There is a certain “je ne sais quoi” for dining experiences which stay in your memory bank year after year. These often magical moments are much more than the creative craft in the kitchen. It could be an important celebration, the unique aesthetic ambiance of the restaurant’s decor, lighting or music …or simply…the incantation of your dining companion. I’ll always remember dining al fresco on a warm Tuscan evening at “Fattoria La Striscia” near Arezzo, south of Florence.

Marla looks stunning as we await the first course.

One year on my birthday we splurged at “Gary Danko” in San Francisco. I brought my own wine but their sommelier suggested some delicious additions. It was one wonderful and sublime, one course after another. Their cheese tray was fabulous!

We secured a reservation at “Michel’s At The Colony Surf“in Honolulu last March. We hadn’t been for many years. It was an evening to remember!

After over 40+ trips to Paris it was time to experience “La Tour D’Argent” for a very long lunch. Opened in 1582, this has been a favored place for Presidents, kings, oligarchs, leaders of industry, and even a dictator or two. Their famous “numbered” duck is a dish Marla still fondly remembers! The wine list was almost as heavy as a Manhattan phone book! It just reopened after a long refurbishing and looks stunning!

We loved returning to “DA Nello” in St. Peter Port, Guernsey. Their Italian cuisine is superb and we have so many memories of going here with the family.

My favorite dinner in 2023 was actually not in a restaurant. It was a catered dinner at the “Vallepicciola Winery” on a hill near Hotel Le Fontanelle in Pianella, Italy on a bike trip. The wines and cuisine were just sensational! Their olive oil is the best I’ver ever had. It was really fun to be with my good friends Tom Rackerby and Jennie Walker.

I’ll never forget the Tagine dinner at “Riad Kniza” in Marrakech, Morocco.

Marla still talks about the dinner high on a hill overlooking Granada, Spain, at “Restaurante Mirador Carmen San Miguel.” They cut strips of Veal that we cooked on our own grill with delicious rock salt. Sadly, this is a dish she couldn’t order today with her heart failure issues!

I love going to a restaurant with our friend’s wine, “Champagne Alexandra Sainz“, on the list!

It’s even better if Alexandra, her husband Chris, daughter Aimee, and her parent’s from France are in the house! Marla and I, with our friend Lea, joined them for a great evening at Reve Bistro in Lafayette, California.

We experienced a magical evening with our Grandchildren at Komaneka At Monkey Forest in Ubud, Bali.

A fabulous dinner with a view of the Acropolis at the Electra Metropolis Hotel in Athens.

Marla loves to cook, even on…vacation. We shop at the Marche Forville in Cannes for the butcher, exotic mushrooms and, in season, zucchini flowers which she stuffs. Her tasty creations, a nice wine, and the view of the bay of Cannes are memorable!

A big surprise in 2022 was a big family dinner at “W456” in Gun Barrel City, Texas, near Cedar Creek Reservoir. The decor was over the top and a really fun and tasty evening! They recently changed their name (“Waves”) and format to an elegant cocktail lounge with small bites.

Sometimes a dining experience transcends all expectation. “Zaranda” on the island of Mallorca was such a place. We dined there with friends from Paris, Kathy and Philippe. It was truly an amazing experience start to finish! They since have moved to a new location.

Nothing but delicious magic on this evening in Sicily. The dinner at the “St. George Restaurant” in the hotel Ashbee in Taormina was beyond romantic!

While on a bike trip of the Italian Lakes, , my friend Philippe and I dined at the “Mistral Restaurant” in the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como. It was beyond magnificent in every way and almost worth a trip all by itself!

Staying near Castellina-in-Chianti a few years ago, we made an early dinner reservation at “Taverna Squarcialupi”. We just loved it! This was where we were first exposed to “Chianti Classico Gran Selezione” wines. Total Wine carries a number of their wines.

Marla and I along with our good friend Lea, love going to “Scoma’s” in San Francisco. It is consistenly fine seafood!

Marla and I are huge fans of the PBS series, “Durrells in Corfu”. I always wanted to see the island so we rented a villa, 2 houses away from where they filmed the show. See link: https://gentryconnects.net/?p=14503

We had a sublime experience on a warm summer evening at the “Venetian Well Restaurant” in old Corfu Town with our Denver friends, Jerry and Mary.

While exploring Corfu we came upon “IL Pozzo” high on a hill near the village of Lakones. The food was fine….but the view was the real story!

A very special place for us is Menton on the French Riviera. I should keep this wonderful town a secret, but must share it with you! Marla and I purchased our favorite veal chops, zucchini flowers, and desserts at the old town market. Our family of 12 will return to celebrate my birthday this summer!

“La Chevre d’Or” in Eze is a fabulous dining experience! With our friends Kathy and Philippe, the photo is a reminder to “seize the day” as every moment in life is precious! Kathy passed away last year and is terribly missed. We have over 40 years of dining memories all over Europe with them. She was an incredible gourmet chef as well!

I started with an over-the-top lobster with gold leaf and caviar. I think we were the only non-oligarchs in the restaurant!

A lovely Rome memory of dining at “Osteria Margutta” on the Via Margutta. Federico Fellini lived nearby.

“Mirazur” in Menton, France, was voted the number one restaurant in the world a few years ago! They still hold 3 Michelin stars. We will return for a birthday dinner this summer.

Marla wowed us all this evening with a tenderloin. This was such a great night with family and good friends!

Another evening to remember while on the Big Island, my brother Gary prepared his famous “3-hour” garlic bread. My nephew Kekoa, a very fine chef, is working on our dinner of fabulously tasty, Opah.

On this incredible evening at my Mother’s apartment in the Bay Area, we had 3 of my VERY favorites: Raviolis and salumi from Genova Delicatessen in Walnut Creek, and hot dogs from Caspers in Pleasant Hill for grandson Vaughan on his 9 year-old trip! I almost forgot olives, my Mom’s favorite!

I must include “Barney’s Gourmet Hamburgers” in Berkeley and Oakland. They are truly the best in my view! Great milk shakes as well!

Many years ago one of my fabric suppiers in New York City, Eddie Garguilio, invited us for dinner at his favorite Italian restaurant, “Taormina“. It was normally closed on a Sunday but Eddie convinced the owner to stay open for us. Half way through dinner we see the front door open and a big brute of a guy comes in. He nods to the owner and heads back to the restroom. He left and then 3 people come in and are given a table in the front. It was notorious mob boss, “John Gotti.” We didn’t know whether we were in the safest place in NYC that evening or…the most dangerous! It was right out of a Scorcese film!

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be used without permission.