Pacific Palate Contest - Your Most Memorable Meal

November 13, 2006  UPDATE:  Contest entries are now closed.  Thanks to all of you for sending in some wonderful entries.  Winners will be announced and notified on November 14th. After ten years, Pacific Palate on CBC Radio's The Early Edition is coming to an end. There's a reason behind my departure, and I'll reveal all the why's and where's on November the 14th.

In the meantime, to reward my loyal listeners, we are running a fantastic contest you can win by telling me about your most memorable meal...all you have to do is scroll down to the comments section of this page, and write no more than TWO PARAGRAPHS about your most memorable meal ever.  We'll read some of the entries on the air, and on November 14th we'll announce the grand prize winner.  The deadline is noon, Monday, November 13th.

The grand prize so far includes dinners for two at three of the best new restaurants in Vancouver:

Nu

Rare

and Senova.  For an updated list of prizes, (yes, there's more!) click here.

For me, my most memorable meal of recent times came this spring in Italy, with my wife Ramona at a tiny little bistro in Rome.  It was the perfect lunch, joking with the waiter, being able to point at a dish of large, tenderly braised artichokes in the kitchen and having them delivered seconds later to our table, toothsome pastas, and an amazing appetizer of fresh cantaloupe, arugula and prosciutto.

I look forward to hearing your stories about your most memorable meal!  ...and good luck in the contest.

Comments

[Wendy Podgursky]

Many of my most memorable meals took place in a kitchen that seemed to have suffered the ravages of a doily bomb, and were witnessed by a parade of baby dolls, covered in saran wrap, gazing out from the decorative shelves. My grandmother’s tastes for interior design were unusual, but her tastes in cooking were infallible.

The soft sweetness of caramelized onions would fill the air, which had been mounded in all their buttery, artless glory atop a steaming pile of perfectly hand-pinched perogies, or as my Baba called them, varenyky. The slippery, aquadynamic pods drowned in a sea of silky sour cream. The brimming bowl was always presented with the refrain, “Eat, eat! You’re too thin!” Adoring that argument, I dove in, fishing out the little packages filled with love.

[Dave Lank]

My Toshi Experience

Miso Cod, my first succulent bite elevated me above the realm of cautious California Roll eater to a higher Japanese food stratosphere. Writing about it is enough to ponder splash-guarding my keyboard to prevent salivating spills. My girlfriend and I, having recently moved to the city, stumbled upon Toshi’s nondescript entrance off the bustle of Main. Inside we immediately sensed the presence of something Great; wise, robed men, in unison, acknowledged us with a welcoming grunt as glistening raw fish was sculpted. The ubiquitous Hoshizaki sushi fridge displayed tentacles and fleshy colors. Waitresses with Zen-like auras, existed, or so it seemed, to nourish our souls; awaken dormant senses. Unopened menus were returned, our Waitress becoming our culinary Sensi. Sake toast to our new city as we awaited the offerings.
What happened next was a fishy blur. Silence interspersed with lip smacking, sighs teetering on sexual. ‘Oh god, this is the best thing I have ever…’ and other attempted sentences cut short, mouths overwhelmed by pleasure. Conversation was no longer necessary. Complete presence; senses on overdrive with the combination of food, springtime love and the thrill of discovery in our adopted city. Perfect moment. Thanks Toshi and Thank Cod!

Dave Lank
604-872-6260

[Janet O'Reilly]

My then boyfriend (can a man in his 40s be a "boy"friend?)and I traveled to Whistler for a weekend away from our busy jobs in February, 2003. We spent the day skiing and laughing in one of the most beautiful locales in the world. It was cold and crisp and the sky was a brilliant blue that day.

That same evening we enjoyed a lovely dinner at the Val D'Isere restauant in Whistler village. The food was rich and heartly, and the wine was equally robust. A perfect foil to the wintry night. We talked and laughed for hours in front of a roaring fire in the restaurant. It was a delightful and memorable evening all by itself. But as we left the restaurant, on the steps to the sidewalk, my amazing date proposed marriage, and presented a ring that sparkled more brilliantly than the stars on that cold, clear night! A memorable meal - and the start of a magical life together!

