Eleven

Image from San Diego Beer Blog

If you're searching for a bar that really takes that extra push over the cliff, Eleven at 3519 El Cajon Blvd is the place you'll find it. The location has been home to more than a few bars in its day, but it seems that happy patrons have found a permanent home with Eleven's gritty feel and pleasantly surprising beer list, many nights with live music as well.

In my ripe old age of 26, I consider my self a bit beyond the dive-bar-excursion-for-dive-bars-sake, but Eleven is a bright anomaly in the dive bar beer business. I'm a huge fan of their 25 oz. Eleven Lager Big Beer Mug for $4 during Happy Hour ($5 regularly)- it's a standard lager brewed nearby and for the amount of suds you get it's by far the best deal in the place. Not to say that their beer list is anything but appropriately priced- for the selection it's well within range of really-cheap-to-still-pretty-cheap for anything available.

The thing that really gets my blood boiling (merrily) is their food truck parked outside. It's not so much of a food truck as just a mobile kitchen that I've never actually seen anywhere but outside the bar (I could be wrong, just my observation), but for the late-nite patron who craves something more than just the regular fried bar fare, in this foodie's humble opinion, the Eleven Food Truck boasts a small but solid menu. You can choose from two cheesesteaks or three burgers, and either regular or sweet potato fries (that's it), but once you've had the Fuego you'll realize you don't need anything else.

The Fuego is a stomach churning conglomeration of jalapenos, serranos, and Anaheim chiles on a slimy mess of steak (or chicken if you fly that way) topped with a heaping amount of pepperjack cheese and chipotle aioli crowned with toasted jalapeno bread and served with a side of their surprisingly tasty shoestring fries. I understand that the mere minion might not be able to handle this gut-wrenching, brain-puckering sandwich of ballsy greatness, but if you fancy yourself a crazed spice addict then this is most certainly the sandwich for you. Wash it down with one of the Eleven lagers and I fail to see how you are headed for anything but bliss (and maybe the shitter).

For $9.50, this sandwich easily feeds two late-nite munchers or one hungry daredevil, but my advice to you is don't forget the beer for a tsunami of relief. Eleven has a cheap and abundant selection, so when your eyes start to tear and your nose drips with sweat from the fiery goodness that is Fuego, point to the nearest tap and enjoy the ride.

Peking Restaurant/Chop Suey, North Park

It's a tough search to find Chinese food better than a Styrofoam takeout box with greasy noodles without skipping the middle ground and head straight for a place with a dress code and $$$ on the menu. Besides chains like Pei Wei and P.F. Changs, pickins seem pretty slim. However, North Park just happens to house a wonderful gem right on University just West of 30th smack dab in the heart of the neighborhood. Screaming neon lights proclaiming "CHOP SUEY" add a cheesy touch to an otherwise tiredly elegant restaurant with shades of a grandmother's living room, plastic chair covers and all.



Peking Restaurant a.k.a. Chop Suey is the best balance of taste, authenticity, and affordability that I've managed to find in San Diego thus far. While I'm the first to admit that a box of fried chicken smothered in sweet and sour sauce or overly salty beef and broccoli sometimes fills a disgusting niche that is oh-so-tasty and cheap, nothing beats the real deal. Serving up noodles and other authentic fare for over 75 years, this family friendly neighborhood spot seems to be a hot spot for locals in the know, where the hostess is on a first name basis with half the patrons, and dogs are tucked in corners of booths while the waitress doesn't seem to mind.



Carnivores and vegetarians alike have a multitude of options, each one better than the last. I rarely find myself absolutely stumped on what to order, but Peking Cafe's (spelled Pekin over the door, but apparently all names are interchangeable) menu boasts not only the standard Chinese-American fare, but delicacies and other tasty morsels for those seeking an authentic Asian experience. With the huge amount of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants vying for San Diego's top spot, Chop Suey stands alone and proud as the best the city has to offer.



