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!)

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!

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)

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!

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.

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.!).

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!

Mia Francesca (Carmel Valley) Takeout Review: not quite as successful as our visit + Sprinkles (La Jolla) review

Tried takeout from Mia Francesca last night. Not as superlative as our visit.

--Boys wanted rigatoni bolognese. They didn't have bolognese last night. CH got spaghetti and meatballs, thought it was ok. Grandpa got rigatoni sardi (with sausage, hold the mushrooms). He really liked his dish. (SB got this too but wasn't wild about it - he just is not a huge noodle fan even though he said he wanted it).

--Grandma and I split rigatoni alla siciliana (with eggplant, still very tasty) and a ravioli with a mushroom-tomato sauce. It was gummy and inedible - would not order again.

--Wanted spinach with garlic and olive oil. It was my favorite dish last time. They forgot it.

--Got the insalata francesca. Didn't really like it - boring lettuce and unmemorable blue cheese.

Dessert was much better. Sprinkles cupcakes reviews:

--Coconut chocolate: very delicious.

--Lemon: I didn't eat it but SB gobbled it up.

--Peanut Butter chip: not crazy about this, wouldn't get it again.

--Milk Chocolate: the G'parents and CH got this and everyone liked it.

Alchemy Review: How I love Ricardo Heredia + Room with a View (Old Globe) Review

Love, love, love Alchemy.....Every dish is not spectacular, some are hit and miss. But I love how Ricardo Heredia pushes the envelope and does interesting things with food. The food there, quite simply, is FUN. I never know what he'll be offering (the online menu is not always the most current one), and how it will taste.

Starter: Acorn squash salad + buttermilk/cranberry dressing + arugula +smokehouse almonds + goat cheese. I can't say this was the best salad I have had lately. It didn't have me oohing and aahing to the rafters like the delicious salad I had recently at Flavor. The dressing could have been distributed more evenly; some pieces of arugula had no dressing, and then I would find a clump of dressing at the bottom. However, I admire the thought that went into this dish, and it was tasty overall. This is similar to the experience I have had with others of this genre from Heredia (like the sheeps milk cheese + horseradish/buttermilk dressing + other salad stuff a few years ago) - not a home run, but tasty and interesting.

Trio of Spreads: CH ordered this: humus + tapenade + melitzanosalata (eggplant) + tortilla/crackers. He only ate the humus, which was thick and lemony and good. I liked the other two well enough.

Main: He got roasted chicken breast + baby turnips + barley risotto with green peas. He said the chicken was "good" (this is high praise from him - it is the level above "fine," and is pronounced with a smile as he enjoys his food). He ate some of the barley risotto and liked it, but I ate more of it, along with his turnips. Both were delicious.

--For me: crispy salmon skin + beet greens + some other stuff (it's not on the online menu). The dish normally has Serrano ham, but I ordered without it, and didn't feel anything was missing in the flavor. This fish was PERFECTLY COOKED, so delicious, and it stayed hot for most of the meal (I hate getting lukewarm food). The bed of beet greens were super delicious. I scarfed up everything on the plate. This was the best dish of the meal. Asked the server to please tell Chef Ricardo that this new dish is a winner! Enjoyed getting a peek of him in the kitchen (he's sporting an eye-patch - I hope it's dress up as a pirate-chef day instead of his being injured).

Cocktails: different array than on the online menu. I tried something with lemon+lavender+pisco+nutmeg (forget the name - H-- H-- something). I was afraid it would be too weird a mix of flavors, but was disappointed that it didn't taste like much. The server graciously switched me back to the Keeps Pleasure (at least I think that's what it was called). This was a completely different cocktail than the one with the same name listed on their online menu. That one is apple juice + ginger beer + vermouth. What I had was more of a citrus-mint soda: tangerine, lime, vodka, mint. It was very flavorful and refreshing - and reasonably strong!

The atmosphere at Alchemy is much more low-key than at my more glamorous faves like Searsucker and Grant Grill. But it is so fun discovering what combos Chef Ricardo has up his sleeve everytime I go. And the atmosphere is still chill. LOVE ALCHEMY!!

(Oh - and they take Passport, which is great. But I still showed some love to the kitchen by buying 2 kitchen brews - a kind of $3/each tip to Ricardo and the line cooks for them to drink up after service ends!)

