Sunday Dish

High and Dry in Albuquerque - Part 2, Day 1.

The saga continues...

Sitting on the plane - headed back to the Albuquerque desert.  Yes,  it must be love.  I can think of no other single thing that would draw me back here.

Look, I'm a firm believer in diversity.  As my dear old friend Vanessa says (in relation to relationships- but still, it applies here) "there is a lid for every jar."  I can see why people are drawn to the desert, to the starkness of it all. I don't want to put down anybodies hometown, truly.  And I do count myself lucky to say there is another place on this Earth that I have been blessed to see.  But there is not much about Albuquerque that would make me yearn to come back again.

Having said all that...here I am.  Sitting on a plane winging my way back. 

Forecast?  Windy and dry with a chance of gut wrenching turbulence.   But, on this day, the Gods have smiled upon me.  Two bloody mary's later I am on the ground and looking upon the face of my love.   Food, on this day, was not of the utmost concern.  We were just anxious to spend some serious quality time together.

But upon waking the next day - there was food to be had and basketball to be watched. 
Normally, I tend to be the one to make executive decisions about where we'll eat.  But for the time being, I was content to drift along with popular opinion.  And when it comes to basketball, well,  beer is in order.   Which led us to a place about a mile down the road.

Chama River Brewery is, not surprisingly, a brew pub.  Here in Southern California we have BJ's.  Same kind of deal.  It's a burger, ribs and fries kind of place.  A few televisions going and of course the beer. 

I enjoyed how they described their brews in the same way wineries explain a fine vintage:  "Light and dry with a touch of honey sweetness and a floral bouquet finish."    That's how they talked up their Broken Spoke Honey Wheat Ale. 

I liked it.  I'm a big fan of the Strawberry Blonde beer that Pete's Wicked Ale makes, and I thought it was a bit like that. 

Our basketball viewing cohort, Dave, tried the Copper John Pale Ale which he said was good and Todd took a liking to the Chama River Amber Ale.

To go with our beer we got an order of the Truffle Bleu Cheese Fries.

Okay.  I'm not gonna lie, my expectations were not high and I was pleasantly surprised.  A good French Fry?  Stop it.  I'm done.  Yummy.  Delicious.  Goodness.  These were mixed with bleu cheese, scallions and truffle oil.  If they had been a tad bit crispier they would have been French Fry Heaven.  As it stood, they were still pretty damn tasty.

Since it was a burger and fry kind of place, we in turn, ordered a burger and a Po Boy for the table.
   
Again, I'm down with the love of diversity. But a po boy?  Fried shrimp on a bun?  Seriously?  It's just not the kind of thing I'd ever think to order.  But, it looked pretty good. The sweet potato fries were definitely yummy, yes they were.  And Dave seemed to think that the Po boy didn't suck at all.  Good enough for me.

I went for the Green Chili Burger.

I will say this, it was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the green chilies were great.  The spiced pecans they put on the side salad that came with the burger were a nice touch.  Is it going to win best meal of the year award?  Nope.  But it was fresh, satisfying, and all in all, a tasty trio of beer, burger and fries. 

After that food fest, dinner was going to have to be light.

As I prepped for round 2 of my Albuquerque adventure, I had visions of New Mexican food.  Piquant chili sauces and traditional carne adovada.  This would have to wait until another day.

On this night, after a good hot shower and a nice long nap, we were craving a little pizza.  It was 10pm by the time we were finally ready for dinner so there weren't alot of choices. We landed at a chain called Bravo Cucina Italiana. 

If I were to relate it, once more, to a Southern Cali staple, I'd say it's like Macaroni Grill.  There are about 40 of these chains sprinkled across the country but this was my first time.
Their Fennel and Arugula Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella was better in concept then execution.  It had roasted tomatoes and a light vinaigrette.  I thought the fennel would have added to the salad better had they roasted it instead of serving it raw.  But the pizza we ordered was another story altogether.

