My relationship with my mother has always been conflicted; at times too smothering, at time just the right amount of savory and sweet like the thick, sticky slabs of the barbecue-covered Tri Tip Sandwich.
So when she visits I try to plan at least a few activities that require as little talking as possible. A library is a bit too obvious, but a tour of Hearst Castle... Perfect.
Taking that overpriced tour had us hungry, and the burgers of Hearst Ranch Beef went right with the theme. The beef tasted as gaudy as the everything-European-crammed-into-one-castle looked, but it was a good thing...for the beef. The beef was a memorable meat, so much flavor, so much game.
The burger with pepper jack cheese had an authentic edge, with a slab of the legendary New Mexican green chile deepening the bite of both the pepper and the jack.
Thick strips of bacon and gobs of guac make that other burger just as good. All-American with a touch of California-chic.
Having the wine tasting right across the counter counted as a plus, though the wines are young. Like the crude conglomeration of Hearst Castle, the wines need time to grow, to develop their real character. In vino veritas; the wine is fun to try, and Hearst Castle is fun to explore...whether in wonderment or in horror.
No comments:
Post a Comment