The Six-Hour Tri-Tip: Nipomo, CA

Worth it? Obviously.

If there is one thing that living in a big city has taught me, it’s that the best food is almost always found in out of the way places – holes in the wall, if you will. Forget your Urasawas and Yamashiros, the best sushi I’ve ever had was from a now-defunct tiny restaurant tucked away in a run-down strip mall in the shadow of UCSC. I firmly believe that the best tacos in Los Angeles come from a truck that operates only at night in the parking lot of a 76 station. And on that note, some of the best barbecue you can get may come from a place far outside of town, next to an empty lot.