Quick takes:
Rimel's Del Mar: decent food, s-l-o-w service, stiff drinks. SuperBoy got rather grumpy waiting long intervals for food. Too expensive to be casual - probably won't return anytime soon, though the wood-fired salmon is decent. (the Al Capone was tasty and very strong, but not so delectable that I must return)
Alborz: always love the eggplant stew, no meat. Have been happily eating (takeout) for years and years!
Cucina Urbana: I had a better experience than CH on date night.
--chopped salad: meh
--jar of fava/argula humus: good and a good value
--spring vegetable pizza: I liked but wouldn't order again
--CH not a huge fan of his dish (ribeye?)
Still trying to get a cocktail there I really like. The stranded sicilian (with roasted pineapple gin) was drinkable but I wouldn't order it again.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Friday, October 11, 2013
Alforon (College Area): Very Yummy
Finally tried Alforon. Very tasty. Very small. Couple who runs it are very hospitable. Very yummy veg flatbreads; baba ghanoush; humus; sesame bread (Lebanese bagel). Pistachio nest was only ok, but the rosewater custard (I forget the Arabic name) and the date cookie were very delicious. All the tables were taken on a Sat. night - good we reserved. They are very kid friendly too.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Caffe Calabria (North Park) Restaurant Review: Delicious and Kid-Friendly!
We had been to Caffe Calabria only once before, with another couple. No babysitter tonight - but I was craving wood-oven Italian pizza (mmmm). Decided to try it out with SuperBoy.
SUCCESS!
Atmosphere: Not only cool and romantic and hip for grown-ups, but cool for a little boy. The inside is made to feel like a night street, all lit up. SB liked the fake windows and facades. The other theme of the restaurant is soccer. So there are Italian Jerseys everywhere - and soccer on the screen. The fact that SB was still in his soccer jersey from his game today received kudos from the wait staff, which SB liked.
Pizza: super yummy. We liked both the Margherita and the Margherita DOC with veggies added.
Frascati wine: delish and only $6
Green salad for only $5: super delicious and enough for us to divide in three parts as an app.
SB also liked the aranciata and was super well-behaved.
Oh - and the food came out so expeditiously. Score!!!
I asked SB if he wants to come here again. He rolled his eyes and said, "Of course," as in "Duh, Mom." North Park is also so much fun to visit. We saw an awesome African dance class going on at Stage 7.
***
He was so well-behaved that we went next to Heaven Sent Desserts at Univ and 30th for dessert. SB got a red velvet cake, which he liked. I got german chocolate cake, which was tasty too (and enormous). CH got a 3-chocolate cake, which was the yummiest, in my view.
Caffe Calabria and Heaven Sent: a fantastic date night for the whole family!
SUCCESS!
Atmosphere: Not only cool and romantic and hip for grown-ups, but cool for a little boy. The inside is made to feel like a night street, all lit up. SB liked the fake windows and facades. The other theme of the restaurant is soccer. So there are Italian Jerseys everywhere - and soccer on the screen. The fact that SB was still in his soccer jersey from his game today received kudos from the wait staff, which SB liked.
Pizza: super yummy. We liked both the Margherita and the Margherita DOC with veggies added.
Frascati wine: delish and only $6
Green salad for only $5: super delicious and enough for us to divide in three parts as an app.
SB also liked the aranciata and was super well-behaved.
Oh - and the food came out so expeditiously. Score!!!
I asked SB if he wants to come here again. He rolled his eyes and said, "Of course," as in "Duh, Mom." North Park is also so much fun to visit. We saw an awesome African dance class going on at Stage 7.
***
He was so well-behaved that we went next to Heaven Sent Desserts at Univ and 30th for dessert. SB got a red velvet cake, which he liked. I got german chocolate cake, which was tasty too (and enormous). CH got a 3-chocolate cake, which was the yummiest, in my view.
Caffe Calabria and Heaven Sent: a fantastic date night for the whole family!
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Restaurant report: JSix (Gaslamp)
We missed RW at JSix, but had a fantastic meal.
LOW POINTS: service is always so darn slow here. This would be a much more famous and successful restaurant, and we'd come more, if they had more staff on the floor. Took forever to order, and by the time we got our first course, we had been there for more than an hour.
Pepper Blossom cocktail: super-boring. but they changed it out for me to something yummier...
Cream of spinach soup: kind of boring
Chicken dish: it was a little too peppered for CH, though he thought it was ok
HIGH POINTS: Crazy delicious and not super heavy food. Other friends and I had:
--super yummy manhattans. Never had one before; hope they are not all downhill from here. They had their own orange bitters and some other yummy stuff in it.
--ridiculously yummy raw veggies and burrata salad
--super yummy suzie's farm salad; every component was yum
--very tasty tuna crudo. Small portion. But the sea beans were super-tasty.
--corn agnolotti: very good. My friends l-o-v-e-d it; I thought it was tasty.
--halibut with coriander and yogurt: super yummy and innovative
--truffle fries: tasty, wish we hadn't gotten them free with yelp check-in; otherwise we had a super-low carb meal
--also ridiculously yummy tapenade with decent bread
--L-O-V-E-D hazelnut brandy ice cream. Chocolate coriander ice cream also good. Banana bread pudding was tasty; the vanilla ice cream with it was forgettable.
In short, great food here, nice atmosphere. Need more floor or kitchen staff!
LOW POINTS: service is always so darn slow here. This would be a much more famous and successful restaurant, and we'd come more, if they had more staff on the floor. Took forever to order, and by the time we got our first course, we had been there for more than an hour.
Pepper Blossom cocktail: super-boring. but they changed it out for me to something yummier...
Cream of spinach soup: kind of boring
Chicken dish: it was a little too peppered for CH, though he thought it was ok
HIGH POINTS: Crazy delicious and not super heavy food. Other friends and I had:
--super yummy manhattans. Never had one before; hope they are not all downhill from here. They had their own orange bitters and some other yummy stuff in it.
--ridiculously yummy raw veggies and burrata salad
--super yummy suzie's farm salad; every component was yum
--very tasty tuna crudo. Small portion. But the sea beans were super-tasty.
--corn agnolotti: very good. My friends l-o-v-e-d it; I thought it was tasty.
--halibut with coriander and yogurt: super yummy and innovative
--truffle fries: tasty, wish we hadn't gotten them free with yelp check-in; otherwise we had a super-low carb meal
--also ridiculously yummy tapenade with decent bread
--L-O-V-E-D hazelnut brandy ice cream. Chocolate coriander ice cream also good. Banana bread pudding was tasty; the vanilla ice cream with it was forgettable.
In short, great food here, nice atmosphere. Need more floor or kitchen staff!
Restaurant week report: Crush (Solana Beach)
Nice meal at Crush for RW. Bruschetta entree was fantastic (grilled good bread, great burrata, tomatoes, pesto). Eggplant was very tasty and huge portion, but very heavy - wouldn't order in future. Great "julep noir" (bourbon, blackberries, mint, lime). Great music too, but not so loud that you can't hear your companion talk. Glad we went. (though I must add that a friend went the night before and was less impressed with the salmon. But we were lucky!). This place is becoming a favorite.
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Cucina enoteca opening soon (Del Mar Flower Hill)
(I feel like I am rebroadcasting Candace Woo's news this week, but she has so many interesting items concerning my fave chefs or places!)
She is reporting that the new sib of CU in Flower Hill will open September 29:
http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/19/cucina-enoteca.php
Looks beautiful inside. We'll see whether it's kid friendly too..... (date night at Flower Hill does not strike me as super appealing but we'll manage otherwise.
She is reporting that the new sib of CU in Flower Hill will open September 29:
http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/19/cucina-enoteca.php
Looks beautiful inside. We'll see whether it's kid friendly too..... (date night at Flower Hill does not strike me as super appealing but we'll manage otherwise.
Jack Fisher stops being a pastry chef :(
Candace Woo is reporting that Jack Fisher, one of my two fave pastry chefs in town, is switching to the savory side AND moving down to Imperial Beach.
http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/19/chef-jack-fisher-on-moving-from-sweet-to-savory.php
This is not good news for me or for dessert-lovers north of downtown! But hopefully it will be a good step for him - we all need change.
Going to Cucina Urbana soon - hopefully they will have some of his desserts left even if he isn't there to execute!
http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/19/chef-jack-fisher-on-moving-from-sweet-to-savory.php
This is not good news for me or for dessert-lovers north of downtown! But hopefully it will be a good step for him - we all need change.
Going to Cucina Urbana soon - hopefully they will have some of his desserts left even if he isn't there to execute!
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Tender Greens now open at SD Airport!
Great news from Candace Woo at SD Eater: http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/17/tender-greens-takes-off-at-the-airport-tomorrow.php.
Must check out soon! (reports are welcome!)
Must check out soon! (reports are welcome!)
Shoutout to Candace Woo at SD Eater!
a. Candace Woo is cool and always has good taste. Loved her old reviews (she was at CityBeat and I forget where else) and now her restaurant coverage at Eater San Diego.
b. Extra cool - she included my Sea and Smoke review in a roundup of Sea and Smoke reviews: http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/13/the-latest-word-on-sea-smoke.php.
Come back any time, Candace - glad to have you reading!
b. Extra cool - she included my Sea and Smoke review in a roundup of Sea and Smoke reviews: http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/09/13/the-latest-word-on-sea-smoke.php.
Come back any time, Candace - glad to have you reading!
Upcoming Restaurant Week visits
We normally avoid Restaurant Week - it's too crazy, restaurants are too rushed. And it's not always that much of a bargain.
But we're going to hit Crush and Searsucker Del Mar this week. They both should be a good value. It will be a great excuse to try Crush again, and to give the new Searsucker a new try to see how it compares to Burlap.
But we're going to hit Crush and Searsucker Del Mar this week. They both should be a good value. It will be a great excuse to try Crush again, and to give the new Searsucker a new try to see how it compares to Burlap.
Which 'wich Review (Carmel Valley)
Last Monday, SuperBoy and I saw that there was a training session in the space where Which 'Wich was about to open in the Del Mar Highlands Shopping Center. We read the sign on the door and saw that the restaurant would open on Wed.
On Wed. morning, SuperBoy said, "Mommy, that new restaurant is opening today - can we try it out tonight?" Ah! I am raising a food-forward boy! Love the use of "try it out." How could I say no?
When Cute Husband came home, we headed over there. It was very busy for opening night. But we loved it!
a. You can really customize your sandwich in a lot of interesting ways. I got a whole wheat baguette with tomato, cheese, spinach, and sauerkraut. (hmm....sauerkraut). CH got a reuben and liked it.
b. For kids, you can doodle on your sandwich bag and then post it on the wall. SB loved this. He wrote an ode to the cashier and showed it to him. What is cooler to a little kid who loves to draw than being able to draw and post your work in a restaurant?
c. Place was highly staffed and staff was super friendly.
d. Prices are very reasonable.
e. CH loved the idea of a pizzawich (a pizza sandwich! he said).
We didn't try shakes but SB wants to next time. Great option in the neighborhood.
On Wed. morning, SuperBoy said, "Mommy, that new restaurant is opening today - can we try it out tonight?" Ah! I am raising a food-forward boy! Love the use of "try it out." How could I say no?
When Cute Husband came home, we headed over there. It was very busy for opening night. But we loved it!
a. You can really customize your sandwich in a lot of interesting ways. I got a whole wheat baguette with tomato, cheese, spinach, and sauerkraut. (hmm....sauerkraut). CH got a reuben and liked it.
b. For kids, you can doodle on your sandwich bag and then post it on the wall. SB loved this. He wrote an ode to the cashier and showed it to him. What is cooler to a little kid who loves to draw than being able to draw and post your work in a restaurant?
c. Place was highly staffed and staff was super friendly.
d. Prices are very reasonable.
e. CH loved the idea of a pizzawich (a pizza sandwich! he said).
We didn't try shakes but SB wants to next time. Great option in the neighborhood.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
New food trucks in Carmel Valley
Miho hardly comes to High Bluff anymore; too busy!
Devilicious was here Monday (oops - I missed it!).
today a new Thai food truck (HaadSai Thai Food).
Can't wait to try Devilicious one of these weeks!
Devilicious was here Monday (oops - I missed it!).
today a new Thai food truck (HaadSai Thai Food).
Can't wait to try Devilicious one of these weeks!
Saturday, August 31, 2013
Not the best meal we ever had at Apollonia (La Jolla)
Apollonia is normally one of our fave delicious, sit-down, kid-friendly, not too stuffy restaurants.
Tonight they were off their usual quality.
Taramasalata and humus still good.
But worst spanaki lemonata ever (spinach too tough and chewy instead of melting in my mouth).
And the seabass turned out to be fishy and drenched in layers of unhealthy sauce (v. their grilled salmon, which is so light, delicious and simple).
If all the meals I'd had there were like this I wouldn't return. It may still take me several months. Stomach ache....
At least there was Baskins Robbins next door for a well-behaved boy.
Tonight they were off their usual quality.
Taramasalata and humus still good.
But worst spanaki lemonata ever (spinach too tough and chewy instead of melting in my mouth).
And the seabass turned out to be fishy and drenched in layers of unhealthy sauce (v. their grilled salmon, which is so light, delicious and simple).
If all the meals I'd had there were like this I wouldn't return. It may still take me several months. Stomach ache....
At least there was Baskins Robbins next door for a well-behaved boy.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
New plant-based cuisine restaurant to open in UTC: Veggie Grill
Read this today in the U-T: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/aug/27/veggie-grill-opens-utc-mall-la-jolla/.
Will it be as good as Native Foods? Only time will tell. Sounds worth a try!
With Tender Greens there, and Seasons 52 being on ok option too, UTC may become a veggie wonderland! (not to mention bottega italiana for delicious gelato dessert!
