Monthly Archives: February 2014

Bistro 760 (7 of 52) (CLOSED)

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In a city as large as San Diego (5th largest in the nation, bigger than the entire state I was born in) those of us who live here basically separate the city like so: “San Diego”, “Downtown”, “North County”, “East County” & “I’m not driving all the way to Chula Vista”.  Tonight’s restaurant, Bistro 760, is located in “North County”.  The city of Vista, to be exact.  A road tripping adventure ensued and our cast of culinary Road Rules was as follows:

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

Durwood-Best friend, comedian, San Diego’s go-to young black non-singing actor

Suzanne-My Italian soul sista, Can throw down in the kitchen, the cultured one who pronounces everything correctly

Tomy-Fashionista, Rocky Horror performer, an original Kathryn

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Reserved: Grown up lingo for “YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US!”

Bistro 760 is nestled in the center of a million strip malls and, aside from the homeless dude Suzanne tripped over on the sidewalk, is quite elegant outside and in.  It’s clearly a sushi restaurant but one look at the menu shows the diner it’s so much more…  Among the usual sushi fare were some real head scratchers such as burgers, bacon barbecue shrimp and Poutine.  Yep, that classic Japanese favorite Poutine.  Poutine is french fries smothered in brown gravy and cheese curds.  Oh, and it’s a French Canadian dish.

Confused?  You won’t be after this episode of Soap!

Bistro 760 originally opened in 2013 as a French restaurant.  The head chef left and the business changed hands with a major overhaul of the menu with only a few dishes from the original concept available.  Maybe it was the quiet elegance of the Japanese interior or the Reggae music playing on the overhead speakers but opportunities to have a Canadian dish served in a sushi restaurant are indeed a rarity, so David seized the opportunity and ordered the poutine.

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Not actual size: The bowl was roughly the size of an SUV hub cap.

Bistro 760’s Poutine was a little different with a lighter gravy, shredded cheddar cheese in place of cheese curds and for some reason, grilled pork.  Cuz, sure, why not?  The dish was rich and while I personally find gravy on fries nauseating, I have to say it was pretty tasty . It’s built for sharing with a table or serves one very pregnant woman.  David gave the poutine deservedly high marks.

Durwood and I both ordered the special “Monkey Balls” for our appetizer because it looked good and was incredibly fun to say and have said back to us by our server while we all took turns giggling coyly like Japanese schoolgirls.  Monkey Balls, containing neither Monkey nor balls, is mushrooms stuffed with spicy tuna, coated in Tempura batter and deep fried.  They arrived with a choice of dipping sauces: Ponzu, Spicy Mayo and ranch, which I initially thought strange but who am I to question the condiment leanings of a French Canadian Rasta Sushi bar?  They were the bomb.  Super awesome.

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I wanna dip my (monkey) balls in it.

Tomy ordered the cream cheese fried wontons, which were large, tasty and very very warm.  Aimee started her dinner with the “Dynamite Mussels” which, according to her assessment, fully lived up to their name.  For the main course, it was tough to resist my usual go-to sushi fare but I managed to order a dish I wouldn’t normally have and just try everyone else’s sushi.  This proved to be a wise decision, not only for my own culinary growth but it reminded me that sushi is often more food than it looks like, so it was easy to just have a bite of someone else’s.  I ordered the Chicken Udon.

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OOH DANG!

Since changing my eating habits several months back, I’m a little more sensitive to things like how much salt is in a dish, so it was really prominent here but I didn’t mind.  The broth was super tasty, the chicken was tender and well cooked.  The noodles were really fresh and tender.  I didn’t particularly appreciate the thing in my bowl that looked like radish, was colored like a white peach and had the texture of rubber, especially after I learned it was an egg.  Gross.  Other than that, the dish was really good.

Aimee ordered the Katsudon Pork Rice Bowl with side rolls of Unagi and Shrimp sushi.  Having stayed in Japan for a spell, she’s particular about her eel (Unagi) but said it was good.  She found the pork a bit salty.  Suzanne also ordered the “Dynamite Mussles”, which she said were really good.  For dinner she got A tuna roll, Hawaiian Roll, Salmon sushi and Yellowtail Sushi.  She felt the sushi was on point.

