#2049 travel Tuesday: food memories

I don't think anyone I know is on vacation or is planning one right now. Maybe I spend too much time thinking about being on vacation: either thinking about somewhere I want to go or having a memory of somewhere that I have been and thinking of a special moment at a cool place.

Tonight I was thinking about meals I have had while on my travels. Usually it is not so much about the food itself, but the atmosphere and the company and occasionally the food sticks out as a good memory too.

It doesn't take much effort to put myself back at that restaurant near the beach in Sitges, Spain. The meal certainly was not the best meal I had on that trip, but sitting there with my mom and my sister, the sun warming my back, sipping sangria de cava is a damn fine memory.

Another favorite memory is having lunch on Palm Island. There were two restaurants on the island; one was private for guests only and the other was open to sailors who happened by the island. MT and I would wander down to that restaurant for lunch every now and then. They served delicious guacamole and delicious cheeseburgers. Talk about a cheeseburger in paradise!

Or how about that night in Barbados, sitting under the stars, listening to the sea waves break gently on the beach while we feasted on freshly caught Dorado, creamy mashed potatoes and a seriously good little salad?

I won't ever forget celebrating Lizzie's birthday at Emeril's Nola restaurant in New Orleans. The food was sublime (I didn't know a piece of fried chicken could be taste that amazing. Don't even get me started on that pepper jack mac & cheese.) And then there was the excellent service of Tall Paul. It was such a great night!

Every now and again, my mouth will water a little thinking about the shrimp BLT with avocado I had in Key West. Damn! That was a good sandwich! The restaurant was really cool, too, right on the water at the marina. It was fun watching the boats bobbing on the water as the sky darkened behind them with the impending rain storm.

Shrimp faijitas in Cozumel.

Surf and turf on the cruise ship, washed down with cava.

Lobster quesadillas on Isla Mujeres and cold cold Sol beer.

Okay. I'm done for tonight. Memories will tide me over until my next adventure.