# The Best Meal You Ever Had .... The Great Meal Discussion



## Snarf Zagyg (Mar 2, 2022)

I recently came across the following article that made me think about a topic for discussion here on Enworld-









						I'm common as muck and spent £150 on Michelin star food to see if it's worth it
					

I went to Adams in the city centre and the food had me in tears




					www.birminghammail.co.uk
				




It really is heartwarming when someone decides to spread their wings ... and it pays off! But it made me think ... what is the best meal I ever had? And, concurrently, I thought it would be a good topic for conversation so that other people could share their thoughts and talk about the truly transcendent meals that they have enjoyed, as well. 

Of course, we will need to channel this discussion a little. So I'm going to post some rules / guidelines for you to follow. After all, there MUST BE ORDER! Of course, in saying that, I fully assume that at least half the response will either ignore that, or complain about the existence of rules. _You can't tell me what to do! _Still, there is a reason for them. Try and be constructive.

*Topic: What is the best meal you have had?*

Rules-

1. It must be a meal you have eaten.

This should be obvious, I hope. But this doesn't include food you've seen on television, or that time you had a reservation at El Bulli and it was cancelled, or a delicious smell of donuts. It was something that you put in your belly.

2. It was a restaurant meal / meal you paid for.

The intent of this rule is simple- I don't want to hear about a meal you made, or about how your mother makes the best spaghetti ever (whatever ... yo mama's cooking is so nasty, the flies got together and fixed the holes in the window screens). I'd like to hear about a meal that you had at a restaurant that you paid for (or that is normally paid for, but you had a gift card, or were comp'd, or whatever). 

3(a). Don't yelp this (money don't matter).

Have you ever read yelp, or some other restaurant review site, and seen something like this- "The burger was the best burger I ever had. It exploded into a constellation of flavors that I still dream about. In my entire life, I will never, ever, ever have a burger like this. But they also charge 50 cents more than the McDonalds down the street, so ... 3 stars." We get it- cost does matter. We live in the real world. But for purposes of this thread, pretend you are a slightly richer Jeff Bezos, and money does not come into the equation whatsoever. This is about the best meal you've had, not about your thriftiness.

3(b). Don't hipster this.

We all love that hole-in-the-wall pho joint. Or that BBQ roadside stand that serves amazing brisket. If that's truly the best meal you've had, go for it! But don't just pick an obscure place just because it's obscure. 

4. This isn't about the subjective experience around the meal.

This is kind of the last, catch-all rule. We're looking for the best meals - obviously, food is very subjective. Your experience will be colored by all sorts of things going on. But ... don't list something just because you were hiking all day and it's the first meal you had. Or it's the restaurant you were at when you learned you received a promotion. Or the place you were at the last time your friend group was altogether. Feel free to put in any heart-warming stories, but try and put in the best meal you've had.


*Bonus Topic: What would you choose for your last meal?*

If you'd like, also put in your choice for a "last meal." If you're unfamiliar with the concept (or it's too grizzly), think of it in this way- if you could choose one meal, of any type, with anything, to eat, what would it be? There are no constraints for this other than what you can physically fit inside of you in a sitting. You can choose either generic descriptors (Fried Chicken) or specific examples (White Castle Sliders).


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## aco175 (Mar 2, 2022)

I remember right before graduating from Ranger School we came back from field training and was in the phase between the school part and graduating part where we had some time off and it was not as structured.  We left base and stopped at the first fast food place we found which happened to be the Burger King on the main part of post.  I had 2 double cheeseburgers and 2 fires with a large Coke.  An hour later we stopped for pizza before coming back to the base for supper.  

Likely not my best meal ever, but my most memorable one after loosing 30 pounds.  

Last meal?  Maybe a whole cheesecake with cherry sauce.


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## Ryujin (Mar 2, 2022)

It was after 2:00am, in downtown Toronto, after getting kicked out of the club. Some friends and I stumbled into a little hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant just off Spadina Ave, in Chinatown, that had no business (almost literally) being open at that hour. Pretty much like an American style diner, but in Cantonese. They put on a real spread for us and we were there for hours. It wasn't the fake Cantonese stuff that you get at a fast food Chinese restaurant either, but far more authentic. Clearly not made for whiny North Americans who can't take a little heat in their food. i think that we tipped about 50% and it still wasn't all that expensive, considering that there were 6 of us.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Mar 2, 2022)

So- my answers to the my post!

*1. Best meal?*

This one was really really hard, which is why I didn't answer it immediately. I've been fortunate enough to have had a lot of really good meals. So I'll respond, instead, with a bit of a narrative. I've always loved David Chang, and have sought out his restaurants when possible. And each time, the experience was ... well, fine. Sometimes, in fact, it was less-than-fine (Momofuku in Las Vegas was ... okay, and, TBH, Hell's Kitchen or any one of a number of other Vegas restaurants was better). So it was with some trepidation that I tried his "steak house" concept, Majordomo. It was genuinely good! I got it. 

But that's not the winner. The winner is, strangely, Meals by Genet. While it was some time ago, this Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles was absolutely amazing. The flavors were insane; to this day, I still seek out Ethiopian food when I travel, but I'm inevitably disappointed when it doesn't live up to the meals I enjoyed at this place. Korean food is deservedly having its day in the sun- hopefully, Ethiopian will follow.

Runnerup- Sarma (Boston). I have to admit, I was a little surprised to enjoy a meal like this in Boston; the dining scene has definitely improved here since it was all about cannoli in the North End and music and m'dammas at the Middle East.


*2. Last meal?*

I would start with an aperitif of Campari cut with a bit of soda water. Definitely have some grape leaves and baba ganoush w/ fresh baked pita (like eggplant hummus). Khachapuri as well.* 

Then for the main course? A Cuban sandwich con croqueta from Enriqueta's Sandwich shop, and a fresh, table-made Caesar salad. To drink? Eh, I could do something awesome or challenging, but for the main course I'm going with something comforting, and that means either Modelo Negra or Murphy's. 

Desert? Watermelon. Because I am a man of SIMPLE TASTES. Oh, and a bottle of J. Wray and Nephew overproof 1940s rum. I can dream, right?


*Sure, if khachapuri is an appetizer, I'm struggling to get to the main course. But this is the last meal- I'm getting through it.


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## payn (Mar 2, 2022)

There was an old joint locally around here named O'Brien's Decoy. It was a BBQ joint, but not the rusty sax on the wall and bad blues songs in the background joints. It was more themed on hunting. They had duck and pheasant on the menu. A pleasant ambiance too. 

The meal was a cup of pheasant wildrice soup, halfrack of ribs, pub mashed potatoes and buttered cranberry bread. 

