F O O D

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If there is one thing I love as much as sport it is FOOD! My extraordinary large appetite has taken me on many adventures over the years & combining that with my travels I have experienced some of the best local delicacies & pig out spots around the world! Even to go on my own Bob vs Food tour back in 2013 throughout Boston, LA, New Jersey, New York & Washington DC following in the footsteps of Adam Richman’s original Man vs Food TV series adventures!

Below is a list of photos & descriptions of my interpretations of the best meals I have had around the world so far ranked from 1-15! Obviously this is a very personal & subjective list & my choices may change depending on my appetite & cravings at the time of revisiting this list!! In saying that I think my favourite go to meal that I believe to be very unique will rarely leave the number 1 spot…

T O P 1 5 M E A L S

1. KATZ’S DELI

Katz’s Deli is not only a New York City historical landmark & tourist attraction, it’s a foodies institution! Topping my list is their world famous Pastrami on Rye! Layered & stacked high with thick cut brined, smoked, cooked, carved pastrami placed delicately on rye bread & smothered with mustard is as mouth watering writing about it as it is getting to that first bite! The satisfaction of finishing it & craving another one knowing you will be full for the next 12 hours is a sense of satisfaction & achievement only those game enough get to enjoy! I have been known to resist a second sandwich by substituting a side of Katz’s home made steak cut fries which is a meal in itself! No trip to NYC is complete without a Katz’s visit, if you can withstand the lines or you have the local knowledge how to achieve the above without queuing!

2. WOLFGANG’S STEAKHOUSE

Wolfgang’s Porterhouse For Two is a melt in your mouth steak that is incomparable to any run of the mill steak you cook on the barbie or any other steak come to think of it! Every piece of the perfectly cooked meltingly tender USDA Prime Black Angus beef is served sizzling hot with a caramelised crust from the buttery juices & fat! Wolfgang’s Porterhouse for 2 was my go for a special steak dinner ever since I moved to New York & I was introduced to it in a group dining experience in 2017. From then on I never required a group to order it & no piece was left behind! Gnawing on the bone was an additional treat ensuring the meal was completed! Included in this meal was always a side of creamed spinach which only added to the flavours of the steak & more times than most a starter of thick cut bacon just to tease the senses before the main course! Now it would be remiss to not mention that Wolfgang learnt his craft at Peter Luger’s Steak House before opening his own restaurant & that Peter Luger may feature further down this list…

3. MANÉ

I have been going to Mané in Mazatlán, Mexico since it first opened in 2022 for the fantastic breakfast menu & another dish destined for this list! Once established Mané understandably morphed into an all day restaurant due to the quality of menu items created & prepared by Chef Napoleon which drew me to the lasagne! The first night I tasted this lasagne I was blown away by the taste & flavours but also how perfectly constructed it was with the layers of lasagne holding their place between the meat & sauces like a building! So good was it, I was back the next night for another serving! This lasagne has a special taste & flavour that comes from the turmeric-cardamom sauce it sits in & you definitely ensure there isn’t a drop left at the completion of this meal! This is a picture of my last meal in Mazatlán, a personally requested double stacked Mané lasagne that I had the pleasure of being allowed into the kitchen to watch it be prepared & then devour… 10/10!!

4. OCEAN GROVE PIZZA & PASTA

I love my pizzas & whilst everyone has their own preference of style & ingredients I find it hard, with my appetite, to go past one with the lot! In saying that, I give you the Ocean Grove Special, tomato, cheese, ham, hot salami, mushroom, capsicum, olives & I have the anchovies removed & replaced by an egg! Now this may not be one with the lot but the taste of the fresh coastal produced dough & tomato sauce mixed with the slightly under cooked egg give this pizza a taste & texture that makes it deliciously unique in my time & travels as a pizza connoisseur! I have been known to do the 3 hour round trip from Melbourne to OG just for a large Ocean Grove Special!

