arrivederci

Yellow- the color of daffodils, butter, cozy things, happy thoughts, and my personal favorite color-of-choice for most things decor. Arrivederci in Hillcrest appealed to me with their comforting yellow and white striped decor with small, intimate wooden tables and a seemingly inviting atmosphere. With pasta on the mind, Ashton and I took our chances on weekday evening hoping that a later dinner would help us to avoid the crowd that seems to be a permanent fixture at this neighborhood bistro. With only one entrance door and a constant flood of waiters, food runners, hostesses, and patrons, it was a tight squeeze to even reach the hostess stand, which was unmanned and we were ignored for about 5 minutes before a harried hostess rushed up and asked if we had a reservation. Sadly no, but she looked around and dashed off, promising to see what she could do. Not exactly a casual way to begin a meal, but the heavenly aromas pouring off of every table were strong indicators that we should stick it out and see what they had to offer.



After a short wait, we were led to the right side of the restaurant which held a separate wine bar; the entire building seemed to be broken into tiny rooms, seemingly toeing the line of claustrophobic and intimate, but at least we were able to be seated quickly. The menu looked extremely promising, and we had plenty of time to look it over as the waiter did not even glance at our table for a solid 20 minutes. By then, we had decided on wine, appetizers, entrees, and had discussed skipping dessert due to the amount of time we'd already spent without tastebud compensation. Happily, once we were acknowledged it was a steady uphill climb in terms of service and experience.



As a duo of calamari enthusiasts, we decided to begin with the calamari appetizer which featured thin slices shaved over a bed of fresh greens with a citrus vinaigrette. Fresh, light, and plentiful- it was a pleasant way to begin the meal, despite the fact that no where on the menu did it mention that it was a salad and came with anything besides actual calamari. If we had known that, we might not have also ordered the warm duck salad with bacon vinaigrette with pine nuts and golden raisins. However, I'm glad we did because this was absolutely fantastic. Definitely recommended.





By then, we had seen the portions that other tables were being served and opted to split an entree of seafood pasta, which they kindly served in two bowls with some of the best bread I've ever sopped up pasta sauce with. I don't know how or where they get their bread, but it was spectacular. The pasta itself was great- it's always nice to go to a place that puts as much emphasis on the actual pasta as it does the sauce. There was a hearty helping of mussels, clams, shrimp, and scallops, and even with sharing we both left with smiles.

Overall, the service was lacking, the rooms themselves were stuffy, but the food booted it up high enough for me to go back again. Worth a shot- but don't go expecting the white glove treatment. Also, apparently you need reservations for even a Tuesday night, so plan ahead, and don't be surprised if you're met with a hostile wait. It's worth it though!

Ruby Kitchen

It's pretty rare that I give even a mediocre review. I like to think that having a million awesome places to eat + a willingness to try anything = generally having a positive experience to share. Frankly, with the amount of amazing restaurants of every shape, size, and nationality, I don't waste time with places that might be just okay. Occasionally, I'll get dragged along to a pretty substandard place, but for the most part it's hard to get a strike in San Diego.

However, Ruby Kitchen in Hillcrest isn't just a strike. It's a bases-loaded, full-count, tied up, bottom of the 9th in the World Series strikeout. It's rare that I've ever eaten at a place this f@%*ing terrible. The foolish people on Yelp who give this place even the time of day are obviously either brain-damaged, or so ignorant to what food should actually taste like, let alone what even decent service is, that I won't waste my time trying to convince them. It's a completely lost cause.

I wanted to like Ruby Kitchen, I really did. Its next-door-neighbor the Ruby Room offers the typical Hillcrestian a hip and local spot to get their booze on, and Hillcrest has an amazing selection of eateries in every facet of cuisine. The Ruby Kitchen advertises itself as "late-night comfort food" that just happens to be available most of the day. I guess for those in the later throes of blackout, you could tolerate a cold sandwich with little-to-nothing to offer, but if you are even semi-conscious and rational, then take my advice. Save your money and run across the street for a superior meal at Mickey D's.