Will it be as good as Native Foods? Only time will tell. Sounds worth a try!
With Tender Greens there, and Seasons 52 being on ok option too, UTC may become a veggie wonderland! (not to mention bottega italiana for delicious gelato dessert!
Monday, August 26, 2013
Sea and Smoke Review (Del Mar)
Sea and Smoke, in brief:
--very loud
--very airy
--tasty food, interesting menu
--disorganized, disappointing service
--slow kitchen
--high prices, portions too large (this is fine if you really are sharing dishes, but if each person is eating something differnet - CH likes chicken, I'm a veggie - lots of food is leftover with a very big bill)
--there's a lot of fried food for "farm-to-table". I liked my mushroom dish (with poached egg, smoked lentil mousse), but did it really need potato chips on top of it? And the dandelion greens didn't really harmonize with the rest.
We ended up cancelling some of the things we ordered because the waits between dishes coming out of the kitchen were just too long. Either the bar is also really slow or our server was.
Too bad, because it's beautiful, interesting food, and I want Matt Gordon to succeed (nice guy, great chef). But I don't think we'll go back, at least until we hear other reports. Too bad!!!
--very loud
--very airy
--tasty food, interesting menu
--disorganized, disappointing service
--slow kitchen
--high prices, portions too large (this is fine if you really are sharing dishes, but if each person is eating something differnet - CH likes chicken, I'm a veggie - lots of food is leftover with a very big bill)
--there's a lot of fried food for "farm-to-table". I liked my mushroom dish (with poached egg, smoked lentil mousse), but did it really need potato chips on top of it? And the dandelion greens didn't really harmonize with the rest.
We ended up cancelling some of the things we ordered because the waits between dishes coming out of the kitchen were just too long. Either the bar is also really slow or our server was.
Too bad, because it's beautiful, interesting food, and I want Matt Gordon to succeed (nice guy, great chef). But I don't think we'll go back, at least until we hear other reports. Too bad!!!
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Quick takes: Bongiorno's (Solana Beach) and Del Mar Wine Company
We have been eating at Bongiorno's for years. Better NY pizza than most places we know in NY and NJ, and rivals Sicilian Thing on good days. Very yummy.
Still, I never ordered the eggplant parm before. Thought it wouldn't be good. My boys wanted pizza last night and I wasn't in the mood. Eggplant parm hero was HUGE and SUPER YUMMY. Great sesame Italian roll. Very nice breaded eggplant and tasty mozzarella. Definitely worth trying - it is not less good than their pizza.
Have been enjoying reasonably priced selections from the very knowledgeable fokls at Del Mar Wine Company. Just tried the Rio Madre Rioja with Graciano grapes (Spain). Super yummy and a very good value for about $10.
Still, I never ordered the eggplant parm before. Thought it wouldn't be good. My boys wanted pizza last night and I wasn't in the mood. Eggplant parm hero was HUGE and SUPER YUMMY. Great sesame Italian roll. Very nice breaded eggplant and tasty mozzarella. Definitely worth trying - it is not less good than their pizza.
Have been enjoying reasonably priced selections from the very knowledgeable fokls at Del Mar Wine Company. Just tried the Rio Madre Rioja with Graciano grapes (Spain). Super yummy and a very good value for about $10.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
L-O-V-E Fish Public (Kensington)
Tried Fish Public tonight with a girlfriend. LOVED it.
Reviews on Yelp are mixed. Some say: delicious, great service!!!! Other say: not great service, food not delicious, and it's much too loud! So....
The inside is very loud/"hip". And if you didn't order the right things, you might say, what's the big deal? And maybe you didn't luck out with your waitstaff.
But we sat outside: wonderful atmosphere on the patio, could hear eacho ther fine.
We had an awesome waitress: extremely friendly and knowledgeable about menu.
And we had very delicious food and drinks, even if some dishes were stronger than others.
So maybe you don't like it if you're inside and order the wrong things; and you love it if you're on the patio or don't mind noise, and get the right things!! I'm on the L-O-V-E side, very firmly.
DRINK MENU: Crazy delicious looking choices. And the Cape Cod Redo was an absolute home run. FANTASTIC. Had to meet the mixologist, Dustin, and congratulate him. Lime-cranberry shrub, rose + vodka. A bit effervescent. Y-U-M x 3. I would have bought the bottles to take home if only they would let me. One of my favorite cocktails in SD, and now one of my favorite restaurants. My friend very much enjoyed the sangria. Fresh sangria cocktails are everywhere in SD right now, but this was an especially good example (had a taste). They also have a great mocktail menu, so I switched to a fresh blackberry soda after having a cocktail (drivers have to be restrained!). Otherwise I would have been dying to try something else on the menu, like the Frenemy.
APP: Salmon tartare: very delicious, with some yummy sourdough crostini (very thin and light)
SALAD: This was the least successful dish of the evening. Peach, blue cheese, almond, chicory. It wasn't terrible (I liked the dressing and the chicory), but the blue cheese was much too heavy for a summer salad, esp. with peach. Just did not come anywhere near the peach salad I had earlier this week at Davanti.
OCTOPUS APP: I didn't eat the octopus, but my friend said it was very good, and the portion was humongous, not an app size at all. I tasted the salad, the romesco sauce and the artichoke stems. DELECTABLE. We would both order the romesco sauce on its own and eat with bread. One of the best things at the restaurant. YUMMMMM.
FISH ENTREES: We split sole entree and salmon entree. Both fishes were perfectly cooked. Sole was tasty but less inventive: straight forward brown butter, almonds, green beans. Salmon was more inventive and very delicious. Served with fennel cut like sauerkraut (with yummy peppercorns or whatever they were), butter, and grapefruit (though I skipped the grapefruit).
We were too full to have dessert. Can't wait to try it again (I just need another friend not allergic to fish!)
Reviews on Yelp are mixed. Some say: delicious, great service!!!! Other say: not great service, food not delicious, and it's much too loud! So....
The inside is very loud/"hip". And if you didn't order the right things, you might say, what's the big deal? And maybe you didn't luck out with your waitstaff.
But we sat outside: wonderful atmosphere on the patio, could hear eacho ther fine.
We had an awesome waitress: extremely friendly and knowledgeable about menu.
And we had very delicious food and drinks, even if some dishes were stronger than others.
So maybe you don't like it if you're inside and order the wrong things; and you love it if you're on the patio or don't mind noise, and get the right things!! I'm on the L-O-V-E side, very firmly.
DRINK MENU: Crazy delicious looking choices. And the Cape Cod Redo was an absolute home run. FANTASTIC. Had to meet the mixologist, Dustin, and congratulate him. Lime-cranberry shrub, rose + vodka. A bit effervescent. Y-U-M x 3. I would have bought the bottles to take home if only they would let me. One of my favorite cocktails in SD, and now one of my favorite restaurants. My friend very much enjoyed the sangria. Fresh sangria cocktails are everywhere in SD right now, but this was an especially good example (had a taste). They also have a great mocktail menu, so I switched to a fresh blackberry soda after having a cocktail (drivers have to be restrained!). Otherwise I would have been dying to try something else on the menu, like the Frenemy.
APP: Salmon tartare: very delicious, with some yummy sourdough crostini (very thin and light)
SALAD: This was the least successful dish of the evening. Peach, blue cheese, almond, chicory. It wasn't terrible (I liked the dressing and the chicory), but the blue cheese was much too heavy for a summer salad, esp. with peach. Just did not come anywhere near the peach salad I had earlier this week at Davanti.
OCTOPUS APP: I didn't eat the octopus, but my friend said it was very good, and the portion was humongous, not an app size at all. I tasted the salad, the romesco sauce and the artichoke stems. DELECTABLE. We would both order the romesco sauce on its own and eat with bread. One of the best things at the restaurant. YUMMMMM.
FISH ENTREES: We split sole entree and salmon entree. Both fishes were perfectly cooked. Sole was tasty but less inventive: straight forward brown butter, almonds, green beans. Salmon was more inventive and very delicious. Served with fennel cut like sauerkraut (with yummy peppercorns or whatever they were), butter, and grapefruit (though I skipped the grapefruit).
We were too full to have dessert. Can't wait to try it again (I just need another friend not allergic to fish!)
Friday, August 2, 2013
More yumminess at Davanti Enoteca Del Mar
There is a definite science to ordering at Davanti Del Mar, which is fast becoming one of my go-to favorite restaurants (especially for a get-together with a girlfriend). Some items are reasonably priced, delicious, and copious (any of the pizzas, about $12). Others are tiny and astronomical (that one ravioli for $10). So when I go with a friend, I always try to do one of the following shared plans:
--appetizer ($8-10)
--salad (8-10ish)
--Pizza DOC or Pizza con Funghi e Taleggio ($12 or $13)
OR
--appetizer ($8-10)
--Salad ($8-10ish)
--pasta ($15ish)
--fish ($19ish)
You get to try a lot of different tastes and it leaves you from spending lots of money and still being hungry. My friend was avoiding dairy so we did the second plan. Very successful and delectable evening as usual at DDM
App: we had the roasted cauliflower, this time with lemon, olives and lots of other yummy things. Everytime I go the roasted cauli preparation is different, but it's always delicious and a very healthy and filling and reasonable - not to mention very tasty - way to start the meal
Salad: we got the peaches with pickled apricots, bibb lettuce, nuts (hazel?) and honey citrus vinaigrette. This salad was SICK, aka CRAZY. The pickled apricots were crazy good, and the whole salad was yummy. This is an epic salad dish.
Pasta: got the cavatelli with fresh vegetables and ricotta salata. If you were just ordering this, you would think it was tiny and a ripoff. But after our cauliflower and salad courses, this was just the right amount of pasta for each of us to have. Light and tasty. My second time ordering this and I would get again.
Fish: Very nice seabass special. On top of zucchini spaghetti. I was finally full at this point and finally didn't clean my plate.
And WINE is always a highlight here, and I appreciate that they let me try a few sips before deciding. Wasn't sure whether I wanted a medium-bodied white or red. Tried the barbera (boring, not for me, at least this night), and also the $12 special white of Manincor Riserva Della Contessa. Blend of pinot blanc, chard and sauvignon, if I remember. Crazy delicious. LOVED IT!
--appetizer ($8-10)
--salad (8-10ish)
--Pizza DOC or Pizza con Funghi e Taleggio ($12 or $13)
OR
--appetizer ($8-10)
--Salad ($8-10ish)
--pasta ($15ish)
--fish ($19ish)
You get to try a lot of different tastes and it leaves you from spending lots of money and still being hungry. My friend was avoiding dairy so we did the second plan. Very successful and delectable evening as usual at DDM
App: we had the roasted cauliflower, this time with lemon, olives and lots of other yummy things. Everytime I go the roasted cauli preparation is different, but it's always delicious and a very healthy and filling and reasonable - not to mention very tasty - way to start the meal
Salad: we got the peaches with pickled apricots, bibb lettuce, nuts (hazel?) and honey citrus vinaigrette. This salad was SICK, aka CRAZY. The pickled apricots were crazy good, and the whole salad was yummy. This is an epic salad dish.
Pasta: got the cavatelli with fresh vegetables and ricotta salata. If you were just ordering this, you would think it was tiny and a ripoff. But after our cauliflower and salad courses, this was just the right amount of pasta for each of us to have. Light and tasty. My second time ordering this and I would get again.
Fish: Very nice seabass special. On top of zucchini spaghetti. I was finally full at this point and finally didn't clean my plate.
And WINE is always a highlight here, and I appreciate that they let me try a few sips before deciding. Wasn't sure whether I wanted a medium-bodied white or red. Tried the barbera (boring, not for me, at least this night), and also the $12 special white of Manincor Riserva Della Contessa. Blend of pinot blanc, chard and sauvignon, if I remember. Crazy delicious. LOVED IT!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Quick takes: Native Foods (Encinitas), Rimel's (Del Mar)
Still love me some NATIVE FOODS.
Black bean soup delish. Still like the macro bowl, but want to try something different next time as it wasn't quite as good the second time.
SuperBoy loved the oatmeal cookies with cream inside (he said it tasted like carrot cake frosting, though it's vegan)
RIMELS: love their cole slaw. And I don't like slaw!
Black bean soup delish. Still like the macro bowl, but want to try something different next time as it wasn't quite as good the second time.
SuperBoy loved the oatmeal cookies with cream inside (he said it tasted like carrot cake frosting, though it's vegan)
RIMELS: love their cole slaw. And I don't like slaw!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Amardeen (UTC)
I think I didn't post here when we went a few weeks ago. It's in a strip mall in the UTC area, but very busy and pleasant inside. It's Lebanese, with some Egyptian influences.
We got excellent humus.
Baba ghanoush was very good.
Mujedra (lentils, rice, sauteed onions) was a little bit soupier than I expect (the rice is pureed into the lentils), but it was still super tasty.
CH and SB also liked their food.
Oh - and they let me taste some of their felafels. Excellent spice mix.
Lebanese white wine grew on me a little - I didn't like it first. It's a bit like retsina.
Look forward to trying again.
We got excellent humus.
Baba ghanoush was very good.
Mujedra (lentils, rice, sauteed onions) was a little bit soupier than I expect (the rice is pureed into the lentils), but it was still super tasty.
CH and SB also liked their food.
Oh - and they let me taste some of their felafels. Excellent spice mix.
Lebanese white wine grew on me a little - I didn't like it first. It's a bit like retsina.
Look forward to trying again.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Sublime Tavern and Sea and Smoke Open Today in Del Mar
According to Eater San Diego (http://sandiego.eater.com/), both restaurants open this week (soft at least). Am curious to know how they are. If you're reading this and get to try one, let me know!