This was really good.  It was topped with Fontina cheese, generous amounts of portabella mushrooms and finished off with a nice drizzle of truffle oil. (I guess they like the truffle oil here in ABQ.) I have to mention the crust because it was delicious.

I've heard it's a cities water that makes or breaks pizza crust.  If so, there must be something in the water here that lends it's self to good crust, 'cause this is the 2nd exceptionally good pizza I've had in this town.  (the first being at Il Vicino in Nob Hill.)

With the pizza and the salad behind us it was time to call it a night.  The plan for the next day was to head out to Santa Fe and see what culinary delights we might stumble upon there.

Stay tuned! 

Yia-Yia's Potato Salad

The weather is definitely getting warmer here in Southern Calif - good enough to eat dinner on the patio.  So when my good friend Vanesa invited me over for a little ham dinner I said sure and offered to bring potato salad.   Figured as long as I was going to make a batch - I'd share it with you!

For as long as I can remember my Grandma, "Yia-Yia", made this potato salad whenever we would come to visit.  She was rather famous for it.  So famous that at her funeral, as each of us got up to say what we'd loved most about her, one of my cousins stood and listed all the things that made her special, including, you guessed it, her potato salad. 

The ingredients are few and there are a couple that I've not come across in other potato salad recipes.  But, I'm telling you, there is something about the combination of flavors that has converted many a die hard potato salad hater into a fan, myself included!

The original recipe, as told to me by my Grandma, yielded something like 100 pounds of potato salad. Okay not that much, but ALOT.  I've tried to cut it down a bit, but this recipe doubles well, in case  you do want or need more.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. waxy potatoes (don't use Russets - too mushy)

3 hardboiled eggs - chopped

1 yellow onion - diced

1 - 3 oz can sliced black olives

1 jar pimentos

1 tablespoon (approx) celery seed

salt and pepper

Mayonnaise (only use Best Foods please...and not the reduced fat, pleeaasse)

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Boil the potatoes until they are fork tender.  Drain them, allow them to cool and then remove the skins.  Dice the potatoes into 1 inch pieces and place in a large mixing bowl.

Chop up your hard boiled eggs and add those to the bowl with the potatoes.

Next add the diced onion, olives, pimentos and seasonings.

Then mix together with generous amounts of mayonnaise.  You want the mixture to look a bit wet because the potatoes will continue to absorb the mayo and you do not want a dry potato salad.  Yia-Yia would not like that!

Eat up! 

Sunday's Dish: Lamb Tagine, Coriander Flatbreads and Raita

Some Sundays we are inspired to cook up something 100% our own, with no input from cookbooks, magazines, on line recipes etc.  Other times we pour through our cookbooks and ever growing stack of magazines to see what peaks our imagination.  This Sunday the latest issue of Bon Appetit was the go to source. 

To kick things off we tried out the Lamb Tagine... 
 
I've been meaning to buy a tagine, the traditional heavy clay pots used to cook these kind of stews in Africa and the Middle East, but since I haven't gotten around to it yet a nice heavy bottom pot worked out just as nicely.  The recipe didn't call for potatoes but we added them anyway during the last hour of cooking.  If potatoes make it a little too traditional for you this would also be excellent served over couscous.  The cinnamon and ginger that the recipe called for added a really delicious, kind of heady, flavor to the stew.  We took out the cinnamon sticks halfway through the cooking process.  I'm glad we did 'cause otherwise I think the flavor would have gone from subtle to overpowering.  We also added more salt then the recipe calls for - but seasoning is pretty much always a very personal thing, no?

To accompany our Tagine we also whipped up a batch of Coriander and Cilantro Flat Breads.
      
These were fun to make.  Anytime dough and a rolling pin is involved, count my kid in.  We made about 20 of these and realized pretty quickly thinner is better.  My little chef in the making did a fabulous job.