Durwood ordered the crunchy roll and dragon roll, which he found “Melt in your mouth” good.  One thing I noticed about all the pieces of sushi were they were large.  Traditional sushi is meant to be eaten in a single bite.  Clearly the chef thought he was making dinner for Audrey 2.  Tomy’s dinner was the quite the show piece.  The rainbow roll is quite striking, including multi-colored sushi and a shot glass of flaming something.

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Rainbow colored, dramatic and flaming. The perfect dish for any gay man.

The service was okay.  The restaurant was near empty, save only us and a few other tables.  There appeared to be only one girl serving all the tables.  She disappeared for nearly 30 minutes during our dinner causing Tomy to loudly wonder if she’d died.  My assumption is she was in the kitchen preparing the Matzo ball soup for the African Heritage club’s weekly Russian dance lessons at Bistro 760.  Our overall opinion of Bistro 760 was pretty unanimous: While the sushi was really good, it wasn’t anything unlike what we could get in San Diego without the drive BUT if I find myself in Vista again, I would for sure go back.  They had tasty offerings, a lot of great things to choose from for those weirdos who don’t like sushi and a nice selection of microbrews and Japanese beer (again, if you’re into that kinda thing).  Another highlight?  The value.  The prices were mad cheap, which is always a welcome sight, particularly at a sushi place.

This outing was a particularly fun one because of the group we had.  There was lots of room to comfortably talk and laugh.  They didn’t chase us out the door after an hour or 2 and the music wasn’t super loud.  We basically wish this place was closer, as it would absolutely be added to our list of favorites.  

Further reading: http://www.sushiontheedge.com/

   

  

 

Flavors of East Africa (6 of 52)

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This week’s restaurant finds me and my dining companions getting all international up in hurr!  As a typical American, I know next to nothing about Africa aside from these three things:

  1. In 1985 they ran out of food so the biggest music legends of the day (and Dan Aykroyd) got together and made a song, thus ending world hunger forever.
  2. If Disney is to be believed, all of the animals can talk and will occasionally stage their own version of Hamlet.
  3. It’s one-stop-shopping for Madonna when she finds herself running low on impoverished orphans.

Surprisingly, I’ve had African food before.  Ethiopian food to be exact.  I remember liking it a lot so I was hoping that the offerings of East Africa would meet or beat my already high expectations.  At the very least, it was going to be an exciting adventure through Africa all without having to leave the comfort of my white privilege.   My dining companions for this trip were:

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

Anna-Educator, flannel wearer, still mad at us for going to Snooze without her

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason

Jackie-Awesome Soprano, fellow East Coast transplant, Has a Vegas story or two

Mandy-Writer, Top-shelf level geek girl, lives in my pocket

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You would totally eat these people. That’s not a typo. The subject of cannibalism came up more than a few times…

Our waiter greeted us with one simple question “Who likes ginger?” then offering Ginger Lemonade, which several of us (including me) had and it was lovely.  You can’t beat the spice and heat of real ginger and this drink had it.  None of us were sure why the lemonade was red but ALL of us were sure it needed vodka.

The signature appetizer of Flavors of East Africa is the Sambusa; a fried pastry with savory and sweet fillings.  They offered a wide variety but also a single plate with all seven flavors.  Yes, please!  Spicy beef, chicken, shrimp, spicy lentil, potato, spinach, cream cheese with pineapple/coconut flakes and shrimp filling.  They weren’t kidding around when they called anything “spicy”.  These little pastries had some serious kick to them, but all were super tasty.  Highest marks from the table going to the cream cheese/pineapple/coconut.  While all of the Sambusas were tasty, what they were not was clearly identified on a plate.  Amy is vegetarian and could get sick from accidentally eating meat, so we took care to cut each one open and taste it before sending the veggies over to her with confidence.  Jackie wisely likened the plate to a “Vegetarian minefield”.

The main courses arrived before long.  Mandy ordered biriganya (chopped eggplant cooked in a creamy tomato basil sauce with African spices), Sukuma (Collard greens mixed with cabbage sautéed in mild spices and fresh garlic), and Sombe (Cassava leaves mixed with spinach, celery, parsley, leek, green pepper and eggplant).  While she wasn’t so impressed with the Sombe, Mandy loved the Biriganya and Sukuma.

