Best Restaurant Dishes You've Ever Had

[kwilkinson]

What are the best restaurant dishes you've ever had?

Mine, in no particular order:

Squab w/ corn and fava- Masa's, San Francisco
Black Truffle Explosion- Alinea, Chicago
Hamachi sashimi- Boka, Chicago
Bone Marrow- The Bristol, Chicago
Uni Shooter- Arami, Chicago
Beer & Cheese soup- Schwa, Chicago
Cyrus BLT- Cyrus Restaurant, Healdsburg

Dessert:
White honey parfait w/ rum, passionfruit, and white chocolate- blackbird, Chicago
Basque Cake- The Bristol, Chicago


Will probably add more as they come to mind.

 

[SField]

The black truffle explosion is one of the few gimmicks that Alinea uses. It's good but as you know I don't blow my wad over truffles. I think it's too big and kind of one note. I've had it many times now and while I appreciate it, it wouldn't be in my top five anymore (whereas it probably was a few years ago.)

From alinea - blue crab parfait

 

[poorsod]

Foie Gras pastrami with blueberry mustard - Vetri
Braised venison - EMP
Chocholate palette with caramel popcorn ice-cream - EMP
Fusilli with bone marrow and octopus - Marea

For more mundane eating
Steam fish and Ginger - oriental garden
Sarang burung - Penang
Soup dumplings-joes Ginger/ joes shanghai.

 

[Hank Rearden]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Uni Shooter- Arami, Chicago


Nobu has a great uni shooter as well

 

[john_sf]

All of the sushi restaurants in Aspen (there are three) have been serving wonderful lamb chop dishes, which sounds very odd and wrong ... but it works.

I have had some tremendous meals at Matsuhisa and Kenichi that consisted of sushi apps, salads, sashimi and so on, and instead of moving on to a big roll or a yellowtail collar, etc., we had wonderful Colorado lamb chops as the main course. These are wonderful meals every time - especially as it allows you to properly pair beer, sake and red wine - all in one meal.

 

[indesertum]

Originally Posted by poorsod

Foie Gras pastrami with blueberry mustard - Vetri
Braised venison - EMP
Chocholate palette with caramel popcorn ice-cream - EMP
Fusilli with bone marrow and octopus - Marea

For more mundane eating
Steam fish and Ginger - oriental garden
Sarang burung - Penang
Soup dumplings-joes Ginger/ joes shanghai.

really?
i mean they were good dumplings but xiaolongbao as a best restaurant dish?

 

[audiophilia]

So many great dishes. Too many. But some off the top of my head:

Pot au feu -- La Grenouille, NYC
Grand Marnier SoufflÃ

-- La Grenouille, NYC
Foie Gras and bitter chocolate -- North 44, Toronto
Duck in a Can -- Au Pied Cochon, Montreal
Raclette -- Les Halles, Montreal
Antipasto -- Fifteen, London
Lobster Ravioli -- Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London
Coq au Vin -- Daniel, NYC
Bouillabaisse -- Lutece, NYC
French Onion Soup -- Le Select Bistro, Toronto
Short ribs -- Le Select Bistro, Toronto
Pound cake with Screech sauce -- Canoe, Toronto
Caribou -- Opus, Toronto
Chocolate Creme Brulee with donuts -- George, Toronto
Croque Madame -- Cafe L'Imperiale, Paris
Hot Dog all dressed -- Decarie Hot Dog, Montreal
Pizza all dressed -- Miss Chomedey, Laval

Lots more.

 

[ecs135]

Shrimp cooked in lime juice at Cibreo in Florence

 

[Rambo]

I'm not a FINE DINER but I'd have to rate having Stone Crabs at Joe's pretty damn high. Their Key Lime Pie is pretty damn good too.

 

[gomestar]

Snail porridge - the Fat Duck, UK
Smoked tuna, picked veggies, crispy kombu - Le Bernardin, NYC
"Chocolate and milk" - Eleven Madison Park, NYC
Pizza + wine + friends - Pizza ai Marmi, Rome
Cured Foie Gras - Aldea, NYC

 

[Piobaire]

Good thread K-mod. I'll have to think about things, but a few would be:

Black truffle pot pie -- Cyrus, Healdsburg
Sous vide beef cheek perogie -- Lola Bistro, Cleveland
72 hour sous vide, coffee glazed waygu ribs -- local place (off the menu)

More after meeting.

 

[poorsod]

Originally Posted by indesertum

really?
i mean they were good dumplings but xiaolongbao as a best restaurant dish?

Note I created 2 categories for "best". I can't tolerate eating fancy dining all the time. Too rich for my constitution.

That's why I included a second category for everyday food.

 

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

Beer & Cheese soup- Schwa, Chicago

Yes. I'd also add the Anchovies with celery and banana.

Originally Posted by audiophilia

So many great dishes. Too many. But some off the top of my head:

Duck in a Can -- Au Pied Cochon, Montreal

Not nearly as good as I'd expected.

 

[zjpj83]

Beef cheeks at Jean Georges

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

Black truffle pot pie -- Cyrus, Healdsburg
I had the BTPP the second time I ate at Cyrus, with the ex. It was one of the extra courses they sent us. We both thought the dish was incredible, but damn was it hot. They popped the top and shaved the black truffle on it, and we had to wait 8-10 minutes for the veloute to cool down enough to actually eat it. The flavors were incredible, though. That was one of my favorite dishes to prep. We actually had to tourne veg!

Did you have the same experience?