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Top Restaurant Meals 2006


docsconz

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An evening at a restaurant is a pleasure that depends on many different factors such as the quality of the food, the service, the environment, the company, one's tastes and not least one's state of mind and body. As such any compilation of favorites is therefore a subjective one and may very well differ between individuals who shared the exact same calendar of experience. In my own list, my rating conveys my overall experience and knowingly or unknowingly all of the factors I mentioned above played a part. Even the relative rankings are probably somewhat dependent on my frame of mind when I reviewed them, though I have reviewed them a number of times over the past weeks. While these meals were my absolute favorites of the year, I had too many other great meals to mention. Their absence from this list is no slight to them, but rather a testament to the particular specialness of those that follow.

My top ten with dates and comments:

1. Studio Kitchen 3/17/2006. link to dinner description with photos.

An amazing combination of delicious, beautiful, creative food in a comfortable and intimate atmosphere, served by the food's creator and shared with nine other fascinating people (including the late M.X. Hassett) all the while savoring excellent wines at a steal of a price - what could be better? Shola Olunloyo stopped doing Studio Kitchen very shortly after or else this would likely have popped up several more times in my top ten.

2. Alinea 6/11/2006. link to dinner description with photos.

The third time I have eaten at this restaurant and the only time (unfortunately) in 2006, it just keeps on getting better. Sharing this meal with Ronnie Suburban and Yellow Truffle added context, history and great companionship to the meal. It was also to be my last experience at Alinea with Alex Stupack and Jordan Kahn in the pastry kitchen and Joe Ziomeck in the FOH. They have moved on to other pursuits at which I have no doubt they will prove exceptional. Though their shoes are large, i have faith in Grant Achatz and the rest of the team at Alinea, my favorite restaurant in the United States.

3. Jose Andres' Minibar 5/16/2006. link to dinner description with photos.

If one can't have fun eating at this restaurant, one can't have fun eating. The food was beautiful, creative, playful and of course delicious at this cozy interactive restaurant set within a restaurant. things can't get any better for those diners who enjoy watching food prepaaration as theater and interacting with the preparers at the same time. It also didn't hurt that my wife and I shared this experience with Ruben Garcia and Llorenc Petras and their wives. I subsequently had the pleasure to get to know both a little better at a couple of culinary conferences.

4. Jean-Georges 9/20/2006. link to lunch description with photos.

Lunch at Jean-Georges is the most incredible value in fine dining (with the possible exception of dinner at El Bulli). The food is sensational and downright inexpensive ($12/course?). Sharing the meal with my great friend Joe Bavuso, his wife and a friend helped make this extra-special.

5. Chez Panisse Cafe 3/30/2006. link to lunch description with photos

This lunch culminated my California spring culinary odyssey with Elliot Wexler aka Molto e. The cooking and ingredients are just so pure and so right. There is a reason that this restaurant has lasted so long in this day and age of ephemeral restaurant life - the food is simply perfectly prepared and satisfying.

6. The French Laundry 3/28/2006. link to dinner description with photos.

My first of two visits to TFL in 2006, was all things considered the better overall experience. Though the second dinner was perhaps more uniform in quality from top to bottom, the highs were higher with this meal. My company was stellar both times, the first with Elliot and the second with my wife, the best man at our wedding and a friend of his. Ultimately, what probably made the difference in my enjoyment of the meals and my final ranking was the fact that the second time was the culmination of all day cross-country travel. In short, my wife and i were already exhausted by the time we arrived for dinner.

7. Perry Street 9/18/2006. Link to dinner description - unfortunately no photos.

There was a time not too long ago that I was one of those who thought that Jean-Georges Vongerichten had "jumped the shark." That was before Perry Street and my most recent meals at J-G. The food was vibrant, creative, beautiful and full of flavor. I partook of this dinner with my brother and my sister. Bruce Willis was at a neighboring table. He also must like Jean-Georges' style as I ran into him again two days later at J-G. Well, if JGV has jumped the shark, I am happy to say that he did so unscathed.

8. Ame 3/26/2006. link to dinner description with photos.

Sunday night dining is not supposed to be very good. I'm glad that nobody told that to the people cooking at this San Francisco star. Once again, this meal was with Elliott and was the first of our culinary tour together. A strong friendship rose from this.

