Two that come to mind because they were just last week: La Rotonde at the Beau Rivage Palace in Lausanne, and La Terrasse at the Victoria-Jungfrau in Interlaken, both in Switzerland (you really can't beat fine dining in Europe).

Kind of off the beaten track, but - the dining room at Vomo Island Resort, Fiji. The chef is an expat Aussie, and does a phenomenal job. Highly recommended for anyone looking for an island holiday.

Bouchon in Yountville kicked a$$, but didn't quite mend the heartbreak from having to cancel the reservation at the Laundry (b/c wife couldn't travel unexpectedly and I WASN'T taking my clients).

quote:

Originally posted by Adrian Carsini:
No, we are seperated. Her friend spotted me french kissing a blonde at the Monkey Bar. The wench dropped dime on me and now I live in a studio apartment in Soho.

Nice. I hope she's getting the Blackstone, and not your Gaja's in the settlement.

I don't have a clue. They all run together after a while.

with the birth of our son this year, we have been very limited eating out outside of the NW this year...as such, my best meals (outside our home of couse) would prob look something like this:

Earth & Ocean (Seattle)
Canlis (Seattle)
Harvest Vine (Seattle)
Lampreia (Seattle)
Joel Palmer House (Oregon)
Red Hills Provincial Dining (Oregon)
Kalypso (Oregon)

I'm going to follow Tlily with this one considering how many fabulous meals I've had here.

1. home (Yountville and Napa)
2. The French Laundry (Yountville)
3. Cafe Nuovo (RI)
4. Press (St helena)
5. N9ne (Chicago)
6. Terra (St Helena)
7. Vie (Chicago Suburbs)
8. Zula (Houston)
9. Pyang's house (Napa)
10. Akbar (Santa Monica)
11. Cook (St Helena)

quote:

Originally posted by mattach:
with the birth of our son this year, we have been very limited eating out outside of the NW this year...as such, my best meals (outside our home of couse) would prob look something like this:

Earth & Ocean (Seattle)
Canlis (Seattle)
Harvest Vine (Seattle)
Lampreia (Seattle)
Joel Palmer House (Oregon)
Red Hills Provincial Dining (Oregon)
Kalypso (Oregon)

Gee, mattach. I wish I could find a way to "limit" myself to those places.

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:

quote:

Originally posted by mattach:
with the birth of our son this year, we have been very limited eating out outside of the NW this year...as such, my best meals (outside our home of couse) would prob look something like this:

Earth & Ocean (Seattle)
Canlis (Seattle)
Harvest Vine (Seattle)
Lampreia (Seattle)
Joel Palmer House (Oregon)
Red Hills Provincial Dining (Oregon)
Kalypso (Oregon)

Gee, mattach. I wish I could find a way to "limit" myself to those places.

mneeley - it seems impressive at first glance, until you realize that everything else has been take out Thai and Pizza

#1 - Gary Danko - San Francisco
#2 - Sierra Mar - Big Sur
#3 - Nobu - Vegas

Gary Danko was the 2nd best meal I have ever had...and it was almost #1. Get the tasting menu w/wine pairings.

(Best meal I have ever had was the 9 course omikasa menu at Morimoto in Philly)

Sierra Mar is as beautiful a restaurant as you can get, with a monster wine list, but the food was merely very good and not top level, like Danko.

Nobu had fabulous food, but was way too crowded and loud to be a truly great experience.

TomNYC,

The Nobu here in Dallas sounds like the one in Vegas

quote:

Draelion - Dallas
Veni Vidi Vici - Atlanta

steve8,

I also enjoyed Veni Vidi Vici...

New restaurants in 2005:
Enoteca Pinchiorri...Florence, Italy
Evo's...Venice, Italy
Le Tre Vasselle...Torgiano, Italy
n.v....Napa
Press...St. Helena
Michael Mina...S.F.
5th Floor...S.F.
My favorite repeat offender restaurants:
La Toque...Rutherford
French Laundry...Yountville
Tommy Toys...S.F.
Tomassos...S.F.
Coles Chop House...Napa
Angele...Napa
Barrels and Beasts Dinners at Del Dotto Winery

Gary Danko - SF
The Kitchen - Sacramento
And, of course, my backyard grill....

Alinea in Chicago. There the second week they were open. Fantastic.

I'm partial to La Toque as the best restaurant we ate at during the year even though we've eaten there before. Not only b/c it was the best dining experience we've ever had but it was also our engagement dinner.

We traveled to France this summer and here are a few of my favorites from the trip.The restaurant at Cordellian Bages in Pauillac,Le Cinque in Paris,Guy Savoy. In NY,Per Se.
Have a wonderful New Year everyone

Gentleman farmer,

Eric is going to love you for putting him on that list.

My list:

Hugo's (Portland, ME)
Cinque Terre (Portland, ME)
Hey I was on vacation, give me a break.
Le Mannequin Pis (Olney, MD)
Palena (DC)
Corduroy (DC)

The best restaurant I dined at was LaFamiglia in Philadelphia. Italian food that was incredible. Their wine list is unbelievable. For Italian wine lovers it is paradise. They hand you their wine list, and its a huge book with lamenated labels on each page. We sat in the cellar surronded by thousands of bottles of wine. Great atmoshere. Check out the wine list on their website, http://www.lafamiglia.com. VERY expensive though

Larkspur @ Vail CO
Elizabeth on 37th @ Savannah GA
McCrady's @ Charleston SC
Wild Boar @ Nashville TN

ShaferGuy, What did you think of Larkspur? To me, it is one of the best places I have ever been.

Have not been to McCrady's in a few years, but a very good place.

LaFamiglia is on my list next time I go to Philly.

quote:

Originally posted by scbeerman:
ShaferGuy, What did you think of Larkspur? To me, it is one of the best places I have ever been.

Have not been to McCrady's in a few years, but a very good place.

We ski at Vail and Beaver Creek every year and we always finish with Larkspur because it is such a terrific place. Great food, service and wine list !

quote:

Originally posted by Shaferguy91:

quote:

Originally posted by scbeerman:
ShaferGuy, What did you think of Larkspur? To me, it is one of the best places I have ever been.

We ski at Vail and Beaver Creek every year and we always finish with Larkspur because it is such a terrific place. Great food, service and wine list !

We were in Vail the first weekend in December... didn't eat here because we didn't know about it.

Charlie Palmer's Steakhouse-- Washington, DC
Kinkead's-- Washington, DC
City Club- Washington, DC
My House-- Washington, DC

Babo, Veritas (NYC)
Naha, Topolobampo, RL, Volare (Chicago)