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Best Dining Experience

Mo Horn

By Mo Horn
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Mo Horn

Mo Horn 8832

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Watched 60 minutes tonight and saw the story about Massimo Boturra who owns Osteria Fransecana, which is the # 1 restaurant in the world this year. That got me curious about great dining experiences. I've been fortunate to travel to many countries and have had great experiences, both extravagant and simple. But when I think of dining experiences I have 2 that rise to the top. 

#1 Would be Bluestem here in Kansas City. 10 course tasting menu that took about 3 hours. Owner is a James Beard award winner. Food and the whole experience was great. 

#2 At a small hotel in Iguazu, Argentina...Del La Fonte. Chef is Italian trained. We stayed at the hotel when we visited and ate there one night. 5 courses with pairings and took around 2 hours.

I definitely have a bucket list that I plan on checking off.

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Errestaurants

Errestaurants 2570

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L'Astrance---Paris---just incredible in all ways

Atera--NYC--they made us feel like we were celebrities---did reserve wine tasting---awesome people

Eleven Madison Park--NYC--was there the night they found out they got their 3rd star---champagne was flowing

Those standout above my great experiences at multiple Robuchon locations, Benu, Per Se, Frenchie, Jungsik, Babbo

 

 

 

 

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VABuckeye

VABuckeye 2472

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Radda, Italy.  We were walking around town and stumbled on a Michelin restaurant. The chef/owner took our order, cooked our meal and took photos with us afterwards.  It was a fantastic lunch and was made more memorable by the personal touch.  

http://www.ristorantelabottedibacco.it/

 

imgur

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52-80

52-80 19150

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Memorable ones off the top of my head, due to combination of people, mood, convivialty, surprise, anticipation, state of being booozrd up, etc....

 

Les Nomades - Chicago

Ciasa Mia - Paris (1st visit...2nd not so good)

La cocina de tono - Salamanca

Cabrera - Buenos Aires

And lots of repeated visits to Porcaos in Rio.  We were trashed every single time.  Good memories

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SmokeyTheBear

SmokeyTheBear 5562

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Trattoria Dal Billy in Manarola, Cinqua Terra, Italy - Incredible little seafood place on top of a hill in Manarola with an amazing view of the sea. 

minibar and barmini in Washington D.C. - Anything by Jose Andres is on point but the bar and then dinner was out of this world. 

Hagoromo Tempura in Tokyo, Japan - Just a place that focuses on Tempura in the hotel I was in but it was incredible. Only 12 seats and had my own personal chef to freshly cook everything in front of me. 

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South Austin

South Austin 52463

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Osteria La Cantinella in Barolo, Italy.  

Wife and I stayed in the town of Barolo for a few days during our 2014 tenth anniversary trip in Italy, the country in which we were married. La Cantinella is a family-owned restaurant—the father can’t speak a lick of English, the mother can speak a little, and their daughter is a smoking hot mid-20’s blonde who spoke great English, then German to the table next to us, then French to another table. The food was so outstanding we scrapped the dinner plans for our last night in town and ate there again. The Barolos were decently priced at about 75 euro on the lower end, which were still fantastic wines.

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sidis

sidis 9825

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1. ledoyen in paris

2. eleven madison park in ny

3. da vittorio in brusaporto

4. french laundry in yountville

5. taillevent in paris

6. la pergola in rome in 2014

7. per se in new york

8. lung king heen in hong kong

9. joel robuchon in vegas

10. alinea in chicago

11. alain ducasse in monte carlo

12a. lots of great places

12b. lots of good places

13. lots of solid places

14. lots of shitty places

15. la pergola in rome in 2018

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CooterBrown

CooterBrown 18006

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1 hour ago, Llano Estacado said:

 


Gumby’s - Austin, TX (RIP)
Various pancake houses, diners, and whataburger - between Sabine Pass and Texline

 

Yep.

You can keep any place that isn't pants optional. 

The high life is standing outside a food truck, in a gravel parking lot, with a paper boat of tacos in one hand and a cold beer in the other. Nothing beats it.

 

 

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52-80

52-80 19150

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Easiest to list disappointment.  Waterside Inn outside London. 3 stars for almost 3 decades.

Food was forgettable.  It's probably more impressive at deserts, which was pretty to look at but (at least for me) not pleasurable to eat.

