ten on tuesday: 10 of the best meals you've had

1) First, the blanket statements:

• My mom is a really good cook.
• I L-O-V-E church potlucks.
• I always looked forward to June's Meatloaf Tuesdays at the Wooden Indian (now the politically correct, and boring, "Union Grille") when I was in college at the University of Evansville.
• I always loved chicken finger, mashed potato, and green bean nights when I was on Summer Staff at Camp Loucon.
• I cannot go to Baja Fresh and not order the Baja fish tacos.
• I can't recall ever having a bad meal at Cracker Barrel.

2) French onion soup, bread, fruit, and cheese at the Sixpence Pub in Savannah, GA

3) Sushi at some restaurant in Greenwich Village, somewhere near Bleecker St., that I cannot think of the name of. It was some of the best sushi I've ever ever had.

4) For my 24th (or 23rd?) birthday my cousin, David, took me to dinner at F. Scott's. I remember the food being really good. I remember the chocolate cake we had for dessert being even better. Some of David's friends were at another table. When they learned it we were celebrating my birthday they sent a bottle of champagne over to our table...just like in the movies.

5) Several really great meals at Cafe Milano in downtown Nashville. When my cousin, Eric, and I first moved to Nashville we spent a lot of time seeing shows there (Over the Rhine, Sixpence None the Richer, Caedmon's Call, Jonatha Brooke, Patty Griffin, The Bacon Brothers, many more...) and we enjoyed some really great meals, too.

6) Chicken Kiev at the Red Geranium in New Harmony, IN.

7) My papaw's first cousin, Edna, invited me to her house when I was in college. She made me a red velvet cake - from scratch. And I was her only guest! What a hostess she was. She drove me all over Booneville, IN and pointed out all the family landmarks. I am very grateful for that weekend that I spent with her.

8) Lots of great (birthday) dinners with Johnny G. ...at PF Chang's (Great Wall of Chocolate!) and most recently at Taj Mahal last Saturday.

9) Lemon Chicken at the Golden Buddha with my college friends. (PEEK-ing duck?)

10) I miss the meals my grandfather used to fix when we'd visit my grandparents. Three BIG delicious meals a day with veg tables from his garden (homegrown tomatoes, green beans we would string and corn we would shuck ourselves), beef or pork from a hog or cow he'd buy (already butchered) from a local farmer and would store in his freezer in the garage), and some of the best biscuits you could ever have. Sure he cooked with lard and would put a whole stick of butter in the mashed potatoes. But he lived to be 96.

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