1) Churrascaria Plataforma (Brazilian Buffet) - 49th St. (NYC) - the same co-worker I shared that terrible turbulent plane ride from Orlando to Nashville could not shut up about how we should eat at this place when we went up there to work the December 2001 Streaming Media expo and train a new hire. He was absolutely correct in doing so IMO. What started out as just a plain ole buffet turned into the most incredible meat-lover's paradise, once things got started. Their waiters started serving every known, tender as hell, cuts of beef off of sabers right at your table. I swear, I ate until I literally could not go any further -OR- move at all. Sin of Gluttony rating: 10 out of 10.
2) a local Cuban restaurant in Miami, right off the strip - I just had their Paella dish, (shrimp, scallops and chorizo sausage) combined together on a bed of rice to absolute spicy perfection. It just hit the spot for me that day. I was a bit hung over after a week of tough 15+ hour days at the corporate office in 2004 and a hard-drinking drive from Orlando to Miami for our deserved weekend off (no-driving for me that night). The flavors just kicked my @$$. Obviously the combination of these incredible Cuban flavors and the spiciness of it all just worked perfectly for me that day. I have to give this restaurant’s Carne Asado a close second for “Spot Hitting” that weekend.
3) a local Indian restaurant in San Francisco - I was there meeting with vulture capitalists for possible seed money during the end days of the dotcom craze in early January 2000. A friend and fellow MP3 artist who I was staying with took me there for my first Indian meal ever. While the flavors were all familiar to me, the combination of them were completely foreign and just kicked my @$$ once again. I remember going nuts for their "DAL" which was basically a rice and chicken dish with all of these amazing spices which made it incredible. I must have had 5 bowls of that stuff alone. Everything was as if I were tasting it for the first time, and I was. From the 1st course to the desserts.. AMAZING. BTW If you are a passionate food-eater I def. recommend targeting San Francisco someday!
4) New Orleans House (Louisville RIP) & Jeff Ruby's @ Belterra - 2 more Sin of Gluttony experiences - the most amazing seafood buffet I have ever eaten INLAND and a feast of seafood and the most tender fillets I have ever tasted respectfully. Definitely a tie due to the fact they actually sliced their crab legs perfectly in half at both places. The simplest of things make all the difference sometimes.
5) Other than a good medium rare cut of prime rib, t-bone or fillet mignon, I really enjoy the classic Italian dish of veal Parmesan. I keep this for very special occasions every few years or so and haven’t had a bad dish from any of the chains -YET- the best come from the mom and pop Italian restaurants that you can find in any major city -OR- even small towns such as Kingsport’s - Guisseppe’s - www.giuseppesitalianrestaurant.com
My father always asks me "Do you eat to live -OR- do you live to eat?"
Well, do ya?
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