Friday, July 27, 2012
Asian Persuasion Food truck today
Fish tacos with Asian-ish fresh slaw, from Asian Persuasion's visit to High Bluff....mmmmm. Got them today with the spicy mayo on the side, which made them seem much healthier. Good move! Their line is much shorter than MIHO too, which makes them easy to visit!
Wednesday, July 25, 2012
Tender Greens (UTC): Quick Take
Working momhood has me not able to spend too much writing about food these days, though we certainly have had some good food! So one quick report.
We hit the new Tender Greens in the UTC mall. I won't go into detail on the food since I've reviewed TG in Liberty Station so many times (do a search in the upper-left if you're new to the blog).
I'll just say:
--nice airy space
--not too crowded yet cuz most people don't know it's open. I bet it will be super-crowded at lunch and maybe not on the weekends, since UTC empties of workers (one can hope!).
--no liquor license yet, so no wine yet
--food was just as good as in Liberty Station, though there were some temperature issues (would have liked hotter food and soup)
--corn soup was yummy
--delectable grilled veggies this season: corn, eggplant, green beans, squash
--CH got a delicious harvest salad with lots of fresh berries and walnuts
I love the adventure of seeing what the specials are going to be at TG. That makes it more exciting than Urban Plates.
THRILLED TO HAVE THEM closer to home. I only hope they won't get too packed and it won't cease being a good option to go to with Super Boy!
We hit the new Tender Greens in the UTC mall. I won't go into detail on the food since I've reviewed TG in Liberty Station so many times (do a search in the upper-left if you're new to the blog).
I'll just say:
--nice airy space
--not too crowded yet cuz most people don't know it's open. I bet it will be super-crowded at lunch and maybe not on the weekends, since UTC empties of workers (one can hope!).
--no liquor license yet, so no wine yet
--food was just as good as in Liberty Station, though there were some temperature issues (would have liked hotter food and soup)
--corn soup was yummy
--delectable grilled veggies this season: corn, eggplant, green beans, squash
--CH got a delicious harvest salad with lots of fresh berries and walnuts
I love the adventure of seeing what the specials are going to be at TG. That makes it more exciting than Urban Plates.
THRILLED TO HAVE THEM closer to home. I only hope they won't get too packed and it won't cease being a good option to go to with Super Boy!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Jimmy's Famous American Tavern (Point Loma)
Hit Jimmy's with CPGirl and her family this week (I can't remember why I started calling her that and better remember soon or she'll need a new name!). She thinks it's fab so had been encouraging us to go. Was great!
Atmsophere: nice patio, boat view, great heaters, grass if the kids want to get up and play.
Liquor options: tons of wines by glass, great cocktails. I ordered the sunset martini: fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, orange infused vodka, blood orange puree, simple syrup, some other stuff. Was a little sweet for me at first, but as I drank more I thought it was very sweet and tart and tasty.
Food: I enjoyed my sea bass sandwish (a daily special) a lot. French fries were nice (peppery ketchup). Simple green appetizer salad was outstanding - very fresh and perfectly dressed (not too much vinaigrette).
CH liked his prime rib sandwich.
SuperBoy was not as thrilled about his grilled cheese, though CPGirl is a big fan of the sandwich. I think he was just under the weather, as he got sick later. They brought him a cookie, which looked nice.
Would love to return if nearby - a very fun and tasty place to go with or without kids.
Atmsophere: nice patio, boat view, great heaters, grass if the kids want to get up and play.
Liquor options: tons of wines by glass, great cocktails. I ordered the sunset martini: fresh lime juice, cranberry juice, orange infused vodka, blood orange puree, simple syrup, some other stuff. Was a little sweet for me at first, but as I drank more I thought it was very sweet and tart and tasty.
Food: I enjoyed my sea bass sandwish (a daily special) a lot. French fries were nice (peppery ketchup). Simple green appetizer salad was outstanding - very fresh and perfectly dressed (not too much vinaigrette).
CH liked his prime rib sandwich.
SuperBoy was not as thrilled about his grilled cheese, though CPGirl is a big fan of the sandwich. I think he was just under the weather, as he got sick later. They brought him a cookie, which looked nice.
Would love to return if nearby - a very fun and tasty place to go with or without kids.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Cafe Secret (Del Mar)
Finally made it to the much-hyped Cafe Secret, with my friend who has too many claims to fame to get just one moniker (HyphenateGirl?). Verdict: we only ate lunch, and I only got egg salad, so the Peruvian authenticity and deliciousness of the food would probably be more evident at dinner. But I still enjoyed it.
Atmosphere: super pleasant patio on Camino Del Mar, leafy and attractive.
Menu: Wanted the fish sandwich but they were out. Got the triple egg salad, which someone on Yelp said they had driven all the way from OC for after first tasting it during a DM vacation. I wouldn't drive that far for it, but it was a nice sandwich (not sure what was peruvian about it). Came with plantain chips and a nice salad.