9. Pujol 3/9/2006)

My wife's and my Culinary Trip to Mexico in March was not only a highlight of 2006 for us, it was also one of the best trips of our lives. The food was fabulous, but much of it was not restaurant based. Of those that were, Pujol was outstanding; providing a modern touch overlaid on traditional Mexican cuisine. It was a fitting finale to an outstanding vacation.

10.El As de Oros 3/7/2006.

Also from the Mexico trip, this was street food at its finest, though it was located in a market stall in Puebla. The cemita milanesa may have been the single best sandwich I have ever eaten.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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In no particular order:

Eleven Madison Park tasting menu under Chef Humm x2. The food here cannot be beat.

StudioKitchen

If SK is allowed to be on the list, the I'm going to say cooking for people at Z Kitchen. This is not at all to say what's served there even remotely approaches the calibre of cuisine or experience from the diner's perspective of the other restaurants on this list, but cooking for and serving people in an intimate setting is incredily enriching and enjoyable.

Per Se tasting menu; the elegance of the experience is second to none

Gary Danko tasting menu; a great female captain really made this meal special even though a couple of courses were actually memorably not enjoyabe.

Aquavit tasting menu; whereas Chef Humm is NYC's big, underdog newcomer, the overall experience at Aquavit was the most unexpectedly enjoyable.

Lunch at Jean-Georges (although no particular visit stands out in particular among my numerous lunches over the past couple years, the food is always compelling, the experience always wonderful, and the prices are such that that I can afford to visit more than once a year).

Gilt under Chef Liebrandt. A year after this meal, I'm still bitter as to why this restaurant wasn't a success. I am anxiously waiting for his next NYC project.

Dessert tasting menu from Jordan Kahn at Varietal.

Honorable individual mentions: Quiche at Bouchon in Yountville, Sardines at Cafe Chez Panisse, foie gras at Gordon Ramsay at the London along with seeing Jean-Baptiste being Jean-Baptiste, Sugiyama for being able to share something resembling traditional kaiseki with the g/f without having to fly to Japan

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Not the whole meal, but here are my Best of 2006 Dishes (in no particular order). You can read and see all of them on my blog.

1. Quail Egg Ravioli (schwa, Chicago, Illinois)

2. Abalone with Pig Trotters (Manresa, Los Gatos, California)

3. Seed and Nut-Encrusted Black Sea Bass (Jean Georges, New York, NY)

4. Cattail Creek Farm Spring Lamb (Chez Panisse, Berkeley, California)

5. Smoked Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp (Jean Georges, New York, New York)

6. Tasmanian Sea Trout (Scylla, Chicago, Illinois)

8. Sweet Butter-Poached Scottish Langoustines (Per Se, New York, NY)

9. “Arpege Egg” (Manresa, Los Gatos, California)

10. “Hot Potato” (alinea, Chicago, Illinois)

11. Burrata Bruschetta (ame, San Francisco, California)

12. “Imperial Shrimp” (Bo Ling’s on the Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri)

14. “Ribeye” (Aqueous Restaurant, Farmington, Pennsylvania)

15. Grilled Hawaiian Walu (Krause’s Dining, Lawrence, Kansas)

16. “Almond” (Aqueous Restaurant, Farmington, Pennsylvania)

17. Spicy Green Beans (Nan Lai Shuen Fan Zhuang, Beijing, PR China)

18. Uni (Maine) Nigiri (Sushi Yasuda, New York, New York)

19. Peking Duck Skin with Sugar (Tong Fu Lin Roast Duck Restaurant, Beijing, PR China)

20. “Cocao Butter” (Aqueous Restaurant, Farmington, Pennsylvania)

21. “Spaghetti Crabonara” (ame, San Francisco, California)

22. Grilled Leeks (Hong Che Mai Japanese Restaurant, Suzhou, PR China)

23. Spiced Sea Scallops (eve Restaurant, Ann Arbor, Michigan)

24. Sea Bass with Confit of Summer Squash (Jean Georges, Shanghai, PR China)

25. Wagyu Flatiron (bluestem, Kansas City, Missouri)

Edited by ulterior epicure (log)

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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What a bunch of foodies; any of that food taste good?