These turned out much better then I thought they would.  I mean they look pretty but I figured they were just going to be little bready lumps - kind of tasteless.  Color me surprised!    To go with them we also tried out the Raita recipe.


Raita is a bit like Greek tzatziki, but instead of being seasoned with mint and dill you use coriander and cumin, cilantro and green onions.  My only advice is make this well in advance, it really needs to sit for a few hours before you eat it.  The next day?  It's even better. 

These dishes, the tagine and the flatbreads weren't "supposed" to go together but we thought all the flavors and textures paired with one another very well.

This Sunday Dish was definitely satisfying!

Click Here to get the recipes @ Epicurious.com

 

The Stand - Encino

When it comes to hot dogs, the debate over who makes the best one in Los Angeles can get people pretty hot under the collar. 
You've got Pinks, Cupids, QT Chicago Dogs and Carney's.  There are even those that will vouch for the tried and true Wienerschnitzel or Tommy's. 

But there is one place that has something going for it that these other dog joints don't - ambiance.

That right.  The Stand in Encino not only serves up a mean dog, among other menu items, but it's also bright and clean and cheerful.  They even have a lovely outdoor seating area surrounded by a small stand of pepper trees.

I've lived in the Valley for almost 30 years but only found The Stand about 3 years ago.   It's a great little neighborhood place - perfect for a family dinner or even a casual date.  Hey - on Thursdays and Sundays they even have live Jazz music outside.

We went there this weekend to enjoy a leisurely nosh and a beer.

The menu has a big selection of hot dog and burger choices along with salads and sandwiches.  If you're thirsty for something other then a soda they also offer beer and wine - burgers and dogs are comin' up in style baby!

On this particular day I went for the loaded Stand Dog with kraut, grilled onions and cheese.

The grilled onions were great, nice and buttery tasting, but the kraut was almost non existent I'm sad to say.  Also, I do wish they would pony up for some heartier buns.  These are your classic whiteys and if  you ask, they will grill it for you. A much better choice if sogginess is an issue.   
You can also see that the dogs come with chips rather then fries.  They're tasty chips - but for my money - fries and a dog are kind of like Forest and Jenny (you know peas and carrots, they just go together!)

Like I said they also have a small selection of salads - and we decided to try out the Mediterranean.

Good leafy greens, not skimpy on the feta and the garbanzos are a nice touch.  Pretty straightforward for a Greek salad.  Be warned though - definitely go for the vinaigrette on the side - it is SUPER SALTY.  Whoa! I mean the feta and the olives are salty enough as it is, in my opinion some simple oil and vinegar would be a better option.

Other times we've visited we've had the Bleu Cheese Burger which was fantastic and the Beef Brisket which had a nice little spicy kick to it.

On Mondays they have $1 Dog Night - so during football season you can watch Monday night football and have some cheap eats.

Does The Stand serve up the best dog in Los Angeles?  I'm not even gonna get involved in that debate!  But they do serve a very tasty one and their other menu choices have been solid as well.   But like I said before I'd give up finding "the best"  and settle for enjoying a good meal and a cold beer on a warm summer evening outside in their picturesque dining area.

Oh, and for those of you "over the hill"  they now have locations in Westwood and Century City.

Wanna find out where The Stand is? Click here. 

Le Petit Restaurant - Oooh La La!

Le Petit Restaurant Serves up a Little Taste of Paris
By Erinn Eichinger
Reprinted with Permission from Sun Community Newspapers

Photo:  www.lepetitrestaurant.net

There's nothing better then walking through the doors of a restaurant and being transported, the mood and the aromas hit you and for a moment you are embraced by the ambiance of another place.

In the case of Le Petit Restaurant in Sherman Oaks, that place is Paris.  From the white banquettes lining the walls and the colorful art, to the waiters dressed in long black aprons, this place screams Left Bank bistro.