2877 University Ave
(between Granada Ave & Kansas St)
San Diego, CA 92104
Neighborhood: North Park
(619) 295-2610

Heaven Sent Desserts

North Park, San Diego is a bustling, re-vitalized area of America's Finest City that is now a hub of quaint shops, restaurants, and the arts. The main drag through North Park intersects at University and 30th, and dominating the southeast corner is nestled a seeming neighborhood giant- Heaven Sent Desserts. A towering two-story building that is understated but powerful, I was anxious to give it a try and see what all the fuss was about. With such a gigantic space and a solid position, I was expecting some sugar delicacies the likes of which I'd never seen.

Despite the great, long, late hours and catering available, when it comes down to the desserts themselves, I straight up, no holds-barred, just plain wasn't impressed. Red velvet cake with cream filling, coconut shavings, spongey chocolate? The icing was a plasticky mixture similar to mushy glue, and nothing about the rich delicacy of a well-made red velvet cake was apparent at all in this dish.



Don't even get me started about this pseudo coffee imitation flavored poor excuse for tiramisu.



Hey, maybe we went on a bad night. Maybe the pastry chef just had an off day- it happens! However, despite the location and seeming guarantee of goodness, with plenty of other dessert fish in the sea, my shadow won't be darkening their doorway anytime soon.

Eclipse Chocolate

If I had to pick sweet or savory, 9 times out of 10 I'll pick savory. When dining out, I prefer an appetizer to prep my tastebuds for the entree to come rather than save room for dessert. However, at least once a month (guess when) there occurs an occasion in which if I do not get some chocolate on my tongue ASAP, I'm likely to fly into a homicidal rage. I know that this pains my sweet-tooth fiancee to no end, but to each his own. The chemistry of sugar, chocolate and sweets in general is a mysterious and somewhat unknown realm to me as I most of the time steer clear from it. The preciseness of baking irritates me, but whenever I come across artisan or homemade chocolates I'm likely to give it a whirl, and am often surprised at the subtle nature of the sweet.

Eclipse Chocolate opened last year on El Cajon Boulevard in North Park next to the newest Luigi's location, and any block which contains a great pizzeria and chocolatier is a solid block in my book. Since gourmet chocolate isn't a daily weakness of mine, last night was our first experience at the recommended shop. Even after 9 pm, the tiny location was bustling with yuppies on Macbooks and ladies in heels being "so naughty, I really shouldn't!" By this point in the evening, the cupcakes on display were looking a little worse for wear, but the display of truffles was presented appealingly and beautifully at the counter.



Once we picked one truffle, a few more followed, and the flavors from left to right are: vanilla bean & sassafras, lavender & sea salt, balsamic & pink peppercorn, and goat cheese & tarragon with fennel pollen. All were filled with a luscious chocolate ganache, and varied as much in quality as they did in flavor. These were only a quarter of the varieties offered, and the range of flavors was surprisingly vast and well thought out to appeal to an entire range of flavor enthusiasts. My runaway favorite was the lavender and sea salt, not just in flavor but in quality of the ganache melding with the chocolate shell. It was by far the thinnest truffle with the highest quality filling, with subtle flavors that still made themselves known throughout the bite. I can't say that the flavors married with each other and provided that same complex bite transition as well in any of the other three, but none of them were unpleasant by any means. The balsamic truffle was a close second, but I'd recommend it only if you are an adventurous dessert seeker!



Did I mention that my fiancee is a chocoholic? Let me re-emphasize this. Ashton is insane about chocolate on levels comparable to a hormonally imbalanced woman who just got dumped by her boyfriend and is watching a Lifetime movie while crying about her love handles. If you think that we were going to stop with a few truffles, you've got another thing coming. Beneath the truffle display were the Chocolate Roccos, chunky chocolate logs with a variety of fillings. Did I really sell you on those with that description?

He selected the Citrus Honeycomb, which comes with their homemade vanilla bean marshmallows with 72% dark chocolate rocky road, along with some honeycomb candy, bee pollen, & candied citrus peel. They were kind enough to slightly heat and slice it for us, and besides the end pieces, which proved to be a little tough and lacking in the filling department, it was a decent treat with a solid flavor base. I personally would have gone for the Chili Burnt Caramel with canilla bean marshmallow & 38% milk chocolate rocky road studded with burnt caramel toffee & cayenne candied pecan, but there's always next time.

