Best Meal in 2008

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This has been a weak year for great meals. This is the first calendar year in as long as I can remember that we have not made a single trip to NYC. I would say that my favorite meal this year was at The Crooked Spoon in Grand Marais, Minnesota.

[Shep]

This coming Saturday night will be my best meal of 2008. The Renegade Eat Club dinner in the library of Houmas House Plantation with Todd, Amarone and others. Report to follow.

[Schuarta]

This has been a weak year for great meals.

I agree. High gas prices (earlier). Only one driving trip (Vancouver). Couldn't get to New Orleans in 2008. My best meals I made myself (picture essays earlier).

I can't remember one blow-your-mind restaurant meal.

[Isabella Maja]

2008 is sort of a blur.
I know the best meals I had came from Chef Pete Vazquez and in my own kitchen. I'm sorry, I can't tell you exactly what they were.

However, we dined at La Boca last night. It was my first time.
I'd have to say, simple as steak is, my mind was blown.

We walked out of there wondering what the hell hit us!
We slept like babies & felt really great after we woke up.
I gotta tell you, we both had the thought (as we were walking down the street to the car),
"What kind of drugs were in that food!?" It was a mind altering experience!

We were with the La Boca Queen (you know who she is)
who of course is well seasoned there, but it was both our first time.

La Boca is definitely going to be seeing me quite a bit in 2009.

[Hadacol]

This has been a weak year for great meals. This is the first calendar year in as long as I can remember that we have not made a single trip to NYC.

For various work reasons, I was in NYC alot this year and, not surprisingly, my two best meals were there.

One was at 11 Madison Park and the other was at Momofuku. Both meals exceeded all expectations, though the one at Madison Park was just out of hand ( just for honesty's sake-I was with a bunch of really well known chefs on the weekend of the Beard Awards and Danny Meyer totally set us up. I owe the guy, big time). If you can't have a "happy ending" after taking a loved one (or a lusted after one) to 11 Mad, you're not really trying. It's the most beautiful room in NYC.

And, here in NOLA, all of my best meals were home cooked with friends. Now that I think about it, they were probably the best. We make stuff in our houses that smarty pants chefs in the rest of the country can generally only dream of.

[kcdixiecat]

The next time you go...let us know. I'd love to go! As for the Queen...I'm thinking she is being paid for her PR work;)

2008 is sort of a blur.
I know the best meals I had came from Chef Pete Vazquez and in my own kitchen. I'm sorry, I can't tell you exactly what they were.

However, we dined at La Boca last night. It was my first time.
I'd have to say, simple as steak is, my mind was blown.

We walked out of there wondering what the hell hit us!
We slept like babies & felt really great after we woke up.
I gotta tell you, we both had the thought (as we were walking down the street to the car),
"What kind of drugs were in that food!?" It was a mind altering experience!

We were with the La Boca Queen (you know who she is)
who of course is well seasoned there, but it was both our first time.

La Boca is definitely going to be seeing me quite a bit in 2009.