The Cured Ham

Whiskey Creek, Mammoth Lakes

Normally, I eat upstairs at Whiskey Creek for simpler fare, fish tacos or a burger, but I felt like a steak and salad. So downstairs it was for The Whiskey Wedge and the Friday night Prime Rib. The metaphor for my dining experience is appropriate for the season in which I'm dining, a 16 year old youth snowboarding with buddies on the slopes of Mammoth for the first time. Fast, somewhat haphazard, and the youthful urge to get down the hill without much style or grace but proclaim to all that he just carved up another killer run.

 

The Wedge was uninspired, as though they didn’t try. Sure the lettuce was cold and generous, but the bleu cheese dressing was loose and underseasoned. The candied walnuts, an afterthought simply put on the side of the salad. There was also some other reddish dressing put over the top of the bleu cheese dressing, to what end I don’t know. Nothing special really, although it came out very quickly from the kitchen.

 

As for the prime rib, it looked perfect and medium rare, but was missing a roasted crust around the outside. Secondly, a brown sauce was poured all over the meat, for what reason I have no idea. The prime rib was cooked properly, so why add some canned or bottled sauce to it? The sauce was horrible and tasted like Campbell’s reduced beef broth combined with pureed mushroom soup, desecrating the prime rib. I took the mashed potatoes and created a dam around my prime rib mitigating some of the damage wrought by the foul sauce.

Another worry I have, the wine list is dated, which may indicate problems with buying habits of both consumers and the staff. There seems to be plenty of wine and plenty of choices, almost too many when it comes to the offerings by the glass, all indicative of confusion rather than vision for what Whiskey Creek should be, a premier dining property in town with clear direction other than speed and tons of offerings. When I see 02, 03, 04 Cabs on the list, that have had recent releases, it begins to worry me. I'm all for having verticals of wine but it's un-necessary at a place like this. They should have recent vintages of the most popular wines in the LA and San Diego area.

As I opened with my reckless snowboarder metaphor, one thing about downstairs at Whiskey Creek that I couldn’t complain too much about…they’re fast; but if I had to do it over again, I’d eat upstairs in the bar. I think this place could be a real gem in Mammoth if they only took a step back, re-evaluated what they were doing, slow down, and think about what they want to do as a professional snowboarder, just go fast and board or step up their game and board the half-pipe with style.

Thai Thai, Bishop, CA

 

Thai Thai at the Bishop Airport: Build it and they will come, should be the motto for this Thai restaurant. Located on the grounds of the Bishop general aviation airfield, Thai Thai has carved out a niche in the Bishop dining scene.

 

Not an elaborate menu for lunch, one page with about a dozen choices. There are a few Thai classics with Pad Thai of course. I went with the deep fried spring rolls and Thai fried rice.

The spring rolls were fried fresh, were nice and crispy, and filled with vegetables. A sweet and sour sauce accompanied the spring rolls. Good, hot and crunchy but not particularly Thai, more Chinese in flavor than Thai. I have tended over the years to appreciate the fresh and unfried spring rolls in Vietnamese cuisine, but as fried spring rolls go, these were very good.

 

The Thai fried rice was another story. This rice was spicy, flavorful, and was more of what I expected from a Thai restaurant. The heat of the dish didn’t come all at once, it built with each bite, almost forcing you to eat more and faster just to work up the necessary perspiration to combat the heat building in your mouth. The shrimp in the dish were cooked properly and there were whole pieces of basil throughout the dish.

 

I wish I had more time in Bishop to eat at Thai Thai at least 3 more times to try a few of the classics. My Jedi senses tell me that this place is a winner and unique among the restaurants along the East Side of California and HWY 395. I look forward to coming here again (and yes, I told my climbing buddies about this place every chance I get).

Black Sheep Espresso Bar, Bishop

The Black Sheep Espresso Bar is tucked into the back of Spellbinder Books in Bishop, CA. Black Sheep roasts their own beans and finds some direct sources. It’s a nice local alternative to the Looney Bean. A simple coffee house with free wi-fi, they serve some baked goods and lunch items. The barista that helped me was friendly and wanted to know how often I “pass through town”; as she was offering the buy 10 get one free regulars card. Of course I ordered an espresso. It certainly packed a punch and was made with a nice crema. I’ll be back.

