I see these words on a menu and then I must order...

[kevin]

Foie gras, especially terrine de foie

white truffles. black truffles, heck, even summer truffles.

lamb's brains.

veal cheeks.

sweetbreads, especially fried sweetbreads, and a light bulbs goes off.

chocolate mousse.

coconut, any coconut dish for that matter.

pommess souffles.

pumpkin ravioli

roasted duck

blackened fish (yes, I know you shouldn't order it outside of New Orleans, but how can I resist).

beef brisket

ribs.

anything almost that has been SMOKED.

fried chicken.

broasted potatoes.

coconut cream pie (i think i already mentioned coconut above before but this deserves it's own line).

banana nilla wafer pudding

pecan pie.

butterscotch parfait, almost any kind of parfait for that matter.

hand-sliced pastrami

[Sandwich_Sister]

*Bacon - how can you resist
* Pasta with Mushrooms - any kind of mushrooms and lots of them
* Red Snapper or Grouper
* Jalopeno
* Ginger

[Gio]

Organic
Local
Regional
Housemade
Sichuan
Antipasto
Lobster
Soft shell crab
Clams
Oysters
Grilled Sardines
Game
Duck
Eggplant
Asparagus

[JungMann]

You've reminded me: anything that has a combination of the words "Szechuan," "peppercorn" and "ma la" will justify nearly any price for me.

[Gio]

Ah yes... and translated into Italian, Red Pepper Flakes/Peperoncini !!

BTW, JM: Just what is the correct spelling, Szechuan or Sichuan? i see it both ways all over the place....

[JungMann]

Both are acceptable spellings. For my own purposes, if I want to repeat something I hear in spoken Chinese, I forgo all spelling conventions and just write the word phonetically with tonal markings.

[greedygirl]

Rabbit - I love me a bunny.
Foie gras - what's not to love?
Anything with fresh crab, as I can't bring myself to prepare them at home.

[Davwud]

I've seen a lot of words that I fully agree with. Too many to mention.

I will add

BACON (wrapped)

DT

[Veggo]

Malpeque oysters
littleneck clams
yellowtail and tuna sashimi
Olathe corn
chiles en nogada
huitlacoche casserole
cabrito
lechon
tomato still on the vine, with one of those little blue Morton's salt shakers
Smilin' Sam's newly famous macaroni and cheese.

[almccasland]

~anything that has avocado, bleu cheese, roasted red peppers, and green onions in the same dish
~oysters on the half-shell depending on where I am geographically
~ostrich (now that I finally had the opportunity to try it)
~any interesting vegan dish (although I'm not vegan - see above) i.e. I had vegan eggs benedict at Chicago Diner after the marathon last year just because I had to see how one would make a vegan version. FANTASTIC!
~any beer by Ommegang or Dogfish Head
~avocado ice cream or gelato
~lately, any malbec

[kevin]

how about an avocado milkshake.

[almccasland]

absolutely! I've never seen one on a menu, but have made them at home. It was more like a smoothie than a milkshake, though (ice cream-less). On the subject of nontraditional frozen concoctions, I tried durian ice cream once and really like it, as well. I've never had an actual durian, though.

[kevin]

i've had avocado milkshakes at bahn mi shops/bakery/cafes, some cities have a big expat vietnamese community (houston, i think, and orange county on the west coast). it's definitely great stuff.

[almccasland]

Thanks for mentioning that. It will remind me to seek out a good bahn mi shop in Houston over the holidays when visiting the family. We have a notable Asian community in OKC, but I've not been to many of the restaurants. I do frequent the market, though, which is great fun!

[mainsqueeze]

If there is venison, I will likely order it, especially is prepared with fruit, such as black currant, pear, etc.

If horse tartare is available, I will order that, too.

I love a chèvre chaud salad, especially with juliened granny smith apples and walnuts.

For dessert, I am partial to puff pastry. If there are choux a la crème, profiterol, eclair, etc, I'll probably order that. Otherwise, I love a good lemony dessert.

[PurpleEats]

Foie Gras
Fried Chicken
Potato
Ribs
French Toast (but not brioche)
Dumpling
Pimientos de Padron
Pork Chop
Cupcake
Still thinking...

[kevin]

what's pimientos de padron?

[greedygirl]

Spanish small green peppers, that are fried with olive oil and salt and served as a tapa. Every so often you'll get a hot one - it's like Russian roulette!

[plateofwander]

pork belly.
duck.
fish fragrant eggplant.
cake (non chocolate).
butternut squash.
caramel/ dulce de leche.
pumpkin.
curry.
anything that sounds different or interesting or that i've never had before.

[mogo]

green curry
takoyaki
curry goat (roti)
bangus
rice pudding
goat cheese
jackfruit
moussaka

[Sam Fujisaka]

Sinigang ng bangus!

[kevin]

what's "sinigang ng bangus"/

[Sam Fujisaka]

Bangus (milk fish) in a clear sweet & sour soup; from the Philippines

[JungMann]

I'd describe it as more sour than sweet. Between the green tamarinds, tomatoes and bitter greens, the sweetest note would come from the flesh of the fish. And since my sinigang na isda also contains a touch of Sriracha, mine is likely more hot & sour.

[Sam Fujisaka]

You're right of course. I meant to write "hot & sour".

[AngelSanctuary]

Has anyone ever had white truffles? I always see black truffles on menus but never white truffles, I know they are much more expensive but someone has to be buying them.

Oh, and to answer the post, anything that say melted cheese gets an ordering from me. Also, cheesecake (can you tell I love cheese?), duck fat, escargots, french onion soup, wine-braised anything...

