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It's been a mix of things over the years. Some things I guess you'd consider fine dining and others peasant food.
Probably the best single thing I've ever eaten is stew made from snapping turtles. I can't even begin to describe the flavor it was so smooth and rich. Similar to a cream of chicken but so much more flavorful. Growing up these men would go trap those things out of ponds every spring and cook an enormous stew in giant cast iron cauldrons. People would drive from miles around to buy a bowl of that stew. The guys used the money from it to finance the traps and bait for the next year.
Next up would be whole hog BBQ buy a guy who did it as a hobby, not a professional restaurant. His sauce was very light, no tomato or sugar in it. He believed it should enhance the taste of the meat, not hide it.
Then there was this dinner we had in a Chinese restaurant on a trip to California. Classic jacket and tie kind of place. We were the only non-Chinese in the place, so we threw ourselves on the mercy of the waiter and got a variety of items to share. I don't know what I ate, but the flavors were outstanding.
Speaking of fresh fish, probably the best I had was crappie from Santee Cooper, dipped in corn meal and fried up in cast iron. I've had a lot of fish from halibut, sea bass, snapper, grouper, swords, to walleye, catfish, and trout. Prepared a lot of different ways in different sauces. But that crappie had the finest taste I've ever eaten. My wife, who hated fish, ate like ten pieces of it.
This might be the most delicious meal one could have (listen to the whole thing, the first couple of minutes is slow):
One of the best I can remember was in Nimes, France, 37 years ago.
The funny thing is, I can't remember what I ate.
I do remember that it was a small restaurant, where the daughter was server, and her mother the chef/cook?
I was with two new friends and I suppose beside remembering the food was delicious, it was the atmosphere that made it more memorable. The candle burnt out exactly as we finished. It was a glorious summer evening just before twilight as we made our way to the Nimes Arena ( an old roman colosseum ) to see the opera Norma. We were told that the woman singing Norma was coming to the same small restaurant after the show. We randomly chose the restaurant, because it was open and willing to serve dinner early by French standards.
Veal Scaloppini, Joe Tecce's, Boston MA. No longer there.
Lobster Chowder and Finnan Haddie, Boones, Portland ME. Different owners now. Not the same menu.
Roast prime rib, Blackhawk, Chicago IL. No longer there.
Fried Clams, Woodman's, Essex MA
This might be the most delicious meal one could have (listen to the whole thing, the first couple of minutes is slow):
This might go a long way to help explain the fascination Victorians had with "Mock turtle soup."
That's a great description -- better than beef or chicken or butter. Fortunately, these weren't endangered and most of the landowners wanted them out of their ponds before summer swimming season started. As the kid/teenager, my job was to tote and fetch the sacks and bait for them.
That's a great description -- better than beef or chicken or butter. Fortunately, these weren't endangered and most of the landowners wanted them out of their ponds before summer swimming season started. As the kid/teenager, my job was to tote and fetch the sacks and bait for them.
As an avid fishing buff I've encountered my share of big snapping turtles... esp as a kid spending days at the pond, lake or river.
And yes I have hooked onto a few in my times, they would eagerly go for any baited hook not meant for them.
My dad did catch one snapper and made soup with it when I was a wee lad and I have to admit I didn't want to try it... knowing how "weird" they looked. I did try a tiny bit but thought it tasted gross. But I know that was just because I had a preconceived notion that it would be horrible.
I remember seeing them quite regularly as a kid, but evidently they are getting rarer here and they banned harvest of them in 2017.
Being completely honest, almost everything my husband makes is better than any restaurant meal I've had. (he cooks about 25-30% of our dinners, so I am VERY lucky in so many ways.) My favorites of the meals he makes are:
- Coconut shrimp
- Mixed seafood bake
- Seafood chowder
- Grilled steak
- Tempura and sushi
- Chili
(I also like my homemade lasagna and Papa Murphy's pizza.)
Years back Bookbinder's in Philly served a great turtle chowder. They had to stop serving it as turtle hunting came under some restrictions. There is a Bookbinder's canned mock turtle soup that is available. Add a little dry sherry before eating and is acceptable. The sherry made the turtle chowder.
Fresh Red Snapper at the bayside restaurant overlooking Morro Bay, CA while on a PCH road trip in 90s.
Always have had great dinners on my trips to Boston at Ristorante Marcellino in Waltham, MA,
various fresh seafood with complimentary sides and sometimes the oven baked pizza.
Various type steak with sides and fresh oven baked irregular thin bread at the old Bootlegger Restaurant in Las Vegas. It was not on the strip found it by accident. Last I checked it moved.
My favorite to request when traveled for business was a customized surf and turf : Halibut / Salmon / Swordfish with Filet steak and fresh steamed vegetables. Worth the premium if they had it. I know Nick's Italian Fishery in Boca Raton did it for me a few times, don't know if it still exists. As well as the Old San Francisco Steakhouse's in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio I checked and they were revived and re-imagined under new owners in 2008 with an event catering centric theme. I found most steakhouses will accommodate over the years.
Another memorable dinner was Ostrich thinly sliced over a bed of grains (rice pilaf I think) with capers and some other steam vegetables. It was a special at Chicago restaurant.
Dessert: Carrot cake / German Chocolate cake / marble Coconut bars w whipped cream and raspberries.
I like fairly simple high quality fish / steaks with a steamed vegetables is fine. So I make my own. Today I had fresh Salmon (baked) w assorted spices, with broccoli, carrots and sweet onions and a multi grain roll. Delicious.
Bouillabaisse in a French restaurant in NYC in the 1970s. Spaghetti carbonara at an Italian restaurant in Berlin in the 1980s. My husband ordered that and I "Hey, hon, can I have another bite?" ate half of his dinner. I don't remember what I ordered, ate. It wasn't bad, but wasn't memorable.
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