Best food/dining experiences

Originally Posted by gdl203

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GQGeek - what do you think of Chez L'Epicier? We had a really awesome dinner there last year but it seems like it's not everyone's cup of tea

I have not been to that one. On the montreal foodie forums it doesn't really come up that often so it's never been on my list of places that I absolutely have to try (with my limited budget). Maybe we're just spoiled since there are a plethora of very good restaurants in the city spanning the entire price spectrum.

Where else did you eat? I'd be interested to hear comparisons with NY since i've never eaten at any of the really famous places there. Almost all of the high-end dining i've done has been in montreal.

I'm actually dying to eat at a Keller restaurant since Keller has probably been the biggest influence on my own approach to cooking.

Mostly went to restaurants recommended by our concierge and one of my friends who lives in Montreal but - honestly - beside Chez L'Epicier, I couldn't remember a single other restaurant name.

Most were satisfactory but none was as memorable as Chez L'Epicier in our opinion. We were really impressed. The setting is also quite charming in that paved street in Old Montreal.

It was 16 months ago but I would still highly recommend it. Especially if you like a cuisine that is more inventive than well-executed classics (i.e. Per Se rather than Bouchon, to stay in the Keller universe)

overall best meal in terms of food - Dianna resteraunt in Bolonga. tortollini in broth and bolito misto, followed by vanila ice cream.

favorite eating experience - brasarie Balzar in Paris, when I think of how I would like to be remembered, I see myself having a cigar after a meal here (alas, with changes in smoking laws in France, this seems to have gone the way of the dodo)

best meal based on a simple food - brazilian beans at the fig tree resteraunt in Sao Paulo. one of the best meals I have ever had - beans cooked with a variety of smoked meats. worth spending 12 hours on a flight.

best meal that I would never have found myself - had a fantastic meal at Teke in Istanbul, an upscale meat place in a residental neighborhood, in a villa. simply fantastic mezze and kababs. maybe 12-15 courses.

favorite meal in NYC - sriprapai. one of 3 places I miss in NY (the others are katz's deli and joe's ginger). I think that chicago has new york beat for food in all catagories aside from shanghaiese, thai and jewish deli.

most common business meal - bone in strip at Tavern on Rush in chicago

favorite resteraunts where they recognize me - honey one bar-b-q in chicago, outstanding Q, Tratoria DOC, the most authentic italian place I have found in the states, Katy's dumpling house - fantastic handmade noodles and dumplings.

is alain duccasse supposed to open back up again?

Originally Posted by ghulkhan

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is alain duccasse supposed to open back up again?

He is opening a new restaurant at The St. Regis. The former space in Essex House is no longer under his name (I'm curious how much of the staff remains); but, is now the upscale hotel lobby type restaurant.

Il Piccolo Abruzzo in Rome. 7 courses of gluttonous splendor, unlimited wine, plus end-of-dinner hard alcohols for 35 euro...in 2005. http://www.piccoloabruzzo.it/

Originally Posted by MetroStyles

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Il Piccolo Abruzzo in Rome. 7 courses of gluttonous splendor, unlimited wine, plus end-of-dinner hard alcohols for 35 euro...in 2005.


So $1287 USD in 2007?

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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So $1287 USD in 2007?

And rising! You better hurry if you want to get your money's worth!

Some memorable experiences:

French dining outside of Paris: La Maison Jaune in St.-Remy-de-Provence. Very elegant food in beautiful, quaint and unpretentious surroundings.

French dining in Paris: L'Astrance. Inventive small courses. Not as "weird" as El Bulli. But still very delicious, sublime even. Went for lunch on a very gloomy November day. Left floating on some epicurean cloud.

Fish tacos: Berth 55 Fish Market in Long Beach, California. BBQ shrimp and fish tacos with ice cold Pacifico on picnic tables overlooking the Long Beach marina. Diesel never smelled so good.

Best Dinner - Bouley's tasting menu
Best Lunch - Nobu 57
Best Service- 12 course gourmet dinner at Le Blanc resort and spa in Cancun

* Best overall dinner experience: Alain Ducasse at Plaza Athà nà e in Paris.