Each time I've gone we were greeted by the same maitre d'.  He is a busy guy, but alway warm.  You will immediately get the sense that he is the one at the helm of this bustling cafe.

The menu is straightforward French Bistro fare mixed in with an interesting smattering of Mediterranean influences.  The wine list is small, featuring French and Domestic wines by the glass and bottle.

On each visit our waiters, who were French - oh la la - approached the table almost immediately. Our wine and appetizer orders were promptly taken and we were then left to look over the menu and sample the bread and the three accompanying dips.

The first appetizer we tried was the Baked Brie en Croute.

This generous portion is not for the wimpy of appetite.  The shell was flaky and the tangy champagne sauce was a nice contrast to the rich, mellow flavor of the Brie.

The Black Mussels Poulette was another success.  The mussels were firm yet tender and not at all chewy.  But the sauce - mmm mmm  mmm.  It was rich and creamy with white wine and shallots.  It was so good we wouldn't let our waiter clear the plate until every last drop had been sopped up with bread.

The Goat Cheese and Crostini salad was nothing to sneeze at either.  The vinaigrette was light and the dried pears added a nice chewy texture.  The breaded and fried goat cheese was crisp on the outside and velvety and molten hot on the inside.  There was a lot of depth of flavor for such a simple salad.

On more then one visit we ordered the Baked Lamb Shank.  I'm a big fan of lamb - it's the Greek in me I guess.   The first time it was so good we ate every bite - quite a feat considering the size of our appetizers.  The meat was falling off the bone and the sauce was complex and velvety.  It was served with couscous and carrots - a bit of that Mediterranean influence I mentioned earlier.   Sadly, the second time we ordered it, we sent it back.  The lamb was bland and dry and the sauce tasted like it had been slapped together with canned beef broth.

We also ordered one of the specials - the French classic - Coq Au Vin.
The waiter warned us that me might not recognize their version, which he said was very traditional.  Whatever the version was it was delicious.  There was a stew like feel to it with the chicken falling off the bones into the fluffy mashed potatoes.  The mushrooms and pearl onions had the perfect firmness.  To go with our Coq Au Vin we had the standard bistro choice of Pomme Frites, which were cooked to a sinfully salty perfection.

At this point on both visits our meal should have been over - we were so pleasantly stuffed.   But you only live once, right?  So with that we ordered the Raspberry Creme Brule and Espresso. 

The espresso was well made but the Creme Brule didn't impress me very much.  As I broke through that crunchy brown sugary topping I had high hopes.  It's too bad the center was cold and that there weren't as many berries as I'd hoped.

At the end of the night, Le Petite Restaurant is warm and inviting.  The service is quite Parisian in it's brusque efficiency and the food is solid with a miss here and there.   If you are looking for a little bit of "Je ne sai quoi"  here in the Valley, give it a try.

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Le Petit Restaurant 13360 Ventura Blvd. Sherman Oaks, CA  Phone:          818.501.7999      

High and Dry in Albuquerque, NM

If our plane landing in Albuquerque was any indication of how the next four months this desert town is gonna pan out, it should be an interesting (cough, cough) 4 months.

As the plane buffeted back and forth - glassware clanging and my stomach, along with other body parts, clenching, I held onto Todd for dear life.  Here's the funny part, the entire time he called out crossword puzzle clues in a pointless effort to distract me; "24 Down - Kind of Home or Pool! 9 Across - Nightshade Family Plant!"  As if I was going to forget the fact that our plane ride suddenly felt much more like we been placed in a cosmic martini shaker for some higher powers amusement.

When we finally touched down - slammed down is more like it - the entire plane broke out into spontaneous cheering.  If you've never experienced that sudden microcosmic moment of bonding with total strangers, lucky you. It's weird yet oddly special.