PS: Sea and Smoke menu looks DELISH, esp. for vegetarians: http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/07/10/see-inside-sea-smoke-emerging-tonight-in-del-mar.php#more. Yum - can't wait to try it! (Anything is better than the bland-and-boring Paradise Grille that was there prior, but this is Urban Solace's menschy-yummy chef Matt Gordon's new place, so I'm very hopeful!)
PS: Sea and Smoke menu looks DELISH, esp. for vegetarians: http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/07/10/see-inside-sea-smoke-emerging-tonight-in-del-mar.php#more. Yum - can't wait to try it! (Anything is better than the bland-and-boring Paradise Grille that was there prior, but this is Urban Solace's menschy-yummy chef Matt Gordon's new place, so I'm very hopeful!)
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Quick takes: Katana, Urban Pi, Native Foods Cafe
Some quick reports:
Katana: we are going more and more. It's super kid-friendly. SuperBoy loves the little flashlights they give you with your soft drink, and he also loves their miso soup (with extra seaweed), plus edamame, rice and cubed tofu. I like the ex-boyfriend roll when it's on special. I am exploring their winelist. Had one bad Chard, but the La Crema chard is very good, and the Greg Norman pinot is super delish and not super expensive.
Native Foods: LOVE this place. Want to eat my way through the menu. Last time tried: Moroccan bowl, seitan sub, macrobiotic bowl (super yum, I could eat this often).
Urban Pi: Went successfully with a big group recently. I still believe in staying away from the nasty tomato sauce,but the other food there is good. Mom got a yummy white pizza. I got the delish beet and arugula salad with a yumm vegan corn soup-of-the day. I also like their pomegranate drink.
Want to take SuperBoy to Native Foods so can eat there more!
Katana: we are going more and more. It's super kid-friendly. SuperBoy loves the little flashlights they give you with your soft drink, and he also loves their miso soup (with extra seaweed), plus edamame, rice and cubed tofu. I like the ex-boyfriend roll when it's on special. I am exploring their winelist. Had one bad Chard, but the La Crema chard is very good, and the Greg Norman pinot is super delish and not super expensive.
Native Foods: LOVE this place. Want to eat my way through the menu. Last time tried: Moroccan bowl, seitan sub, macrobiotic bowl (super yum, I could eat this often).
Urban Pi: Went successfully with a big group recently. I still believe in staying away from the nasty tomato sauce,but the other food there is good. Mom got a yummy white pizza. I got the delish beet and arugula salad with a yumm vegan corn soup-of-the day. I also like their pomegranate drink.
Want to take SuperBoy to Native Foods so can eat there more!
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
French Pastry Cafe (Encinitas)
Stopped in here for a (yummy) espresso and some (yummy) drip coffee (free after the espresso, and very good!) after my feast at Native Foods.
Used to come here years ago, but I didn't remember that they have BUCKWHEAT CREPES. Must return - LOVE BUCKWHEAT!!!!!
Used to come here years ago, but I didn't remember that they have BUCKWHEAT CREPES. Must return - LOVE BUCKWHEAT!!!!!
Native Foods (Encinitas): Best restaurant ever
Ok, I don't mean there are no restaurants better. I just mean for what I'm trying to eat right now, this place is the best invention anywhere.
All healthy plant-based (vegan) foods.
Tons of choices.
VERY delicious.
Very fast.
Very reasonable
Great servers!
Great drinks!
We enjoyed: lavendar lemonade and watermelon fresca (free refills!!)
Kale jerk salad: yum - sesame and coconut and tempeh cubes instead of caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and croutsin
Scorpion burger: delish, could have been bigger - not enough on its own for lunch
Split pea soup of the day: delish
Also got a double-chocolate brownie: not the most dietetic, but a healthy brownie considering: fair-trade cocoa, maple syrup, and chocolate chips (no eggs, butter, etc.)
Love, love, loved it. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu!!
All healthy plant-based (vegan) foods.
Tons of choices.
VERY delicious.
Very fast.
Very reasonable
Great servers!
Great drinks!
We enjoyed: lavendar lemonade and watermelon fresca (free refills!!)
Kale jerk salad: yum - sesame and coconut and tempeh cubes instead of caesar dressing, parmesan cheese and croutsin
Scorpion burger: delish, could have been bigger - not enough on its own for lunch
Split pea soup of the day: delish
Also got a double-chocolate brownie: not the most dietetic, but a healthy brownie considering: fair-trade cocoa, maple syrup, and chocolate chips (no eggs, butter, etc.)
Love, love, loved it. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu!!
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Chef shuffles: Rachel King etc.
San Diego Eater is reporting a lot of moving around among the chefs who worked for Brian Malarkey.
http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/06/21/la-villa-scores-anthony-sinsay-nineten-snags-rachel-king-1.php.
For some reason, they let Amanda Baumgarten go from Herringbone. She was excellent - the food there was much better than the service or the "scene."
My beloved Rachel King is moving to Nine-Ten (the last pastry chef there seemed good, the guy after Jack Fisher's last turn).
Anthony Sensay who was at Burlap is now going to La Villa (which I loved before). I don't know his food very well (I don't think I had savory food at Burlap after he joined there and never went to Harney Sushi when he was there) so I hope he won't change the style and make it less yummy! (Oy, the report says he is redoing their menu - too bad!!!)
http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/06/21/la-villa-scores-anthony-sinsay-nineten-snags-rachel-king-1.php.
For some reason, they let Amanda Baumgarten go from Herringbone. She was excellent - the food there was much better than the service or the "scene."
My beloved Rachel King is moving to Nine-Ten (the last pastry chef there seemed good, the guy after Jack Fisher's last turn).
Anthony Sensay who was at Burlap is now going to La Villa (which I loved before). I don't know his food very well (I don't think I had savory food at Burlap after he joined there and never went to Harney Sushi when he was there) so I hope he won't change the style and make it less yummy! (Oy, the report says he is redoing their menu - too bad!!!)
Romesco (Bonita) Review: Wonderful!!!!! (Worth a drive!)
Finally made it to Tijuana celebrity chef Javier Plascencia's outpost on this side of the border, Romesco Baja Mediterranean Bistro. http://romescomexmed.com/. Fantastic experience!
It is in a strip mall next to a Baskin Robbins.
And yet....once you are inside, it feels like you have escaped San Diego and are in a chic restaurant in a lively Mexican city like Puertao Vallarta - or in a French bistro. Very nice bistro setting. EXCELLENT service (there are no "hey, how are you?" teenagers here - very efficient men in formal wear). Extremely tasty and innovative food.
Theme: "Baja Med" - so a mix of Spanish and Italian, with some Mexican touches.
Wine list: very interesting, lots of choices you don't see elsewhere in San Diego. They gave me a taste of the tempranillo (love tempranillo, but this bottle was ROUGH) and a Spanish red blend which is not on the online menu. It was *delicious*, very fruit-forward, for only $7/glass.
French Bread: Excellent.
Tapas: Very extensive list. We opted to do the regular menu instead, but I tried the mushrooms in garlic sauce which yelpers (and my waiter) recommended. On its own there is too much sauce (like salad dressed too heavily) BUT if you follow the waiter's recommendation and put it on the bread, it is perfect - the sauce soaks down into the bread and the mushrooms can be eaten alone (and the sauce tastes great on the bread).
Salads (free with entrees): Not that impressive. Boring caesar with iceberg lettuce. They have more exciting sounding salads on the menu for extra money.
Soup: Got the spiced pumpkin soup following the recommendations on Yelp. Fantastic! This is why Plascencia is a celebrity chef who gets international attention: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/dining/09tijuana.html.
Entrees: CH got a carne asada plate that he thought was excellent (there's the Mexican food). Too big a portion for him to finish.
--I skipped the pasta (Italian) options and got the fish of the day (escolar) al ajillo. Superdelicious. I liked the preparation too - with just some new potatoes and some baby vegetables, so not too heavy (I wasn't a huge fan of the baby zucchini and yellow squash, but they were healthy).
Dessert: Cute Husband talked me into getting the churro dessert. I'm not a big churro person; he LOVES churros. They turned out to be excellent, a TV-food-show-worthy dessert. They took a basic street food and elevated into something elegant. Perfect churros (crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, and full of a perfect amount of cinammon and sugar), with a dulce de leche dipping sauce, excellent vanilla ice cream (with pistachios or some other sliced nut) and then a little cup of Mexican hot chocolate with whipped cream). CH would have liked a chocolate dipping sauce too but I was too full.
Decor: I was expecting this to be a glam, dress-to-the-nines place. But even though the atmosphere is very romantic, there are well-behaved kids there too. So there were some people like me in dining-out dresses, and others in stylish jeans (with fancy handbags!) along with their children. You can choose how to go.
Overall, this is absolutely worth the drive, and I'm glad to be moving this from my "Places I'm Thinking of Trying" list to my list of places I have been to and can remember to go again!
Oh - and I passed Caribbean Pleasures (the Haitian restaurant) on the way there. I need to figure out a time to go there - and a willing companion!
It is in a strip mall next to a Baskin Robbins.
And yet....once you are inside, it feels like you have escaped San Diego and are in a chic restaurant in a lively Mexican city like Puertao Vallarta - or in a French bistro. Very nice bistro setting. EXCELLENT service (there are no "hey, how are you?" teenagers here - very efficient men in formal wear). Extremely tasty and innovative food.
Theme: "Baja Med" - so a mix of Spanish and Italian, with some Mexican touches.
Wine list: very interesting, lots of choices you don't see elsewhere in San Diego. They gave me a taste of the tempranillo (love tempranillo, but this bottle was ROUGH) and a Spanish red blend which is not on the online menu. It was *delicious*, very fruit-forward, for only $7/glass.
French Bread: Excellent.
Tapas: Very extensive list. We opted to do the regular menu instead, but I tried the mushrooms in garlic sauce which yelpers (and my waiter) recommended. On its own there is too much sauce (like salad dressed too heavily) BUT if you follow the waiter's recommendation and put it on the bread, it is perfect - the sauce soaks down into the bread and the mushrooms can be eaten alone (and the sauce tastes great on the bread).
Salads (free with entrees): Not that impressive. Boring caesar with iceberg lettuce. They have more exciting sounding salads on the menu for extra money.
Soup: Got the spiced pumpkin soup following the recommendations on Yelp. Fantastic! This is why Plascencia is a celebrity chef who gets international attention: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/09/dining/09tijuana.html.
Entrees: CH got a carne asada plate that he thought was excellent (there's the Mexican food). Too big a portion for him to finish.
--I skipped the pasta (Italian) options and got the fish of the day (escolar) al ajillo. Superdelicious. I liked the preparation too - with just some new potatoes and some baby vegetables, so not too heavy (I wasn't a huge fan of the baby zucchini and yellow squash, but they were healthy).
Dessert: Cute Husband talked me into getting the churro dessert. I'm not a big churro person; he LOVES churros. They turned out to be excellent, a TV-food-show-worthy dessert. They took a basic street food and elevated into something elegant. Perfect churros (crispy on the outside, warm and soft on the inside, and full of a perfect amount of cinammon and sugar), with a dulce de leche dipping sauce, excellent vanilla ice cream (with pistachios or some other sliced nut) and then a little cup of Mexican hot chocolate with whipped cream). CH would have liked a chocolate dipping sauce too but I was too full.
Decor: I was expecting this to be a glam, dress-to-the-nines place. But even though the atmosphere is very romantic, there are well-behaved kids there too. So there were some people like me in dining-out dresses, and others in stylish jeans (with fancy handbags!) along with their children. You can choose how to go.
Overall, this is absolutely worth the drive, and I'm glad to be moving this from my "Places I'm Thinking of Trying" list to my list of places I have been to and can remember to go again!
Oh - and I passed Caribbean Pleasures (the Haitian restaurant) on the way there. I need to figure out a time to go there - and a willing companion!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Burlap closing, Reopening as Searsucker (Del Mar/CV)
So Burlap-the-concept proved not to be as popular as Searsucker for Brian Malarkey. He and James Brennan are simplifying the fashion metaphor restaurants and sticking with Searsucker and Herringbone. Burlap "Del Mar" (really Carmel Valley) already seems to be temporarily closed, while they redo decor and reopen as Searsucker Del Mar. We always liked the food better (other than desserts) at Searsucker downtown than at Burlap Del Mar, so let's see how it does! It's closed now til July for racing season.... http://www.burlapeats.com/
Healthy Vegetarian Food at the San Diego County Fair (Del Mar Fair): Some Vegan Food too!
Here's my classic post on veg. food at the Del Mar Fair: http://sdfoodgirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/healthy-vegetarian-food-at-sd-county.html. It's one of the most visited pages at my blog.
Updated for 2013: the Albertson's shack (not far from Kiddieland) has a ton of great fresh food choices, from Greek yogurt to packaged salads with calorie counts. Haven't tried them yet but they look like great options.
The new "Del Mar Diner" in Plaza de Mexico has some interesting grilled cheese choices which I may try this year.
Went to Roxy's on my first visit: baked falafel burger wasn't quite as delicious as I remember, but it's still always an excellent choice at the fair and worth eating at least for one visit. I may try the yummy veg burritos at the Palapa Shack on my next fair visit. (tonight hopefully!).
***
UPDATED NEXT DAY
Veg burrito at Palapa Shack was excellent for the fair. Even PRGirl, a healthy veg who normally would not even think of eating at the fair, was impressed. (it's VEGAN too - non-dairy cheese).
We also discovered Dee's, which sells grilled asparagus and grilled artichokes. They showed us that they grill them separately from the meat, within foil. We didn't try them last night but we were impressed.
Now if I could only get the Paddock bar to sell some decent wine. BV only? (they have great beers but I wasn't in a beer mood!)
