Monthly Archives: April 2014

El Pollo Grill (16 of 52)

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People from San Diego never need to be asked twice to brag about where they live.  Most never need to be asked but those who brag will almost always talk about how our Mexican food is better than anywhere else in the country.  A select few will even argue that certain parts of San Diego have better Mexican food than other parts of San Diego.  An even select-er few will argue that we have better Mexican food than Mexico does but those people might be missing the point.  The truth can be boiled down to this: short of going to Mexico (a staggering 20 minute trip from my front door), San Diego has the best Mexican food.  Now, I’m not talking about high end Mexico-fusion dining or trendy molecular gastronomy versions of a burrito-type places.  I’m talking the classic, hole-in-the-wall, cash-only, bars-on-the-windows, they-need-to-go-get-the-one-lady-who-speaks-kinda-okay-English-to-take-your-order, neon-painted-lettering-that-covers-the-windows and has-Horchata-on-tap type place AKA THE BEST FOOD EVER.  When it’s 2am and you are knee-walking drunk, this is the place your friends take you to for food that will hug your soul.  It’s the place you take out-of-towners to for a life-changing experience that we who live here all had:  The day you discovered what real SoCal Mexican food is.  THAT’S the shit worth bragging about.

Naturally, when I set out on this quest, I was inundated with suggestions for local Mexican joints from local friends.  I had to choose carefully, but honestly it’s hard to go wrong with these kinds of places.  This week’s challenge was El Pollo Grill in Lemon Grove, which is NOT to be confused with fast food chain El Pollo Loco.  I love Mexican food and I love chicken so this was a labor of love for yours truly and my loyal dining companions:

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

Chris-Attorney, lifelong food snob, loves good Scotch and gay jeans

Mike & Marjy-The package deal, a pair of my favorite foodies who once served me cake on a stick in the snowy mountains (true story)

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“Blanco: Party of Five…”

El Pollo Grill is a down-home “elbows on the table” type joint but is certainly not high on the sketch-o-meter of Mexican places I’ve been to, locally.  Good food is good food so I don’t judge.  I’m not a big fan of chicken on the bone.  I will eat it but prefer not to.  Fortunately, El Pollo Grill offers a myriad of others way to get your chicken on.  I took advantage of a few of them and left the chicken mauling to my cohorts.  Aimee ordered the half chicken dinner, which came with tortillas, rice & beans.  She also had a fish taco on the side.  She said the chicken was juicy and well seasoned with a great crispy skin.  Something she (and everyone else who ordered it) found odd was the choice of beans.  Rather than the usual refried or black beans, El Pollo Grill serves pinto beans.  While they were not badly prepared, Aimee mentioned she would have preferred refried beans with her dinner.  Her grilled fish taco was really good with a fantastic sauce.

Chris ordered the “Special C” (also his break dancing name back in ’84): 4-piece combo with rice, beans and tortillas.  Chris enjoyed his meal but found it a little plain.  When he eats white meat chicken, which is rare, he finds it a bit dry.  Such was the case here, even though he admitted the chicken itself had excellent flavor.  He is also not a fan of pinto beans.

Mike and Marjy shared the 12 piece grilled chicken with rice, beans and corn tortillas.  They also ordered a side of jalapeno carrots.  They agreed with Chris on both counts that their chicken was flavorful but a bit on the dry side (which is admittedly better than being undercooked).  Marjy smartly pointed out that the true test of any Mexican place is the quality of their beans and/or rice and both were great with moist tortillas, which is important.  Mike also added that the Horchata (A sweet, rice-based drink) was on point.

