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).

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.

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!

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!

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!!!!!