And next time you pass through Bishop, CA on Highway 395, stop by for a coffee.

The Lakefront Restaurant, Mammoth Lakes

As many of you know, I’ve been coming to Mammoth Lakes for many years, but have never dined at Tamarack. A well regarded establishment and rooted in classical cuisine, I’ve heard from backpacker and seasoned diner alike, this is probably the best place in town. In the winter, the cross-country ski area at Mammoth is located next to the lodge.

It was my first night in Mammoth, so I generally don’t drink alcohol due to the elevation, so I had Sauvignon Blanc with dinner.

I started with the duck confit salad in a truffled dressing, with foie gras medallion and toasted bread. The duck was picked off the bone with no skin and served on the side on the salad. The duck was moist and seasoned. The lettuce mix was simple mixed greens with frisee and matchstick cut pear or apple (I didn’t ask). The bread was a little over grilled and awfully dry, but it didn’t affect the salad’s overall taste. I prefer having the whole duck leg with the skin to pick at when I order confit, but I’ll be honest, it was a good salad.

 

My main course was a cold smoked salmon, finished in the pan to form a crust before service. The salmon was accompanied by a medley of starch and vegetables, polenta cake with peppers, grilled bok choy, creamy potato, roasted beet root, and snap peas. While I have a personal preference for a simple unadulterated polenta cake, each and every garnish was done right. I don’t have a single issue with anything and it’s tough to bat 1000. Each garnish was seasoned, cooked properly, and presented with precision.

 

The salmon was a well-crafted piece of protein. The salmon was quickly cured, then cold smoked briefly to impart the flavor of smoke but not to cook. The salmon was then finished in a sauté pan until the top was golden and crispy. The salmon was well seasoned, hinted of smoke, moist and just plain good. Good use of technique from curing, to smoking, to sauté in order to achieve the finished product. Well done, very well done.

Service was pleasant and relaxed, despite a full dining room. I noticed proper wine service and wine glasses to go with it. Servers smiled, moved around the room hustling, and all the service staff touched my table throughout the evening.  

Burgers Restaurant, Mammoth Lakes

 

What was I thinking not coming to this place 5 years ago? I popped in for lunch and had a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and a salad with bleu cheese dressing (I had the option of fries as well). The salad was cold and the lettuce mix was fresh, but it certainly wasn't the main attraction.

Maybe there’s simply nostalgia for thousand island dressing or “special sauce”, but burgers seem to taste better with some form of thousand island dressing. The bun is thick, fresh and grilled and maintains its shape with each bite, high marks for the bun. The bacon was still crispy and was meaty and thick. The patty is a quarter pounder, cooked medium. As you know, I prefer medium-rare on all burgers because I don’t like a dry patty. However, Burgers Restaurant seems to have avoided the dry patty trap with the addition of special sauce, lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions and whatever their doing to their patties to keep them moist. I still would like medium-rare, but the rest of the burger was so damn good, I’m letting it slide. Look at how photogenic that burger is. It's beautiful. 

Service was efficient and ticket times at lunch were under 10 minutes. I would easily come back for a burger at Burgers. And I'll ask next time if they can cook my patty medium-rare; if so, it should rate as one of the best burgers I've eaten.

Perry's Italian, Mammoth Lakes

A meatball sandwich and a cup of clam chowder doesn’t get any more simple or hearty for lunch. Perry’s did both items justice. Was it a life changing meatball sandwich experience? No, but the sandwich was hot, the meatballs moist, the tomato sauce wasn’t too tangy or sweet, the cheese was melted, and the bread didn’t disintegrate upon my second bite. As for the clam chowder, it was creamy, hot, and well seasoned. This gut-buster of a meal came to just under $11.

Gomez's, Mammoth Lakes

I generally avoid the chaos in the Village, but I haven’t been to the new Gomez’s mega location in The Village at Mammoth Lakes. I sat at the bar and ordered my standard, one carnitas taco and one al pastor taco along with a Negro Modelo. Certainly not the best two tacos I have recently, certainly not the worst. The carnitas were not refried and not crispy. My guess, the carnitas were slow braised, picked apart, cubed and summarily put in a chafing dish at around 3pm to slowly warm until they were put in my taco. The pastor was probably cooked the same way with the addition of spices and sauce and also left in the warm steaming tray until service. The tacos, surprisingly did come with sides of pico de gallo, guacamole, and salsa.