Anna ordered the shortrib with Hominy and Lentils, which she enjoyed.  She said the flatbread was a great opportunity to mix components and create an “African Burrito”.  We assured her that if she ordered Avocado, she would be forced to sit at another table.  Amy ordered the “Vegetarian Entree”, comprised of Nyoyo (Hominy, kidney beans, potato and carrots cooked in olive oil, fresh garlic, tomato and onion), Dengu (avory lentils cooked in garlic, onions, curry and creamy coconut milk) & Wali (African spiced yellow rice).  She loved the Nyoyo and the rice especially.  It’s worth noting that this place has a lot of vegan options, which is nice to see as I have several vegans that are close to me.

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No animals were harmed in the making of this dish.

Harry & Jackie both ordered the short rib as well but with differing opinions on the final product.  Jackie had eaten Flavors of East Africa’s food before at various farmer’s markets that they are stationed in but had never dined in this restaurant.  She found the experience of the farmer’s market to be fresher.  She found the short rib to be a bit tough and the hominy a tad undercooked.  Harry enjoyed his short rib and was particularly taken with his sides of Hominy and rice.

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A table divided: The controversial Short rib met with mixed reviews.

The most adventurous diner of our party was Aimee, who ordered Oxtail.  She raved about it.  The meat was perfectly cooked, “Fall off the bone” tender.  The harmony of the dish was outstanding with the rice and spicy collard greens, which perfectly offset the fatty meat.   David and I both ordered the Chicken Curry with side of Biriganya  and Wali (African spiced yellow rice).  Whereas David wasn’t so in love with the chicken, I loved it.  Tender, juicy cuts of chicken with creamy sweet coconut milk based sauce.  The rice and eggplant were perfectly accented with the piece of flatbread accompaniment.  The big stars of the meal for others at the table were these sides, many citing the rice as their favorite.  An explosion of flavors.  I damn-near licked my plate.

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A fantastic plate of food. I might actually have to learn something about this culture now.

The meal concluded with an “African Donut” which was honestly a let down.  It was basically a tiny piece of scalding hot flatbread with a very modest dusting of sugar (and by “Modest”, I mean they pick up a bag of sugar and show it to the donut).  It was unimpressive but not nearly enough of a dim spot to bring down my review of this place.  I was sad to see it wasn’t busier.  The food is good enough to warrant a constant flow of business.  Here’s hoping more folks will discover it.

    

Kiko’s Place (5 of 52)

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My culinary horizons have certainly expanded since I moved to San Diego in 1998.  Before the late 90’s you couldn’t have paid me to eat sushi, I wouldn’t touch an avocado and the very idea of anything served at breakfast inside a tortilla was sheer lunacy in my head.  All of these things have changed since I moved to Southern California, among other things like I constantly say “No worries” and call every human regardless of gender “dude”.  I still don’t own a pair of sandals because I gotta keep something to represent the East coast, y’know?  One of my other delicacy hold outs was the fish taco.  I fell in love with them a few years ago and have had many a fish taco in San Diego, Los Angeles and everywhere in between, to varying degrees of enjoyment.  I was told by my friend Chris a while back that the best fish taco I would get is in the parking lot of a liquor store.  With a description like that, how could I NOT try that shit?!

He was, of course, talking about a food truck.  Although I admit, for a good enough taco, I would happily be served by a dumpster diving creeper out back a la David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive.  I love that food trucks are such a big thing in San Diego.  I’ve had some amazing food from them.  Kiko’s Place is a far more back-to-basics approach with their truck.  Less flash and dash, hipster-mingling, kitschy gimmick stuff and more old fashioned roach coach-style.  My friends and I were excited to try it out but brought a few more experienced fans of Kiko’s just to be sure.  Joining me were:

Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason

Sarah-Rocky Horror performer, marathon runner, Burning Man enthusiast

Joe-Theatre and beer enthusiast, podcast co-host, Co-Creator of World’s Cutest Baby

Lily-World’s Cutest Baby (a Joe & Nicole production)