HyphenateGirl got a salad and empanada combo. LOVED the chard-spinach-quesofresco-egg empanada she got. Not heavy, very healthy seeming. Next time I go (I would like to go again as it's a nice place to have lunch, even if it's not the absolute #1 food) I'd like to get that empanada with a half egg salad sandwich.
Dessert: she got the tres leches, which is very praised on Yelp. I thought it was just ok.
I got an espresso. Tasty, but I like them nice and hot and it was lukewarm (many places do that - it's frustrating - it sits before it gets to you and is already almost cold).
Service was pleasant.
Final Verdict: not a must-visit, but I'll probably go again in several months or a year.
Atmosphere: super pleasant patio on Camino Del Mar, leafy and attractive.
Menu: Wanted the fish sandwich but they were out. Got the triple egg salad, which someone on Yelp said they had driven all the way from OC for after first tasting it during a DM vacation. I wouldn't drive that far for it, but it was a nice sandwich (not sure what was peruvian about it). Came with plantain chips and a nice salad.
HyphenateGirl got a salad and empanada combo. LOVED the chard-spinach-quesofresco-egg empanada she got. Not heavy, very healthy seeming. Next time I go (I would like to go again as it's a nice place to have lunch, even if it's not the absolute #1 food) I'd like to get that empanada with a half egg salad sandwich.
Dessert: she got the tres leches, which is very praised on Yelp. I thought it was just ok.
I got an espresso. Tasty, but I like them nice and hot and it was lukewarm (many places do that - it's frustrating - it sits before it gets to you and is already almost cold).
Service was pleasant.
Final Verdict: not a must-visit, but I'll probably go again in several months or a year.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Smoked sea bass tacos from MIHO Gastrotruck
Yum. Fun!
(waiting for the truck to find a spot: not as fun!). Poor guys couldn't get a spot today and then tried to fit on High Bluff. Line kept following them up the street!
Was a tasty lunch to scarf down while waiting outside his class for pickup.
Would have liked to bring along something small for SB to snack on when I got him, but wasn't going to bring him a bacon chip cookie (yuk) and they didn't have chips or anything similar. Was afraid he wouldn't like the fried green tomato sandwich. So got him a brioche which he enjoyed to tide him over, til I could take him home and make his lunch!
(waiting for the truck to find a spot: not as fun!). Poor guys couldn't get a spot today and then tried to fit on High Bluff. Line kept following them up the street!
Was a tasty lunch to scarf down while waiting outside his class for pickup.
Would have liked to bring along something small for SB to snack on when I got him, but wasn't going to bring him a bacon chip cookie (yuk) and they didn't have chips or anything similar. Was afraid he wouldn't like the fried green tomato sandwich. So got him a brioche which he enjoyed to tide him over, til I could take him home and make his lunch!
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Nine-Ten (Revisit)
Hit Nine-Ten with CH recently. Some quick thoughts.
The food is not the best in SD anymore. But I still love the room, and it still has lots of virtues. Passport Dining (one free entree) makes it more affordable - otherwise, I'd be grumpy to be paying $37/entree, and then still have to get an app and dessert because the portions are small.
Loved my hamachi sashimi appetizer. Seemed a little off at first, but I just had to get into the flavors of the dish. They were very earthy. Knibb paired it with some mushrooms and the sauce was yum.
Cocktail: Had a blue grotto on its debut day (was new cocktail menu). Lighter than a Grant Grill cocktail but still refreshing. Had a LOT of alcohol. Had to recover from getting drunk on the one cocktail...and still I ordered a glass of wine (A French syrah, which was fine for $10 - not a steal but not a disappointment either).
Entree: CH liked his NY steak. My salmon was very tasty and respectable. Not cravable enough to pay $37 for, but as the "free" entree it was fine.
DESSERT: OK, THIS IS WHERE THE MEAL SHINED! Jack Fisher has decamped for Cucina Urbana (if you can't beat 'em....). But several of his dishes are still on the menu.
Cilantro basil cake with coconut sorbet and tapioca: are you kidding me? This was one of the most outrageous desserts I have ever had (and not only because I was drunk when I ate it - I ate the rest of the meal mostly drunk too but the dessert stood out :)). What kind of crazy genius Jack Fisher had to invent it is dazzling. He is always ahead of the curve. (I'm sorry, my dear Rachel King of Burlap, but I said to CH that if you went head to head and Fisher had this dessert, he would smoke you, crunchies or no crunchies!!!)
Here's the thing: you might think Nine-Ten wasn't worth visiting anymore with him gone (Jason Knibb's savory food was less exciting for me than the dessert). And yet, the kitchen is still executing it well.
