The best experience
>I've had was at a very fine restaurant in Portland, OR.  The chef made
>each of my courses separately and substituted grape seed oil or olive oil
>for butter and made some creative changes to avoid garnishing my plate
>with dairy products.  It was a delightful meal and I got the impression
>that the chef was enjoying the challenge.  Fruit soup for dessert.  YUM!

I had a comparable experience when I went to Emeril's restaurant in Las
Vegas. One of the specials was a multi-course tasting menu, but I could
only enjoy it if it was prepared without dairy. The waiter went back to the
chef to see if it could be done, and sure enough, he came out with a big
smile on his face. The chef relished the challenge! With each course, the
waiter (and other curious waitstaff) explained what the dish was, and then
waited to see my response. Apparently, these dishes were specially prepared
for me! (The chef had never made some of them before.) At the end of the
spectacular meal (which was probably one of the most memorable I've ever
had), I thanked the waiter and paid my compliments to the chef...who came
out personally to thank me for the praise!

Now the circumstances were unusual; I was in Las Vegas; it just so happened
to be my birthday; and I was all alone. However, the restaurant was really
busy and I was being a BIG pain in the butt...

But I'll never forget it!

Heidi