A quartet of us headed over there at probably 7 pm on a Friday night, expecting there to be at least a few pre-gamers looking to get a head start on soaking up their alcohol of the night. Apparently not. The place (which is ENORMOUS) was totally empty, so why did it take about 20 minutes to get 2 cold sandwiches, some wings, and a cheese steak?

Oh lord, where do I begin. The wings were coated in what I can only assume was ketchup with some pepper sprinkled on them, the 2 cold sandwiches would have satisfied only a starving refugee who has thus survived on cannibalism and fleas, and the cheese steak was more like a chilled rubbery mass of mystery meat with unidentifiable goo spread across the stale roll. Seriously, it's not even worth me wasting any more time thinking about it. If you go there after reading this, you're dead to me.

Kiki Sushi

Sushi is not something I take lightly. I don't like to waste my time with anything other than remarkable-to-the-point-of-giving-me-a-food-orgasm sushi. I hadn't heard much about Kiki Sushi on University in Hillcrest, but thought I'd give it a shot with some friends when the opportunity arose. Hey, you never know when you're going to find the best sushi place on a whim!

However, I didn't have huge expectations going in. Generally, I find the best sushi at hole-in-the-wall places tucked away, dark, tiny, and full of Asians. Kiki Sushi is large, bright, in a small strip mall on the corner and just screamed Americana Sushi, which is NOT what I am looking for. I want authentic, fresh, amazing sushi served to me by a tiny woman who doesn't understand "Tuna" but nods approvingly when you order "O-Toro". The menu was pretty cheesy, but I suppose the pictures of the rolls were helpful to those who are ignorant when it comes to ordering. Decent selections, seemed to be geared more towards "value" sushi which is a GIANT RED FLAG to me. However, I ordered the Sushi sampler and the Harumaki (Japanese egg rolls) to start, and waited to be impressed.



The only thing that really impressed me was their use of actual crab meat in the rolls. Unfortunately, America seems to love imitation crab more than shootin' guns and eating hamburgers. Imitation crab is now the absolute standard for rolls everywhere, and let me let you in on a little secret. THEY DON'T TASTE THE SAME. Their crab was a pleasant addition to their rolls, which overall I'd rate a B-. I'm looking to be wowed, not simply satisfied with my sushi. The fish was fresh and tasty, but obviously not of the highest quality. The tuna lacked real sustenance, and the salmon was mediocre at best. Actually, the squid (ika) was very tasty and a great consistency. The Harumaki should be avoided by anyone looking to have an experience differing from Chinese takeout. I couldn't tell the difference between that and a deep-fried egg roll from a cheap Chinese to go place to save my life. The sauce was sticky and of the most mediocre flavor. Skip it.

Will I be going back to Kiki? Most likely no. However, if you're looking to have a bargain experience with a sushi newbie who wants a Bento Box for a great deal, I'd recommend it.

How to spend a weekend in San Diego

Ashton's mom came into town for her first San Diego visit on Thursday night, so of course we had a multitude of fun, awesome, and DELICIOUS things for us to do. Let me just tell you that 75% of what we had planned was where to eat! Thursday night she got in late, so the only edibles she encountered were the cookies upon check-in at the Doubletree. We more than made up for it over the course of the weekend. I missed the first part of the festivities on Friday as they experienced Hodad's in Ocean Beach, which I am incredibly envious of. I'd previously blogged about it here, and will someday fulfill my life goal of eating there. Until then, I will rely on their assurances that it was superb. Luckily, we had a great dinner planned at Ranchos on 30th, blogged about here. One of the reasons I love this place is the great salsa they have, and they had actually switched it up a bit this go. We got a more orange-y dollop which was interesting and a tiny bit sweeter than the original. A pleasant and unexpected change! It didn't seem to be permanent since our 2nd bowl was the darker red original, so who knows what is going on there. I got the fish taco combination which was absolutely stellar.