We spent 500# each for table of 10 which for that place wasn't enough alcohol to make it enjoyable

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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Not the greatest fine dining experience, but the night was memorable.  A little oyster bar in Emerald Isle North Carolina.  Throw down place, nothing fancy, fake wood paneling in a formica topped bar area in the back of a family style fried seafood joint. The 2 guys shucking oysters put on a show for the 10-12 people that can fit at the bar.  Never seen guys who could shuck oysters as fast, and had everybody laughing their asses off the whole time.  The main shucker had forearms like an NFL line backer, he could shuck a dozen as fast as you could finish em off.

Not fine dining, but the oysters were friggin amazing, great beer and bourbon list, and good company. 

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pepper brooks

pepper brooks 580

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Did robouchon Vegas and it was probably my most disappointing dining experience given it cost me $800 for just me. So many of the fishes were bland and the steak fish was shoe leather tough. The wine pairing was incredibly mediocre too. 

 

Contrast that with addison at the grand Del Mar in La Jolla at the same cost. It was the most amazing dining experience I’ve ever had. The food and wine pairings were simply perfect. 

Edited by pepper brooks
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Underdog

Underdog 28611

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All of Garden in Poughkeepsie, NY.  Our thriced-divorced, widower waitress Colleen was a doll.  She never let out endless bowl of salad and breadsticks go empty, entrees were warm and served on time, she even went the extra mile and cleaned off the cannoli she dropped onn the floor before putting it on my plate.  5* service indeed. 

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WhatTheBuck

WhatTheBuck 28776

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11 hours ago, pepper brooks said:

Did robouchon Vegas and it was probably my most disappointing dining experience given it cost me $800 for just me. So many of the fishes were bland and the steak fish was shoe leather tough. The wine pairing was incredibly mediocre too. 

 

Contrast that with addison at the grand Del Mar in La Jolla at the same cost. It was the most amazing dining experience I’ve ever had. The food and wine pairings were simply perfect. 

What kind of fish?

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scottsins

scottsins 1966

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11 hours ago, Dbeasy said:

The Korean food carts on 26th street. The Indian bread and Korean tacos were awesome.

Don’t forget the cup o’ diabetes...that cherry lemonade.  

ETA:  I think I’m referring to other carts, from a long ass time ago, because I don’t recall Korean tacos.

Edited by scottsins
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hornbri

hornbri 1396

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12 hours ago, pepper brooks said:

Did robouchon Vegas and it was probably my most disappointing dining experience given it cost me $800 for just me. So many of the fishes were bland and the steak fish was shoe leather tough. The wine pairing was incredibly mediocre too. 

Man that sucks, we had a incredible experience there. 

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Errestaurants

Errestaurants 2570

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20 hours ago, pepper brooks said:

Did robouchon Vegas and it was probably my most disappointing dining experience given it cost me $800 for just me. So many of the fishes were bland and the steak fish was shoe leather tough. The wine pairing was incredibly mediocre too. 

 

Contrast that with addison at the grand Del Mar in La Jolla at the same cost. It was the most amazing dining experience I’ve ever had. The food and wine pairings were simply perfect. 

did you do L'Atelier Robuchon or Restaurant Joel Robuchon both were fantastic for me but different experiences.  RJB is/was much more over the top.

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Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7773

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French Laundry is my #1 but was so ungodly expensive that I felt guilty about it for a long time and I don't think I'd ever go back.  We spent almost $1,000 per person.  Food was amazing, but no meal is worth that $$, IMO.

 

Loved Topolobampo (Alinea was booked and we were only in Chicago for 2 nights).  Rick Bayless got all the talent in his family.

 

Lots of great meals in Vegas.  Nobu and Morimoto are probably the most memorable.  I need to get to Lotus of Siam next time I'm out there.

 

One of my most memorable meals ever was a crawfish boil at some country joint in Lafayette, LA.  I still think about that one and it was 20 years ago.

Edited by Chewbacca
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Robin Masters

Robin Masters 122

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I personally think when you get the God brisket perfection it's as good a bite as you can put in your mouth. I've had that at Snow's, Truth, and Corkscrew.

I have a friend in Spain, his friends mom used to make a paella in a pan that was 3 foot in diameter. All kinds of sea food, some rabbit, etc. etc. incredible. So much umami.

Total meal, there used to be this place in Vegas, Rosemary's, was off strip, in a strip mall, but great, usually was the best rated place in town. I had several outstanding meals there, and the tasting menu was always great. The 2008 recession got them, last I saw the chef was in Seattle teaching at CIA I think.

From the more famous spots, Dinner By Heston about 6 years ago was great.

