No doubt, a Brazilian Steakhouse in my area. Hit up some Sausage, Lamb, just a bang up meal.

Great episode G. My best meal with a Sushi variety plate at the Kaizen Japanese restaurant in Montreal, matched with a Grand Crus red burgundy. Cheers.

Great episode G. My best meal with a Sushi variety plate at the Kaizen Japanese restaurant in Montreal, matched with a Grand Crus red burgundy. Cheers.

A Brazilian steakhouse in my area is complete gold. It is just unbeatable in terms of quality and price. You gotta hit some Lamb, Sausage, Pork, all the good stuff.

A Brazilian steakhouse in my area is complete gold. It is just unbeatable in terms of quality and price. You gotta hit some Lamb, Sausage, Pork, all the good stuff.

QOTD: My Uncle Salvador has been cooking for as long as I’ve been alive. He would cater for any of my family’s special days (birthday, wedding, etc). The first time I could remember, during his daughter’s (my cousin) birthday, he busted out with best of his talents. Notably, the brisket was to die for. He’d slave for hours onto hours to insure he brought out everything needed to make them perfect. As he grows older, he continues to supply us with the best feasts a family could ask for.

Great show, GV.

Without a doubt, the best meal I ever had was in Florence. My flatmates and I frequented a small tabaccheria down the street from our apartment–usually two, sometimes three times daily. Needless to say, the owner and staff became well acquainted with us. One night, near the end of our semester abroad, we stopped in the tabaccheria for an espresso just as they were closing. Surprisingly, they welcomed us in (all six of us!) and invited us to join them as they ate dinner. The food itself was nothing spectacular, just some cheese and salami, fruit, a baked pasta dish, and cheap Chianti. But, the conversation and camaraderie that emerged from the sharing of food elevated this experience to one of the best that I had in my four months in Italy.

Lets take care of a few things I have been meaning to comment about.

First you asked about your sign on a few episodes ago. I know it makes me want to kick you in the teeth, but you have been greeting viewers that way for long enough that I see no reason to change. I may even find myself missing the urge to kick something if you did.

Second scores. Maybe I beating a dead horse, but I think scores do more detriment for wine drinkers than you admit. I expect few of your listeners sit down to comparatively judge wine when they drink it. More often it is a part of a meal or social gatherings. Giving a wine a rating on its complexity looses the 80+ point wine that is perfectly good has no flaws but lacks complexity; that wine when paired with pizza or pasta and garlicky red sauce, combines with the food to be something majestic. I am thinking of one of my favorite bottles of montepulciano from le Marche right now, and salivating for it… I’m fairly sure it wouldn’t rate over 84 yet I can’t think of anything I would rather have with a bowl of pasta.

Third QOTD: Christmas Eve two years ago my parents made rare beef tenderloin, with green beans and roast potatoes. We paired it with a bottle of 1980 Sebastiani vinters reserve zinfindal.

Well I guess I don’t count as a lurker anymore. Bummer

The best meal I’ve ever had was the brunch at Commander’s Palace in New Orleans LA. Turtle soup topped with sherry to start and then rich meats, all washed down with a beautiful Pim’s Cup. There was absolutely nothing better on a hot summer day in the Crescent City.

As usual, another great episode of WLTV. I especially like your point about how your palette changes over time.

QOTD: Best meal that I’ve ever had was when my good friend from high school who had just graduated from the Culinary Institute of America made a special dinner for my then fiancee (now wife of almost 13 years) and me. Just an amazing meal. Second best was recently at a restaurant called Fork in Philadelphia. Simply fabulous.

As usual, another great episode of WLTV. I especially like your point about how your palette changes over time.

QOTD: Best meal that I’ve ever had was when my good friend from high school who had just graduated from the Culinary Institute of America made a special dinner for my then fiancee (now wife of almost 13 years) and me. Just an amazing meal. Second best was recently at a restaurant called Fork in Philadelphia. Simply fabulous.

Hmm, best meal of all timeâ?¦
It was a prime rib dinner that was prepared by a relative’s personal chef.
It was amazing AND we popped a bunch of their Pinot Noir from their own vineyards to go with the meal!?!? It makes my mouth water just thinking about itâ?¦

QOTD: The greatest meal I have ever had was in Newhall, California. It was at a very small family owned restaurant called “The Pasta Grill” and was a Chicken dijon with a 2001 German Riesling. Absolutely phenominal…Simple, basic flavors that made it such a wonderful memory. Good luck to all who enter….