Saturday morning we got seated pretty quickly at The Mission in North Park, where we assured her that her first weekend brunch would be fantastic. Of course it was (like this time). I got an okay chai and a fabulous soy chorizo scramble, with their unbelievable rosemary toast instead of tortillas. A fortuitous decision, because their bread is the best rosemary bread I've had to date. Marylou opted for the Roast Beef Hash at our suggestion, and loved every bite. It was a 100% success. After waddling away from The Mission, we headed up the 101 to show her the north county sites like Swami's, the garden at the Self-Realization Center, a bit of Encinitas, Carlsbad, Leucadia, and the more picture-esque, quintessential California beach towns. After seeing the sites and stopping by the Hotel Del Coronado for a few drinks at their Sun Deck bar, we were ready to eat again, this time at our favorite Thai place to date- Amarin on Richmond Street in Hillcrest. It's hard for me to get something that's not a noodle dish, so I got my standby of Drunken Noodles with Squid and it was of course spectacular. Ashton got HIS standby of Green Curry, and it is just always first rate.

After all this food, I don't know how we managed drinks, but we made it all the way next door to Alibi for a few beers. Where it fit in our bellies, I'll never know. Fast approaching never-before experienced food coma levels, we called it a night, only to awake the next day starving as though we've never eaten before. We had made the strategic decision to make Sunday brunch at Urban Solace (again) to take advantage of the bluegrass band on Sunday mornings. The wait was a little longer than usual, so we seized the opportunity to run to Henry's to snag a few essentials for the dinner we had planned that evening. Our first choice was the Hillcrest Farmer's Market, but it was so woefully packed that we couldn't find a parking space within 500 miles and with a tight schedule had to make a quick stop elsewhere. However, brunch was definitely worth the wait, and my Portabello Mushroom Benedict was as the waiter promised, fantastic. I had been deciding between that or the Steak Benedict, and at his suggestion got the mushroom option because it supposedly sopped up more of the flavor. Well, he was right. Marylou and I went halfsies on one of each, and I thoroughly enjoyed the portabellos much more than the steak. Sadly, the bloody marys were pretty bad, and after having enjoyed an unbeatable one at the Sun Deck at the Hotel Del only the day before, I would have to pass on Urban Solace being a hot spot for them.

The rest of the day consisted of going to the Botanical Garden at Balboa Park, which is unmissable for anyone in San Diego. The indoor exhibit is lush, beautiful, and very well maintained and well planned out. Even someone not incredibly enthusiastic about flowers and plants will enjoy themselves. Next up was the obligatory downtown/Gaslamp excursion, with a stop at a curbside bar called Toscana with local beers on tap and $3 pints all day. There is nothing like a cold beer after a long weekend of entertaining to refresh one's palate! We'd had about enough of the exploration at that point, so we headed back to North Park to make dinner- not before stopping at the Greek Festival on Park Avenue to score some tasty additions to the meal!!! We got boxes of everything made by the hands of Greek women, so it was sure to be excellent. Dolmades, Moussaka, Spanikopita, it was a feast of epic proportions, and we hadn't even made the Tomato Pie yet.

Marylou has an amazing recipe for Tomato Pie which is possibly the most unhealthy and most delicious thing ever. I can't even blog about what goes into it here, because I need to recover for a year by dieting on lettuce and celery. Then, and only then, can I even begin to fathom it. Let's just say it was a hit with our friends who joined us for the home-cooked-plus-Greek dinner.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and this concluded our weekend. I think we hit all the highs that San Diego offers, and got to experience some of our favorites once again. This is a pretty good guide for what to do and where to eat, so the next time you have an out-of-towner stopping by, considering trying some or all of these places! You have my stamp of approval.

Hash House a Go Go Hillcrest

Hash House a Go Go in Hillcrest has been recommended to us many times over by every brunch lover in San Diego. It seemed to be a staple, a can't-miss place where the wait spills onto the sidewalk and there are sun chairs set out for the hungry hopefuls. We've stopped by several weeks, and with waits of 2+ hours and our tummies rumblin', we've passed every time. Until now. Determined to take part in this fabled brunch, we got in gear by 10:30 Sunday morning and headed over there to wait it out. Happily, the wait was only 20 minutes so "early" in the morning, so we hunkered down and waited our turn.

