Three popped into my head when I read the subject line:
Sushi from Kamakura’s in Alameda, CA
*Chef Chan’s Beef *from Chef Chan’s in The Woodlands, TX
the delicious crusty bread in France
I don’t remember the name of the village. Somewhere near or in the Gredos Mountains.
Steak at Michael Mina. It was American Wagyu with Foie Gras, Truffles, and a Pinot Noir reduction. You’re basically cheating at that point.
The Lobster Pot Pie that proceeded it also lands pretty high on the list. A good night.
I’ve got two odd ones that are in the running.
The first was in September 1994, as I drove cross-country on my way to college. I stopped at the Pueblo Cultural Center in Albequerque (I think), NM, and visited the museum. Afterward I got a black bean burrito at their cafe.
To this day, I almost tear up remember the exquisite burrito I ate that day. Everything was perfectly fresh and simple and flavorful. I suspect that the world had one Platonic Ideal of a burrito; all other burritos are a mere shadow against the wall of the cave. And I snarfed it down.
The second was after a decent Mediterranean meal I ate with my wife some years back. After dinner, we had Turkish delight and Turkish coffee for dessert. Good lord! the contrast between the perfumed sticky sweetness of the candy and the bracing black bitterness of the coffee was absolutely perfect. We couldn’t talk as we ate: we were too focused on the sublimity of the experience.
Ditto on the freshest fish I ever had in my life, but mine was sashimi and in the city of Kanazawa, on the Japan Sea side of Japan (directly north of Nagoya). The restaurant had their own boat, and served whatever they had caught that morning. Unbelievably good. This was in 1988 and I have never forgotten it.
A place in the country outside of Kaiserslautern, Germany. We went as a unit, and the married members’ spouses. They served a whole roast pig that was absolutely to die for, and spaetzle with pork gravy that I loved.
Virtually all fish (except certain tuna) prepared for raw consumption in the US must be previously frozen, so most sushi eaten in NYC isn’t fresh. Japan, however, is a different story…
From a previous thread…
Sop Sapi on the beach in Sanur, the cook’s daughters holding parasols over us, laughing while trying to slurp down the noodles. Might have been ground rat for all we knew. Mostly the experience, the adventure.
A cannoli from a place in the North End of Boston. This Italian beauty picked up a freshly baked shell, filled it with the ricotta mixture, rolled the ends in crushed pistachios and sprinkled it with powered sugar.
Absolutely wonderful!
Tiger prawns in Vietnam. Seared whole on a hotplate, dipped in salt and pepper. Fresh lime juice squeezed over it. Served with cold beer. By a river.
Grilled calamari in Mahdia, Tunisia.
It was a tiny restaurant next to where the fish market was in the day. It had two tables outside on the little cobbled street, and one of those lit up signs with a thousand dishes, none of which they served. You just got what was on the menu that day. That day was grilled calamari.
It was perfect.
My father’s hamburgers. Never had better.
I have two.
For a savory option, the arancini the chef served us as an amuse bouche at Slates in Fresno. Holy cow, that was so good. Just one small bite of perfectly fried mushroom risotto.
And the Tiramisu at Fratelli’s in the same city, for a sweet option. I’d never had tiramisu before and it became my favorite dessert. But the restaurant closed and I’ve never been able to find another one like it. It was served in a glass and you could taste the coffee and the rum and just thinking about it makes my mouth water.
I’m dieting, I need to get out of this thread!
King salmon, fished that morning from Taku River, Alaska, with us flown to it. It really was the best salmon I’ve ever tasted. Yes, the experience was great, too, but since then I’ve bought a LOT of King salmon in June/July when it’s wild caught and freshest, but it’s not the same as the never-frozen fish I got right next to the river. Guess I’ll have to go back one day.
I don’t know. I pay no attention. Cheese, maybe?
When I was a kid, my parents bought me my first kebob from a cart vendor on the beach. I remember every detail of that experience from the smell of the smoke mixed with the beach air to the taste of the vinegary grilled meat on a stick without any bread or accompanying sides. The meat was very tough and chewy and far from the best kabob I’ve ever eaten since, but because it was my first taste of grilled meat, it remains my ‘best thing I ever ate’ memory.
Was on a catamaran cruise 2 couples, the capt. his wife and a crew member in the BVI Christmas 1992. Capt harpooned fresh lobster, wife proceeded to steam them and we ate within 10 minutes of the catch. Best ever.
In a restaurant in Boston many years ago I had Coquilles St. Jacques (baked scallops au gratin) and I can still remember every bite. I’ve had lots of scallops in a variety of ways since then but they always pale in comparison to the memory of that one.
This one wins. I’ve been thinking about all of the amazing dishes I’ve had over the years and I started realizing that the atmosphere and experience are just as important as the taste of the dish. My Dad was an avid griller and I’d give anything to have just one more evening grilling burgers with him. He passed away in April and on this Father’s day I just realized what I’m doing for dinner tonight… getting my kids together and just simply grilling some burgers and chatting. Hopefully someday my kids will think this was their best meal.