What is the real highlight of Gomez’s? The atmosphere with friends and the selection of tequila. Gomez’s serves over 200 different tequilas. I finished my evening with a sipper of Casa Noble Anejo. Tastes of tobacco, caramel, and vanilla made average tacos digest just a little smoother. And I thank you Mr. Bartender for help with the tequila.

Sushi Bar at JW Marriott, Lima Peru

The Sushi Bar at the JW Marriott was a no-brainer when combined with our late checkout and late flight back to the States. Yes, Americanized, unadventuresome, and pricey by Peruvian standards, but easy.

Peruvian inspired rolls dominated our selections and the ubiquitous Cuzquena filled our bellies nicely. Traditionally wrapped sushi in seaweed and fresh local fish selection, however, the sauces and seasonings were more Peruvian than Japanese. Sauces that we had throughout the trip adorned many of the orders. The only sauce we didn’t care for was a creamy Ranch style blend. I don’t think we had Hidden Valley Ranch at any restaurant in two weeks. I’m exaggerating a bit, the sauce wasn’t Hidden Valley, but it certainly tasted like it. The pace of the meal was great, we weren’t in any rush to get to our flight and the flavor of all the dishes, minus the ranch dressing, was a deft use of fusion. Chef was there experimenting with appetizers and large sharing plates for the upcoming New Year’s festivities, which he was generous enough to share with us.

A good last meal in Peru.

Fory Fay, Arequipa, Peru

Ceviche for Peruvians is serious business and ordered only between the hours of 10am and 2pm. Just like most people’s first trip to Italy and the scorn one receives for ordering a cappuccino after 10am, same goes for ceviche in Peru. Luckily, the hotel clued us in on the local custom. When we entered Fory Fay at 11am, we sat down to a bowl of toasted corn kernels and immediately ordered a Cuzquena. I had high hopes for this place. When I suggested it to the hotel, they encouraged we not go to such a “local” place, which meant we had chosen the right place and obviously authentic.

   

Bowl of Ceviche and I do mean a bowl. Chunks of whitefish (perhaps corvina) shrimp, mussels, and one other crustacean. Plenty of thinly sliced red onion, copiousamounts of lime, and some green perhaps seaweed perhaps WaCatay an indigenous herb that’s has the flavor of both basil and mint. What shocked me was the amount of liquid used to submerge our fish. Almost a soup, the residual liquid from the cure was drinkable, of which I indulged. The addition of seaweed and sweet potato can also be seen. The sweet potato over a different texture and a bit of sweetness to contrast all the acid from the curing liquid.

 

Plate of frito misto or fried fish of the day. The same fish that was in the ceviche with the addition of calamari and an equally generous portion size. Good, clean fry job with nothing over or under done. I happended to like the onion salad a lot; it helped cut the deep fry flavor; although the batter was seasoned slightly. My comparison in recent memory was a small Italian restaurant in Noli, near Finale Ligure in Northern Italy. The fish was simply deep-fried. Fresh fish, hot oil, slightly seasoned batter that dresses the fish but doesn’t over-power it. The Peruvian’s in Arequipa are frying their fish properly.

This was our last meal in Arequipa before we board a flight to Cuzco two hours later. The ceviche and frito misto at Fory Fay was one of the best meals of the trip.

Jack's Cafe, Cuzco, Peru

An unexpected guidebook treat, Jack’s Café in Cuzco for breakfast.

How can you screw up breakfast even when it comes with the room? By serving 3 day old bread, stinky cheese, and barely enough other items to choose from to get my day started, hence my trip down the block to Jack’s.

I’d probably walked by Jack’s 10 times while in Cuzco. It’s on the corner of the main drag in the San Blas neighborhood. I’d actually stopped in briefly on my first day for some coca tea. Over-rated that coca tea. Anyway, Jack’s seemed like a decent place. Jack’s has an espresso machine and Guinness and serves breakfast all day.

Absolutely some of the fluffiest pancakes around, no doubt. Along with crispy bacon and a solid café latte, Jack’s was worth every penny walking off hotel for breakfast. They offered me plenty of extra butter and syrup as well. It was too early for me to think about food pictures, so instead I’ll throw in a picture of one of the main churches in Cuzco.