A fantastic meal that I had on numerous occasions. I'd still have it on numerous occasions but they sold it some years ago. The folks who bought it renamed it alley cats, put rusty saxophones on the wall, and piped crappy blues music over the speakers. They lasted about 12 months as the food quality plummeted right along with the experience. 

Final meal? Probably surf and turf. A nice NY strip and lobster tail.


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## Dioltach (Mar 3, 2022)

I'm a bit of a foodie, so I've eaten some wonderful food around the world. Probably the best meal was last autumn, at a 2-star restaurant called De Lindehof. The chef draws on his Hindustani and Suriname heritage to create a wonderful tasting menu with an amazing blend of spices, combining fine dining with Michelin-standard versions of street food. I'm already saving up for my next visit.


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## jdrakeh (Mar 3, 2022)

There used to be a place in the town where I grew up called "Job Lunch" - it was a 1950s-style diner, the owner was a right-wing extremist, and the food was almost the unhealthiest in town (topped only by Fred's Drive-In, a Sonic-like eatery that topped almost everything on the menu with liquid nacho cheese). Job, though, had a thing on his menu called a "Fried Veal Sandwich" which consisted of a thin piece of sliced pork loin, breaded and pan-fried, then topped with your choice of either homemade chili or homemade mustard-based relish. They were naughty word amazing.


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## Ralif Redhammer (Mar 3, 2022)

When I think about the best meals I've had, I think back to the ones I still talk about:

London, early 00s - The stilton and button mushroom pie at The Globe pub, washed down with some real ale. My wife and I still speak of this one with awe.

Rome, early 10s - This arugala and gorgonzola pizza, paired probably with some red wine:






Whitby, mid 10s - The dressed lobster salad at The Broad Inn, with a glass of cider. What makes this particularly notable is that I wasn't even going to order it originally. My wife and I both ordered the salmon and they only had one left, so I let her have it and went with this instead. I expected a salad with some chunks of lobster in it. What I got was this:





As for my last meal, easy. As much sushi as I can fit in my stomach, washed down with either a Boulevardier or a Lena cocktail.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Mar 3, 2022)

Ralif Redhammer said:


> Rome, early 10s - This arugala and gorgonzola pizza, paired probably with some red wine:




Of course, the best thing about the pizza?

_*No pineapple.*_


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## Dioltach (Mar 3, 2022)

Forgot to add, my last meal: undercooked mussels. Death will come as a sweet release.


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## Zaukrie (Mar 3, 2022)

This is a really hard question. I know some places I'll never forget....there was a place in Wisconsin in a former accountant office that was amazing. Pretty sure that chef moved to Superior a couple decades ago.

There are a few spots in Portland, OR where I live now that are amazing, and many more I haven't gone to. Urdaneta is great. Departure. 

In MN...Travail is worth a visit. 100%. Now I'm drawing a blank on the names of a few spots (and more than a few no longer exist).


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## Mort (Mar 3, 2022)

*Best meal*

This one was tough. I live in Chicago which has amazing food! and I've been around a bit too!

But, best: Avec on Randolph Street in downtown Chicago. Mediterranean inspired American dining, Chorizo stuffed dates and a simple but amazing focaccia, a cheese plate and a duck dish. Paired with a wine I don't remember (only that it went really well).

Runner up: Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. I didn't realize what the big deal with foie gras was until I had it there (had it before and thought it was no big deal). And the Robuchon mashed potatoes are REALLY something else, just a truly amazing simple dish. Only reason this wasn't number one was I was expecting a once in a lifetime meal and that's what I got (wheras Avec was a big surprise, though one I return to regularly now).

I'm going to add - most disappointing meal: Craftsteak  also in Las Vegas. I LOVE a good steak, and this was supposed to be THE steak place. And best I can say - the steak was fine, definitely not great. I was expecting to be blown away (I love a good steak) and just wasn't.

Last meal:
Appetizer: Salad Olivier with bologna (yes bologna, not anything fancier) made the Russian way, not the fancy French way.

Main: A large plate of Pelmeni (Russian dumplings) made with pork (not chicken and not beef) served soaked in butter and with Sour cream for dipping (hey last meal - who cares about heart disease).

Desert: A PROPER Napoleon cake with custard that is both fluffy and crumbly.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Mar 3, 2022)

Mort said:


> Runner up: Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. I didn't realize what the big deal with foie gras was until I had it there (had it before and thought it was no big deal). And the Robuchon mashed potatoes are REALLY something else, just a truly amazing simple dish. Only reason this wasn't number one was I was expecting a once in a lifetime meal and that's what I got (wheras Avec was a big surprise, though one I return to regularly now).
> 
> I'm going to add - most disappointing meal: Craftsteak  also in Las Vegas. I LOVE a good steak, and this was supposed to be THE steak place. And best I can say - the steak was fine, definitely not great. I was expecting to be blown away (I love a good steak) and just wasn't.




Every time I go to Vegas, I blow a ton of money ... and I also spend a bit on fancy dining.

Anyway, it's real hit or miss. Some of the best places will absolutely blow you away, but some of them will be crushing disappointments. And it's not always easy to determine which is which from the reputation.

(Agree with you re: Robuchon, by the way.)


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## Mort (Mar 3, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Anyway, it's real hit or miss. Some of the best places will absolutely blow you away, but some of them will be crushing disappointments. And it's not always easy to determine which is which from the reputation.




Very true about Vegas. But it's not just Vegas, you can't always trust a famous name!

I remember going to a well known chef's restaurant in Boston. The meal wasn't just disappointing it was bordering on inedible.

Still have a clear memory of my wife staring at my not even half eaten plate proclaiming " you're not going to finish that? But you'll eat anything!"


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## Cadence (Mar 3, 2022)

*Best Meal at a Restaurant*

I've been to a couple of well known ones, but I don't know if I'd pay as much as it cost to go back and they don't particularly stand out in my memory (there are probably a few others I'm forgetting): Daniel, One if by Land Two if by Sea in NYC; Antoine's, Emeril's, and NOLA in NO; China Chilcano in DC

Two that do...
Brunch at Brennan's in NO
Steak and sides at the Chicago Chop House

I wonder if I'm just more in to comfort food than high cuisine.  Before we had our son, we would sometimes do small, good, slightly upscale local Italian places wherever we lived.  And there was a Chinese restaurant we really liked where we went to college (had our wedding rehearsal dinner there - it closed 20 years ago I think).  A place back home used to have spectacular Swedish pancakes.  


