Me Casa, Los Cabos

We just visited Los Cabos, Mexico for the first time.  Planning for accommodations was made easy as my friend Ernesto directed me to the marvelous Pueblo Bonita Sunset Beach Resort and Spa.

The resort offers everything you might want while visiting Cabo.  First, you will relax in a peaceful room with magnificent views. Second, you enjoy all the touches that one might expect from a world class resort -- outstanding service, fabulous landscaping, luxurious pools at every corner and, of course, a wide variety of well-prepared food.

With the comforts of a perfect resort-setting in place, we set out to find our first Mexican dining experience. The place was suggested to us by a couple of guys from Los Angeles. We met them on a golf cart ride from the lobby to our room situated on top of the mountain overlooking the Pacific ocean.

"We've been here for a few days," they said.  "The best meal yet has been Me Casa.  It is not far from here."  They gave reviews as "Old Mexican," "traditional dishes," and "lots of fun."  With those words,  we booked a table for Christmas Eve.

Upon entering the building, we were taken by the festive atmosphere, especially the detail in the authentic gifts and sculpture that fill the Me Casa bar and waiting area.  It is a very large restaurant, organized to handle families like ours and the occasional groups that show up for tables of 20 or more. With six large rooms under thatched roofs (some under the stars) we were amazed by how well everything moved along.  As much as it looked like Disney Land, it felt like we were in the hands of a family that really cared about our experience.

The table was set simply with a colorful painted top finished with a hand-blown candle holder and perfectly folded dark purple linen napkins.  Our waiter, Pablo, came to our table quickly for drink orders.  Following behind Pablo, a four-piece band entertained us.  We were delighted.  The room was just long enough to feel special without being in the spot light during the performance.

When Pablo returned with our drinks, we explained that we were hoping to attend mass in the chapel down the street in an hour.   We ordered our food based on Pablo's recommendations.  His recommendations were spot on.  Every dish we tried had integrity and distinction. The meal was everything my family could have hoped for during our first outing on the streets of Cabo.

Not only did Me Casa score high points from start to finish, they got us in and out in perfect timing to make the service.  Christmas Eve was under way. The restaurant was now packed with a line out the door.

My family and I entered the chapel and found a spot twenty feet from the pulpit.  We were there in time to witness the ringing of the bell and experience the fellowship with a community celebrating the birth of Christ in a manner my family will long remember.

Quail Hill Common Table Dinner, August 28, 2010

In the last light of Saturday afternoon, 180 people approached a long table in the apple orchard above the lower field on Quail Hill farm. It's an annual event produced by Hilary Leff and Scott Chasky for the members of New York State’s first CSA: The Quail Hill Farm. The kitchen sits about 50-yards to the north of the table.  It includes a refrigerated truck, two convection ovens (hooked-up to a generator) and ten 8-foot tables lined up in pairs.

The chefs contributing to this year’s event included Kevin Penner (bouillabaisse), James Carpenter (charcouterie and cheese), Brian Futterman (coq au vin and potato gratin), Joe Realumuto (all of the appetizers) and myself.  My contribution was Shiitake and Peach-Stuffed Pork Roast.

The idea for French country fare came from a meeting that was held in May which I needed to attend by telephone.  Past experience has taught me to request a theme.  In doing so, I also brought up the idea of the French Country meal.  The idea was quickly adopted.

Dale, a farmer down the street from the Little Kitchen in Sag Harbor, suggested I contact Art Ludlow at Macon Dairy.  Art and his brother raise pigs on the cheese byproduct that results from the Macon Dairy cheese operation. On Dale's suggestion, Art and I were in touch and the pig was slaughtered on Wednesday morning. The yield was 60 pounds of loin and hind leg, boned out - perfect for my dish on Saturday night.

To prepare, I cut the long round pieces into 4 to 5-lb portions.  Then, I sliced them, separating the fat from the meat wherever possible while keeping the roast in act. The roasts were then stuffed with a mixture of chopped leeks and diced carrots. Meanwhile, sliced shiitake mushroom caps were softened with olive oil and then given a shot of mushroom soy on the flat top before being cooled. I then added the diced fresh, ripe peaches to fill the roasts. The roasts were then tied-off and rubbed with a combination of equal parts brown sugar and kosher salt.  A pinch of allspice was added at the end.

All leftover stuffing was laid on the roasting pan, and then the roasts were placed on top of it.  The pan was then wrapped in foil and allowed to rest at room temperature for an hour.  The roast is then placed in a 350° F oven for 1 ½ hours or until the interior temp reached 145° F.

To prepare, slice the roast into ½ inch pieces and serve topped with extra stuffing and a splash of the pan juices.

Pinzon's Torte Ahogada

If you choose to live on the East End of Long Island, serving the public year round in a coffee shop might not be the first thing you would choose to do. In 1991, it was the right decision for me.  I started serving breakfast and lunch by first building a staff and then a customer base.  When we eventually opened for dinner, our original focus was on pasta.  It went well… and then the Zone Diet came along.

By 1998, it was time to shift to bolder, more flavorful and lighter fare. The most direct approach that I could think of at the time was to focus on the staff that had helped me build the business in Amagansett.  Two members of my team stood out. First, in the kitchen was my right-hand man Ruben Bravo.  Second, in the front of the house was the ever-friendly and energetic Carlos Pinzon.

These two men made my decision to change the restaurant’s name to Estia's Cantina an easy one.  The only things I needed to do were submerge myself in the Mexican culture, apply for a liquor license and build a margarita bar.  With the help of Michael Cinque (Amagansett's premier spirits specialist) and Evan Thomas (Paul Simon's lead carpenter), that is exactly what I did.  The development of the Cantina concept took shape.

On a chilly winter day in late February, we met in the growing line at the Air Mexico counter at JFK International.  Five hours later, we were seated at a table in the deepest reaches of Mexico City at a restaurant called El Bajillo. The meal was magical.  We also spent some wonderful time touring the restaurant’s vast space with the chef.  Our adventure had begun.

After our evening in Mexico City, we flew to Zihuatanejo where the beaches are endless and the fare focuses on the sea.  Up early the following day, our trio headed to the village beach to watch the fishing boats come in and unload.  Within an hour, as the tangerine hues of early morning turned into a crisp blue sky, we saw the bulk of the day’s catch sold and shipped inland to restaurants, fish mongers and homes hours away.  While our time in "Z" was memorable, our real cultural experience was still ahead.

Next stop, Guadalajara, with an eye on the town of Tequila.  It took a day to get there and worth all of the effort.  We toured the agave fields that seemed be endless.  That was then followed by the distillery experience at Viuda de Romero and, of course, the larger Cuervo. We liked the smaller tequila company’s approach and the decision was made in the Viuda de Romero tasting room the this would be Estia Cantina's house tequila. 

On our return drive to Guadalajara, the conversation shifted from tequila to our final day in Mexico.  Carlos Pinzon had told me of a small town not far from Guadalajara called Tounalla.  We had a Sunday lunch ahead of us and the decision was easy.  Our guide explained to us that Tounalla is an ancient city with a long history in the arts. What interested me more was finding the small bodega that Pinzon had described.  He couldn't remember the name of it but he did remember the flavors of the sandwich that made it famous.  Pinzon said, "If the chance to try the torta ahogada presents itself, you must not miss it."  

He was right.