There are way too much to name...^_^"

[BerkshireTsarina]

Nothing original, just delicious, and magnetic!
Foie gras
Oysters
Corn chowder (corn anything, pretty much)
Fava beans
Fried Chicken

[Katie Nell]

Corn Soup/ Chowder... love it any way, shape, or form

[Terrieltr]

Like many, lamb always gets my attention.
Leeks.
slow-cooked.

[JungMann]

Lamb
Goat
Duck
Braised
Ribs
Fried
Smothered
Game
Squid
Chili
Spicy
White Chocolate
Cheese

[Paula76]

Anything with llama meat (only in South America)
Desserts with dulce de leche, especially as a warm sauce over white chocolate cheesecake
Pan-fried scallops
Italian antipasti with sundried tomato and buffalo mozzarella
Sea bass

[al b. darned]

Fried Ice Cream!!!!

[Cinnabon]

Eggplant

Chili Rellenos

Chocolate Soufflé

Creme Brulee

[James Cristinian]

Boiled crawfish and fried oysters, I am on the constant quintissential version of both, Houston style.

[512window]

I must be a strange strange person. I always want to order something that I've never had before. Supposedly, I'm only going around once - got to try things when you get a chance.

[im_nomad]

to some degree 512, i'm like that as well, i'll pick out the most obscure or "odd" menu item and go with that.

[LJS]

Local
Regional speciality
Homemade/made on premises (in places where its unexpected)

[madgreek]

I agree. Seeing these words/phrases score big points for me, especially when it's unexpected.

Also, duck. Love it. Haven't had a chance to make it at home.

[TampaAurora]

Fried mushrooms (sad but true)
Sweet Potato - anything
Fresh Brewed Sweet Tea

[TampaAurora]

After talking to my SO, I have to add
...fresh ginger, sesame or red bean, cranberries, tangerine, mango
"Specialty of the House"
For my SO......anything with more than "3 cheeses...." he disturbs me.
Also...
filet mignon
asparagus
I don't really get out much.

[Phoo_d]

Truffle
Risotto
Shank
Ribs (Short and Otherwise)
Buffalo Burger
Bone in Fillet Mignon
Lobster Bisque

Phoo-D
http://www.phoo-d.com

[GodfatherofLunch]

"Bone in Fillet Mignon" - Now you, you are funny!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PegS]

Marrow bones
Anything with ribs
Any shellfish that's not commonly available in the U.S. (cockles, langoustine, etc.)
Fiddlehead ferns

[bd9]

Octopus

Hollandaise

"House Cured"

[OCAnn]

lamb, rabbit, game
Chilean sea bass
yellowtail
squid
wild (not farmed)
flights (wine)

and to a lesser degree: mushrooms, souffle, "specialty" and "housemade", saffron, eggplant, calamari.

[MrsCris]

Lobster bisque.

Artichokes.

[Sooeygun]

Beef (tenderloin, prime rib, or whatever) with bearnaise. But only if I know it's not from a package. The bearnaise, that is.

[Leslie]

Soft shell crabs

[steve h.]

lamb shanks
beef shanks
veal shanks.

goat.
pig.

organ meats.
marrow bones.
crispy skin.

...mercy.

[kevin]

i fogot natural casing hot dogs.

chili, i do i love chili.

and i forgot gumbo.

the crackly, carmelized skin of a rotisserie chicken is one of the most beautiful things on earth by far. and turkey skin done well is a thing of utter genius.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Anything mutton, lamb, goat, duck, salmon, tuna, squid, eel, octopus, kidney, heart, tripe - and any or all of these even more if smoked.

[kevin]

I'm there with you on the smoking. Darn smoking almost makes anything good, and smoked mutton begets Kentucky bbq, a regionality that is not much see out of the immediate distance of the moonlight inn.

[lynnlato]

Foie gras

Pork belly

Carpaccio of beef

Short ribs

Chicken salad - as in the diced stuff mixed w/ mayo and other stuff, not sure why but I love it when it's done well

[bnemes3343]

Short ribs for me too.

and rare seared tuna

[Pincus]

2 for 1.

[BeaN]

foie gras

[Cpt Wafer]

chocolate soufflé

chocolate soufflé

chocolate soufflé

[OCAnn]

I love a good chocolate souffle, but at The Cellar, I will always order their Grand Marnier souffle over their chocolate....

[Cpt Wafer]

I must make my way West once more.

[ccbweb]

You must run into a lot of conflicts or order lots and lots of food pretty frequently.

[cleopatra999]

ganache is my weak point.

[im_nomad]

Despite my not being much of a dessert person, I have a hard time not ordering creme brulee...to me it is the perfect dessert, small enough to finish a meal, and it's not something i'd think to make at home, as i am torchless :)

Also ditto on the calamari. I have a mental list of who i can and can not talk into splitting a calamari app with.

green papaya salad in thai restaurants, can't get the ingredients to make it at home.

chile rellenos

home cut fries

[laliz]

Creme Brulee for me too ~~ have never attempted at home

[im_nomad]

and to add to that, bread pudding

[Humbucker]

You might want to check out this thread:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/539938

[kevin]

wow, cool, thanks. i should have known there was already a thread out there.

[KaimukiMan]

not exactly the same, one is ingredients, one is a finished product. Certainly related threads, fun to compare them.

oh yeah....

portuguese bean soup
fried calamari

[coney with everything]

Fried calamari for me too. especially in or with a spicy sauce. Two of the best chain dishes I've ever had was calamari ala diavolo from East Side Marios and Kung Pow calimari from Mitchell's.

[al b. darned]

OOOOHHH!!! Fried calamari!! A must-have!