*Last Meal*

A slice of my mom's lasagna recipe (with the modifications we've made over the years)
Two squares of a Chicago tavern style pizza with sausage and mushroom's
A few stuffed mushrooms
A good loaf of french bread (sliced and buttered, maybe some garlic)
A side salad (cheese, tomato, etc..) with Caesar dressing

A small slice of chocolate coconut pecan pie
A scoop of spumoni ice cream
A beignet or 1/4 of a funnel cake

A Hefeweissbeier Dunkel (Weihenstephaner?)
A flight or two of small tasting glasses of stouts and porters - including chocolate and coconut ones

Another slice of lasagna if I've stretched it out long enough to still be hungry


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## South by Southwest (Mar 4, 2022)

I was in Jaisalmer for a month in 1991 while finishing college--study abroad stuff. I'd been getting way into my philosophy studies at that point, especially Russell (a god among mortals) and Heidegger (brilliant despite the fact the "hermeneutic circle" is a load of toff), so I did come to the table hungry after a day of reading. Maybe this colored my experience, but from going back there over the next several weeks, I don't think so. I can't remember the restaurant's name, but it was near the Monica Hotel where I stayed in the Old Fort. I got a basic vegetarian thali dish (I'm veg) and something called "desert chai." I still don't know what it was they spiced both the thali and the chai with, but it's what I have used ever since as my measure by which to judge any Indian food. I think the chai had more ginger than usual, but like I said, I honestly don't know. I just know it was good enough to remember it today and still call it the best I've had.


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## SakanaSensei (Mar 4, 2022)

There's a pizza joint in Fishers, Indiana (just north of Indianapolis) called Rockstone. It has amazing American style wood-fire pizza and amazing breadsticks that pairs well with both their beer cheese and marinara sauce. It's definitely not the fanciest thing I've ever eaten (hello, ryokan stay on top of Mount Asahidake with your seven-course French meal havin' self), but it is 100% the best thing I've ever eaten. My wife and I went there often when we lived in the area.


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## Zardnaar (Mar 4, 2022)

Some Syrian dishes. Can't remember the name one was a bbq spiced chicken meal the other was a bowl of spiced rice with meat in it and some sort of tangerine based sauce.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 5, 2022)

Honestly…I can’t answer either question. I can remember some truly incredible dishes I’ve had over the years, but no _meal_ stands out.  And I don’t know if I could pick out a single dish of those as supreme.

And my last meal?  I’ve asked myself that question many times.  The answer I give myself depends on the day.


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## BookTenTiger (Mar 5, 2022)

Great topic!

I've had a lot of wonderful meals, many home-cooked, but to stay on topic I'll choose the one that pops to mind most clearly:

I'd recently moved home after college, and I was reconnecting with old friends. Two of my friends and I were working at the same summer camp (a day camp on a school campus, not a sleepaway camp). We decided to save up our money for a few weeks and go out for a fancy dinner.

We wound up going to a steak place in San Francisco called Bobo's. We bought $60 steaks, a dinner price probably 4 or 5 times what we were used to paying. I remember being absolutely famished when the steak came out.

Bobo's specialized in dry aged beef. They hung their meat and cut it back over weeks and weeks, letting the juices collect (or something to that effect). The result was, well, insanely delicious. I remember taking a bite of my steak and having to close my eyes and savor it. The texture was closer to butter than the chewy meat I was used to. The flavor was just incredible. And I felt so _grown up_, paying so much for such delicious food.

We all were just laughing at how amazing the steaks were. It was unbelievable, that steak could taste so good.

After dinner, a few of my friends decided to see the movie King of Kong. The next showing was in about an hour, so we found a nearby pub called John Barleycorn's. A guitarist was strumming in the corner, and two more guitarists happened to wander in. They started jamming together as we drank a few beers.

It was an incredible night, centered around an amazing dinner.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 5, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I can remember some truly incredible dishes I’ve had over the years



Some of the noteworthy ones:

Best Burger: the Guinness-marinated hamburgers & cheeseburgers at Slatery Rand’s in Irving, TX back in the late1990s.  They also had great steak & mushroom pie and a spring greens with strawberry vinaigrette.  They shuttered after a St. Patrick’s Day shindig when the owner skipped town after not paying rent for a couple months.

Best Steak Sandwich: Early 1990s, McClesky’s in Austin, Tx.  They marinated their 3/4” thick rib-eyes in red wine, grilled them up with onions and put them on a nicely toasted bun with mayo and other toppings.  The owner sold out to a well-heeled idiot who changed the recipe- they closed within a year of the sale.

Best Pho: a place in Irving, Tx in the late 1980s, across from Irving Mall and next to a Hooters.  The owner spoke no English, but his pho was the most fragrant and flavorful I’ve ever had.  His place closed in less than a year, probably because of the dining environment.  His American nephew chose the decor and piped in music- mottled pink wallpaper and extended-play dance remixes.  Not the best option for the Bible Belt in those days.

Best Creamy Mushroom Soup: 2005, in Moscow, Russia.  I was having a meal in an upscale place in a Galleria-style mall just off of Red Square before going to St. Petersburg for a few days.  I ordered the wild mushroom & garlic soup and…something else that didn’t matter.  The soup was fragrant but nondescript…until I took a spoonful.  The texture was more like a Kool-Whip, and it behaved like it.  The spoonful of soup _evaporated_ in my mouth, leaving behind only the mushroom & garlic flavors.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Mar 5, 2022)

More:

Best Escargot: 15-20 years ago, our family was invited to a catered party at the house of one of my Dad’s peers.  No expenses spared- live band, catering done by a chef hired for the evening.  Everything was top-notch, but the chef’s handling of escargot was superlative.  Instead of serving them traditionally in their shells with a buttery garlic sauce and specialized little forks, he transformed each snail served into an individual, bite-sized tart.  The tart itself was a nice, crispy shell.  The sauce had been thickened to more of a gel or pudding that was exploding with garlic and butter flavors.  I fully admit to making a public spectacle of myself eating them.  Every time the server passed with some, I grabbed a couple.  At the end of the evening, as we’re all saying our goodbyes in the front hall, the waitstaff placed the remaining tarts on a 4 tier serving platter.  I stood next to that table and grabbed another couple every so often as the goodbyes dragged on.  I do not know how many I ate; I regret none of my consumption.  If I evr encounter that chef again, I’m asking for a lesson.

Best Blue Cheese: Actually, this one’s still a mystery of sorts.  We were at a hotel’s Easter brunch, as we often do, and I hit all my faves.  Eggs Benedict.  Prime rib.  Lox.  Shrimp.  But when I got to the bread & cheese table, I noticed an unusual soft blue cheese.  Blues being my fave, I grabbed a couple slices.  And with every trip back to the buffet, I grabbed more.  I even got a couple more slices _instead of dessert._  For the next 2 years, I searched the D/FW for that cheese.  The closes I came (very close indeed) were cambozola and blue castello.  Those remain staples in my fridge to this day.

