Every year my family and I take a trip to a campground just north of Santa Barbara called El Capitan Canyon.  It’s a great place to cook over an open fire.

El Capitan Canyon is best known for their glamping amenities.  And by glamping I mean glamorous camping.  You can either stay in a cabin that has a full size bed, bathroom, and small kitchenette.  If you’re feeling a bit adventurous you can stay in one of their tents.  Instead of sleeping in a sleeping bag on the ground the tent comes with a full size bed that’s complete with fluffy comforters and pillows.  Every campsite comes with a fire ring and a grate for your basic cooking.  This is what really draws me to this spot year after year.   Not only do I get to spend quality outdoor time with my family but I also get to cook over an open fire using the grate and my cast iron cookware.

Year after year I like to try out new over the fire recipes and after attending Cochon 555 a competition between 5 chefs who cook a whole pig in Los Angeles my obvious choice for this camping trip was pig; roasted pig.  I’ve always dreamed of roasting a whole pig on a rotisserie over an open fire and now I had the opportunity.

The first order of business was to find a rotisserie that I could easily setup over the fire ring.  After researching online I came across the portable rotisserie from www.onegrill.com .  The design of the rotisserie was very simple.  It came with a motorized forty-five inch spit that can handle up to forty pounds of meat and is supported by two steel rods that are easily hammered into the ground.  The brackets that support the spit can adjust up and down the length of the rods to allow for the meat to be cooked closer or further from the actual fire.

At Cochon 555 I was introduced to one of the event sponsors, Lindy and Grundy.  They offer a full service sustainable butcher shop in the Los Angeles area that provides meat that’s locally raised and harvested using organic and humane methods.  They provide the highest quality cuts of meat and was a great source to provide a pig for the roast.  Considering the size of the fire ring, length of the spit and the number of family members on the trip, Lindy and Grundy suggested that I roast a suckling pig which is a milk fed piglet between the age of two and six weeks.

This immediately made me think of Lechon Asado, which is a suckling pig that is seasoned with the classic Cuban garlic sauce Mojo Criiollo.   My excitement started to grow as the recipe started to develop in my head.

Lindy and Grundy were able to get me a freshly harvested suckling pig two days before the night of the roast.  It weighed 22 pounds and was 32 inches long.  Once I got the pig home I placed it inside of a very large sealable plastic bag and poured in a brine mixture.  A brine is a mixture of equal parts salt and sugar dissolved in plenty of water.  The mixture helps enhance the true flavor and texture of the pork before cooking.  I then tightly sealed the bag and placed it in the refrigerator overnight.  The next morning the bag was placed inside an ice chest in the back of my car with plenty of ice for transport to the campground.

The morning of the roast I removed the pig from the brine and used a syringe to inject the mojo criollo all over the inside of the body.

For some extra flavor I decided to make a stuffing of apples, red onions, sage, apple cider vinegar, salt and black pepper. I placed the stuffing inside the cavity of the pig and used a larding needle and butchers twine to stitch the cavity shut.  The funny part was I couldn’t find a single larding needle after visiting three high-end cooking/restaurant stores.  The closest thing to a needle that I could find was a metal skewer with a large round eyelet on one end.  When I was ready to stitch up the pig I had to use a rock to bash the round eyelet shut so that it would not snag with each pass through the pigskin.

With the pig prepped it was now time to insert the spit through the pig.  The spit comes with two adjustable forks that go on each side of the pig lengthwise to firmly secure it in place.  To further secure the pig in place butcher twine is used to tie the legs closely to the body.  The main objective is to tie the pig as tightly together as possible so it rotates smoothly and cooks evenly.

Now it was time to start the fire.  The benefit of cooking in the central part of California is the availability of red oak.  This is great wood to cook over since it produces a mellow and flavorful smoke.   After I had glowing embers I placed the pig over the fire and started the rotisserieengine.  The pig started to rotate slowly.  As it reached it’s first half turn with the four legs now on top the weight of the pig shifted, resulting in a faster second half turn.  I quickly realized that one side of the pig would cook faster since one side was taking longer to turn over the fire. The spit comes with a counter weight to help with the lopsided weight of the pork.   It helps a little but not enough so I had to stop the motor from time to time to allow the other side of the pig to catch up and cook evenly.