[George Brodie]

My most memorable meal was in 1994 - in my kitchen in St.Petersburg, Russia. Communism had collapsed in Russia in 1991, and my wife and I moved there as missionaries in 1993. Life was hard back then, the shops were empty, there were line-ups an hour long in sub-zero conditions for bread, cheese, milk and the very basics for life. We were glad to be there as missionaries, but we did indeed miss some of the "luxury" items from back home. As we were still learning the language it was hard to find work. Eventually I found a job that paid $100 a month, which barely covered rent and transport, and inflation was running at 30% per month. The most we could afford was literally bread, cheese and tea.

Then I had a little bonus at work one day, and we decided to "blow it" on some western goods. All we could find in the local market was a 2l bottle of Coke and two tangerines - but to us it was a throwback to the "west". Never before or since had coke tasted so good, and the tangerines were simply a delight. Now we live in Chilliwack with our kids, and get to sample the fantastic array of foods in the Fraser Valley. We are still truly thankful to be living in this part of the world, and appreciate our "daily bread"!

[Rob Mingay]

The most memorable and anticipated of meals it was. It was four years ago at the epicentre of modern American Cuisine, The French Laundry in Yountville California. Thomas Keller was in the kitchen that day, the maestro himself. It was lunch, the chef's tasting menu. The choices were a modern yet traditional California style fare or a more edgy Offal based menu. I was ready to trust and experience Keller's wonderful offal

Let the organs begin, perfect little dishes one after the other appeared with a flourish from Armani clad staff. Liver, seared with a crispy potato pancake, kidneys, turned into something unimaginable,sweet breads with citrus and crispy zest, two or three dishes that I still don't know what part of the animal they came from. Washed down with wines from across the road and down the lane.I imagined Chef in the back, reaching into the animal, pulling something out and saying,"lets try this part". The wine flowed and the organs continued for 3 hours, I asked for the bill, closed my eyes and handed over my credit card. Offal in the afternoon, was a most wonderful meal. Rob Mingay

[Eva Derton]

My most memorable meal happened on the ship while we were emmigrating to Canada. The Atlantic was so stromy that our family of four were the only ones that did not get seasick and showed up for dinner. Each of us had several servers lined up waiting for any command that we may issue. Even a blink of an eye brought a response from a waiter hoping that I may want something.

[Peter A. Jensen]

The most memorable meal.

Just south of Guadeloupe, still being part of the French West Indies, lies a small island group called “Les Saints”. It was here my wife and I had the most memorable meal. In the village any house, where there was a woman living that had a daughter, had been made into a restaurant. Now try to picture us how we were sitting on a perfect warm summer like day (in January) in somebodies yard amongst different types of fruit trees. And we were having crusty French bread, a green salad with the lightest of a simple oil and vinegar dressing, skate in a mild tomato sauce, steamed rice, and the beverage was fresh passion fruit lemonade.

Sixteen years I worked as a chef in northern Europe and across Canada. One of those years I was the chef at Humberto’s restaurant “Il Jardino”. Yes, I have come across some very good food, but nothing has topped the simple meal we had that day on the Island of Les Saints, in the French West Indies.

Good luck on your new veture.

Peter A. Jensen Tsawwassen, BC 604 943 9650

[nancy carpenter]

My most memorable meal was for a graduation dinner at the Noodle Makers in Gastown.The smells sights and sounds were amazing. A large most filled with colorful Choi fish surrounded our tables. Our lovely meal of crab in black bean sauce, great B.C. redwine followed by orange tangerine ice
cream served in wooden serving bowls was enriched by the sounding of the gong and feeding of the orange choi fish.Our wait staff dressed in kimono style dress added to the ambience.