***
UPDATED A FEW DAYS LATER
This is not technically healthy. BUT among fair desserts, I have to give a shoutout to Dave's Coffee (in Plaza de Mexico). It's run by Dave, the son of the Roxy owner. They have some yummy desserts that are not as disgusting as the regular fair stuff. (And if you say: why are you going to the fair if you don't want to eat fried food? I'll say: when you go as often as we do in the summer (whether for fun with SuperBoy or concert date nights we look forward to all year long), you do not want to eat gross fried food every time you go.). Got a very moist, fresh and tasty carrot cake. They also have a flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu spongecake, chocolate mousse cake, and new york cheesecake that look good. PRGirl got a soy chai from them the other night and was very impressed to find that at the fair. They also have a cart right near the O'Brien Gate entrance, but it only has muffins, not the plated desserts. Shoutout to Dave and his mom Roberta for the yummy drinks and dessert served with love!
And can someone at the fair please get wine in the concert areas other than BV? The bar lines were ridiculously long at Steve Miller tonight, and there was no way I was going to stand on line for that!
Updated for 2013: the Albertson's shack (not far from Kiddieland) has a ton of great fresh food choices, from Greek yogurt to packaged salads with calorie counts. Haven't tried them yet but they look like great options.
The new "Del Mar Diner" in Plaza de Mexico has some interesting grilled cheese choices which I may try this year.
Went to Roxy's on my first visit: baked falafel burger wasn't quite as delicious as I remember, but it's still always an excellent choice at the fair and worth eating at least for one visit. I may try the yummy veg burritos at the Palapa Shack on my next fair visit. (tonight hopefully!).
***
UPDATED NEXT DAY
Veg burrito at Palapa Shack was excellent for the fair. Even PRGirl, a healthy veg who normally would not even think of eating at the fair, was impressed. (it's VEGAN too - non-dairy cheese).
We also discovered Dee's, which sells grilled asparagus and grilled artichokes. They showed us that they grill them separately from the meat, within foil. We didn't try them last night but we were impressed.
Now if I could only get the Paddock bar to sell some decent wine. BV only? (they have great beers but I wasn't in a beer mood!)
***
UPDATED A FEW DAYS LATER
This is not technically healthy. BUT among fair desserts, I have to give a shoutout to Dave's Coffee (in Plaza de Mexico). It's run by Dave, the son of the Roxy owner. They have some yummy desserts that are not as disgusting as the regular fair stuff. (And if you say: why are you going to the fair if you don't want to eat fried food? I'll say: when you go as often as we do in the summer (whether for fun with SuperBoy or concert date nights we look forward to all year long), you do not want to eat gross fried food every time you go.). Got a very moist, fresh and tasty carrot cake. They also have a flourless chocolate cake, tiramisu spongecake, chocolate mousse cake, and new york cheesecake that look good. PRGirl got a soy chai from them the other night and was very impressed to find that at the fair. They also have a cart right near the O'Brien Gate entrance, but it only has muffins, not the plated desserts. Shoutout to Dave and his mom Roberta for the yummy drinks and dessert served with love!
And can someone at the fair please get wine in the concert areas other than BV? The bar lines were ridiculously long at Steve Miller tonight, and there was no way I was going to stand on line for that!
Quick eating notes with SuperBoy: Vittorio's (Villa Capri 2) and Mia Francesca Del Mar (CV)
Have had two good experiences eating out with SuperBoy lately.
1. Vittorio's (Torrey Highlands): I didn't love it as much as the boys. SB pronounced his pizza (with shock) as BETTER THAN BONGIORNO'S!!! Since nothing is ever better than BG's for him, this was high praise. He wanted to go the next night too. Good atmosphere too with a kid, very airy but not stuffy. CH *loved* the lasagna. I thought the eggplant parm was good but not dreamable; ditto the pasta dish I had (capellini). I did enjoy that they had a white Bourgogne by the glass (one of the negociant wines; Louis Jadot maybe?), though they call it a chard. It was very tasty and reasonable. Bread was good too.
2. Mia Francesca Del Mar: we got in here without too long a wait on a Wed. night when every restaurant in DMH was hopping and it would have been 45 min. wait at Rimel's. We actually had a great time and great meal. Good bread. They didn't make the spinach like they had before (not enough garlic, not sauteed long enough either). But it was still ok. Linguine with tuna and olives was terrific, and I enjoyed the A to Z chard from Oregon that was the suggested pairing. SB thought his pizza was fine, and he enjoyed the great scenery (people watching toward Cineapolis). SH liked his chicken with eggplant (he gave me all the eggplant, which was super tasty), but he noted that the menu always changes so they might not have a dish he likes next time. I thought this was a super place to eat with your kid!
1. Vittorio's (Torrey Highlands): I didn't love it as much as the boys. SB pronounced his pizza (with shock) as BETTER THAN BONGIORNO'S!!! Since nothing is ever better than BG's for him, this was high praise. He wanted to go the next night too. Good atmosphere too with a kid, very airy but not stuffy. CH *loved* the lasagna. I thought the eggplant parm was good but not dreamable; ditto the pasta dish I had (capellini). I did enjoy that they had a white Bourgogne by the glass (one of the negociant wines; Louis Jadot maybe?), though they call it a chard. It was very tasty and reasonable. Bread was good too.
2. Mia Francesca Del Mar: we got in here without too long a wait on a Wed. night when every restaurant in DMH was hopping and it would have been 45 min. wait at Rimel's. We actually had a great time and great meal. Good bread. They didn't make the spinach like they had before (not enough garlic, not sauteed long enough either). But it was still ok. Linguine with tuna and olives was terrific, and I enjoyed the A to Z chard from Oregon that was the suggested pairing. SB thought his pizza was fine, and he enjoyed the great scenery (people watching toward Cineapolis). SH liked his chicken with eggplant (he gave me all the eggplant, which was super tasty), but he noted that the menu always changes so they might not have a dish he likes next time. I thought this was a super place to eat with your kid!
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Great night at Davanti Enoteca (Carmel Valley/Del Mar): Review
Third or fourth time at Davanti. One has to be careful with the menu. The giant ravioli dish is literally one ravioli for $10. But we did very well tonight - delicious and copious and not too expensive.
JustLikeMeTwentyYearsAgo came along and we each had some of the following:
--Tenuta Luisa Pinot Grigio (researched the wine list beforehand, and found sites saying it was much better than your avg. pinot; I'd still like something fuller bodied but this was very good; better than the sips of falanghina and frascati that the server kindly brought for me to sample first)
--tomato/burrato/pesto salad with grilled bread: very delicious, nice portion; tomatoes were actually whole roasted golf-ball size tomatoes, rather than slices of cold heirlooms.
--roasted cauliflower: I had delicious roasted cauliflower the first time I went there, but this was a totally different preparation. Still, it was excellent and substantial.
--cavatelli: very light, and a perfect size for two people to share as a 3rd course. Tasty. Great crispy vegetables as a counterpart to the soft pasta.
--Salmon special. Well-cooked with some nice cubed salsa-style veggies and possibly fruit underneath (by this part of the meal I didn't notice what they were. They weren't astonishing in that I noticed each flavor, but they were tasty in a salsa kind of way.)
Walked around the mall afterwards to work some off and got a free cookie for Towne Bakery's 1st anniversary, along with a frosting shot for $1.25 (tasty). The outdoor seating is great too now at the mall. Who needs a different "main street" in Carmel Valley? (No to One Paseo!)
Got parking pretty easily too, at 7:30 on a Sat. night in the crazy Ralph's shopping center. Bonus!
Davanti is super-fun and delicious. Love it on girls' nights!
JustLikeMeTwentyYearsAgo came along and we each had some of the following:
--Tenuta Luisa Pinot Grigio (researched the wine list beforehand, and found sites saying it was much better than your avg. pinot; I'd still like something fuller bodied but this was very good; better than the sips of falanghina and frascati that the server kindly brought for me to sample first)
--tomato/burrato/pesto salad with grilled bread: very delicious, nice portion; tomatoes were actually whole roasted golf-ball size tomatoes, rather than slices of cold heirlooms.
--roasted cauliflower: I had delicious roasted cauliflower the first time I went there, but this was a totally different preparation. Still, it was excellent and substantial.
--cavatelli: very light, and a perfect size for two people to share as a 3rd course. Tasty. Great crispy vegetables as a counterpart to the soft pasta.
--Salmon special. Well-cooked with some nice cubed salsa-style veggies and possibly fruit underneath (by this part of the meal I didn't notice what they were. They weren't astonishing in that I noticed each flavor, but they were tasty in a salsa kind of way.)
Walked around the mall afterwards to work some off and got a free cookie for Towne Bakery's 1st anniversary, along with a frosting shot for $1.25 (tasty). The outdoor seating is great too now at the mall. Who needs a different "main street" in Carmel Valley? (No to One Paseo!)
Got parking pretty easily too, at 7:30 on a Sat. night in the crazy Ralph's shopping center. Bonus!
Davanti is super-fun and delicious. Love it on girls' nights!
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Katana (Carmel Valley)
Got the Konami roll and three stooges tonight. Both were tasty, but almost the same (they were on sale, though.... :)). Not too heavy - both with spicy tuna, cucumber, and then salmon on konami and salmon/whitefish/tuna and "mustard" on the three stooges, though it was very subtle. Would order either again.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Ohana Cafe (La Jolla): Hawaiian Restaurant Review: Best Hawaiian Food in SD?
Stumbled into Ohana Cafe at the corner of Pearl St. and La Jolla Blvd. because it is near the alltime best eyeglass repair store, 20/20 Eyeglass Repair.
Decided to give it a try, have been craving some mahi mahi w/mac salad.
They didn't have mahi, and I decided mac salad would be too heavy anyway.
Got plate lunch with grilled salmon and brown rice; I got to pick one side (gave the seaweed somen a try) and they also gave some salad.
Can someone say: BEST HAWAIIAN FOOD IN SAN DIEGO? I mean I haven't tried every place, but it's a lot better than L&L, Kealanie's and other places I have tried. Super good.
Perfectly cooked salmon
Very good spring mix with a nice light dressing
Seaweed somen: green glass noodles and seaweed: RIDICULOUSLY TASTY - this is some serious (healthy) comfort food.
Ohana Cafe is the kind of place my blog is all about!!!
Only $9.99 for the plate - a bargain for this quality. And cooked with a lot of aloha! They also have shaved ice, Hawaiian ice creams, etc.
Decided to give it a try, have been craving some mahi mahi w/mac salad.
They didn't have mahi, and I decided mac salad would be too heavy anyway.
Got plate lunch with grilled salmon and brown rice; I got to pick one side (gave the seaweed somen a try) and they also gave some salad.
Can someone say: BEST HAWAIIAN FOOD IN SAN DIEGO? I mean I haven't tried every place, but it's a lot better than L&L, Kealanie's and other places I have tried. Super good.
Perfectly cooked salmon
Very good spring mix with a nice light dressing
Seaweed somen: green glass noodles and seaweed: RIDICULOUSLY TASTY - this is some serious (healthy) comfort food.
Ohana Cafe is the kind of place my blog is all about!!!
Only $9.99 for the plate - a bargain for this quality. And cooked with a lot of aloha! They also have shaved ice, Hawaiian ice creams, etc.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Twenty-Five Forty (Old town): Restaurant Revisit Review
Went to Twenty-Five Forty recently with SuperBoy (it was supposed to be a date but the babysitter couldn't come).
Quick report:
--Service a little slow to start as usual, but they're working hard to make the good food
--Bread basket: just as delicious if not more than usual; SB's eyes lit up when he tasted the corn bread mini-muffins and he kept taking more bread
--Zucchini soup: blander than the soups I've had there before, but ok
--Side salad: not as good as I remembered, ok.
--Eggplant parmesan ravioli (minus bacon): SO GOOD. They make the best fresh pasta here. Sauce was delicious too. Not a huge portion, but would get again.
--CH got rigatoni and enjoyed it a lot. He also got bratwurst with fresh sauerkraut and he seemed to like that too
--SB's grilled cheese sandwich: a good buy for $10 (since it's not only for kids). He got cheddar only. Was grilled on a delicious baguette/panini roll, with good cheddar; fresh steakhouse fries on the side; and some spring mix.
--Shoyu cosmo. Very tasty. Couldn't tell the difference between that and a real vodka cosmo.
So a couple of missteps tonight, whereas I never had anything less than superlative here before. But we would still come again.
Quick report:
--Service a little slow to start as usual, but they're working hard to make the good food
--Bread basket: just as delicious if not more than usual; SB's eyes lit up when he tasted the corn bread mini-muffins and he kept taking more bread
--Zucchini soup: blander than the soups I've had there before, but ok
--Side salad: not as good as I remembered, ok.
--Eggplant parmesan ravioli (minus bacon): SO GOOD. They make the best fresh pasta here. Sauce was delicious too. Not a huge portion, but would get again.
--CH got rigatoni and enjoyed it a lot. He also got bratwurst with fresh sauerkraut and he seemed to like that too
--SB's grilled cheese sandwich: a good buy for $10 (since it's not only for kids). He got cheddar only. Was grilled on a delicious baguette/panini roll, with good cheddar; fresh steakhouse fries on the side; and some spring mix.
--Shoyu cosmo. Very tasty. Couldn't tell the difference between that and a real vodka cosmo.
So a couple of missteps tonight, whereas I never had anything less than superlative here before. But we would still come again.
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Glass Door and Papalecco (Little Italy): Bar and Restaurant Review
Fun times at the GLASS DOOR in Little Italy (top of Portofino Hotel)! It was annoying that regular food was not available til 5 pm (no salads or entrees, only appetizers or desserts! - there was not much for a vegetarian who wanted a snack besides bread for $4). However, who can beat the view here: the airport, downtown, and the beautiful sunset? So glad we finally got here for Happy Hour - it's super reasonable (1/2 off = $5 for their signature cocktails or a little more for things not on their regular menu). Delicious blackberry mojitos too ($8/each). And the bread was very good for $4: nut/raisin, plus very good EVOO and shaved parm cheese.