I feel like I need to mention that we got a salted caramel and rosemary cashew yellow cupcake with chocolate frosting, but their lack of airtight display and the late hour did not prove favorable to the cupcakes. Avoid unless fresh.

Overall, I found it to be an innovative addition to the local scene, and while it might take a little more to impress me with the dessert department, I found the menu to be well thought out, and with a little work on storage to maintain freshness, a pleasant place to spend an evening.

Eclipse Chocolate
2121 El Cajon Boulevard
North Park, San Diego, 92104
619-578-2984

el take it easy gastro-cantina

These days, it's a pretty ballsy move to expand your business, especially in the ever-fickle restaurant world where it could be months, and more often years before you can even begin to see a profit in such a major investment. However, when you've got a good idea, you can't let the economy excuse hold you back from some major potential, which is exactly what chef Max Bonacci from The Linkery has done with partner Jair Téllez with the new North Park venture El Take It Easy gastropub, a unique concept meshing tapas style with casual Mexican atmosphere with a slightly upscale twist. Comfortable enough to be considered a cantina, but with oddities like sweet & sour chicken heads and pork belly & quail egg terrine, it's sure to bring in a food-crazy crowd of a higher level.



El Take It Easy is nestled next to Ranchos, one of my favorite local vegetarian/Mexican joints, and the long-vacant space has been transformed seemingly overnight with a windowless vertical wood board facade with metal accents that both recall Soviet-era coldness mixed with contemporary industrial, yet remains strangely inviting by the warmth of polished wood. Inside, the sweeping room with its worn cement floor can be taken in one glance, despite the dark decor and powerful bar presence on the left hand side. Technically, the gastro-cantina is still in the soft opening stage and has not yet opened to the public beyond reservations made by those in-the-know enough to already be on the Linkery email blast, so when we arrived there were perhaps only two other people in the dining room.



The absence of a crowd proved to be a blessing, and I set aside my usual assumption that an empty restaurant has nothing to offer me. The waiter was straightforward in manner and made no excuses for the fact that they've been open less than a week. It almost was presented as a challenge- of course one that I could not refuse. To get the evening off on the right foot, I decided to finally indulge in a beverage I've waited to try until I felt the opportunity would be sure to end in pleasure- sangria! I've heard far too many horror stories about disgusting sangria, so until I felt confident that the result would be a good one I have avoided the fruity wine. I have to say, it wasn't quite love at first sip, but it certainly wasn't unpleasant by any means. The fruit held the alcohol quite nicely, and while I can't compare it to any other, it seemed to be a refreshing drink and the perfect cocktail to begin the experience.



We started with the grilled beef cheeks, and with all other previous experiences with this particular cut being pretty spectacular, I wasn't expecting to be disappointed. Thankfully, this tender cut atop a salad of baby romaine and drizzled with a slightly sweet, tinge of spice dressing that appeared to be hot sauce but was happily far more complex proved to be a solid dish. You could cut the meat with a fork easily, and with the tiniest veins of fat marbling through the meat, each bite of the tender cheek exploded with its own juices and gave off a full, rich, just-off-the-grill flavor.



The Linkery is known for its meats, so I wasn't completely disappointed with the thin strips of cured bacon atop the salad. What they lacked in explosive flavor they made up in quirkiness as a garnish. The one complaint I had with overall meal is the main focus of almost every dish was a sweet/sour juxtaposition. On the beef cheeks, the sauce was, I felt, well paired to bring out the flavor of the meat, but it got repetitive throughout the meal. Either the dish was savory with a sweet side sauce, or vice versa, and this dish, while not quite as extremely paired as others, was just the first of many.



Since 1/3 of our trio abstains from all things meat, we explored the vegetarian options on the menu. In San Diego, it's almost a requirement, even in a meat-enthusiastic restaurant, to have several vegetarian options. One of the (I felt) most boring items was the grilled asparagus. Certainly a well-executed dish (no good comes from soggy, overcooked greens or charred asparagus) in flavor and presentation, it was enjoyable without being anything more than grilled asparagus. Again with the sweet and savory compliments, the grilled stalks were rubbed with garlic and salt and dressed with an Asian-fusion sweet and sour sauce with flecks of the red chiles you so often find in Thai dishes. Enjoyable to be sure, but nothing out of this world- a safe dish.