Mine:

1. BBQ brisket, Luling

2. BBQ pork, Sam's, Austin

3. BBQ beef ribs, Southside, Elgin

4. Chicken fried steak, Dot's, College Station

5. Green bean casserole, Arnie Johnson's, Lake Travis

6. Fried Shrimp, Catfish House, Del Valle

7. #2 Combo enchilada platter, Serinos, San Antonio

8. Potato salad, Ruby's, Austin

9. Posole, Arrandas #3, Austin

10. Neapolitan rice with Savoy cabbage, spinach, & egg Broth, Louis XV, Monaco

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What a bunch of foodies; any of that food taste good?

Mine:

1. BBQ brisket, Luling

2. BBQ pork, Sam's, Austin

3. BBQ beef ribs, Southside, Elgin

4. Chicken fried steak, Dot's, College Station

5. Green bean casserole, Arnie Johnson's, Lake Travis

6. Fried Shrimp, Catfish House, Del Valle

7. #2 Combo enchilada platter, Serinos, San Antonio

8. Potato salad, Ruby's, Austin

9. Posole, Arrandas #3, Austin

10. Neapolitan rice with Savoy cabbage, spinach, & egg Broth, Louis XV, Monaco

What? Nothing in Paris? Just having a little fun Dan. :laugh:

Robert R

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Didn't make Paris in 2006; although, I did make it to Monaco when spending two weeks in Torino at the Olympics.

I will be going this 2007 Summer and will I spend all of 2008 in the City of Light as my daughter will be doing her thrid year abroad at the Sorbonne. I can't wait for sure; and I'll defintely have a different list upcoming.

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Not the whole meal, but here are my Best of 2006 Dishes (in no particular order).  You can read and see all of them on my blog.

1. Quail Egg Ravioli (schwa, Chicago, Illinois)

If not the very best dish I ate in 2006, the quail egg ravioli at Schwa was right up there. I loved Schwa, but like my second visit to TFL, it suffered from dining there on a travel day. In fact due to an airline delay, I took a cab straight from Midway to the restaurant with my suitcase.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Mistral, Seattle (May?)

French Laundry, Yountville (April)

Bouley, New York (December)

Chez Panisse, Berkeley (April)

Rare, Vancouver (3rd and 4th visit equally good--July and September?)

Jean Georges, New York (December)

Mistral, Seattle (October)

Gordon Ramsey, New York (December)

West, Vancouver (June)

Veil (1st visit--April) and Union (August) *tie (both in Seattle)

For a top 20 list, I would include places like Providence in LA (June), Tartine Bakery and Bouchon Bakery (for sheer enjoyment), hole-in-the-wall Chinese places up in Richmond BC, a drunken escapade at Momofuku Ssam, and a charcuterie/cheese/baguette picnic on Granville Island on a perfectly sunny day, the duck ragu pasta at Bistro Don Giovanni, and a disgustingly gluttonous meal at Crush (Seattle) where the chef just kept sending out food, including a portion of foie gras that I first mistook as a 8-9 oz steak!

Edited by Ling (log)
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Le Bernardin (December)

Arrows (August) our 3rd and best visit

Cyrus (October) our 2nd and its gets better each time

L'Impero (March)

Bouchon Bakery - Yountville (October)

Spago (October)

Restaurant David - Prague (June)

A Single Pebble - Burlington VT (January)

Dinner at our house (May) - a six course raw meal it was fun

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Le Bernardin (December)

Arrows (August) our 3rd and best visit

Cyrus (October) our 2nd and its gets better each time

L'Impero (March)

Bouchon Bakery - Yountville (October)

Spago (October)

Restaurant David - Prague (June)

A Single Pebble - Burlington VT (January)

Dinner at our house (May) - a six course raw meal it was fun

Where is Arrows and what kind of restaurant is it?

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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Le Bernardin (December)

Arrows (August) our 3rd and best visit

Cyrus (October) our 2nd and its gets better each time

L'Impero (March)

Bouchon Bakery - Yountville (October)

Spago (October)

Restaurant David - Prague (June)

A Single Pebble - Burlington VT (January)

Dinner at our house (May) - a six course raw meal it was fun

Where is Arrows and what kind of restaurant is it?

Ogunquit,Maine.

http://www.arrowsrestaurant.com/

Edited by robert40 (log)

Robert R

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I'm a piker compared to most of the others in this thread, but I'll throw out two, both of them tied together by their utter simplicity, but differentiated by vast gaps in formality and price.