Then onto PAPALECCO in Little Italy for Panini. The melanzane panini was ridiculously tasty. Don't forget to look at the menu. We thought at first the only choices were in the display case but there are a lot of sandwich and other options they make in the kitchen. YUM!!!
Fun outing, and very reasonable!
Then onto PAPALECCO in Little Italy for Panini. The melanzane panini was ridiculously tasty. Don't forget to look at the menu. We thought at first the only choices were in the display case but there are a lot of sandwich and other options they make in the kitchen. YUM!!!
Fun outing, and very reasonable!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Trifecta! Cucina Urbana, La Villa, Grant Grill
One of my friends (does he have a nickname? maybe DDad?) took my advice last week for a bunch of business meetings. Clients went to:
--Cucina Urbana
--La Villa
--Grant Grill
He said it was a Trifecta: that he came off as a fantastic, in-the-know host.
Follow Foodgirl and you too can impress your friends and associates!
He tried a cocktail at Grant Grill I haven't had, the Last Cocktail, and also tried the pistachio berry tart. He said both were amazing. I need to go sometime soon and try them!
--Cucina Urbana
--La Villa
--Grant Grill
He said it was a Trifecta: that he came off as a fantastic, in-the-know host.
Follow Foodgirl and you too can impress your friends and associates!
He tried a cocktail at Grant Grill I haven't had, the Last Cocktail, and also tried the pistachio berry tart. He said both were amazing. I need to go sometime soon and try them!
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Rimel's Review (Carmel Valley/Del Mar Highlands)
Nice choice for dining with CH and SuperBoy.
Drink: Enjoyed my skinny coconut mojito.
Salad: Surprisingly good - nice salad mix, good sesame dressing.
Fish sandwich: very fresh and tasty (wahoo), good sweet potato fries
CH enjoyed his ribeye. SB enjoyed his grilled cheese sandwich (nice sourdough bread).
Service: not exceptional, but fine.
Atmosphere: noisy (in fact, SB pronounced it "too loud" for a mellow kid like himself) - but it makes the place kid friendly - lots of kids among the couples out on dates
Some of the pricing is a little much ($8.95 for a side salad?), but otherwise it's a decent value for a family-friendly tasty place in the 92130. And Swirls is nearby for a post-dinner treat for a well-behaved B.
We enjoyed and will return. (not a must visit from other neighborhoods, necessarily)
Drink: Enjoyed my skinny coconut mojito.
Salad: Surprisingly good - nice salad mix, good sesame dressing.
Fish sandwich: very fresh and tasty (wahoo), good sweet potato fries
CH enjoyed his ribeye. SB enjoyed his grilled cheese sandwich (nice sourdough bread).
Service: not exceptional, but fine.
Atmosphere: noisy (in fact, SB pronounced it "too loud" for a mellow kid like himself) - but it makes the place kid friendly - lots of kids among the couples out on dates
Some of the pricing is a little much ($8.95 for a side salad?), but otherwise it's a decent value for a family-friendly tasty place in the 92130. And Swirls is nearby for a post-dinner treat for a well-behaved B.
We enjoyed and will return. (not a must visit from other neighborhoods, necessarily)
Monday, April 8, 2013
La Villa (Little Italy) Restaurant Review: Yum!
How is it possible I forgot to review this place?
Went a few weeks ago. Fantastic!
Cool vibe. We sat inside, but patio looks nice.
CUISINE: Farm to table, rustic Italian inspired, not the same old Italian as every place in Little Italy.
SERVICE: Very warm. Great waitress.
BREAD: Could have been a little warmer, but otherwise was very tasty.
COCKTAIL: Was deciding between two, she steered me very knowledgably. She described each and told me that choice #2 was her favorite (Chartreuse Swizzle), and that she didn't like #1 because it was too tart. That was so helpful - I love tart! So I ordered #1 - I wish I could remember what it was, is not on online menu. But it had gin and some other delicious things.
APPETIZER: CH enjoyed his farmer's market salad - very fresh. My baby beet and grapefruit salad was ridiculously tasty. I don't even like grapefruit, but it tasted perfect in this salad.
ENTREE: CH got a chicken dish he really enjoyed. I got a dish not on online menu - spring vegetable fettucine with burrata. YUM. So light and really delicious and flavorful.
DESSERT: We got 3 chocolate tasting, and salted caramel chocolate mousse. Would pass on the mousse next time - not the greatest example of it ever. But the 3 chocolate tasting was yum. The half-baked Valrhona chocolate cake was stupendous - we would gladly have gotten more of that little bite if we could.
Would happily visit again - a nice find in Little Italy. I'm embarrassed it wasn't on my radar before!
Went a few weeks ago. Fantastic!
Cool vibe. We sat inside, but patio looks nice.
CUISINE: Farm to table, rustic Italian inspired, not the same old Italian as every place in Little Italy.
SERVICE: Very warm. Great waitress.
BREAD: Could have been a little warmer, but otherwise was very tasty.
COCKTAIL: Was deciding between two, she steered me very knowledgably. She described each and told me that choice #2 was her favorite (Chartreuse Swizzle), and that she didn't like #1 because it was too tart. That was so helpful - I love tart! So I ordered #1 - I wish I could remember what it was, is not on online menu. But it had gin and some other delicious things.
APPETIZER: CH enjoyed his farmer's market salad - very fresh. My baby beet and grapefruit salad was ridiculously tasty. I don't even like grapefruit, but it tasted perfect in this salad.
ENTREE: CH got a chicken dish he really enjoyed. I got a dish not on online menu - spring vegetable fettucine with burrata. YUM. So light and really delicious and flavorful.
DESSERT: We got 3 chocolate tasting, and salted caramel chocolate mousse. Would pass on the mousse next time - not the greatest example of it ever. But the 3 chocolate tasting was yum. The half-baked Valrhona chocolate cake was stupendous - we would gladly have gotten more of that little bite if we could.
Would happily visit again - a nice find in Little Italy. I'm embarrassed it wasn't on my radar before!
Sunday, April 7, 2013
True Food Kitchen (Fashion Valley): Restaurant Review
Finally made it to TFK. Onsite chef is Nathan Coulon, though he wasn't there. Exec. chef of the chain is my old favorite Michael Stebner, opening chef at Nine-Ten in La Jolla and later of Region in Hillcrest.
Atmosphere: kind of busy and mallish, more than I expected. I thought it was supposed to be more hip. Still, it's busy and loud enough to be kid-friendly.
Drinks: SuperBoy experimented with a strawberry-rhubarb seasonal soda. I liked it, but he eventually decided it was too weird. He switched to "natural" root beer.
I got a "happiness" cocktail, with ginger, vanilla, St. Germain and lime. It was subtle. Not the most delicious cocktail ever, but tasty. A little bit tart. Would try something else next time.
Appetizers: Best part of the meal. We got edamame dumplings - super-YUM (PR Girl had said these were the best). We also got strawberry chopped salad. Delectable.
Entrees: CH liked his spinach lasagna.
I LOVED the veggies on my seabass plate, and I'm not even a big snap pea fan. Scarfed 'em up. But the "sea bass" itself was the sustainable kind, not Chilean, and it was kind of dry. I added lime and lemon, which made it better, but it wasn't on a level with the other things I ate.
SB really liked his chicken teriyaki, though he was more into the chicken than the veggies.
DESSERT: CH got a valrhona cake which had an unusual taste - maybe more cocoa was used than butter/cream, and some extra flavorings. SB liked his vanilla ice cream. I got the "chia seed pudding, with banana and coconut." Server raved about it. It kind of grew on me - it was like sweet oatmeal. I liked it but wouldn't get it again.
Won't rush back, but good option to know about with a toddler. Apparently wait can be long, but we went at 5 pm so sat right down.
Atmosphere: kind of busy and mallish, more than I expected. I thought it was supposed to be more hip. Still, it's busy and loud enough to be kid-friendly.
Drinks: SuperBoy experimented with a strawberry-rhubarb seasonal soda. I liked it, but he eventually decided it was too weird. He switched to "natural" root beer.
I got a "happiness" cocktail, with ginger, vanilla, St. Germain and lime. It was subtle. Not the most delicious cocktail ever, but tasty. A little bit tart. Would try something else next time.
Appetizers: Best part of the meal. We got edamame dumplings - super-YUM (PR Girl had said these were the best). We also got strawberry chopped salad. Delectable.
Entrees: CH liked his spinach lasagna.
I LOVED the veggies on my seabass plate, and I'm not even a big snap pea fan. Scarfed 'em up. But the "sea bass" itself was the sustainable kind, not Chilean, and it was kind of dry. I added lime and lemon, which made it better, but it wasn't on a level with the other things I ate.
SB really liked his chicken teriyaki, though he was more into the chicken than the veggies.
DESSERT: CH got a valrhona cake which had an unusual taste - maybe more cocoa was used than butter/cream, and some extra flavorings. SB liked his vanilla ice cream. I got the "chia seed pudding, with banana and coconut." Server raved about it. It kind of grew on me - it was like sweet oatmeal. I liked it but wouldn't get it again.
Won't rush back, but good option to know about with a toddler. Apparently wait can be long, but we went at 5 pm so sat right down.
Katana Takeout (Carmel Valley)
Ordered takeout tonight. Better than it has been in a while. The katana roll is one of the best rolls there. It's not drenched in sauce. Healthy, fresh and light.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Wa Dining Okan Review (Convoy): One of SD's Best Restaurants
Love me some Wa Dining Okan. It is NOT a hole in the wall, even though it might appear to be on first glance, as it's tiny and in a Convoy strip mall. It is a tiny, perfect, classy establishment.
Music: French cabaret
Food: Best miso soup I've had in San Diego. Wonderful broth. Delicious vegetables.
Got the salted grilled salmon again (enjoyed it so much last time). Delectable brown rice with some seaweed (I forget the name). The two veggie tapas of the day that came with it were a delectable broccoli with sesame seeds, and a "tofu lees" (I had to ask twice what that meant). It turns out it is the soy pulp left over after you take soy milk out of a soybean. YUM. There were also some perfect little pickles: 2 baby cuke slices, 2 tiny carrot slices, and then some beet-red (tomato?) pickles. Perfectly briny, clean, refreshing, crisp.
The atmosphere is also very quiet, as if the people crowded in realize that this is a temple of food and one should speak in hushed tones while enjoying it.
Many customers were Japanese.
This is such a perfect little restaurant. San Diego is so enriched by having places of this caliber. I can't say I've had a more delicious piece of fish (even though it was simple) or more intriguing veggies in quite a while.
My 3rd visit should come sooner than my 2nd visit took!!
Music: French cabaret
Food: Best miso soup I've had in San Diego. Wonderful broth. Delicious vegetables.
Got the salted grilled salmon again (enjoyed it so much last time). Delectable brown rice with some seaweed (I forget the name). The two veggie tapas of the day that came with it were a delectable broccoli with sesame seeds, and a "tofu lees" (I had to ask twice what that meant). It turns out it is the soy pulp left over after you take soy milk out of a soybean. YUM. There were also some perfect little pickles: 2 baby cuke slices, 2 tiny carrot slices, and then some beet-red (tomato?) pickles. Perfectly briny, clean, refreshing, crisp.
The atmosphere is also very quiet, as if the people crowded in realize that this is a temple of food and one should speak in hushed tones while enjoying it.
Many customers were Japanese.
This is such a perfect little restaurant. San Diego is so enriched by having places of this caliber. I can't say I've had a more delicious piece of fish (even though it was simple) or more intriguing veggies in quite a while.
My 3rd visit should come sooner than my 2nd visit took!!
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Accomplice (La Jolla Playhouse Without Walls): Little Italy: Theater Review
This play is absolutely TOO MUCH FUN. It is a must-see (http://www.lajollaplayhouse.org/accomplice-san-diego). It is nearly sold out for the original run so is being extended a month. It was so refreshing to be "part of the play" as one moved around Little Italy looking for clues and encountering actors who were "in on the job" we were doing. Sheer fun, totally different from other plays. And you get to see a fantastic side of Little Italy that you don't often see. I can't say all the places I want to go to now because I don't want to give too much away! Must go - you won't regret it!!
Napizza (Little Italy)
PRGirl told me about this place several months ago. That girl is spot-on - I should not take so long to listen to her recommendations.
Delicious little squares (not exactly East Coast Sicilian, but square) of pizza of all varieties. I got one with truffle oil and mushrooms that was a little slice of heaven. Got another called the parmagiana that had eggplant, pesto, etc. Really delectable. Didn't get to try their salads or paninis.
This place is legit. Delicious and reasonably priced for local, organic, fast-ish takeout!
Delicious little squares (not exactly East Coast Sicilian, but square) of pizza of all varieties. I got one with truffle oil and mushrooms that was a little slice of heaven. Got another called the parmagiana that had eggplant, pesto, etc. Really delectable. Didn't get to try their salads or paninis.
This place is legit. Delicious and reasonably priced for local, organic, fast-ish takeout!
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Quick takes: Apollonia (UTC/La Jolla), Urban Plates (CV)
Apollonia is becoming our go-to place to dine with SuperBoy. Great kid-friendly service, spaced-out tables (there's even room for a careful game of you can't catch me if the bar is empty), great food (that we all like). I enjoyed some of my go-to dishes: taramasalata and salmon with spinaki lemonato.
SuperBoy tried their grilled chicken breast for the first time. He picked at it, but liked it ok. He also got his favorite lentil soup.
DH liked his chicken kebab.
***
Urban Plates: I hadn't been for a while b/c I was bored with the menu. But they've changed it up a bit. I even got them twice this week!
--Ono: I like to order it medium: medium rare was a little scary when I got it earlier this week.