Logs of red oak were added as needed to keep the fire going.  I found myself constantly tending to the fire by moving embers around to even out the heat across the body of the pig.  My anticipation of a great meal grew with every turn as I watched the suckling pigs skin color turn from pale pink to rich amber.

With the pork in full swing slowly roasting over the hot embers a communal feeling took over the campsite and everyone gathered to watch the rotating pig.   As the day became night the news and aroma of the roasting suckling pig made the rounds around El Capitan.  We began to notice increased foot traffic around our campsite.  I don’t think many of these campers expected to see a pig roast.

For the last hour I basted the suckling pig with Cola to help crisp and sweeten the roasted skin.   The end result is what is called Crackling.  The skin hardens and starts to crack resulting in salty bacon like crunchy chips.

The roasted pig was removed from the spit and allowed to rest.

The feast started with appetizers of freshly sliced crackling, light and tender pig cheeks, and the slightly chewy but incredibly flavorful pig ears.   It then quickly moved to the main course of pulled pork and baby back ribs, dipped in mojo criollo.

All of the meat was fork tender with hints of sweetness from the mojo criollo and the gentle smoky kiss from the red oak.  The most important flavor that did not get lost was that of pork.  This was a delicious suckling pig that was enjoyed by all under the California stars.

As a father of two young girls, I have finally reached an important milestone.   Gone are the days of having to wolf down a meal in order to carry a misbehaving child out of a restaurant so that my wife can finish her meal in peace.  Gone are the days of children going under the table to antagonize their siblings.  Gone are the days of asking my daughters, “Do you want a cheeseburger, mac and cheese, or chicken fingers?”

Now my children want the grown up  menu.  These kids want to go to the restaurants that serve grilled artichokes with garlic aioli and roasted pork belly.  We still have to remind them to chew with their mouth’s closed and to place their napkins on their laps after being served.  But most importantly they are respectful of those who serve us our food.

Now I can travel and not have to worry about childcare while I go out and dine.  The girls can now join us in exploring great restaurants.

With that being said I planned a trip and we went to New York City.

The following represents my list of restaurants that we visited and enjoyed.

Reservations Required – Drop everything and start calling.

DBGB Kitchen and Bar

Cool place to get some excellent beers and gourmet sausages.  This is a smart casual restaurant that has great pots and pans on display donated by some of the best chefs in the city.

Les Halles

The classic French bistro made famous by Anthony Bourdain.  This is a great place to get some straightforward French food like steak and frites.

Momofuku Restaurants – can’t go wrong with any of these restaurants.  Straightforward and good.

Ma’ Peche

Noodle Bar

Ssam Bar

Otto’s

A fun family restaurant.  The entrance is like an Italian railroad station and when your table is ready the train departure board shows your name.  Great little pizzas, simple pastas, and great cured meats.

Peter Luger Steakhouse

The classic New York Steakhouse where you can only get a steak medium rare.  A steak for two can feed a family of four.  Make sure sure to get the house bacon and leave room for dessert, which they serve with a big bowl of freshly made, whipped cream.

No Reservations Accepted

John’s Brickhouse Pizza

Great sit down pizza joint in Greenwich Village.

The Spotted Pig

I love this place.  Every neighborhood should have this type of Gastro Pub.  Good food and good people.

La Esquina

Decent tacos.  Not as good as Los Angeles but it does the trick.

Patzeria Pizza

If you’re hustling to get to a Broadway show and it’s too late for a sit down dinner.  Try this pizza stand in the heart of the theater district.  This place hits the spot.  Get yourself a big slice of pizza and make sure to tip the boys.

