MO's Smokehouse BBQ - Pismo Beach & SLO

                                                                                         

This time of year when the temperatures swell, but the beaches remain a gift to those who reside her; I like to take my lunches in downtown Pismo Beach and then head for the beach to dig sandcastles. Now that I have my grandson as my daytime dining companion, I have an excuse everyday to go to the beach, where the seagulls preach and play in the sand and surf.  My grandson has a discerning palate at 13 months and really likes BBQ.  He grabs on to the ribs with his pudgy hands and chews them down to the bone with his seven teeth.  He is a fan of Mo’s BBQ. This boy has style and loves the sweet cornbread with honey butter and I agree. 

Mo’s BBQ has been one of my favorite rib spots since I discovered we shared a love of the Rendezvous Ribs in Memphis Tennessee. They do ribs right; Mo's Memphis Pork Ribs is my favorite and the "The House Specialty.” They are tender and flavorful rack of ribs, smoked using real hickory and BBQ sauce, and then sprinkled with sweet vinegar and Memphis dry rub. They fall off the bone into your mouth. They are served with sweat cornbread muffin and honey butter, coleslaw and baked beans. It is the best ribs this side of the Mississippi.

Mo’s does BBQ chicken and beef ribs along with some great tri-tip sandwiches. They have big ole salads for people not wanting to eat half a pig. Their Chipotle Lime Tacos are perfectly made and mouth-watering. They contain tender chicken marinated in an incredible combination of pineapple juice, chipotle, oregano, and garlic then charbroiled, and served on two flour tortillas with shredded cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, and a sweet and spicy cream. My favorite is the Killer Garlic fries. A heap of small cut crispy French fries covered in garlic, parmesan cheese, and spices. They are so good, we fight over them.  

Mo’s was the brainchild of restaurant veteran, who decided to open a real barbecue restaurant. He traveled 3,500 miles across the country through the barbecue belt - visiting 10 states and over 80 barbecue restaurants. He got recipes, tips, techniques, advice, instructions, and one heck of a lot of inspiration. He came home with the greatest recipes for beans, onion rings, coleslaw, pork ribs, pulled pork sandwiches, sweet potato pie. I love these people in this part of the country and would do that trip just for the culinary exploration.

On the walls at Mo’s they have unique photos of cooks, meat smokers, and BBQ joints along with stories of the owners. They have opened up locations in Huntington Beach and Chico along with their Central Coast locations and are looking to open more. 

Mo’s locations are in Pismo Beach on 221 Pomeroy and on 1005 Monterey in San Luis Obispo. Check out there menu, awards and BBQ sauce for sale on line at www.smokinmosbbq.com. 

Puffer's of Pismo

Since the earliest civilization’s roamed the earth, a hardy glug of wine has been a dependable precursor to some history’s most brilliant food and conversation.  Benjamin Franklin said, “Wine makes daily living

easier, less hurried, with fewer tensions and more tolerance.” With that in mind, Charlie Puffer has arrived in Pismo Beach and opened a wine bar and eatery called Puffers of Pismo.  It resides in the space of Vino Versato used to host musical soirées, and Puffer’s is offering the same- yet more.  A wine and beer bar that has a full time executive chef, live music and a neighbor distinction, that is most welcome to our sandy shores. 

Our first night we sat outside on the joyful and reverent pews to enjoy a summer solstice.  We shared a bottle of Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon the yields from high above in the mountain area of Napa. This Estate Cabernet sings the beauty of a near perfect vintage after two warm years. Tightly wound and dark on the nose, it balanced our first and most exciting course, Liver Pâté.  Having my soul still residing in Paris where I ate pâté for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I was excited to finally find a chef creating this joy in a jar.  Referred to as a Terrine in France, this was chicken liver, with rendered pork and herbs, placed in a jar and finished in the sous vide. Plain and simple, pâté is a mixture of ground meat and fat that is cooked in a vessel called a terrine. Chef

Alex Yoka served this with house made pickled carrots, cornichons, local honey and torta bread grilled and mashed in Cuban press. It was outstanding and whisked my mind wistfully away to a French Café.  

Next we had a bit of their appetizer popcorn sprinkled with with agave and sea salt, it was the unflawed balance of sweet and salty.  We moved on to share a Cuban sandwich, signified on the island as "Middle of the night".  This was Caribbean flawlessness with sous vide pork shoulder, aioli mustard, dill pickle slices and Conte Swiss cheese.  Held together by torta bread and grilled on a Cuban panini press, this was a delight to my senses, and a fond memory to my taste buds. The intermezzo was a mixture of nuts seasoned with Turkish spices carried back from Turkey by Chef Alex.  We shared stories of culinary tourism and the creative palette of this remarkable chef as we devoured each bite.

I returned with my girl posse for a Thursday night unwind and Charlie greeted us with a smile, a story and

a perfect wine for each of us. Penny had a chardonnay from Treana and Suellen had a Rose of Pinot Noir from Naughty Boy Vineyards. I swirled and sipped the Lone Madrone Roja a blend of cinsault and counoise grapes, it was delectable.  We shared a Mushroom and Pistachio Pâté - a first for each of my friends, who deemed it delightful. Charlie, (Formally Chucky for Chicago) used to own a bar and restaurant with his brother, Puffers of Chicago. He has a big personality and is a celebrated wine aficionado.  He knows service and has a desire to welcome all in the area to come try his different approach to the wine bar venue.  He has live music every Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday night, attracting an impressive array of musicians.  