ROOM WITH A VIEW: Much less exciting than dinner. It was not a big stinker, but the positive reviews by James Hebert in the UT and others surprised us a little. The score was not very memorable (very operatic), and it plodded for us - and I loved the movie with Helena Bonham Carter! I would have stayed for the 2nd act, but CH was suffering enough with boredom that I agreed to go at intermission, and wasn't too disappointed. Two great shows this season, Somewhere and the Recommendation, are enough to ask for - I can't expect everything at the Globe to be spectacular.

More Urban Plates takeout (Carmel Valley)

UP was so good last weekend for takeout that we got it again tonight. SB preferred to eat "house food." (foodgirl makes a mean quesadilla)

CH got the turkey sandwich, which has roasted tomatoes on it, and chips on the side, plus one side (he picked a salad). He said it was "fine."

I got ono again + beets again + sauteed mushrooms. Very delicious and very filling.

Tasted the carrot + ginger soup while I was there for pickup. Was fine, much better than the inedible roasted red pepper soup they had in fall. Tastes pretty much like the Whole Foods version. Still, ginger is not my favorite thing in carrot soup, so I'd order those only if I was cold and wanted something healthy and filling.

Still tasty - and I'm glad they're experimenting with different seasonal items.

Urban Plates (Carmel Valley): Curbside Pickup Review # whatever

We have not been in an Urban Plates mood for a while. Definitely not for eating in, and I had grown tired of the choices compared to Tender Greens. But we decided tonight to give takeout a try again.

To my surprise, they actually are switching the menu up seasonally. So there were some different side choices (and a new veg soup choice). I didn't try the new soup choice (carrot/ginger) since I didn't want to commit myself without tasting it (the roasted red pepper from fall was nasty), but I may give it a chance in the future. Also, there is a new seasonal fish instead of tuna: ono.

I got: ono + roasted vegetables + beet salad. Have had the beets before: beets + onions + walnuts = very yummy. Roasted root vegetables I may not have: very tasty potatoes + sweet potatoes. Ono was very good (I got the chimichurri on the side because I'm not a huge fan - ended up using lemon we had just picked from a friend's tree instead). Overall, this was one of the more substantial plates I've gotten from there before.

SuperBoy's grilled cheese was still ridiculously delicious and I ate most of it.

CH's turkey + stuffing + salad carveup was "fine" (I think that means nothing spectacular, but satisfying enough).

We got lemon + coconut cake, but are too full to eat it. We'll look forward to trying it tomorrow!

Mia Francesca Review (Carmel Valley): Yum in the 92130!

Mia Francesca opened last night in the now-famous Ralph's shopping center in Carmel Valley, the new gourmet gulch of San Diego. I found that it was open last night on facebook, and CH passed by today and got the menu. We made reservations for tonight at 6:15, with SB in tow.

ATMOSPHERE: The place is totally happening on day #2 of being opened. They have lots of staff, with many coming in from Chicago (where their flagship restaurants are) to make sure it's at their level of quality. Motown music, fun and lively.

SERVICE: Lots of busboys, though the waitress had a bunch of tables to do. Speed: slower than we'd ideally like with SB, but still reasonable. We had a nice meal and were done in 45 mins.

BREAD: Delicious, very hot and crusty from the oven. Not a huge fan of the rosemary in their olive oil. Could eat it plain, or ask for plain olive oil in the future.

WATER: Fantastic! They put a nice chilled, iceless bottle of water on the table. You can refill your glass, or they come by. Me like.

KIDS' MENU: Placemats just for them, with crayons. SB got lemonade right away in a cute cup. The value of the kids' meal is very good. $5.99 includes the drink (including refills), pizza or pasta, and gelato. The pizza was enormous - looked like a grownup size. Only downside: SB didn't like it that much, and to me it didn't taste that great (not like the kids' pizza I got him at Cucina Italiana). But SB was nutso for the bread and lemonade and the atmosphere, and he wasn't disappointed about the pizza - he just didn't want to eat it (but he was full up on the yummy bread!).

WINE: Here's a slight misstep. $7 for a pinot grigio that wasn't offensive, but tasted like nothing. It was drinkable, but I'd never get it again. The waitress said they had a great sommelier so I couldn't go wrong. I'll still try other things on the wine list, like the Sicilian chardonnay, but that was a disappointment after my fab wine experience at The Shores. Still, it was a generous pour.

