Lawrence M. Schoen

Welcome to another installment of asking authors about their favorite meals. This feature was inspired by my protagonist, the Amazing Conroy, who in addition to being a stage hypnotist is also very much a foodie.

This week, Sarah Beth Durst stops in, having been reluctantly disuaded from talking about a deli serving unicorn cold cuts. Sarah writes delightful YA fantasy novels, such as Into the Wild and Ice (both finalists for the Andre Norton Award), and Drink, Slay, Love which came earlier this month. She’s the sort of person who always lifts your mood, just by spending a moment in her company, and our paths don’t cross often enough. Which makes me all the more pleased to have her here today answering what’s become my standard Monday question.

LMS: Sarah, unicorn cutlets aside, what’s your best, most memorable meal?

SBD: Best meal ever?

It could be my mom’s lasagna (because, seriously, what’s better than a lasagna made by one’s mom, each layer stuffed with the taste of childhood). Or it could be the lobster roll that my grandmother made for me that reminded me of my grandfather, who owned a fish market and used to bring wriggly live lobsters to all family events. Or it could be the dinner that my husband and I had on our honeymoon at Artist’s Point…

I think the best meals are the ones that have memories attached.

Since you can’t have my mom’s lasagna or my grandma’s lobster roll, I’ll tell you about Artist’s Point. Artist’s Point is a Pacific Northwest themed restaurant at the Wilderness Lodge in Disney World. That night, I had the most tender, tastiest bison steak imaginable. Melt in your mouth. And I think it had some sort of seasoned potatoes too. But really, it’s the soup there that makes the meal. They serve this portobello mushroom soup that is so creamy that you feel like you are eating silk. I seriously contemplated licking the bowl. I do remember I eked out every drop using bits of ridiculously good bread. And then dessert was this fruit cobbler that paired hot blackberries and raspberries with creamy ice cream and phyllo pastry…

We have returned to that restaurant multiple times since then. Every time, the soup tastes better than the last time. I think it’s because each time, the soup is filled with more memories.

Also, it’s just really good soup.

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Thanks, Sarah, that sounds delicious (and I’ll even forgive you for having that bison steak).

Next Monday: Another author and another meal!