Best Olive: another 2-fer mystery of sorts.  Right now, my go-to are castlevetrano olives.  I have 2 jars in my pantry, and one in the fridge right now.  But before them, a local liquor store had a small cheese & other stuff section run by an Italian guy and an Irish lady, full of imported goodies from around the world.  One of the imports they had were these reddish-purple colored olives that were quite large.  Their flavor was a niece and _slightly_ briny olive, and their texture was nearly as creamy as room-temperature butter.  Unfortunately, the Italian guy found employment elsewhere, and the Irish lady moved back to Dublin…and nobody else in the store knew where the got the olives from, or even what variety they were.  Once they sold out, they were gone forever.  I’ve tried hunting for them for years, and not eve people I know with their own olive groves have a clue as to what they were.

Best nonstandard BBQ: that would be the smoked mutton ribs at a short-lived joint in Austin, Tx in the early 2000’s.  They were large, meaty, and spoon tender.  Yes, I tried a spoon on them, and the meat just parted like the Red Sea did for Moses.  But the owner apparently had a spotty record for obeying the law- taxes, wages, etc.- and the local government shut him down.

Best Salsa: a family-owned Tex-Mex place near our house in Irving, Tx called Estela’s.  Dad ate there often because it was 3 minutes from his office.  It was also a favorite hangout for ZZ Top (we never met them, though). Her entire menu was good, but her salsa was a maddening impossibility because it was- and remains- the hottest salsa I’ve ever enjoyed.  I can take a lot of heat, but I don’t seek it out.  Usually, once it gets past a certain heat level, the spiciness overwhelms the flavor.  Not so with hers.  Even on its hottest days, you could taste the distinct flavors of the tomatoes, the cilantro, the onion, etc.  The restaurant closed after 13 years, supposedly over infra-family drama.


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## Maxperson (Mar 5, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> But that's not the winner. The winner is, strangely, Meals by Genet. While it was some time ago, this Ethiopian restaurant in Los Angeles was absolutely amazing. The flavors were insane; to this day, I still seek out Ethiopian food when I travel, but I'm inevitably disappointed when it doesn't live up to the meals I enjoyed at this place. Korean food is deservedly having its day in the sun- hopefully, Ethiopian will follow.



Well, you may not be in Los Angeles any longer, but I am and will try to remember to try this place.
*
1. Best Meal*

My wife and I are longtime fans of Top Chef.  A number of years ago we discovered Tom Colicchio's restaurant here in Los Angeles called Craft.  Most of the food there is absolutely amazing.  Those few less than amazing items we've found over the years are just good.  To go with the fantastic food is great service.  They have many servers who all watch out for low drinks and come by to make sure everything is fine, but not so often that it intrudes.  And while this dropped off during Covid, when they are fully staffed they will bring out samplers of great food items that aren't on the menu free of charge that adds to the dining experience.

*2. Last Meal*

I'd have to go with a wagyu or kobe beef aged ribeye, an arugula salad with a fine vinaigrette dressing, and some sauteed broccolini.


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## Maxperson (Mar 5, 2022)

Mort said:


> I'm going to add - most disappointing meal: Craftsteak  also in Las Vegas. I LOVE a good steak, and this was supposed to be THE steak place. And best I can say - the steak was fine, definitely not great. I was expecting to be blown away (I love a good steak) and just wasn't.



I've heard that the Vegas location isn't as good as the Los Angeles location.  I've had friends who have been to both and while they love LA as much as I do, they won't go back to the Vegas restaurant.


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## CleverNickName (Apr 11, 2022)

The best meal I ever had was in Cambridge, UK, at a pub called "The Red Bull" near campus.  It was simple fare--fish & chips with bitter ale--but it was all done perfectly.  The fish was perfectly cooked, the chips were still sizzling, even the ale had the perfect head of foam.  I'm a sucker for simple things done well, and this was flawless.


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## South by Southwest (Apr 11, 2022)

CleverNickName said:


> The best meal I ever had was in Cambridge, UK, at a pub called "The Red Bull" near campus.  It was simple fare--fish & chips with bitter ale--but it was all done perfectly.  The fish was perfectly cooked, the chips were still sizzling, even the ale had the perfect head of foam.  I'm a sucker for simple things done well, and this was flawless.



In France they've a dessert dish called _"pomme ris,"_ which is just sticky rice with sliced apples on it. But if it's done just right, it's wonderful.


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## Ryujin (Apr 11, 2022)

CleverNickName said:


> The best meal I ever had was in Cambridge, UK, at a pub called "The Red Bull" near campus.  It was simple fare--fish & chips with bitter ale--but it was all done perfectly.  The fish was perfectly cooked, the chips were still sizzling, even the ale had the perfect head of foam.  I'm a sucker for simple things done well, and this was flawless.



That's how you get a successful restaurant. Simple food, done well, doesn't take a lot of time, nor different ingredients. Costs are low. Client turnover is quick.


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## CleverNickName (Apr 11, 2022)

Ryujin said:


> That's how you get a successful restaurant. Simple food, done well, doesn't take a lot of time, nor different ingredients. Costs are low. Client turnover is quick.



Yep, agreed.  You don't need a Michelin star and a gourmet chef to make excellent food.  Really all you need is quality ingredients, a practiced technique, and pride in your work.

Certain recipes are called "classics" for a reason...when they're done right, they really can't be improved upon.  Even Gordon Ramsey himself would have been impressed with that meal, and it was nothing fancy.  It didn't _need _to be fancy.  It was already a classic.


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## GreyLord (Apr 12, 2022)

I'm going to be the junk food junkie here.

Best dinner is one I can replicate as often as I want.

Either a Big Mac with Fries or a Taco Bell Beef Chalupa with another Beef Chalupa to go with it and a thing of Mountain Dew.

Very bad for you.

I don't need expensive things for the rich, give me cheap food and plenty of it and I'm happy.

Second bests would be a breakfast of Krispy Kreme Donuts with as much milk as I want.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 12, 2022)

There used to be a chain called Jojo’s.  It was sort of an upscale diner crossed with a downscale restaurant.  The food was generally simple, traditional American fare.  The floors were carpeted wall-to wall.  In the center of each one was a large aquarium featuring cichlids.

I think part of their demise was their reluctance to ditch their smoking section…which was usually by the entrance. 

But I loved eating there for one menu item in particular: the Peasant Lunch.  It was a bottomless bowl of cream of broccoli soup, garlic toast, a sliced apple, and several cubes of cheddar.  I’d usually add a side of their fries, which were “steakhouse” style, perfectly cooked and salted.  It was simple, affordable, and filling comfort food, executed consistently at every location I dined in.