[Jennifer Zuk]

A memorable meal is not only about the food and service; atmosphere, location, the company you're with and your state of mind are contributing factors too. All of these are why my most memorable meal was a Brie and Walnut Gnocchi dish in Bellinzona on the first night of a trip to Switzerland that I had won in a recipe contest. My husband and I were jet-lagged but were feeling the exhilaration of anticipating what experiences our travel would bring. We had wandered around town and decided on a little hilltop restaurant where in the distance you could see Italy. I had the delusion that English and my limited French would serve me well enough to converse anywhere in Switzerland- or at least to be able to make sense of a menu. Fortunately the waiter was a talented pantomime. My husband was a little hesitant ordering a pasta that had scurrying creatures with lots of legs in it, but happily it did turn out to be crab, not spiders. Since I had promised myself I would eat chocolate and cheese every day while in Switzerland, I decided on the Brie and Walnut Gnocchi. I had no idea the Swiss made such a delightful Brie!
It was a meal I'll never forget, not only because of the food but also because of the people and the place. As soon as I returned home to my familar surroundings I experimented to come up with a recipe to duplicate what I had had that night. It's delicious, and although it will never be the same, every time I make it, it evokes memories of that meal in Switzerland.

[Angela Mangiacasale]

In 1985, I took an Italian immersion course in Florence. One of my professors was an urbane, chain-smoking, Vespa-driving guy who had lived in the city all his life.
One hot summer night, he invited me out to dinner to a restaurant I knew to be fancy and expensive. We pulled up behind the restaurant to park his Vespa. I thought we would walk around to the front, but he led me to a back door. There, behind the kitchen, were wooden tables and benches -- no fine linen and candles like in the restaurant. But it was crowded with many locals, drinking wine, laughing and talking. Apparently, what we ate -- melt-in-your mouth veal accompanied by an amazing concoction of rice, stinging nettles and artichokes -- was the same food served (mostly to tourists) in the restaurant, but at a fraction of the price. It was a great way to practise my Italian and spend time with the locals. An unforgettable night.

[Sima Godfrey]

In July 2005, my husband and I rented an apartment in the ancient walls of Ramatuelle, a perched village in the south of France. The views of the nearby Mediterranean were breathtaking, the village itself charming, the rose wines cheap and delicious, and the daily temperatures scorching. During our month in Provence, we ate at many wonderful cafes and restaurants, including one whose blackboard menu listed only one item: bouillabaisse.

Our most memorable meal however, did not take place in a restaurant or even at a table. Two weeks into our stay in Ramatuelle, we were surprised one morning by a visit from our friend Francoise, a very elegant Parisian academic who was en route to a conference. She had stopped by for the day to see us. Since the temperature was already hitting the high 30s, we quickly packed a knapsack with towels, sunscreen, mineral water and plums and got ready to head to the beach. But first, we made a stop at the one bakery in town "La Tarte tropezienne" for some "pissaladiere" (an openface provencal tarte with caramelised onions, anchovies and olives)and a couple of hardy "pans bagnat" (a provencal tuna sandwich on a crusty bun, with onions, tomatoes, fresh peppers and olives). We drove down to the seaside, parked the car, and hiked about 3 kilometers to a pristine cove, accessible only on foot or by boat. There we spread out our towels, dove into the turquoise blue water, and stretched out under the perfect blue sky. While beaches all around were teaming with sunbathers, we were the only people in this magical spot, and it felt like the entire Mediterranean was ours. When it came time to unwrap our pans bagnat, Francoise turned to us dreamily and said: "You know, the only thinking missing is a glass of chilled rose." As if on cue, at that very moment we heard the "put-put" sound of a little dinghy coming into our cove. Sure enough, a couple of bikini-clad entrepreneurs were making the rounds of anchored yachts and secluded beaches, offering cool drinks and chilled bottles of wine for sale out of a styrofoam cooler! Madly waving at the dinghy, our elegant friend scrambled down the rocks to the water's edge and before we knew it, was back up there with us, holding a freshly uncorked bottle of delicious rose and 3 plastic cups. We leaned back in the sun, raised a toast to our good fortune and savoured our delicious meal and our friendship. No 3-star meal will ever dislodge the memory of that perfect lunch.