The first was at La Merenda, in Nice. There, Dominique Le Stanc -- who once pulled down two Michelin stars about ten minutes walking time from La Merenda at Chantecler in the Hotel Negresco -- puts out a bowl of stockfish so nasty that the waiter will make you try a cup before giving your order to the and so compelling that you dream of it after. As explained to me, stickfish was cod that had been cured but not salted (much) and it is so pungent that only a preparation involving vast quantities of garlic, plus tomato and olives, can stand up to it. La Merenda is a tiny place without a phone or a credit card machine. You drop by and ask for a reservation later in the day. If you get one, you are seated cheek-by-jowell with a crowd that runs from chic to motley (the Dane whose knee was rubbing against mine was indeed wearing a Motley Crue t-shirt, in fact). It's a blast. Dinner for three with beaucoup de vin and a modest tip above the servic charge ran under a hundred euros.

At the other end of the spectrum, Keller-protege Eric Ziebold has just made CityZen Washington's newewst 4-star restaurant (one of three accordind to Washingtonian, one of four according to The Post) and, among the other things he served us on my wife's birthday, we had a white pizza topped with a sunny-side up egg and shavings from an egg-sized chunk of alba truffle. Again, almost peasant-like in its simplicity, but brilliant in its flavor. But, this time, served in one of Washington's most elegant dining rooms and at a $30 supplement to an already pricy tasting menu.

Maybe next year I'll get around to one of those foam-merchant places, but this year, simple worked out real well.

I'm on the pavement

Thinking about the government.

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I don't get around as much as most of you guys, but here is my list of great meals in 2006, in [roughly] chronological order

Hog Island Oyster Depot -- San Francisco

Slanted Door -- San Francisco

Table 8 -- Los Angeles

Bouchon -- Las Vegas

Michael Mina -- Las Vegas

L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon -- Las Vegas

Craft -- Dallas

A.O.C. -- Los Angeles

Bern's -- Tampa

some chicken from some Phillipino place, consumed in a conference room at the office -- Los Angeles

Abacus -- Dallas

Edit: To add Table 8

Edited by jsmeeker (log)

Jeff Meeker, aka "jsmeeker"

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In chronological order...

January - Carlos' Restaurant, Chicago

January - Sea Saw, Scottsdale

February - Schwa, Chicago

March - Alinea, Chicago

May - Blue Crabs eaten in a friend's backyard in Southern Maryland

September - L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas

October - Guy Savoy, Las Vegas

November - Per Se, New York

-Josh

Now blogging at http://jesteinf.wordpress.com/

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I know, I know, I look like a shill for StudioKitchen, but it's a sincere reflection of my dining experiences. I'm almost relieved that SK went on hiatus in the spring, it would have been impossible to choose between the many more that inevitably would have followed. I had to leave a couple off already...

I'm really amused by the fact that a few of these exact meals appear on other's top 10 lists as well: it's been really great to meet and dine with other eG folks over the past year. I'm sure the company had no small part in making them so noteworthy.

I didn't travel as much this year as I had hoped, so it's a little Philly-centric, but I suspect the list wouldn't have been much different...

1) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): March 17

Tomato – Combova Lime Gelee, Lobster Remoulade, Celeriac “Chantilly”, Puffed Rice; perhaps the ultimate pork belly; and fine company from Docsconz, JoeB, MX Hassett, and others.

link to pix and descriptions

(I'm not sure whether to count these next three as separate dinners or one protracted extravaganza!)

2) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): January 28

Lobster Scrambled Eggs, Fines Herbes, Marscarpone, "Americaine" Nage; Daniel and Alicia down from NYC.

link to pix and descriptions

3) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): January 31

Veal Cheeks Braised in Banyuls, Warm Potato-"Redondo Inglesias" Terrine, Horseradish...

link to pix and descriptions

4) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): February 2

Big fun with a heavily eG crew including Holly, Carmen, Chris and Andrea Amirault; and of course the legendary raspberry cauliflower apocalypse.

link to pix and descriptions

5) Susur (Toronto): June 6

An amazing display of versatility: three distinct 7-course tasting menus, each of them delicious throughout.

