Originally posted by: HardcoreRobot
things i loved, constantly remember, and want to eat again:
porterhouse from peter lugers (nyc)
lobster burger at citronelle (dc)
huge nightly cheese plates at the hotel in alpe d'huez
random street ramen in tokyo
memorable things i thought i would like, but did not:
uni at citizen (dc)
fois gras at vidalias (dc)
not considering things that get cooked at home or chains, though there is plenty of food i crave there also - just not as special
Just FYI, if you're ever back in DC, Michel Richard opened a more casual bistro called Central. They serve the lobster burger there too, albeit larger. I've had it there and as part of the tasting menu at Citronelle -- identical, other than size, and delicious.
Still haven't been to Cityzen. Vidalia was ok, but in a city with restaurants as good as DC, I'll probably not go back.
The best thing I've ever eaten, though, definitely comes from my grandmother's kitchen. This woman can cook. Her meatballs are indescribably good. I otherwise don't even like meatballs.
If we're talking purchased food only and I had to construct the ideal meal:
Starter: Seared foie gras with poached apple and brioche toast from the now-defunct Les Halles in DC. It's just not as good at the original NY location.
Entree: Cheesesteak with onions and hot peppers from A&S Pizza in Turnersville, NJ. It's not the same if it's not in the paper bag sitting on top of the pizza oven for about 10 mins waiting for you to pick it up. Ridiculously good, any time of day, any day of the week
Dessert: A slice (or two) of buttercream layer cake from the Melrose Diner in Philadelphia, PA.