Jackie-Awesome Soprano, fellow East Coast transplant, Has a Vegas story or two

Craig-Jackie’s lucky and mysterious other half, picture unavailable

Kiko Group

Beautiful sunny afternoon outdoor dining in February. This is why we get super dick-ish about San Diego when comparing it to other places. But seriously, your snow looks nice too…

We had some guidance on this maiden voyage as Jackie and Craig were no strangers to Kiko’s but the day did not start so well for Jackie, as her request for Octopus had been denied.  “Octopus? On a Taco Truck?”, you say?  Indeed, Kiko’s is no ordinary taco truck.  They specialize in seafood: clams, scallops, shrimp, octopus and oysters and they do it right.  “Fresh” was the word most uttered in our group as we ate our food.

There was a line (always a good sign with a food truck) and the folks inside the truck were only too happy to offer us a complimentary cup of spicy tomato soup while we waited, which was lovely.  I wasted no time in ordering the tacos.  Being used to modestly portioned fare, I got 2 fish tacos and 2 garlic shrimp tacos.  This was an error on my part.  The tacos are BIG.  Two of these things are easily a meal in itself.

Kiko tacos

“Nothing is so fatiguing as the eternal hanging on of an uncompleted task”-William James

As if I didn’t need more proof of how damn fresh this food was, the fish from the tacos had JUST come out of the fryer.  The reason I know this is because they nearly scalded my fingers just trying to pick up the taco.  As my usual M.O. is to pile drive face-first into my food like a hungry dog in a Puppy Chow commercial, this presented a challenge.  In the meantime, I focused on what everyone else was eating.

Sarah had just completed a half marathon earlier in the day and was treating herself to a protein filled lunch.  She started with the Oysters.  I don’t like oysters and you are not at all surprised to learn this.

Kiko oysters

Well, if that’s what you’re into… Takes all kinds, I suppose.

Jackie and Craig also had the oysters and they got high marks across the board.  They turned out to be Sarah’s favorite part of her whole meal.  Jackie loved the freshness of the dish which was accented nicely by the touch of spice and citrus.  This is why I bring other people: to eat & report on the stuff that I’m too much of a fussy pre-schooler to touch.

Jackie spoke highly of the fish ceviche, which she ordered and loved.  Sarah’s lunch also consisted of a Mussels Cocktel, which Joe hilariously described as a “Mussel Parfait”.

Kiko mussels

I like my lunch the same way I like my men: Cold, Spicy, full of muscles and available on a street corner for $3.

As for the guys, we were all about the tacos!  Craig, Joe and I each got the classic fish tacos.  Freshness makes all the difference and you are reminded of that with every bite of these.  Great corn tortillas (yeah, it requires two), shredded cabbage, tomato , fresh light sauce and a batter fried golden brown piece of quality volcanic-temperature fish .  I waited as long as I could!  Starchy, rich, crispy and delicious awesomeness for a $1.15.  Did I mention this place is mad cheap?

Joe ordered the grilled fish tacos, which he said were also really good.  Lily had a pancake and avocado because she is a baby and has already been refused service at Kiko’s twice for showing up drunk and belligerent.  Harry and I also had the garlic shrimp tacos.  The only downside to these was the 3+ bites that were interrupted by pieces of shell but I totally opened up the tacos and picked out the remaining shrimp by hand because they were that good.  Sarah mentioned that she would’ve preferred somewhat smaller portions and I gotta say, she’s right but when it comes to delicious food, “Too much” is the very definition of a first world problem.

While I am not the biggest seafood fan in the world, the fish tacos were pretty great.  A no-nonsense approach to doing it up right.  This alone was reason enough to come back (a close second would be a dish they advertise called “VIAGRA”, which I didn’t try this go-round because there were ladies present…).  The food is big, it’s cheap and it’s fresh as hell.  Thumbs up.

Further reading: http://kikosplaceseafood.com/index.html

Searsucker (4 of 52) (CLOSED)

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I can’t believe I’m already done with the 1st month of this challenge!  Don’t you just love how I sat down for 4 meals over the course of 30 days and referred to it just now like I ran a half marathon with John Goodman on my back?  Well, gentle reader, get used to it.  That’s the tip of an iceberg of self-praise you’re gonna encounter over the next 11 months.  I closed out January with a visit to Searsucker; a “New American Restaurant” founded by Top Chef Season 3 finalist, Brian Malarkey.  Whom I discovered through a 5 second glance at wikipedia my research shares a birthday with yours truly!  Awesome!

