I think I may have said this somewhere on this forum in the past, but I'll reiterate. The best meal I ever ate is one I can't remember! My work takes me all over the country, and I have taken clients out to fancy restaurants in all kinds of cities, big and small. I've eaten at fantabulous mom-and-pop restaurants, holes-in-the-wall, and food trucks (including the back of "the conch man's" pickup truck in the Caribbean.) I've eaten just-caught shrimp and crab right on the bay, a variety of excellent meals fresh off a campfire, etc., etc. So why can't I remember THE best meal I ever ate? Because, to me, the BEST meal is only partially about the food. It's as much, and possibly even more, about the company you enjoy while eating. So while I've had any number of meals that were truly excellent, all I really remember about the food itself is just that - that it was excellent. I am more inclined to remember more specifically who the meal was with and what was going on that made it such a memorable time - one that had me leaving with a satisfied smile on my face that couldn't be explained by the food alone.
So sorry, TB, I know this wasn't exactly what you had in mind with this thread, but I'm sitting here smiling again, reliving some of those best-meal-ever events - good times!