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


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Love this topic.

K Paul's in New Orleans.  Took my wife along with a client and his wife.  Everything was amazing.  Steak.  Redfish.  Bread pudding.  Wine.  Went back a few months later and it was meh.  Not sure what it was about that first trip.

Apis in Spicewood.  Did the pre-fixe tasting.  Blew me out of the water.  Chef brought us into the back for a special dessert since it was my wife's birthday.  Same thing, though.  Went back a few months later, and it was just decent.

I cooked BBQ at the deer lease several years ago.  We had an old pit, and I did brisket and pork spare ribs and a big pot of pinto beans.  Something about it was just over the top good.  I also grilled a whole beef tenderloin with mushrooms and asparagus over an open fire on the banks of the Devlis River during a three day kayak trip.  Bag wine and tenderloin under the stars was glorious.

There's also been a hand full of meals we've cooked at home that have been off the charts.  There's so many variables there which gives me that much more respect for a great chef and a well run restaurant.  

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Forgot to list a home restaurant my Dad used to take us to. Mary Morales ran one out of her home. They converted almost everything into dining rooms and the food was finominole. She wound up opening a legit restaurant several years later, but the added strain was too much and she retired. To be honest, the food at the new place was good, but it just wasn't the same.

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El Lagarto in Playa Samara, Costa Rica.  Steak, fish, shrimp, ribs all cooked on an open fire on the beach.  If not the best it's the most memorable.  Wife and I had sex on the beach afterward for dessert.  Not at the restaurant though.

Second would probably be a tray of Chick fil a nuggets on the Cockaboose.  Hit the spot after 15 beers and a bunch of bourbon.

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I ate at the one at the Bellagio. Life changing. Wife and I each had the 5 course dinner that ended up being 7 courses with the free stuff they brought out. Amazeballs. 
Curious if they are still keeping their strict dress code. I watched them throw out a tourist who walked into the one on Madison... "but I just wanted to see it". No fucks given.. Out the door he went.
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Just now, midtown said:
6 minutes ago, T-shirt Sip said:
I ate at the one at the Bellagio. Life changing. Wife and I each had the 5 course dinner that ended up being 7 courses with the free stuff they brought out. Amazeballs. 

Curious if they are still keeping their strict dress code. I watched them throw out a tourist who walked into the one on Madison... "but I just wanted to see it". No fucks given.. Out the door he went.

This was about 3 years ago and it was business casual minimum. I doubt if its changed since then. We did however wear our best because Vegas. 

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1 hour ago, lemonlime said:

Elk tartare and elk au poivre at Laanilan Keavari in Finnish Lapland. 

That sound fantastic.

Coincidentially, I was watching Bizarre Foods on the Cooking Chanel last night, and they featured a farm-to-table restaurant in Portland, Oregon that served elk heart tartare with a turkey egg.  I almost came in my pants.

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This is a tough one.  There have been so many meals, so many amazing experiences, that it is really hard to pick them out, but I will try.

Also, might have to find some photos to go with them.  

Ok, so to start, the Meat Fruit at Dinner in London in April 2016.  It looks like an orange, but it is an amazing chicken liver and foie gras parfait. The peel of the orange, a mandarin jelly.  It is amazing, and I want to stop in next time I am in London just to get it.

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On my first visit to Paris in November 2015 (2020 is the first year since I have not been in Paris), my first meal was at Pavillon Ledoyen, which had just regained its 3rd Michelin star under Yannick Alleno.  From start to finish that meal was memorable, from the excellent champagne to start, to the multitude of chocolates they brought with my coffee, and me almost falling asleep at the table as I finished my coffee as I had not slept on the plane (even though I was in Lufthansa 1st Class) as I was so excited. Will always be near the top due to it being my first meal in Paris ever.  I did a detailed write up on TOS.  

On that same trip, I went to Le Chateaubriand, which is still one of my favorite restaurants in Paris (Le Dauphin, the more casual wine bar next door by the same team, is also a favorite of mine).  On that first meal back in 2015, there were two dishes that with the wine pairing, were absolutely outstanding.  I wrote about them on TOS, but here they are again.

The two courses that I loved that evening were the radiccio and pomelo salad with "line" mackerel hidden underneath.  This was served with a natural Gamay from Phillipe Jambon called Allex Les Verres.  The second memorable course that evening was the wild brill with corn and wood sorrel.  This was served with the Jacques Selosse Les Carelles Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru.

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So back in Paris in November 2016, when I took my mom for her first trip across the Atlantic, we went to Josephine Chez Dumonet for our last lunch in Paris before catching the train to Brussels.  The pigeon millefeuille is a thing of beauty, and I dream about the Grand Marnier souffle.  That souffle is if not the best dessert I have ever had, top 3 at worst.

