All inclusive. Whether it was something you cooked at home, something gourmet you ate or something else just done really well, what was the best meal you've ever had and why?
in Paris on my honeymoon. An old French guy was he maître d, the chef, and the waiter. Had a very simple, rustic meal of steak with vegetables and a salad, bread and lots of his house wine. It was transcendent. Have had lots of great meals, but that one stands out as the best. Everything was perfectly prepared.
From the Cajun martinis to start, the best bread and rolls I have ever seen, much less eaten, to the entree ( a stuffed Mirliton with oyster, shrimp, and andouille) to what I stole off other people's plates (awesome rabbit) to the mud pie for dessert. Saw the big man walk through the room as well
1. Momofuku Ko - tasting menu was off the charts. Creativity and the intimate atmosphere put it over the top. Plus the ridiculous number of times I had to refresh the reservation page to finally get in.
2. 11 Madison Park - went for a birthday dinner and the tasting menu and wine pairings were incredible. Free (her mom paid) so that helps the overall reminiscence. Beautiful space as well.
3. Le Bernardin - went on Valentine's Day and probably held back by what it cost me, but right up there with the other two as far as quality, service, etc. Also had one of the Bernstein brothers and his wife come up to us after the meal to compliment us, which led to an interview with AB. Even though I turned it down it's a story I enjoy telling, haha. Most expensive meal I've ever paid for though.
Bouley
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Sugiyama (kaiseki)
Per Se is great too, but the price is absurd.
I'm a fan of good tasting menus. Lots of variety, all dishes the chef is proud of, and if done well the whole is even better than the sum of the parts.
The beautiful settings are also a big part of the appeal.
I had a similar experience to Chris, a hole in the wall in Rome near the Vatican on our honeymoon, we just wandered in and found it.
I've had some amazing steak dinners too, and I've had lobster rolls in Maine and New Hampshire that I drool just thinking about for weeks before and weeks after. And I had a half dozen cider donuts fresh out of the oven at a hole in the wall near the VT/NY border, $3 or so and more memorable than just about any of the $300 meals I've had.
grilled lamb heart, roasted marrow bone w/ spinach gnoccheti, and a 39 oz aged ribeye prepared by the very best chefs. Took me weeks to get the reservation for my wife and I, so glad I had a chance to eat there.
My mom was always a fantastic cook so much to hard Â
to begin to narrow it down to only one. I usually enjoyed many of her best meals even more than most I have had in restaurants, but I have had some great meals in some restaurants as well. I don't know how anyone could narrow it down to only one for their entire life.
a tasting menu at Ryland Inn, before it closed (it has since reopened), and a rare tuna steak on a pastry shell with mole sauce that I had over 20 years ago at a French restaurant in Princeton. That was incredible.
Probably the original Bouley for my father's 60th birthday in 1992. Â
I don't even remember the details, other than we ordered the tasting menu and got wine. Family was there for the late seating, started at 9:00 p.m., left after midnight very very happy.
Jean-Louis in Greenwich, opened by famous three Michelin Star French chef Guy Savoy as his American outpost in 1983. Early in '84 my wife and I went there for dinner. Jean-Louis and Savor were both there and the place was literally empty and stayed empty until we left. Jean-Louis took our order and he and Guy cooked our meal. For 2 full hours, 2 of the best chefs in the world were cooking, just for us, some of the most amazing food you can ever imagine. When we finally left, 2 other diners were arriving and all I could was simply smile at them knowing what they would be in for.
I have to pick a small Italian restaurant, in my hometown of johnson city, ny. It's called caccitore's everything there is great but, the veal parm is great. The rigatoni bolognese, is a close second.
not a tasting menu. I like a tasting menu, but it never feels like a real meal to me -- I find that the food overwhelms the evening/rest of the experience. A great meal requires great company, catching me on a good day, service etc.
Del Posto did have a good tasting menu. I've been to 11 Mad Park at least 3-4 times and I'm not sure why it is elevated over the rest of NYC's elite restaurants.
First trip out of town with my then girlfriend, now wife. Just a wonderful in every way - food, service, ambiance. It's a crying shame that Antoine's has deteriorated so much since then. Went there again a few years ago and it was nothing like the restaurant I remembered.
For almost 10 years my work required eating in the finest restaurants in the country 4 days a week. But outside of my work, the most memorable meal was in Santa Fe at a tiny place called the Pink Adobe. It was just a Salmon filet, but however they prepared it was delicious almost beyond belief
8
Saison, San Francisco; Alinea, Chicago; Blanca, Brooklyn; Atera, Manhattan; Manresa, California, Meadowood, Napa... and an underdog, Elements in Princeton NJ. Also second the Momofuku Ko and Blue Hill Stone Barns mentions...
