Haven't gotten out for meals much lately. However, have found time once a week to bring some yumminess home. Waters Catering, I love you! Some of this week's loot:
--creamless veg butternut squash soup for me
--delicious tomato soup for ST
--butternet squash gratin (no cream)
--salmon cake
--tofu and broccoli (yum)
--roasted sweet potatoes and squash (yes, lots of vitamin A this week)
--Waters egg salad (DH loves this stuff, hates Jimbo's)
--Waters albacore salad (love eating this for lunch)
Plus mini-lemon bars for ST as a treat. Also got him orchiette with peas and butternut squash, but he is getting increasingly picky - only ate the peas. (Still, tomato soup and peas is not bad on the healthy front, even with lemon bars for dessert).
Didn't get granola this week. Got a little bag last week and downed it in one sitting. That stuff is addictive (but awesome).
Was good for 2 days worth of delectable meals for us. Yum!
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Exceptional Thai Food on a Rainy Day: Chedi Thai Bistro (La Jolla)
Quick workday post. Met Museumgirl for lunch - we wanted to hit Bibby's Crepe Cafe on Pearl St. (La Jolla) - mmmm...buckwheat - but they were closed for some reason. As an alternative, we hit Chedi Thai Bistro.
Exceptional!
Vegi-friendly!
Lovely atmsophere. Terrific lunch special: $9 gets you 2 appetizers of your choice (including a fried root vegetable spring roll or an exceptional spinach dumpling or a very fresh vegetarian soup). We both also got delicious tilapia curry...mine came with quinoa instead of rice for only $1 more.
Loved it - would love to go back. Not your standard Thai place at all - fresh and modern. Full bar too!
Exceptional!
Vegi-friendly!
Lovely atmsophere. Terrific lunch special: $9 gets you 2 appetizers of your choice (including a fried root vegetable spring roll or an exceptional spinach dumpling or a very fresh vegetarian soup). We both also got delicious tilapia curry...mine came with quinoa instead of rice for only $1 more.
Loved it - would love to go back. Not your standard Thai place at all - fresh and modern. Full bar too!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Another one bites the dust: Avenue 5 (Banker's Hill)
Avenue 5 is still in business....
And yet it might not as well be, as far as we are concerned. Always *loved* Chef McLaggan. Classy place - outrageously tasty (if not surprising) food.
However, Avenue 5 has joined the "CucinaURbanization" of food in San Diego. By which I mean they now have lowered all the prices to "$20 or less" on entrees, made it more "casual" and "hip."
So....The place is more packed than ever. The service is still super-friendly. The atmosphere is nice.
And yet the food....has totally lost its deliciousness and specialness. It ranged from ok to tasty. I'm sorry, but tasty is not super-yummy. What happened to Colin McLaggan???? The salads there used to be outrageously good. Now there is a boring green salad. The fish dishes used to be wonderful. The salmon was eh.
No point in returning - so much for my #3 restaurant!!!!
And yet it might not as well be, as far as we are concerned. Always *loved* Chef McLaggan. Classy place - outrageously tasty (if not surprising) food.
However, Avenue 5 has joined the "CucinaURbanization" of food in San Diego. By which I mean they now have lowered all the prices to "$20 or less" on entrees, made it more "casual" and "hip."
So....The place is more packed than ever. The service is still super-friendly. The atmosphere is nice.
And yet the food....has totally lost its deliciousness and specialness. It ranged from ok to tasty. I'm sorry, but tasty is not super-yummy. What happened to Colin McLaggan???? The salads there used to be outrageously good. Now there is a boring green salad. The fish dishes used to be wonderful. The salmon was eh.
No point in returning - so much for my #3 restaurant!!!!
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Pretend Soup II: Quesadillas
Even though this is supposed to be a restaurant review blog, at its base it is about my Pursuit of the Yummy in San Diego amidst my working mom life. So if Super-Toddler can sit still long enough for us to cook something *delicious* together, then that's just as good as our weekend eating out - not to mention a great thing to do together when I'm home from work!
After the success of Pretend Soup (fruit soup) from the Pretend Soup cookbook, we made the book's quesadilla recipe this week. Super-yummy and super-easy! Something about the combo of refried beans and cheese on grilled whole wheat tortillas was super delicious. Super-Toddler had fun spreading the beans (I never let him use a knife before) and sprinking the cheese. Our homemade quesadillas were even yummier than any of the restaurants we eat at! I may yet be raising a chef rather than an athlete.