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Like all people born on September 26th, he’s talented, good looking and wears a hat like he’s doing it a favor.

I’m a big Top Chef fan, not to mention a former reality show contestant myself (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Series_of_Pop_Culture_(season_2), so I was eager to see what Malarkey’s eatery in my hometown offered as were my dining companions:

Abby-Swim instructor, Disneyland buddy, Stresses about making food for my other food-savvy friends

Aimee-Roommate since the 90’s, BFF, allergic to hot dogs and therefore labeled a commie by many

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

Anna-Educator, flannel wearer, still mad at us for going to Snooze without her

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

Harry-Wise guy, master of the grill, loves camping for some reason

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Thank you, Cow! Sorry we ate your family! #sorrynotsorry

There are actually 2 Searsucker locations in San Diego, the first in downtown San Diego and the second in Del Mar.  I opted to pass on the impossible parking, scores of tourists, bros and hos and the always colorful homeless transients of downtown and instead chose to visit the location in the swanky town of Del Mar (think the spoiled Nephew of rich uncle La Jolla).  Parking was surprisingly bad here as well.  More than half the lot was blocked off for valet, which left the other half of the lot jam packed.  Valet was only 4 bucks but still.  We were quickly led in to our massive, Nordic table with giant chairs at either end resembling a mad tea party or the board room at the secret lair of a movie villain.

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“You fell right into our trap, Mr Bond. We will reflect fondly on your bravery while feasting on your remains….”

The artsy-medieval style decor had me wondering both what culinary wonders awaited me and which of the 3 suitors Princess Merida would choose as her King?  The 1st glorious hint of what was to come arrived in the form of cheddar popovers.  Light, delicate and sweet.  As luck would have it, Searsucker offers a wide variety of small plates AND it’s restaurant week in San Diego, so we had the opportunity to sample much of what this place had to offer.

David and Amy wasted no time in sampling the cocktail menu (which is extensive).  They both started with the Coyote: a house-infused apple cinnamon bourbon mixed with ginger beer, lime and bitters.  They both enjoyed it.  Amy shared that her 1st foray into mixology included apple, cinnamon and bourbon so this concoction was a welcome stagger down the road of booze past.  I thought it was okay and mostly just smelled like a Glad scented candle.  Round 2 of cocktails brought Amy Searsucker’s version of an Old Fashioned.  It’s called Bad Bad T-Roy Brown and featured sweet vermouth, orange and Luxardo cherries.  It was tasty and very very flammable.

Amy also ordered the only appetizer of the table; Brie with fig jam.  As far as I’m concerned, there are only 2 type of cheese on Earth: Brie and Not Brie, so this won me over with no effort.  Amy enjoyed the nice spice and just the right amount of bread with which to spread this warm, gooey delight all over.  Re-reading that sentence made me realize I got a bit more porn-y than intended.  Oh well.

Aimee and Abby went balls out on their first plate and ordered bone marrow.  While I understand it’s considered a delicacy, it’s just not my type of hype.  Label me unadventurous if you must, but when you start your own blog feel free to suck the bones of whatever carcass you’d like.  To ensure this dish was 100% Anthony-proof, they added a fried egg on top.  If the whole thing had just then been slathered in re-fried beans, it would have been the embodiment of my personal hell.  That having been said, the girls were crazy about this dish.  Aimee said it was perfect with a beautiful presentation and the accompanying saffron sauce was to die for.

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Fred and Wilma, your order is up…

Several of us at the table chose from the restaurant week menu.  For a starter, Abby got the Poke:  Tombo tossed with macadamia nuts, pomegranate seeds, shallot and ponzu, served with a siracha vin and a giant pile of tortilla chips.  She loved it and I gotta say it was pretty damned tasty.  It reminded me of great Tuna tartare.    Anna got the Calamari, which she was not blown away by but gave kudos to the really good lemon sauce with it.  David and Aimee both ordered the Duckfat Fries with house made ketchup.  The duckfat definitely gives these fries a more textured skin outside and a more dense interior.  They were good but it’s hard to go wrong with french fries, y’know?