Grilled bread: still nice
--Mashed potatoes: not healthy but yummy
Two great new sides: agave carrots, and raw superfood salad. It's quite big. I saved part to finish later.
Also am enjoying the watermelon-pineapple-mint cooler. Very yummy on hot days like today.
SuperBoy tried their grilled chicken breast for the first time. He picked at it, but liked it ok. He also got his favorite lentil soup.
DH liked his chicken kebab.
***
Urban Plates: I hadn't been for a while b/c I was bored with the menu. But they've changed it up a bit. I even got them twice this week!
--Ono: I like to order it medium: medium rare was a little scary when I got it earlier this week.
Grilled bread: still nice
--Mashed potatoes: not healthy but yummy
Two great new sides: agave carrots, and raw superfood salad. It's quite big. I saved part to finish later.
Also am enjoying the watermelon-pineapple-mint cooler. Very yummy on hot days like today.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Eddie V's Review (La Jolla): Nice view, ho hum food
We heard raves about this place.
Must be folks from Omaha or something, or anti-foodies. Food wasn't bad....it was fine, well-prepared. But it was not inventive in any way, very ho hum.
Bread: maybe the best part of the meal, warm and tasty
Cocktail: Green Dragon Mojito, fine
Appetizer: Ch didn't like his corn soup; my salad was good enough
Mains: CH not very impressed with his steak. My salmon with veggies was well-prepared. Nothing remarkable about it. Certainly not cravable.
Side of corn: meh.
Dessert: Very boring choices, circa 1985. Chocolate "Godiva" lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream was the least old-fashioned on the menu (ha!). It was fine. Wasn't oohing or ahing. But it was relatively tasty.
Service: A little too intrusive. It's better than being inattentive, but they always seemed to be fussing with things at the table. But good overall.
Bill: $$$$$$$$$
Table was comfy, had quiet conversation, so a nice evening. No need to go here or recommend it, though if someone else is paying and you're not craving exciting food it's not bad.
Must be folks from Omaha or something, or anti-foodies. Food wasn't bad....it was fine, well-prepared. But it was not inventive in any way, very ho hum.
Bread: maybe the best part of the meal, warm and tasty
Cocktail: Green Dragon Mojito, fine
Appetizer: Ch didn't like his corn soup; my salad was good enough
Mains: CH not very impressed with his steak. My salmon with veggies was well-prepared. Nothing remarkable about it. Certainly not cravable.
Side of corn: meh.
Dessert: Very boring choices, circa 1985. Chocolate "Godiva" lava cake with vanilla bean ice cream was the least old-fashioned on the menu (ha!). It was fine. Wasn't oohing or ahing. But it was relatively tasty.
Service: A little too intrusive. It's better than being inattentive, but they always seemed to be fussing with things at the table. But good overall.
Bill: $$$$$$$$$
Table was comfy, had quiet conversation, so a nice evening. No need to go here or recommend it, though if someone else is paying and you're not craving exciting food it's not bad.
Friday, February 22, 2013
La Gran Terrazza Review (USD): Yum!
Quick take on La Gran Terrazza. Beautiful! Beautiful view! Limited menu (3 choices per course on this weeknight), but very yummy.
Enjoyed: very fresh, tasty caesar salad.
Nice fresh bread, especially the asiago bread.
Decent sangria.
DELECTABLE salmon with hazelnuts and cabbage. One of the best fish dishes I've eaten in SD in a while. Simple but very well-prepared and great flavors.
Dessert: very pleasing lemon ginger panna cotta.
Service: occasionally got a dish confused but otherwise extremely professional and warm.
My visiting Mom declares it is her new favorite restaurant in SD. I wouldn't go that far, but I would be happy to return. (We had great company too, including the ever-fun Dr. T.!).
Enjoyed: very fresh, tasty caesar salad.
Nice fresh bread, especially the asiago bread.
Decent sangria.
DELECTABLE salmon with hazelnuts and cabbage. One of the best fish dishes I've eaten in SD in a while. Simple but very well-prepared and great flavors.
Dessert: very pleasing lemon ginger panna cotta.
Service: occasionally got a dish confused but otherwise extremely professional and warm.
My visiting Mom declares it is her new favorite restaurant in SD. I wouldn't go that far, but I would be happy to return. (We had great company too, including the ever-fun Dr. T.!).
Saturday, February 16, 2013
Veladora Restaurant Review (Rancho Santa Fe)
Hit Veladora for a post-Valentine's Day dinner.
REMODEL: Beautiful. Feels like a secret getaway far away, not a few miles off the 5. Love the art. Tables are well-spaced. Totally different than its previous golf club look. Beautiful courtyard and lighting.
TABLES: Nice looking, but we agreed with folks on Yelp or Open Table who said they were not 100% comfortable. We were kind of too far from the table, had to lean forward.
SERVICE: Very friendly. Attentive at first, but then slower than we would expect at these prices.
FOOD: Very good, cutting-edge. Eric Bauer (formerly of Anthology) has gone crazy here with Chino produce and innnovative flavors.
BREAD
--Decent warm rolls, kind of interesting combo of EVOO-balsalmic-parmiagano reggiana
DRINKS
--Got a mocktail of organic strawberries, agave nectar and lime juice. Perfect! (and they only charged me $6 instead of what it would cost with alcohol - bonus!)
AMUSE-BOUCHE
--cute little deep-fried kale and parmesan soup (spoon of soup deep-fried = hollowed-out tasty fritter). Even CH liked it, and I don't think of him as a kale fan.
APPS
--CH got the carrot and squash soup with spiced mascarpone and some other yummy components. We both thought it was terrific. He saved me a few spoons.
--I got the market vegetable salad. In a sense it was more "boring" than his soup, which showed more cooking flair and a more complex flavor profile. HOWEVER, it was incredibly light, refreshing and tasty. The vegetables were all shown off beautifully. I ate every morsel up, including the crème fraîche, herb pesto and "beet soil" at the bottom. It was certainly tasty and virtuous. Would probably get the soup next time.
ENTREES
--Cute Husband got the cap steak ($45). He enjoyed it - said it was "very good." He substituted smoked carrots for the brussels and thought they were delicious. His plate was substantial.
--I got Squash Tortellini with Umami Consommé in an entree size. It was very tiny for $29. However, it was extremely tasty and innovative. Ate up every morsel.
DESSERT
--CH was not hungry, since he had a substantial soup and a large entree. I was starving, since I had a light appetizer and small entree. I bypassed a very yummy sounding ricotta cheesecake with salted caramel ice cream and chestnuts for a tarte tatin, which I was somehow more in the mood for. It was as I expected. Wasn't anything innovative (in fact, it wasn't as good as the strudel I had at Crush last week). BUT it was tasty, properly made. Warm stewed caramelized apples, with nice pastry, nice crispy thing, and good vanilla bean ice cream. I happily ate it up. On another night I'd be in the mood for something more innovative.
BONUS DESSERT
--Little plate of mignardaises: salted caramels and passion-fruit jelly. Jelly was fine. Caramels were excellent - too bad there were only 2 of them! We could have eaten more.
Will we return right away? Probably not. Not cheap, and would have liked more attentive service. But it's beautiful, and the food is very yummy and certainly innovative in places. It will be worth another visit in a while! (Am planning my next visit to Grant Grill, though, which still has my crown for the combo of FANTASTIC cocktails-elegant atmosphere-terrific service-very good food).
REMODEL: Beautiful. Feels like a secret getaway far away, not a few miles off the 5. Love the art. Tables are well-spaced. Totally different than its previous golf club look. Beautiful courtyard and lighting.
TABLES: Nice looking, but we agreed with folks on Yelp or Open Table who said they were not 100% comfortable. We were kind of too far from the table, had to lean forward.
SERVICE: Very friendly. Attentive at first, but then slower than we would expect at these prices.
FOOD: Very good, cutting-edge. Eric Bauer (formerly of Anthology) has gone crazy here with Chino produce and innnovative flavors.
BREAD
--Decent warm rolls, kind of interesting combo of EVOO-balsalmic-parmiagano reggiana
DRINKS
--Got a mocktail of organic strawberries, agave nectar and lime juice. Perfect! (and they only charged me $6 instead of what it would cost with alcohol - bonus!)
AMUSE-BOUCHE
--cute little deep-fried kale and parmesan soup (spoon of soup deep-fried = hollowed-out tasty fritter). Even CH liked it, and I don't think of him as a kale fan.
APPS
--CH got the carrot and squash soup with spiced mascarpone and some other yummy components. We both thought it was terrific. He saved me a few spoons.
--I got the market vegetable salad. In a sense it was more "boring" than his soup, which showed more cooking flair and a more complex flavor profile. HOWEVER, it was incredibly light, refreshing and tasty. The vegetables were all shown off beautifully. I ate every morsel up, including the crème fraîche, herb pesto and "beet soil" at the bottom. It was certainly tasty and virtuous. Would probably get the soup next time.
ENTREES
--Cute Husband got the cap steak ($45). He enjoyed it - said it was "very good." He substituted smoked carrots for the brussels and thought they were delicious. His plate was substantial.
--I got Squash Tortellini with Umami Consommé in an entree size. It was very tiny for $29. However, it was extremely tasty and innovative. Ate up every morsel.
DESSERT
--CH was not hungry, since he had a substantial soup and a large entree. I was starving, since I had a light appetizer and small entree. I bypassed a very yummy sounding ricotta cheesecake with salted caramel ice cream and chestnuts for a tarte tatin, which I was somehow more in the mood for. It was as I expected. Wasn't anything innovative (in fact, it wasn't as good as the strudel I had at Crush last week). BUT it was tasty, properly made. Warm stewed caramelized apples, with nice pastry, nice crispy thing, and good vanilla bean ice cream. I happily ate it up. On another night I'd be in the mood for something more innovative.
BONUS DESSERT
--Little plate of mignardaises: salted caramels and passion-fruit jelly. Jelly was fine. Caramels were excellent - too bad there were only 2 of them! We could have eaten more.
Will we return right away? Probably not. Not cheap, and would have liked more attentive service. But it's beautiful, and the food is very yummy and certainly innovative in places. It will be worth another visit in a while! (Am planning my next visit to Grant Grill, though, which still has my crown for the combo of FANTASTIC cocktails-elegant atmosphere-terrific service-very good food).
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Real Food and Spirits Review (Solana Beach Neapolitan pizzeria and bar)
Boys were not restaurant-ready last night but I was in the mood for something delicious, so I thought of where to try takeout from. Had seen a feature on Real Food and Spirits. The whole interview was a little absurd (women want ___; men want ___; women decide on where to go, so we added food for the women!). But it sounded like they had good Neapolitan pizza.
Atmosphere: chill, sophisticated neighborhood bar, cool for being in the Lomas Santa Fe strip mall near the tire store.
Entryway: oh! they have gelato from Bottega Italiana in UTC. I'd know that mojito gelato anywhere!
Servers: friendly, helped me with my carryout.
Food at home:
--Boys each got a kids' size pizza for $8. They were quite large. SuperBoy liked it, but Cute Husband did not. It really had a "kids" taste to it - mixture of mozzarella and cheddar, pretty sweet. CH is not interested in going to this place again.
--"Italian inspired" Caesar salad for $12. Fine, but very ordinary. Not humongous. Not worth $12, especially to eat at home.
--My margherita pizza: added eggplant to it. Tasty, not great. Certainly better than having to drive to North Park for neapolitan pizza. However, they told me it would be 30-40 mins. for takeout, and by the time I got there and brought the pizza home, it was C-O-L-D. So I had to heat it in the microwave and it lost something. Was tasty for dinner - not sure I'd spend time going to that restaurant v. other choices.
Looks like a cool place to have a drink with friends if you have time for that. Not my perfect place for a GNO. Not sure I'd do takeout from here again. HOWEVER, it's nice to have that gelato available in SB, and I think the place is open all day, not just for dinner. Yum....pistachio/coconut/chocolate/mojito gelato near Marshall's and Sprouts!
Atmosphere: chill, sophisticated neighborhood bar, cool for being in the Lomas Santa Fe strip mall near the tire store.
Entryway: oh! they have gelato from Bottega Italiana in UTC. I'd know that mojito gelato anywhere!
Servers: friendly, helped me with my carryout.
Food at home:
--Boys each got a kids' size pizza for $8. They were quite large. SuperBoy liked it, but Cute Husband did not. It really had a "kids" taste to it - mixture of mozzarella and cheddar, pretty sweet. CH is not interested in going to this place again.
--"Italian inspired" Caesar salad for $12. Fine, but very ordinary. Not humongous. Not worth $12, especially to eat at home.
--My margherita pizza: added eggplant to it. Tasty, not great. Certainly better than having to drive to North Park for neapolitan pizza. However, they told me it would be 30-40 mins. for takeout, and by the time I got there and brought the pizza home, it was C-O-L-D. So I had to heat it in the microwave and it lost something. Was tasty for dinner - not sure I'd spend time going to that restaurant v. other choices.
Looks like a cool place to have a drink with friends if you have time for that. Not my perfect place for a GNO. Not sure I'd do takeout from here again. HOWEVER, it's nice to have that gelato available in SB, and I think the place is open all day, not just for dinner. Yum....pistachio/coconut/chocolate/mojito gelato near Marshall's and Sprouts!
Monday, February 4, 2013
Urban Pi (Solana Beach): Yum for takeout
Drove home from late night at work with no dinner planned, craving Urban Pi. Got a delicious Skinny V, with some stuff added (olives, mushrooms, ricotta). Their pies are delish - especially without the yukky oregan-y tomato sauce. Loved the salad - a side only $4. The pie $7.50 for as much veggies as you want to throw on. Got SB a peanut butter-oatmeal cookie to have tomorrow ($2) - he and CH had already eaten! This place may be in my own regular takeout rotation even if CH isn't crazy about it. Fast, delish - love the crust!