APPETIZER: I got spinaci with oil and garlic. DELISH and totally cravable. Really, I could make this myself (though I'd probably get freaked out by the amount of olive oil needed to make it taste like this). But I'd come back just for this dish. Yum - as cravable as spanki lemonato at Athena (though that spinach is healthier!).

ENTREES: I got the rigatoni alla siciliana (eggplant, tomato sauce, fresh grated parm); CH got rigatoni bolognese. We both thought they were delicious. The folks around us at other tables were raving about everything they got, and everything that passed us looked spectacular. I thought the salmon at the next table looked fab. The nice people there said, though it was very good, it happened to be less exciting than the other dishes they got, which they called spectacular, esp.: roasted chicken, lemon chicken, and rosemary chicken.

DESSERT: Included in SB's $5.99 kids meal (including the drink and enormous pizza) was gelato. But not just a scoop - a trio! He could choose any flavors he wanted. SB tried: lemon sorbet, strawberry sorbet, vanilla gelato. He was in HEAVEN, and scarfed them all up.

SB has announced that the restaurant is great, even though he didn't like the pizza. He is excited to try pasta with butter next time (he is not a big pasta eater at home, but he'll try it there). If he's hungry, I also want to get him a salad next time. The choices look great - things like green beans and tomatoes with lemon and olive oil, which would be right up his alley.

ULTIMATE VERDICT: I wouldn't choose this for date night. It's too family-friendly and 92130-seeming to feel for me like a big night out. I'd still put Charisma ahead of it as my fave Italian restaurant in SD - that place is more intimate and the food to me is more spectacular. And it's more fun to get out of the 'burbs and hit Hillcrest or the Gaslamp for a date. But this place is much more buzzy, and is just right for a special night out with a well-behaved SB. Poseidon and Mia Francesca now promise to be our best recommendations for fine dining with a toddler!

The Shores Restaurant Review (La Jolla)

Reasonable amount of hype on The Shores Restaurant, since Augie Saucedo left and Amy diBiase has come on board: she formerly of Laurel, formerly of Roseville, formerly of the Glass Door, formerly of the Cosmopolitan.

Despite the bad luck she hit at Cosmopolitan (crazy owner, if the U-T reporting is accurate), she's still considered one of the top chefs in town, even if we were never 100% crazy about her food (it was always good, never cravable for us). And since she has settled in at The Shores, with a beautiful ocean view and reasonable prices, I've been meaning to try it.

Verdict:
I loved it!
Cute Husband: not so much!

I ordered from the "Sip and Savor"menu. Great deal, I think - 3 courses for $30, add wine pairing for $15. Lisa Redwine (ha!), the sommelier at the Marine Room, also does the menu here (this is the jr. restaurant of the Marine Room).

APPETIZER: me: very tasty kumbacha squash soup with tangerine infusion, paired with a very respectable and yummy French rose
CH: green salad with goat cheese and sherry vinaigrette: I thought it was very good, he thought it was ok

ENTREE: me: cocoa nib crusted albacore etc. Fish was perfectly well cooked, yummy rice, spectacular pickled bok choy. Otherwise it would have been a cliched Asian-style seared tuna with bok choy. The pickled vegetable really elevated the dish. I ate the whole thing up. I had a choice of pairing it with an excellent Chardonnay, or a Spanish grenacha. The nice waiter let me taste both - it was a tossup, but I went with the Chardonnay, which was the sommelier's set pairing. Worked nicely.
CH: herb roasted chicken breast. He thought it was ok. He was not crazy about the celery root and artichoke gratin it came with. I thought it was rich, but very tasty.

DESSERT: trio with mixed results.
--"Brandied cherry white chocolate parfait": a bit of a hot mess; I couldn't remember what the menu had said, and I thought it was rice pudding with some red stuff and a bunch of sticks of crispy pastry dough sticking out, til I checked the menu again
--"milk chocolate chai pot de crème": sorry, didn't taste the chai - was a decent enough chocolate pudding
--dark chocolate peanut butter truffle: this was the yummiest part. Amy diBiase was roaming (was fun to meet her - she's so young and accomplished!) said this was a family recipe.
--not a fan of the madeira it was paired with, but then I don't like madeira! I gave it a try but still no dice, even paired with chocolate.

ATMOSPHERE: CH is right, that it seems very upscale 50s motel. Really, they need to redo this if they want to elevate the restaurant.