The starter for my meal was the shortie: beer braised short rib with jus, mash potatoes and fried onions.  A simple dish to be sure, but lord have mercy it was masterfully done.  It tasted like the world’s greatest pot roast.  Tender, rich and juicy.  The Jus sang with the mashed potatoes and the fried onions on top brought it home.  Superb comfort food.

Short rib

The kinda shawty I will always holla at.

My second course was called simply “Filet”: A steak served with melted leeks, white beech mushrooms, mash, lobster butter and brandied demi.  I was not super satisfied with my last steak encounter (okay, it was Outback Steakhouse, but still!) so this was a blast of fresh air.  I’m kinda of blown away by how much harmony I found in all of the food, but particularly this dish.  I remember thinking the frills were a bit unnecessary but it came together musically.  Melted leeks are amazing by the bye.  Just sayin’.  David also had this & found it perfectly prepared.  Abby also had it and found the filet well prepared and the portions to be perfect.

Filet

That’s Lobster Butter. That’s right. Butter studded with chunks of Lobster. and here I was thinking I’d never find love again…

Aimee’ had the pork butt with sauteed apples, red onion and bacon emulsion.  It was melt in your mouth tender.   She loved the perfect level of saltiness in the dish.  Harry ordered the Flat Iron chuck with chimichurri and bernaise over fingerling potatoes.    While he enjoyed everything, Harry felt the real stand out was the sauce.  As someone who regularly grills red meat, he’s harder to impress than most in the steak department.  Fucking show off.  Amy ordered the only vegetarian dinner offered; Farro with golden beet puree and seasonal vegetables.  She shared some of the dish with me (I’m a fan of most ancient grains) and it was sweet and delicious.  Amy also really enjoyed the herby-ness of the dish but could do without the sprig of Thyme she found.  It would have been nice to see more than one vegetarian option but the one offered certainly impressed.

I could write a whole separate entry on the desserts at Searsucker, so I’ll try to keep this love fest brief and with as little crying as possible ( much like my actual love life).  David and I both ordered the S’more for dessert.  It was a mix of chocolate cake, salted caramel marshmallow mousse and pure unconditional love.

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I can’t even imagine how complicated the camp fire in the kitchen that they make these around must be.

Abby and Anna ordered Searsucker’s version of red velvet cake.  I’ll be honest, red velvet cake is my favorite but I feel like everyone has done it at this point, which is funny considering when I first moved to California in 1998, I couldn’t find it here for years.  I should’ve figured out at this point that this dessert staple in my life would of course be given the Searsucker remix treatment but frankly I’m not that bright, so there’s that.

It is crafted with a dehydrated raspberry puree with pop rocks candy and in the middle, a sweet, fluffly and tangy GOAT CHEESE FROSTING.  Dude.  I can’t even.  While Abby wasn’t feeling it Anna was at a loss for words to describe the experience of eating this masterpiece and I don’t blame her one bit.  Her words said it best…

Red Velvet

“IT’S LIKE FUCKING MAGIC!’-Anna

The dessert parade continued down at the other side of the table with Amy’s Passion fruit Cheesecake with coconut sorbet.  She loved it, stating that it more than satisfied her lilikoi obsession.  I tried it and it was phenomenal.  The sour puree with the richness of the cheesecake and the coconut sorbet was out of this world.  The other notable dessert was Aimee’s Jameson Sundae.  The ice cream was infused with Jameson and ALOT of it.  Also featured were cashews, hot fudge, bananas foster and topped with a slice of bacon.  From the beautiful place where dessert and alcohol intersect comes this dish.

Jamison sundae

Because cooking the alcohol out of your food is for wusses.

The final word on Searsucker is: amazing.  The bar has been set impossibly high so early on in the challenge.  I really can’t get back there fast enough.  Yeah it was loud, crowded and the parking lot was kind of awful but all of these things become so minor once you dig into their food.  Brian Malarkey has himself a fantastic restaurant in my hometown and it’s now one of my favorites.