What the hell are we doing here in New Mexico anyway you ask?  That’s a good question.  Destiny?  Opportunity?  Fate?  A Universal Joke?  Maybe a little bit of all of those, who knows.   What I do know is that my better half has an opportunity that cannot be passed up – think bright lights, fame, accolades,  the works (dream big right?).  So being the evolved, incredibly supportive person I am, (no comments, please) I have tagged along on the first of many trips to New Mexico.   I figure as long as our paths have led us here we might as well explore the food and fun scene and report back to you at home.

So, after Satan’s Plane Ride, I was ready for a cocktail - stat. 

That was until we stepped out of the airport into 50 mile an hour winds that were filled with dirt from the Chihuahuan Desert.  At that moment all I was ready for was a hat and some sun glasses worthy of Jackie-O.    At this point I'm thinking - I'm gonna fly out here 4 more times in the next 4 months?  I. Don't. Think. So.  We finally made it to the rental car - tracked down some glasses, check, and a good hat, check.     Next it was time to find out what this town is all about.  My first impression - brown.  Very brown and very gray.  Sadly, with all the dust in the air the visibility was horrible and most people were, wisely, indoors.    This meant most of the city felt like a ghost town.

After exploring Old Town (adobe buildings, lots of turquoise - read touristy) and Downtown, we finally ended up in Nob Hill. 

Normally when I hear the words Nob Hill I think of a certain City by the Bay and a historically privileged neighborhood filled with luxury hotels and beautiful architecture.  Not a lonely stretch of desert road dotted with hippie inspired art galleries, abandoned buildings and this hotel...

If I have to be honest there was something that drew me to this structure - in an "oh my God - what was that smashed in the road!!???  I think it was a possum, no, a rabbit!  Yup... it was definitely a rabbit.  Oooh."

We litteally flipped a U-turn so we could snap a few pictures. 'Cause really, it was kind of cool in a kitchy way.   With that itch scratched we FINALLY got serious about getting that cocktail and meeting some Albuquerque locals. 

Most places were closed in between lunch and dinner but we got lucky and found Il Vicino.

We sat down at the bar, ordered up a couple glasses of wine and checked out the menu.  The gal working at front informed us that you were supposed to order and then sit down.  We walked in there like we owned the place.  Luckily I think she saw the look of crazed thirst in my eyes and took pity on us.  We decided to start out with their mixed field green salad...

It was fine tasting, if nothing to send a postcard home about.  They have over a dozen pizzas so we ate our salad and then decided to give their gorgonzola and balsalmic glazed portabello mushroom pizza a try. Glass number two came quickly and soon enough our pizza did too.

This pizza was really good.  The gorgonzola mellowed out when melted and the tang of the mushrooms was a really nice balance.  The crust was thin and a bit crunchy with a nice dusting of cornmeal around the edges.  It took the edge of that bad landing and the horrid dust and wind storm that had really left me in a foul mood.  On a future trip to ABQ  I'd defenitely go back to this place.

From there we proceeded to bundle up, brave the storm and make our way to our hotel.

To Be Continued...

Sunday's Dish - Avgolemeno

Greek soup using avgo - eggs & lemeno - lemons.

The traditional version incorporates all the bits and parts of the lamb, this version is a bit more approachable - using chicken.   My mama taught me how to make it when I was about 10.  I was the official "egg beater"  a very important job as you will see.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken stock

3 large chicken breasts - bone in, skin removed

3 stalks celery - finely diced

2 carrots - finely diced

1 large onion - finely diced

Juice of 4-5 lemons depending on how juicy they are

1/2 Cup Orzo

3 - 4 eggs depending on what size eggs you are using.

Pour chicken broth into a large stock pot and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat until the broth is simmering, add your diced veggies and your chicken breasts.  Allow to simmer until the veggies are soft and the chicken breasts are cooked through - about 20-30 minutes depending on how large the breast are.

While the chicken and veggies cook juice your lemons and set the juice aside. 

Then beat your eggs until frothy in a large bowl or over-sized measuring cup, set that aside as well.