Vosges Chocolate

When you find yourself shopping around Soho and you need a little bit of pickup, drop into Vosges Chocolate for a great bite of gourmet chocolate or drink.

For a complete list of my favorite restaurants in New York City check out my Google Map.  Get lost in New York and access via your smart phone for the nearest good eats.
View SimpleFoodie New York Restaurants in a larger map.

It was a Friday afternoon and while browsing my Twitter  feed I came across a post from Lindy and Grundy.   They’re a new butcher shop in Los Angeles that sells local, pastured and organic meat.  I first became acquainted with them when I saw their name on the Cochon 555 website and then later running around the event helping out with the butcher competition and serving as judges for the competition.

On Twitter they posted:

Beef ‘n bacon grind makes the BEST burger you’ll ever have!! Top it off with Farmstead original blue cheese, caramelized onions & arugala!

That really peaked my curiosity and since I was in the neighborhood I decided to stop by and check out their shop.

What a great shop.  Super clean and bright with an impeccable selection of meats.  So much different from you what you’d expect from your local plastic wrapped supermarket meat cases.  The meat is fresh, vibrant and just beautiful.

I met Amelia Posada aka Shop Mama (total sweetheart) who described to me the Beef’n Bacon Grind.  It is comprised of 50% pork belly and is ground fresh daily.  The grind was impressive so I took home a pound to make some extra special burgers for my family.

I bought some great Kaiser rolls, heirloom tomatoes, and made a balsamic onion relish.

I formed two 1/2-pound patties with no seasoning, it doesn’t need it.

Preheated the oven to 375 degrees and warmed up a cast iron skillet over high heat.

I coated the skillet with two tablespoons of vegetable oil and seared each side of the burgers for 2 minutes.

I then placed the skillet in the oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking.

The burgers were excellent.  Juicy and tender with a great smokey bacon flavor.

I can’t wait till June when they’ll be finish dry aging 6 steers.  Their meat cases will be bursting with some incredible cuts of beef.

Check out Lindy and Grundy at http://lindyandgrundy.com/

It’s Sunday morning and I’m hankering for a good strong cup of coffee so I decide to go visit the new Intelligentsia in Old Town Pasadena. This is the first Intelligentsia east of the 5 freeway in the greater Los Angeles/hipster area. I’ve been to other high-end coffee shops before like LA Mill and understand the thought and mission behind these establishments. Provide the best in season coffee from small organic farms and brew in the best way possible to produce the perfect most flavorful cup of coffee.

When you enter Intelligentsia you are greeted with a simple printed menu with coffee and tea choices.

Behind the bar there are two espresso machines.

A section for siphoned coffee that looks like they are heated by infrared burners underneath.

And a section for individually brewed cups of coffee.

Against the wall there are large stainless steel containers that look like they hold gallons of coffee but they actually hold filtered water and there are digital temperature displays at the top holding the water at the correct temperature for coffees and teas.

As I reviewed the menu and approached the barista I have to admit I was in a Starbucks frame of mind. Blurt out some crazy multi layered coffee order as quick as possible, give my name so they can write it on the cup, pay and run over to the pick up area. Instead I was greeted by a chill barista with a hey buddy calm down tone. I immediately got what this place was all about. Take your time because we’re going to take the right amount of time to produce the best cup of coffee. This isn’t a race but a true experience so take your time ordering and ask all the questions you like because we like talking about coffee then take a seat and chill out. We’ll serve your coffee when it’s truly ready to be served.

That being understood I ordered siphon brewed Kenya Thiriku, which was roasted on 8.11.10. They describe it as follows:

Effervescent acidity of marmalade and lime. Rhubarb, peach and blackberries with an underbelly of dark chocolate and fig bars. Hints of spiced rum in the finish.

When it was ready they called me up to the bar and informed me that if I needed sweeteners or dairy products to cloud the true flavor of this awesome coffee it was on the counter by the front of the store. They didn’t actually say that but I got that vibe. Hey buddy this is good coffee don’t mess it up by adding anything to it. Enjoy the pure flavor of these perfectly roasted beans that are brewed with the purest water at the optimal temperature.

