had better elsewhere, but at that time it was memorable
 

 

[midtown 3334]

29 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

But don't sleep on the simple meals, defined by basic food, great places, and great people.

In that case.  A bowl of Pho on a little side street in Ha Noi for 20,000 dong or $0.80 on a little plastic stool.

[956 Worldwide 33957]

Man, I love this topic.  I like to think about the best food I’ve eaten. 
 

The full goose dinner at this restaurant in Slovensky Grob (outside of Bratislava). The best part is the goose liver with apples as an appetizer. Then the whole roast goose with potato pancakes.  Amazing. 

https://gurmanskygrob.sk

Pork sashlyk (skewers), flatbread, local cheeses, wine, and fresh salad at a winery and vineyard near Mt. Ararat in Armenia (can’t find the website).

Korean style sushi after picking out my own fish, octopus, and shellfish at the Seoul fish market.

https://www.koreafoodtours.com/tour-tips/noryangjin-fish-market-new-guide/

Lokanda Peskarija in Dubrovnik, garlicky pot of fish and shell fish with warm crusty bread for dipping.

https://thetravellingsquid.com/2015/05/28/croatian-seafood-at-lokanda-peskarija-in-dubrovnik/

Plates of mutton plov piled high with a tomato, onion and vinegar salad and piping hot lamb samsa (distant predecessor of Indian samosa) in Tashkent.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293968-d6895119-Reviews-Plov_Samsa_uz-Tashkent_Tashkent_Province.html

The full plate of Pakistani barbecue (grilled ground beef skewers, yogurt marinated lamb chops, mutton ribs, garlicky and cheesy naan) at Port Grand in Karachi on a sweltering night.  Pro tip: don’t let anyone see you, but you can smuggle airline bottles of whiskey in your cowboy boot and put them in your coke. You deserve it, you’re in Karachi.

https://www.facebook.com/ShaikhAbdulGhaffarKabab/

Beef tartare and roast duck in at “At the Cooks” in Warsaw with cold shots of Zubrowka 

https://ukucharzy.pl

The classic Texas style ceviche at Ceviche Ceviche or fried shrimp and oysters at Joe’s in Port Isabel

https://www.facebook.com/cevichecevichesouthpadreisland/
 

https://www.facebook.com/Joes-Oyster-Bar-119713921405778/

An “appetizer” of ribs followed by a ribeye steak at the Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap

https://www.periniranch.com

 

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[Macanudo 12649]

Pistachio encrusted salmon with a balsamic vinaigrette reduction sauce at Scoma's in Sausalito. 

Crab cakes at Etta's in Seattle.

The deep dish pizza at Moondoggy (RIP) in Amarillo.

I try really hard to never say "that was the best thing ever" because food is so subjective.  But the salmon was the best main dish I've ever eaten.   The crab cakes are at Etta's are the best thing I've ever eaten.  I go to Etta's every time I'm in Seattle. 

 

[Wiler77 1539]

You should should change the thread title, because a meal includes the food, location, company, situation, etc.

But for strictly memorable food, I'd have to go with:

1. First time I had green curry chicken.  My parents lived in Singapore while I was in college, and my first trip to visit we had dinner at a neighbor's house on like night 2.  The neighbor's live-in housekeeper was Thai.  And a fantastic cook.

2. Speaking of Singapore, the Murtabak from Zam Zam.  Actually Singapore has a few that belong on this list--Fish head curry, pepper crab

3. First Peking Duck experience.  In Beijing, at a place known for Peking Duck and heavily frequented by locals.  Jesus that was good.

4. There used to be a place in downtown Munich in the most touristy part of town--I think it was called Valentin's or something like that.  Anyway, it was never crowded and whenever I went there were usually only a couple of tables were occupied.  The schnitzel they served had a layer of mustard between the meat and the breading.  I have no idea how they did it, but it took the schnitzel to 11.  Never understood why it wasn't more crowded.

5. Beef fajitas at Amalia's on Hwy 6 in NW Houston.  It's closed now, but we ate there about 2-3 Fridays per month when i was growing up.  I've never had better fajitas.

