Day 173 - Throw (Your Career) Down (The Pan)

Author - Grant

From - Monterey, California

To - Santa Cruz, California

Via - Moss Landing, California

Miles Driven - 42

Today's Photos - http://www.flickr.com/photos/32017704@N03/sets/72157617328429680/

I've run out of superlatives for spectacular coastal drives, cute seaside resorts and white sandy beaches so let's get back to the food.  

As an almost compulsive, obsessive watcher of the Food Network channel, we have seen Phil's Fish Market on Bobby Flay's Throwdown program.  Now if you haven't had the experience of watching an episode in the past then you'll not understand that it is one of the cruelest television programs currently on television.  The premise is that Bobby Flay (an Americon Iron Chef) seeks out the best of the best chef at making a particular dish (usually running a tiny stall somewhere in the back of beyond) and then challenges them to a cook off at that dish.  Sounds innocent enough but, in order to lull that particular personality into providing 15 minutes worth of insightful build-up footage, they tell them that they have their own Food Network TV show based on their articular style of cooking.  As a result, when Bobby unexpectedly pops his head round the corner at one of their public cooking demonstrations and challenges them to a throwdown, he is also basically breaking the news that their hopes and dreams of hosting their own show was all a complete sham and, furthermore, they may well be about to have their asses handed to them on a plate as Bobby produces a better version of their entire life's work based on 30 minutes experimentation in the Food Network Test Kitchen.  Why he doesn't then go on to repossess their house and deflower their firstborn is a mystery as it is the obvious climax to an often humiliating

 experience.

Phil DiGirolamo, however, kicked Bobby's rear end when he came to Moss Landing, California for a Cioppino throwdown and, having now devoured a monstrous bowl of the stuff, I can understand why.  But I'm getting ahead of myself as the scene needs setting (a shack on a tiny peninsula surrounded by fishing boats, crammed with Phil Fans, lines of people as far as the eye can see, two tables near the entrance accepting dogs with a swarm of flies marking their exact location) and the starters were ordered (battered, deep fried zucchini for the lady wife and flame grilled artichoke with garlic aioli for myself - the artichokes must have been marinaded in a lemony, vinegary bath before being charred to perfection...seriously outstanding).  On to the mains.  Kate had a halibut special that was pretty bland but my bowl of Cioppino was a mass of flavour.  It was a bit like a tomato based Singles Ark for sea-dwelling creatures as it seemed to have one of almost every fish and crustacean except for the little mermaid.  And whilst I was a bit skeptical about a fishy, tomatoey broth - it was actually spot on.  I wouldn't advise coming here on a first date though as I had red broth dripping off my elbows by the end and that is no exaggeration.  From memory, Bobby's version came with everything ready (meaning it contained lump crab-meat and already peeled shrimp etc) but I'm happy to work for my lunch and it guaranteed the freshness and that the flies can't have got to it.

I'd love to know what has happened to the popularity of the place since the Throwdown show aired but given that Phil has been dishing out Cioppino for over 25 years and the walls of his restaurant are littered with awards and accolades, it's probably just annoyed the locals that day-trippers like us force them to wait in line longer than they would usually have to.  Well that's just tough titties I'm afraid as this is one dish that is too good to keep to yourselves.

Later that day we hit Santa Cruz where we'll be spending the next few days so I'll cover all that in tomorrow's blog.  Rest easy y'all...