In the years since they folded, I’ve tried to recreate it, and have never found a place that even got close. Cream of broccoli has been largely replaced by broccoli cheese soup. Some places don’t have garlic toast. Some don’t have apples. And apparently, very few places get their cheddar in blocks or wheels- _shredded_ cheddar is everywhere.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

GreyLord said:


> I'm going to be the junk food junkie here.
> 
> Best dinner is one I can replicate as often as I want.
> 
> ...



You dont have to be rich to eat vegetables and food that hasnt been processed.


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## Mallus (Apr 12, 2022)

I'm going to have to think about 'best meal'. Snarf's rule #4 about 'no external circumstances' is throwing me. If it weren't for that, I'd pick the Icelandic-style hot dog I had at 1:00 AM from the famous hot dog stand near the harbor in downtown Reykjavik, eaten while being serenaded by a drunk local kid railing against "the CORPORATIONS!" in English. It made me feel like we were starring in a Wim Wenders film. Also, the hot dog was delicious.

My last meal would either be steak tartare followed by confit duck leg or a sack of 6 White Castle sliders -- 3 with cheese, 3 without -- and onion rings. Serve either with a martini, up with olives.


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## deganawida (Apr 12, 2022)

Hmm.  I can only answer for recently.  A month ago, I was in Plano, TX for work, and the CIO, SVP of IT Operations, and I went to Bob's Chop House.  While they all went for steak, I saw that they had duck on the menu.  It's really hard to find a good duck, so I got it, and it melted in my mouth.  Absolutely delicious meal, highly recommend if you're ever in Plano.  CIO said he should have gotten it from my reactions to eating it.

Will say it was enhanced by the drinks we had before going there, but it didn't take much to enhance that duck.


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## Sacrosanct (Apr 12, 2022)

*Best Mea*l: Bulgulgi Bap in Seoul.  They  had an entire huge spread on the table of all the great food, and you made your own wrap.  So good.

2nd place goes to Ruth Chris.  Petite filet.  Not only was the food great, but the staff was amazing.  We were there when my son was 6.  We were the only people there with a kid.  The waiter got down on his level and asked what he wanted like he was a real person.  When my son said "chocolate milk", the waiter said they don't normally have that, but he'd see what he'd do.  He took dessert chocolate and make chocolate milk with it and brought it out.

*Best Burger*: Strangely enough, also Korea.  Uijeongbu in a tiny hole in the wall place just outside of the military base.  The owner steamed the buns and made the burgers in a way that to this day are still the best I've had. 

*Last Meal:*  Probably a really good fajita 
.


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## GreyLord (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> You dont have to be rich to eat vegetables and food that hasnt been processed.




Oh, I eat them, but the thread wasn't about that.  I thought the thread was about the best meal we ate.


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## Rabulias (Apr 12, 2022)

As for my last meal, something that pairs well with a 2066 red.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

GreyLord said:


> Oh, I eat them, but the thread wasn't about that.  I thought the thread was about the best meal we ate.



Fair enough, I was just commenting on this;


> I don't need expensive things for the rich, give me cheap food and plenty of it and I'm happy.


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## GreyLord (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> Fair enough, I was just commenting on this;




I have tastes that don't go for the more expensive stuff I suppose.  I've been all around the world, eaten at many places of great exhibit and taste, but the best places are almost always places you wouldn't imagine.  (for me, at least.  Eventually you realize, at least for many, that the places that cost a lot are many times selling an "experience" more than what the food is, and if you really want the food, go to the street and find out what is actually really popular among the people who live there.  The more popular a place, no matter how cheap, is probably where you are going to find the food that is actually what they like more and tastes better...at least for me).

And interestingly enough, I've always come back to American Fast Food as what I would prefer as the best of the best in the US.  At the top of it all (though, go back to when they used the real method of cooking them), the best fry there is are the ones from Mcdonalds (as long as you eat them fresh).


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

GreyLord said:


> I have tastes that don't go for the more expensive stuff I suppose.  I've been all around the world, eaten at many places of great exhibit and taste, but the best places are almost always places you wouldn't imagine.  (for me, at least.  Eventually you realize, at least for many, that the places that cost a lot are many times selling an "experience" more than what the food is, and if you really want the food, go to the street and find out what is actually really popular among the people who live there.  The more popular a place, no matter how cheap, is probably where you are going to find the food that is actually what they like more and tastes better...at least for me).
> 
> And interestingly enough, I've always come back to American Fast Food as what I would prefer as the best of the best in the US.  At the top of it all (though, go back to when they used the real method of cooking them), the best fry there is are the ones from Mcdonalds (as long as you eat them fresh).



Not my experience, but I appreciate you expanding on this. Fast food is pretty awesome when I'm drunk, but I don't think my tastes should be taken seriously at that point.


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## South by Southwest (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> Not my experience, but I appreciate you expanding on this. Fast food is pretty awesome when I'm drunk, but I don't think my tastes should be taken seriously at that point.  __



_Jushh what're you immplyinng, mishhtur?!_


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## CleverNickName (Apr 12, 2022)

Fast food certainly has its place.  Portland has some of the best street food anywhere, thanks to--oddly enough--our overnight parking ordinances.

In most places in Portland, it's not illegal to leave your vehicle parked overnight (as long as you're paying for parking).  This allows food trucks to move into an area and set up shop indefinitely.  Others move nearby, and soon you have a "pod" of food carts with a variety of different food options.  It's just such a _weird _and awesome part of Portland.



			https://www.travelportland.com/culture/food-cart-pods/
		


Chances are: no matter what time of day it is and no matter where you are in town, you are within walking distance of some excellent fast food.


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## Maxperson (Apr 12, 2022)

GreyLord said:


> the best fry there is are the ones from Mcdonalds (as long as you eat them fresh).



With the added bonus that they are still edible, if a bit more crunchy, 10 years later.


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## Mallus (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> Fast food is pretty awesome when I'm drunk, but I don't think my tastes should be taken seriously at that point.



"I never had a meal like I did when I was drunk. Jesus, does anybody?" - Stephen King, probably.

53 year-old me still swears 21 year-old me was right about the Fat Cat -- with or without chili -- which is one of the greatest sandwiches on Earth and certainly New Jersey's most important contribution to global cuisine, outside of Taylor ham, obviously.

