Never have I read such pretentious twaddle in concert.

The best beef I've had recently was last night, a modest ribeye, graded Choice, from all places, "Sam's" (but from a "special" shipment, seared in cast iron as near molten as I could heat the skillet, then, heresy of heresies finished to Medium Rare in 500F oven in a technique apparently increasingly popular. Served with a "Semi-Cassoulet" of French white beans cooked with chicken stock, smoked bacon, some cured sausage - no confit available, garlic and a tone of onion, with a modest salad, Spring Greens lightly dressed, and a baguette, it sure beat any Super Bowl snack list.

My point is simple, that any attempt to define the "best beef ever" is highly subjective, because the ingredients of time, place, perspective and attitude have much to do with satisfaction, just as at my advanced age, recalling the best sex ever can't be aided by some carefully maintained pocket book of comparable scores. Now there was this afternoon in Rapallo....Great......Best?

As for the Japanese cult products..... Admittedly, they are good, but far too fat, almost greasy in the eating, for me. Still having my own functional teeth, I'll support the concept that trying grass fed beef (rarely available in the US except from specialty - read "grossly over-priced" - outlets or a rancher friend/relative) is worth the effort. Just as grass fed lamb from Breton salt marshes is much praised, a good cut of carefully reared, rich grass nourished beef can be awfully satisfying.

The best steak I ever had? The last good one.