Rabbit, for some reason, isn't readily available in many restaurants and almost no stores, so whenever I see it on a menu I usually have to get it, however it's prepared. Cry me a river about how it's like eating an adorable puppy and how sick and sad and twisted it is to munch on a bunny- just save it. Rabbits are adorable AND delicious- where does it say your meal has to be ugly and smelly while alive?

Anyway, when it comes presented in taquito form, there's no way I'm passing that up! (It was also found further down on the menu as rabbit sausages, but upon the waiter's suggestion I went with the rolled tacos). As far as rolled tacos go, I enjoyed everything about these particular ones. As far as the rabbit expressing itself in this dish, that unfortunately just wasn't there. It lacked the gamey flavor that I hope is evident in the sausage dish, but that's a question to be left unanswered until next time.



Their longaniza was described as a smoked chorizo with curry notes over a navy bean and cheese puree, and while I like everything about that dish, this one felt a little flat. The chorizo was well smoked, not too spicy and the mild curry taste really brought out the flavor of the meat, but there simply wasn't enough of it over the puddle of puree. Once the small pieces were gone, it was a mushy, baby food-esque dish with superb flavor but lack of bulk. With a little tweaking, this could be a top notch dish.



The second vegetarian option of the night was the veggie torta, which was served on a flat crisp with grilled produce and topped with a radish garnish on a crown of guacamole. I am extremely enthusiastic about the emphasis that the grill has at El Take It Easy, and hope that they continue down this path. As simple as this dish was, it was one of my favorites. Very clean, and the quality and freshness of the produce was obvious with the first bite. A slighty peppery aftertaste was a pleasant way to end each bite.



At this point, we were reaching the end of our stomach limits, but the special of the night was a goat cazuela, which was a greenish broth in a clay bowl served with tender goat meat and fresh tortillas. This was hands-down the best dish of the evening. If the tortillas weren't made within a few hours of being served I'll eat my hat. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn't realize what a tortilla SHOULD taste like, and highly recommend heading over there to try them out. It was the epitome of tapas to tear apart some tortillas to share with the group and dip them into the highly flavorful broth, wetting your fingers up to the knuckle and digging in. This is what food should be!

The goat itself was beautifully shredded into large chunks, and the broth was thick without being oppressively filling. As much as I love getting down and dirty with a dish to share, it would have been nice to have a spoon with it as well to get the smaller pieces near the end, but no matter. Decorum went out the window and every drop was eventually devoured and enjoyed.



Somehow, we found room for one last dish to cleanse ourselves from the feast. The melon, chile, and lime didn't sound particularly appealing to me, but even a simple dish tiptoeing the line of boring can be spectacular when the ingredients are right. I'm not even particular to melon, but the yellow watermelon absolutely oozed with clarity of flavor. I could literally taste the sun that it basked in before getting sliced and served. The dash of chile powder could have been slightly more aggressive, but overall with the right produce this is definitely a dish to try.

The atmosphere is high end without being pretentious, and the music was an eclectic mix of anything from hardcore rap to mariachi music. With a few paintings or photos on the walls, I think this place is ripe for success, and with a bit of tweaking, the dishes all have the potential to be top notch in every way.

El Take It Easy
3926 30th Street
North Park, San Diego 92104
Open nightly at 6pm, closed Tuesday

Sea Rocket Bistro

Why is it that San Diego, a "seaside" town, seems to noticeably lack affordable, fresh seafood? The majority of restaurants in the greater San Diego area with an emphasis on serving our fish friends are either overpriced, sushi (while delicious, a cooked meal is often necessary), or el cheapo a la Rubio's. I had high hopes for Sea Rocket Bistro, a local, organic restaurant in its infancy with seemingly endless recommendations and ads in local weeklies. As a general supporter of food-with-morals, a perfect opportunity to finally put the Bistro to the test came with Ashton's 23rd birthday. Just a hop, skip, and jump down the bustling 30th Street area, the parking situation isn't ideal, but at 6:30 on a Tuesday we managed to find something in the same zip code, despite the proximity to about 5 other restaurants and a corner bar.