[CooterBrown 17695]

My grandma used to make George burgers in an ancient cast iron pan. Named after a blind calf we bottled raised and then butchered. He had his eyes eaten out by fire ants when his momma birthed him on an ant mound. She then abandoned him trailer park style. Meat was griddled thin with lots of black pepper. Crusty but juicy. Onions sliced paper thin on a mandolin were heaped on top. Dressed with just some mustard, pickles and American cheese on a buttered and toasted bun. No additions or substitutions allowed. Delivered wrapped in a paper towel so it all steamed together perfectly. She just yell from the kitchen “TELL ME WHEN TO STOP!” When I was a teen, my record in one sitting was 8 of them.

[Jameslaw121 4438]

Some yall a little little too fancy for me

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[Jameslaw121 4438]

Seriously, it's pretty hard to distinguish whether it was the best meal ever or if it was just my first time trying something. But Muffuletta in NO when I was around 10.  First time I ever had a rare well marbled rib eye come to mind. 

 

But, hands down. - Raw oysters in Appolacacola Bay - boat was pulling up to the dock to unload for the day and I gave the guy $20 for a dozen or so and ate them right there on the dock. 

 

[Johnny Sack 8397]

2 hours ago, 956 Worldwide said:

Man, I love this topic.  I like to think about the best food I’ve eaten. 
 

The full goose dinner at this restaurant in Slovensky Grob (outside of Bratislava). The best part is the goose liver with apples as an appetizer. Then the whole roast goose with potato pancakes.  Amazing. 

https://gurmanskygrob.sk

Pork sashlyk (skewers), flatbread, local cheeses, wine, and fresh salad at a winery and vineyard near Mt. Ararat in Armenia (can’t find the website).

Korean style sushi after picking out my own fish, octopus, and shellfish at the Seoul fish market.

https://www.koreafoodtours.com/tour-tips/noryangjin-fish-market-new-guide/

Lokanda Peskarija in Dubrovnik, garlicky pot of fish and shell fish with warm crusty bread for dipping.

https://thetravellingsquid.com/2015/05/28/croatian-seafood-at-lokanda-peskarija-in-dubrovnik/

Plates of mutton plov piled high with a tomato, onion and vinegar salad and piping hot lamb samsa (distant predecessor of Indian samosa) in Tashkent.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g293968-d6895119-Reviews-Plov_Samsa_uz-Tashkent_Tashkent_Province.html

The full plate of Pakistani barbecue (grilled ground beef skewers, yogurt marinated lamb chops, mutton ribs, garlicky and cheesy naan) at Port Grand in Karachi on a sweltering night.  Pro tip: don’t let anyone see you, but you can smuggle airline bottles of whiskey in your cowboy boot and put them in your coke. You deserve it, you’re in Karachi.

https://www.facebook.com/ShaikhAbdulGhaffarKabab/

Beef tartare and roast duck in at “At the Cooks” in Warsaw with cold shots of Zubrowka 

https://ukucharzy.pl

The classic Texas style ceviche at Ceviche Ceviche or fried shrimp and oysters at Joe’s in Port Isabel

https://www.facebook.com/cevichecevichesouthpadreisland/
 

https://www.facebook.com/Joes-Oyster-Bar-119713921405778/

An “appetizer” of ribs followed by a ribeye steak at the Perini Ranch Steakhouse in Buffalo Gap

https://www.periniranch.com

 

. 

 

 

 

 

I love Perini Ranch.  Prob my favorite place to eat in Texas.  Their Sunday chuck wagon buffet would be my last meal if I had a choice.  

[South Austin 51410]

Osteria La Cantinella, Barolo, Italy.

We hit this charming family restaurant at the evening after a day of wine-tasting in The Langhe. The mom spoke broken English, and the dad couldn’t speak a lick of English. The daughter who served us was a beautiful blonde bombshell who spoke almost flawless English, then spoke in German to a table next to us, and then French to another. I honestly can’t remember what I ate, but between the wine, the food, and the setting, it felt close to heaven.

[SmokeyTheBear 5551]

Lobster with beet pasta at Trattoria dal  Billy in Manarola, Italy

 

That or the meal at minibar in D.C. 

[956 Worldwide 33957]

7 minutes ago, Johnny Sack said:

I love Perini Ranch.  Prob my favorite place to eat in Texas.  Their Sunday chuck wagon buffet would be my last meal if I had a choice.  