(a Fat Cat is 2 cheeseburgers on a sub roll topped with lettuce, tomato, and _French fries_)


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## Ryujin (Apr 12, 2022)

GreyLord said:


> I have tastes that don't go for the more expensive stuff I suppose.  I've been all around the world, eaten at many places of great exhibit and taste, but the best places are almost always places you wouldn't imagine.  (for me, at least.  Eventually you realize, at least for many, that the places that cost a lot are many times selling an "experience" more than what the food is, and if you really want the food, go to the street and find out what is actually really popular among the people who live there.  The more popular a place, no matter how cheap, is probably where you are going to find the food that is actually what they like more and tastes better...at least for me).
> 
> And interestingly enough, I've always come back to American Fast Food as what I would prefer as the best of the best in the US.  At the top of it all (though, go back to when they used the real method of cooking them), the best fry there is are the ones from Mcdonalds (as long as you eat them fresh).



For fries I would say that it's a toss-up between fresh McDonalds fries and fries the way that you used to be able to get them from KFC; straight from the fryer, done in the same oil as the chicken, and not yet soggy.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

Ryujin said:


> For fries I would say that it's a toss-up between fresh McDonalds fries and fries the way that you used to be able to get them from KFC; straight from the fryer, done in the same oil as the chicken, and not yet soggy.



This is every story about KFC. Chicken used to be good, biscuits used to be good, etc...


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## Ryujin (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> This is every story about KFC. Chicken used to be good, biscuits used to be good, etc...



You're not wrong. These days I either go to Popeye's or Mary Brown's. For those non-Canadians out there, "Mary Brown's has the best legs in town." (Their old slogan)


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

Ryujin said:


> You're not wrong. These days I either go to Popeye's or Mary Brown's. For those non-Canadians out there, "Mary Brown's has the best legs in town." (Their old slogan)



I'm not a huge fast food guy, but I do indulge from time to time. KFC has gotten so bad I'd rather go hungry.


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## Mannahnin (Apr 12, 2022)

Best fries I ever had were the twice-fried steak chips at Kennedy's on Westland Row (right by Trinity College) in Dublin.  I'm often not a fan of steak fries, being too thick and soft.  These were big, but perfectly crisp on the outside and perfectly soft and lovely on the inside.  Their burgers might also be my favorite ever.  They had one called the Station Burger with a mix of minced short rib and... damn. Can't remember the rest of the blend.  But spectacular.  Their lamb burger was also excellent.

I've read through this thread twice now; once when it started and once today, and I still couldn't pick a single greatest meal.  The first time I went to Boston Chops might be a contender.  Splitting the 20oz chateaubriand with my date, as well as the heart carpaccio and finishing with a Yamazaki single malt for dessert was pretty damn divine.  But I've had so many fantastic feasts with my family, including similarly excellent beef, sherry-braised duck, and some of the best roast chicken you'll find anywhere, that they all blur together now.

My perfect final meal would probably have to be one of my mother's famous holy day feasts.  Fish, flesh and fowl all required.  But with all my favorites.  The aforementioned duck would have to feature, as well as lollipop lamb, roast Chateaubriand, and probably mussels in a perfect white wine sauce with tarragon (that sauce/broth so good you are compelled to spoon it up with the shells is what pushed this option up over other seafood).  Fresh popovers hot from the oven with honey and butter.  A salad with arugula, plum tomatoes, kalamata olives and artichoke hearts.  Accompanied by a decent French red and a bottle or so of bubbly.  I'm not picky on the labels.  A slice of red velvet cake with real buttercream frosting (crisp enough to hear the sugar crunch when you cut it) to finish, with milk.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> My perfect final meal would probably have to be one of my mother's famous holy day feasts.  Fish, flesh and fowl all required.  The aforementioned duck would have to feature, as well as lollipop lamb, roast Chateaubriand, and probably mussels in a perfect white wine sauce with tarragon.  Fresh popovers hot from the oven with honey and butter.  A salad with arugula, plum tomatoes, kalamata olives and artichoke hearts.  Accompanied with a decent French red and a bottle or so of bubbly.  I'm not picky on the labels.  A slice of red velvet cake with real buttercream frosting (crisp enough to hear the sugar crunch when you cut it) to finish, with milk.



OH....MY....GOD....YES


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## Mannahnin (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> OH....MY....GOD....YES



It's a miracle that I'm not fat.  While not all of those items will feature, the menus for our holiday meals are usually similar to that.  But with more veggies, other fresh-baked breads, and usually mushrooms, chicken livers and such on the side.  Amazing roast chicken appears more often than duck, chateaubriand is more a birthday or special occasion dinner and more common cuts of roast beef and pork appear more often, and while lamb features regularly it's usually a regular leg or shoulder rather than rack.  But I get to eat similar feasts 8-10 times a year.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> ...and while lamb features regularly it's usually a regular leg or shoulder rather than rack.



I am actually a bigger fan of leg and neck than I am of the rack. (I am talking about Lamb)


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## Mannahnin (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> I am actually a bigger fan of leg and neck than I am of the rack. (I am talking about Lamb)



Yeah, I love leg as well (usually roasted with lots of garlic and lemons and rubbed with a ton of herbs).  Lollipop particularly sprang to mind in part because of the elegance and simple portioning in this lorge feast.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> Yeah, I love leg as well (usually roasted with lots of garlic and lemons and rubbed with a ton of herbs).  Lollipop particularly sprang to mind in part because of the elegance and simple portioning in this lorge feast.



In the summer I toss together a Moroccan spice blend and smoke the leg at 250 for 3 hours. Perfect medium rare and better than prime rib every time...


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## Mannahnin (Apr 12, 2022)

payn said:


> In the summer I toss together a Moroccan spice blend and smoke the leg at 250 for 3 hours. Perfect medium rare and better than prime rib every time...



I don't know if it's going to beat my mother's prime rib, but I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

(TBF, for me lamb and roast beef sing significantly different notes, so I normally wouldn't try to compare, even when I'm eating them off the same plate.)


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## Janx (Apr 12, 2022)

I'm terrible at this. I can't recall a restaurant meal that was so awesome that it stood out. I like food, but it's just food. If we had to switch to food pellets, I'd be fine and prolly lose a few pounds,.

I do have the violates rule 4 example where I spent 3 days in the woods for survival training and the first meal was a BK with cheese sticks that was AMAZING! In fact, that is the one strong memory I really have of eating something and it was 20 years ago. We were in the drive-thru, so it wasn't even sit-down...

Last Meal? Lasagna made by my wife. It's good. It's hard to make. There's love in it.

Oh that breaks a rule, too? Fine, we'll go where my wife wants to go.

Also, my wife makes an awesome porkchop with carmelized onion and pineapple and goatcheese.

She makes the food I like the best.


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## Janx (Apr 12, 2022)

OK, I see what Danny did later.

