Pork and Veggie Grill with a Veteran- Memorial Day 2012

Grilling for Memorial Day is a true American tradition. Here we have a country style pork rib, marinaded and slathered in sweet, tangy barbecue sauce, served with grilled summer squash and zucchini and asparagus roasted in a tin foil pouch with lemon and butter, and a nice hunk of my wife's home made potato salad. The pork was good, but the asparagus was actually my favorite part- I wrap up a pile of asparagus in a tin foil pouch, season with salt and pepper, and give it a good squeeze of lemon. I top it with a large knob of butter, close it up, and drop it on the grill off to one side where it isn't quite as hot. The squash and zucchini were simply seasoned with salt and pepper, and coated with a little olive oil. I don't know what my wife puts in her potato salad- but it is creamy without overpowering the natural flavor of the potato with lots of other stuff.

All that aside, memorial day isn't just about the cooking- it's about the people that defended our freedom to do such things with our free time. We shared this meal with my father-in-law, veteran of the war in Vietnam. The kids had fun running around the yard, and I got to start a large fire then cook things in it, but it was really his day more than anyone else's.

Foot-long Chili-Cheese Dog - Jimbo's, Seaside Heights, NJ

The many Boardwalk areas that line the vacation towns of the Jersey Shore are dotted with eateries of all kinds- from the tiny one grill lunch counter to full service restaurants. Most lie somewhere in between- like Jimbo's Bar and Grill in Seaside Heights. The food they serve is the simple, quick, comfort foods you'd expect to find in a carnival setting. Jimbo's has the usual array of grilled items and pizzas, with both self-serve, and sit down service. Despite being primarily a bar, it is a kid-friendly setting.

Italian Hot Dog at Davy's Dogs, Mount Arlington, NJ

Hot dog spots are a familiar sight in the northern part of New Jersey- they dot the landscape along the major roads in many towns- so much so that the hot dog stand qualifies as a New Jersey institution. Davy's started as a single hot dog cart that grew into a full sized restaurant that is practically a landmark. The typical New Jersey hot dog spot typically looks like something out of the 50s or 60s, but always has some sort of nostalgic charm that captures the hearts of the locals. Davy's Dogs, is no exception.

Tuna Tartare and Fish Tacos at 3 in Franklin, MA

Tuna Tartare Starter from 3

We were out on a business trip, and no one could decide where to eat, so we turned to our hotel clerk for a recommendation. This recommendation led our party straight to a restaurant called 3 that advertises itself as "New American" cuisine- classic dishes with a modern twist according to their website. This description, we found, is pretty much right on the money...

The Oldest Restaurant in the U.S. - Union Oyster House, Boston, MA

When in Boston, there is a place where everybody knows your name... well, this isn't that place. The place I'm really talking about is about halfway across town... No one there, aside from my dining companions, had any idea what my name was. Yes, it's something of a tourist trap, given it's historic status, but it's a place that you really can't pass up if you only have one night in town. The place is the historic Union Oyster House- which has been in operation since 1826.

Sashimi Lunch at Hanami II, Branford CT

While traveling on business, I happened to have the good fortune to stumble upon a Sushi spot so new that it didn't exist in our GOS, or even on Yelp yet. The experience we had for our roadside lunch stop was so good, that I felt the need to plug the place into Yelp on the spot, at the table, while enjoying my sashimi. The place in question is Hanami II in Branford Connecticut. At the time, the restaurant had only been open for a few weeks, so I was eager to put my thoughts on the place on-line quickly- especially considering that a high quality lunch entree, with a soup and a salad for starters clocked in at under $12...