In one of these large compilation mods that had numerous people's work in it, I found a mesh that was a large round kitchen grill with pots and pans hanging over it. It looked like the Oblivion version of a commercial cooking grill with a hood over it. Of course, now that I need it I can't find it. It's not the Barabus Cooking Range or the Silka Dwemer Forge - was something else.

Can anyone name that mesh?

FormID Finder will tell you.
It doesn't only work with missing meshes

But it does only work with mods you're running, and then only if you can find the object to point at.

The description rings a vague bell. Maybe one of Strotis compilations of resources?

I suppose.
I wont get into that, but it's one very good reason not to use a compilation pack

I only get them for the meshes. It's a pain tracking down the readme for each one I want to use, but sometimes you find some real treasures in 'em.