Best Salsa: Los Reyes on 1960, in the 97-2003 era.  It was smooth, thickish. thinner than queseo. Dip a chip and it coated it.  They got old and retired and the place closed. I never had a salsa like it and I wish I could reproduce it because overall, I'm not keen on any other salsa.

That place was one of the first Mexican restaurants I'd been to when I moved down here.


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## payn (Apr 12, 2022)

Mannahnin said:


> I don't know if it's going to beat my mother's prime rib, but I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
> 
> (TBF, for me lamb and roast beef sing significantly different notes, so I normally wouldn't try to compare, even when I'm eating them off the same plate.)



I think I had some prime rib that was meh, and then a month or two later my first (that I cooked) leg'o'lamb and it just blew the experience out of the water. So, thats where I started using the comparison. Folks (like my family) think prime rib cant be beat and wont even try lamb.


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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 13, 2022)

Y’all fellow meat lovers need to find and dine in a Brazillian churrascaria at some point.  As much as I love a good prime rib or ribeye steak at a top steakhouse, I consider a churrascaria to be an equally epicurean delight for carnivores.

For those who don’t know, the typical setup- at least in the American versions- is an all-you-can-eat upscale salad & soup bar in the middle of the restaurant, and a wandering squadron of waiters who deliver meat on skewers to be sliced off onto your plate...*also* as much as you can cram down your gullet.  They’ll keep bringing you meat and slicing it off with their sharp, machete-sized knives as long as you keep signaling them so to do.  Each restaurant is a little different, but a typical one will have between 1-2 dozen different meats, covering various presentations of poultry, beef, pork and lamb, and sometime some more exotic things.

My buds and I have tried a bunch of them around Dallas/Ft. Worth, and we don’t really have favorites.  Each has something ridiculously good, so when we decide to hit one, we pick on the basis of what particular dish we want…or simply which one is most convenient, because damn if they aren’t all good.


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## dragoner (Apr 13, 2022)

My honeymoon, Cairo in the 90's, lamb and couscous, it was five star for $20, and $20 afterwards for a private boat on the Nile. It was a real relief after europe, because my wife who is Apache and Ukrainian, there was a lot of racism against her, such as in brussels, we could not even get served at restaurants, or in berlin's subway, we were almost attacked by nazis; the Egyptians were truly civilized in comparison.  

I remember looking out over the Nile at nighttime, the Moon's reflection on the water, as the boatman manned the rudder and lateen sail, and his son made us cardamon tea. It was really perfect.


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## payn (Apr 13, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Y’all fellow meat lovers need to find and dine in a Brazillian churrascaria at some point.  As much as I love a good prime rib or ribeye steak at a top steakhouse, I consider a churrascaria to be an equally epicurean delight for carnivores.
> 
> For those who don’t know, the typical setup- at least in the American versions- is an all-you-can-eat upscale salad & soup bar in the middle of the restaurant, and a wandering squadron of waiters who deliver meat on skewers to be sliced off onto your plate...*also* as much as you can cram down your gullet.  They’ll keep bringing you meat and slicing it off with their sharp, machete-sized knives as long as you keep signaling them so to do.  Each restaurant is a little different, but a typical one will have between 1-2 dozen different meats, covering various presentations of poultry, beef, pork and lamb, and sometime some more exotic things.
> 
> My buds and I have tried a bunch of them around Dallas/Ft. Worth, and we don’t really have favorites.  Each has something ridiculously good, so when we decide to hit one, we pick on the basis of what particular dish we want…or simply which one is most convenient, because damn if they aren’t all good.



Oh yeah, I been to a few of these. The one in Minneapolis is a little too busy for my tastes. It feels like the staff wants you in and out ASAP. Kinda ruins the ambiance. They have an excellent one in Madison WI that is in an old playhouse. They have three piece jazz bands play on certain nights which is my kinda ambiance.


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## Janx (Apr 13, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> Y’all fellow meat lovers need to find and dine in a Brazillian churrascaria at some point.  As much as I love a good prime rib or ribeye steak at a top steakhouse, I consider a churrascaria to be an equally epicurean delight for carnivores.
> 
> For those who don’t know, the typical setup- at least in the American versions- is an all-you-can-eat upscale salad & soup bar in the middle of the restaurant, and a wandering squadron of waiters who deliver meat on skewers to be sliced off onto your plate...*also* as much as you can cram down your gullet.  They’ll keep bringing you meat and slicing it off with their sharp, machete-sized knives as long as you keep signaling them so to do.  Each restaurant is a little different, but a typical one will have between 1-2 dozen different meats, covering various presentations of poultry, beef, pork and lamb, and sometime some more exotic things.
> 
> My buds and I have tried a bunch of them around Dallas/Ft. Worth, and we don’t really have favorites.  Each has something ridiculously good, so when we decide to hit one, we pick on the basis of what particular dish we want…or simply which one is most convenient, because damn if they aren’t all good.



I've been to one, but I found it to be too much food, in this weird gluttony encouraging way to make it worth the money, etc. 

It's not for me.


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## Jacob Lewis (Apr 13, 2022)




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## Dannyalcatraz (Apr 13, 2022)

Janx said:


> I've been to one, but I found it to be too much food, in this weird gluttony encouraging way to make it worth the money, etc.
> 
> It's not for me.



I used to pig out at those places- as well as at other buffets- in part because of such a “beat the house” mindset.  

But I don’t think like that anymore.  I realized that I didn’t think like that in regular restaurants*…and that my body was punishing me more often when I gorged than when I was younger.

Now I go and have a good time and leave pleasantly stuffed but still mobile.  My satisfaction comes from having a good meal (ideally with good company)- regardless of whether it was $5/person, $50/person or more.


* because you usually can’t, obviously.


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## payn (Apr 13, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> I used to pig out at those places- as well as at other buffets- in part because of such a “beat the house” mindset.
> 
> But I don’t think like that anymore.  I realized that I didn’t think like that in regular restaurants*…and that my body was punishing me more often when I gorged than when I was younger.
> 
> ...



I've had really good meals in terrible environments. The above So.Am steak buffet with pushy staff and turnstile trough is a real turn off to the dining experience for me. A swanky steak house recently opened and it has a lot going for it. Though, they have these gross wallpapers of people going to the bathroom just _outside_ the restrooms_. _They also have this very large very beautiful painting of a bull hanging on the wall. At the very top of the painting there is text that says, "me so horny". I dont know if this is supposed to be edgey or what? There was a really nice Italian place opened by an actual Italian ex-pat. He could only afford a strip mall location. It would be fine if I couldnt see the damn Golden Arches of McD's burning through my table window...

These things remind me of Applebees and TGIF when they hung a bunch of brick-a-brak garbage on the wall to make it seem quaint.

