the best thing I ever ate

[mehan]

So as not to hijack the other thread.... when I was a very poor student we used to play "the best thing I ever ate"  (long before the food channel came up with it).  Although our memories included expensive restaurants, many memories were mom's tuna casserole or an ice cold PBR after working a 120 degree kitchen shift..... it was all in the telling

One of my all time faves was driving all day, first through napa and picking up a Silver Oak cab, through the outskirts of San Francisco for sourdough, through watsonville for artichokes and garlic, ending up in Pacific Grove... grabbing a couple pounds of shrimp and heading down to the beach... cooking it all up over a fire and watching the sun set.....

My husband would say... red beans and rice, the white hart and the rogues..... and he wouldn't be far wrong....

[KeeperoftheBar]

A Canadian Bacon & pineapple pizza with a 6-pack of Olympia beer at a drive in movie.  Of course, I don't think it was the food that was memorable, but the little blonde I was with. 
I wonder what ever happened to her......

[Marietta Graziella]

A grotty little whole in the wall in the Costa Rican rain forest...  We'd just done a zip line tour on a picture perfect day.  We had this amazing pounded chicken with a jalapeno white sauce, grilled aubergine over a creamy rice, sides and sides of grilled veggies (all cooked on this amazing open grill) and ice cold local beer.  Yum.   Wow.  Just wow.

Best dessert was called Death by Chocolate savored at a tiny B&B in Aynho, England.  It was my (now) husband and my 3rd date.   I knew I would marry him a week later when we shared a rum raisin ice cream cone purchased from a street cart in Manchester, England.  Rum Raisin is still my "emotional eating" flavour of choice when I'm missing him (he works out of the country).

[Capt. Morgan]

In garb at O'Shucks having oyster shooters and steamed shrimp on a crisp Fall day with a pint of Copperhead and better people! 

[ArielCallista]

I already commented about this on that other thread...but the best thing I've ever eaten was stuffed pizza from Giordano's in Chicago. My boyfriend and I drove up to Chicago for New Years/his birthday last year. There was a three day concert thing of his favorite band. We're planning to go again, and we will most definitely be eating at Giordano's again!

[Mairte]

It was at a well know burger place in Chicago...but the name escapes me at the moment!

[Welsh Wench]

Ravioli in olive oil and herbs in a little clam bar in an alley in Venice by the Rialto Bridge.

When we ordered, there were only four ravioli and no bread and I said to my husband, "Oh great in an hour I will be starving again."

Turns out it was so filling and the best ravioli I have ever had. And no red sauce either.

[Molden]

Mehan - we used to play this game when I was with Uncle Sam's Misguided Children as we called ourselves. We would usually be out in the bush, seperated from chow for a day with supplies along the way when this topic would come up. Most of us spoke of comfort food that was made back home, usually by Moms of Mythical Stature.

I've enjoyed many fyne meals and situations, food-gasms even. The one thing that I keep coming back to was the 1st meal I requested after I got out of boot-camp. My Mom's green enchiladas. These things aren't even close to what you get at Mexican restaurants. These were ground beef rolled in flour tortillas with green chilies in this rich mushroom soup/cheese sauce. You couldn't eat many as they were so doggone RICH! But they tasted so GOOD it was a hurculean task to have restraint enough to stop before you were in misery from "one too many".

[Anna Iram]

Yeah, this is a hard one! Lot's and Lot's of great meals and tasty treats. Funny how the circumstances can sometimes turn a good meal into something phenomenal...

When I was out in Cali a couple years back. I was having surgery and wasn't allowed food for the first three days after the operation. On the fourth night I was allowed a full meal. I was starving, but it was so horrid. Some kind of flavorless noodle with chucks of liver flavored meat in a liver sauce...It was foul...couldn't eat it, so I passed my time plotting my first meal out. There was this Italian restaurant down the block from me with the most amazing minestrone soup..like Soup Nazi good soup and yummy crunchy buttery garlicky bread dipped in the soup. Damn that was good. A feast. Sounds boring I guess now, but my tastebuds had never been happier.

Marietta, I love Rum Raisin too. Something about the flavor.

[Rowan MacD]

  BBQ chicken pizza from Boston's.

[Auryn]

Ohh awesome thread.
I can honestly say that one of the best meals I have had was at La Tasca in Washington DC this past May.
Little tapas joint literally right off the Chinatown metro exit.
I had these pancetta wrapped grilled sea scallops in a spanish cheese sauce    - I need a drooling smiley

ohhhh so good.

Of course the home made lasagna that we get for christmas is still top of the charts

[Lady Nicolette]

Even though I'm a vegetarian now, the best thing I ever ate was abalone.

