Popovers, rarely offered, exquisite simplicity.
Cream scones
Oatmeal scones
Beignets
Singapore noodles? No thank you, if they aren’t calling it by its real name, Hokkien Mee, then I know they aren’t making it standard and I’m out.
If I’m in any Chinese restaurant and see Chicken Rice, I’m def having that!
For Bao, if I see Korean pork belly bao, I’ll stand in line a long while.
Also curried goat, if I see this offered at a festival I’m def having it!
Something I’ve only seen once, at a crazy chef’s tasting meal is a German dish called Mett. It is ground pork, served raw, with onions. Think steak tartare but pork.
I’d drive 500 miles for it, but I doubt I’ll ever find it on a menu.
If they have it on a slate or menu.
Chicken-fried steak. They can’t screw that up.
Otherwise, BLT, add mustard, hold mayo, fries. Or Hamburger, add bacon, no cheese, fries. Nobody can screw those up.
Anything else: well, I’d be going there for some other reason. For some random diner or whatever, though, I’d stick with what they can probably do.
Two eggs, fried over hard, bacon, wheat toast, potatoes, and a fork.
You’d be surprised at the number of places that can screw up chicken-fried steak.
Well, explain! The answer will be probably terrifying, but one must know!
The best bread pudding I ever had was cold, from the deli of a grocery store. A layer of custard (not pudding, but real custard) and a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg on top. It was just addictive.
I’ve had “tough-as-shoe-leather” CFS to “I wish this had as much flavor as shoe leather”. At a pretty popular (and slightly spendy for what you get) restaurant in Carver, the dish had no flavor, no seasonings, not even salt and pepper - I sent it back and got something else. That’s why I say I’ll order it once in a new to me restaurant, just to see if they do it well. There are a lot of places that don’t. But when I find a place that does it well, it’ll be my go-to almost every time. A couple of the local pubs/saloons here do it very, very well, and will gladly make it into a chicken-fried steak sandwich for me if I ask nicely 
That’s both horrifying and enlightening.
First thought of mine was if they put it on the slate/chalkboard then I’m having it. With either white or brown gravy, wheat or rye toast, two eggs over, potatoes and a coffee.
But, yes, they can probably not even get a side of CFS right these days, seems like.
Another thing people screw up is a damned gyro. Fool me once, whatever, but ain’t paying again twenty bucks for a stupid streetfood sandwich unless you shave that lamb right in front of me. I guess yuppies will eat anything. and it’s not so much the price, but if I want to buy a streetfood, it should be cheap and I want to see it prepared, right in front of me.
And that is why we always have tacos lengua and carnitas, three at a time. Always.
I happen to love them and only see them on the menu in the UK.
So it’s extremely rare for me to eat them.
I saw another guy in the thread had mushy peas on his/her list.
You really had to say this?
Never had it. Sorry, I don’t see how breading and frying a cheap steak would be good.
my apologies, I did not phrase my response well. I’ve never had mushy peas, only regular garden peas steamed or boiled, often part of an overlooked “mixed vegetable” course. They are benign, but certainly not something I seek out. So, I am wondering what makes mushy peas so good in your mind? Is there a particular recipe you would recommend?
Try it. You might be surprised. Although, as @Dogginit said above, it’s quite possible to screw it up, particularly if the meat isn’t sufficiently tenderized or it’s fried a bit too long. But a good chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and white gravy is quite tasty.
When my gf visited the UK she had mushy peas at a pub and loved them. She has made them a few times since, soaking dried marrowfat peas in water with some baking soda overnight and then simmering them in water until you have a “thickened sludge”. Delicious!
It’s all good. Sometimes it is difficult to get someone’s actual meaning in the written narrative. Thank you for explaining.
I enjoy bland foods and discovering this one was a gem in my experience. Maybe it is the texture of the hard marrow fat peas with the surrounding “mashed potato” texture that delighted me.
Adding butter makes them divine!
It could also be that it now has the association of foreign travel attached to it if that makes any sense. I ate them everytime I ordered fish and chips in London lol. Memory food?
They are definitely better as a restaurant item as I have since bought canned mushy peas and they are OK but not the same.
I haven’t tried to make them yet as I am a reluctant cook but it’s definitely something I plan to do.
I am going to try to make them! You are definitely right that the context or situation when eating definitely can make a particular food more memorable or enjoyable
A good Reuben is the best possible sandwich, and I’m always willing to try someone’s version at least once. Even a poor Reuben is a pretty good sandwich.
I make latkes at home regularly and I haven’t been excited by anything similar in a restaurant. Our own eggs, home made applesauce, home made yogurt. And fresh sauerkraut. The Member of the Wedding meal, for me (that is, the meal you want prepared and passed under your nose before you’re put in your coffin, to make sure you’re dead).
My three go-tos for this are eggs Benedict, a Reuben sandwich, and the chile relleno. Would make a good day of eating, but it would have to be after a long hike or ride or else I’d put on some pounds.
The best bread pudding I ever had was from the Department of Water and Power Employee Cafeteria in Los Angeles (it was open to the public). A cold heaaaavy brick of bread pudding which was amazing. It made it so I DON’T ever order bread pudding out in the world. I know its not going to be as good.