My first impression was impressed- the decor is spot on. Whoever decorated the space has a fantastic eye for color, simplicity, warmth, and friendliness. The soft green walls were accentuated perfectly with the school of swimming cardboard fish that cover the industrial ceiling, and twinkling lights splashed along the walls seemed to be a cheap and adorable way to draw you in. It seemed to be split into two different areas plus a bar with a chalkboard announcing the specials of the day, which is great if you were sitting at the bar but completely unreadable if you were anywhere else. Subtle touches included the warm wood furniture and beautifully framed photographs along the walls.

However, while decor is great and creates a warm atmosphere in which to set your expectations high, I don't eat photographs. It's going to come down to the food, which isn't 100% of the experience, but the most important and basic of dining out. The menu was just long enough to be impressive but without losing focus. I really enjoyed their $2 Tapas inclusions, a quirky idea to allow tidbits to be tasted without breaking the bank. Our waitress had a bit of trouble remembering all of the specials of the evening, but luckily there seemed to be a veteran Bistro'er to offer support and recommendations. We finally made our final selections of:
One dozen oysters
Sauteed sardines
Winchester Gouda Cheese & Honey on bread
San Diego Fisherman’s Stew (recommended and received spicy!)- squid, Carlsbad Aqua Farm clams & mussels, and market fish chunks simmered together in a tomato-based stew
Yellowtail special (sauteed with fresh local organic greens and sweet potatoes)
Carrot cake cupcake
Chilled Bread Pudding (with seasonal fruits, served with whipped cream and fruit garnish)

Let me start with the oysters. We had made a point to go on a Tuesday purely for the 1/2 off oysters. I've harbored some hesitation with our slimy friends, and have some good oysters along with bad ones. Let me tell you, one bad oyster cancels out the memory of 100 good ones. However, luck was with us, and these were a fantastic way to start the meal. I find that West Coast oysters are a little meatier and saltier than their East Coast relatives, but with a dab of their unique cocktail sauce and a squeeze of lemon these were top notch.

We'd been recommended the sardines from a fellow foodie friend, and they were a big disappointment. I'm not completely sure what I expected from the generally salty, prickly, and oily fishes, but they were exactly that. Would not order again anywhere.

The cheese and honey bread was superb. Two slices of fresh bread lined with a hard cheese and a dabble of honey- simple, sweet, light, and delicious. Could have eaten a loaf of the bread with a block of cheese and gallon of honey, but thank goodness it was tapas! A delight.

Ashton's stew was actually better than I had expected. Generally, I find that seafood stews are the leftovers ready to get tossed and the flavor completely depends on the broth. This tomato-based stew was recommended spicy, and came sort of spicy; as a hot sauce collector, lover, and enthusiast, I POSSIBLY have warped ideas about heat, but this was okay. Not the best, not the worst. It tasted fresh enough, and had a nice variety of what seemed to be generally fresh fish and assorted underwater creatures, but at the end of the day it was fish soup. Not bad.

My yellowtail was perfectly acceptable. I found it somewhat bland, lacking seasoning and when you depend on the fish to make up the majority of the flavor you really need to have some wizard hands to use subtle spices and preparation to enhance it to its full potential. This had a long way to go to reach its full potential, and the soggy greens and squishy sweet potatoes didn't add much. The sweet potatoes were an odd combination. Serious meh.

However, faith was restored with my dessert selection. The cupcake was a little slice of moist heaven. I perhaps speak too soon with a blanket statement of new-found appreciation. Ashton's bread pudding was more like sweet mush. If what they served was bread pudding, then slap my face and call me Sally. Let's just say Ashton didn't leave on such a high note as me.

