Road Food

For some particular reason people are often interested in what I have been eating. This road trip was a mixed bag, the agony and the ecstasy, as it were. Started the thing off with a Tommy's Burger in Barstow, a culinary repast that usually christens every journey eastward on the Interstate 40.

You either love Tommy's chiliburgers or you hate them, I happen to love them.

The best meal I had in town was by far the proscuitto wrapped trout at Il Piatto with Joseph and Linda.

Served on a crisp polenta cake with wild mushrooms, it was superb, as was the rest of the meal which included calamari and I forget.

Haven't touched a drop in nine months but had to have a sip of the most excellent Italian valpolicella.

Tried Himalayan food for the first time with Michael Horsley at Tibet Kitchen. Decent and interesting, not exactly thrilling. Had the momos and some other stuff. Would give it another go and see if there was something else on the menu that I liked better.

Had a great meal at Denny's after the show one night with Eich, Jeter, Friedman, Bradford and Musial.

I had the pot roast and I am not kidding, it was pretty damn good. Plus they are putting jalapenos in the creamed corn now as a special. Would eat it again in a heartbeat.

Ate a lot of meals at the Pantry. Corned beef hash has gone way down hill, sorry to say. Durango omelette is the ticket there, with a light dollop of green chile. Most boring sopapilla I have ever tasted.

Ate at La Fonda one morning for good luck. I always get the trout but stayed with fruit and yogurt this time. It is a tradition for me to eat there and the one waiter has been there for a thousand years. Love the room.

Big crew one night at Gabriel's in Tesuque. I had never been really crazy about their food but my carne adovada this night was incredible, a rich, piquant sauce. Most Fallbrookians don't get really excited about table side guacamole, yawn.

Had smoked duck hash at the Tuneup one morning that sounded better than it tasted with Barry and Sarah. Ate at Harrys a couple times, always good, turkey enchiladas once and turkey meatloaf another time and I forgot what I ate on the third try.

Best strawberry scone I have ever tasted out at Cafe Fina on the old Las Vegas Highway. Had decent Peruvian at Sabor Peruano at DeVargas Mall.

Had a great night and meal with the girls at the Grille at Quail Run. I went for the chicken schnitzel. Talked long into the night with Vicky and Terry, Jan retired early. We dug deep.

Ronnie Guy brought me an Arby's Roast beef and cheddar sandwich one day, practically inedible. I don't know what that stuff was but it was not cheese. Carl's burger was better the next day.

Feldman and Bowman joined me for a wonderful meal at the Duke City Kitchen on the way home.

I guess I will save the worst for last. Stopped at the Hopi Travel Plaza near Holbrook. Restaurant now shuttered, place pretty beat up. But there is a Burger King inside. It looked really dangerous but I was hungry. Ordered the mozzarella sticks and chicken nuggets. Tasted like they deep fried the stuff in forty weight motor oil, perhaps hadn't changed it out since the Clinton administration. There was a white fungal looking chemical bubbling up on the side of one of the extruded chicken kabobbers that had me a little worried. I threw half of the thing in the trash but confess to eating a few of them out of shear sheer hunger and desperation. Waited a few minutes to see if I would expire and got back on the road.

Not the usual trip for me culinarily speaking. No cashew mole enchilada at the Plaza Cafe. No Jambo, no Santa Cafe, was invited to Geronimo once but gracefully declined. I decided not to treat myself to one of those places unless I had a major victory and they were unfortunately not forthcoming. But Il Piatto was as good as I remember either of them at their best so I am not complaining.

The main thing was not to overdose on green chile. I stuck with the hotter red most of the time, it is ultimately more forgiving to my tender constitution. I can eat so much green chile and all is fine and then I hit the tipping point and it ain't pretty.

Hit Tommy's on the way back too.

Bon Appetito!