SERVICE: Very nice, came by when we needed them, checked on us, hostesses also pitched in when needed. Certainly better than Flavor (and rivalled Grant Grill).

OVERALL VERDICT: I loved my fun dinner and fun wine pairings (though dessert was the weakest link, the pudding was fine and the truffle was yummy). CH thought it was meh. I would have loved for this to be our new pre-La Jolla Playhouse spot, but CH is vetoing that idea. We are still on the lookout for new openings in the Shores/UTC area!

Sicilian Thing (North Park)

I need to show some love to Sicilian Thing, current holder (in our view) of the title of Best NY Pizza in SD, ever since the Bongiorno's sold the Miramar location and the pizza there has become crappy (according to CH - I haven't been there since). Bongiorno's Solana is still good, but for the very best NY (or rather Philly) pizza, we head on down to North Park.

Today: CH enjoyed his (corner!) Sicilian slices.

SB enjoyed his Hawaiian punch (Daddy was in an indulgent mood) and round cheese.

I enjoyed my mushroom sicilian (oooh - the Sicilian really is fab there), but I tried a new slice (vegeta) and it was not as good as the others (used bland California olives, which are not my thing).

The Barack-oli Ricotta or the Nino Espinosa are still my faves there.

KC's Tandoor (Encinitas)

I'm never mad at the palak paneer at KC's Tandoor. It's not the absolute best in SD, and doesn't make me do cartwheels, but it's very tasty and respectable. There are tons of interesting choices there (coconut curry; tofu as a protein option; south Indian, north Indian), but I seem to stick with the palak paneer plus a roti often. It's a perfectly good choice there.

And it makes for a great quick bite/errand if you need an oil change - the Arco gas station across Leucadia Blvd. does speedy, friendly and good quality work!

Clairemont quick takes: Restaurant Reviews for Dino's Gyros, Cucina Italiana

Hit DINO'S GYROS this week while in Clairemont. Ok if you're in the neighborhood; not worth driving to!

Falafel was fine, a cut above Daphne's. Came with a multigrain wrap option. Greek salad and rice it came with were fine. One orders at the counter and then the food is brought to you.

By fine, I mean edible, not offensive, better than the bad Indian place next door. Hardly compares to Kebab Shop, but if you're in that mall it's a perfectly ok choice.

CUCINA ITALIANA: Got ravioli with tomato sauce. Wasn't nearly as good as the eggplant parm or pizza we got last time. But it was fine. Fast enough service for pre-movies. Decent wines by the glass. Not a place we need to go to if we're not already there, but the best in that stretch of the food court.

Kebab Shop (Encinitas): Yum! Fast! Kid-Friendly!

We tried to go to East Village Asian Diner tonight in Encinitas. (looked through the blog, saw that we liked it in spring 2010 and hadn't been back). On the phone they said they didn't take reservations but that we shouldn't have to wait at 6:15 for 3 people. Well, we didn't show up til 6:25, but it was mobbed, and it was going to be a 25 min. wait, in a tiny space, with the frigid night entering through the opening and closing door. So we switched gears.

We'd also been thinking of trying the Kebab Shop in Encinitas (Trader Joe's shopping center). Verdict: Yum!

I got: yummy falafel donner. Very tasty falafel (though it doesn't beat Habibi's or Sultan Schwarma). But it's Turkish and has other flavors (like tarragon in the dressing in the salad inside). $6.60-ish.

Super Boy got: 3 salad plate: humus, Greek salad, green lentils and walnuts (I love that my boy loves lentils - I asked them for a taste in advance so he wasn't committing himself to a dish he would think was strangely flavored, but he insisted, "Moooooooooom!!! I like lentils!!!" and sure enough he loved them. They had fresh tarragon and tasted delish; the dressing on the salad also had some tarragon (white-style dressing); the feta was very yummy. The humus was fine, nothing terrible, nothing to rave about. Was a huge portion; he ate, I ate, and we took home. $8.99ish

Other options from the salad plate included Moroccan carrots, dill cucumber, Algerian eggplant (had a quick taste, liked it ok, but not enough to choose it as a huge side rather than something else).

Cute Husband got: chicken schwarma. He was kind of bummed, cuz he wanted chicken kebab. But they said it would take 15 mins to make, and we were quite hungry by then. He is not a huge schwarma fan, so wasn't as crazy about the meal as we were. But the nice counter staff (Turkish-Americans who also lived in Germany; hence the Euro-Turkish menu) said next time we can just call ahead and they'll put it on for him so it will be ready when we come. Great! He also got a small side of fries ($1.99) and we all munched on them. Very tasty too.