Once the chicken is done remove it from the broth and transfer to a cutting board to cool.

Add the orzo to the pot and let the broth simmer until the orzo is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove chicken meat from the bone and shred or dice into bite size pieces.

Next, very slowly add your lemon juice to your eggs, beating the eggs the entire time.

Once the eggs and lemons are blended you will temper the mixture by slowly adding hot broth to the mixture one ladle full at a time.  Again, you'll need to beat the egg/lemon mixture the entire time you are adding the hot broth.  Once the egg/lemon mixture is close to the same temperature as your broth, remove the broth from the heat and pour in your tempered egg/lemon mixture into the pot.

Put the cut up chicken into the pot, cover it and let it sit for 10 -15 minutes.

Serve with a white wine of your choice and an abundance of crunchy French or sourdough bread with lots of butter.

Enjoy!

Greek soup using avgo - eggs & lemeno - lemons.

The traditional version incorporates all the bits and parts of the lamb, this version is a bit more approachable - using chicken.   My mama taught me how to make it when I was about 10.  I was the official "egg beater"  a very important job as you will see.

Ingredients:

8 cups chicken stock

3 large chicken breasts - bone in, skin removed

3 stalks celery - finely diced

2 carrots - finely diced

1 large onion - finely diced

Juice of 4-5 lemons depending on how juicy they are

1/2 Cup Orzo

3 - 4 eggs depending on what size eggs you are using.

Pour chicken broth into a large stock pot and bring it to a boil.

Reduce the heat until the broth is simmering, add your diced veggies and your chicken breasts.  Allow to simmer until the veggies are soft and the chicken breasts are cooked through - about 20-30 minutes depending on how large the breast are.

While the chicken and veggies cook juice your lemons and set the juice aside. 

Then beat your eggs until frothy in a large bowl or over-sized measuring cup, set that aside as well.

Once the chicken is done remove it from the broth and transfer to a cutting board to cool.

Add the orzo to the pot and let the broth simmer until the orzo is cooked through, about 5-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, remove chicken meat from the bone and shred or dice into bite size pieces.

Next, very slowly add your lemon juice to your eggs, beating the eggs the entire time.

Once the eggs and lemons are blended you will temper the mixture by slowly adding hot broth to the mixture one ladle full at a time.  Again, you'll need to beat the egg/lemon mixture the entire time you are adding the hot broth.  Once the egg/lemon mixture is close to the same temperature as your broth, remove the broth from the heat and pour in your tempered egg/lemon mixture into the pot.

Put the cut up chicken into the pot, cover it and let it sit for 10 -15 minutes.

Serve with a white wine of your choice and an abundance of crunchy French or sourdough bread with lots of butter.

Enjoy!

Classic Greek Chicken

Learning to make Greek Chicken as I was growing up was kind of like a rite of passage.  There was a friendly competition between all the women in my family as to who could make the best batch...to see who's version could cause the eater to take that first bite and then close their eyes blissfully.  Even though we all used the same ingredients there is something intangible about what each cook does to this recipe that can make it transcend ordinary baked chicken.   

What truly makes me happy is that this recipe has been passed on beyond the familial boundaries and I now have friends who will call up to tell me they made this dish for their family and how well it turned out.  Nothing could make me prouder!

I haven't put exact measurements for some of the ingredients you'll have to trust your palate and use your best judgment with that.  Let me know how it turns out...

Ingredients:

1 whole cut up chicken - discard the innards.  You can also use your favorite chicken pieces, but if you do be sure to use bone in chicken with the skin on.  Even if you remove the skin later, trust me, it will be much better if you cook with the skin on.

1-2 lbs. red potates

Juice of 6 lemons

1 cup white wine

1 can chicken broth

8 garlic cloves  - thinly sliced

olive oil

salt and pepper

Dried Oregano

Preheat oven to 450 degrees

Rinse your chicken and pat it dry

Clean potatoes and depending on the side either cut them in half or quarter them.