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Funnily enough, one of my favorite dishes from that trip, besides the pigeon and the souffle, was a pasta dish I had in Belgium at Monk.  It was cold as hell, and we had been walking around the Christmas markets since we had gotten to Brussels from Paris.  We were cold and hungry (had had plenty of mulled wine, but it was well below freezing), so we ducked into this place.  We got a table and got the spaghetti (that is all they served at the time).  I had the special, which was spaghetti with a traditional Belgian wild boar stew topped with emmenthal.  Washed it down with a Delvaux beer.  It was simple, but absolutely memorable.

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More to come....

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1 hour ago, PenelopeWitherspoon said:

So back in Paris in November 2016, when I took my mom for her first trip across the Atlantic, we went to Josephine Chez Dumonet for our last lunch in Paris before catching the train to Brussels.  The pigeon millefeuille is a thing of beauty, and I dream about the Grand Marnier souffle.  That souffle is if not the best dessert I have ever had, top 3 at worst.

Ah yes, Chez Dumonet.  I went there in May 2019.  I opted for the duck confit, which might seem ordinary, but it was fantastic.  We also ordered a 75 euro Burgundy that was one of the best wines I've ever had in my life.  And the souffle is legendary. 

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16 hours 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! 

How long ago was that? I went to college in Natchitoches and went to black lake a few times.  Back in the late 90's

 

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1 hour ago, lemonandaturd said:

For a simple meal, there used to be a place in Giddings named Schuberts.  The chicken fried steak was a large bone in round steak about the size of a large dinner plate with  cream gravy and a baked potato.   

You could be describing "The Saddleblanket" at the Brush Country Inn in Riviera, TX.  God rest its soul.

It was glorious.  Giant CFS, topping a platter of fries, with a side salad of iceberg and carrots, dressed with dressing from the "dressing tree" of cups of ranch, french, and italian.

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Meals, and dishes.  New Orleans circa 93, dinner in one of those great old places.  Table side prepared, Caesar salad topped with baby fried oysters. Fucking amazing dish, and it was just a salad.  I've never had one better than that....

Wild game meal in Triere Germany in 2014.  Amazing restaurant with a huge, open, wood fired charcoal pit in the center of the whole place with at last a dozen various meats being cooked to char broiled, perfection... zee Germans.....

Chateau D'ez Nice France, perched in a 15th c. stone, fortress 500' above the Med.  Amazing  dining experiences 2x that haven't ever been topped. The location, the drinks, wine, appetizers, entrees, and desserts.....  The fucking French can cook.....

Tortugas Lie, 40 year old, Nags Head NC. surf bar with the best tuna sandwich on the planet.  Fresh caught daily, served  as "the hook's still in its mouth, rare". $11.00 for a piece of tuna, and house cut fries, that'd be $35-$50 in many fine dining ests. in the country, and not any better.....

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3 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

You could be describing "The Saddleblanket" at the Brush Country Inn in Riviera, TX.  God rest its soul.

It was glorious.  Giant CFS, topping a platter of fries, with a side salad of iceberg and carrots, dressed with dressing from the "dressing tree" of cups of ranch, french, and italian.

Damn I miss the Brush Country Inn. 

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On 12/17/2020 at 6:23 PM, conVINCEd said:

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.

I'm taking credit for that idea 😎

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That's a lot of bad credit @conVINCEd.

 

I'll contribute.  The first thing that came to mind was a spicy gyro from a Halal Guys cart in Manhattan after about ten hours of walking the city.  One of those meals where you're so hungry you can actually feel yourself refueling as you eat.  Best gyro I've ever eaten.  And also my first Halal Guys experience (the first of about 100 and counting).

 

Edited by threesheets
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On 12/18/2020 at 7:36 AM, deadshank said:

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.  

Not to discount your experience, but great meals shouldn't be measured by how fast you get in and out. I miss eating outside the U.S. when you can sit at a table for as long as you want. No meal can be great if they want to get you out so they can turn the table, I don't care how good the food is. 

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13 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Not to discount your experience, but great meals shouldn't be measured by how fast you get in and out. I miss eating outside the U.S. when you can sit at a table for as long as you want. No meal can be great if they want to get you out so they can turn the table, I don't care how good the food is. 

I get what you’re saying.  The “in and out” part was meant to indicate that the meal wasn’t an extravagant and time-consuming production but merely a fairly simple meal that was extraordinarily good for popping into a little neighborhood joint. 

Edited by deadshank
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