When I had asked a friend with a similar love of dining what she thought about Sea Rocket, she thought for a moment and said "Some restaurants get too much credit for being local, organic, eco-friendly, etc. If it comes down to the food, Sea Rocket Bistro doesn't measure up." I wasn't quite sure what she meant, but after having experienced it for myself I can see what she meant. It has absolutely everything going for it, the process, the ingredients, the people, the vision, the location, the creativity, the niche, the atmosphere, etc. Unfortunately, if I had had a blindfold on I wouldn't have given it a second thought. I don't want to deter people completely from going there- not only are they extremely active in the community, avid supporters of sustainable food culture, and offer great incentives like 10% biking discounts and the like, it's not a BAD place, it's simply not amazing. There were highs, and there were lows, but all in all I enjoyed myself, the experience, and left a bit wiser about food vs. food culture.

Tioli's Crazee Burger

Burgers must be in high demand in San Diego based on the number of burger joints, large and small, that reside in this fair city. Rightfully so! While In-N-Out is still a great place (albeit chain) to snag a cheap burger and shake, we needed a new place to tantalize our tastebuds and meet the meat. North Park's Crazee Burger boasts its superiority, and with national spotlights like Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives (below!)

and various other news clips and features, how could we go wrong?

Their menu is as wild as they promise- ostrich, kangaroo, buffalo, not to mention beef, lamb, and more! All come topped with a smattering of gourmet sauces and toppings cooked up by the German partners, and have been pleasing crowds for years! I went for the Saturday special- Hamburgeeeeeerrrrr FRANCAISE with melted Brie Cheese with their special parmesan dusted fries.


It was fantastic! You can't go wrong in my book with huge amounts of brie, or any cheese for that matter, and this was juicy, succulent, and all around great. The fries were nice and crispy with lots of flavor, and even with 7 people on a Saturday night the service was fast and accurate. We had other reasons besides a delicious flavor experience to celebrate as well!


Nothing like celebratory cheeseburgers for getting engaged! Luckily, my soon-to-be life partner loves food just as much as me and was equally enthusiastic about toasting our new life together with hot meat sandwiches and orange soda. All in all, a creative and equally delicious place that I'm sure we'll find ourselves again.

Toronado

If you're like me, you're on a constant quest for a few life staples such as a great beer bar, a great brunch spot, and hey, if the two happen to coincide, so much the better! Toronado has been a solid stop for any beer enthusiast for the last year since opening in North Park (even mentioned in Men's Journal WHERE SAN DIEGO IS NAMED THE NUMBER ONE CITY IN AMERICA FOR BEER DRINKING!), and is now open for brunch! As an avid appreciator of all things brewed and also brunched, obviously we had to give it a try as soon as possible. Luckily, we caught the second Sunday brunch, so a few bumps wouldn't have been surprising.

However, none were to be had! The bar service was much better on a quiet Sunday morning than the usual bustling Friday night crowd, and the menu was solid with fantastic options and reasonable prices. I was torn between the Big Breakfast (2 eggs any style with 2 sausage links and a potato pancake) and the Soyrizo scramble (2 eggs or tofu scrambled with soyrizo and an assortment of red, green, and jalapeno peppers with rosemary potatoes and Bread & Cie cracked wheat toast) but when Ashton declared his intent to order the former, I happily accepted my soyrizo fate. I wouldn't recommend pairing this incredibly spicy dish with an organic wheat beer, which unhappily I did and what a poor pairing it was. However, the jalapenos were plentiful and some of the spiciest I have EVER had. As a spice lover, I relished in this searing, tear-inducing, tongue-scorching masterpiece, but unless you're prepared for it I wouldn't recommend this particular scramble! However, it was absolutely superb, and the generous helping didn't go unnoticed. Ashton's big breakfast was pretty standard, the eggs were well cooked, the potato pancake solid, but the sausage was the star of his plate. Maple cured and piping hot, these puppies were a joy to have reside (albeit briefly) in my mouth.



If you're willing to forgo the usual bloody mary for brunch, make Toronado your next Sunday destination. Don't worry about missing your mimosa, those are available as well!

Toronado
4026 30th Street
San Diego, CA 92104

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.