I ordered 3 a’ la carte dishes: 5 rolled tacos, a chicken quesadilla and Pollo Asado Fries.  The rolled tacos, served with house made guacamole, were crispy, fresh and flavorful.  The chicken was a bit dry but the flavors were damned near perfect compared to some other rolled tacos I’ve had.  The pollo asado fries were shoes string-cut french fries covered in marinated chicken, guacamole, sour cream and a massive layer of shredded cheese.  Something like this would’ve been akin to food of the Gods back in my heavier drinking days.  The me of today enjoyed the burst of flavors on this shareable plate of goodness.  The food here is kind of large…

Greasy happiness by the plateful. and we grateful.

Greasy happiness by the plateful. and we grateful.

Which brings me to the quesadilla.  It was huge.  Like, the size of a newborn.  I had no idea there was going to be so much food or I would have most certainly scaled back my order.  Full of chicken and rich cheese, this quesadilla had more of a Mexican Calzone feel to it but it was really good.

I would show something next to it for scale but everything on the table was hidden underneath it.

I would show something next to it for scale but everything on the table was hidden underneath it.

Overall feelings on El Pollo Grill were positive.  We all agreed that the place was a great value.  Tons of big food at a great price.  I got 3 meals for barely more than $20.  While nothing was Earth shattering we all agreed that it would be a fantastic choice for a place to take out-of-towners for their first taste of “real Mexican food”.  I say thumbs up, hit it up if you’re in the area for a good lunch or dinner.

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

 

Khyber Pass (15 of 52)

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This week’s restaurant got me thinking about the very first time I ever tried Curry.  It was just days after I’d moved to San Diego.  A friend with whom I was crashing brought me to a place called World Curry in Pacific Beach.  It was tasty but I often wonder why I’d never had it before while I lived in the cultural mecca that is Flo… Oh, right.*

*to clarify, Flo is short for Florida, just in case anyone reading this thought I would be stupid enough to leave Florence Italy to move to San Diego

Kyhber Pass is located in the heart of Hillcrest, San Diego’s trendy gayborhood.  They specialize in Afghan cuisine at affordable prices, which made this trip a popular one for my dining companions, hence the small army of people I showed up with:

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

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villian

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

Joe “Bish”-Computer wunderkind, Husband of Kate, a tall drink of water

Kate-Costume designer, Comedian, Once starred in a church rap video

Mike & Marjy-The package deal, a pair of my favorite foodies who once served me cake on a stick in the snowy mountains (true story)

Renee-My dresser in “Five Course Love”, Fellow MSTie, lover of The Wizard of Oz

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

Tim-Renee’s mysterious counterpart

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I’m wincing because a gnat flew in my eye minutes before, which sucked but I maintain was worse for the gnat.

I noticed right off the bat that Khyber Pass has great prices.  This is kind of the perfect place to play around and experiment if you’ve never had Middle Eastern food before and not spend a fortune on your quest to diversify.  Amy and I both ordered appetizers of Bolani (A turnover stuffed with leek and potato served with yogurt sauce).  I found them spicy, rich, crispy and delicious.  The yogurt sauce was my favorite, despite the fact that it looks like Thousand Island salad dressing, which I despise.

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Think Middle Eastern Quesadilla… Just trust me. It was good.

For main dishes, there was a variety of dishes sampled.  Mike ordered the Lamb Kofta Chalow (Lamb meatballs), which he said were fantastic. A dish worth coming back for alone.  Marjy had the Chicken Bunjaun (Boneless chicken stewed with spiced eggplant served with white basmati rice) with a side of Yahgoot Rice (Rice with cherries).  She said just the eggplant on it’s own was outstanding.  Soft, buttery with a nice heat level.  She also loved the cherry rice, which seemed to be the most popular dish of the night.  Amy had the vegetarian platter (Four different styles of rice combined with five vegetable dishes) Shiro (seasoned chickpeas) with braised spinach and collard greens.  While she loved the awesome tomato & onion spiced rice she felt the vegetables were a sour note, with only the eggplant and squash having the real notes of flavor.

