The most memorable meals don't have to be Michelin-starred dining experiences, and I like to be reminded of that every now and again when I travel. Having said that, we've enjoyed some long leisurely lunches in fine dining restaurants where every dish is so divine it's inspiring, where every mouthful of food is something to be savoured, where the food is matched so well with the wine it's a revelation, where the decor perfectly complements the style of cuisine, and where the service is so good, so intuitive and efficient yet warm and friendly, that you leave the restaurant as if you're leaving a friends, and you're already planning your return. I love those occasions but they're all too rare these days unfortunately. And sometimes we just want a simple meal. But when those deceptively simple dishes - like this deliciously fresh Greek salad smothered in virgin olive oil which we enjoyed yesterday in Chania, Crete - please us as much as a seven course gastronomic tasting menu, you wonder why eating has to be complicated. And why we don't appreciate the simple things in life more? Because sometimes the simplest meals are the most memorable. Don't you think?
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Memorable meals
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3 comments:
It takes me to my visits to Zachinthos to see my sister who has a hotel there with her Greek husband. It's Greek salad with everything, but when we go up the hill to her house to have the authentic lunch cooked by her mother in law, smothered in their own olive oil, rosmary and garlic from the garden, then that's another thing again.
And what about the cute grandmas you see in fields by the side of the road collecting herbs and greens for salad? Makes us want to go to their place for lunch instead of a restaurant!
Yum! I'd wish a Greek, Cypriot or Turkish grandma would invite me to dinner right now!
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