My personal top 10 favorite restaurant experiences of the last 5 years:
(Written in 2009)
 
 1. Sidney, British Colombia, Canada Deep Cove Chalet – Simply the best dining experience visit after visit, year after glorious year. Chef and owner Pierre, born Alsatian but ensconced in this small town just a short drive north of Victoria on British Colombia’s Vancouver Island, serves us magnificent French cuisine delightfully blended with the natural province of the Pacific Northwest. The wine cellar is great. The truffle soup is simply spectacular. His wife Bev is the perfect hostess and the setting of a beautiful garden directly in front of a major water way leaves you hoping they will adopt you. http://www.deepcovechalet.com/
 
2. St. Louis, Missouri Al’s Restaurant – Al Barone opened what I believe to be the best Steakhouse I have ever enjoyed. Not only is the quality of the food spectacular, the service is simply the best I have ever experienced anywhere. When I die I can only hope that Heaven’s waiters were all trained by Mert, the ultimate server on the planet.
 
3. Puerto Vallarta, Mexico Café des Artiste – Thierry Blouet is a passionate master of the table. European cuisine created in a superb manner with Mexican ingredients served in the secluded garden provides a special romance that I always enjoy. Thierry promotes the Festival Gourmet in PV every year, drawing visitors from all over the world. I go to PV just to eat there and at his other wonderful establishments. http://www.cafedesartistes.com/
 
4. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania The Imperial Palace – My favorite Chinese restaurant is a Philadelphia Chinatown landmark. While the service is just OK, the dishes are perfect and whenever we are within driving distance we make the trip.
 
5. Las Vegas, Nevada Mimmo Ferraro’s – My favorite wine list – so much so that I have them leave it on the table so I can dream. The location is not attached to any casino, which is something else I appreciate, and the environment is so welcoming that whenever my team heads there we will be ensconced for hours. Their Osso Buco is my favorite anywhere and you have to appreciate every side dish as the kitchen puts as much love in to them as their specialties. http://www.ferraroslasvegas.com/
 
6. Victoria, British Colombia, Canada Millos – How about the best hummus I have ever had. I love gemista (stuffed green peppers and tomatoes with lamb and rice blended gently with a reduced spicy red sauce – I have a special place in my heart for more traditional meals) sided with lemon potatoes and finished with a sublime baklava and Turkish coffee. The perfect lunch and I spend most afternoons testing the theory whenever I am in town.
 
7. Houston, Texas Sorrento’s – Where to begin? The chef is great. Remarkably personable and inviting, you don’t order – he presents. I will eat anything he feels like making. His buffalo mozzarella tastes as rich as butter, his simple dishes as stunning as his most complicated ones. The experience was so terrific that I dined there three times in five days on my last trip to Houston. http://www.sorrentohouston.com/
 
8. Montreal, Quebec Version Laurent Godbout – A warm, inviting environment with truly terrific service. The Iberian and Mediterranean Coastal regions influenced cuisine is a delight and while it is very pricey, it remains one of my “must go to’s” whenever I visit my favorite city in North America. http://www.version-restaurant.com/
 
9. Springfield, Massachusetts The Student Prince – Ok, so I admit it, I love German cuisine when it is prepared very well (my personal opinion is that there are only two types of German ethnic eating establishments – great or horrible) and the strudel at the Student Prince is enough of a reason to go there all by itself. The bar is wonderful (it even made Gourmet magazines “21 Legendary Restaurants You Must Visit) and the atmosphere is just right – its stein collection belongs in a museum. The Scherff family has been operating the restaurant since the 1940’s and the love shows in its menu and its service. While I have not been there for a few years, I always think of it when I grow nostalgic for the family dinners we had there whenever we visited the relatives. http://www.studentprince.com/
 
10. Tulsa, Oklahoma The Chalkboard Restaurant – Having never thought of Tulsa – much less anywhere in Oklahoma – as a dining destination, I was very surprised by the number of fine restaurants and cafes we ran into last year. The Chalkboard at the Ambassador was my favorite. Hotel dining leaves me cold, typically, but this place is just too good. Oysters in Oklahoma? Who would have thought it. They approached divine served with an excellent au poirve mustard and Gruyere mustard sauce. The Ratatouille was a big surprise, too. I went back just to see if we had been there on a particularly good night and was pleased to be presented with another exceptional meal. http://www.thechalkboard-tulsa.com/
 
- Jade