I know, I know, it should be all about the food, but when I'm out paying a premium, I really want to enjoy myself. It never ceases to amaze me what some folks think is comfortable, hip, or fancy.


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## dragoner (Apr 13, 2022)

I had the best eggplant parmigiana in the white plains mall food court, gratis too, cause I was picking up a friend who worked there; it has a large Italian pop. 

Same as best Tex-Mex steak and potato burrito at a drive thru, and best BBQ at dirt floor corrugated tin shack in west Texas.


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## Janx (Apr 13, 2022)

On the other hand, the best advice I heard for places not to eat is never eat where there's naked people because they know you're not looking at your food.


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## Snarf Zagyg (Apr 13, 2022)

Janx said:


> On the other hand, the best advice I heard for places not to eat is never eat where there's naked people because they know you're not looking at your food.




I was going to ask about the other hand, and then .... _oh dear god ... _


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## Maxperson (May 1, 2022)

GreyLord said:


> At the top of it all (though, go back to when they used the real method of cooking them), the best fry there is are the ones from Mcdonalds (as long as you eat them fresh).











						An Illinois couple found half-eaten, 'very well-preserved' McDonald's fries from the 1950s inside a bathroom wall while renovating their home
					

They also found two grease-soaked burger wrappers featuring Speedee, McDonald's mascot before the now-iconic clown Ronald McDonald.




					www.yahoo.com


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## MGibster (May 4, 2022)

One of the best meals I ever had was at III Forks in Dallas, Texas.  Everything about that meal was perfect from the she-crab soup I started with to the medium-rare steak with asparagus and mashed potatoes on the side.  The waitstaff were truly superb, never hovering and always present without making their presence known.


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## payn (May 4, 2022)

MGibster said:


> One of the best meals I ever had was at III Forks in Dallas, Texas.  Everything about that meal was perfect from the she-crab soup I started with to the medium-rare steak with asparagus and mashed potatoes on the side.  The waitstaff were truly superb, never hovering and always present without making their presence known.



Sounds so good...minus the asparagus...


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## MGibster (May 4, 2022)

payn said:


> Sounds so good...minus the asparagus...



Here's the kicker, I don't normally care for asparagus.  It was that good.


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## payn (May 4, 2022)

MGibster said:


> Here's the kicker, I don't normally care for asparagus.  It was that good.



I hate the way it smells on the way out. I have had bad, mostly bad, but when its on its on. I'll give it that much.


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## Undrave (May 4, 2022)

My father got married last weekend and he had reserved an entire Italian restaurant from a client of his company. They kept bringing plate after plate before we even got to the main dish but what a dish... I got the beef cheek on a risotto and it was the some of the best meat I ever got.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 4, 2022)

Count me as another asparagus hater.  I’ve only _enjoyed_ it once- at a Greek restaurant that is sadly no longer


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## Mannahnin (May 4, 2022)

I love asparagus but sadly have both the genetic traits for producing the unfortunate scent and for smelling it.  Which does cut into how often I enjoy it.


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## Mannahnin (May 4, 2022)

I had an unusually great taco meal Saturday night at Trail Break in White River Junction, VT.

Start with fancy street corn (sweet grilled corn on the cob topped with pepper aioli, grated cotija cheese & micro cilantro), proceed to two tacos absolutely STUFFED with meat, one marinated, shaved carne asada with red onion, guac, and house mild sauce, the other sweet pork with pickled red onion, cotija cheese and lime crema.  Pair those with a salad of fresh spring mix with grilled pineapple vinaigrette, shaved onion, crumbled cotija and toasted pepitas served with a big slice of blackened grilled watermelon.  They have a good beer selection, too.


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## Sacrosanct (May 4, 2022)

Best tacos I've had are from Tacovore.  Can you believe in this day and age, these are still only $5 each?  And they are large tortillas, not the small street taco size.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 4, 2022)

My favorite street tacos came from a Indian-Mexican joint that used to be around the corner from me.  On Wednesday, they sold them for $1 each.

It was lawless awesomeness!  You could get Chicken 65 with a creamy avocado aioli, barbacoa with a mint sauce, refried beans to go with your biryani, and so forth.


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## Snarf Zagyg (May 4, 2022)

Dannyalcatraz said:


> *My favorite street tacos came from a Indian-Mexican joint* that used to be around the corner from me. * On Wednesday, they sold them for $1 each.*
> 
> It was lawless awesomeness!  You could get Chicken 65 with a creamy avocado aioli, barbacoa with a mint sauce, refried beans to go with your biryani, and so forth.




Danny .... I hate to break it to you .... but Jack in the Box isn't an Indian-Mexican joint.


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## payn (May 4, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Danny .... I hate to break it to you .... but Jack in the Box isn't an Indian-Mexican joint.



It's not?


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## Snarf Zagyg (May 4, 2022)

payn said:


> It's not?




Only if you bring your own chutney to dip them in.


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## Dannyalcatraz (May 5, 2022)

Snarf Zagyg said:


> Danny .... I hate to break it to you .... but Jack in the Box isn't an Indian-Mexican joint.



I would challenge you to find Chicken 65, Chicken Tikka Masala or Chicharróns at a Jack in the Box!*  Alas, since Taco Naan closed, I haven’t had Indo-Mex in a while.

There’s a place a bit farther down the road I haven’t tried yet, but they’re on my radar.




__





						Welcome to Tikka Taco, Home of the Fusion Tacos in Irving
					

Experience and enjoy the fusion of Indian cuisine and Mexican dishes in Irving here at Tikka Taco! Check out our list of tasty and flavorful Indo-Mexican food and ORDER NOW!




					www.tikkataco.us
				





* FWIW, I have been eating breakfast jacks for at least 40 years now.  For the record, that’s the ONLY thing I eat there.


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## Zardnaar (May 5, 2022)

Mmnn Chicken 65.


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## le Redoutable (May 5, 2022)

Does exceptional food do ego whip to you ?


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## Dioltach (May 5, 2022)

I'm currently planning a trip to Madrid to celebrate twenty years of being self-employed. While Madrid is always a lovely place to visit, the main attraction now will be dinner at Quimbaya, a Michelin-starred Colombian restaurant.

For those of you who scoff at "fancy" restaurants: nowadays (at least in Europe) they're not overpriced and stuffy, they're usually very friendly and the "experience" is all about the food and drink. Innovative combinations of flavours and textures. The other day my wife and I had a lunch that included (after half a dozen amuses bouches) things like a tartlet of pickled vegetables topped with sweet-pea puree and a veal tartar in a potato cannelloni served with a puree of sweetcorn and mustard ice-cream. (And yes, there was a spear of asparagus too, because it's spring in the Netherlands.)


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