Most Memorable Meal

A memorable meal takes more then just ridiculously good food.  The atmosphere has to be uplifting, the crowd has to be littered with smiles, and most importantly, the person(s) sitting with you at the table has to be someone you’re truly interested in talking to.

I can’t tell you the name of the restaurant where my most memorable meal happened.  It was in the up-and-coming Fillmore district in San Francisco.  I picked up my date at around 7 and she looked great.  We didn’t have an exact restaurant in mind, just a general area.  We found parking right away and began our search for what would be my most memorable meal ever.

After hearing “45 minute wait” about five times, we found a cajun style restaurant that gave us the same shpiel, but added that we have an option to be seated right away outdoors.  Despite the 45 degree weather, this idea sounded great.  With a heat lamp over our table, it felt like we were dining in the tropics.  Finally…my grandmother (Oma) of 91 years and I began our dinner.

I ordered the cajun chicken with chipotle mashed potatoes, and Oma ordered a soup and salad.  Once the food came out I almost felt rude at how little attention I was paying Oma.  I was mesmerized by the spicy and sweet taste of my chicken and the similar taste of the mashed potatoes.  I’m trying not to drool on my computer as I write this but it’s challenging.  Unfortunately, I did not get much time to admire the food as it was gone in no longer than ten minutes.  After I finished eating, Oma and I shared great conversation.  I listened to her stories about growing up in Germany, London, and Israel which capped an incredible night.  Seeing my grandmother glow with happiness paired with incredible food puts this meal above all others.