(would you believe I almost spent $11 for a smoothie again? But the BBar was closed (closes around 4:30 or 5). Still a little sick and was craving an overpriced organic raw vegan smoothie....)
(would you believe I almost spent $11 for a smoothie again? But the BBar was closed (closes around 4:30 or 5). Still a little sick and was craving an overpriced organic raw vegan smoothie....)
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Two great shows: Clybourne Park and Brothers Size
Saw both of these recently in San Diego: Clybourne Park (SD Rep) and Brothers Size (Globe).
Clybourne Park: bitingly hilarious but very deep. Loved it. Everyone should see it. Great acting.
Brothers Size: More of a special play - not for everyone, but wonderful. Beautiful movement in the show - amazing cast of 3 (fine a$$ :)) dancer-actors, in a complex story weaving in Yoruba religion into injustice in Louisiana. Loved it too!
Clybourne Park: bitingly hilarious but very deep. Loved it. Everyone should see it. Great acting.
Brothers Size: More of a special play - not for everyone, but wonderful. Beautiful movement in the show - amazing cast of 3 (fine a$$ :)) dancer-actors, in a complex story weaving in Yoruba religion into injustice in Louisiana. Loved it too!
Grant Grill (downtown):
Went to Grant Grille last week before a concert. They were busy with opera patrons but still were pros at getting us in and out without feeling rushed.
Grant Grill is a classy f***ing joint. This is why it is my favorite restaurant. We dressed pretty casually, next to folks in tuxedos and floor-length gowns. We were treated the same. Great service. Super bread. Fantabulous Jeff Josenhans cocktail (got holiday in Cambodai - cognac, lime, jasmine infusion), with him wandering the dining room playing manager so I could emote to him in person about how delish it was. We shared the big delicious salad. I got the albacore pastrami (minus the speck ham) - had forgotten I had ordered it before. Was delish. I would only replace the onions that are the only vegetable on the plate - who really wants to eat a plate of onions - would rather have something healthier and more substantial. CH liked his meat (can't remember what he got).
We didn't order dessert, but they brought us four tiny, perfect mini-chocolate cookies with our check.
Again, Ricardo Heredia and Alchemy still reign as my #1 place to get your culinary mind blown. But Grant Grill is indeed a classy f***ing joint, that joins a friendly unpretentious elegance with great food and RIDICULOUSLY tasty cocktails. (I am completely sober now so am waxing at the memory of how good it was, not still under the influence.....)
Grant Grill is a classy f***ing joint. This is why it is my favorite restaurant. We dressed pretty casually, next to folks in tuxedos and floor-length gowns. We were treated the same. Great service. Super bread. Fantabulous Jeff Josenhans cocktail (got holiday in Cambodai - cognac, lime, jasmine infusion), with him wandering the dining room playing manager so I could emote to him in person about how delish it was. We shared the big delicious salad. I got the albacore pastrami (minus the speck ham) - had forgotten I had ordered it before. Was delish. I would only replace the onions that are the only vegetable on the plate - who really wants to eat a plate of onions - would rather have something healthier and more substantial. CH liked his meat (can't remember what he got).
We didn't order dessert, but they brought us four tiny, perfect mini-chocolate cookies with our check.
Again, Ricardo Heredia and Alchemy still reign as my #1 place to get your culinary mind blown. But Grant Grill is indeed a classy f***ing joint, that joins a friendly unpretentious elegance with great food and RIDICULOUSLY tasty cocktails. (I am completely sober now so am waxing at the memory of how good it was, not still under the influence.....)
Crush (Solana Beach): YUM!!!
I was super-skeptical about this place: the best restaurant in Chico, CA, is opening a branch in Solana Beach, and we're supposed to get excited?
But I got a Groupon and decided to try it. Some folks on line complained afterwards that Grouponers could only order from a special menu, and it wasn't as much of a deal as had been advertised. That may be so. nevertheless.
SUPER ATMOSPHERE. Hopping but not too crazy on a Thurs. night. Fun standards playing over the sound system (like I've Got a Crush on You - get it?)
SUPER SERVICE: Really, one of the best waitstaffs I've seen in a long time. Very eager to please.
HOUSE WINE: Super-yum. I was stuck with the house wine on the Groupon - however, with house wine like that, it's not called being stuck. So much better than a lot of varietals I get at other places for more. Yummy pinot grigio-sauvingon blanc blend (waiter gave me a taste). And SUPER sangiovese-cab blend. Wasn't really in the mood to drink (getting sick) but it was so yummy I downed it and had to restrain from having another.
FOOD: Not the most creative dish ever (this won't put Ricardo Heredia out of business), but solid, tasty, and very well-prepared.
--Iceberg wedge: CH thought it was ok.
--Tuna tartare: YUM! (but at $15 without a groupon, not a bargain)
--Fish of the night: Halibut with edamame puree, ratatouille and fingerling potatoes. Super-yum. Fish cooked *perfectly*. Ate the whole thing up happily. I think this is normally $21
--Chicken piccata: CH got it and was very pleased.
DESSERT: CH got a chocolate lava cake. Very yummy. I wasn't crazy about his vanilla ice cream, though it was ok (a little too cold).
--They didn't have what I ordered (a PB&J bread pudding), so they brought me an apple strudel with ginger snap ice cream. I almost sent it back. But first I sniffed it....The apple strudel smelled warm and serious. SO GLAD I kept it. Perfect pastry dough, deliciously flavored. Crazy delicious, rich, ginger snap ice cream. Who knew I like ginger snap? Again, this doesn't rival a Rachel King dessert in creativity, but it was sheer deliciousness.
Without a groupon it would not be as reasonable but I still hope to return. It's chill, it has good wine, great food and great service. Fun times!
But I got a Groupon and decided to try it. Some folks on line complained afterwards that Grouponers could only order from a special menu, and it wasn't as much of a deal as had been advertised. That may be so. nevertheless.
SUPER ATMOSPHERE. Hopping but not too crazy on a Thurs. night. Fun standards playing over the sound system (like I've Got a Crush on You - get it?)
SUPER SERVICE: Really, one of the best waitstaffs I've seen in a long time. Very eager to please.
HOUSE WINE: Super-yum. I was stuck with the house wine on the Groupon - however, with house wine like that, it's not called being stuck. So much better than a lot of varietals I get at other places for more. Yummy pinot grigio-sauvingon blanc blend (waiter gave me a taste). And SUPER sangiovese-cab blend. Wasn't really in the mood to drink (getting sick) but it was so yummy I downed it and had to restrain from having another.
FOOD: Not the most creative dish ever (this won't put Ricardo Heredia out of business), but solid, tasty, and very well-prepared.
--Iceberg wedge: CH thought it was ok.
--Tuna tartare: YUM! (but at $15 without a groupon, not a bargain)
--Fish of the night: Halibut with edamame puree, ratatouille and fingerling potatoes. Super-yum. Fish cooked *perfectly*. Ate the whole thing up happily. I think this is normally $21
--Chicken piccata: CH got it and was very pleased.
DESSERT: CH got a chocolate lava cake. Very yummy. I wasn't crazy about his vanilla ice cream, though it was ok (a little too cold).
--They didn't have what I ordered (a PB&J bread pudding), so they brought me an apple strudel with ginger snap ice cream. I almost sent it back. But first I sniffed it....The apple strudel smelled warm and serious. SO GLAD I kept it. Perfect pastry dough, deliciously flavored. Crazy delicious, rich, ginger snap ice cream. Who knew I like ginger snap? Again, this doesn't rival a Rachel King dessert in creativity, but it was sheer deliciousness.
Without a groupon it would not be as reasonable but I still hope to return. It's chill, it has good wine, great food and great service. Fun times!
Quick takes: Gaijin Noodle House (Gaslamp), Be Beaming BBar (Solana Beach)
Have been to a few new places recently, but no time to blog.
GAIJIN (Gaslamp): disappointing. High prices, very small portions. Some very interesting flavors, though. Loved the vegetable plate - 5 very yummy tastes. But noodles with tuna poke was miniscule. Spent a lot, left hungry. Wanted to like it! Full of big groups of sake-drinking dressed-up 20somethings on the town.
BBAR AT BE BEAMING (Solana Beach, in same shopping center as UrbanPi across from Flower Hill mall): happened into this place near Del Mar Swirls because I had a cold and the idea of juice sounded appealing. Holy mackarel - where did this place come from and why are there so many people waiting 20 mins. for a $13 raw organic vegan non-GMO juice smoothie??? In truth: my smoothie was super tasty. Got the Lean and Green: delicious hemp-avo-spinach-almond flavor. Would be $11 but I added vitamin C boost. I suppose if you're going to get a $13 smoothie, it might as well taste as good as this. But really? Are there that many people in RSF, DM, SB and CV trying to get cleanses. Clearly the answer in 2013 is: HELL YES!! Do try it, if some money falls from the sky. Otherwise, you can be "thrifty" and just get a $9 Suja "Fuji" smoothie at Jimbo's (yummy, lots of vitamin C and Vitamin A, and feels like a bargain compared to the BBar). They also have yummy-looking desserts, salads, and raw soups, all priced in line with the smoothies.
GAIJIN (Gaslamp): disappointing. High prices, very small portions. Some very interesting flavors, though. Loved the vegetable plate - 5 very yummy tastes. But noodles with tuna poke was miniscule. Spent a lot, left hungry. Wanted to like it! Full of big groups of sake-drinking dressed-up 20somethings on the town.
BBAR AT BE BEAMING (Solana Beach, in same shopping center as UrbanPi across from Flower Hill mall): happened into this place near Del Mar Swirls because I had a cold and the idea of juice sounded appealing. Holy mackarel - where did this place come from and why are there so many people waiting 20 mins. for a $13 raw organic vegan non-GMO juice smoothie??? In truth: my smoothie was super tasty. Got the Lean and Green: delicious hemp-avo-spinach-almond flavor. Would be $11 but I added vitamin C boost. I suppose if you're going to get a $13 smoothie, it might as well taste as good as this. But really? Are there that many people in RSF, DM, SB and CV trying to get cleanses. Clearly the answer in 2013 is: HELL YES!! Do try it, if some money falls from the sky. Otherwise, you can be "thrifty" and just get a $9 Suja "Fuji" smoothie at Jimbo's (yummy, lots of vitamin C and Vitamin A, and feels like a bargain compared to the BBar). They also have yummy-looking desserts, salads, and raw soups, all priced in line with the smoothies.
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Urban Pi Review (Del Mar/Solana Beach)
In the place where Pasta Pronto used to be on Via de la Valle, comes Urban Pi - from the same folks who brought us Urban Plates (and before that, who owned Pasta Pronto - this is their new and improved 21st century concept). I think they're planning to franchise both, and these are the pilot restaurants. Urban Pi's concept is "customized artisan pizza - while you watch, ready in less than 5 minutes" with tons of organic things.
THE GOOD
--beautiful design, airy, nice lighting and decor
--fast and simple service, especially compared to the hot mess that ordering is at Urban Plates. Here they got the concept right. One line. You order your ingredients added to your pizza Subway-style or order a pre-designed one from the menu board. It comes quickly.
--I loved the salads: I got a $4 half-house salad; was very large and exceptionally tasty. Ate every morsel of mixed greens, candied cranberry walnuts, blue cheese, honey ginger-blood orange dressing (I left over only the ripe pears, which were not for me)
--SuperBoy was willing to eat his caesar salad - also a very generous portion for a half salad $4; like a typical caesar but with chopped greek olives on top and shaved asiago. Both salads come with some respectable focaccia
--I loved my pizza. I decided to cutomize one. Luckily I skipped the tomato sauce (because it's nasty!). Had fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, ricotta cheese, EVOO. I could have added many more veggies for the same price. Loved the crust - loved the whole taste. This is not NY pizza at all, but the crust was charred and seasoned well. Scrumptious and very generous size. $7.50!! as is every pizza there unless you add something really fancy, like burrata.
THE BAD
--The boys ordered cheese pizza and thus were subjected to the nasty tomato sauce they have there. Too much oregano. Standard cheese pizza comes with a "cheese mix," not the fresh mozzarella. Their pizzas were orangey and not appetizing looking, with too much oregano on top (have I mentioned the oregano)? I did enjoy eating their crusts, but whenever I hit the tomato sauce: yuk! SB wouldn't eat his at all; Cute Husband ate his because he was hungry, but wouldn't return.
--Desserts: They look delicious - a huge variety of reasonably priced yummy looking things, just like at Urban Plates (even cheaper than urban plates - $2 per cookie or brownie)! But we ordered a few to take home and they are not as good as they looked. Chai Chocolate Cookie: blech, chalky (it looked so scrumptious). Jam-centered shortbread cookie: not the best cookie ever, but at $2, it was tasty enough so I can't complain. We still have CH's flourless chocolate cake (one of the more expensive at $5) - we'll try it later.
In short, I loved my meal....but my boys did not like theirs. Next to us someone had ordered the special pom-agave-hibiscus drink and they were making faces. I asked them about it, and they said it had a very "particular" taste. I don't think they meant it in a good way.
SO....if you want to try it, go for it!!! Just, if you're a pizza snob, do not get the tomato sauce. You can make lots of beautiful and yummy combos for yourself with EVOO, fresh mozz, and whatever want. The salads are delicious - I bet some of the desserts must be good. Unfortunately, my boys will not be returning there with me (I suggested CH try the pizza next time with no tomato sauce. He resopnded, "You've gone too California on me. What's pizza without sauce?" And the tomato sauce is, let me say again, gross).
THE GOOD
--beautiful design, airy, nice lighting and decor
--fast and simple service, especially compared to the hot mess that ordering is at Urban Plates. Here they got the concept right. One line. You order your ingredients added to your pizza Subway-style or order a pre-designed one from the menu board. It comes quickly.