Harry ordered the lamb shish kabob, which he said had phenomenal seasoning and enjoyed the side of spinach.  David ordered the Chicken Shish kabob.  A simple dish but perfectly prepared with great spice.  Aimee started with the Mantu (Steamed pasta shells filled with seasoned ground beef, topped with a savory yogurt garlic sauce).  she said they were good but went a bit heavy on the dill.  Aimee had the Khyber Pass specialty platter (A combination of lamb, chicken and beef, all charbroiled to perfection).  She said the chicken was delicious, tender and spicy.  The lamb was juicy and the beef was a bit overcooked.  She also tried the cherry rice, which was excellent.

Suzanne ordered the Lamb Matar (Chunks of lamb, garden peas tossed with spicy masala sauce)  She said it was extremely tender with a perfectly spiced sauce.  She also enjoyed the great use of cilantro and giving the dish brightness and texture.  Renee ordered the Sweet and Sour Apricot chicken, which she enjoyed.  She said it was sweet but not over powering.  Very flavorful.  Tim had the Sweet and Sour Cherry Chicken with with a side of Yahgoot (cherry) rice.  He said the dish was excellent.  The use of cherry gave the savory dishes a sweet twist.  It was well cooked.    Kate ordered the Chicken Mushroom (Boneless chicken, sauteed mushrooms with spicy masala sauce served with white basmati rice.)  She said the sauce was flavorful but the chicken was a bit dry and was served with what she described as “More rice than a human can consume”.  Bish had the Chicken Matar, which he loved and would come back for.

I went with the classics and ordered the chicken curry (Sauteed and cooked with savory homemade yogurt and curry sauce served with vegetable and imported basmati rice.  Y’know, as opposed the basmati rice they buy at Chipotle on the corner)  Speaking of rice,  I noticed that I eat so much sushi, I forget rice can be prepared other ways.  I was caught off guard by the light and fluffy texture.  It was a nice change from the Japanese sticky (or sad brown) rice I usually eat.  The dish was spicy and tasty.  The meat was fork tender .  I wasn’t jumping out of my seat over it but it was good.

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Whether taking your time or in a hurry, if you’re dining alone or with Tom Cruise and Suri, in rain or shine or a snow flurry, I will find a way to interestingly caption a standard plate of curry.

In the interest of science, some desserts were ordered.  There was the Pistachio Pudding.  Renee found it light and flavorful without being overly sweet.  Suzanne enjoyed it’s delicate flavors but didn’t get a lot of pistachio out of it.  She also said “I think there’s rose water in it.”  I nodded thoughtfully while fumbling for my phone so I could Google rose water.  Kate ordered the Baklava.  She said 90% of the sex she had in college wasn’t as good as that Baklava.  I’m assuming this means she liked it.  Your mileage with Kate’s college sex life may vary.

Overall, this was a good place but I’m not finding myself totally in love with it.  There were minor issues ($3 for a can of Coke with no refills and our check kind of took forever) but nothing major.  I would say if you’re looking to expand your palette, take a trip to Khyber Pass and live a little!

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

 

 

Chart House (14 of 52)

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San Diego, it can be argued, has the greatest weather on planet Earth.  We also have some of the best beaches in Southern California.  There’s truly nothing better than being able to enjoy our weather and scenic waterside views while enjoying a fine meal.

Which makes the fact that it was cold and cloudy with a thick horror movie-style fog a bit of a let down but it’s not snow so I’m not complaining.

Chart House, located in Cardiff, boasts an amazing ocean front dining experience.  Tables RIGHT by the window, which are RIGHT by the ocean.  It mimics the experience of eating a full course dinner right on the beach, only without the seagulls, wind blowing sand in your mouth and men in upsetting speedos trying to take pictures of you in your skivvys.

This picture isn't in black and white.

This picture isn’t in black and white.

With a still impressive view for dinner, my companions and I were very much looking forward to seeing what Chart House had to offer.  Joining me this go-round were:

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

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

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This is my “excited about food” face. Harry is serving up late 1800’s expressionless pioneer portrait realness.