So I sat down and happily drank my coffee sans milk and sugar with my croissant. It was a pure cup of good coffee that went down smoothly. It wasn’t too hot. It didn’t have a kick or bitter taste to it. It tasted just right. I can go into some frilly description but it just tasted right.

As I sat there I observed the other customers as they approached the barista. They too were searching for a menu board. They looked confused and apprehensive. One customer brought their coffee back to the counter and said that it was not hot enough and asked if it could be microwaved. I saw the barista’s eyes widen and they politely told the customer that there were no microwaves on the premises. Microwaving coffee is considered a cardinal sin in the coffee world and the good news is that another person in this world has learned this fact.

Is America ready for these types of coffee shops? The answer is yes. We’ve had good and now we’re ready for better. I feel like Will Ferrell in the movie Elf. Congratulations you’ve done it. World’s best coffee! Keep doing what you’re doing Intelligentsia.

It was Cinco de Mayo and having just arrived in New York we did want to stress on having to meet a reservation time.  So based on what we read and heard we decided on the Spotted Pig, which is known as New York’s first Gastro pub. It is owned by April Bloomfield (Chef) and Ken Friedman and located in the Meat Packing District of New York.

As our cab started to enter the area one could hear a real loud crowd much like what one would experience at a stadium.  We realized that we were passing the Bier Garden at the Standard Hotel, which is outdoors, and underneath what appears to be a freeway underpass.   I could see the taps of the outdoor bar with hundreds of people around surprisingly celebrating Cinco de Mayo.   More and more wasted twenty something’s roaming the streets with their sombreros and serapes.  It always cracks me up to see people in the early stages of getting buzzed with lots of smiling faces.

With one turn our cab took us into a quiet and quaint little neighborhood away from the raucousness and there we spotted a spotted pig hanging over a door of a quaint tavern.     And that’s what the Spotted Pig really is a quaint candlelit tavern in a building that dates back to 1836.

As we enter we were lucky to score the last table.  The tables are tiny with small stools to sit on.  The windows are filled with plants in old food tin cans.

It has charmingly rich colored cluttered walls filled with anything and everything that has to do with pigs.   On one of the walls is a chalkboard with all the scribbled specials.

Its a simple place that you truly feel at home.  There is no pretentiousness or attitude so one can truly enjoy a meal.

As we strained to read the menu against the candle on the table we were surprised to find simple dishes with some amazing ingredients.

We placed our order and shortly thereafter our small table was filled with the following dishes:

Grilled Octopus with Fennel & Pickled Onion

Thick cuts of octopus perfectly grilled and topped with the nice sweet crunch of sweet shaved fennel and followed by the always welcomed vinegary flavored pickled onion that helps to open up all the other flavors of a dish.

Sheep’s Ricotta Gnudi with Brown Butter & Sage

Gnudi is like gnocchi the Italian boiled potato dough.   This turned out to be their most popular dish and it was no surprise.  The sheep’s ricotta provides a deep rich flavor in a surprisingly light and airy package.  Topped with brown butter and sage takes one over the top.

Soft Boiled Araucana Egg with Sardine and Ramp Soldiers

Now this dish I had to have.  When I was younger we raised chickens.  And being a suburban chicken farmer (6 chickens in all) one always did research on other chickens.  The thought of getting colored eggs from a chicken always fascinated me.  Unfortunately you had to order at least 36 chicks.  So my dream was never realized.  Now in front of me stood a softly poached Araurana egg surrounded by delicately toasted small slices of bread and a mixture of sardines and ramps.  I delicately tapped the top of the egg to crack the shell and carefully removed the shell to see the glorious bright and rich yolk of the egg.  I took a piece of the toasted bread and spread some of the sardine mixture and then dipped it in the egg yolk.  It was spectacular.  There is something great about dipping bread into egg yolks.