Place the chicken in a large roasting pan and scatter the cut up potatoes amongst the chicken pieces.

Drizzle olive oil over the chicken and potatoes - you want to lightly coat each piece - then rub the oil in with your hands.

Pour the lemon juice, half the white wine and half of the can of broth over the chicken & potatoes.

Scatter the garlic slices around the pan.

Season all the chicken generously with salt, pepper and oregano.  Don't be shy - you don't want wimpy flavors - think Greek!

Place the pan in the oven and let it bake for 20-30 minutes until the skin starts to brown.  Baste the chicken, then lower the heat to 375 degrees.  Bake for another 40-60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, basting at least every 20 minutes - you can do it more if you like. 

Note:  If the sauce in the bottom of your pan begins to dry out, add the remaining wine and chicken broth.  If not,  drink the wine and keep the chicken broth for another day.

Once the chicken is done,  remove it from the oven, cover  the pan with foil and let it sit for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Peasant Salad or Corn Salad along with a nice white wine and a toasted baguette to sop up all that fabulous lemony sauce!

Opa!!

A Little Slice of Sushi Heaven

4 on 6 - A Fresh Sushi Find

By Erinn Eichinger

Reprinted with permission from Sun Community Newspapers - 2008

The San Fernando Valley is a hot spot for top notch sushi restaurants - you don’t have to drive more than a mile down Ventura Blvd.to find one. 

But isn't it my mission to find places that are amazing YET undiscovered.  Oh yes it is.

Enter 4 on 6. 

One of the first things you'll notice is that it doesn’t look like your average sushi joint.  The space has a modern meets Zen vibe with a beautiful, rough hewn, wooden sushi bar.  There is also jazz streaming out of the speakers.  Music in a sushi bar?  Jazz in a sushi bar?

If you do go you'll get a really warm welcome.  If you go more then twice they'll greet you by name - how often does that happen in L.A? .

After placing our drink orders – Japanese beer and a surprisingly yummy unfiltered sake in a very girly pink bottle – we checked out the specials.   We then asked our sushi chef Saito what he would recommend.  Without a word he pointed to the specials board he said anything on that list would be terrific.  Who are we do disagree?

FYI there are no prices on the specials menu so if budget is an issue, make sure to ask. But then again, if budget is an issue - you might not be eating sushi very often.

We started off with Spanish Mackerel sushi.  Amazing.  A touch of garlic was the only garnish and it was so good with a velvety texture.

Next?  Sea Bass sushi. 

This came with a spot of chili and lemon along with a sprinkling of sea salt.  As he set the plate down Saito said, rather gruffly , “no soy sauce!”  Okay.  Again, who am I to argue? I love a man who takes charge.  Besides, he was totally right, the flavor was light, the texture delicate and soy sauce would have just taken away from the blend of flavors. At that point we went for Hamachi – or Yellow tail - sashimi. 

The portion was generous and this time, since Saito didn't say anything, we tried a little soy sauce.  The Hamachi’s buttery flavor was to die for.

The vibe is really laid back and we never felt rushed.  We sipped our beer, the creamy sake, and just people watched. 

Surprise, surprise with in minutes we were hungry for more so we got a Spicy Scallop Hand Roll, not on the specials menu.  Unfortunately,  this was the low point in an otherwise stellar experience.

The spicy roll was not spicy and there was way too much rice and seaweed paper that overpowered the fish.  In his defense I will say that Saito himself does not make the rolls – he leaves that task to one of the other chefs working the sushi bar.

Hoping to get back on a roll (ha, ha, no pun intended) we went back to the specials menu …this time taking a chance on the Toro – or Fatty Tuna.  It was seared with a kitchen torch and served with a ponzu sauce.  Score one for Saito!  This was so mouth-watering we ordered another round.   