Other plusses: lots of seating! Not much of a line! (lots of people were in and out, but they were well-spaced) Tons of easy parking! And not very expensive for serious Middle Eastern quick-casual ($24 and change for lots of food for the three of us).

If no one gets sick, and I have my way, we'll be back again soon!

MY NEW FAVORITE SD RESTAURANT: Grant Grill Review (Downtown)

Am still enjoying my Jeff Josenhans buzz.

Up until today, my fave SD restaurants were:
1. Searsucker = exciting atmosphere + exciting food
2. Alchemy = super-exciting food + relaxed neighborhood atmosphere (favorite chef in city = Ricardo Heredia)
3. Charisma = super-chill atmosphere, reasonable prices and delectable modern Italian cuisine

Well, after a revisit to Grant Grill, they're all getting knocked down a rank:

GRANT GRILL, I LOVE YOU!

Where do we start?

1. Jeff Josenhans = the city's absolute best mixologist. His flavor combos sound strange....they're fantastic!

2 yrs ago, I had a Horton House, a kind of alcoholic chocolate egg cream.

Tonight, I got the bitter betty = fresh muddled blood oranges + gin + vermouth. Don't like gin, don't like vermouth.....The drink was FANTASTIC. So aromatic and herbal, just like the waitress promised.


2. Swanky but luxe atmosphere. Grant Grill has a swingin' bar on Th - Sat. nights, with live music = very atmospheric. But the restaurant part is very fine dining and luxe-y, and quiet. So you have the atmosphere of the hot jazz, and a quiet, fancy atmosphere. LOVE IT!

3. Service is fantastic. Natalie, our server, was super knowledeable, and did not steer me wrong. She very enthusiastically explained more about the 3 cocktails I was considering, and answered every question in a way that left the choice to me, but left me better informed. I had a fantastic meal, with her help.

4. Oh yeah: the food! Would I say that Chris Kurth is a better chef than Ricardo Heredia? Probably not. Ain't got nothin' but love for Ricardo Heredia. BUT there are so many high notes on this menu. First, just like last time, LOVE LOVE LOVE the signature house foccacia. Crazy savory and yummy. Second, my beet plate (not really a salad but a stylish presentation of beets) was yummy, flavorful and light. And Cute Husband's farmer's market salad was delightful - in both of our minds! Third, he really liked his steak, and his creamed corn was yummy. My thai style sea bass (in a light broth, with mushrooms and a bit of sweet potato puree) was very light and tasty - I wouldn't return there just for this dish, and if the restaurant didn't have all of the other things (Jeff Josenhans' cocktails, swanky atmosphere, fab service), this dish wouldn't call me back at all. But it was "nice," and didn't drag the meal (or my buzz!) down.

Finally, the dessert. Rachel King and Jack Fisher: not to worry, you're not getting knocked off as my fave pastry chefs anytime soon! There was nothing legendary or pioneering about my dessert (a lemony mascarpone semolina cake with berry compote and vanilla ice cream). However, it happened to be VERY GOOD, not too big, very perfect. I am not a huge blueberry fan (or a huge lemon one, for that matter), but I scarfed up the perfectly prepared berry compote, which was humble but fantastic. The semolina cake was very nice, and the vanilla ice cream was super well-made and tasty.

Chris Kurth also sends out a little dark chocolate cookie with the bill, on the principle that you should finish your meal with a taste of dark chocolate. It wasn't the greatest little choc. thing I ever ate in my life, but it was a nice touch.

Oh! And I forgot my wine. Natalie helped me decide on a glass of viognier ($11) to pair with my sea bass. It was a generous pour and super delish.

On a M-W night, Searsucker is still probably more swinging and exciting.

And if I'm judging on food alone, I'll still take Alchemy food.

And on price/value/reliable deliciousness, I'd still eat my last meal on earth at Charisma.

But for a package of nutso-creative-delicious cocktails + fab service + swanky fun atmosphere + great food, Grant Grill has rocketed to the top of my list!

(Tonight we used a gift certificate - thanks, Mom! But they also offer restaurant.com certificates too. They're more expensive than any of my other #1-4, so it helps!)

