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!

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!!!!!

I love San Diego!!! (a post doped-up on veg Indian food)

I really need to get east of Scranton Road more often!!!

We are invited to a Diwali party tonight. Potluck Indian. No point cooking Indian - CH can't stand the smell of the spices. (this is why foodie mom snatches every possible opportunity to get her Indian food fix at lunch on the run). No problem, I thought: I'll head down during quiet time to grab some sweets at Surati Farsan market. It ain't home-cooked, but who's going to complain when I bring mango, coconut, rose, and pistachio sweets from Surati Farsan?

Got there - street fair in the Little India parking lot! They're just setting up, so there were still spots in the lot. But so much Diwali excitement in the air! Booths advertising veg Indian treat after veg Indian treat were set up, but not selling yet, which whetted my appetite.

Went in, got my sweets, headed to the car....but couldn't leave Little India without a savory Indian treat (too bad if I'm going to a potluck - I needed instant Indian gratification). So I headed right back into Surati Farsan for a snack.

SURATI FARSAN MARKET is so ridiculously tasty (I hate to say it, but even yummier than Sitar or Sher e Punjab). I never get savory stuff there, but I really should. Got a little bowl of dodhi chana curry, with one roti. Chana should be chickpeas, and they told me it was with kambocha squash; it was actually a kambocha-lentil combo. Ridiculously good - chemically ridiculously good. Good Indian food makes a happy-making reaction in my body (I'm not speaking figuratively - don't know exactly what causes it). A few bites and I was on a ridiculous Indian food high.

If you see this before the evening, head on down to Little India. How's that for an unexpected food adventure while on a short break from SuperBoy? I LOVE SAN DIEGO!!!

Burlap Return (Carmel Valley): Just for Drinks and Desserts!

Mr. Manvite had a similar reaction to me on Burlap: he posted on Yelp that he also found it overwhelming and not entirely pleasant, even if it's very buzzy and calculated to make you spend lots!

I tried it again, as planned, with just a friend for a Girls' Night Out at non-peak times. Was half empty. Got cocktails and dessert only.

Cocktail: Those Snake Oil Guys are funny. The drinks at Burlap do not sound delicious at all from reading the menu. But my friend got the Effervescent (or Luminescent?), the basil drink I got last time, and loved it as I had. I tried the Dragons' Fury (thai pepper in a cocktail?) but actually found it quite yummy.

Dessert: Rachel lives! But this time I liked her cakes rather than her crunchies. We got condensed milk cake (delicious), with condensed milk ice cream (not memorable) and green tea mousse (pretty good). And also the almond panna cotta, which was outstanding and had the most ridiculous plum tamarind gel which put the crunchies on the plate to shame.

MY CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

1. this place is fine when it's "not busy" (= very noisy by regular-restaurant standards, but half-empty by the Walmart of restaurants standard it is trying to set).

2. Rachel (does she have a last name?) is now second to Jack Fischer in my pantheon of San Diego pastry chefs. So far I've never liked everything on her plates, but I've tried 4 of them, and each has had some kind of spectacular component that made me want to come back and have more of her delightful creations.

I'll be back for Rachel's desserts on a non-busy night in the bar. I'll leave the restaurant to the see-and-be-scene folks and head back to Searsucker when I'm in the mood for tasty Malarkey food in a fun (but not hangar-like) setting!

Nothing Bundt Cakes Review (Del Mar)

Got some cakes here today for a family birthday. Verdict: very, very sweet. Ate one sample of the chocolate turtle (bite-sized) and felt a massive sugar rush.

Lemon: ST loved it. For him it was perfect: very lemony and sweet.

Carrot: Split one with a family member. He loved it; I thought it was very moist but again very sugary.

We saved the marble one to try tomorrow.

In the area, I have to say I prefer Cupcake Love cupcakes.

Was worth a try..... (the whole concept is puzzling but the owner claims people thought they would be gone in 6 mos but business is booming....they seem to like it on yelp too. A bit too sweet for me, though!)

Viva Pops! (Normal Heights - plus Tao and Jyoti Bihanga)

Foodgirl took her mom today to Tao - it was so yummy to go back. Still like the garlic "chicken" best - pho ok - homemade tofu with asparagus and lily flower was tasty but maybe too healthy - hehehe. Salad and strawberry cheesecake ice cream for dessert were yummy.

Mom wanted to get Jyoti Bihanga to take out for dinner (she came 3000 miles - she wasn't going to leave the neighborhood without getting something there!). I got a beet and coconut soup to go - yum!

But most important, Mom got Viva Pops, 2 doors down from Tao. She does not get as excited about food as Little Old Moi does....But after she had the sugar-free tart plum popsicle, all she could say was "WOW!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!! I sound like you, Foodgirl. WOW!!!" I had a taste too...I am not a tart plum kind of girl, but it certainly was intense, refreshing and tasty if you would enjoy eating a whole entire tart plum.

I never go there since Tao gives free dessert, but it is certainly worth a return visit!