We were not disappointed. Within a half hour we were escorted though a jam-packed crowd to the back covered patio area by a friendly and funky hostess to a corner table, and started pawing through the menu. What an absolutely stellar menu! Not only was it incredibly extensive, everything sounded absolutely first rate. I could tell a keen mind was at work in the kitchen, because even with a lot of repeats like goat cheese, salmon, mozzarella, artichokes, and sun dried tomato popping up repeatedly through the menu, everything had its own spin and custom well-thought out main flavor. It took me much longer than usual to make up my mind about what to eat.

What didn't take me long to decide was what to drink. Their coffee and cocktail menus were innovative, all-encompassing, and reasonably priced. I selected the iced pistachio mocha and was treated to a tower of chocolate dripping nutty dusted cream topped icy fountain of magic. It was THAT GOOD. They even offered cocktails of the day along with the brunch specials, one of which I ultimately selected for my main course. Ashton opted for the House Hash with mushroom, artichoke hearts, sundried tomato and fresh spinach with 2 eggs, potatoes, fruit, and biscuit. On the waitress' suggestion, he also added goat cheese because what is a scramble without cheese? Only sadness and emptiness of the soul. For myself, I got the Scramble O' the Day, which consisted of baby shrimp, tomato, goat cheese, basil pesto, potatoes, fruit, and biscuit. With a glint in her eye, the waitress took our orders enthusiastically and assured us we had chosen well. Duh.

When the food finally came, the table literally sagged with the weight. Huge piles of delicious scramble towered before us, so impressive that a man walking to the table next to us stopped mid-stride and goggled at us like we were a pair of conquering kings sitting to a feast of epic proportions. It's always difficult to restrain ourselves to take a few pictures before diving in headfirst, but we managed to squeeze a few shots in. Everything completely lived up to our expectations. The goat cheese was some of the finest I've ever had. Creamy and fresh perfection. The eggs were scrambled beautifully, and there was no question of the freshness of the ingredients. The biscuits were light and fluffy, and my only qualm was they could have been warmer and a bit softer. The strawberry preserves left for us were a slop of gooey wonderfulness, and the potatoes were crispy and hot. Some of them were a little TOO crispy, but the flavor was excellent and hearty.

This isn't the kind of place that depends on condiments or sauces to make the dish stand on its own two feet. All of the food was lightly seasoned, and there wasn't a need to overseason to extract flavor. I confess, I did add some hot sauce, but that is only because hot sauce is delicious on everything. Anyway, I can't praise it enough. Even before ordering I knew that we were destined to return many times. It's worth the wait. So next time when you find yourself driving up 5th on a Sunday morning and you see a crowd gathered, stop. Park. Join them. You won't be disappointed.




Ashton is pleased with what we are about to consume.

Bread & Cie

It seems like Bread & Cie of Hillcrest is the San Diego equivalent of Billy Bread in Richmond. Warm bread, crisp outside, fluffy inside, with a wide variety and carried in many local restaurants as their bread of choice. We've had Bread & Cie products in a few places around here, and often buy a loaf of either the Rosemary and Olive Oil bread of Goat Cheese and Garlic at the Hillcrest Farmer's Market to get us through the week. I craved a delicious sandwich yesterday, so we finally made the trek over to the mother lode on University to get to the good stuff. It was insanely crowded, which means it must be good, and the menu looked spectacular. Ashton opted for the Imported Mozzarella: focaccia bread with roasted red peppers, olive tapenade, red onions & mixed greens, and I got the California Panini (provolone, salami, kalamata tapenade, fresh tomatoes, and a side of cucumbers). We snagged a spot outside on the sidewalk and drooled over the other customer's selections until it was finally our turn to munch.





Of course I didn't bring my good camera, but I'd wager these pictures are still drool-inducing in their own right. Unfortunately, the menu link above is woefully incomplete, but this just means to get even more delicious options you'll have to go in there and check it out directly. Besides just providing bread to local restaurants and markets and running the small cafe inside, they also offer catering and lunch box options for the busy businessperson who craves something other than the vending machine. Maybe one day I will work closer to home and will be able to enjoy these treats mid-week! Until then, I am envious of everyone who gets to enjoy this bread daily.