About the same time Astrid y Gaston in Lima was moving to a new location. They did a tasting menu, 20 courses for 20 years at the old spot. It took forever, but it was like chef porn.

Let downs Amass in Copenhagen. Former Noma chefs opened their own place, back when Noma was on top of the world.  Underbelly in Houston. Some things were excellent, some mediocre.

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wild_turkey

wild_turkey 3159

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Frenchie in Paris - The environment and the service feel like a casual neighborhood bistro, and oh by the way, a Michelin quality tasting menu. Every course was excellent, great wine parings, and the waitstaff was extremely friendly and helpful. I've been to other Michelin star and fancy restaurants of that caliber, but if I could only pick one to return to, this would be the one for me.

Eden on the Rocks in St. Barth - Been there more than once, but the first time we were absolutely blown away. We were seated in this special little area overlooking the water and the service was so attentive and willing to please that I started to get a little concerned we had been mistaken for someone else. Luckily that wasn't the case, it was just a damn good meal and the incredible service made it extra memorable.

L'Opera in St. Tropez - This one is pretty hard to explain to anyone who hasn't been there. The food was very good (not quite great) but the experience is outrageous. I really can't describe it in a way that does it any sort of justice. There are youtube videos out there, but I think they barely scratch the surface.

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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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Best fine dining experience Chateau D' Eze in Nice. 500' above the Med. 12th c. fortress, now a restaurant-hotel.

Donkeys haul your luggage up the winding stone walk to the rooms because cars can't make the ascent. You'd think Gandolf could walk around a corner at any moment .  Indoor seating or small, outdoor cliff hanging alcoves big enough for 2 tables with views that stretch to Africa.

Fabulous cuisine, paired with great wines. Been there 2x, and it's been amazing both times. Can't wait to go back

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Mo Horn

Mo Horn 8832

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Loved Topolobampo (Alinea was booked and we were only in Chicago for 2 nights).  Rick Bayless got all the talent in his family.

Forgot about my meal at Topo. That and the hamburger at Au Cheval are my two best Chicago experiences. Alinea is on the bucket list. 

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52-80

52-80 19150

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13 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Loved Topolobampo (Alinea was booked and we were only in Chicago for 2 nights).  Rick Bayless got all the talent in his family.

 

only tried XOCO in chicago and it was forgettable 5 seconds after eating it.  it was the most nondescript food i'd experienced

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DFWTexEx

DFWTexEx 276

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I’ve had plenty of fantastic meals.  Some at expensive, highly rated, famous restaurants.  Some, simple and perfect at places with names I can’t even remember (ask me about the huachinango at some nameless hotel in San Blas, Mexico).

But, the topic is “Best Dining Experience”, which calls for one answer and that the answer is about the overall experience and not just the quality of the food.

For me, that’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns.  The history, the place, the walk, course after course of the most thoughtful food from the farm, precisely executed (even if that meant a raw vegetable with just a hint of salt).  The meal lasted almost four hours and it flew by.  I had no idea it was 1:00 a.m. when we left.  It was like an adrenaline rush.

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Johnny Sack

Johnny Sack 8397

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21 hours ago, wild_turkey said:

Frenchie in Paris - The environment and the service feel like a casual neighborhood bistro, and oh by the way, a Michelin quality tasting menu. Every course was excellent, great wine parings, and the waitstaff was extremely friendly and helpful. I've been to other Michelin star and fancy restaurants of that caliber, but if I could only pick one to return to, this would be the one for me.

Eden on the Rocks in St. Barth - Been there more than once, but the first time we were absolutely blown away. We were seated in this special little area overlooking the water and the service was so attentive and willing to please that I started to get a little concerned we had been mistaken for someone else. Luckily that wasn't the case, it was just a damn good meal and the incredible service made it extra memorable. 

L'Opera in St. Tropez - This one is pretty hard to explain to anyone who hasn't been there. The food was very good (not quite great) but the experience is outrageous. I really can't describe it in a way that does it any sort of justice. There are youtube videos out there, but I think they barely scratch the surface.

Been to On the Rocks numerous times.  It is always good.  Also really like two other places on the island a lot -- Santa Fe and Le Gaeic.  A lunch at Santa Fe on the deck with a view of the Caribbean is pretty tough to beat.