link to pix and descriptions

6) Studio Kitchen (Philadelphia): January 10

Bluefoot Chicken Ravioli, Choucroute of Celery, Crispy Sweetbreads, Toasted Jasmine Rice Jus, the debut of the cauliflower ice cream; MX Hassett's first of several visits.

link to pix and descriptions

7) Studio Kitchen (Philadelphia): February 21

Pulled Skate Wings, Mushroom Ragout, Hot Spring Egg, Scallop-Morel Emulsion, Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette...

link to pix and descriptions

8) Snackbar (Philadelphia): November 1

An impressive debut from the most exciting, interesting new restaurant in Philly, subsequent visits have shown this opening night to be no fluke.

link to pix and descriptions

9) WD-50 (NYC): January 1

Often more interesting than delicious, but this meal still sticks out in my mind as a fascinating and enjoyable experience, and one that gave great context to much of the other modern cooking I've encountered.

link to pix and descriptions

10) Lacroix (Philadelphia): March 5

I'm surprised to put a buffet brunch on this list, but it was just so over-the-top and indulgent that it stands out as a culinary highlight.

link to pix and descriptions

There were lots of other individual dishes that stood out at other places, but as complete meals, that's my top ten. I can't complain!

"Philadelphia’s premier soup dumpling blogger" - Foobooz

philadining.com

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1. El Bulli (Roses, Spain)

2. Jean-Georges (New York)

3. Per Se (New York)

4. No. 9 Park (Boston)

5. St. John (London)

6. Cinq Sentits (Barcelona)

7. Gordon Ramsey at the London (New York)

8. Lucques (Los Angeles) -- suckling pig with blackeyed peas was delicious; perfectly-done salads

9. Stonehill Tavern (Michael Mina) (Dana Point, California)

10. Otto (New York) -- salad, pasta and olive oil gelato made for a memorable and satisfying meal

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10. Otto (New York) -- salad, pasta and olive oil gelato made for a memorable and satisfying meal

I'm with you on the Olive Oil Gelato. It made it made it as one of my Top 10 desserts of 2006. That stuff is like creamy crack! :laugh:

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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10. Otto (New York) -- salad, pasta and olive oil gelato made for a memorable and satisfying meal

I'm with you on the Olive Oil Gelato. It made it made it as one of my Top 10 desserts of 2006. That stuff is like creamy crack! :laugh:

I can't say that I have ever enjoyed ice cream more than that olive oil gelato - it is heavenly.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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I know, I know, I look like a shill for StudioKitchen, but it's a sincere reflection of my dining experiences. I'm almost relieved that SK went on hiatus in the spring, it would have been impossible to choose between the many more that inevitably would have followed. I had to leave a couple off already...

I'm really amused by the fact that a few of these exact meals appear on other's top 10 lists as well: it's been really great to meet and dine with other eG folks over the past year. I'm sure the company had no small part in making them so noteworthy.

I didn't travel as much this year as I had hoped, so it's a little Philly-centric, but I suspect the list wouldn't have been much different...

1) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): March 17

Tomato – Combova Lime Gelee, Lobster Remoulade, Celeriac “Chantilly”, Puffed Rice;  perhaps the ultimate pork belly; and fine company from  Docsconz, JoeB, MX Hassett, and others.

link to pix and descriptions

(I'm not sure whether to count these next three as separate dinners or one protracted extravaganza!)

2) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): January 28

Lobster Scrambled Eggs, Fines Herbes, Marscarpone, "Americaine" Nage; Daniel and Alicia down from NYC.

link to pix and descriptions

3) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): January 31

Veal Cheeks Braised in Banyuls, Warm Potato-"Redondo Inglesias" Terrine, Horseradish...

link to pix and descriptions

4) StudioKitchen (Philadelphia): February 2

Big fun with a heavily eG crew including Holly, Carmen, Chris and Andrea Amirault; and of course the legendary raspberry cauliflower apocalypse.

link to pix and descriptions

5) Susur (Toronto): June 6

An amazing display of versatility: three distinct 7-course tasting menus, each of them delicious throughout.

link to pix and descriptions

6) Studio Kitchen (Philadelphia): January 10

Bluefoot Chicken Ravioli, Choucroute of Celery, Crispy Sweetbreads, Toasted Jasmine Rice Jus, the debut of the cauliflower ice cream; MX Hassett's first of several visits.