5. PETER LUGER

This meal from Peter Luger in Cesars Palace Las Vegas was a day & story I won’t forget anytime soon! It actually started the night before when I went to the restaurant on my own with the intention of having a porterhouse for 2. As there were no tables or bookings available I was prepared to eat at the bar. Even though it was dinner time I wanted to make sure I could order & receive the porterhouse for 2 as a single person so spoke to the manager & confirmed this & that I would pay for 2 people. I also asked if I came back the next day for the prefix 3 course lunch would I still receive a porterhouse for 2 if I upgrade from a single steak. The prefix menu included an appetiser, main, side & dessert for US$45.95, the single steak supplement was an additional US$40. I was prepared to pay lots more for what I was going to order from the dinner menu! So was happy just to be paying for 2 prefix lunches with 2 supplemental steaks for my porterhouse for 2! In the end the manager left a note to just charge for 1 person & 1 supplemental steak whilst I chowed down on the full 3 course meal (thick cut bacon, porterhouse for 2, creamed spinach & hot fudge sundae!) much to my satisfaction & bank account! A meal for the ages!!

6. GIORDANO’S

Giordano’s is Chicago’s famous & in my & most others opinion the best deep dish pizza in Chicago/USA! From the first time I tried it in 2017 I was hooked & even though I gave Lou Malnati’s a go I kept going back to Giordano’s! As with my love for a pizza with the lot I order myself the Giordano’s Special with sausage, mushrooms, green peppers, onions & add olives to the top! It’s hard to describe how to eat this pizza as its unbelievably cheesy but it doesn’t make you feel sick & is complimented by the buttery, crusty base with the sausage meat, onions & green peppers as a perfect mix almost taking me back to the days of all you can eat Pizza Hut flavours but so much better & unique! Thankfully I found Giordano’s in Detroit & Las Vegas as well as Chicago for my fix over many business & pleasure trips!

7. LOS RACKS BBQ

The best brisket I have ever tasted! Some of you may not believe that statement due to the fact that Los Racks BBQ is based in Mazatlán, Mexico but I stand by it even after eating BBQ throughout Texas! Juan, the owner has perfected the process & timing required to produce the most tender & succulent brisket that can go with anything as you can see by this Quesabrisket quesadilla! Once a month whilst staying in Mazatlán I would give myself the meat sweats going to town on a BBQ platter from Los Racks BBQ & it was worth it every time!

8. BELLA NAPOLI

This spaghetti frutti di mare from Bella Napoli in La Spezia, Italy was amazing! If it wasn’t for the 1 night stop over whilst I ventured through the Cinque Terre, there is a fair chance I would have eaten this dish numerous times over night after night! I can’t narrow down whether it was the portion of seafood, freshness, taste or price that knocked my socks off but when you combine all that together it makes for a very memorable & worthy contender on this list especially as its a meal I only had once! It must also be mentioned that I had a Diavola pizza prior to the frutti di mare arriving hence not ordering a second plate!

9. MANÉ

For it’s second meal on my list, Mané’s eggs benedict with millionaires bacon was my go to breakfast treat to myself! They are the softest & fluffiest muffins that perfectly soak in the egg yokes & hollandaise sauce ensuring every mouthfull is packed with flavour. If that wasn’t enough (never is for me!) the millionaires bacon could be a meal on it’s own, rich with sweet & spice that hits you at the end even though you never want to finish it! By far the best eggs benedict I have ever eaten (many times over)!

10. THE LOBSTER ROLL – LUNCH

The Lobster Roll Restaurant became affectionately known as “Lunch” (although it serves lunch and dinner) because locals and travellers associated the iconic lunch sign with the restaurant! I ventured up to “Lunch” on a couple of occasions while living in NYC on day trips to Montauk for a few beers here & there that sometimes turned into overnight trips! Yet a good beer session proceeded after I filled up on lobster! As you can see I usually order up & this meal was no exception with a steamed 1 ½ pound lobster & lobster roll – 100% pure, cold water lobster meat mixed with proprietary mayonnaise dressing and celery. Served cold on a hot, toasted split-top bun with a side of coleslaw.

