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Most memorable meal

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    Most memorable meal

    Cooked by you, a loved one or a restaurant/steak house/smoke house/taco cart/food truck/whatever!

    By me: haven't made it yet

    Loved one: Mom's Bandito tostadas on fried flour tortillas. Dad always said, "the best thing your mom makes for dinner is Reservations."

    Restaurant: Mr. J's bacon avocado cheese burger. This is the first place I ever ate a bacon avo cheeseburger back in the 1970s in Long Beach on the corner of Ximeno and Anaheim. It's my opinion that they invented it but you know how opinions go. There was an old-school walk-up and drive-thru McDonalds a few doors down and across the street from Mr. J's but it never had a line like J's. Just a basic non-chain burger joint and it was delicious. it closed in the early 1990s when the land sold and it is now a church parking parking lot (God Bless Mr. J's!).

    End matter: The old McDonald's location on Anaheim across from Mr. J's became a Tommy's Burger's when a new McDonalds was built down the street. Tommy's has excellent, greasy fast-food chili that should be enjoyed in chili cheese burger or chili cheese fry form. It will kill your belly for days to come but you will very much enjoy this meal going down.

    #2
    Our mothers must be long lost sisters.
    My best, the Lambton Tavern, an example of a way simpler time, an old since closed Men's room in west Toronto.
    Iced cold draft beer and bottles, no liquor served.
    They was a small kitchenette that served to most outstanding meals off a gas fired griddle and a fire risk deep fryer.
    The food this man served up was exceptional, burgers, dogs, cabbage rolls, huge corned beef and pastrami sammies.
    A hot pepper steak with fries that was to die for.
    ....I'm so hungry right now....to be 21 again just for one of his meals!!!!

    Comment


      #3
      Since joining here I've certainly improved. There was one brisket that came out prefect. My son keeps bringing up one rack of wibs I made and can't seem to duplicate. He may be messing with me for turning down the music volume whenever I'm backing up.

      Loved one: Grandmother, Mother and now my wife. Sauerbraten Mit Kartoffel Kloesse. So glad my oldest brother sat down with my Grandmother and got this one written down.

      Restaurant: A place in Brussels, right off the old square. The sign had a wagon wheel (?) Take me to the square and I'll show you the way. Went there in the 90's probably 6 times. Roasted Salmon & White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce. Started with a couple of baskets of steamed muscles in a white wine sauce. With a couple of good Belgium beers.

      Comment


      • HawkerXP
        HawkerXP commented
        Editing a comment
        Thanks for bringing this topic up. Oh, the memories.

      • painter
        painter commented
        Editing a comment
        The Grant St Cafe in Dumont doesn't make the cut?

      • HawkerXP
        HawkerXP commented
        Editing a comment
        LoL! Its been a long time. I'd have to do a new review. painter

      #4
      This was a tough one. Had to think about it for a bit. I moved many times and traveled extensively throughout my career and there experienced a wide range of excellent meals everywhere I went. But I settled on a meal that really sticks out more for the experience than the food itself.

      In 2003 I was in the UK for a business trip which I extended for four days to ride motorcycles with a few of my colleagues. Anyway I rented a awesome BMW sport touring bike, which was a big change for me as I am a Harley rider, and we took off for a weekend of riding around. England, Scotland, and Wales. We were in Wales on a rarely gorgeous Saturday and stopped for lunch on the coast. There was an old time fish and chips joint just off the beach. We all got orders to go, walked about 100 yards (meters?) to a little park like area with benches, and ate our lunches. The camaraderie, conversation about the ride so far, the peacefulness, and yes the food too is a memory that lasts and lasts.

      Comment


      • smokin fool
        smokin fool commented
        Editing a comment
        Good old beer battered fish and chips is going the way of the Dodo bird here.
        I can think of one of two places now that dip Halibut into a homemade beer batter and deep fry in a good oil with fresh cut fries.
        Problem is when you do find it it costs your right kidney
        Now very thing is mass produced of an assembly line.
        Sad.

      #5
      I look forward to the time when McD's may serve McPBR with the McRib. Then I may try a McRib.
      Until then McNone for McMe and McMemory.

      Comment


      #6
      My very best meal memories are of us, our teenage kids and their friends gathered around pans of Renee’s chicken enchiladas on our big pine dining table in St. Louis. Sweet times.

      But more recently a potluck with our rural neighbors with the best pollo asdo I ever grilled. Hope those days are coming back.

      Comment


        #7
        I don’t do "Best" but for sure #1 on my list is....

        Nanas: Beans and rice with chorizo and crunchy potatoes. Home made tortillas and salsa. The protein was usually what was leftover.

        San Felipe Mexico. Early to mid 80’s: Fish taco (battered) on fresh tortillas with a white Chipotle sauce/Crema. Cooked at a tiny taco stand when no one ever heard of this place Outstanding!! No better fish taco.

        Tijuana Mexico: used to go there for lunch. Walk across the border, just out side the taxi area was a lil taco stand. Had a red n white striped tented cover. Carne asada tacos amazing.

        im sure I’ll think of others as I get hungrier.

        Comment


          #8
          Off the top of my head:
          1. I was 12 yrs old and were were visiting family in Houston, TX. I believe were by the memorial for the battle of San Jacinto and there was a seafood restaurant that served family style. There was about 15 of us and they kept bringing platters of seafood (crab, shrimp, fish, etc.). I'll never forget that.
          2. Going to my Uncle Art's house in Downey during the summer. He'd go down to San Pedro and pick up live Dungeness Crab and seaweed. He had a cement lined open pit by his pool. He'd build a fire over rocks till hot and then do a clam bake with the crabs. Appetizer was deviled eggs and then the main course of crabs, corn on the cobb and sides. Great memories.
          3. Flying in 50 lbs of live mud bugs and doing a crawfish boil with all our friends.
          4. For 15 years we did a Gourmet Club with a few couples. Man we had some great meals. I remember once when our host served Squab. My wife was taking a bite when someone asked, what is Squab? When it was told it was Pigeon my wife immediately put her fork down .

          Comment


          • Troutman
            Troutman commented
            Editing a comment
            That seafood restaurant you refer to was the Monument Inn. Sadly it closed a few years ago, got wiped out by one of the storms, can't remember which one. They tried a come back but never caught on. They did overwhelm you with food but I don't remember it being top notch, just gut filling !!!

          • TripleB
            TripleB commented
            Editing a comment
            Troutman - Sorry to hear it closed. I don't remember the food tasting anything extraordinary, but the visual of those platters of seafood coming to the table obviously made quite an impression on me.

            Another one was eating at the Stardust Steak House (I think it was called Stardust) in Texas. I got the Cowboy, a 36 oz. steak. The two guys next to me each got the Trail Boss, 72 oz. It literally hung over the edges of the platter. Wow.

          #9
          I've too many great meals in too many places/cities/countries, but you asked "most memorable".

          1. Thanksgiving BBQ and dinner at our base camp in Lai Khe, Vietnam, 1966. Our hooch was next to the small air strip we had built and the Air Force squad who ran the strip pilfered steaks, turkey, Jim Beam, PBR, some vodka and gin from a pallet meant for the officers club (yes, the REMF officers had their own club). One of the greatest meals I ever ate. Unfortunately, spent a large amount of time draped over a sandbag wall returning stuff to nature- but still a most memorable meal!
          2. Mom's spaghetti and meat balls. I still have her 60 year-old recipe that I make regularly. Only modification I've made is adding Italian sausage (both hot and mild). Of course, that is balanced by the worst - my dad's chicken salad. If I recall correctly, little Bro had to go to the ER 'cause of it.
          3. Two restaurant meals stand out: one in Barcelona, at the top of a 6 story building, where there was a rooftop dinner place. They start dinner around 9-10PM in that part of Spain. I was the only english speaking patron, spoke literally no Spanish, sat with a family of 6 and had one of the greatest times and meals of my life. Some beef and some lamb grilled Santa Maria style, some veggies, fresh bread just baked, wine and some kind of liquor that I do not recall the name of. Then music and movement (I refuse to call it dancing!). 3 hours and just wonderful.

          There are more - from places around the world and this wonderful USA of ours. Ask again in a month and my list will probably change...

          Comment


            #10
            Hmmm this is a fun one

            Home: This would be when we used to do a proper Feast of the seven fishes for Christmas Eve. Grandparents, Parents, aunts, uncles, cousins (30-40 ppl on a good year). We'd start around 6pm, eat and drink till past midnight. All sorts of fish and preparations - way more than 7 courses. We haven't had it in a while since all my cousins have grown up and started their own families its just way too many people to get together.