I've had quite a few memorable meals, one of the best was a meal that a group of us bid on at an auction to benefit Aeron's elemetary school, conveniently located in Sonoma County in the Russian River Valley.  The meal was at Hartford Court winery, they have a very exclusive bed and breakfast as well as the winery, during the Clinton administration, they opted to stay there for a vacation.  Here is the menu of the meal with wine pairings:

Shrimp Toasts with Lemongrass and Chives
Osetra Caviar on Rye Blinis & Coconut Creme Fraiche
Kristone Sparking Wine
'92 Blanc de Noir

Foie Gras with Lemon Toast Points
Chilled English Pea and Fava Bean Soup
'98 Hartford Court Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

Lobster & Seafood Tamales with Saffron Cream Sauce
(Lobster flown in from Boston)
'97 La Crema Reserve Chardonnay

Osso Bucco with Mushroom Orzo & Baby Carrots
(Veal flown in from Rome)
'97 Hartford Cellar Hartford Vineyard Zinfandel and
'97 Hartford Court Dutton-Sanchietti Pinot Noir

Hazelnut Creme Brulee
The Comet Late Harvest Dessert Wine
'97 Muscat Canelli

Executive Chef was Don Hartford, Chef Almir DeFonseca, assisted by the El Molino High School Culinary Staff.  The high school there has a viticulture program for their students, btw.

[Lady Nicolette]

One of my all time faves was driving all day, first through napa and picking up a Silver Oak cab, through the outskirts of San Francisco for sourdough, through watsonville for artichokes and garlic, ending up in Pacific Grove... grabbing a couple pounds of shrimp and heading down to the beach... cooking it all up over a fire and watching the sun set....

Sounds like a perfect time to me, Mehan!

[Lady Nicolette]

A grotty little whole in the wall in the Costa Rican rain forest...  We'd just done a zip line tour on a picture perfect day.  We had this amazing pounded chicken with a jalapeno white sauce, grilled aubergine over a creamy rice, sides and sides of grilled veggies (all cooked on this amazing open grill) and ice cold local beer.  Yum.   Wow.  Just wow.

Best dessert was called Death by Chocolate savored at a tiny B&B in Aynho, England.  It was my (now) husband and my 3rd date.   I knew I would marry him a week later when we shared a rum raisin ice cream cone purchased from a street cart in Manchester, England.  Rum Raisin is still my "emotional eating" flavour of choice when I'm missing him (he works out of the country).

OK, now I'm incredibly hungry.  Time to go cook!

[Lady Nicolette]

Ravioli in olive oil and herbs in a little clam bar in an alley in Venice by the Rialto Bridge.

When we ordered, there were only four ravioli and no bread and I said to my husband, "Oh great in an hour I will be starving again."

Turns out it was so filling and the best ravioli I have ever had. And no red sauce either.

Sometimes those little places in such a lovely setting can have the very best food and make a great memory!

[SirRichardBear]

The two things that come to mind was my Grandmother's Yorkshire pudden and my great Aunt's spaghetti with meatballs

[angusmacinnes]

The red velvet cake my mom used to make for my birthday.

[dbaldock]

I've had a few meals through the years that stand out in my memory ---


Shakey's Pepperoni Pizza for my 6th - 8th Birthdays, along with homemade Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie that my Mom would make for me.


When I was 14, my family took a Summer Vacation Trip to Switzerland. (Shriners from several states Chartered an Airplane, and my Dad was a Shriner, so we got to go cheap.)  Instead of doing the "Group Tour" thing, we rented a car and drove around Switzerland, and over into France, Germany, & Liechtenstein.  The meal that I most remember was one day at Lunch when we were touring one of the "old" Walled Cities in Germany and went into a local (non-tourist) restaurant where they didn't speak English.  We figured out what we could from the German Menu, and ordered some good "comfort food" that was delicious and filling.


At the end of September, 2001, my parent and I flew to London and toured around England, Scotland, and the Republic of Ireland for a couple of weeks.  All the meals during the trip were good, but the one that stands out was the first full meal after flying all Friday night to get there, and then driving from London to York.  We walked a half-mile from the B&B to the local Pub (The Plough Inn, Fulford, York), and had a simple, delicious, Pub meal.  I ordered a Yorkshire Pudding with Beef & Onion Gravy (it was what all Pot-Pies should aspire to be!) and then we shared a Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert that was outstanding.


In 2005, as my parents were in their Fall migration from central MN to south TX, they stopped to visit around about the time of their 50th Anniversary.  We went to Perry's Steakhouse (Bay Area location), and I had an amazing 8 oz. Filet Mignon, Au Gratin Potatoes, and Sautéed Sherried Mushrooms.


On my birthday in 2009, I treated myself to a really good dinner at Tommy's Seafood & Steakhouse, which I mentioned on this thread.


Take Care,
David Baldock

EDIT:  Looked back at the UK Trip diary, and found the name of what I ordered.

[RumbaRue]

When on the Queen Mary last year for the Pirate event, at the dinner, the dessert was to die for!
OMG-chocolate, chocolate mousse, and some other things sort of like a cake slice, it was delicious!
I've never had anything like it and it will forever be the top food to me.

[Anna Iram]

You've made me think of a cake an amazing chef in NYC used to bake. It was called the White Chocolate Frou Frou Cake. OMG...eight thin layers of alternate white chocolate cream and white chocolate cake, then completely covered with thinly shaved white chocolate curls and flakes. Gave it a delightful crunch along with the buttery cream of the chocolate. So darn good!

[Hausfrau Monica]

One of the chefs I have worked with in the past gave me a sandwich that was so awesome:

a piece of really good rye bread
spread with a cranberry relish
thick slice of roast turkey breast
and a few pieces of Brie, melted in the sali

YUMMMMMMMMMMMM!

for New Year's Eve he also gave us the most amazing cut of steak, blue rare, drizzled in truffle oil

Even though he was a terrible chef to work for, I will remember those two things for a very long time