Ramp Champ

Now this time of year in New York ramps can be found on many menus in New York.  Ramps are like green onions or scallions that grow wild on the east coast.  Their flavor is like an onion.  And champ is an Irish dish that is basically mashed potatoes.    In this case milk or cream is warmed up and ramps are added with butter.  The mixture is then poured over boiled potatoes and then mashed.  More butter is then added.  It is just the best comfort food.

To drink we had Spotted Pig Bitter which is a cask beer and defined as followed on the Spotted Pig’s website:

Cask-conditioned ale is the traditional beer of Britain. It is unfiltered and undergoes a secondary fermentation in the cask. When that fermentation is finished, the beer is left with a very light natural carbonation and a subtle depth of flavor. The yeasts, its job finished, drops to the bottom of the cask and leaves the beer clear. It is pulled up to the bar by a hand pump, just as it is in England’s Pubs. Cask ales are best enjoyed at a gently chilled cellar temperature. We hope you enjoy this handmade artisanal beer, brewed from the finest malt and hops.

The beer is smooth and mellow, which is great since it did not over power any of our selected dishes.

As our cab took us back through the craziness of the Meat Packing District the early buzzed happiness of the youth had now turned to serious contemplated looks of what had taken place that night.  New York the city of millions of stories.  As we drove off I kept on thinking on how I wished we had a place like this in Los Angeles.  This would be a place I’d happily go to on a weekly basis.   The dishes and the ambiance put us at ease and provided the stage for great simple food memories.  I love a place that makes you feel at home.   This will definitely be a place we’ll have to stop at each time we visit New York.

It’s 11:45 AM and we have a 12-noon reservation at Ko.  We scramble out of our Midtown Manhattan hotel and jump into a cab.

How could I let this happen?  This was one of the hardest reservations to get and I give myself only fifteen minutes to get there?

As usual we encounter crazy New York traffic crawling at 5 miles per hour with drivers tooting their horns.  I kindly ask the driver,  “Can you make it? “ He simply says, “I’ll do my best.”

The driver then turns into Nicholas Cage from Gone in 60 seconds and acted as if he was driving the 67 Fastback Mustang Eleanor.  It was quite a ride.  At one point we were helping to escort a siren blaring ambulance through traffic.

We arrive at the corner of 1^st Avenue and 10^th Street and jumped out of the taxi frantically looking for the restaurant. It’s hard to spot so we have to resort to looking for the address number on the storefronts.  I spot a small lucky peach on a very small smartly decorated door.
We rush in and find a true hole in the wall.  A plywood wall covered hole in the wall.  I could not believe how small it was and as stated in other articles it was a bar that only seated twelve people.  Ten lengthwise and two widthwise.

The location was actually the first of the Momofuku restaurants that housed the popular Noodle Bar.  As the popularity of the restaurant grew of course they needed more space and moved it to a larger location.

As our eyes begin to wander around the room the host/waiter patiently asks, “Did you bring the print out?”  I calmly go through my bag and produce what I consider to be Willy Wonka’s Golden ticket that confirms our reservation.

He escorts us to the first two seats at the bar and places in front of us a card that reads:

Lunch Menu $175

Lunch Pairing $95

The lunch pairing wasn’t just a wine pairing.  It included wine, sake, and beer.  If we didn’t want to do the pairing we could pick from a very extensive list from their bar menu.

Since we’re in New York and I didn’t have to drive we went with the pairing.

As we sat down we really started to look around the restaurant and started to really ponder the vibe of the restaurant and what they wanted to accomplish.

First, it’s all about the food.  There’s nothing fancy about Ko everything is minimalistic.   You’re sitting at a bar and staring at a kitchen and it’s the staff.  And if you’re really into food you’re really going to enjoy it.

Second, cooks rule.  When you read the Momofuku cookbook and the various articles about Ko you understand that David Chang felt like the cooks were getting the short end of the stick.  As the cook’s slaved away in the kitchen they would make a menial salary while the wait staff in front would make a killing through tips.  With Ko being so small and the cooks serving the food all the tips would go to them.