Flavor Del Mar Review: One thumb up, two thumbs way down

Flavor Del Mar has gotten a lot of buzz lately. It's in the Del Mar Plaza in the old Epazote space. Jason Maitland was the opening chef. We didn't like Arterra after he took it over from Carl Schroeder, so saw no need to try it when it opened. But the new chef, Brian Redzikowski, is getting lots of raves from critics and Yelpers. So we gave it a try.

PLUSSES: I found the food very flavorful! I was ready to add it to my fave restaurants list (maybe at #5) after the first course.

Bread was delicious (whole-wheat, warm and yeasty, with a quartet of flavored salts).

Salad looked humdrum/plain but was spectacular. Super-fresh greens, very light dressing. Peppadew peppers: never ate one, so delicious - just perfectly spicy. Nice mozzarella. Huge portion for $9.

Wine: yummy and super-generous pours. My glasses (of viognier and albarino) were $12 each, but they were very good and I was pleased.

Tuna tataki: This was a very good dish, and totally carb-free (and cold and a little small), but very nice.

Dessert: liked the "chocolate bar," though it wasn't humongous.

NEGATIVES

Very slow service: Waitress was friendly but spend a long time at each table and there weren't enough wait stuff compared to bussers. So you would wait forever for her to finish at a table and have to flag someone down with requests. My salad arrived before my wine - I had to wait another 8 mins. or so for it to show up. Not cool.

CH's sous-vide jidori chicken: He thought it was nasty - tough and and weird tasting. he ordered another dish (steak), which was fine, but the aftertaste of the bad chicken is still with him hours later and he thinks the place is vile.

More on the service: after 25 mins. of waiting for our (cold) dessert, they finally brought it with apologies - and comped it. I'd still give them another chance on this basis, but this was the last straw for CH, who was still grossed out by his chicken and wanted to go.

Bill: At first, they charged us for the chicken AND CH's replacement entree. As soon as they saw us looking unpleased and trying to flag someone down, they figured it out and brought a replacement bill. But this was definitely not top service.

Cocktails: I'm sorry - the mixologist may be doing very respectful farm-to-table this time of year. But the whole list was citrusy and did not call to me. Didn't want a tangeriney, orangey or grapefruity cocktail. The only other alternatives were not appealing (cinammon apple? sounds like dessert).

I'd try Flavor again at lunchtime with a girlfriend, esp. because they take passport. But CH won't be returning with me ever.

For Valentine's Day we're heading to Grant Grill, where we haven't been in almost 2 yrs. Hope we have a spectacular dinner, with great service, fantastic cocktails (Jeff Josenhans, don't let me down!) and delicious food like last time. I still remember the wonderful bread and quiet chill atmosphere.

Eda-Mami (Del Mar)/too many losses

Well, my week of mourning for Naomi Wise is over....But it's replaced with the death of a close and beloved friend. While she was sick I told her about the blog and promised her I'd take her anywhere she wanted. She had picked out Bayu. We never got to go. Life ain't fair.

Instead of silence this week I'm going to blog again. She'd want me to, and I need distractions....

Hit Eda-Mami tonight in Del Mar for the first time in a while. Love this place! We need to remember to go there and dump Katana. The food is so much better! And before 7 pm they have great happy hour pricing. We ordered way too much food.

*Delicious*, healthy and generous salad: we ordered 2 for the three of us and had plenty left over (about $4)

Edamame: perfectly fine (about $4)

2 miso soups: SB scarfed his up, CH did too

Agedashi Tofu: $3 I think with the happy hour special. OMG - this is the best A.T. I have had in my whole life. Fabulous broth. Just delicious.

Sake Fusion roll: $7.95 w/happy hour. Huge. Delicious. Why did I order so much food?

Salmon roll: $3 with happy hour. OMG - I don't need this much food. Yet I finished it.... :)

SB got a lolli from sitting so nicely. He loved the wide array of choices. And he spotted 3 coasters while we were sitting there.

And tonight we had great service, much better than our previous visits. It was quieter too.

Eda-Mami has got to enter our regular rotation - LOVED IT!

(oh and I left out my wine - I am tasting my way through New Zealand Sauvignon blancs from the Malborough Valley - tonight I got a Star borough - not as good as what I had on the cruise, but still tasty)

(end of wine-induced gushing about food - back to the sad new normal.... :( )

Postscript: The meal didn't sit while with CH. :( Eda-Mami may not go into the rotation after all. Minor bad news in the scheme of things, but oh well.