10 Dishes You Must Eat Before You Die
(One Girl's Opinion)
by Terryl Gavre

Oeufs Muerette
Cafe Campagne, Seattle
A decadent brunch of two poached eggs served over a toasted garlic brioche crouton and topped with a pearl onion, bacon, and foie gras sauce. This dish is served with frites and aioli — wash it down with a cup of Campagne’s French-press coffee.
Scallop Deluxe Sushi Ota, San Diego
I used to go on streaks and eat this dish three times a week. Fresh scallops are blanketed in a sweet, spicy mayonnaise-based sauce and baked until golden brown in, of all things, a toaster oven.
Sauteed Veal Sweetbreads
Piatti Ristorante, La Jolla
Fresh veal sweetbreads (don’t ask, just eat) are sauteed with butter, garlic, white wine, and button mushrooms. Although this is intended to be a starter, I order it along with a side of their garlic mashed potatoes as an entree. I pour my sweetbreads over the creamy potatoes and enjoy the ethereal flavors, along with a nice peppery Chianti, of course.
Mussel Bisque
Dobson’s Bar and Grill, San Diego
This is my all-time local favorite. This is ice cream in a different form: hot instead of cold, and savory instead of sweet. This incredible indulgence is thick, smooth, chock full of fresh mussels, and topped with a puffed pastry that is the perfect vehicle for soaking up this sinful soup. Servers break open the crust and pour in a three-count of cream sherry to round out the flavor.
Pan Roasted Niman Ranch Liver Diablo
Mustards Grill, Yountville
This tender calf liver is quickly seared and served with polenta and sage madeira wine gravy. Housemade onion chutney rides shotgun and is a fabulous accompaniment. Locals regularly sit at the bar and have their weekly dose of liver — followed by a great Napa red to clean out their arteries.
Tortilla Soup
Chimayo Restaurant, Park City
I discovered this on a ski trip over five years ago and absolutely crave it every winter. If you plan a ski trip, head to Park City; there’s plenty of great dining there and this spicy, chicken and tomato-based soup makes a killer first course on a cold, snowy Utah night.
DB Burger (Burger Royale)
db Bistro Moderne, New York City
This mother of all burgers is made from ground prime rib and stuffed with braised short ribs, foie gras, and shaved truffles. Superstar chef Daniel Boulud serves this on a freshly baked bun with housemade catsup and a silver cup of pomme frites. It’s so richly fabulous even the $50 price tag is easy to swallow.
Korean Pork Tenderloin with Scallion Sauce
Betelnut, San Francisco
This charbroiled pork dish is addicting. I love the spicy, sweet flavor of the scallion-pepper sauce against fluffy white rice. This nearly 20-year-old Union Street eatery has been on my hot list since it opened. Betelnut is also known for its selection of beers, any of which make a great companion to this haute meal.
White Truffle Pizza
Spago, Beverly Hills
The best $85 I’ve ever spent on a pizza. This is a seasonal dish available only during Italy’s white truffle season, which runs September through December. A world-famous Spago wood-fired pizza is topped with cheese and shaved white truffles. It is finished with a drizzle of white truffle oil and fresh grated Parmesan. Make it a Thanksgiving tradition.
Creamy Polenta with Mascarpone Cheese
Union Square Cafe, New York City
I make this my first meal on every trip to New York — no matter what. I fell in love with this dish over ten years ago and have ordered it as a first-course ever since. The polenta is topped with mascarpone cheese, as well as toasted walnuts and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese. Slather it on some of USC’s fabulous bread for some extra carbs.

 
 
 

  
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