Shimbashi Izakaya (Del Mar)

Date night: super-yum!

Have been meaning to try an Izakaya (Japanese tapas bar) for a while....There are some good ones elsewhere in SD but also this fancy cocktail-y one in the Del Mar Plaza. Mixed reviews on Yelp, but when we got unexpected babysitting tonight (yeah, grandma!) we decided to give it a shot.

MMMMMM-YOSO (to borrow the name of another SD restaurant blog).

Super-fresh veggies - they apparently use Chino. Maybe we ordered all the right things but we loved everything.

Atmosphere: Cute. Very uncomfortable chairs (no backs). Mix of Japanese customers and other Del Martians.

Service: Very friendly, efficient Japanese women.

Food: Forgot about the chairs once it came!
--Green salad: Such fresh delicious lettuce and other veggies, with a good dressing....A big cut above green salads in other Japanese places.

--Miso soup: CH says it was ok, nothing special.

--Amuse bouche (they called it free mini-appetizer): grated seaweed and black mushrooms in a ginger-sesame broth. YUMMMMMM.

--Green beans and eggplant in sweet miso paste: I don't even like green beans - I thought this dish was just eggplant. BUT I LOVED IT! Green beans were super fresh and perfectly cooked; sesame miso paste was divine. They have a bunch of eggplant dishes but this one was starred as a must-try. Thank you, menu-writer!

--Shabu-Shabu: CH got this, super-fresh veggies, cooked his own beef in his choice of broth. He really enjoyed this. They say they have this only in winter.

--La fresca roll: Was deciding between this and miso cod (another starred must-try). Was excellent choice: spicy tuna, avocado, yellowtail, cilantro, and a fresh diced tomato-onion-pepper conconction on top (like a fresh salsa). Not traditional but super-fresh and delicious

Oh, and did I mention my $5 sake colada? (like a Malibu with pineapple except made with coconut sake). LOVED IT!

Not super-cheap but was a great price/value ratio. Not a place to go with Boy (other kids were there but the chairs and atmosphere are not for our roaming boy). Hope to get there again another time.

(oh - and there were lots of other veggie choices I didn't get to try - they're starred with Vs on the menu)

Del Mar Rendezvous and other quick takes

Have been sick and ST is keeping me busy, so just a few quick takes.

Del Mar Rendezvous: yummy! large vegetarian/vegan menu! Same family as Dumpling Inn and lots of the same dishes! Hooked on vegetarian konnayaku noodle soup - super-delish for Foodie Mom with a cold! We have done take out twice in the last week. Dumplings, black bean fish (which ST loves), mmm....We went once a few years ago and weren't impressed but we'll be back.

Tender Greens today: super-good. It can be inconsistent sometimes. But today the albacore/tomato-based fisherman's soup was awesome, the albacore was perfectly seared, the grilled veggies were awesome (ever seen a global carrot?) and of course the mashed potatos were awesome as ever.

Awesome seems to be my word of the day....

San Diego: A Pizza Town! (Carmine's in Oceanside)

Todder yumminess!

SuperToddler earned himself a ride on the Coaster today by going diaper free for 5 whole days. You go, kid! Since there was to be 3 hours between the northbound and southbound rides, and you can only play at the pier for so long, I scouted out the grub near the train station in advance. Was hoping for something halfway decent.

Carmine's: what an awesome surprise! San Diego is really turning into a pizza town. (yes, Oceanside is not really SD, but let's not be technical - good pizza is busting out all over the county).

We went a good 10 yrs in Ca. with no good pizza (at least not good NY pizza). Now we have:

--Sicilian Thing (North Park)
--Bongiorno's Miramar
--Bongiorno's Solana Beach
(Bronx: we don't go there but I know it's fine)

And....Carmine's in Oceanside. The crust is not quite in the same league, but my veggie pizza (white, sundried tomatoes, peppers) was absolutely delish, and the cheese slice was very respectable (CH was less enthused about the slice than me, but agreed that the cheese and sauce were just right - he just thought there wasn't enough sauce and the crust kept it out of the league of the others I mentioned).

But it was super-yummy, cute (brick walls)....and if you're so inclined, they also have a great beer and wine selection (since North County really is the craft beer capital of the country). Carmine, the owner, is the real thing...he's from Cleveland (Cleveland? I guess there are Italians there too) but he says ricotta properly and makes good pizza.

Definitely worth a visit, esp. if you are having a pier or Coaster outing!