I have Tom Perini’s cookbook and it’s one we go to all the time.  I guess how I will describe it is that when I think of “food” with no qualifiers, it’s usually something from that book or in that style.

[conVINCEd 21468]

The Test Kitchen in Cape Town.  16 course tasting menu with superb wine pairings.  Everything was beyond incredible, including a few things that I normally don’t care for.  It was part meal, part art installation, and I normally don’t care for that sort of thing, but it was phenomenal.
 

Also, during my fraternity’s Hell Week they sent us out to run some stupid errand.  We were really hungry because they weren’t feeding us very well. We went to Grandy’s because they had all you can eat CFS.  I put down 4 or 5.  It was glorious.

Also also,  any time you can have some sashimi while still on the boat is about as good as it gets.

[Mo Horn 8680]

I started a thread a couple of years ago on best dining experiences so it's nice to see this come back around. I've had a lot of meals that have been outstanding, from very simple -  a plate of Jamon Iberico and Manchego cheese in Barcelona - to 10 course tastings at restaurants where the chef was a James Beard winner or the restaurant had Michelin stars. But one of the best that comes to mind was when a friend who is a lobster fisherman in Maine took my sons and I out to haul traps with him. He gave us some lobsters and about 2 hours later we were eating them. 

[Guest]

a bigass pizza in Oceanside, CA after being in the field at Camp Pendleton for a couple of weeks.

I know, straight up, not shit compared with dudes who deployed or went on long ass floats.   It just hit the fucking spot.  That's all I'm saying.

 

[dcbc 14179]

There are some impressive joints in this list.  Mine is probably middling sounding, but maybe as delicious (I won't know).  Much was the experience.

A couple stand out, in chronological order:

Palace Cafe, New Orleans.   Friend's 21st birthday.  His mom was a jewelry store heiress of sorts.  Had soft shell crab and a lot to drink.  Can't imagine what the bill was.

Spark's Steak House, New York.  I don't know that it's the best steak I've had, but it was delicious and it was just a little over 10 years after the shooting.  We were in our early 20s.  So we just drank scotch and pretended to be somewhat well off.

Brennan's (Houston).  This is my favorite joint.  So it always gets mentioned.  Wife and I went there on a date when we were in law school.  Manager turned out to be a guy in our section.  Got a free bottle of wine with my turtle soup, etc.  Got engaged there a few years later.  The put us in the room with the antlers.  Food definitely didn't suck.

Lucia (Dallas).  My wife is an old friend of one of the owner's.  I don't remember what we had apart from its deliciousness and the fact that the owner and my wife talked throughout our meal while she refilled my wine glass throughout.  Simply outstanding experience. 

Edited December 18, 2020 by dcbc

[pops 6946]

There was this little place in Ketchum (sun valley) called the mango. It's been gone forever but it was the best food I'd ever had to that point in my life. The garlic and basil was flooding the air when you walked in.  

[dcbc 14179]

1 minute ago, pops said:

There was this little place in Ketchum (sun valley) called the mango. It's been gone forever but it was the best food I'd ever had to that point in my life. The garlic and basil was flooding the air when you walked in.  

Used to be a place there called Ketchum Burrito up there.  I have a buddy with a house there, and he got me a t-shirt.  On the back, it said, "K.B.'s!  We roll the fatties!"  Still have it.

[pops 6946]

4 minutes ago, dcbc said:

Used to be a place there called Ketchum Burrito up there.  I have a buddy with a house there, and he got me a t-shirt.  On the back, it said, "K.B.'s!  We roll the fatties!"  Still have it.

That's funny shit. It's still there!  Had a Jordan's burrito when I was there last Thanksgiving. 

[HouTex 1838]

Good thread topic. Hard to rank them. My first time to Tony’s in Houston in the late 70’s when I first experienced fine dining was a great meal. In the mid 90’s at the Grill Room at Windsor Court in NOLA before my first 5th Circuit argument the six course meal was amazing. At the time it was rated as one of the best restaurants in the country. Then there are several trips to NYC restaurants that all meld together. But the Tony’s and Grill Room meals really stand out.

[Sam Lin 3532]

5 hours ago, 52-80 said:

porcao Rios (churascaria) in RDJ. At one point we went multiple times a week because it slammed so hard. 