AND as a free treat with the check, the kind French waiter brought two little bonbons courtesy of the new pastry chef, Steve Acosta. O-M-Freakin-G. They were two little apricot gel candies. O-M-Freakin-G. Such a flavor sensation. Simple, delectable, perfect! Between the outrageous candies, the great service, the nice room, and the interesting savory food, I will return to Nine-Ten sometime (could be a few months, could be a year - the good thing about it becoming a national "it" place is that it's always still there!). But of course it's still too expensive to go regularly - and I don't think the savory food is better than Alchemy by any stretch!
Oh - and one cute thing. I had told them maybe 9 years ago when they opened something about CH's eating preferences/restrictions. They still had it in the computer: when the server came over to announce the specials, he told CH which dishes had ingredients that did not fit his diet. That was pretty great!
The food is not the best in SD anymore. But I still love the room, and it still has lots of virtues. Passport Dining (one free entree) makes it more affordable - otherwise, I'd be grumpy to be paying $37/entree, and then still have to get an app and dessert because the portions are small.
Loved my hamachi sashimi appetizer. Seemed a little off at first, but I just had to get into the flavors of the dish. They were very earthy. Knibb paired it with some mushrooms and the sauce was yum.
Cocktail: Had a blue grotto on its debut day (was new cocktail menu). Lighter than a Grant Grill cocktail but still refreshing. Had a LOT of alcohol. Had to recover from getting drunk on the one cocktail...and still I ordered a glass of wine (A French syrah, which was fine for $10 - not a steal but not a disappointment either).
Entree: CH liked his NY steak. My salmon was very tasty and respectable. Not cravable enough to pay $37 for, but as the "free" entree it was fine.
DESSERT: OK, THIS IS WHERE THE MEAL SHINED! Jack Fisher has decamped for Cucina Urbana (if you can't beat 'em....). But several of his dishes are still on the menu.
Cilantro basil cake with coconut sorbet and tapioca: are you kidding me? This was one of the most outrageous desserts I have ever had (and not only because I was drunk when I ate it - I ate the rest of the meal mostly drunk too but the dessert stood out :)). What kind of crazy genius Jack Fisher had to invent it is dazzling. He is always ahead of the curve. (I'm sorry, my dear Rachel King of Burlap, but I said to CH that if you went head to head and Fisher had this dessert, he would smoke you, crunchies or no crunchies!!!)
Here's the thing: you might think Nine-Ten wasn't worth visiting anymore with him gone (Jason Knibb's savory food was less exciting for me than the dessert). And yet, the kitchen is still executing it well.
AND as a free treat with the check, the kind French waiter brought two little bonbons courtesy of the new pastry chef, Steve Acosta. O-M-Freakin-G. They were two little apricot gel candies. O-M-Freakin-G. Such a flavor sensation. Simple, delectable, perfect! Between the outrageous candies, the great service, the nice room, and the interesting savory food, I will return to Nine-Ten sometime (could be a few months, could be a year - the good thing about it becoming a national "it" place is that it's always still there!). But of course it's still too expensive to go regularly - and I don't think the savory food is better than Alchemy by any stretch!
Oh - and one cute thing. I had told them maybe 9 years ago when they opened something about CH's eating preferences/restrictions. They still had it in the computer: when the server came over to announce the specials, he told CH which dishes had ingredients that did not fit his diet. That was pretty great!
Quick takes: Wa Dining Okan (Convoy), Long Island Mike's (Kearny Mesa), Habit Burger Grill (Solana Beach), Michoz (Hillcrest)
Some quick recent meals.
WA DINING OKAN: RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS. I don't know why it took me so long to get here (I needed a willing partner - thank you, NYUGirl!). Really healthy, authentic, Japanese food. Got salted salmon with a delicious selection of "tapas of the day" plus delicious miso soup plus yum-yoso brown rice and hijiki seaweed. Lunch menu is more extensive than it appears on their website. Very fascinating strip mall at 3680 Convoy. We want to try sometime the ridiculously cute Mignon Pho + Grill (NOT your father's Vietnamese restaurant): chic, modern, yummy-looking. And Spicy House looks really yummy, with lots of veg. dishes. And there's an adorable French bakery, and a crepe-gelato store (both Asian-owned). Definitely want to go back.
LONG ISLAND MIKE'S: Murphy Canyon. Was on my want to try list for a while. Disappointing! Had really high hopes based on Yelp. Looked very authentic. Newspaper on the wall says the owner, Mike, opened his place in Seal Beach dedicated to only real NY pizza. Sounded great. Got two slices: margerita and cheese. Margerita looked good and was delicious. Cheese looked depressing (like it had been sitting out) and was nasty. The two boys only ordered the cheese, so they were stuck. And the slices left in the case didn't look any better. Maybe they're fresher at lunch, but can't see returning. Oh well!