Cooked me after I came back from my first Iraq deployment, if I had to choose a meal not cooked my mom, I would say it was a little place by the water in Malta called Al Mare in 2007. I think the location and the ambience along with ample amount of wine made the meal so memorable.
was just about to mention El Gaucho and couldn't believe someone else mentioned it. Fantastic steak. I had the T Bone. Better than any NY steakhouse steak ive ever had.
(around age 20) I lived for a while in Mexico. I once had no money for a week and had to live on avocados and grapefruits of the tree. At the end of that week I was invited to friend's house for dinner. Shrimp caldo and Ceviche best meal I ever had and will never be forgotten.
Little family-owned restaurant, right on the water, Mt. Desert Island.
I had a seafood casserole, baked. All kinds of stuff in it. The thing is the dock is right next to the restaurant. The seafood is beyond fresh. Great place!
Jamon Iberico in some hole in the wall bars in Spain is incredible. Ham shaved off a leg hanging from the ceiling, cheese, bread, red wine.
I ate BBQ in Memphis a few years ago that was unbelievable. I felt like weeping as I ate rib after rib.
Last time I was in New Orleans I ate at a place called Dooky Chase's. Catfish, gumbo, collard greens, red beans and rice, the works. I can't say this strongly enough: if you are in New Orleans go to Dooky Chase's in Treme. Just unreal food and really good people running the place. Old school.
growing up poor, I was invited to a schmorgasboard lunch for some UN guests at a hotel cross the street. My comparison with anything I had ever had in my life (Chinese spare ribs equalling gourmet eaten twice a year at that point) it was just unbelievable to me. Ultra-rare roast beef, lobster on the half shell, jumbo shrimp, key lime pie.
Looking back, it was no big deal, but from where I had come, it was full-blown dazzling. No meal I have had since made such an impact.
I am Italian/Irish but the Italian part of my family dominated my childhood. My Dad's Italian mother (my grandmother) died when he was only 10-months old and he was raised by her Italian family of sisters and brothers while his Irish father was instructed to take off -- which he did.
My Dad's two aunts became his mothers-by-committee and his five uncles became his fathers-by-committee. They took great care of him and boy was 'Ralph.C Senior" fed well!
Now to the point:
My Great Aunts were more like multiple Grandmothers to me and food preparation was a way that they expressed love. So the "best meals" I ever had were any ones that they prepared.
Now - all that sentimentality aside ...
Sophomore year in HS I took an Italian language class. The teacher was a flaming gay guy (Not that there's anything wrong with that) named Robert Rovere. ("It's RO-VER-RAY not ROVEER" he used to say.)
He had our small class of 12 come to his apartment on a Saturday night for "Italian Dinner Night." I am sure that in today's world there would be a problem with that scenario. But back in 1981 nobody thought about these things.
Anyway, we were all supposed to bring an Italian dish to the dinner and this girl named Cara . . .
Editors note: Mr. Ro-ver-ray called her "Mama Cara" after Mama Cass Elliott because she was fat. I'm pretty sure there's a lawsuit there by today's standards too.
. . . brought this pasta-veggie dish that was just lights out. Outside of the food prepared by my Italian Great-Aunts, it was was best thing that I ever tasted.
I tried many times to recreate the dish but I never could.
sticks out because of the food. My favorite food is probably new haven pizza. Stopped on the way home from Stamford back to Boston tonight met a couple friends and had an Italian Bomb at Modern Apizza - that's among the best.
one other that comes to mind is 16 years ago I proposed to my girlfriend, now wife at a place in great falls, VA called L'Auberge Chez Francois. Not sure why I decided to do it there during that meal on that night, but I did. Couldn't tell you the first thing about what I ate, but that night was memorable and other than not remembering the what I ate, I do recall it being great and a great dining experience.
The place burned down shortly after that. I think they might have rebuilt it, but I always thought that was a bad omen, but so far it hasn't been.
meal I ate when I was stationed in Naples, Italy. Even the the pizza is sublime. But seafood pasta dishes are incredible. I got back to the U.S. and could never truly enjoy Italian food again.
Actually I can't pick one I've had many. I also cook a lot so it feels every meal is the best meal
Can't deny all the great steak dinners I've had the past few years taking clients out
From the Cajun martinis to start, the best bread and rolls I have ever seen, much less eaten, to the entree ( a stuffed Mirliton with oyster, shrimp, and andouille) to what I stole off other people's plates (awesome rabbit) to the mud pie for dessert. Saw the big man walk through the room as well
Just a stellar night.
