What is the best restaurant experience you've ever had?

[kanrok]

Mine is Mama's fish house in Maui. The best crab cakes on the planet. Opakapaka caught that morning off Molokai. Prepared in white wine and garlic sauce. Yum.

[blonndee]

1. Mmmm, my first French restaurant experience!

Outside St. Louis, five-course meal, a total gluttonous experience for all the senses. I'll never forget it.

[goodboy]

2. been to Tony's in St. Louis?

[blonndee]

6. Nope, can't say I have. I've only been to SL once, on vacation. nt

[goodboy]

8. gotcha. nm

[goodboy]

3. I'd have to say

Hyde Park Grille in Dublin Ohio...YAMAHA took us out to dinner, and we had like 6 bottles of Opus One (250.00) and 4 bottles of Magnificat (150.00) then Oysters Rockefeller, Tenderloin, Creme Brulee', and a B&B

[MercutioATC]

7. You beat me by one minute!

Hyde Park Grille in Beachwood, OH. The best dining experience I've ever had. The blue crab bisque at the Metropolitan Cafe in Cleveland (another Hyde Park restaurant) is amazing.


I can't wait 'till March. A Hyde Park is opening in Westlake...about 10 minutes from me :)

[goodboy]

9. AH! The Metropolitan in Cleveland...That's on 6th right?

I had a wonderful meal there with an old friend. The thing I love about Met. is that they always have a great raw bar.

[MercutioATC]

12. That's the one. I've only been there once, but my sister goes there

all of the time (she works downtown). She's mentioned their raw bar a time or two... :)

[goodboy]

13. We've got one here in Columbus at Rt23 and 270. My wife loves it when

I go there to eat raw oysters...if you know what I mean;)

[goodboy]

10. You should come to Columbus and try out some Cameron Mitchell

restaurants. Let me know when you're coming, and we'll get some DU'ers together and go.

www.cameronmitchell.com

[MercutioATC]

14. It looks great. Let me know if there's a gathering in Columbus...

...I'll try to get there.

[goodboy]

15. Do you know Andy Stephenson? He may be moving to C-bus and

when he does, I'll conscript some DU'ers into meeting up/

[MercutioATC]

16. I don't. He's a DU person, I take it?

[goodboy]

17. one of the best....he's fighting to change our voting system.

[MercutioATC]

18. I'll do a search of his posts.

[PartyPooper]

4. TourD'argent in Paris. Salvador Dali was there.

It was almost 30 years ago. My partner and I were having pressed duck when we spotted Salvador walking towards our table in his trademark white suit. :-)

Funny thing is, he didn't take his eyes off ME the whole time. LOL!

And, the lunch was terrific, too!


:D

[DODI]

5. Island in NYC

We knew the chef when we went and were treated like kings and queens. We had the best waiter, the wine steward and others waiting on us hand and foot and the food just kept on coming. The food was fabulous, the wine and it was the first time I got to try Chimas. I was the best experience ever!! We stayed in Hotel Wales next door -- so it was just a little walk to home. I have been assured that as soon as we can get to his newest restaurant, Agave, the experience will be even better.

[AlCzervik]

11. the best service i had was just recently

we went to Buco Di Beppo, if you haven't heard of it it's an italian place where everything is served family syle, the food was good and the service was excellent.

[Missy Vixen]

19. Nana Carmelas, Monroe, WA

DH and I have been very fortunate to have had some truly amazing restaurant meals, but the best of all was last anniversary. Nana Carmelas is owned by a guy from Staten Island who has the coolest restaurant we've ever been to. It's in the middle of nowhere, but don't let that stop you.

The food is superb. The service is great and the servers have a sense of humor. It was a magical evening, and we can't wait to go back again.

If you're in town, give Nana Carmelas a try. It's worth the drive from Seattle (probably about 40 miles or so...)

Julie

[kanrok]

22. I love Seattle

My sister lives there. I grew up on the South side of Chicago, and never saw a mountain until I woke up there on spring morning. She lived on a hill. Looking out the front porch you saw the Olympics with the Seattle skyline. looking off to the south I saw Mt. Ranier for the first time. (This was about 25 years ago). Still one of my favorite cities. We ate at a restaurant on the Sound up in Mukilteo. I forget the name of the place, but it is where I fell in love with fish. I'll have to check Nana Carmelas out the net time I visit. Thanks for the heads-up.

[The empressof all]

23. This is a terrific restaurant

I have to say one of the very best in the Seattle area. It's friendly, warm and inviting and the food is as good as anything I ate in NY restaurants. They're Pizza isn't right but you can't get that here very often. (Although for Seattle folks I do have a great NY Pizza connection IM me if you want instructions)

The best meal I have ever had was at a restaurant in Florence Italy called Il Latini. They sit folks family style and we ate dinner for hours with a couple from Switzerland, a group of Spaniards and some gals from Reno. Everything is served family style and the atmosphere is loud and convivial. I first had stuffed zucchini blossoms there and the cheese board was amazing. I can't say it was the food that was as memorable as the atmosphere, the ambiance and the company. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

[mike_c]

20. Las Casitas in Mulege, BCS....

Two of my best restaurant experiences, in fact. In January 2000 my daughter and I were camping in Baja, and spent a night in the desert near Mulege on our way south. It was during a cold snap, and we broke camp early because it was so cold that we didn't want to linger outside to make coffee or breakfast, but instead went into Mulege hoping to find someone open for coffee. The door to Las Casitas courtyard was open-- it was about 8:00 AM-- and we wondered into the empty restaurant. The owner was in the kitchen with one of the cooks, and we asked if he was selling coffee. The restaurant was still pretty dark and it was cold, being open on the courtyard side.

Javier-- the owner-- insisted that we sit by a fireplace, where he lit a warm fire, brought us coffee, and served us a great breakfast of huevos rancheros, tortillas, and beans. We sat and ate slowly, then drank more coffee, until the sun rose over the courtyard walls and the air warmed up. I think the bill came to around US$10.00 or so.

The second time was during the last trip my ex-wife and I took to Baja together, two years later, when we stayed at Las Casitas for a few days on the way back north.

The food at Las Casitas is good Baja-style mexican, with some dishes-- Javier's garlic soup is an example-- that are excellent. The setting is magical, a beautiful tiled courtyard in a desert oasis, filled with tropical plants.

[yellowdogintexas]

21. La Botin in Madrid, Spain. One of the oldest restaurants in

the world, and continuously operating at the same location since sometime in the 18th century.

Specialty of the House:
Castilian style roasted suckling pig, lamb, goat, or a roast chicken.

with exquisitely fresh vegetables, salad, and dessert.

We had many fantastic restaurant meals in Spain, that was the most memorable.

Vito's (Italian) in Hartford CT. There are 2 or 3 of them, I think. A fabulous meal. My brother in law's cousin operates them and they use her recipes. If you ever go there at night, get the hot eggplant salad, it is to die for.


The Hermitage Hotel in Nashville used to have a wonderful restaurant in the basement, with unbelievable desserts.

The Opryland Hotel also in Nashville has an unbelievable Sunday brunch that is so big you can't see the end of the food table from the beginning. As long as you don't let them take your coffee cup away, you can hang there from 9 am until 2 pm, eat breakfast and lunch, read the paper, people watch, etc.

[sasquatch]

24. Big Boys in Missouri, about a half hour drive outside of St. Louis

:9
Best fried chicken I've ever had.