18 October, 2013

Best Meals

Someone asked me for my top five best meals. Okay, but meals away from home. By "away from home" I'm excluding anything with family because those are always the best. So here they are in no particular order.

Spiaggia in Chicago
Not "fine" dining but simply "finest" dining. This is an experience I've enjoyed three times. Wow! is about all I can say. Impeccable. It's also one of the few places I've ever eaten that I had to adjust my choices based on price. Be careful. Considered by many to be the best Italian restaurant in the USA.

Victoria and Albert's in Orlando
Yeah, I know it's in Walt Disney World Resort, the Grand Floridian to be exact, but there is nothing Mickey Mouse about this place. I've been here three times also. Modern American cuisine and for me, the best restaurant in Florida. Also quite pricey.

Trattoria Omero in Florence
Sigh. This was the subject of my post {this memory} 46. Just one visit so far, but of all five of these, this is the one to which I most want to return. Traditional Tuscan cuisine. More affordable than the first two, but then there is the airfare. Just exquisite.

B and B Ristorante in Las Vegas
Mario Batali's place. So,"exquisite Italian food and a casual elegance." I even recorded what my wife and I ate on our one visit, and I can still taste it. Pricey? Of course, it's the Venetian after all.

Amuse-bouche:    Garbanzo beans sautéed in pesto and served on garlic crostini
Bevande:    Civita – limited herself to acqua minerale piatta
                          Thom – Cantine Martinelli 2005 Montefalco Rosso
Pane:    Pane di Altamura con olio di oliva e aceto balsamico
Antipasti:    Civita - Prosciutto di Parma "Galloni 30 Mesi" with Black Pepper "Fett'unta"
                           Thom - B&B Affettati Misti
Primi:    Civita - Spaghettini with Spicy Budding Chives, Sweet Garlic, and One-Pound Lobster
                    Thom - Goat Cheese Tortelloni with Dried Orange and Wild Fennel
Dolci e Formaggi:    Civita - Honey Yogurt Semifreddo
(China Ranch Dates & Toasted Walnuts with Wild Turkey "American Honey")
                                        Thom – Three Cheeses: Brescianelle Stagionata, Pecorino Grand Old Man, Blu del Moncenisio
Caffè:    Civita – cappuccino    Thom – espresso (doppio)

Regency Room at the Colonial Williamsburg Inn
Elegant setting, but this is the oldest of these memories. Classic American cuisine with traditional European roots. Other than loving it, what I recall most is that it was the most I had ever spent on a meal (up to that time). Worth every penny as I enjoyed the evening with wife and daughters.
TGB