DISQUS

Linda Borland-Fitzgerald · 10 months ago

The meal we had at Mario Butali's restaurant, Pizzeria Mozza in L.A. this Christmas.

One appetizer was rustic bread soaked in garlic oil, served with this incredible cheese melted with basil and truffle oil and tiny, vine tomatoes that were roasted. You scoop it all up with this bread. The second appetizer was deep fried, zucchini flowerettes that were filled with melting goat cheese.

The 'Bianca' thin crust pizza (white pizza is my favourite) was one of the best ever - also had a drizzling of truffle oil on it. And the desserts (we ordered two for the table of 4, to share. Both were creamy puddings, one caramel with sea salt and tiny rosemary and ginger, cookies. The other was butterscotch with salted, Spanish peanuts. We groaned and moaned through the whole thing. Google "best appetizers in L.A." and see what people say.

Jennywren · 10 months ago

My mother's rissoles with mashed potato and pumpkin + peas and carrots. Had been living in Saudia Arabia for 5 months and was pregnant. Just craved Mum's cooking. First night back it was the best meal ever. Nothing expensive. Just ordinary and familiar.

alligator_kate · 10 months ago

Made by my amazing guy. Hard to choose one. But before you become too envious... I eat a largely vegetarian based diet, where meat is a supplement, not the other way around, and he's mostly a carnivore. I often abstain from his cooking. That said, he has made the Platonic ideal of: Calzone, chili, fish soup, mushroom barley soup, borsht, standing rib roast, ribs, rueben sandwich, cornish game hen, to name a few. He is a genius at cooking meat and making soup. We have foody friends who clamor for his cooking, demanding we have dinner parties, and he is very humble, like an old Swedish grandmother, always finding at least one fault in everything he makes.

Terry · 10 months ago

I was with Linda Borland-Fitzgerald (have been for 42 years). I ordered a different entree but tasted hers and had the same appetizers and dessert. OMG. We have enough free air miles saved up to fly down there just for dinner!!

BTW - Linda - GO TO BED!

ellabobella · 10 months ago

I had read one of Ruth Reichl's memoirs, "Garlic and Sapphires," which is about her tenure as a food critic for the New York Times. I fell in love with her writing, and the idea of the meals she was eating, which were described so viscerally. When my mum and I decided to visit N.Y. I gave her a copy of the book to get her on board with my idea that we had to go to one of the featured restaurants. We ended up at Jean-Georges, and it was the most amazing meal I have ever had. Just the service! It was impeccable... for a better description than I can give read Reichl's book. Reading about food is almost as good as eating it. Sigh.

debbierodgers · 10 months ago

My mouth is watering just reading how much you love her food reviews. I'm looking for this book right away!

textimage · 10 months ago

I've had many amazing meals (Uchi in Austin, French Laundry in Napa, Jean Georges in NY...) so this is a tough question! But when pondering this question I tended to cherish the less grand meals and recalled my experience of lamb tagine at Restaurant 404 in Paris. Hey, I was in Paris, the food was sublime and atmosphere out of this world (festive, warm, communal). The place is small on a little street at the northern border of Le Marais, past the Pompidou. Check it out.

Krystall · 10 months ago

veal with pasta and a marinara sauce, salad and merlot

the waiter sang happy birthday to me, as it was my 29th birthday and it brought tears to my eyes. the meal was awesome, and complete.

Roma Cafe in Detroit

Kim · 10 months ago

I drove to Florida for the first time many years ago. I left Toronto in a very bad snow storm and arrived in Cocoa Beach in the evening two days later. We were hungry, we dipped our toes in the ocean, changed into summer clothes and found a wonderful restaurant. I had lamb chops and vegetables and fresh herbs and flowers that were grown in their garden. What an oasis, the food superb and the hospitality gracious. Thanks, this was a buried memory until now.

