Great Meals

I tend to prefer mildly spicy food with complex combinations of tastes.  Southwest, Mexican, Indian, Thai, Fusion, Californian, and especially Pacific Rim.  I can enjoy classic French and Vietnamese, but the subtlety is sometimes lost on me.

First Place:

• A Pacific Cafe, Kauai. HA.  Everything was excellent, but the pan-seared mahi-mahi with garlic and sesame was unbelievably good when owner/chef Jean-Marie Josselin was on-site.  The meal was merely excellent when he was minding one of his other establishments.

Tied for Second:

• Fresh caught Mountain Trout cooked over an open fire after a ten mile hike up the Big Horn mountains.
• Hole in the wall Uyghur restaurant in Urumqui, China.  We asked if the "chicken dish" was still on the menu.  The owner walked out the door.  Five minutes later he returned carrying a freshly slain chicken by it's claws.  He said "Yes, I can make that for you." 30 minutes later I had the best chicken dish in my life.

Tied for Third

• Canoe House, Big Island, Hawaii.  Fish in an incredible sauce.
• Terras, St Helena, CA.  French meets Pacific Rim.
• Pacific's Edge, Carmel, CA.  Continental Cuisine. Somewhat uneven.  One visit was amazingly excellent, but other times the food was merely good.

Honorable Mention

California:

• Bistro Jeanty, Yountville, CA.  Tasty French food at a reasonable price.
• Trav Vigne, Saint Helena, CA. Very good Italian food at a reasonable price.
• Jake's on the Lake, Lake Tahoe, CA.  Part of a chain based in Hawaii. Pacific Rim like.. but the fish isn't as fresh as in Hawaii.
• Tahoe House, Lake Tahoe, CA.  Great bakery.
• Bella Vista, Skyline Drive, CA Continental
• Zibibbo, Palo Alto, CA. Seattle cuisine. Can be uneven... but generally quite good
• Strait's Cafe, Palo Alto/SF, CA. California influenced Singaporean. Years ago I used to go to the SF branch which was tastier and more authentic.
• Spago's, Palo Alto, CA, Californian. Tasty, but over-rated.
• Oswald's, Santa Cruz, CA.  Simple French country cuisine, superior  ingredients well prepared.
• Roy's at Pebble Beach, CA, Pacific Rim (Roy's in Hawaii much better, Try Flying Fish in Carmel)
• Montrio, Monterey, CA, Mediterranean / California. Ok, but over rated. Go to Stokes instead
• Tarpy's Road House, Monterey, CA, Modern American
• Stokes (Adobe), Monterey, CA.  Mediterranean / Californian.  Consistently good.
• Flying Fish, Carmel, CA  French meets Thai.
• Rio Grill, Carmel, CA.  Southwest Grill
• L'Orangerie, Los Angeles, CA.  Classic French.
• Jovanna's. Palm Desert, CA: Chef owned and run bistro.  Good food.  Friendly atmosphere which is a relief from the general snootiness of Palm Springs / Desert higher end eateries. You should try the fun crispy spinach appetizer.
• Haleiwa Joe's, Palm Springs, CA: Best Hawaiian fish I have had outside Hawaii (including the California branches of Roy's)
• Kaiser Grille, Palm Springs, CA:

Hawaii: