The Best Bite Goes to…

Driving back from a long weekend in Maine hits a bit harder when looking at pictures of the sun shining down on a lake, kayaks and boats floating for a ride, and the loads and loads of lobster meals.

When asking people to share their favorite bites, many responses came from different places all over – some close to where those call home, some overseas (Spain being most popular – noted 👀), and many involving travels.

I fall into that last space – my favorite comes after nine hours in a car up the East Coast to a red shack in the small town of Wiscasset, Maine, about an hour north of Portland. The lobster roll at Red’s holds that honor, no question. The fresh chilled lobster overflows from the small, soft, buttered bun, served with more melted butter on the side, of course.

Not mentioned is the at least one-hour wait, but that’s more than worth it for this bite. And one of the best parts of the whole experience is the people serving the food. “Red” has a legacy with his family and team, all proud to welcome you with smiles and no rushed feelings as your turn comes to step up to the window to order and peek inside to see the magic come together.

Okay, enough about my favorite. They don’t need my praise, and I’m definitely not alone.

A big part about what makes food memorable is the overall experience – the place, the people, the vibes. There are plenty of lists out there claiming to share the best places to eat in any city. And while it’s nice to discover a brand new place unexpectedly, I’ll put recommendations over a list almost any day. (Keyword: almost. Visit Philly does a damn good job! Shameless plug.)

That personal connection goes far when in new areas. And that’s natural, not just when it comes to eating. The best recommendations can come from casual conversation and stories from others. Some top recommendations that come to mind:

• A coffee shop to start the day that you never want to leave – The Mud Club in Beacon, NY (wood-fired bagels have had my mind turned upside down for weeks)

• A classic sandwich shop for a good beach-day bite – Blitz’s Market in Sea Isle City, NJ (I can’t spend too much time here or I’ll be buying one of everything)

• An unexpected Italian restaurant 20 floors up to round out a trip’s final night – Seneca in San Diego, CA

A big part of how I know a best bite sticks is when I find new ways to bring them back home in the meals I cook and share these memories with others through my own food.

That said, I can’t say I’ll ever even attempt to recreate the perfect Red’s bite.

What’s Cookin’

After a weekend of travel, I typically lean light and easy for meals. What does that look like? Depends on the weather, time on my hands and how much sleep I got the night before or how busy the weekend was (AKA effort I want to put in). Typically this comes in the form of a bowl-style meal with any combination of what’s in the fridge and what sounds good:

• Roasted salmon + Trader Joe’s chili onion crunch + mixed veggies (cucumber, onion, corn, tomatoes, radishes) over cilantro-lime rice

• One-sheet chicken fajita bowl: roasted chicken + peppers and onions + cheese (TJ’s unexpected cheddar) + greek yogurt over rice

• Simple roasted chicken thighs + roasted veggies + tzatziki over lemon-garlic orzo

Nothing too fancy here. Anything that looks like a combination above.

As for some more exciting recipes, here’s a rundown I’m looking to cook this week:

• Seb’s Crispy Club’s Smacked Cucumber Dumpling Salad – shoutout to Trader Joe’s chicken gyoza potstickers

• Molly Baz’s Feta Za’atar Biscuits – the latest from one of my favorite follows

• Spoonful of Si’s Tzatziki Chicken Salad – a great twist on the summer staple, plus great on a slice of fresh sourdough

Feed the Feed

This one needs no introduction… Molly Baz has been one of my favorite follows for years now. From the start of Bon Appetit’s Test Kitchen crew to doing her own thing with The Club + two cookbooks, she’s another no-frills follow. She’s one of the more popular chefs out there, so sorry to those who know, but I’d be missing a part of these favorite follows without her mention.

Here are a few of my favorites of hers that have made their way into my rotation:

Cae Sal

Known across the culinary multiverse for her love of the caesar salad, and its many forms, Molly has perfected the Caesar. This recipe is easily most visited page in the book and on The Club site. Add a little chicken or shrimp for a full meal, or just trust how good it is and you won’t be able to get enough of the salad.

Chili Basted Chicken with Caper Chimichurri

So nice I made it twice (in one week). Made this for dinner with a friend, then when leftovers ran out all too quickly, this easy recipe was a no brainer. That said, it’s a More is More recipe, her second cookbook – can’t recommend this and The Club enough.

I could go on and on about the recipes I’ve cooked, and still want to cook, from Molly, but that’s enough out of me this week.

That’ll do for Round 2 of this whole newsletter thing. Feel free to give a shoutout to more recommendations or whatever thoughts come as you read. For now, I’ll be dreaming of floating in a kayak on the lake again.

Stay cool out there 🤘