Last Supper

I have posed this question and been asked it several times, "What would you eat if you only had one meal left."  This is a tough question for me for many reasons but I will attempt to give the most complete answer possible.

First, and maybe most importantly is what did I have the days leading up to the last meal.  If at the previous meal I had a steak then another steak doesn't sound that special.  On the other hand if say my wife is on a Vegan kick and I haven't had meat in a week or two then a steak would be the perfect ending.  This type of thinking is what goes into making my weekly home menu all the way to what do I want to have for lunch today.

There are exceptions to the rule, as their always will be.  The first time I had an Italian beef combo in Chicago I couldn't get enough and would have eaten at Portillo's for every meal for the 3-4 days of my trip.  It wasn't possible to do but I tried to eat there once a day.  The best part is that when I return I do the same thing each time and never regret it.  So if I were in Chicago on that last day an Italian Beef Combo please (don't forget the hot giardiniera and extra juice on the side).  

If I were in Salt Lake City I would eat at one of my favorite Italian restaurants Cucina Tuscana.

 In Las Vegas I would eat at B&B Ristorante for lunch and order 3 Octopus salads at the bar. If it were breakfast or brunch then Bouchon's and order anything but the cornbeef & hash is my personal favorite.

If I were in Panama City, FL I would eat at the Captain's Table and as soon as I sat down I would order smoked tuna dip (ask for picked jalapenos it makes it better) and a dozen oysters.  Finish will a Grouper Imperial or some other variation of Grouper that is not fried.

There are many places like this for me, that when I visit the town my mouth starts to water with the taste of whatever I just can't forget about.  In every town there are tons of restaurants some more popular than others but what makes me go back is if when I leave that state, city or country I remember it by a certain culinary experience.  If I return I go each and every time.

My wife and I went to Jackson, WY to ski.  It was beautiful the moment we walked off the plane. While there we had a few nice meals but I can't remember what or where.  They were average and we tried quite a few.  They did have a small hotel that had amazing French Fries but it didn't make up for the terrible sandwich.  When I think of Jackson Hole, WY its all about the Tetons and bad coffee (bring your own coffee, the dirt they serve around town even at the 5 star resorts is horrible).  I will return but not for the food.  I hope the next visit I can find some restaurant to fall in love with.

Conversely when I think of visiting New York I instantly remember the pizza.  I remember saying to myself I finally get what they mean about the pizza being so much better up here.  While I have forgotten some of that trip and as time goes by I forget more, I don't think that pizza will ever leave my memory.,

So think about where you have been and if there's a place where a restaurant or a certain dish comes to mind instead of the man made or natural scenery.  If you have thought of some. then make a list and try to get back to them because you never know when its your last meal.