[Eva Derton]

My most memorable meal happened on the ship while we were emmigrating to Canada. The Atlantic was so stromy that our family of four were the only ones that did not get seasick and showed up for dinner. Each of us had several servers lined up waiting for any command that we may issue. Even a blink of an eye brought a response from a waiter who was hoping that I may want something

[david munro]

Six adults sit stretched out around the table, bellies bulging from the unfinished stew. Treated to a restaurant specializing in o-chanko, the staple diet of sumo wrestlers, never has a meal so amply nourished yet utterly defeated me. Served with steaming rice and potent sake, an o-chanko is a Mount Fuji of lean meats and fresh vegetables, cooked in a communal, bubbling broth of mirin, sake, and dashi stock.

On this particular occasion, I learn how this low-fat meal results in the wrestlers’ renowned bulk. First, the heaping portions of o-chanko are served twice a day. Second, four sumos easily polish off in just one sitting double what we six could not complete. We dared to challenge an o-chanko, and we lost.

[Louisa Stanford]

The most memorable meal I truly enjoyed was on a trip to Port McNeil to go fishing with some new friends in the late 1980s. We stopped at a delightful rest stop by a snall lake. In those days fishing for kokanee in Okanagan Lake was very good. I had taken along some kokanee I had smoked, along with ripe tomatoes from our garden and for dessert ripe peaches and strawberries, also from our garden.
We remarked at the time that we couldn't have had a more perfect meal in a more delightful setting.
This is a treasured memory as I have been a widow fo 12 years.
Don, I have enjoyed this site and told many others about it. Good Luck in your endeavours and I hope you won't disappear altogether. Louisa

[MARY FINDLAY]

Brain Food in any language...My husband, Don, and I went on a backpack, "$5 a day" trip to Europe a couple of years after we were married 35 years ago. I was brought up in a family in Burnaby where my mum made delicious, nutritious meals made frome ingedients that were high quality. However, I cannot say that my mum made very adventuous or exotic dishes! When I got married I moved to Gibsons where we met our employers from England who introduced us to gourmet experiences... wine and food that could rival Julia Child's best!

So, when we traveled to Euorope on our adventure we were primed for fine food! One evening in Paris we looked in our guide book and identified a prime spot for our dinner. A restaurant on the left bank near the university area attracted our attention. We arrived and were seated at a table that was a picnic-type setting with benches and a shared atmosphere. There was a black board menu which listed the items according to the day from which I decided to order. The big draw for me was the serendipitous Thursday offering of "L'agneau cerveau" because I thought I was ordering some association of "lamb" which I loved! I was so looking forward to my meal when the server brought out a white, very thick plate with a steaming, unmistakendly skull-shaped sheep's brain seated on it with not a potato, carrot or sprig of parsley to adorn it! The sigh† of this "righ† out of the skull" culinary deligh† absolutely stopped me in my †racks! I reacted with an absolute denial of the dish and all the Parisienne patrons surrounding me seemed in agreemen†. I remember having an alternate dish served and everyone seated at our table sharing wine and having a good laugh on my account. I learned that having a bit of french language is not enough when ordering food in France! Thanks for sharing with us your world of ingrendients and eating on CBC, I have enjoyed your experiences as you have shared them! Good luck with whatever you have chosen as your next adventure! Hope you don't go too far away!

[Carolyn Sullivan]

The most memorable meal - was it the first ever croissant and cafe-au-lait as a hungrey traveler in Paris (that was a long time ago) or the BBQ squid on a stick at a night market in rural Taiwan or the communal Thanksgiving dinner in the 70's where all the "back-to-the-landers" produced or gathered every bit of the food! (except for the spices and salt, of course) or the opening night of a friend's restaurant ... ... and the memories scroll through my mind but return, as they often do, to an afternoon the summer I was nineteen. My closest friend was about to leave for a year long trip and we were on our last drive through the back roads of New Brunswick ending up, this time, on the Pointe du Chene wharf. The lobster fishermen were boiling up their catch and selling it. Between us we had just enough money for one lobster and one Moosehead beer. Legs dangling over the side of the wharf in the warm sun we cracked the shell as best we could sharing all the best bits and ending up covered in lobster juice. The sweetness of the lobster and the bitterness of the beer were a great contrast and reflected our mixed feelings at that turning point in our lives.
Food and friendship and the most memoralbe meal.
PS on that long drive to work you have been a treat to listen to - Thanks

[Kathie Leroux]

Coming from Montrea, the city of the "vrai gout"l, it was very hard to adjust to a place like Kamloops. The desert like climate was the barometer for many realities of life in the early 80's., especially the lack of good places to eat. So, my and husband and I learned to adapt to the new lifestyle by learning to live off the land. So the most memorable meal was a result of a few ventures. First, we went fishing with the children to Black Lake and within one hour, we reached our limit of brook trout. They were all three to four pounds and were as red and fleshy as salmon. The following weekend, my husband went on another fishing trip making his way through the bush and managed to accidentally hit a few wild birds! They were grouse, tiny but full breasted light succulent treasures.
Our garden was a huge and onerous project as the soil was so lime based, but we managed to produce a variety of root, vine growing and leafy vegetables that my 22 cubic freezer was absolutely full!! The result of all of this was a truly memorable Thanksgiving meal, where we abandoned the traditional meal and replaced it with food that gave Thanksgiving a deeper and more authentic meaning of which we were truly thankful. and, oh yes, we had pumpkin and blackberry pies to sweeten and enhance this memorable moment!

[Renee Bohun]

My most memorable meal was when I booked the wine cellar at Villa du Lupa as a surprise for my husband on our anniversary.

The restaurant had just been opened and the raves were coming in. We had heard it was a fabulous place to dine, but had not been there yet. When we arrived at the restaurant my husband was so happy that I surprised him with this restaurant. But, he was a bit concerned when the hostess lead us down the narrow wooden stairs to the cellar. When she opened the door to the wine cellar we were greeted with a candle lit intimate setting for two. Surrounded by bottles of interesting wines to browse and the cool temperature could not have been more perfect, since the weather outside was very warm. The food was of course special and fabulous. The service staff were prompt and provided us with our privacy.

A most memorable meal...

Have fun in Italy

[Ben Garfinkel]

I moved from Vancouver to Toronto to go to university. One of my new friends, an Italian, lived at home and would bring the most amazing lunches. His favourite was meatball sandwiches. Yes, he lived at home and his mother did not even speak English despite her having lived in Canada for decades. Recognizing the opportunity for an authentic dining experience I dropped subtle hints of a dinner invitation for most of the duration of my four year degree. It wasn't until after I graduated and returned for convocation that both my parents and I finally received that elusive invite.

Although I'd been a bus boy in an Italian restaurant as a teenager, I wasn't prepared for true family-style Italian dining. After all this build up I was initially disappointed in the mound of pasta placed in the centre of the table. I thought, "Penne with tomato sauce? I could have done that!". To the delight of my friend's mom, I took heaping seconds of it. I did not of course realize this was only the start of what turned out to be an amazing multi-course meal that taught me about true Italian eating and what it feels like to be uncomfortably full.

[grace lee]

The most memorable part of my travels in my young and delinquent days was a lazy lunch shared among 10 friends overlooking the Adriatic Sea in Dubrovnik. The spread of food consisted of freshly grilled tender octopus and anchovies with lemon to seared lobster and very light and simple angel hair pasta. We also shared many, many carafes of the house red filled from large wooden barrels. We all reveled in splurging for dessert and with very little contemplation, we engorged ourselves with layered wafered walnut cake and hazelnut gelato. To our delight, the dessert, thanks to a gracious host, was on the house and as we gathered up to leave the terrace, I almost forgot to take in the breathtaking view of the turquoise sea. I was so consumed by the tastes and smells and of course, the wine, the surroundings came as an afterthought. I hope to return one day…hopefully soon.

