We've all had meals that are so good, so tantalizing to our taste buds that we'll never forget them. And try as we might to reproduce those meals in our own kitchen, it just isn't the same. In honor of those happy moments, here are my Top 5 Food Memories -
1. Bi Bim Bap @ the University Cafe in Ann Arbor, MI
For years, I listened to my mom complain about my dad's undying devotion to Kimchi, without giving it much thought. I didn't even wonder what Kimchi was, let alone what it tasted like until Clay took me to lunch at the University Cafe. Now, Bi Bim Bap is typical Korean fare from what I understand, but everyone puts their own little spin on it. My own veggie version is shown in the picture above. The dish mingles an amazing mix of sweet and salty, cool and spicy, chewy and crunchy. It is my all time favorite dish to eat (preferably with Clay)....which is saying something.
2. Hot Garlic Noodles @ the Hotel Supreme's Rooftop Restaurant in Madurai, India
I traveled to India during May term of my sophomore year of college and it's been changing my life ever since. And while I have a lot of food memories from India (like scarfing down a large cheese pizza in Bombay with Lindsay-lou), I just can't get over the Hot Garlic Noodles from Hotel Supreme. These noodles show up in my dreams. They are spicy and garlicky and amazing. I've searched and searched for a recipe that recalls even a fraction of the taste of this dish, but I cannot find anything even remotely close. If any fellow India travelers out there know what I'm talking about and can hook me up with something similar, I would be in their debt.
3. The Breakfast Burrito @ the Sunspot in Knoxville, TN
I may have some unsettled issues with Knoxville, TN - but food is not one of them. Some of my favorite food memories happened in that crazy town we called home for two short years. The Sunspot's brunch menu ranks at the top of those memories. It changes every Sunday so you'll always find some new twist on brunch waiting for you when you sit down. They always have some version of a breakfast burrito. No matter what concoction they put in the burrito, they always serve cheddar grits on the side. Chalk one up for the South because cheese grits for breakfast is where it's at.
4. The Leggs Inn in Cross Village, MI
Do you find it confusing that I didn't choose a specific dish at this restaurant? Well, if you have ever been to the Leggs Inn, you realize that there is no possible way to choose a favorite dish because they are all amazing. Besides the food, the restaurant is set high on a hill above Lake Michigan and you can dine outside, overlooking the water. It's nothing short of breathtaking. Amazing food, amazing view, and amazing company (both time I was with my happy little family & my parents)....what more can a girl ask for?
5. Spinach & Mushroom Etouffee @ Yats in Indianapolis, IN
I can't remember exactly when my in-laws, Doug and Karen, sent us to this little dive in Indy (certainly back before it had 4 locations). However, I do know that it is precisely the moment I fell in love with Cajun-Creole food. Ever since I have been cooking up my own versions of Etouffee, Jambalaya, Gumbo, and Beans and Rice - much to the dismay of my children and the blissful happiness of my husband. In fact, Etouffee is on the menu this week. Mmmm....
1. Bi Bim Bap @ the University Cafe in Ann Arbor, MI
For years, I listened to my mom complain about my dad's undying devotion to Kimchi, without giving it much thought. I didn't even wonder what Kimchi was, let alone what it tasted like until Clay took me to lunch at the University Cafe. Now, Bi Bim Bap is typical Korean fare from what I understand, but everyone puts their own little spin on it. My own veggie version is shown in the picture above. The dish mingles an amazing mix of sweet and salty, cool and spicy, chewy and crunchy. It is my all time favorite dish to eat (preferably with Clay)....which is saying something.
2. Hot Garlic Noodles @ the Hotel Supreme's Rooftop Restaurant in Madurai, India
I traveled to India during May term of my sophomore year of college and it's been changing my life ever since. And while I have a lot of food memories from India (like scarfing down a large cheese pizza in Bombay with Lindsay-lou), I just can't get over the Hot Garlic Noodles from Hotel Supreme. These noodles show up in my dreams. They are spicy and garlicky and amazing. I've searched and searched for a recipe that recalls even a fraction of the taste of this dish, but I cannot find anything even remotely close. If any fellow India travelers out there know what I'm talking about and can hook me up with something similar, I would be in their debt.
3. The Breakfast Burrito @ the Sunspot in Knoxville, TN
I may have some unsettled issues with Knoxville, TN - but food is not one of them. Some of my favorite food memories happened in that crazy town we called home for two short years. The Sunspot's brunch menu ranks at the top of those memories. It changes every Sunday so you'll always find some new twist on brunch waiting for you when you sit down. They always have some version of a breakfast burrito. No matter what concoction they put in the burrito, they always serve cheddar grits on the side. Chalk one up for the South because cheese grits for breakfast is where it's at.
4. The Leggs Inn in Cross Village, MI
Do you find it confusing that I didn't choose a specific dish at this restaurant? Well, if you have ever been to the Leggs Inn, you realize that there is no possible way to choose a favorite dish because they are all amazing. Besides the food, the restaurant is set high on a hill above Lake Michigan and you can dine outside, overlooking the water. It's nothing short of breathtaking. Amazing food, amazing view, and amazing company (both time I was with my happy little family & my parents)....what more can a girl ask for?
5. Spinach & Mushroom Etouffee @ Yats in Indianapolis, IN
I can't remember exactly when my in-laws, Doug and Karen, sent us to this little dive in Indy (certainly back before it had 4 locations). However, I do know that it is precisely the moment I fell in love with Cajun-Creole food. Ever since I have been cooking up my own versions of Etouffee, Jambalaya, Gumbo, and Beans and Rice - much to the dismay of my children and the blissful happiness of my husband. In fact, Etouffee is on the menu this week. Mmmm....
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