Reader Tearitup offered up the following suggestion for a great post topic:
Thinking back on 2009, what was your best food moment? Something you cooked at home, something you had in a restaurant, a new ingredient discovery. What? No need to limit it to just one thing…
I have two best food moments in 2009:
#1 was going to the Hmong Marketplace in St Paul. An experience I never had before with foods I had never even seen before while eating with one of the area’s premiere foodies. There was nothing like wandering up and down looking in awe at items which had names that meant nothing and being totally lost in a world where the communication medium was as simple as the smells and sights of what I enjoy most–food. That reminds me. I need to get back there and soon.
#2 was going to Girvan Grille in Brooklyn Park, several times, to enjoy the hottest and best tasting wings in the world. While I paid for eating 20 of these wings later, the sauce is phenomenal and needs to be bottled for use in our own homes–because, well, the sauce I have had since that night has appeared in chili numerous times. The only problem with these wings is that nothing else even compares.
So, what is your best food moment of 2009? Go ahead and share on and happy new year to you all!
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January 1st, 2010 at 8:28 am
Best Food Moment of 2009? http://bit.ly/7n6iHR
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
January 1st, 2010 at 9:24 am
I passed the Girvan Ghost challenge a few days ago. Bottom right in this page:
http://www.girvangrille.com/ghostWings/ghostWings_2.html
It’s definitely a stand-out moment of 2009. Not sure if I’d call it the ‘best’. But let me think more…
January 1st, 2010 at 9:33 am
I’m not a food snob, and I’m not a food-adventurer, so little things can be wondrous for me.
I’ve been going to Carbone’s in Lakeville after work every couple of weeks in the winter with Dave since they opened, and we’ve always ordered their late-night special pizza. At some point last year, I decided I didn’t want pizza, so I looked through the menu, and ended up ordering a Patty Melt. It was fantastic! I mean, it was really, really good. I was super-excited that night to have found something else on their menu that was worthy of return trips.
That was my food moment of 2009.
January 1st, 2010 at 9:53 am
1) Having Bitter and Blanc on the Carnival Spirit in November. It’s my new favorite dessert.
2) Learning I like oysters
January 1st, 2010 at 10:47 am
I have to echo Greg’s love of the Patty Melt at Carbone’s, but I think my favorite meal of the year was this: http://www.recipezaar.com/Pasta-With-Spicy-Sun-Dried-Tomato-Cream-Sauce-10440
A friend made it for us once and now we make it all the time. The ingredients are spendy, so it’s a nice treat, but full of flavor (I add a lot more peppers) and feels very indulgent and like I’m in a fancy restaurant. Especially when it’s New Years Eve and my husband lights candles and we drink sparkling grape juice.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:14 am
I’m with Greg, I’m not very adventurous when it comes to food.
Probably my scariest food ordeal was at Ansari’s, I wasn’t sure about a lot of the ingredients and of course I was almost killed by the golden cane of doom and MSPD’s food looked pretty sketchy. I played it safe and had a burger and fries (I think?).
We tried a few new restaurants this year – Panino Brothers, Wild Bills…I liked both places. And of course I have to support my favorite restaurant – Chili’s. Oh, how I love the Chili’s!
Happy 2010, everyone!
January 1st, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I’ll second Girvan Grille’s ghost wings. Hottest and best I’ve ever had. My second favorite food moment was the last time I had the laab gai at Taste of Thaiyai. Love it every time, and each time is like discovering it anew. And third would have to be sharing a combo platter at Fasika with Bill that even two hungry guys couldn’t finish. Best coffee in St. Paul there, too.
Finally, name the day and I’ll meet you at Hmongtown for lunch, Bill. Still one of my favorite places in the Twin Cities to shop and eat. LL meetup location candidate?
January 1st, 2010 at 2:57 pm
There were quite a few food highlights of 2009 – making sushi and ravioli, doing the Chef’s tasting menu at La Belle Vie, having afternoon tea in London, frites on the town square in Bruges, rijsttafel in Amsterdam, eating at the Portland Farmers Market… yum. I’m starving.
January 1st, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I had some hugely memorable bites of food in recent memory…in no particular order:
- BT McElrath dark chocolate with tomato basil filling. One of those things that not only surprised me that it wasn’t awful, but was among the best tastes of food I’ve had in recent memory.
- Aji sashimi from Sushi Samba in South Beach Miami a couple weeks ago. Again, one of the best things I’ve eaten in years and certainly the best fish I can remember. I ordered seconds.
- The sauce from the scallops appetizer at Bar La Grassa in the Warehouse District. I was with my wife and two other couples, and we were sharing — the appetizer wasn’t made for six people, so I opted out of the dish. But I tasted the leftover sauce and it was amazing — a deeply smoky and sweet combination.
- The tiny kettle corn cupcake at Sweets Bakeshop in St. Paul (2 doors down from Izzy’s). Amazing.
- Having my Nookie Supreme burger at the Nook interrupted by a phone call with a job offer. Makes an incredible burger all the more memorable. I also had an amazing burger at Good Day Cafe earlier in the year (bacon, cheddar).
- Lamb bacon and sweet corn custard amuses (that’s two items, not one combo) at Meritage in St. Paul. If you haven’t been there and are looking for a nice dinner out, go there ASAP. Meritage is an outstanding restaurant.