The Bruery tasting at Whole Foods

One of the things I really miss about Richmond was my connection within the food community there. It's a tightly knit fraternity that can only be entered through the blood, sweat, and tears of participating in this largely thankless industry. For as much crap as you have to deal with working in the restaurant/catering world, there is no limit to the rewards reaped in the network-dependent clique. It was rare for me to go to a restaurant or bar without some connection or hookup there; this incestuous relationship is not uncommon, especially in a small town with an emphasis on food.

Now that I am separated from the relationships I had built over the years, I have longed to re-enter that world, slowly but surely, in San Diego. When we saw the flier for a Belgian Beer Tasting at Whole Foods, of course we jumped on the opportunity. No stranger to beer dinners am I, and a rabid fan of all beers Belgian. The featured brewery was The Bruery, which is an infant to the industry and located in Orange County. Their beers were accompanied by so many cheese plates it really ended up being more like a never-ending cheese tasting with some beer on the side, but it was excellent nonetheless.

The first beer we tried was the Bruery White Orchard (5.7%, 15 IBU's, $7.99 per 750 mL), and the first thing I noticed was the bottle it came in. They have super-cute and kitschy labels that are a great accent shape over the whole bottle. Only a design weenie like me would even notice, but it's nice to be drinking a good beer with an attractive label. I can definitely see me drinking this a lot, especially in the spring/summertime. It's incredibly light and would make an excellent shandy.

Next up, Bruery Black Orchard (5.7%, 15 IBU's, $7.99 per 750 mL). Along the same vein as the White, but slightly malty and had a mild licorice flavor. I didn't love this one, it seemed over-carbonated and had that sticky-in-the-mouth feeling like coke leaves. You know how if you're drinking a really fizzy soda you have to pause for just a moment before swallowing it because all the trillions of bubbles pop at once? It's like that. Not a bad beer by any stretch, it had hints of coriander and chamomile. I rated it "weird but good". An occasional sip.

Saison de Lente (their Spring Seasonal, 6.5%, 35 IBU's, $10.99 per 750 mL) was up next. It's supposedly the "lighter" version of the Saison Rue, but I found it hoppy, fruity, and dry. It was over my personal preference of hoppiness, but it was still nowhere NEAR what an IPA would be like. It had a really great smoothness, and the taste lingered just long enough without overstaying its welcome.

I was excited about the Trade Winds Triple (8%, 25 IBU's, $10.99 per 750 mL) when Patrick told us there was thai basil in it! I was actually so excited that I wrote "hurray" in my notes. Don't believe me?

Anyway, it was very similar in color to the Saison de Lente, but cloudier with a really strong, floral aroma. For some reason I've always has this strange aversion to Tripels, but this had a great pear flavor that was a bit too carbonated but good. No one else seemed to like it, and I don't think I could drink the entire bottle myself... but if I found myself in that position, I'm sure I could rise to the challenge.

The Saison Rue was up next (8/5%, 30 IBU's, $11.99 per 750 mL), and the alcohol content just keeps rising! The first sip of this amber-colored beer was excellent, and paired with a bite of one of the soft cheeses they complimented each other wonderfully. We got a little zany and tried pairing it with the White Stilton with Lemon Zest on top of the Nairin's Stern Ginger Oat Biscuits, and it was a match made in heaven! This beer is absolutely enhanced with a good pairing!

Last but not least was the Partridge in a Pear Tree: Winter Seasonal Belgian Style Quadruple (12%, 20 IBU's, $10.99). There's something about winter brews that always contain a high alcohol content. I understand that in the North or East where you spend months on end huddled in your apartment cursing Mother Nature and nursing your body back to warmth with a brew, but here in Southern California it's just not necessary! Beach Christmas, anyone? Regardless, staying true to the Belgian style, this caramelly dark beer is not made with roasted grains (which is why the majority of dark beers are actually dark in color). The Quadruple contains almost no roasted grains, which means it doesn't have the smoky flavor found in most dark beers. It substitutes caramels and sweetness for smokiness, which I found to be a pleasant change. This beer is also unique because every year it will be the next line in the Christmas song, meaning 2009 will be 2 Turtledoves, and so forth. An excellent collecting incentive!

All in all it was a pleasant and educational evening. The cheese was magnificent, the beer was a new treat, and the company was stellar. I hope to drink much more of these for years to come!