The menu, while mostly seafood, was loaded with traditional stuff.  One definitely got the impression that this is a place you take out-of-towners who want a slightly upscale version of stuff they already know and like.  Not that I have a problem with that.  Good food is good food but I felt like there weren’t a whole lot of unique offerings on the menu.  Armed with this knowledge, I opted to skip the crab cakes (a tried and true favorite) and instead order the Artichoke Three Ways.  Artichoke hearts are showcased 3 ways; Panko breaded, Fire roasted  and bacon wrapped.  You know sometimes you’ll go to a concert to see a particular band and the opening act turns out to be amazingly brilliant?  The headliner was good too but all you kept talking about on the ride home is how you’re now the opener’s biggest fan ever?  Same concept applies here.

They were having a three way right there on the table. In front of everyone! Artichokes are such whores.

They were having a three way right there on the table. In front of everyone! Artichokes are such whores.

This was seriously the best part of the whole night.  We all loved it.  The panko crusted artichokes were my favorite.  Crispy with a delicious aioli.  Aimee enjoyed the fact that they were not oily.  The roasted artichokes were beautifully done and brought out a mild sweet flavor.  The bacon wrapped, while a strong concept, were not the best part of the dish but hardly a misfire.

Harry began with the “Best of Soup”; Tasting portions of clam chowder, lobster bisque & gazpacho.  He admitted that he was least excited about trying the gazpacho but was loved it’s almost bloody Mary-type flavor.   I ordered a bowl of the Lobster Bisque, a favorite of mine.  It  was pretty standard but well done.  Buttery and rich with a nice saltiness.  A little on the heavy side but certainly tasty.

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Warm and smooth. Like a sexy, yet reaffirming, hug from a dead lobster.

For his main course, Harry ordered Savory Scallops & Cucumber Salad, served with a cauliflower mash and cucumber vinaigrette salad.  He said the scallops were cooked perfectly with a largely forgettable sauce but the real star here was the cauliflower mash.  Light and refreshing while staying super tasty.   Aimee had the “New Wave Surf & Turf”: fork tender short ribs with Cabernet demi-glace paired with seared scallops in ginger soy sauce, served with Yukon Gold mashed potatoes.  She added an additional side of Saffron orzo.  She also agreed that her scallops were perfectly cooked (You people and your scallops.  I can’t.)  She loved the ginger soy sauce, especially the fact that it did not overpower the delicate flavor of the scallops.  Her short ribs were tender and juicy but the positive notes ended there.  She felt her mashed potatoes were just “meh” and the Saffron orzo tasted and looked like it had been a reheated leftover.  Yikes.

I ordered the Garlic Panko Crusted Tilapia (Did I mention I will eat just about anything with panko on it?  Except scallops.  We’ve been over this.)  I thought the fish had great flavor.  I loved the taste and texture added by the panko.  It was served over a bed of creamed spinach.  I don’t know if that was the best decision because for me it gave the dish a real heaviness but the flavors were totally on point.  Super tasty.

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Saucy and rich. Same way I likes my men.

For dessert, we were pressured into ordering the Hot Chocolate Lava Cake.  You see, they bake these little beauties to order but it takes 30 minutes so we had to hastily make the decision at the beginning of the meal.  Like all the smartest people, I err on the side of fat kid, so I ordered the dessert.  The cake features Godiva chocolate liquor in the center & Heath bar crumble on top.  It was sweet yet mild and we all kind of loved the choice of toffee in place of nuts.

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Pretty but it’s what it was on the inside that counts.

Overall this was a good meal.  The place was beautiful, the staff was nice and they were able to accommodate us 2 hours early.  We even saw a dolphin.  In the water, not like at the bar or anything.  Harry and I both agreed that this would be a great place to take a date.  I would frankly come back for the artichokes alone.  That in itself is a sentence I never thought I’d say ever in life, so I commend Chart House for making that possible.

