My most memorable TRAVEL meals

It's a bit off topic, but it's my food blog, so I can do that if I want. Prompted by a Facebook post by a friend of mine, and in honor of Anthony Bourdain, here are my most memorable travel meals. The best meals I've had are at the end of the list, but the rest of the list is in no particular order:

The snack that smiles back

Todd English Olives at Bellagio, August 2009: My wife had a softshell crab sandwich, and didn't expect it to be a still-assembled deep fried crab on a toasted roll. It was one of several meals she had that trip that stared back at her.

Pietro's Pizza, Hood River, OR, 2015: Nostalgia for the Pietro's I grew up with, which I hadn't had in nearly 30 years.

Din Tai Fung, Bellevue, WA: The first few visits were outstanding. Their xiao long bao is still the best Asian food anywhere, but the rest of the menu has gone from "great" to merely "pretty good" my last few times.

Spaghetti dinner, Boy Scout Camp Hahobas, Tahuya, Washington, June 1990: Before camp started, stress and tensions were high among staff. This mediocre meal became the biggest food fight I've ever seen, with a dozen staff in full scout uniforms flinging pasta coated in tomato sauce across the room at each other, with tables upended to serve as fortification of positions. "Come on guys. We don't need a food fight." "Did someone say... FOOD FIGHT?!!".

Bella's

Bella's Espresso House, Wells, NV, and Pink Pony at Circus Circus, Las Vegas, June 27, 2005: These two meals bookended a day of driving the most remote section of US-93 through the Nevada desert, arriving at my first visit to Vegas. Bella's Espresso served decent breakfast food in the morning, completely hiding the fact that it's also a brothel next door. The Pink Pony diner at Circus Circus was my first meal in Vegas, so I've gotta point that one out.

Sonic, Winslow AZ, June 30, 2005: After years of seeing ads but not having a Sonic in the neighborhood, we stopped here for lunch after a long morning drive and standing on the corner. It was as good as I'd hoped.

And my best meals?

#6: EAT Las Vegas, almost every non-solo Vegas trip: Some of the best breakfast food on the planet. Nothing unusual, just perfect execution of the basics.

#5 A bit of a cheat, but the entire Cosmopolitan Las Vegas, every Vegas trip: China Poblano has amazing Mexican/Chinese fusion (don't tell Chef Andrés I said that). Chandlier has amazing drinks. Estiatorio Milos has really good Mediterranean seafood. Secret Pizza has well above average slices.

Red snapper!

#4 Monsieur Paul, Disneyworld July 2015: Thin sliced potatoes on red snapper were not only amazingly plated to look like fish scales, but tasty enough to make this one of the best meals ever.

#3 Worthington Hotel, Fort Worth May 1998: Bacon wrapped filet mignon, served in a hotel conference room of all places. Fort Worth knows its beef. This place did it right, so tender, with pure gristle free bacon that managed to not be floppy yet not be crispy, either. Magical.

#2 MIX at THEhotel, February 2012: Pressed chicken between two layers of fois gras with wild mushroom pumpkin/potato gnocchi, followed by pepper crusted filet mignon so good that a tear literally came to my eye when I ate the last bite and realized there was none left.

#1 Victoria and Albert's, Disney World July 2015: One of the only five diamond restaurants I've experienced: perfect salmon, delicious quail with poached egg, great wines paired with each course, capped by tableside-percolated coffee, with service that is unmatched. My only regret was that my daughter was a year too young to enjoy the wine with us.

What are yours?