I recently came across the following article that made me think about a topic for discussion here on Enworld-
www.birminghammail.co.uk
It really is heartwarming when someone decides to spread their wings ... and it pays off! But it made me think ... what is the best meal I ever had? And, concurrently, I thought it would be a good topic for conversation so that other people could share their thoughts and talk about the truly transcendent meals that they have enjoyed, as well.
Of course, we will need to channel this discussion a little. So I'm going to post some rules / guidelines for you to follow. After all, there MUST BE ORDER! Of course, in saying that, I fully assume that at least half the response will either ignore that, or complain about the existence of rules. You can't tell me what to do! Still, there is a reason for them. Try and be constructive.
Topic: What is the best meal you have had?
Rules-
1. It must be a meal you have eaten.
This should be obvious, I hope. But this doesn't include food you've seen on television, or that time you had a reservation at El Bulli and it was cancelled, or a delicious smell of donuts. It was something that you put in your belly.
2. It was a restaurant meal / meal you paid for.
The intent of this rule is simple- I don't want to hear about a meal you made, or about how your mother makes the best spaghetti ever (whatever ... yo mama's cooking is so nasty, the flies got together and fixed the holes in the window screens). I'd like to hear about a meal that you had at a restaurant that you paid for (or that is normally paid for, but you had a gift card, or were comp'd, or whatever).
3(a). Don't yelp this (money don't matter).
Have you ever read yelp, or some other restaurant review site, and seen something like this- "The burger was the best burger I ever had. It exploded into a constellation of flavors that I still dream about. In my entire life, I will never, ever, ever have a burger like this. But they also charge 50 cents more than the McDonalds down the street, so ... 3 stars." We get it- cost does matter. We live in the real world. But for purposes of this thread, pretend you are a slightly richer Jeff Bezos, and money does not come into the equation whatsoever. This is about the best meal you've had, not about your thriftiness.
3(b). Don't hipster this.
We all love that hole-in-the-wall pho joint. Or that BBQ roadside stand that serves amazing brisket. If that's truly the best meal you've had, go for it! But don't just pick an obscure place just because it's obscure.
4. This isn't about the subjective experience around the meal.
This is kind of the last, catch-all rule. We're looking for the best meals - obviously, food is very subjective. Your experience will be colored by all sorts of things going on. But ... don't list something just because you were hiking all day and it's the first meal you had. Or it's the restaurant you were at when you learned you received a promotion. Or the place you were at the last time your friend group was altogether. Feel free to put in any heart-warming stories, but try and put in the best meal you've had.
Bonus Topic: What would you choose for your last meal?
If you'd like, also put in your choice for a "last meal." If you're unfamiliar with the concept (or it's too grizzly), think of it in this way- if you could choose one meal, of any type, with anything, to eat, what would it be? There are no constraints for this other than what you can physically fit inside of you in a sitting. You can choose either generic descriptors (Fried Chicken) or specific examples (White Castle Sliders).
I'm common as muck and spent £150 on Michelin star food to see if it's worth it
I went to Adams in the city centre and the food had me in tears
www.birminghammail.co.uk
It really is heartwarming when someone decides to spread their wings ... and it pays off! But it made me think ... what is the best meal I ever had? And, concurrently, I thought it would be a good topic for conversation so that other people could share their thoughts and talk about the truly transcendent meals that they have enjoyed, as well.
Of course, we will need to channel this discussion a little. So I'm going to post some rules / guidelines for you to follow. After all, there MUST BE ORDER! Of course, in saying that, I fully assume that at least half the response will either ignore that, or complain about the existence of rules. You can't tell me what to do! Still, there is a reason for them. Try and be constructive.
Topic: What is the best meal you have had?
Rules-
1. It must be a meal you have eaten.
This should be obvious, I hope. But this doesn't include food you've seen on television, or that time you had a reservation at El Bulli and it was cancelled, or a delicious smell of donuts. It was something that you put in your belly.
2. It was a restaurant meal / meal you paid for.
The intent of this rule is simple- I don't want to hear about a meal you made, or about how your mother makes the best spaghetti ever (whatever ... yo mama's cooking is so nasty, the flies got together and fixed the holes in the window screens). I'd like to hear about a meal that you had at a restaurant that you paid for (or that is normally paid for, but you had a gift card, or were comp'd, or whatever).
3(a). Don't yelp this (money don't matter).
Have you ever read yelp, or some other restaurant review site, and seen something like this- "The burger was the best burger I ever had. It exploded into a constellation of flavors that I still dream about. In my entire life, I will never, ever, ever have a burger like this. But they also charge 50 cents more than the McDonalds down the street, so ... 3 stars." We get it- cost does matter. We live in the real world. But for purposes of this thread, pretend you are a slightly richer Jeff Bezos, and money does not come into the equation whatsoever. This is about the best meal you've had, not about your thriftiness.
3(b). Don't hipster this.
We all love that hole-in-the-wall pho joint. Or that BBQ roadside stand that serves amazing brisket. If that's truly the best meal you've had, go for it! But don't just pick an obscure place just because it's obscure.
4. This isn't about the subjective experience around the meal.
This is kind of the last, catch-all rule. We're looking for the best meals - obviously, food is very subjective. Your experience will be colored by all sorts of things going on. But ... don't list something just because you were hiking all day and it's the first meal you had. Or it's the restaurant you were at when you learned you received a promotion. Or the place you were at the last time your friend group was altogether. Feel free to put in any heart-warming stories, but try and put in the best meal you've had.
Bonus Topic: What would you choose for your last meal?
If you'd like, also put in your choice for a "last meal." If you're unfamiliar with the concept (or it's too grizzly), think of it in this way- if you could choose one meal, of any type, with anything, to eat, what would it be? There are no constraints for this other than what you can physically fit inside of you in a sitting. You can choose either generic descriptors (Fried Chicken) or specific examples (White Castle Sliders).