Third, the kitchen is not meant to produce massive quantities of food in short amounts of time.  But is meant to be a stage for the awesome preparation, plating, and presentation of dishes.

Behind the bar I saw the following:

A large convection oven filled with dishes set to a 150 degrees.

Two commercial stoves with griddles, burners, and a grill.

The cookware of choice is All-Clad with some skillets that appear to be cast iron.

There are many clear plastic containers filled with ingredients strategically placed around the kitchen in refrigerated drawers under the bar counter in compartments overhead that the chefs used small knives to fit into the container crevices to pull down.

Everything is tight and efficient in this small kitchen,

There are three chefs working behind the counter with what appeared to be an apprentice chef in the back room that peaked his head out ever so often to get instructions.  The chef’s would give empowering instructions and I’ll I could make out was:  “Just make it taste good and keep it simple.  Words to cook by…

The Chef working in front of us was Tyler Lyne from College Station, Texas.  He asked us, “Do you have any allergies we should know about?  We stated, “No.”  He responded, “Great.”

The Office at Ko

Even the restroom or what they affectionally refer to, as the Office is also all about food. It was probably the coolest little restroom I’ve ever been in. They have a bookshelf filled with all the real cookbooks.  Cookbooks written by the best chef’s in the world and of course I had to take a picture.  It must be a great place to read.

Now I would love to give you a blow-by-blow recount of exactly what we ate with pictures and mouth-watering descriptions but honestly #1 they don’t allow picture taking which I applaud and #2 I really wanted to enjoy the food and be in the moment.  I didn’t want to have a notepad next to me scribbling away about ingredients, taste, etc..  That would be insane since each dish was a fusion – yes I said it a fusion of ingredients.  Lots of Asian ingredients combined with the best local ingredients. Each dish was meticulously and thoughtfully planned and prepared and one could tell hours of preparation were invested.  To try to capture this would take numerous visits to Ko and on top of that the menu is always changing.  What ever is fresh and of the best quality finds it’s way to Ko so there is no set menu.   For our lunch they received a call the night before that there were fresh soft shell crab available.  It ended up being deep fried tempura style in a bento box.  It was awesome.   In all we had over 16 dishes.   I honestly lost count and the pairing didn’t help either as we had a new wine, beer, or sake with each dish which they generously poured.

Lunch took over 3 1/2 hours.  The one dish I had to jot down on my Iphone in my stupor was their signature dish Shaved Foie Gras Lychee and Pine Nut Brittle.  As we watched them prepare the dish an excitement started to build amongst the diners.  We all stopped talking and starting to really concentrate on what the cooks were preparing and the questions began.  What is that?

In a bowl they combined the following:

Canned Lychee – which has been drained and quartered.

Riesling Gelee – Combination of Riesling, gelatin sheets, and rice wine vinegar.  They basically make a gelatin, allow it to set and then scrape it out so that appears like shattered glass.

Pine Nut Brittle – combination of caramelized sugar, glucose, and isomalt.  Roasted pine nuts, unsalted butter, and kosher salt.  Spread out on a parchment paper covered baking sheet and allowed to cool.

On top of this they shaved their personally prepared frozen foie gras.  It is a decadent delight of rich buttery foie gras, sweet lychee, and crunchy pine nut brittle.  With each spoonful the foie gras delicately melts into your mouth with gentle layers of sweetness and saltiness followed by the ever-important crunch.

To say that we got our money’s worth is an understatement.  We had the freshest in season ingredients, prepared with extreme care and style, and plated in the most unique manner.  The food is cutting edge and is truly American since it brings together all the best ingredients America has to offer.

So we were walking up Broadway in Soho and came across the Dean and DeLuca store. We decided to go in to see if they had our favorite hot sauce. And they did!

The best hot sauce!

You can get her hot sauces at any Dean and Delucca or directly from Gabbi at www.gabbimex.com.

