The Ritz-Carlton, Madrid, Spain - December 31, 1983
It was my junior year of high school and I was living in Barcelona. During the first semester, I'd been very homesick and vowed that when my parents came to visit me over winter break, I'd go home with them. But by the time they arrived, I was starting to really love my Spanish family and friends at school (and by the end of the school year, I didn't want to go home). During Mom and Dad's visit we went to Granada, Seville and Cordoba and ended the trip in Madrid. On New Year's Eve we had dinner at the Ritz and it was the most elegant, delicious dinner I'd ever had. I'll remember the chocolate lattice with strawberry cream inside as long as I live.
The Tea Room, Dublin, Ireland - September 7, 2001
Prior to this trip, Ireland was not on my list of must-see destinations. Thank goodness my dear friends Yvonne and Ray decided to get married there (Ray is from Ennis) so I could experience this beautiful country. It's true what they say...you see more shades of green than you ever knew existed. After Yvonne and Ray's wedding, I went on a Backroads biking trip through County Cork and County Kerry, then spent my last night in Dublin. Had dinner at The Tea Room, owned by Bono. He stole the chef from some restaurant in London. Here's what I ate:
Chicken Lasagna - with a cream rather than tomato-based sauce
Sea Bass - accompanied by a mixture of beets, spinach and red onion
Truffled Mashed Potatoes
Two dessert trios (I couldn't decide so I got both) - one chocolate-themed, one apple-themed
By the end of the meal I was convinced they'd spiked the food with drugs I was so high. No, it wasn't alcohol-induced - I only had one glass of wine.
Who could have known that night that four days later, all of our lives would change forever?
L'Atelier Joel Robuchon, Las Vegas, NV - November 17, 2006
I've started to cook even more than usual, and read lots of books about cooking and restaurants. Adored Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, and also recently read Tony Bourdain's The Nasty Bits and Bill Buford's Heat. As much as I've enjoyed these books, they've made me more observant - and critical - of my experiences in restaurants (not just the food). Add to that the fact that a few nights before I visited L'Atelier, I had a devastating experience at another French chef's eponymous restaurant in Vegas, Restaurant Guy Savoy. The meal was good - not fabulous - and the price was stratospheric. The most memorable thing wasn't even the white truffle risotto, but the chestnut bread (and the fact that Guy himself was in the restaurant that night). So I'm still reeling from this and considering canceling my L'Atelier reservation but I go anyway. Thank God. The food was nothing short of transcendent. In addition to a regular a la carte menu, there was an option to create your own tasting menu. Sign me up for that!
What I ate for dinner:
1. Raw tuna with olive oil, sundried tomatoes and fleur de sel.
The buttery tuna combined with the tang of the tomatoes and the crunch of the salt...I've craved it almost every day since.
2. Langoustine fritter in a light tempura batter.
I didn't order this but the waiter brought it by mistake and said I could have it anyway. Go ahead, make that mistake all night!
3. L'Oeuf - Egg cocotte topped with a light mushroom cream
4. Cannelloni with Sauteed Chanterelle Mushrooms
5. Mini Lamb Chops with Truffled Mashed Potatoes
6. Another order of the tuna - I had to.
For dessert (again, couldn't decide so ordered two...)
1. Les Pots de Creme - one vanilla, one chocolate - with hazelnut grissini (thin breadstick-shaped cookies)
2. Le Chocolat - sorry Ritz Madrid, but this one wins for best dessert ever. Chocolate mousse on the bottom, topped with vanilla chocolate chip ice cream covered in Oreo crumbs and chocolate sauce. Crowned by a halo of chocolate.
But wait... there's more...the head waiter felt that I shouldn't think this was the kind of restaurant that would allow me to leave satisfied by just two desserts (as if!) so he brought me another...
3. Les Tartes - a tray of little pieces of about five different traditional French tarts.
All I can say is it's a good thing I'd spent the previous week on a biking trip through Death Valley. Otherwise, I wouldn't be fitting into any of my clothes right about now.
I'm going to keep on biking, too...'cause I'm going back to L'Atelier next month when I'm in Vegas for CES. Can't wait!
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