- A peaceful, snowy weeknight at the beginning of 2009 in an unusually quiet 112 Eatery (at the bar upstairs). Scallop, mushroom and truffle appetizer, 112 Eatery’s burger and a decadent chocolate pot de creme. All split. If I could re-create one “Best” moment from the year to do again, this would be it.
And I will never forget that Ansari’s dinner. That was a great night.
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:39 am
Start of 2009, a friend had his annual “Build Your Own Pizza” party. He provides the materials and you create the pizza the way you want it. It’s fun, especially when you can watch other people building their idea of a pizza. And started off 2010 doing the same thing yesterday…
Cooked a roast that was excellent. I don’t know if it was the meat (it was a Target roast), or I accidentally cooked it “right”, but it ended up very tasty and it was tender enough that you could cut it with a fork. Haven’t been able to repeat that, but I wish I could.
And I need to include my biggest let down of 2009. The American Legion in Hastings at some point switch from do-it their-selves hand-pattied burgers to pre-processed hamburgers. They went from good to why didn’t we just go to McDonalds and save some money.
January 2nd, 2010 at 2:42 pm
I ate a bunch of live termites, they were crunchy and tasted like carrots. We were sailing off the Bocas del Toro islands in Panama and had stopped at a small island to buy local coffee from a farmer. He showed us a big termite nest on a tree and suggested we eat some. I figured it wouldn’t kill me and I may not get a opportunity again so I grabbed a handful of the fresh critters and chewed them down.
January 2nd, 2010 at 3:26 pm
I can’t top live termites. Yikes.
One of my most memorable experiences in ’09 was a dish I made myself at home. Scallop cakes from this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Scallop-Cakes-with-Cilantro-Lime-Mayonnaise-and-New-Potatoes-231859
January 2nd, 2010 at 9:20 pm
As I’ve (probably annoyingly) mentioned in the past, the $52K/year college for the offspring has negated most eating out. However, I’ve had a marvelous food moment this year anyway; I’ve squashed my fear of laminated doughs and mastered croissant, danish, and puff doughs. Meaningless to most people, but for those of you who understand, you know why I’m so happy about it. A homemade, freshly-baked croissant is truly heaven.
MSPD, I’m so glad that someone is out there carrying the flag. Keep supporting the good stuff.
January 3rd, 2010 at 10:10 am
My wife got a couple of boxes of wine-filled chocolates a few weeks back as a Christmas present. I wish I could remember what chocolatier they were from. It was an assortment of different types — white chocolate with chardonnay, milk chocolate with cabernet (I think), and dark chocolate with port. Since my wife doesn’t like either dark chocolate or port, I got to have all of those, and they were excellent.
As for restaurants, I’ll just make it easy and say every time I went to Satay 2 Go. :)
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:36 pm
What! The! Fuck!?!?!?!?!?! Seriously.
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:38 pm
Better than it tasting like Pepsi.
January 3rd, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Pretty sure live termites is one of the ingredients in Pepsi…that explains a lot.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:01 am
One of my favorite moments came at close to the end of the year. Sharing a nice bottle of wine and having cassoulet at Vincent’s with my husband. For a little bonus I got to watch the Hollidazzle parade from a great seat. Another was discovering the places locals eat in Old San Juan and having some really good criolla cuisine.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:40 pm
Anytime that I can go to the Gopher Bar and eat two coney island’s with my Mom & Dad with a Miller High Life for lunch is a memorable food moment.
January 4th, 2010 at 1:42 pm
Mrs. R., I think you have channeled a bit of Mrs. M. with that comment!
January 4th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Tearitup, Vincent is one of the best under-mentioned restaurants in the cities. I love their food.
January 4th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
I’ve never been to the Gopher Bar with Mrs Robinson’s mom and dad.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:57 am
Food, for me, really is all about moments. These stand out the most for me:
-Chili cook off at a friend’s house.
-Fresh walleye, potatoes, and homemade bread around the fire in the Boundary Waters. Gives me chills just thinking about it.
-Pot Roast at home and once at the Modern Cafe.
-Fish fry at the Ranchero with good people.
-Lunch at the Dock Cafe in Stillwater with the wife and then hitting the candy store and crossing the river to Wisconsin for cheese.
-Sushi at Origami
-Some sandwich with an egg on it at the Bulldog Lowertown.
January 5th, 2010 at 11:59 am
jf jogged my memory about a random liverwurst and onion sandwich I had once at the Philadelphia airport. Best damn thing I’ve ever tasted. I have been chasing that now fleeting memory for years but nothing comes close. Perhaps it was the Yuenging alongside of it that made it so good.
January 16th, 2010 at 8:48 am
After thinking about this awhile, I figured out the two things that I discovered in 2009 and just couldn’t get enough of! I love Tabasco’s Chipotle version of their hot sauce. I have been putting it on everything. I am a pickle hound. I discovered Claussen’s kosher dill pickles. I like the halves, the wholes, the mini’s. They are all so crunchy. So, do you think I like salty stuff?
January 16th, 2010 at 8:53 am
I hear Taco Bell has a couple of menu items that are right your alley then ;-)