I haz a sad. Google says permanently closed. Shows an Assador Rios buffet nearby in the same mall, not sure if related.

[Neonmoon 38126]

Caldo Loco - Las Alamedas - Houston 

Schnitzel - Weinstube Schnitzelbanke - Heidelberg, Germany 

Brisket - Franklins - Austin 

Hamburger - Kincaids - Fort Worth 

Spanish Mackerel - Victoria House - Belize 

Beef Fajitas - El Tiempo - Houston

Jose’s Dip - Las Molinas - Houston 

Nigiri & Tempura - Sushi Kashiba - Seattle 

Mussels - Kirwan’s - Gallway, Ireland 

 

 

[Stunns38 3239]

https://www.tavernakyclades.com/

Some amazing Greek seafood and especially fish here.

[mchookem 15429]

grilled hotdogs and potato chips on a beach in Maui at sunset

there is a rundown burger shack in some small Louisiana town, on the way to Black Lake, i want to say near Natchitoches, one of those handmade patty places, where they grill the bun on the griddle...walk up window only, some picnic tables if the weather is nice...we stopped one February and it was freezing so we ordered and ate in the car...and it was literally the best burger i've ever had, hands down.

similar Commander's Palace experience as others...the 25 cent martini brunch is a tradition for us! 

[justhookit 4159]

Little place in Golfito, Costa Rica close to 15 years ago. The owner was always there and then there was a chef and a waitress. That was the entire staff.  I’d been before and there was a menu but all anyone ever ordered was the house special which was basically a huge mahi filet, sort of rolled up stuffed with all kinds of stuff and then smothered in a jalapeño cream sauce. It was always exceptional.

but one night we went in and decided to order margaritas. Nobody there spoke any English. After about a 5 minute conversation the waitress came back with a plate of tequila shots, a bowl of limes, a bowl of ice, and a bottle of rum. Whatever, it worked. Fish was amazing as usual and at end of the meal it started pouring down rain. Tried to call a cab to go back to the hotel but the owner wouldn’t let us. He pulls up in his vehicle and takes us home. The people I was with that night have eaten all over the world and we still talk about how incredible that night was.

[justhookit 4159]

11 minutes ago, mchookem said:

grilled hotdogs and potato chips on a beach in Maui at sunset

there is a rundown burger shack in some small Louisiana town, on the way to Black Lake, i want to say near Natchitoches, one of those handmade patty places, where they grill the bun on the griddle...walk up window only, some picnic tables if the weather is nice...we stopped one February and it was freezing so we ordered and ate in the car...and it was literally the best burger i've ever had, hands down.

similar Commander's Palace experience as others...the 25 cent martini brunch is a tradition for us! 

I love Commander’s but I’ve had one awful experience there and I still hold it against them. Final Four year when we played Syracuse. Had a party of 6 and 4 of the meals were inedible.

[52-80 18962]

5 hours ago, Sam Lin said:

I haz a sad. Google says permanently closed. Shows an Assador Rios buffet nearby in the same mall, not sure if related.

that is pretty sad.  it was actually a chain (rios location had best view) and i found out they even had a location in florida, so a bit surprising if the whole franchise shuttered

[RPM 26073]

I remember back when I was 9 or 10 and we were rebuilding old fences. My Granny always made lunch for us. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, snap peas, cornbread, pickled beets and blackberry cobbler. Every weekend. It was glorious.

[deadshank 24644]

3 hours ago, RPM said:

I remember back when I was 9 or 10 and we were rebuilding old fences. My Granny always made lunch for us. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, greens, snap peas, cornbread, pickled beets and blackberry cobbler. Every weekend. It was glorious.

Old school grannies that knew what they’re doing in the kitchen are bad ass mofos.  

[RPM 26073]

Just now, deadshank said:

Old school grannies that knew what they’re doing in the kitchen are bad ass mofos.  

I forgot to list cream gravy.

 

[deadshank 24644]

I do recall one evening staggering in to Palazzo’s in Briargrove and ordering their special.  It was pistachio encrusted, pan-fried red snapper with some pasta and a salad. 
 

It was a particularly outstanding and simple meal, in and out in 60 minutes.