[Winnie Cheung]

My most memorable meal was at the Olive Garden in Bellingham, Washington back in Sep 2005. My Dad had a stroke in May of that year which left him paralyzed on the right side and unable to speak. He finally felt better in Sep. so my Mom and I took him for a short visit to Bellingham. We dined at the Olive Garden because they just loved the bread sticks there. The meal was good but what made it the most memorable was how the Manager treated us. My Dad needed a single stall restroom as he needed my Mom's assistance. That restaurant didn't have one so the Manager immediately stood in front of the Men's Room and told my Mom to take her time to assist my Dad. When other guests came by to use the restroom, that Manager would apologize and told them to come back 5-10 minutes later. That Manager's kind gesture left my family the most memorable dining experience ever.

[Matthew Laird]

I was backpacking through Peru a few years ago, traveling with an American I met along the way. We arrived in the seaside town of Pisco and had decided a few days earlier we wanted to try the local dish, ceviche, when we arrived. We asked the hotel owner to recommend a restaurant, a sensible move when dealing with raw, marinated seafood products, and he directed us to a little family run café off the town square.

After looking at the photos in the menu, picking out the words we recognized, and communicating with the staff in a combination of broken English and Spanish we ordered marinated sea bass, steamed scallops on the half shell in butter, and spicy octopus in a creamy sauce. We had a pitcher of what we thought was pear juice to wash it down, but after a few glasses we quickly realized there was more than just pear juice in there, it went down dangerously too smoothly. The entire meal was the most delicious I’ve ever had even to this day; full of rich flavours, wonderful textures, oh so fresh, and sinfully cheap for the quality we received. It’s a meal I’ll never forget and if I’m ever in that part of the world again will most definitely seek out.

[Don Hilman]

It was New Year's (by our calendar)in Tehran during the reign of the Shah in the early 70's when the few Canadians there decided to meet with a group from the French Embassy for a New year's celebration.

The embassy connection was established by an exotic French couple whose family owned a historic Cognac prodcing company in France , Le Couer de Lion and who were serving in Iran as government liason including liasing with the Canadian contingent.

The meal was incredible , prepared by a few guys who liked to cook..French style of course. There were rich sauces ,medallions , rice , lamb but the piece de resitance were frogs legs in herbs,, butter and garlic ...in quantity.. , with champagne and Iranian caviar. Somewhere in there was the Cognac , which evaporated in the mouth before you could even swallow.

I have tried to find those delicacies over the past years in French restaurants but it never compares..to l'experience exotique.

[Susan Taylor]

My partner and I enjoy eating well and trying new foods and we splurge occasinally on a meal in a highly rated restaurant.
For a BIG birthday last month I took my partner to Alice Waters' Chez Panisse. We believe in her phiosophy -locally grown, "food with a face", in season and Gourmet magazine has rated Chez Panisse among the best in America in recent years. The meal was very good and we were glad to have paid hommage to the great Alice.

The following weekend we were back home on Pender Island and had dinner at our favourite restaurant -Pistou Grill, owned by chef Pierre Delacote. The meal was superb as it unfailingly is.
The seasonal curried fruit soup, followed by fork tender lamb shank with a sauce perfumed with lemon and herbs, local vegetables, and a lavender creme brule for dessert left us, as always, anticipating the next time. We truly have had the most memorable meals on our own little island at the Pistou Grill.

[Daphne Spencer]

BAJAN BREADFRUIT ON THE BEACH

A wonderful family vacation in Barbados during Spring Break, 2006 concluded with an impromtu repas on the beach in front of the small inn where we were staying. Several young, typically friendly, Bajan fisherman who had befriended our family during our stay prepared hot breadfruit which was offered to us as we emerged from our "last swim of the holiday". Wanting to contribute to the event, we raided our refrigerator. There was not much left after the holiday except for a dish of roasted garlic heads and a bottle of hot sauce!
The breadfruit,cooked on coals on an outdoor fire on the beach were cracked open and pieces were passed to all. Warm, comforting and very tasty1 We passed around the roasted garlic, which was initially viewed rather suspiciously by our hosts! The new experience of hot breadfruit for the Spencer family and roasted garlic for our Bajan friends,was confirmation, once again, how friendship and food go hand in hand.