11. THE BIRMINGHAM HOTEL

Finally a parma has made the list! I am in agreement with Parmadaze that the Birmingham’s parma is the best parma going around! Whilst it is number 1 on their list it sneaks in a bit late probably due to my lack of time spent at the Birmingham! “The chicken breast was plump, thick and unfathomably juicy. Pure white and cooked to perfection. When it comes to foundations for a quality parma this is how you do it. Lets start with the ham – Straddling the line between sliced and shredded, it was in absolute abundance and carried a brilliant smokiness that permeated the dish and complimented the chicken perfectly. The napoli was fresh and light – Making its presence known without overpowering the other elements. The cheese was applied super liberally, there wasn’t a single scrap of schnitzel nudity – Melted to golden brown perfection.” I remember the days when I was paying $10 for this on parma night – unfathomable these days!!

12. Lauren’s Roast Dinners

In 2017 when I moved to New York I had a visa application situation that effectively led me out of the USA for over a month & due to the uncertainty of time required outside the States I deemed England the closest place I could survive financially by calling on great friends Cameron & Lauren to accommodate me that September! I had a great & memorable time staying with the family in Tavistock, Devon & it was Loz’s Sunday roast dinner that were one, well actually four of the many highlights of that month! Each weekend Loz prepared a traditional English roast of pork, lamb, chicken & beef respectively with all the trimmings as they say right down to the delicious Yorkshire pudding! Tavistock is a beautiful part of the world & somewhere I could easily reside these days & not go without from the local delicacies, I haven’t listed Cornish pasties & local kebabs yet that also kept me well fed in Tavi!!

13. L&B SPUMONI GARDENS

Another pizza! This is not just another pizza though, this is pizza simplicity at its finest! L&B Spumoni pizza is another New York City institution even though it is buried down in Gravesend, Brooklyn! I made my first trip to L&B Spumoni in 2013 after seeing it featured on Man vs Food & it was certainly worth the effort to make it all the way to Gravesend! The Sicilian pie — referred to as “sheets” — are rectangular in shape and divided into 12 square slices. The crust is thick, and the cheese is layered underneath the vibrant, sweet & uniquely flavoursome tomato sauce that makes this pizza what it is! Putting the cheese underneath the tomato sauce, sometimes called the upside down Sicilian style, is intended to keep the crust from getting soggy but with a slightly under cooked dough it soaks up the sauce all whilst in your mouth & completing that overall eventful & fulfilling experience of attending L&B Spumoni Gardens! Of course I had to add my own stamp by adding mushrooms & to do so I had to order a whole pie!

14. BOUDIN

Boudin’s world-famous New England-style clam chowder served in a sourdough bread bowl makes a trip to San Francisco’s Fisherman’s Wharf all the worthwhile whether its Winter or Summer! I don’t think I have ever been to the bay area & not had a Boudin’s clam chowder bowl! I do recall one very quick visit where they only had the smaller bowl available & I had to get a pizza on the side which was quite a satisfying combination! It’s also a rarity that I would leave the deliciously crusted tangy sourdough bowl in tact either, finishing it off with my claws!!

15. VICTOR CHURCHILL

Sneaking in at 15 on the list is my latest great steak dining experience from Victor Churchill in Melbourne. This was a birthday treat to myself & whilst expensive it lived up to the hype & anticipation leading up to the big night! Chasing a steak experience that looked close to a Wolfgang’s or Peter Luger is not easy considering the import/export market for beef & many other farming factors but I am happy to say this 1kg Rangers Valley (NSW) 270 day grain fed Bistecca was close enough in tenderness & flavour to eat the full plate amongst sides & a couple of entrees prior! I may not have the finances to be a regular at Victor Churchill but it left enough of an impression to want to go back for seconds!