2. 11 Madison Park - went for a birthday dinner and the tasting menu and wine pairings were incredible. Free (her mom paid) so that helps the overall reminiscence. Beautiful space as well.
3. Le Bernardin - went on Valentine's Day and probably held back by what it cost me, but right up there with the other two as far as quality, service, etc. Also had one of the Bernstein brothers and his wife come up to us after the meal to compliment us, which led to an interview with AB. Even though I turned it down it's a story I enjoy telling, haha. Most expensive meal I've ever paid for though.
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
Sugiyama (kaiseki)
Per Se is great too, but the price is absurd.
I'm a fan of good tasting menus. Lots of variety, all dishes the chef is proud of, and if done well the whole is even better than the sum of the parts.
The beautiful settings are also a big part of the appeal.
I've had some amazing steak dinners too, and I've had lobster rolls in Maine and New Hampshire that I drool just thinking about for weeks before and weeks after. And I had a half dozen cider donuts fresh out of the oven at a hole in the wall near the VT/NY border, $3 or so and more memorable than just about any of the $300 meals I've had.
Le Bernadan in the 90's
Jack's San Francisco in the late 70's heavenly poached Copper River salmon(cash only)
Valentino LA in the 80's at its peak
The Hump sushi restaurant Venice, best sushi ever
Providence restaurant in LA, amazing fish
And, of course, Joel Robuchon in Vegas, 13 courses in 4 and 1/2 hours and the $600 per person tab(comped by the hotel thank you very much).
Del Posto did have a good tasting menu. I've been to 11 Mad Park at least 3-4 times and I'm not sure why it is elevated over the rest of NYC's elite restaurants.
Link - ( New Window )
Turkey
Ham
Pasta
Homemade stuffing
two types of cranberries
corn
asparagus
Home made mashed potatoes
Apple, Pumpkin, and Lemon meringue pie
And yes, she made just about everything from scratch.
8
Linguini in white clam sauce, Veal parm on the bone and Limoncello pie for dessert.
Best meal I've ever had.
Contemplating taking my wife there for our 10th anniversary.
Do it Mook, and it's BYOB.
Nobu
11 Madison Park
Blue (Eric Riepert restaurant in Grand Cayman)
I had a seafood casserole, baked. All kinds of stuff in it. The thing is the dock is right next to the restaurant. The seafood is beyond fresh. Great place!
Agree with you. Great steak. Then I had to make room to go upstairs and order from the dessert menu.
I ate BBQ in Memphis a few years ago that was unbelievable. I felt like weeping as I ate rib after rib.
Last time I was in New Orleans I ate at a place called Dooky Chase's. Catfish, gumbo, collard greens, red beans and rice, the works. I can't say this strongly enough: if you are in New Orleans go to Dooky Chase's in Treme. Just unreal food and really good people running the place. Old school.
Looking back, it was no big deal, but from where I had come, it was full-blown dazzling. No meal I have had since made such an impact.
My Dad's two aunts became his mothers-by-committee and his five uncles became his fathers-by-committee. They took great care of him and boy was 'Ralph.C Senior" fed well!
Now to the point:
My Great Aunts were more like multiple Grandmothers to me and food preparation was a way that they expressed love. So the "best meals" I ever had were any ones that they prepared.
Now - all that sentimentality aside ...
Sophomore year in HS I took an Italian language class. The teacher was a flaming gay guy (Not that there's anything wrong with that) named Robert Rovere. ("It's RO-VER-RAY not ROVEER" he used to say.)
He had our small class of 12 come to his apartment on a Saturday night for "Italian Dinner Night." I am sure that in today's world there would be a problem with that scenario. But back in 1981 nobody thought about these things.
Anyway, we were all supposed to bring an Italian dish to the dinner and this girl named Cara . . .
Editors note: Mr. Ro-ver-ray called her "Mama Cara" after Mama Cass Elliott because she was fat. I'm pretty sure there's a lawsuit there by today's standards too.
. . . brought this pasta-veggie dish that was just lights out. Outside of the food prepared by my Italian Great-Aunts, it was was best thing that I ever tasted.
I tried many times to recreate the dish but I never could.
one other that comes to mind is 16 years ago I proposed to my girlfriend, now wife at a place in great falls, VA called L'Auberge Chez Francois. Not sure why I decided to do it there during that meal on that night, but I did. Couldn't tell you the first thing about what I ate, but that night was memorable and other than not remembering the what I ate, I do recall it being great and a great dining experience.
The place burned down shortly after that. I think they might have rebuilt it, but I always thought that was a bad omen, but so far it hasn't been.