 

 

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Chewbacca

Chewbacca 7773

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1. French Laundry

2. Bottega - Yountville

3. Morimoto - Napa

4. Gotts

5. CharPit - little burger joint on the North side of Lake Tahoe. Damn good burger

Gotts put me in the biggest food coma of my life. And then we had reservations at Ad Hoc about 5 hours later. I wasn't even hungry.
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Onboard 2.0

Onboard 2.0 9083

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Had a meal at the Negresco in Nice. Small dining room opening onto the Prom De Anglais ($30 a pour for Eagle Rare, had to have a good bourbon when in France).  Maybe 4 other tables, there were about 5 different servers per table.  Perty fancy, and high faultin'.

The smallest, most beautiful portions of food I've ever experienced. Multiple courses, paired with amazing wines. I've never eaten richer food. I was almost ill it was so rich.

That was an experience I'll never pay for again, unless I win a lottery, but damn it was fine.

Edited by Onboard 2.0
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4th_and_18

4th_and_18 687

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Quince in SF: insanely good meal with that over the top service this country boy wasn’t used to at the time. Now I demand it (haha). Also got the private tour of the wine cellar and kitchen with the backstory on the history of the place. It was overall a great experience and the food was great.

Close second: some little restaurant in Lille France where the chefs did a prefix dinner for us Americans with all kinds of dishes and we all smoked Cubans inside the restaurant because we could. Moet et Chandon flowed plentiful because we spent the previous weekend buying the gift shop out and giving a whole new level of embarrassment to American students everywhere and good times were had. I still don’t know why they thought unlimited free* champagne a few feet down the hall from “Napoleon’s chair and private table” was a good idea.

*not free. I’m sure our “exclusive” tour price didn’t cover what we consumed though



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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PenelopeWitherspoon

PenelopeWitherspoon 19100

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This is a hard one to narrow down.  There have been a number of unforgettable experiences.  So let's see what I can come up with.

1.  L'Astrance - Paris - Lived up to all the hype of its 3 Michelin Stars, but definitely not stodgy.  Was inventive and playful, and the wine pairings were superb. (April 2017)

2.  Le Bernardin - New York - Took my mom for Mother's Day.  The food and service were outstanding.  (May 2013)

3.  Pujol - Mexico City - Did the Taco Omakase.  Absolutely stunning.  (November 2018)

4.  La Sagrestia - Rome - This place was so good we went two nights in a row.  Seriously, hands down, amazing.  The owner also sat down and drank wine with us.  (June 2018)

5.  Pavillon Ledoyen - Paris - I went right after Yannick Alleno took it back to 3 Michelin Stars.  It was the first meal I ever had in Paris, so it will always be special.  (November 2016)

6.  Le Chateaubriand/Restaurant Montee - Paris - These are my two favorite restaurants in Paris.  I have been to each twice, and will most likely return again. Both are inventive, stunning, but also relatively low key.  (Le Chateaubriand - November 2016 and July 2018; Restaurant Montee - April 2017 and July 2018).

7.  Cagen - New York - My absolute favorite Omakase in New York.  I have been 2-3 times, and preferred it over Nakazawa.  Getting to sit there and bullshit with the chef and his son after the Omakase was fantastic (Mutiple Times in 2015 and 2016)

8.  Blanca - New York - 4 hour dining experience, which was really well executed.  Met great people and had a great time.  (Sometime in 2015)

9.  Blue Hill at Stone Barns - Tarrytown, NY - Was able to grab a seat at the bar and do the tasting menu.  Needless to say, absolutely stunning. (Sometime in 2015)

10.  Dinner - London - The Meat Fruit took this one of out of Honerable Mention and into the top 10.  The presentation at Dinner was top notch, and everything was very, very good.  (April 2016)

Honerable Mentions

Obelisk - Washington DC

JY's - Colmar, France

BCN - Houston

Oxheart - Houston

St. John's - London

Rules - London

Matsuhisa - Los Angeles

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Longhornfan1024

Longhornfan1024 1707

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EMP is my number one by far.  Morimoto in Philly and Luce in San Fran were also great for high end tasting menus, service and atmosphere.  Other places that have incredible food but maybe not the same service/atmosphere are Kyoten (formerly of Austin, now Chicago), Olamaie, Kata Robata (Houston), and Bouchon (Vegas).  Alinea was a big disappointment.  Some of the dishes were incredible, but some just had cool presentation without tasting all that extraordinary, and the desserts were flat out terrible sugar bombs.  

My wife and I will be in NYC in March and are going to try to do Blue Hill at Stone Barns or Per Se, though I may need to look at some of the other suggestions here.  

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