Well, seems like the season for Top Ten’s on Roadfood so I’ll throw mine into the mix for 2010. These were the outstanding meals I had in 2010. It was hard to whittle the list down------I had some exceptional food this year. So here goes---my favorite Roadfood Meals for 2010.
Well, seems like the season for Top Ten’s on Roadfood so I’ll through mine into the mix for 2010. These were the outstanding meals I had in 2010. It was hard to whittle the list down------I had some exceptional food this year. So here goes---my favorite Roadfood Meals for 2010.
1. Soft-shell Crab and Crawfish Tail Po’Boy at Big Daddy’s Grill in Fairhope, AL. The crab was huge and flavorful, with enough crawfish tails to make a whole separate sandwich. With their hand batter onion rings and remoulade dipping sauce, this was my hands-down Favorite.
2. Posole Estilo-Jalisco at La Super Rica in Santa Barbara, CA. I’ve had Posole many times over the years, but the richness of the broth, the succulent, tender chunks of pork and the tortillas made only a minute before the food is served make this a winner.
3. Ceviche Mixta with Aji Chombo Salsa, Albero’s Café, Puerte Amador (Panama City) Panama. The Ceviche was excellent, with pieces of plump shrimp, corvina and octopus , but what sent this over the top was the Panamanian specialty, the Aji Chombo Sauce. Made with habaneros, garlic, onion, olive oil and some other ingredients, it was one of the hottest sauces I’ve ever had, but so rich in flavor that the burn was a glow in different stages, somehow allowing the other flavors to shine though. My new standard of measurement for a hot salsa.
4. Oktoberfest Sausage, Pepper Tree Sausage House, Albany, OR. When you hear that someone makes their own sausages from scratch, they usually are special. Grilled with fried onions, mustard and sauerkraut, this is the Porsche of sausage sandwiches---small, but with big flavors. A handmade fresh bratwurst that’s been smoked, the flavors blended well and the smoking was lightly done so it didn’t overpower the delicate spices in the brat.
5. Smoked Salmon Cheeks, Buoy’s Best Fish Market, Gearhart, OR. You can’t go wrong with fresh smoked salmon in the Pacific Northwest, but when they use the best part, the cheeks, it’s got to be a winner. The richness of the salmon meant that it went a long way and the mildness of the cure accentuated the salmon flavor without overpowering it. Being a fish market, I bought a chunk and was able to enjoy it for three days straight. If it could have lasted for the drive home, I would have bought 50 pounds! (Note—plating in the picture is mine-----they just sell fish by the piece and pound). Some crostini and I was a happy camper!
6. Chile Relleno, LA Tapatia, Phoenix, OR. When fellow RF’er Bill Voss invited me to join him at a Mexican restaurant near him, I’d pretty much been disappointed with the Mexican food in Oregon. What I did find at his choice was one of the top Chile Relleno I’ve ever had. A nice sized pasilla stuffed with real Mexican cheese, the batter was fluffy and light and the sauce not overpowering, chili-based rather than that tomatoey-chili stuff most places call enchilada sauce and use on just about everything.
7. Barbecue Pork Ribs----When I got back from Alabama, we went direct from the airport to dinner-------ribs. It was a good chance to compare what I’d just had at several places in AL, including my favorite, the Hickory House BBQ. My call was to stop at Jaybee’s BBQ in Gardena, a place of some notoriety since it’s owned by Beverly Neely, of the Interstate BBQ Memphis, DD&D and TVFN “Down Home with the Neely’s” Family. The place has the right look, but I wondered if it would live up to its hype. No inside seating, just a few picnic tables outside, but the ribs at both places had the right combination of toothiness and tenderness, smoked to that almost falling off the bone point that is Nirvana for rib lovers. I had a hard time deciding which ribs I liked better. Hickory House gets the nod on the sides and hospitality, but the flavor on both was excellent.
HICKORY HOUSE
JAYBEE'S
8. Seafood Gumbo, Jerry’s Cajun, Pensacola, FL. Up to now, my favorite gumbo had been at Guy’s Gumbo Shack in Fairhope and the Gumbo Pot in Farmer’s Market in L.A. Jerry’s had the same richness of broth but also had that elusive flavor which causes sane men to want to lick the bowl in public. Nice chunks of shrimp crab and oysters in it. I’ll still frequent the Gumbo Pot in LA since they do the best in Los Angeles, but Jerry’s takes top spot for the depth of flavor in the roux.
9. Lamb Dip Sandwich, Philippe’s the Original, Los Angeles, CA. Every time I try a French dip sandwich someplace I go away disappointed. Philippe’s has set the bar so high that I’ve pretty much given up ordering it any place else. The dipping broth has the depth of flavor you can’t find anyplace else. If I had to choose an order of favoritism, it would be lamb, pork and then beef. The mustard too is a necessity. It sends the flavor over the top. I’ve been going there since I was a kid and the excitement is still the same when I walk in. And it’s great to know that double-dipping is part of the ordering!
10. Chili Size, Gaffey Street Diner, San Pedro, CA. A Chili size is basically an open-faced chili burger intended to be eaten with knife and fork. I have eaten many a one all over the west (It’s originally an LA invention from the ‘30’s) but my favorite is still at Gaffey Street. The fresh ground beef patty and homemade chili, resting on a buttered sliced bun and covered (if requested) by lots of cheddar cheese and raw onion, make this the easy way to enjoy one of the best chili burgers around.
I was going to do honorable mentions but I think I’ll leave it at this. If anyone is interested, I can add them in. In the meantime, Happy Holidays to ALL!
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