Wazzy · 10 months ago

My grandmother invited my family up to her house when we reunited with my long-lost brother a couple years ago. She is 80 and I assumed she'd have some eggs and bacon and coffee. What she had prepared exceeded my expectations by a landslide. She had dish upon dish of casseroles, breads, meats.... it was absolutely amazing. I did not think one person was capable of making that much incredible food, let alone my quiet 80 year old grandmother. Everything was made with lots of butter and cooked to perfection, and it was just such a nice day. I realized that looks can be deceiving and that my grandma has something magic happen when she cooks. I thought about how she had waited 38 years to meet my brother, the grandson she had had to say goodbye to. I think all of that waiting ended up manifesting in the amazing meal we had that day.

Cindy - Creative Classic · 10 months ago

My favorite meals of the moment are Tofu Curry over lime rice (Vietnamese restaurant) and Pad Thai (Thai restaurant). I love to eat food, but obviously, I am not big on cooking :)

Ellen · 10 months ago

Whichever one I am eating at any given mealtime.
Otherwise, there have been some memorable ones...
The 12-course gemlike beautiful dinner at Arun's in Chicago..
The incredible meal at Jean-Georges in New York - absolutely divine.
The duck breast at Chez Francis while gazing out at the Eiffel Tower on a drizzly night...
The rough peasant bread and sausages and beer with Sylvia in Munich...
My birthday dinner two years ago that my chef sweetheart cooked for me while NAKED.....

This year he is taking me to Morocco for two weeks, ending up in Paris for my birthday. We will have dinner that night in a cave that purportedly has the best cassoulet in the universe. After 30 years he still has their business card by his phone at his office. Must be good!

debbierodgers · 10 months ago

I don't think I could choose just one of all the wonderful meals I've had in my life, although Carrie's mention of Indian Food reminded me of some fabulous mint chicken we had a few years ago at the Indian restaurant on Water Street (?) in St. John's Newfoundland. Haven't been able to find it anywhere else. I also loved the toutons & molasses at Velma's in the same city.
For a large crowd of friends, I love making the "South Pacific wedding meal". The combination of hot & cold, crispy & soft, sweet & savoury is fantastic - and different in every bite.

Cobby · 10 months ago

Dinner with my husband at a restaurant called Mustard's in the Napa Valley. We drank a Mondavi Private Reserve Pinot Noir. I ate Chipotle rubbed duck served over two white corn tamales with sauteed jalapenos (they get sweet after being sauteed) over a bed of spanish rice and black beans and something lucious and chocolate for dessert. I was drunk enough to not care that I was making a total mess of eating the duck. It was just a perfect evening.

Dena · 10 months ago

This was years ago - I believe 1993 - I had been travelling in Germany and arrived in Munich one night prior to my flight home. As one of the buidling fairs was on, there were no hotel rooms to be found, so a friend of mine offered me the extra room at his apartment. I said for his hospitality I would take him out for dinner that evening.
We went to a hunting lodge on the outskirts of Munich that had been converted into a restaurant. I don't remember exactly what we ordered other than venison for the main course, but we had appetizers, entree and finished with a cheese tray. My friend knew exactly which wine to order to enhance each course (so much for just ordering the wine you like), and it really did enhance the flavours.
The experience of it remains in my mind more than the actual taste, but whenever someone asks about one of my best meals, this is the first one that comes to mind. And shall I add that it cost me less than $100?

CS - Composed Lovely · 10 months ago

Maybe not the best, but a most memorable one . . . a hot baked potatoe at the finish line of a New Years Eve 10K race in Denver, Colorado - many years ago.

waggish · 10 months ago

For New Years I went to King Estates Vinyard in Eugene, OR for a Food and Wine paring event. They have an organic garden in addition to the vinyard and their own chef on staff. The food and wine were absolutly wonderful.

http://www.kingestate.com/

However the best meals are the ones Itake time out to dream up and prepare, and share!

kerrymac · 10 months ago

Pizza and Tortilla soup at a little basement restaurant in San Migeul Allende Mexico years ago. It was all stone and candles and there was no english anywhere. We ordered away and had a delightful meal after a long day of walking.