I returned for an afternoon snack with Mr. Bayus who was happy to try the Sunny Daze beer.  We shared a cheese tray that was impressive and enchanting to nibble.  Hand picked cheeses including Ewephoria Gouda from Holland, Pt Reyes Thoma and a cone of Swiss cheese from Comte were accessorized with salami, house made pickles, carrots, spiced nuts and sliced apples. The delicious crusty bread was a new complement to the otherwise cracker offering. 

I loved the atmosphere, the gathering of neighbors, food, wine and beer at Puffers.  This is an impeccable addition to Pismo and you will find me there often. Puffers is open 3:00pm to 10:00pm every day but Monday and on weekends they are open late. The offer live music Tuesday, Friday and Saturday from 7:00pm to 10:00pm and Sunday from 5:00 to 8:00pm.  You can reach them at (805) 773-6563.  They are located at 781 Price Street in Pismo Beach, next to the Cracked Crab. 

The Lido at Dolphin Bay

The words we speak and think hold abundant sway over the kind of life that we create for ourselves. My life has changed prominently in the past year. I have become a dotting granny, an official (read paid) screenwriter and I am free of my retail chains. When it comes to holidays now, I tend to think outside the box, to focus on luxury and communion with friends. For the Fourth this year, I invited all my friends to a daylong food fest on the back deck of the Lido. The scenery is sweeping, the service sublime, but my main reason was try every dish from the new executive chef Brian Collins.

I have been in Brian’s fan club for a long time and used to drive the Los Alamos at least once a month for his Sunday Suppers. This man is a culinary genius and a local, so he understands the seasons, the finesse of the local farmers and the palate of the Californian. Brian worked with Alice Water and the many other Chefs at Chez Panisse, which was named the best restaurant in America in 2001. Then he spent 3 years with the magical hearth at Full Of Life Flatbread that was voted best restaurant in Santa Barbara in 2009 and 2010. The Lido is so lucky to have this virtuoso at their gastronomic helm.

My plucky friends came in shifts as we started at lunch on the back patio and planned to go until the fireworks roared over the bluffs. This property is breath taking and yet lends itself to the serious diner along side the family who just came up from surfing. Duck fat fried potatoes and Hearst Ranch Grass Fed Beef Hamburger made this lunch supreme. The hamburger came on a homemade bun with snappy pickles and startling flavor. When you use beef this good, it should be called an embellish hamburger. The fries where a symphony in sweet saltiness as everything tastes better when fried in duck fat, you must try it.

We brought a Morovino Pinot Grigio Rose (there is no corkage fee) to suppress the summer heat and it paired perfectly with the Bistro Menu. We shared the burrata stuffed and prosciutto wrapped artichokes, a brilliant combination of Italian flair with the California choke. The burrata (a mix of ricotta and mozzarella cheese) was made on a local farm and the prosciutto was cured at the Lido. Gary started with the Peach Sticky Buns, a sweet Bundt type cake with golden raisins, and glazed pecans swirling in the buttery cinnamon sauce. The peaches were marinated in the brown sugar glaze for over 24 hours and placed with a vanilla bean gelato. I could wake to this every morning, and Pasty chef Benjie Puga is still knocking desserts out of the park.

Our waiter Julian is a virtuoso in service and was never thrown by the ebb and flowing of our group and its needs. For dinner, I ordered for everyone and we all shared again. The Cayucos Abalone sitting on a bed of crispy pork belly with a brown butter sauce broke out the compliments. Every bite was perfection and even the micro greens sang with flavor. This was the best prepared abalone anywhere on the planet. Next we went for the Santa Barbara Halibut and Sea Urchin Crudo, this dish was breathtaking. Raw local halibut topped with fresh uni with a micro green and jalapeno radicchio topping. It was a dish that would have calmed Trident. Breathtaking, astonishing and simply delicious. The pan-fried fish and shell fish cake with a Meyer lemon and purplette scallions again danced across our palates. Grilled pancetta wrapped figs with shaved Sonoma Foie Gras defied all laws of gastric pleasure. The North Coast Wild Salmon with rose potatoes and marinated sungold tomatoes is a seasonal pleasure that must be sampled.

I would suggest that you try the Summer Tasting Menu as Brian knows how to throw the impeccable flavors together and you can do no wrong when this man is in the kitchen. It was one of my favorite days and I plan to repeat it as often as I can, you should to.

The chef was in excellent form, with cooking that not missing a beat in technical terms. From lovely Morro Bay oysters through to tender Rib Eye and even Crème Burlee, dish after classy dish emerged from the kitchen. Incidentals were strong too, with excellent bread and respectable coffee. The service was top class, the view breathtaking. A meal, a moment to be treasured forever. Thank you Lido.

The Lido Restaurant is located inside Dolphin Bay Resort at 2727 Shell Beach Road in Pismo Beach, call for reservations at 805.773.9800.