* Best lunch experience: Cipriani London, plenty of good wine, great service, and pretty good food.

* Best London overall dinner experience: Roka, on Charlotte Street, Japanese Robata restaurant, with good sushi too.

* Best London food: Gaylord Indian Restaurant, on Mortimer Street - the best Indian food you'll find West of New Delhi (or South of Bombay and East of Lucknow for that matter). A close second is Clos Maggoire in Covent Garden, serving excellent French cuisine, in a lovely atmosphere and reasonable prices (for that caliber of food).

* Best cheap food: Hawker stalls in Singapore serving fresh seafood, and ice cold Tiger beer.

Originally Posted by Parker

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Some memorable experiences:

French dining outside of Paris: La Maison Jaune in St.-Remy-de-Provence. Very elegant food in beautiful, quaint and unpretentious surroundings.

French dining in Paris: L'Astrance. Inventive small courses. Not as "weird" as El Bulli. But still very delicious, sublime even. Went for lunch on a very gloomy November day. Left floating on some epicurean cloud.

Fish tacos: Berth 55 Fish Market in Long Beach, California. BBQ shrimp and fish tacos with ice cold Pacifico on picnic tables overlooking the Long Beach marina. Diesel never smelled so good.
L'Astrance is fantastic. One of my best meals as well.

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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overall best meal in terms of food - Dianna resteraunt in Bolonga. tortollini in broth and bolito misto, followed by vanila ice cream.

favorite eating experience - brasarie Balzar in Paris, when I think of how I would like to be remembered, I see myself having a cigar after a meal here (alas, with changes in smoking laws in France, this seems to have gone the way of the dodo)

best meal based on a simple food - brazilian beans at the fig tree resteraunt in Sao Paulo. one of the best meals I have ever had - beans cooked with a variety of smoked meats. worth spending 12 hours on a flight.

best meal that I would never have found myself - had a fantastic meal at Teke in Istanbul, an upscale meat place in a residental neighborhood, in a villa. simply fantastic mezze and kababs. maybe 12-15 courses.

favorite meal in NYC - sriprapai. one of 3 places I miss in NY (the others are katz's deli and joe's ginger). I think that chicago has new york beat for food in all catagories aside from shanghaiese, thai and jewish deli.

most common business meal - bone in strip at Tavern on Rush in chicago

favorite resteraunts where they recognize me - honey one bar-b-q in chicago, outstanding Q, Tratoria DOC, the most authentic italian place I have found in the states, Katy's dumpling house - fantastic handmade noodles and dumplings.

Given your experience of restaurants in India, what's your view of Bukhara in New Delhi? (If you have been)

Originally Posted by Connemara

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* Best overall dinner experience:
It was down the street from the Palazzo Papale...the big building here is a portion of the facade of the Pope's summer palace.

We visited Castel Gandolfo a couple of years back and it was spectacular. To the right , just outside of your field of view there is a small chapel where a couple was getting married.

One of our best meals was in Montecatini - we had made some new friends on our trip and on our last night there we stumbled across this tiny bistro. I think the company and scenery made the meal as memorable as the food and the wine.

best dining experience in LA: SONA. I think I had a 15 course tasting menu (I think they only offer 9 and 12, but luckily friend's with the sous chef), with truffle and wine pairing. Service was impeccable. Champagne/wine selections were glorious. Separate his/hers course presentations ingenious. best dining experience in NY: Le Bernadin Most memorable I will never forget my first Luger's experience, so much so, that if I were on death row, the Tomato and Onion Salad + 1 Lamb Chop + 1 Strip of Bacon + Onion Rolls + Creamed Spinach + Hash Browns + Porterhouse + Pecan Pie + Shlog + 2 ladels of Luger Sauce would most definately be my last meal on earth. best dish: The Chili Pepper Crab at a hole in the wall in Millbrae, CA (Near South San Francisco) at a place called Chu Kong. It haunts me in my dreams.