link to pix and descriptions

7) Studio Kitchen (Philadelphia): February 21

Pulled Skate Wings, Mushroom Ragout, Hot Spring Egg, Scallop-Morel Emulsion, Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple Vinaigrette...

link to pix and descriptions

8) Snackbar (Philadelphia): November 1

An impressive debut from the most exciting, interesting new restaurant in Philly, subsequent visits have shown this opening night to be no fluke.

link to pix and descriptions

9) WD-50 (NYC): January 1

Often more interesting than delicious, but this meal still sticks out in my mind as a fascinating and enjoyable experience, and one that gave great context to much of the other modern cooking I've encountered.

link to pix and descriptions

10) Lacroix (Philadelphia): March 5

I'm surprised to put a buffet brunch on this list, but it was just so over-the-top and indulgent that it stands out as a culinary highlight.

link to pix and descriptions

There were lots of other individual dishes that stood out at other places, but as complete meals, that's my top ten.  I can't complain!

My list may very well have looked much more like yours if I had been able to partake of more dinners there. It was just fabulous. I'm looking forward to Shola's next endeavor, wherever and whenever.

John Sconzo, M.D. aka "docsconz"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

- Ferran Adria on eGullet 12/16/2004.

Docsconz - Musings on Food and Life

Slow Food Saratoga Region - Co-Founder

Twitter - @docsconz

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This is a terrific list to read and hard to expand, but just to round out the West Coast choices, I'll add

San Francisco's Quince,

the (relatively) new venture from chef Michael Tusk, formerly of Chez Panisse and Oliveto. I've been only once so far, but that one time was one of those meals where the outside world really slipped away, and all that remained was sensual eating. The food was inventive without being trendy, and everything was flat-out delicious, better, in fact, than our visit to Chez Panisse.

Now if I can just figure out the other nine...

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In not particular order

El Cellar Can Roca, Girona

Alenia, Chicago

Fearrionton House, Pittsboro

Abac, Barcelona

El Bulli, Roses area

Hisop, Barcleona

Bin 54, Chapel Hill

Lacroix, Philladelphia

Rafas, Roses

Undercurret, Greensboro (Local Favorite)

If I do this well in 07 I will be lucky. I know El Bulli is out (denyed) and I hope to be at Alenia at least twice. I need some good Sushi and want to try Mini Bar.

Nate

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1. August: FIG, Charleston. The Portuguese Fish Stew nearly made me cry. Still makes me smile to think about it. Also, an absolutely sublime frisee aux lardons.

2. August: Citronelle, DC. The Mosaic app is still one of the most creatively plated, exquisitely executed, beautiful dishes I've ever seen. And the trio of chocolate desserts, third part from the left, was like God had made a Kit Kat.

3. August: (I got married in August) The Ocean Room, Kiawah, SC. One of the most indulgent meals, top to bottom, I have ever eaten.

4. November: Jujube, Chapel Hill. Charlie did an all-offal menu for me and my wife, with a concentration on sweetbreads. Wow. I was sweating by the time I got in the car, because my wife doesn't totally groove on offal the way I do, and so I ate hers too. yum yum.

5. December: Jujube, Chapel Hill. Charlie did another tasting menu for me and some of my friends in 'celebration of the winter solstice.' asian fish and chips--yum. grilled crab stuffed calamari... totally righteous.

6. October: My house, Chapel Hill. Roasted fresh pork belly with savoy cabbage, fennel, apples, cider, and sherry. slow and low... served with barnaut '96. pretty proud of myself on that one.

7. February: Palena, DC. Simply gorgeous all around. Eating in the bar is one of the great hidden secrets of dining in DC.

8. April: Central Kitchen, Cambridge, MA. Never had a bad meal there, and this is no exception. One of the best grilled pork chops i've ever had.

And that's it for meals that need to be listed. The others just fall into a second tier...

bacon-- it's the fruit from a pig!

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I can't say that I have ever enjoyed ice cream more than that olive oil gelato - it is heavenly.

Doc,

Then wait until March for your first try of Arlecchino Gelateria, an addiction waiting for you in Phoenix. Those that have had them both favor Arlecchino.

Molto E

Oh Molto E, you've made me a happy man! :raz:

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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