Katana revisit (Carmel Valley)

Katana has a huge menu, and it's a place we've been going back to once a month or more with ST. It's quite good overall, and very toddler-friendly so it works. But the rolls are a bit hit or miss, so it's good to remind myself what I liked (and then search later!).

Today I got:
--baked mountain roll
--tuna tartar

CH got:
--"crispy chicken" app + soup + salad + rice

ST got:
--salad + rice + cubed tofu + miso

ST was thrilled as usual with his food, plus the X-Games on the screens.

CH was not happy he ordered something new: he thought the crispy chicken would be more well-done grilled, and it was chicken fingers. Luckly he wasn't very hungry.

Me: The tuna tar tar salad was not really tartare (in that it wasn't haché). But it was quite tasty. Cubed raw tuna, with avo, on a bed of mixed greens, with a yummy slightly spicy-sweet dressing. The kicker on the plate (which I wasn't expecting): crispy tempura-ed rice balls. Very delicious...and very not on my no-white-carbs-if-possible eating plan. They were too yummy - I ate more "tastes" than I wanted to.

--Mountain roll: I have to remind myself that this is a mess of a sushi roll. Too much sauce on the salmon. Tasty, but I'd rather get something healthier. I set out to have healthy raw fish tonight, and ended up with a stomach full of fried white rice balls and the goopy sauce on the mountain roll. (Ditto Alaska roll, which has an alfredo-like "truffle-in-name-only" sauce on it).

Overall, still like Katana a lot as a tasty, somewhat hip family-friendly option. But should go back to the delicious and riceless ex-girlfriend roll for me, and the beef bulgogi or chicken teriyaki for CH!

Quick takes; Searsucker, Counter

Visited Searsucker yet again, during the Comic-Con frenzy. At first I worried the place was losing its dazzle: kind of stale cheddar puffers came out, and the server took a long while to get to us.

However, WHEW! It's still my fave restaurant. Once the server came she was fabulous.

Some highlights:

-glass of Faranghina: she told me it was like pinot grigio, but more complex, and a great food wine. Wow! She was right. Not insubstantial at all, tasted better as I ate. Yummy! Love the alcohol list at Searsucker.

--tuna + crowing rooster: WOWZA. Loved it but would never order it again. a) super-delicious and b) painfully spicy. I ate the whole thing (it was painfully enjoyable) but would not do it next time.

--watermelon/tomato/ricotta salad: Yum. Smart server brought it after my tuna, since she knew it would cool me off.

--carrot/sugar snap pea/pistachio-dine side. Delicious.

Oh, and when I asked the server if he could get some fresher puffers....they came right out, fresh and scrumptious.

Love Searsucker! Even had a Malarkey sighting at the end of the night, plus saw B-Real from Cypress Hill.

COUNTER DEL MAR

Just want to add that we've now taken Cute Husband, and I am still crazy for this place as a place to go with Super Toddler. So much healthier and more delicious than Red Robin/Coco's/other family-type restaurants. I get a veggie burger on a bed of delicious greens - I don't even like salad and it's super yummy. The grilled vegetables are also delicious.

Taverna Blu Revisit (Carmel Valley)

Took the boys to Taverna Blu (had been on my own).

Still good to have a decent place in the hood, not the greatest place ever.

Had salmon, grilled vegetables, salad. All tasty, but salmon and grilled veggies swimming in butter.

CH liked his gyro pita, but didn't like the garbanzo mix, which turns out to be deep-fried chickpeas (fair food!).

ST liked his salad, french fries and humus (not to mention the great music and patio atmosphere), though he is burping a lot after (who knows from what).

Also had a glass of Luna pinot grigio - nice to go to a place with ST where I can get a nice glass of wine.

Friendly service, though food all came out at once (not salads then entrees).

Will undoubtedly return - it's easy enough. But it's not super-healthy!

Returns to Giuseppe's (Balboa Park) and Viva Pops (Normal Heights)

Quick takes:

Visit to the train museum in Balboa Park for ST today requires lunch afterwards! The trick with Giuseppe's: one person heads ahead, orders at the to-go counter. Others can show up after with no waiting and still sit at the tables in the back. Still love my Giuseppe's special with portabella swapped for chicken. CH had never been to Giuseppe's, and agreed that the salad dressing is super-yum (he ordered a chicken parm special and enjoyed it). ST loved his pizza (I snuck some - delish, Italian-style). Love Giuseppe's - best setting and delicious food.

And of course we went to Viva Pops on the way home. ST ordered a dairy-based lemon-rose popsicle. Tasted it, LOVED it and I don't even like lemon really (but the rose notes were so strong that it was delicious to me, and super-good for my lemon-loving son). I got goat-cheese-lavender-honey. Can someone say yummy? I think I'd order what ST got next time, but I had a delicious goat-cheese taste in my mouth and chilled feeling in my insides for quite a while after.

All that delicious food on a hot day made Foodie Mom take one long nap. Gotta find my boys!

Another visit to Katana (Carmel Valley)

Another successful meal with ST at Katana.

Cubed tofu + edamame + salad + miso soup + rice PLUS Nascar on television = one very happy and well-behaved Super-Toddler.

(Is he a healthy eater or what? My adventurous boy even decided to try pickled ginger and seaweed. Didn't like the first, kind of intrigued by the latter - "is it from my ocean?").

I ate ex-girlfriend roll (still my fave, riceless) + another special albacore role that was on the 50% off list. I was not into the albacore on top at all - I thought it was a little grody (though I liked the spicy tuna/masago mix inside the roll). I would get something different next time.

Cute Husband ordered beef bulgogi there for the first time (it's really a Korean fusion place anyway) and he thought it was very good.

No balloons for kids anymore, but we'll certainly return!