After the success of Pretend Soup (fruit soup) from the Pretend Soup cookbook, we made the book's quesadilla recipe this week. Super-yummy and super-easy! Something about the combo of refried beans and cheese on grilled whole wheat tortillas was super delicious. Super-Toddler had fun spreading the beans (I never let him use a knife before) and sprinking the cheese. Our homemade quesadillas were even yummier than any of the restaurants we eat at! I may yet be raising a chef rather than an athlete.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Pretend Soup
Not a restaurant review post: ST and I actually did some cooking today! (yes, at 3, he is starting to stay in one place long enough for me to think this is possible).
We made Pretend Soup from the book of the same name. Essentially an OJ-yogurt-honey-banana-berry concoction that you ladle and eat like soup. Instant gratification, tasty, fun.
We made Pretend Soup from the book of the same name. Essentially an OJ-yogurt-honey-banana-berry concoction that you ladle and eat like soup. Instant gratification, tasty, fun.
A toddler outing: Kidding Around + Cafe 56 (Carmel Mountain/Rancho Penasquitas)
I don't usually review play areas, but we visited the new Kidding Around today. Kind of austere/boring for Mom & Dad (they need music, they're working on it), but Super-Toddler absolutely loved all the tunnel slides and cars. We'll undoubtedly return. He's also digging Way Beyond (UTC) but I haven't been there with him yet so can't vouch for the mom part of the experience.
Being over in that area was an excuse to try a place I'm always getting ads for: Cafe 56 on Black Mountain Road. Good to know about. Not gourmet by any stretch, and I won't claim it's super-yummy. But it's a diner-style American food restaurant that was quite mellow and pleasant. They had good music on (Joni Mitchell, Woodstock, came on during the meal - they had XM 27 the Bridge on), and all of our food was decent. (Mickey Mouse-shaped pancake for ST; french toast, ham and eggs for CH; and mahi-mahi tacos for me). Not gourmet but relaxing enough - ST stayed in his seat and got a blueberry muffin at the end as a reward.
Being over in that area was an excuse to try a place I'm always getting ads for: Cafe 56 on Black Mountain Road. Good to know about. Not gourmet by any stretch, and I won't claim it's super-yummy. But it's a diner-style American food restaurant that was quite mellow and pleasant. They had good music on (Joni Mitchell, Woodstock, came on during the meal - they had XM 27 the Bridge on), and all of our food was decent. (Mickey Mouse-shaped pancake for ST; french toast, ham and eggs for CH; and mahi-mahi tacos for me). Not gourmet but relaxing enough - ST stayed in his seat and got a blueberry muffin at the end as a reward.
My favorite restaurant in San Diego: Searsucker, review #2
Yes, dear readers, after several unsuccessful attempts this summer, I can now fill the title of "my favorite restaurant in San Diego" (left vacant since Jai's decline): the delightful Searsucker. After two visits, it is clear that nothing holds a candle to it, in combining:
--exciting, vibrant, urban atmosphere
--great people-watching
--delicious, inspired cocktails
--friendly/casual but efficient service
--delectable creative menu, with lots of choices for meat-eaters and veggies
--reasonable prices
--efficient kitchen
Brian Malarkey was not even in view this time, and it was still delightful.
What I had this time:
--watermelon/beet/goat cheese salad: delicious, and have you ever seen a yellow watermelon?
--salmon dish: delectable and light. At first arrival, it was not quite hot enough. But then quickly made me a brand-new one; it came out very quickly. (Even after I had eaten all the original beets and a little of the salmon). Perfectly cooked, delectable sauce.
CH loved his:
--lettuce and lemon (perfectly light)
--lemon chicken (yes, he had a lemon theme)
--corn with bacon
We also loved, once again, the complimentary cheddar poppers.
I would love to try dessert but we were happily full - plus we were on our way to see the adorable Sutton Foster in concert. (They got us in and out in 45 min., even including redoing my entree - and we didn't feel rushed. Very impressive).
For a "fine dining" occasion, I would probably still choose somewhere calmer and more elegant. This is also why I am not terming it "the best restaurant in San Diego" but more modestly "my favorite" (it is subjective, after all). But for a combo of exciting atmosphere/creative food/reasonable prices this is the place.
Alchemy, you retain your #2 spot. There Ricardo Heredia's food is even more creative and outside-the-box than Brian Malarkey, with a nice relaxed atmosphere. (but Searsucker is more exciting/glamorous, and not every dish at Alchemy attains its mark).
Our next visit will likely be the restaurant currently holding my #3 spot: Avenue 5. The food is more classic, but it is wonderfully flavored, well-executed California-French food, and happy hour at the bar is so lovely and reasonable! Can't wait!