            Restaurant: Piazza Duomo in Alba, Italy on our honeymoon. We were able to get the table right in the kitchen and watch them make us a 10 course tasting. It was also during truffle season so we got truffle adders on a lot of the courses. Most expensive meal of my life but also the most memorable

            https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomhyla...h=657416e96fd7

            EDIT - Meal I cooked: A few years back we did an Argentine asado for my brothers 30th birthday. My buddy and I cooked meat for over 100 people. 3 prime ribs, flanken style short ribs, chorizos, blood sausage, provoleta, a few chickens for the non meat eaters. We hand chopped enough parsley for almost a gallon of chimichurri. It was a fun day of eating and drinking. Best part was late night around midnight everyone was hungry again so we fired up the grill and made roast beef/provoleta sandos dipped in the chimichurri. The drunken crowd gathering around us was like a scene from the walking dead
            Last edited by Pobeque; March 5, 2021, 03:19 PM.

            Comment


              #11
              I am just stuck on this one. I love all food. I am still thinking but, the meals that come to mind were prepared by either mothers, mother in laws or grandmothers and is just good old fashioned comfort food.
              Last edited by DavidNorcross; March 5, 2021, 08:25 PM.

              Comment


              • HawkerXP
                HawkerXP commented
                Editing a comment
                +1

              #12
              My parents were really good at a lot of things, cooking was not even close to one of them. I did not like "meals" growing up, they were always hot dishes, and similar. So I don’t have memories of good food. However I was around a lot of really good moments around food, with friends, neighbors, & family. So, for me, nothing better then sharing food, regardless of if it is even simple snacks (those were the better meals to me).

              Best meal was probably the pumpkin pie I ate when I was 4 and my mom taught me to make pumpkin pies for thanksgiving. Nothing fancy, canned pumpkin, but a great flakey crust.

              Second best, anything Italian, made with absolute love for the dish, it is likely the thing that gets me through the winter now. This is Kenji’s chicken parm, it is a game changer in that dish. (For me)

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                #13
                Off top of my head....

                Went to a hole in the wall bar called Skaliwags in Door County, WI a few years ago when we were visiting there. We had our little boy with us and didn’t know we could take him in a bar back there and we were able to. We sat at the bar and ordered. I had a New Orleans pasta with shrimp and andouille sausage and my husband had a lobster ravioli. A gourmet meal came out of this little bar that really looked like it was nothing.

                Another was going to the chuckwagon cookout in Yellowstone. We rode out to the cooking area in a wagon and sat there and visited while steak was grilled and all sides were prepared. Food was good, but the time was definitely memorable. We saw a badger on the way to the cookout and while there eating, a black bear had decided to come down and see what we were up to.

                I cooked a prime rib a couple years ago for us at New Year’s Eve and both my husband and son said it was better than restaurants we’ve had, so that was pretty cool. I do have to say it was pretty tasty.

                Comment


                • HawkerXP
                  HawkerXP commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Oooo, your Yellowstone trip reminds me of a canoe trip we did. At the halfway point they had food waiting, salads and such but the burgers were cooked on a giant saw blade sitting over a wood fire. Could of been my first smash burgers!
                  Last edited by HawkerXP; March 9, 2021, 01:04 PM.

                #14
                Me: I suck at cooking, okay well maybe my country chicken is pretty awesome.

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                Mom: (and really Dad too) were foodies long before that was a thing. They obsessed over meals and always insisted on fresh food. It was always served at 6pm on the dot and you'd better be there. The most memorable meals she served were the roasts almost every Sunday. The smells wafting through the air, the anticipation of a great meal. Her leg-o-lamb was a show stopper!!

                Restaurant: Fancy - was on a business trip to New Orleans and was taken to lunch at Emeril's in the Warehouse District, Emeril Lagasse's first restaurant. Had a really good lunch and got to meet the guy before I ever knew who he was. Fast forward to 2015 and got invited again to eat at NOLA, his French Quarter establishment. The party I was with spent about $2,000 wining and dining, maybe the best meal I've had since. Other than that, there are too many experiences in Chicago, New York City, Vegas; hell, I could write a book.

                Restaurant: Not So Fancy - I'm gonna say I was 12 or so years old and this new burger joint opened up near our home. It was called Burger King. The Home of the Whopper has been my go to hamburger ever since. Yea I know there are much better burgers out there, but there's just something about a double meat, double cheese with bacon Whopper that makes my mouth water and satisfies me decades after my first one.



                Comment


                • latenight71
                  latenight71 commented
                  Editing a comment
                  It's the consistency that wins you over on Burger King. If it tastes the same everytime and brings you back to that first time it's going to be a homerun whether it's the best ever burger or not.

                #15
                Cooked by me (not bbq): Burgundy Beef using the Fannie Farmer's cookbook recipe (older version using salt pork).

                Cooked by me (bbq): Pork tender loins with a modified Memphis dust rub.

                Restaurant: Authentic Peking Duck from the Peking Palace in Oceanside, Ca.

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