It's long been my conviction that having a view like this before you will transform whatever is on your plate into the best meal you've ever tasted.
Maybe that's why San Francisco has such a reputation as a great food town.
You don't have to work very hard to find views like this, here. I snapped this last week, walking back to the boat from a restaurant not far from O Dock. It's one of my favorite places because it's so close to my boat that I can find my way back even when somewhat inebriated.
Restaurant?
Doesn't my boat have a fully functioning galley? Yeah, but when I've been scrubbing the deck all day and am dog tired, sometimes I want someone else to do the sauté. And I'm pretty much the same after a long day's sailing.
Carol Anne over at Five O'Clock Somewhere has asked that we do some fantasizing about food. No, not that kind of fantasizing. She's asking what we would serve a bunch of hungry water-borne interlopers if they showed up at our dock at the end of an active day of sailing, surfing, or paddling.
As I've already hinted, I'd probably serve some wine or beer, some canapés and watercress sandwiches, and then suggest we all go out for a real meal.
Somehow, for me, sailing has always been about navigating to someplace at the end of the day that has great restaurants. I can't help it. I'm a city kid.
I almost freaked out at Baydog's response to this writing project. Before you could say Tony Bourdain, there he was with a cream reduction and a basil chiffonade. I have no idea, nor do I want to know, what a basil chiffonade is. I'm almost certain, since it must have something to do with basil, that I wouldn't be very good at it. I'm not even sure you can say 'basil chiffonade' on a blog that might be read by women and children.
But, I do not go hungry.
If pressed, I will assemble some sort of O Dock sideboard from black olives, rosemary olive bread, soft cheeses, green olives stuffed with almonds, hummus, and a suitable merlot, riesling, petite sirah, or brown ale.
Followed by reservations at 7:30.
If you happen by O Dock at happy hour, the odds are good that I will take you out to dinner. Unless you all show up at once.
Then, it's separate checks.
.
Well said. Baydog is some kind of professional foodie isn't he? How can the rest of us compete in that company? Let's all go out to a good restaurant and let the professionals do what they are good at.
ReplyDeletePS. We really did have Beef Wellington and Rhubarb Crumble for dinner at the Tillercottage last night. And the only guests to enjoy it were powerboaters! Sorry you missed it.
Yes, I believe the keeper of the wiener dog is, indeed, in the biz.
ReplyDeleteTillerman, if our paths ever cross, I suspect the conversation will end up running into the wee hours over brew and grub, as it probably would with most of the people I torment here.
My wife is actually quite a good cook, too, so my role is often sous-chef. We usually opt for simple fare. I've become quite expert at grilling salmon and prawns over a mesquite fire.
I suspect that, even in person, you would be sprinkling the conversation with links back to former posts. But, for me, that would be a good thing.
Haven't you noticed that older people are alway talking about the good old days? It's true of older bloggers too. We are always talking about the good old posts.
ReplyDeleteTillerman, Sounds like you had your son and daughter-in-law over for dinner. I hope they are enjoying the boat.
ReplyDeleteThe last thing I want to do is compete. I'm good with everything. Happy with all.
Did someone say chips and salsa?
O.D., The biz is tough most often; it's the actual obsession with food and flavors that keeps me interested. If I didn't deal with another customer for the rest of my life, I'd be okay with it. Don't tell anybody that, okay?
Baydog, I want you to compete.
ReplyDeleteWithout people like you, people like me would probably starve.
So, fry up some basil chiffonade - or whatever you do to make it - and tell me what time to show up.
I'll bring my sommelier to help us pick a wine.
I'll let you know what time, and give the sommelier the night off. We'll be alright.
ReplyDeleteQuite right B'dog. Son#2 and wife, the powerboaters, visited us this weekend. Actually it was my son who suggested our dinner menu for Saturday. I had no idea what to write about for Carol Anne's challenge so I just wrote about the food my little guy asked his Mum to cook.
ReplyDeleteOh. I forgot to put in the link to Little Guy.
ReplyDeleteAfter many months without internet I finally connect again to you guys and find this waterfood contest. I've written about it but nobody's left a comment so far. Guess I'm the outsider! and late at that!
ReplyDeleteFrankie, here's a direct link to your blog for my readers. Hopefully, Carol Anne will link to it when she does a wrapup of participants.
ReplyDelete