Sunday, March 7, 2010

On the Hunt

I was on the hunt in California this week for that endangered species - the elusive client. We had a moderately successful week (by New Economy standards) with three almost yes results. Normally business is pretty much business. Unless I'm traveling with Partner Frank (who has starred in such posts as Scenes from Iowa). Frank for some bizarre reason is willing to go along with almost any culinary escapade I suggest. (He tried sushi for the first time back in 2005 when we were in Columbia, S.C.).

So we had to drive together from So Cal to the Monterey/Salinas area, a five hour drive. We stopped in Paso Robles for lunch where I directed him to a hole in the wall Mexican place. I was not disappointed. They had a variety of classics and a ton of salsas. I ended up with a taco with ropas viejas (roasted poblano chiles) and a gordita with lengua (look it up)

A sample of the salsas - I couldn't begin to know what they all were but they were good.

My gordita

Partner Frank with burrito
Frank really likes motor sports. We were early arriving in the area and on our way to the hotel we passed Laguna Seca, a famous auto racing rack. We decided to see if we could get in. There was no one stopping us and it turned out there was some practice racing going on. Very cool. We were able to go to the famous Corkscrew Turns (see map).

Bad Pictures of Corkscrew Turn and Raceway



For dinner I had spied a Korean BBQ place in Marina last time we were there and I was hot to try it. It did not disappoint.

Partner Frank with Shoju (for more on Shoju read Motherrocker post)

As always, lots of kimchi and other salted, brined goodies

Our meat and chicken cooking away

Some of the meat in a lettuce leaf with some miso paste

After our business Friday morning, Frank dropped me off at good friends Mister Steve and Lady Di. Steve took the afternoon off and we went to a park along the Pacific and walked for a couple of hours. It is always great being with them.




Lady Di kicked butt for dinner as always. This night she made roasted shellfish (lobster, crab, prawns) with a mushroom risotto and a salad.



Ahhhh - Satisfaction
Steve wanted to get a shot of me with these classy white slippers.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

I've seen worse slippers. And the afternoon off looked relaxing.

terri said...

I was going to give you a hard time for sending me to look up something that I know damn well you could have explained to me. But it was worth it. I got a laugh out of it. Somehow, I'm not surprised. So... it's good? I'm guessing it's very tender?

The walk with Steve & Lady Di looks very picturesque. I love the photo of the mushroom.So colorful against a nearly black and white background!

Love your slippers! All they're missing is a little cotton tail and some bunny ears!

Anonymous said...

how on earth do you find out about these hole in the wall restaurants?? All the salsas look intriguing. I love salsa.

Mike said...

Beef tongue?? Really? Sometimes broadening my horizons doesn't sound like such a good thing. Haha.

I need to get me a pair of slippers like that. My feet are always cold.

Lakeview Coffee Joe said...

So that was a "work" trip to California?? Seems like lots of eating and doing fun stuff. Where was the work??

de-I said...

Hey Lakeview, nobody's committing to retain us so I might as well enjoy myself when I have the time to.

alexis said...

WOW. that whole trip looks excellent, but now I wonder if our week there is exclusively to blame for expansion in the belly area...