The Mission Part 2

I've been very naughty in that I've had a few repeats of brunch spots before exploring some new places. Everywhere we go is so damn good though! It's hard to break out when you are guaranteed deliciousness, but I promise that soon I'll be stepping out of my brunch comfort shell and exploring a bit more. Regardless, this week BFF Annie Duffy came out from RVA for some San Diego sun, and I wanted to make sure that this vegetarian got her socks knocked off with some California cuisine. We went to a few favorite spots, like Ranchos, and I DID take her to Rubio's for what was also my first time... even though it is a chain, let me just tell you that the Fish Especiale taco was absolutely superb, and cheap to boot! I couldn't take any chances with brunch, so I took her to the Mission in North Park for my 2nd trip there.


This is the Papas Loco, a hangover remedy sent straight from God. 2 over medium eggs, 2 flour tortillas, a generous pile of rosemary potatoes, black beans, jalapenos, avocado, and cilantro. Brunch with a kick. Paired with a Thai Coffee and a side of chipotle cream, I got about halfway through before I admitted defeat. My only complaints were that the avocado and jalepenos were definitely lacking in quantity. Annie had it far worse though, with a heaping plate of eggs and potatoes with an entirely separate plate of steaming hot cinnamon french toast with 3 different kinds of berry compote circling around the french toast like a halo. Later that night I took a bite of her cold french toast and I was still blown away with its capacity for delicious. Truly, the Mission had pleased me once again.

the linkery

I haven't yet had the pleasure of eating at the Linkery in North Park, but I was browsing their site today and found their list of recommended places in San Diego. I found some real gems in there, and can't wait to try ALL of them!

urban solace round 2

Unknown to some people, Ashton actually has another significant other besides myself by the name of Scott Henley. They've been friends since the womb and their relationship is something that I have accepted and embraced. Scott flew out here on Christmas Day and has enjoyed some of the best cheap eats in San Diego so far, so obviously brunch was going to have to be a guaranteed hit. The Mission was packed, so we wandered down into North Park and ultimately decided on a repeat performance by Urban Solace. Their bluegrass brunch has already been reviewed by me, and given an enthusiastic thumbs up. This time we were pleased once again, Ashton with his portobella sandwich repeat, Scott with his incredibly tantalizing looking burger, and me with my Egg-Bacon-Lettuce-Tomato. I was torn in several different directions before throwing it all to the wind and going with this classic:



Incredibly messy, incredibly tasty. I did add a nice slopping of full grain mustard, which I find really goes well with any egg sandwich. Plus I wasn't wild about their aioli that was already smeared around the bread, but it certainly wasn't offensive by any means. It came with a generous helping of sweet potato fries, and while normally sweet potato fries don't excite me to this level, I again assure you that they are fantastic. Another home run for Urban Solace!

Vo's Cafe

(image from myspace)

I've been curious for a while about the strange little walk up sidewalk hut advertising Vietnamese food about 4 blocks from our apartment on University Avenue. Ashton tried Vo's Cafe a week or so ago, and sang its praises to me, causing me to flop myself on the floor and have a tantrum until we went over and satiated my craving for All Things Noodle. I settled for the Mock Duck Lo Mein, which sounded delicious and at less than $6 seemed like a steal. We made our way to the back patio area, and were greeted with an adorable little nook that made me feel like I was really in Vietnam. Bamboo walls, small tables, hanging plants, and Vietnamese music playing softly set the atmosphere as we took our seats at a window bar and awaited our feast.



This is my Plate of Glory. Believe me, this was worth every penny of that $6. Not only was it delicious and cheap, Vo (I'm assuming this was the do it all owner) is a totally awesome, really nice guy, and based on what I've read about Vo's online, he is something of a neighborhood legend. Everyone seems to know and like this guy. He took our order, and since I didn't see/hear anyone else, I assume he cooked our food, and also brought it to us, and then came back out to box it up! What service! What charisma! How could anyone do anything but sing Vo's praises?!? My ONLY qualm is that I asked for it spicy, and it came pretty mild, but I will note that he brought out that delicious chili flake paste which I used obscene amounts of. My only other qualm is that Ashton ate my leftovers which led to a sad discovery the next day. Only the ties of true love kept me from cutting out his betraying tongue. But believe me, Vo's is going to become a major staple in my diet.