We finished up with some fresh water eel flown in from Japan.  It had a melt in your mouth quality that again need no assistance from soy sauce or wasabi.  In fact, I touched my soy sauce only once the entire meal, that pretty much says it all.

The bill came to about 125.00 for two, with drinks.   A bit pricey?  It depends on your point of view.  For us it's a no brainer.  Incredibly fresh fish, good variety, and Saito.  He's not exactly a Sushi Nazi but it's clear he is really passionate about what he does.  Good enough for me.

Wine Tasting on the Central Coast

I'll never forget my first foray into wine tasting - it happened about 4 years ago.  At 35 - I’d been drinking wine for years - ever since those giddy high school days when a Peach Bartles and James seemed so fancy. 

From B and J I graduated into Chablis (gag) or a fine Carlo Rossi Rhine Wine (you know the ones in the green jug) or the ever so popular White Zinfandel.  Later I left the tuttie fruitie wines behind and found a Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc...ooooooohhh.  Eventually I acquired a taste for bigger wines like a good meaty cab or a spicy Shiraz.  But up until that warm summer day in the Central Coast I'd never actually gone wine tasting and I have to admit I was more then a little intimidated! 

The Central Coast  is a great place to lose your wine tasting virginity.  The wineries are smaller and for the most part pretty unpretentious.

Following the Foxen Wine Trail is a user friendly way to try out different wineries and check out the gorgeous scenery. You can pick up a map at any winery and make your way from one end to the other.

Our first stop at the Rancho Sisquoc Winery was the most memorable.

 

Tucked away in a grove of shady trees, they’ve set up their tasting room in a rustic old barn. We walked out to the deck in the back which was dappled with sunlight and approached the make-shift counter. The woman working the counter greeted us warmly and then said "you guys are here to wine taste? You look more like beer   drinkers."  Don't get me wrong, I love a good beer, but what the hell does that mean? It's not like I walked in with a Green Bay Packers jersey and a cheese head hat on. Rather then get my panties in a knot I decided it was her attempt at bonding with her customers. Awkward.

Once we got past that we got to the tasting.   To be honest I don’t remember much about the wines because I was a bit more focused on the etiquette of the moment;  do I spit the wine out?  No.  What are the pitches of water for?  Not drinking – cleaning out your glass when changing from reds to whites or visa versa.  And the most important – do I have to drink every sip, of every pour, at every winery?  An emphatic, NO.  That’s what the urns on the counter are for and you will not hurt anyone’s feelings if you dump the wine out – you are paying for it – do with it what you will.   It’s a rookie mistake and one I made – let’s just say I don’t really remember the last winery – but I do remember the headache I had the next morning, vividly.

From Sisqouc we found our way to my favorite winery in the Central Coast, Zaca Mesa.  It’s in a beautiful setting with trails for walking and picnic tables.  Plus the staff is for the most part super laid back.

It was at this second winery that I decided to employ my journalistic background and go with the notion – there is no such thing as a stupid question.  From that point on I announced at every counter that this was in fact my first time tasting and that I knew very little about what made good wine or what in fact I was supposed to be smelling or tasting. I knew what I liked – and that was about it.  I then proceeded to ask every question – basic or otherwise.    This approach worked famously!  It instantly broke down any barriers and the day got exponentially better from there.

We went on to visit Curtis, Fess Parker, Firestone and a couple other spots on the trail.  By days end I’d gotten used to the words nose, finish, legs, bouquet and more.  But I still didn’t always taste tobacco in my reds or grass in my whites. 

By the end of the day I was feeling no pain – and was very happy I was not the designated driver.  The wineries close, for the most part, around 5 o’clock and I believe my head hit the pillow that night around 8.  Which brings me to my last tips:  First, there is nothing wrong with sharing a tasting – it’s perfectly acceptable and it can save you some cash at the end of the day, second relax and have fun – it’s a great day full of beautiful natural settings, really cool people and wine – now that definitely doesn’t suck.