2016 update: healthy vegetarian food at the San Diego County Fair (Del Mar fair)

I haven't updated my blog in many years! (too many good places and too little time!).

But I wanted to do a fair update since people are still finding my page!

Here's the original post from 2011 about finding healthy vegetarian food at the fair: http://sdfoodgirl.blogspot.com/2011/06/healthy-vegetarian-food-at-sd-county.html.

Here is my update from 2013 including the Albertson's stand: http://sdfoodgirl.blogspot.com/2013/06/healthy-vegetarian-food-at-san-diego.html.

Since then, the sweet potatoes are gone.   I'm not sure Dee's is around anymore with the grilled veggies.

But the Roxy stand still has a delicious baked falafel sandwich (with or without cheese; with or without sprouts; with or without avocado). Other recent healthy or veg options there include an artichoke sandwich; eggplant parmesan (haven't tried it yet); or baked fish and rice for pescatorians. 

Palapa Taco is still there with its delicious spinach wrap or Healthy Veg Burrito. 

And this year there is a new home for healthy food at the fair which I haven't checked out yet, the Hungry Caterpillar in the cocktail area, which has options including a naan flatbread with
"Fire Roasted Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Bermuda Onions, Sweet Peppers, Oven Roasted Tomatoes, Baba Ganoush, Sunflower Sprouts ($9.)
Hungry Caterpillar menu is here: http://www.sdfair.com/pdf/2016/2016_hungry_caterpillar_menu.pdf.

Post in the comments if you try the Hungry Caterpillar, or if you find anything else that I didn't list, since people are still coming to this blog to find out where to get delicious food at the fair that is not deep-fried!! I'm heading back to the fair tonight  - not sure whether I'll try the Hungry Caterpillar or get one of Palapa Taco's delicious veg wraps!

Quick review: Grant Grill Menu overhaul

I *love* Grant Grill. I have always loved its:

--posh but friendly/unpretentious atmosphere
--incredibly knowledgeable and warm servers (esp. Natalie)
--the super duper cocktails and wine list by the genius manager/sommelier Jeff Josenhans

The food has always been....good.

But overall I have always had a top-notch experience even if I wouldn't give the food a 10.

Now, it is CRAZY delicious, and the new chef, Sam Burman, has just elevated the place far above, in my view, any other place in SD (at least for someone like me who would rather have a cool atmosphere but not one with loud pulsating music that is trying to hard to be hip and full of 20somethings).

Had a crazy delicious meal there.
--Jeff Josenhan's bottle-fermented cosmo: c-r-a-z-y (so subtle, with hints of keffir lime, a little fizzy, really inventive)
--crazy beet dish
--delicious mushroom bread pudding

And their old standby signature warm foccacia.

I love it even more now. It's not an every-day-hey-why-don't-we-grab-dinner place, but I love going there!

Places I want to try this summer

Grant Grill: redesigned menu, new chef

JSix: Christian Graves let loose with Jack Fischer doing pastries

Hope to get to both soon! (not with SuperBoy, though!)

Some other recent favorites

Where else have we been in the last several months that is worth going?

Pizzeria Mozza: it gets mixed reviews on Yelp. I'm with the raves, amen.  Best tomato sauce in San Diego. Delicious grilled bread.  Fantastic pizzas (right, it's not NY style cheap pizza - but it's not supposed to be). Super friendly and kid friendly service.  Not cheap, but worth it. Would like an excuse to go again.

Juniper and Ivy: had a great time, met Richard Blais, nice cocktails and food. Food not as crazy as expected but still was very nice, will look forward to returning. (I still liked Mozza even better).

Craftsman (Encinitas): lunch.  Fantastic special: $9 = very generous Wade Hagemann salad + delicious margherita flatbread.  Added $5 Wade Hagemann sweet corn soup cup.  Delicious 3-course lunch for $14 - bargain!!!!

Sea 180:  not excited by service. But food was much better than expected for a Cohn restaurant. Had a very good piece of salmon with a crazy delicious farro/corn risotto underneath. Very nice infused watermelon mojito (clear color).  Very kid friendly - SuperBoy enjoyed his food very much.  But 180 degree views are only on the patio and if you're lucky. We had an obstructed view (behind a big pillar).  Kind of far to go to, given that other places have good food. But worth one try.

Waypoint Public: Loved the cool, loud bar vibe - packed early on a weekend.  I did love my apple orchard alcoholic cider, and the nice staff. We enjoyed pretzel appetizer, ceviche (texture was unusual but it was refreshing), albacore with very delicious greens (needs a starch though), dill pickles, steak over pretzel dish.  Would definitely return (but not before the Smoking Goat!).

Iberico in La Jolla: tasty enough, but very expensive - no need to return.

ENO at the Del:  really delicious and nice atmosphere, will definitely return if in Coronado.

Croce's Park West: nice enough, it's not calling us back, though

Seasons 52: It won't get me out of bed in the morning, but it's enjoyable if dining with SuperBoy.  The mushroom flatbread is pretty darn good and they have some nice cocktails, but you have to tell them not to make them so short or they are gone in 3 sips.

I still like Searsucker Del Mar for cocktails and dessert with a friend.  The dessert chef is channeling Rachel King and still putting out badass desserts  (l8yer cake and brown butter cake last time were both delish). They had a cocktail called waking up with Jorge with watermelon and gin that they might still make - they might have renamed it the El Guapo.

And just for the record, Ricardo Heredia at Alchemy is still the best chef in town....

(that's all I can remember of note since October!)

Smoking Goat: Yum!

Haven't blogged in a long time, but I wanted to remember that I loved Smoking Goat so we go again!

Very casual atmosphere, great food, very efficient and knowledgeable servers who are not pretentious.

Enjoyed: Lillet Blanc with blood orange (tasty but very short)
--Provencal rose (was very food friendly)

--Burrata and tomato salad (awesome grilled bread)
--Tomato risotto: just a really lovely dish with great Suzie's farm veggies

CH enjoyed:
--Suzie's salad (he might get regular green next time)
--half a chicken; had delicious potatoes and green beans too

Food was not too heavy for CH, I said several times after the meal (according to CH) that I really liked it and wanted to return. Yum!

Quick takes: Rimel's Del Mar, Cucina Urbana, Alborz

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.

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.