Every time I plan a trip to New York I have to try and go to some exclusive place to make the trip more of an experience and a definite time to remember. For the last 4 years I kept on hearing and reading about Momofuku. Great stories about Chef David Chang and the care and love he shows for each dish he prepares.

So what is Momofuku? It’s the name of his restaurant group, which is comprised of five restaurants:

noodle bar, ssäm bar, ko, milk bar & má pêche

Which one should I try to visit?

My trip is for only 4 days so the planning for a reservation had to be well planned out in advance.

The first four restaurants require no reservation, but I’m guessing there will be some waiting involved.

Ko is a restaurant that seats 12 and is basically a bar where the diners sit and face the kitchen.

After visiting the site and reading the FAQ section I realized that I would have to register to make a reservation on their online reservation system. Highly efficient I have to say.

Then I read further. Lunch is only served Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. It is a 3-hour event. Dinner is served 7 days a week and takes 1 1/2 hours. Reservations for lunch can only be made 2 weeks in advance and dinner one week in advance.

So lunch sounded like it was the meal to hit at Ko and I would have more chances to get a reservation if I started 2 weeks in advance.

The reservation system opens every day at 10am Eastern. Since I live on the West Coast that’s 7am for me.

To prepare to get the reservation I registered on the site and set my alarm for 6:55 am the following morning.

My alarm goes off the next morning and I queue up the site. A countdown clock shows with the amount of minutes and seconds before the reservation system opens up. I felt like I was waiting for the stock market to open.

7am hits and a drop down appears. How many diners? The selection shows 1, 2 & 4.

I select 2 and the screen refreshes to show a grid of dates and times. I see X’s and checkmarks. The check marks are the available times. I only saw one check mark so I clicked on it. A pop up window appears saying sorry someone already snagged that time.

Yikes! This is going to be tough. But it made me really want to get a reservation.

I did this for the next couple of mornings to get ready because I really felt like I could not make a mistake or no food for me.

I then pulled out the calendar to figure out which day I could start to try and get a reservation. It turned out to be a Saturday.

That Saturday I was up really early cooking for a Baby Shower and the alarm on my Iphone goes off. I see the screen and I rush to the computer. Five minutes before the reservation opens up. No problem.

The site comes up. I log in and I’m ready to go.

The clock is ticking down and I continually hit the enter button.

7 AM hits and the screen refreshes.

The magic question appears. How many? I click two.

The grid appears. I click to the next screen to get the first available date two weeks away,

I see Friday, 12:00 PM – Check Mark.

I click it.

Yes! I don’t get the Sorry Pop Up.

Screen refreshes I start screaming yes this is going to happen.

But wait another clock appears showing 180 seconds and it starts ticking down.

What? All of a sudden I feel like McGruber. You have to be kidding me.

The screen states that I have to enter a credit card number to secure the reservation. If I fail to make the reservation my credit card will be charged $150. I have 24 hours before my reservation to cancel.

Credit card? Where’s my credit card? I start yelling. Of course I can’t find my wallet with my credit cards. Get me a credit card I yell.. I need a credit card. My wife is looking freaked out at me saying what’s your problem. I yell credit card! Where’s your credit card? “In my purse!” she yells. I dive into the purse and luckily I find the magic card.

I rush back to the computer and this only took me 45 seconds.

I quickly and nimbly type in the credit card information like I’m saving the world if I miskey just one digit.

I click submit and the screen refreshes.

The confirmation screen shows and I am informed my credit card has been accepted. An email confirmation is on its way.

I scramble to get my email up and there it is.

Willy Wonka’s magic ticket. The email says print this up and bring it with you.

Print button hit. Print out generated.

Next stop New York City and Momofuku’s Ko.

Now I need to go out and buy the cookbook so I can prepare for the feast.

Planning culinary pilgrimage to NYC for my birthday and I have made the following reservation’s:

Lupa, Casa Mono, Le Bernardin, & Balthazar.

I plan on standing in line at the Spotted Pig and will try for the elusive online reservation at Ko.

I need some more places.

Have any recommendations?