QOTD: The greatest meal I have ever had was in Newhall, California. It was at a very small family owned restaurant called “The Pasta Grill” and was a Chicken dijon with a 2001 German Riesling. Absolutely phenominal…Simple, basic flavors that made it such a wonderful memory. Good luck to all who enter….

pepperoncini are put on Italian salads
QOD: I had a really nice 7 course dinner with wines at Masa’s in San Francisco several months ago
sponsored by VISA Signature card and Hanna Winery and all for $100. If it sounds interesting you can view my 3 minute slide presentation by going to Photodex.com (they provide software for making this kind of video) and going to “sharing” (tab at the top), “browse member” (in submenu of ‘online sharing’, or at the bottom right of the sharing page) and entering “johnmaki”. you will get a menu of 9 shows, the title of which is obvious. You may have to download a viewer but it’s free and easy & the quality is way better than utube. If you view it, drop me a note –
[email protected]

awesome show, loved the ending. i feel like crap cause i have such a limited accessability to wine in my area, so i’m just watching others have fun and being jealous. hopefully i can find that third wine. well done gary!

QOTD:ok i hope no one will laugh, but the best meal i ever had was just recently at a red lobster. yea, you betcha! i had scallops for the first time, with lobster tail, rice and jumbo shrimp. sorry, i’m a simple guy. gary, appreciate the contest for the $500 bottle, even if i don’t win, much appreciated. you rock. this show rocks. keep it rockin.

QOTD: Not Fair! There have been so many.

The best meal that I can remember was spent with my lovely girlfriend Dash and our friends. I braised lamb shanks in a tomato fennel broth, we drank good wine, shared amazing conversation and enjoyed the bond that we had created. We have eaten some excellent food since then, but the award goes to this fantastic, home-cooked meal, complete with friends.

QOTD: Hm. Dordogne, France, 2001. First over-the-top French haute cuisine experience in the countryside. Slabs of foie gras on toast, cod in cream sauce with asparagus [we looked upon an asparagus farm], beef tenderloin, selection of cheeses, wine, sweet dessert. With my wife. Does it get much better than that? Although there is a lot to be said for catching a large spring salmon, eating sashimi off the dock, and then doing grilled boneless salmon steaks and a salad with a 2000 Domaine Pavelot La Dominode. Or maybe something as simple as the best gnocchi ever in Pienza with a butter sauce? Or maybe it’s going to be the tenderloin of fresh calf moose that I butchered today that’s in my fridge…

QOTD: Hm. Dordogne, France, 2001. First over-the-top French haute cuisine experience in the countryside. Slabs of foie gras on toast, cod in cream sauce with asparagus [we looked upon an asparagus farm], beef tenderloin, selection of cheeses, wine, sweet dessert. With my wife. Does it get much better than that? Although there is a lot to be said for catching a large spring salmon, eating sashimi off the dock, and then doing grilled boneless salmon steaks and a salad with a 2000 Domaine Pavelot La Dominode. Or maybe something as simple as the best gnocchi ever in Pienza with a butter sauce? Or maybe it’s going to be the tenderloin of fresh calf moose that I butchered today that’s in my fridge…

QOTD: The best meal I’ve had was Thanksgiving of last year (2006). I had just finished two killer term papers and the whole family drove from Ohio up to the west coast of Michigan so that my older brother could be with us for Thanksgiving. The weather was cold and snowed heavily; driving conditions made us pull into a rest-stop for a few hours until the van started to freeze over, but we eventually arrived safe and sound after a nigh epic adventure. After unpacking and starting to cook Thanksgiving dinner we realized that we were missing the potatoes and cranberry relish, so we had to drive 45 minutes each way to the nearest open grocery to pick them up (since he was living in a cottage located in a summer vacation town). It was amazing to be with family in a small cottage, completely removed from daily life/worries, and share a big meal and many laughs together.

QOTD: The best meal I’ve had was Thanksgiving of last year (2006). I had just finished two killer term papers and the whole family drove from Ohio up to the west coast of Michigan so that my older brother could be with us for Thanksgiving. The weather was cold and snowed heavily; driving conditions made us pull into a rest-stop for a few hours until the van started to freeze over, but we eventually arrived safe and sound after a nigh epic adventure. After unpacking and starting to cook Thanksgiving dinner we realized that we were missing the potatoes and cranberry relish, so we had to drive 45 minutes each way to the nearest open grocery to pick them up (since he was living in a cottage located in a summer vacation town). It was amazing to be with family in a small cottage, completely removed from daily life/worries, and share a big meal and many laughs together.

QOTD: Would definitely have to be the day after Thanksgiving this year. It was me, my dad, and grandma and grandpa. Grandpa’s health has been tough this year and I was extremely happy to be able to go to Chicago, prepare a meal, and have our whole family there.

Seems like you are back in the saddle GV, no more sleepy, tired, travel bug or what?!

QOTD: My best meal ever is a seared medium-rare to rare ribeye steak with sweet potatoes,salad and a good bottle of red wine shared with my wife.

QOTD: My best meal ever is a seared medium-rare to rare ribeye steak with sweet potatoes,salad and a good bottle of red wine shared with my wife.

~~~LURKER ALERT~~~

QOTD: Prime Rib and mashed potatoes at “The Steakhouse” at City Place in West Palm Beach, FL this past summer. Had a bottle of 2004 FAIVELEY Bourgogne that was excellent and NOT expensive.

Lee in SC