HABIT BURGER GRILL: Solana Beach. Took SuperBoy shortly after it opened. Was perfect for mom and son lunch out. Wait on line like fast food to order. Then they give you a buzzer like PF Chang's for when your food is ready, and you go up to get it. I liked my grilled tuna sandwich. SB's grilled cheese couldn't hold a candle to Urban Plates' (white bread, boring cheese - luckily he did not have to vie with his mother wanting to steal it - blech) - but he liked it. He also got a vanilla ice cream shake and was very happy. Fast and relatively expensive, pleasant atmosphere.
MICHO'Z: Hillcrest. Ate with a friend here recently. Also wanted to love it based on Yelp. Mixed results. Cute atmosphere. Super-delicious (free) vinegary carrot sticks they give you when you sit down. Ridiculously tasty baba ghanoush, just as smokey as promised by Yelpers. But then....lentil soup had no taste. I told the waiter, thinking that maybe the spicing was off that day. He was offended and explained that they don't salt and pepper on purpose because their customers are happy that way, and they can leave it off or add. Um, ok....but you can still make a soup flavorful with herbs (or you can warn non-hypertension sufferers that the soup is a bland pea soupy mess otherwise). I ate it all cuz it was healthy and I was stuck with it, and on a winter's day probably would enjoy it more, but would never order it again or advise anyone else to! And the falafel, which was praised to the hilt on Yelp, was just ok. It is certainly better than Daphne's! But it's definitely not the best in SD. Just in the last 6 mos. I've had better at Egyptian Delight (CV Farmer's Market) and Kebab Shop, and I know Sultan Schwarma's is better too. Really, I need to get to La Mesa and try Alforon and the other Iraqi places. So this place is worth a try but only if you manage to order the right stuff!
WA DINING OKAN: RIDICULOUSLY DELICIOUS. I don't know why it took me so long to get here (I needed a willing partner - thank you, NYUGirl!). Really healthy, authentic, Japanese food. Got salted salmon with a delicious selection of "tapas of the day" plus delicious miso soup plus yum-yoso brown rice and hijiki seaweed. Lunch menu is more extensive than it appears on their website. Very fascinating strip mall at 3680 Convoy. We want to try sometime the ridiculously cute Mignon Pho + Grill (NOT your father's Vietnamese restaurant): chic, modern, yummy-looking. And Spicy House looks really yummy, with lots of veg. dishes. And there's an adorable French bakery, and a crepe-gelato store (both Asian-owned). Definitely want to go back.
LONG ISLAND MIKE'S: Murphy Canyon. Was on my want to try list for a while. Disappointing! Had really high hopes based on Yelp. Looked very authentic. Newspaper on the wall says the owner, Mike, opened his place in Seal Beach dedicated to only real NY pizza. Sounded great. Got two slices: margerita and cheese. Margerita looked good and was delicious. Cheese looked depressing (like it had been sitting out) and was nasty. The two boys only ordered the cheese, so they were stuck. And the slices left in the case didn't look any better. Maybe they're fresher at lunch, but can't see returning. Oh well!
HABIT BURGER GRILL: Solana Beach. Took SuperBoy shortly after it opened. Was perfect for mom and son lunch out. Wait on line like fast food to order. Then they give you a buzzer like PF Chang's for when your food is ready, and you go up to get it. I liked my grilled tuna sandwich. SB's grilled cheese couldn't hold a candle to Urban Plates' (white bread, boring cheese - luckily he did not have to vie with his mother wanting to steal it - blech) - but he liked it. He also got a vanilla ice cream shake and was very happy. Fast and relatively expensive, pleasant atmosphere.
MICHO'Z: Hillcrest. Ate with a friend here recently. Also wanted to love it based on Yelp. Mixed results. Cute atmosphere. Super-delicious (free) vinegary carrot sticks they give you when you sit down. Ridiculously tasty baba ghanoush, just as smokey as promised by Yelpers. But then....lentil soup had no taste. I told the waiter, thinking that maybe the spicing was off that day. He was offended and explained that they don't salt and pepper on purpose because their customers are happy that way, and they can leave it off or add. Um, ok....but you can still make a soup flavorful with herbs (or you can warn non-hypertension sufferers that the soup is a bland pea soupy mess otherwise). I ate it all cuz it was healthy and I was stuck with it, and on a winter's day probably would enjoy it more, but would never order it again or advise anyone else to! And the falafel, which was praised to the hilt on Yelp, was just ok. It is certainly better than Daphne's! But it's definitely not the best in SD. Just in the last 6 mos. I've had better at Egyptian Delight (CV Farmer's Market) and Kebab Shop, and I know Sultan Schwarma's is better too. Really, I need to get to La Mesa and try Alforon and the other Iraqi places. So this place is worth a try but only if you manage to order the right stuff!
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