It’s spring break and the kids are out of school for a whole week.  We’d really like to get away and find a place that satisfies all our needs.

The kids would like access to a pool, beach, and some sights.

The parents want a place where they can chill out and taste some good food and wine.

Our usual eating experience on family vacations is ending up at kid friendly places that offer the typical kids meal items:  pizza, chicken fingers, and macaroni & cheese.

We’re trying to eat healthy nowadays right?  So being someone that loves to cook we looked for a place that has great local ingredients and a hotel that provides a kitchen.

We found the perfect location at the Dolphin Bay Resort in Pismo Beach, California.  It’s on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  It has access to a great little beach that has tide pools.  It has a great infinity pool.  And most importantly each room comes with a fully equipped kitchen to cook some great meals.  They even have 3 gas grills by the pool.  How cool is that?

How many times have you gone on vacation and went strolling through some cool farmers markets specialty gourmet shops that has some great local cheeses and charcuterie?   Then you realize that your hotel only offers a small bar fridge in your room that is usually packed with honor bar items like $5.00 candy bars and bags of peanuts.  Now you can shop to your hearts content because you have the appropriate place to store and prepare your fresh items.

Since Pismo Beach is located in Central California on the coast we had access to fresh seafood, grass fed beef, excellent wineries, and fresh local produce.  Now all we had to do was explore and find some great local ingredients to make some memorable meals as a family.

Cooking on the Road Tip…

Remember you’re not cooking in your own personal kitchen.  Take it easy on what to buy and what to cook.  At home I have almost every spice and condiment.  On the road we needed to limit ourselves to salt, pepper, oregano, basil, olive oil, and vinegar.  You can easily break the bank by buying spices and condiments.  Plus if you’re cooking with really fresh ingredients you should be good shape with just salt and pepper.

So here is what I bought and cooked for the week:

The first night I found a great gourmet shop called De Palo & Sons Provisions that has wonderful imported Italian Pasta.   So I made a basic tomato sauce with crushed plum tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, salt & black pepper.  Boiled up some pasta al dente.  Added the pasta to the sauce for a couple of more minutes to allow the pasta to absorb some of the sauce and served it with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese.  On the side I made a salad of fresh lettuces, tomatoes, red onion, celery, cucumber and simple vinaigrette.

The second night I found a great pork shoulder, fresh tomatillos, and cilantro.  So in an ovenproof stockpot I seared the pork shoulder on all sides and removed it to a plate to rest.  Sauteed some onions and garlic.  Added the tomatillos and placed the seared pork shoulder on top.  Added some chicken broth and brought everything to a boil.  I then placed it in a 350-degree oven to braise for 3 hours.  I served it with some simple Yukon gold roasted potatoes.

The third night was Surf and Turf.   A little ways up the coast is Avila Beach and they have a quaint little pier that has some great little fresh seafood markets.  The important thing to ask is what’s local?  Many fish markets are trying to be full service so they will fly in flash frozen seafood from around the world.  There’s nothing wrong with that but it’s always great to get something freshly caught to add to the memory of a memorable meal.  So we went with some giant oysters from Morro Bay and with some great local Swordfish that was freshly filleted.   For the turf we went with local Santa Maria Tri Tip.

I seasoned up the swordfish and tri tip with salt, pepper, oregano, lemon juice, and olive oil.  Sparked up the grill and started with the tri tip over a medium flame for 45 minutes.  Then added the swordfish and oysters for 10 to 12 minutes.  When the oysters were done the shells opened up to show the beautiful oyster bathing in its own nectar.

This was a great way to keep the family involved, active, and engaged.  Everyone had a role in preparing and serving the meal.

So for your next trip consider staying at a place with a kitchen and sourcing local ingredients.   You’ll be surprised but you’ll be talking about vacation meals for years.

Recipes:

Simple Pasta

Simple Salad

Braised Pork in a Tomatillo Broth

Grilled Oysters

Grilled Swordfish

Santa Maria Tri Tip