I also have fond memories of a restaurant in Florida called "The Ark" I LOVED that place of ridiculous feasting when I was young and skinny.

www.snickerdoodles.typepad.com

Mackenzie · 10 months ago

The meal I had the night I was engaged in Ferchia, Italy (Tuscany). I was surrounded by our two close friends from Australia and my fiance. We went to the tiniest, hole-in-the-wall restaurant run by Walter and his wife Anna. Nobody in the restaurant spoke a word of English but the food was AMAZING and the entire restaurant applauded when Walter told them we were engaged. There were no menus, no bills and Walter wrote the final bill amount right on the table cloth with a pencil.

Connie · 10 months ago

A piece of toast with butter and a cup of tea after 23 hours of labor birthing my first daughter.

joannag · 10 months ago

I am so with you on that!

waggish · 10 months ago

Oh yes I remember scrumptious nectarines after the home birth of my youngest sonson

Meredith · 10 months ago

I went to Europe for the first time when I was 23. I decided to go to Paris, 'the city of love' alone as a celebration of my independent spirit, sort of a "I don't need romance to complete me"-type-thing. I was there for 3 days with no one but me. I hadn't spent a dime on myself while in Europe - I was busy finding treasures for family and friends and I decided I should do something for me. The first day I was Paris I asked the concierge what the most "chi-chi" restaurant in Paris was. That night I got all dolled up in the only dress I had brought with the only pair of heels I had. I felt like Audrey Hepburn! I took myself to Fouquets on the Champs- Elysees. I strolled in on a red carpet. The place was dripping with gold, marble, chandeliers...tres chi chi indeed! I ordered the cheapest wine on the menu (the only one I could afford) and had only an entree - I still felt like a princess though and I loved every minute of this experience that I was giving to myself! It was a meal that I will never forget - the night that I romanced ME in the city of love!

Steve Harvey · 10 months ago

I've eaten a lot of good food, being a snob and foodie, but oddly enough the first meal that comes to mind is one which the food wasn't good at all - but like Jessica, the experience made it so memorable.

Squatting on the banks of the Mekong river in Cambodia at 6:30 AM waiting for my boat back to Phnom Penh, I had but one option to fuel up before a 5hr trip in 40 degree heat. A bowl of noodles, with a few bone ridden scraps of fish in broth that was basically boiled river water and fish sauce.

Mud above my ankles, 80# on my back, I ate my breakfast amongst the locals and a few other travels, as we watch the sun rise and 100 fishermen walk ashore with their catch of the day in baskets on their heads.

It was so surreal the thought of getting ill didn't enter my mind. A meal I will never forget.

laurie_matthews · 10 months ago

There are just too many to choose from. Brunch is my favorite meal and I love enjoying it eating out. My favorites are Simpatica in Portland, Oregon and Paramount in Boston. My favorite meals are those that stem from cooking with friends... Thanksgiving at Dant on the bank of the Deschuttes River, lobster at Amy's summer home on the Massachusetts shore, Garrett's burgers from Memorial Day weekends on the Vineyard.

Elisabeth · 10 months ago

Peking Duck, at a restaurant devoted to roast duck, in Beijing. There are many such places; you make a reservation, sometimes up to 24 hrs ahead, and they prepare a duck just for you. But it's not just the duck, it's the whole experience. The plethora of delightful side dishes they place before you while you wait for your duck. The ritual of carving. The tray of unidentifiable relishes. The divine experience of placing in your mouth a sliver of duck fat dipped in sugar. Unbelievable!!!

Christopher · 10 months ago

Having pizza with my family after not seeing them for 18 months being in the Army. That was a meal I'll never forget!

braziliana · 10 months ago

Having my mother's rice and beans after 6 years!!!!

elinwoods · 6 months ago

Probably a moose steak. A family friend got one in Canada, offered me some, and I'm so glad that I took it. It was one of the most amazing things that have ever passed between these lips.