--I loved the salads: I got a $4 half-house salad; was very large and exceptionally tasty. Ate every morsel of mixed greens, candied cranberry walnuts, blue cheese, honey ginger-blood orange dressing (I left over only the ripe pears, which were not for me)
--SuperBoy was willing to eat his caesar salad - also a very generous portion for a half salad $4; like a typical caesar but with chopped greek olives on top and shaved asiago. Both salads come with some respectable focaccia
--I loved my pizza. I decided to cutomize one. Luckily I skipped the tomato sauce (because it's nasty!). Had fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes, mushrooms, olives, ricotta cheese, EVOO. I could have added many more veggies for the same price. Loved the crust - loved the whole taste. This is not NY pizza at all, but the crust was charred and seasoned well. Scrumptious and very generous size. $7.50!! as is every pizza there unless you add something really fancy, like burrata.
THE BAD
--The boys ordered cheese pizza and thus were subjected to the nasty tomato sauce they have there. Too much oregano. Standard cheese pizza comes with a "cheese mix," not the fresh mozzarella. Their pizzas were orangey and not appetizing looking, with too much oregano on top (have I mentioned the oregano)? I did enjoy eating their crusts, but whenever I hit the tomato sauce: yuk! SB wouldn't eat his at all; Cute Husband ate his because he was hungry, but wouldn't return.
--Desserts: They look delicious - a huge variety of reasonably priced yummy looking things, just like at Urban Plates (even cheaper than urban plates - $2 per cookie or brownie)! But we ordered a few to take home and they are not as good as they looked. Chai Chocolate Cookie: blech, chalky (it looked so scrumptious). Jam-centered shortbread cookie: not the best cookie ever, but at $2, it was tasty enough so I can't complain. We still have CH's flourless chocolate cake (one of the more expensive at $5) - we'll try it later.
In short, I loved my meal....but my boys did not like theirs. Next to us someone had ordered the special pom-agave-hibiscus drink and they were making faces. I asked them about it, and they said it had a very "particular" taste. I don't think they meant it in a good way.
SO....if you want to try it, go for it!!! Just, if you're a pizza snob, do not get the tomato sauce. You can make lots of beautiful and yummy combos for yourself with EVOO, fresh mozz, and whatever want. The salads are delicious - I bet some of the desserts must be good. Unfortunately, my boys will not be returning there with me (I suggested CH try the pizza next time with no tomato sauce. He resopnded, "You've gone too California on me. What's pizza without sauce?" And the tomato sauce is, let me say again, gross).
Some quick takes: Trattoria I Trulli, Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria Encinitas), Tender Greens (UTC)
Some quick takes:
--had lunch with a coworker at I Trulli recently. Hadn't been there in years. It's actually quite good. I got penne nonina (eggplant, tomato, garlic), and it was a large, tasty portion. Bread was very good, and the entree at lunch (about $16) also comes with a small salad that was light and perfectly tasty. That's more than I like to spend for lunch (and it's not quick) but I should remember to go again for dinner. It's been out of our loop, and it's good food. Also had a nice cappucino.
--Blue Ribbon Artisan: I think it's declining in quality. I don't want to spend that much when the food is inconsistent. Got buttnerut squash soup (was fine but nothing special; for $10 at lunch I'm expecting a Wade Hagemann masterpiece). Got the butternut squash special pizza (which had no tomato sauce). Was the best part of the meal. I still think their tomato sauce is not good. Tasted SB's cheese pizza. Yuk. He didn't like it either. On the other hand, I didn't remember BRAP is a train restaurant - coaster came right by during the meal. Also, he enjoyed his caesar salad, and it was a large enough portion for me to take home and enjoy more the next day. So it was a pleasant, very expensive, not that great meal on the patio, where SB sat tight in the hopes of seeing trains. I still want to hit Kealani's again soon, but it's not open Sundays.
--Tender Greens: ah, how I love thee. On date night, we were going to the movies in this neighborhood, and I couldn't decide where to go. I don't think of TG-in-the-mall as a date night restaurant - it's a grab reasonably good food with SB in tow restaurant. I wanted to try Seasons 52 but it was all booked. There aren't a ton of delicious dinner options in UTC (we can do Apollonia with boy, so it's also not a special date night choice; Wired is apparently overpriced at dinner and not as good as it is at lunch). So we went to TG because we couldn't think of anything better. Oh, TG, how I love you - the delightful surprise of a new yumminess. Soup was broccoli-potato (divine on a cold night) or roasted veg. (yuk - glad I sampled them both first). Thoroughly enjoyed my tuna plate (I asked for it medium, not the default of rare- must remember to do going forward), with yummy mashed potatoes and divine roasted veggies. Wasn't hungry enough for one of their yummy desserts. Tasty and delightful - and just fine for date night.
--had lunch with a coworker at I Trulli recently. Hadn't been there in years. It's actually quite good. I got penne nonina (eggplant, tomato, garlic), and it was a large, tasty portion. Bread was very good, and the entree at lunch (about $16) also comes with a small salad that was light and perfectly tasty. That's more than I like to spend for lunch (and it's not quick) but I should remember to go again for dinner. It's been out of our loop, and it's good food. Also had a nice cappucino.
--Blue Ribbon Artisan: I think it's declining in quality. I don't want to spend that much when the food is inconsistent. Got buttnerut squash soup (was fine but nothing special; for $10 at lunch I'm expecting a Wade Hagemann masterpiece). Got the butternut squash special pizza (which had no tomato sauce). Was the best part of the meal. I still think their tomato sauce is not good. Tasted SB's cheese pizza. Yuk. He didn't like it either. On the other hand, I didn't remember BRAP is a train restaurant - coaster came right by during the meal. Also, he enjoyed his caesar salad, and it was a large enough portion for me to take home and enjoy more the next day. So it was a pleasant, very expensive, not that great meal on the patio, where SB sat tight in the hopes of seeing trains. I still want to hit Kealani's again soon, but it's not open Sundays.
--Tender Greens: ah, how I love thee. On date night, we were going to the movies in this neighborhood, and I couldn't decide where to go. I don't think of TG-in-the-mall as a date night restaurant - it's a grab reasonably good food with SB in tow restaurant. I wanted to try Seasons 52 but it was all booked. There aren't a ton of delicious dinner options in UTC (we can do Apollonia with boy, so it's also not a special date night choice; Wired is apparently overpriced at dinner and not as good as it is at lunch). So we went to TG because we couldn't think of anything better. Oh, TG, how I love you - the delightful surprise of a new yumminess. Soup was broccoli-potato (divine on a cold night) or roasted veg. (yuk - glad I sampled them both first). Thoroughly enjoyed my tuna plate (I asked for it medium, not the default of rare- must remember to do going forward), with yummy mashed potatoes and divine roasted veggies. Wasn't hungry enough for one of their yummy desserts. Tasty and delightful - and just fine for date night.
Monday, January 7, 2013
Royal India (Del Mar/CV): A nice surprise!
So I was a little bummed when I saw Star of India in Carmel Valley Piazza had closed. A sign said it would reopen as Royal India, but since those folks are responsible for the mess that was the UTC food court Royal India Express, that didn't seem promising.
Went in today during the "soft opening."
Happy surprise!
First, they've kept the existing staff. I've been probably one of their longest-time customers, and so I've seen a number of these waiters working since they were youngsters. Glad to see they were kept on!
DECOR: Much updated from the old place. Fancier, nice stone elements, more open.
BUFFET: Bigger than before! They had a very refreshing chaat salad (I think that's what you call it - cold marinated chickpeas with onions and herbs), plus samosas. And they have mango chutney in addition to tamarind sauce and mint chutney. Seemed to have a few more curries too. Veg ones today were: dal, navrattan korma, palak paneer and a dry zucchini curry. They were all fine - nothing spectacular city-wide, but perfectly tasty and serviceable.
KITCHEN: I think it is in fact the same folks, and same recipes for now. The waiter told me that it's a new owner, and that there will be more changes, but the owner is in the same family as the old owner. In fact, the new owner and/or manager is someone I recognize from about 10 yrs ago - he used to be the host/manager at this location. Maybe he grew up and bought the place from his family.
Bigger selection, same quality, same convenience. I'm happy to have the new Royal India (that is, the revamped Star of India) back in the neighborhood!
Went in today during the "soft opening."
Happy surprise!
First, they've kept the existing staff. I've been probably one of their longest-time customers, and so I've seen a number of these waiters working since they were youngsters. Glad to see they were kept on!
DECOR: Much updated from the old place. Fancier, nice stone elements, more open.
BUFFET: Bigger than before! They had a very refreshing chaat salad (I think that's what you call it - cold marinated chickpeas with onions and herbs), plus samosas. And they have mango chutney in addition to tamarind sauce and mint chutney. Seemed to have a few more curries too. Veg ones today were: dal, navrattan korma, palak paneer and a dry zucchini curry. They were all fine - nothing spectacular city-wide, but perfectly tasty and serviceable.
KITCHEN: I think it is in fact the same folks, and same recipes for now. The waiter told me that it's a new owner, and that there will be more changes, but the owner is in the same family as the old owner. In fact, the new owner and/or manager is someone I recognize from about 10 yrs ago - he used to be the host/manager at this location. Maybe he grew up and bought the place from his family.
Bigger selection, same quality, same convenience. I'm happy to have the new Royal India (that is, the revamped Star of India) back in the neighborhood!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Taste of Italy (Torrey Hills/"Del Mar") takeout: okay....
We used to do takeout from them a lot when SuperBoy was a baby. Hadn't gone for a while. I had a craving for eggplant parm, and they're one of the only places in the DM/CV area that does it at all, let alone decently (the pizza place by Golden Spoon does not belong in that category).
RESULTS....
Minestrone: not as good as it used to be: at least it's still vegetarian
Garlic bread: ok, fine, nothing special
Eggplant parm: nothing special, but perfectly edible. I was sorry when I ate the last bite, as I was enjoying it and wanted more. (if it had more competition, it wouldn't rate at all, but this was fine for satisfying an eggplant parm craving)
CH thought his veal parm was ok also, nothing special.
Marinara sauce wasn't terribly good. But SuperBoy enjoyed the garlic bread and some of my spaghetti.
Atmosphere in there while I was waiting for takeout was pleasant enough for a stripmall neighborhood restaurant. Nice lighting. Playing Ella/Satchmo Dancing Cheek to Cheek. If I lived in that hood and could walk with a buddy to the full bar and walk home, I'd probably like it more. otherwise, no need for us to eat in there. And we'll probably eat takeout from them again in another year or so....
Am meaning to go to Kealani's in Encinitas soon. Had a Hawaiian vacation recently with SB, and want to take him for a little plate-lunch slice of the islands here in SD. We need to remember to go!
RESULTS....
Minestrone: not as good as it used to be: at least it's still vegetarian
Garlic bread: ok, fine, nothing special
Eggplant parm: nothing special, but perfectly edible. I was sorry when I ate the last bite, as I was enjoying it and wanted more. (if it had more competition, it wouldn't rate at all, but this was fine for satisfying an eggplant parm craving)
CH thought his veal parm was ok also, nothing special.
Marinara sauce wasn't terribly good. But SuperBoy enjoyed the garlic bread and some of my spaghetti.
Atmosphere in there while I was waiting for takeout was pleasant enough for a stripmall neighborhood restaurant. Nice lighting. Playing Ella/Satchmo Dancing Cheek to Cheek. If I lived in that hood and could walk with a buddy to the full bar and walk home, I'd probably like it more. otherwise, no need for us to eat in there. And we'll probably eat takeout from them again in another year or so....
Am meaning to go to Kealani's in Encinitas soon. Had a Hawaiian vacation recently with SB, and want to take him for a little plate-lunch slice of the islands here in SD. We need to remember to go!
Thursday, January 3, 2013
My new addiction: Bottega Italiana gelato (UTC)
Not much time to blog of late, between work and the holidays (and then a bit of vacation).
But must blog about my new addiction (not sure it can really be called an addiction if I've only been twice in a month, but it's my new addiction every time I'm at the newly renovated Westfield UTC Shopping Center).
Bottega Italiana fresh artisan gelato.....MMMMMM.....
Stumbled on this place while doing holiday shopping. It's near the new Arclight cinema, north and west of Lenscrafters. Had a taste....heaven. They make it fresh every day and they claim that it's healthier and lighter in calories than regular ice cream. Some flavors are non-dairy and all others are made with 2% milk. but you wouldn't know, because it's so rich.
Last time tried:
--sugar-free chocolate: boring!
Shifted to:
--chocolate (non-sugar-free)
--pistachio: Both heavenly!!!!
Today, on a quick outing, couldn't allow myself to leave UTC without heading over there.
Tried:
--mojito (OMG, so light and heavenly)
--pistachio again (yummy, but maybe I'm ready to try a different flavor next time)
Absolutely worth visiting next time you are at UTC!!!!!
But must blog about my new addiction (not sure it can really be called an addiction if I've only been twice in a month, but it's my new addiction every time I'm at the newly renovated Westfield UTC Shopping Center).
Bottega Italiana fresh artisan gelato.....MMMMMM.....
Stumbled on this place while doing holiday shopping. It's near the new Arclight cinema, north and west of Lenscrafters. Had a taste....heaven. They make it fresh every day and they claim that it's healthier and lighter in calories than regular ice cream. Some flavors are non-dairy and all others are made with 2% milk. but you wouldn't know, because it's so rich.
Last time tried:
--sugar-free chocolate: boring!
Shifted to:
--chocolate (non-sugar-free)
--pistachio: Both heavenly!!!!
Today, on a quick outing, couldn't allow myself to leave UTC without heading over there.
Tried:
--mojito (OMG, so light and heavenly)
--pistachio again (yummy, but maybe I'm ready to try a different flavor next time)
Absolutely worth visiting next time you are at UTC!!!!!
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