--exciting, vibrant, urban atmosphere
--great people-watching
--delicious, inspired cocktails
--friendly/casual but efficient service
--delectable creative menu, with lots of choices for meat-eaters and veggies
--reasonable prices
--efficient kitchen
Brian Malarkey was not even in view this time, and it was still delightful.
What I had this time:
--watermelon/beet/goat cheese salad: delicious, and have you ever seen a yellow watermelon?
--salmon dish: delectable and light. At first arrival, it was not quite hot enough. But then quickly made me a brand-new one; it came out very quickly. (Even after I had eaten all the original beets and a little of the salmon). Perfectly cooked, delectable sauce.
CH loved his:
--lettuce and lemon (perfectly light)
--lemon chicken (yes, he had a lemon theme)
--corn with bacon
We also loved, once again, the complimentary cheddar poppers.
I would love to try dessert but we were happily full - plus we were on our way to see the adorable Sutton Foster in concert. (They got us in and out in 45 min., even including redoing my entree - and we didn't feel rushed. Very impressive).
For a "fine dining" occasion, I would probably still choose somewhere calmer and more elegant. This is also why I am not terming it "the best restaurant in San Diego" but more modestly "my favorite" (it is subjective, after all). But for a combo of exciting atmosphere/creative food/reasonable prices this is the place.
Alchemy, you retain your #2 spot. There Ricardo Heredia's food is even more creative and outside-the-box than Brian Malarkey, with a nice relaxed atmosphere. (but Searsucker is more exciting/glamorous, and not every dish at Alchemy attains its mark).
Our next visit will likely be the restaurant currently holding my #3 spot: Avenue 5. The food is more classic, but it is wonderfully flavored, well-executed California-French food, and happy hour at the bar is so lovely and reasonable! Can't wait!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Best Pizza in SD: Sicilian Thing (North Park) + Viva Pops VI
Yes, I now am ready to pronounce Sicilian Thing THE best, breaking its tie with Bongiorno's Miramar (though Cute Husband insists that I say: "except when Mike Bongiorno is there and the pizza is straight out of the oven"). We still love Bongiorno's Miramar, but it has become clear that Sicilian Thing is just super-consistent even when Paul is gone. Today I got:
--Nino Espinosa: spinach, stewed tomatoes, cheese
--Barack-oli Ricotta: duh, broccoli ricotta
Lots of fancy places in town try "artisan pizza" that's expensive (I'm talking about you, Blue Ribbon). Hands town, ST has the tastiest *and best value* pizza in town. It's working-class instead of all gussied-up, but it's inexpensive AND outrageously yummy. If you like NY pizza and haven't gone yet, what is the matter with you?! You can take your toddler too, of course....
The Nino Espinosa was out of this world: the flavors, and the crust. And I didn't even get anything Sicilian today....
Paul knows how to make a pie and how to get his staff to do it right too!
By popular request, Super-Toddler got to go to Viva Pops after (he's been a good boy lately). He got strawberry. Mom got creamy passionfruit (sorry, Dr. T. - I'm not talented enough to make these). Even Dad got into the action, though he has always declared he doesn't like popsicles and always resisted before. He ordered grapefruit. He decided: still doesn't like the texture of popsicles, but the flavor of the grapefruit was delicious, like fresh farmers' market grapefruit.
Stayed tuned for a post on our return to Searsucker, hopefully sometime this weekend!
--Nino Espinosa: spinach, stewed tomatoes, cheese
--Barack-oli Ricotta: duh, broccoli ricotta
Lots of fancy places in town try "artisan pizza" that's expensive (I'm talking about you, Blue Ribbon). Hands town, ST has the tastiest *and best value* pizza in town. It's working-class instead of all gussied-up, but it's inexpensive AND outrageously yummy. If you like NY pizza and haven't gone yet, what is the matter with you?! You can take your toddler too, of course....
The Nino Espinosa was out of this world: the flavors, and the crust. And I didn't even get anything Sicilian today....
Paul knows how to make a pie and how to get his staff to do it right too!
By popular request, Super-Toddler got to go to Viva Pops after (he's been a good boy lately). He got strawberry. Mom got creamy passionfruit (sorry, Dr. T. - I'm not talented enough to make these). Even Dad got into the action, though he has always declared he doesn't like popsicles and always resisted before. He ordered grapefruit. He decided: still doesn't like the texture of popsicles, but the flavor of the grapefruit was delicious, like fresh farmers' market grapefruit.
Stayed tuned for a post on our return to Searsucker, hopefully sometime this weekend!
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