Some of my favorite dishes ever

If you read the Pittsburgh post you know that I had an epiphany about naming some of my all-time favorite dishes. I kind of borrowed this idea from my new favorite show, "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on Food Network. I'm sure I'll post a few of these as my memory gets jogged some more, but here we go. Note: These dishes are not to be missed if you are anywhere conceivably near the location and do not have to break more than two laws to get there.

Prime Rib at The Feedlot (Shepherd, Montana)

Shepherd is what you would imagine a small Montana town to be like. I think the cows outnumber the people...and it's not even close. I found this place when I was in college in Billings. A teammate of mine told me it was worth the 20-minute drive east of town so I took the plunge. This place looks like a big cabin in the middle of nowhere. I have eaten many a Prime in my day, but I have never had anything like this. Cooked to my exact specification of medium rare by the cook, this piece of meat melts in your mouth. I could only describe the texture as "butterlike". I don't think I even used a knife! This is one of those meals where your internal dialogue is at odds with itself because you can't decide whether to shove it in as fast as you can because you can't stand a moment without the succulent beef on your mouth, or savor each bite longinly because you never want the experience to end. I suggest the latter if you can summon the willpower. Quite simply, perfect prime. Oh, and as a bonus, the French Onion soup is darn good to boot.

Pumpkin Curry at Thai Tom Yum Kung (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)

See Pittsburgh write-up below for details

Flatbread at Cafe Trio (Salt Lake City, UT)

So good, we had our rehearsal dinner there! Trio is kind of a cool, hip place. It is casual Italian with a twist (or ten). The menu is very good, as is the wine list, but there can be some pitfalls along the way. And they have an outstanding Flourless Chocolate Cake that almost made this list.

But...we're here to talk flatbread. Trio's comes prepared in long strips that are simultaneously firm and soft. Perfectly cooked and thin, it can stand on its own with its buttery, light, olive flavor with a little crunch of sea salt. However, it would be a shame not to load it down with one of the three friends that accompany it. We'll go worst to best here. The White Bean Puree is nice and smooth. Kind of a subtle flavor. I've actually has better at Tin Roof Grill, but nothing wrong with this one. Next is the Basil Pesto. Basil is one of my favorite herbs and it is splendid in pesto on flatbread at Trio. So much flavor you might slap the person across from you! The star, though, is the olive tapenade. This is a dish that is easy to screw up, and I find that the tapenade at most places is a little too tart and overwhelming for my taste. Not this. It is so blissfully balanced that patrons can be witnessed skipping the flatbread entirely and eating it with a spoon (not that my lovely wife would know anything about that kind of behavior...)

The perfect starter to what is usually a quality meal.

Fajitas at Pappasito's Cantina (Houston, Texas)

Pappasito's is actually a Texas chain, so you can find one in most of the big cities. I'm going to do a review of Houston in the near future so I will keep this one brief. Just get the damn fajitas! They melt in your mouth. Get the combo (chicken and beef) and enjoy the ride. I could eat these every day.

I have some more ideas but I'm not going to turn this post into a novel, so we'll end it with dessert.

Chocolate Bag at Jake's Famous Crawfish (Portland, Oregon)

Jake's is a very good seafood restaurant in Portland and is part of the McCormick and Schmick's family of restaurants. By all means, go for the entrees and you probably won't be disappointed. Just save some room for dessert! The chocolate bag is, well, a bag made of chocolate. Sinfully good chocolate, nice and thin but strong enough to hold a treasure trove of goodies. Said goodies include creamy White Chocolate Mousse, Fresh Berries (raspberries, blueberries, and plump Columbia River blackberries), topped with fresh whipped cream and drizzled with a raspberry coulis. This is heaven. It is decadent. It is the perfect way to end a meal, and thus the perfect way to end this posting.

psst...I didn't think words could do this one justice, so check out the pic at the top of the post and wear a bib to catch all the drool