 

Further reading http://www.chart-house.com/locations/cardiff/

 

Muzita Bistro (13 of 52)

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Sometimes at dinner, as with in life, a curve ball is thrown your way and a sudden change of plans happens resulting in an unexpected and delightful adventure.  Whether it be getting lost in a foreign land, learning your new lover is a distant relative or a bachelor party that ends with burying a dead hooker in the Nevada desert.  Learn to expect the unexpected to live your best Oprah-approved life.  So let’s say you and 10 close friends were planning on visiting a hot new San Diego Southern Americana restaurant only to discover an empty place with a note on the door.

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I was going to brand this apology empty and meaningless, until I saw the “truly”, then I felt bad.

With this unexpected left turn, Aimee had already scoped out possible alternative restaurants that were nearby, in the same price range and met the one requirement of this challenge: I’ve never been there.  After a quick group vote, we wound next door at Muzito’s Abyssinian Bistro.  They were super awesome about getting our group in without a reservation and packed us like cattle in the back 40 of the rather small restaurant.  Testing fate with this sudden new adventure with me 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

Brad-Rocky Horror performer, Fluent in most nerdisms, Still thinks Miley Cyrus is sexy

Christine-Singer, puppet enthusiast, Sit next to her at a wedding.  You’ll thank me.

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villian

Kevin-SoCal Rocky Horror legend, IT wunderkind, Owns a Shakeweight for sheer entertainment value

Ky-Rocky Horror performer, Disneyland enthusiast, Roommate of Brad

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

Sean-Former “Ambassador to Spain”, Halloween spookster, A picky eater like me

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

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Only the closest friends can share food with no utensils in places other than prison.

The interior of Muzita was small but charming and romantic.  Great date night spot.  The servers were friendly and super knowledgeable about the food.  They didn’t even laugh when we demolished the names of EVERYTHING.  Muzita specializes in Ethiopian (or Abyssinian for you OG’s) food.  The menu is full of meaty as well as vegetarian and vegan choices.  For starters, some cocktails were had.  David ordered the mule (a popular and refreshing highball mixed drink of vodka and ginger beer) which he enjoyed.  Christine enjoyed the Mango Martini and Amy ordered two different African beers; a Hakim Stout, which she described as a “sweeter version of Newcastle” and a Tusker Lager, hilariously named for the elephant that killed one of the breweries founders.  I can’t make this shit up, y’all.  The food was all brought to us family style and encouraged to be eaten by hand on Injera, which is is a sourdough-risen flat bread with a unique, slightly spongy texture. Traditionally made out of teff flour (amesege’nallo’, wikipedia!)

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The cover of this plate was originally worn by Marlo Thomas in a particularly offensive episode of “Kung Fu”*
*I just made that up

Since everything was spread out on our giant plate, I’ll just list off what all we had: Shiro (Eritrean Style Seasoned Ground Chickpeas), Hamli (Braised Spinach & Collard Greens), Beggie Kilwa (Sautéed New Zealand Leg Of Lamb), Prawn Kilwa (Mess Marinated Prawns with House Herb Blend White Wine Awaze Sauce), Timtimo (Spicy red split lentils), Caulo (Braised Green cabbage) and Alitcha Atakilti (Steamed seasonal vegetables)

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Eaten traditional style with each bite of food wrapped in a piece of what Suzanne describes as an “Organic Shamwow”

This was an immensely satisfying dining experience.  There was so much going on on this plate.  An literal explosion of flavors with sweet richness and spice.  The lentils were fantastic with a strong showing from the lamb and the HUGE prawns on the plate.  One of the most popular items was the cabbage.  More than a few folks listed it as their favorite.

Aimee enjoyed the interactive nature of eating family style and said the cabbage was “The business”.  She is dedicated to figuring out how to duplicate the recipe.  David (the only person in the group who had been here before) loved the chicken and has always been a fan of “eating with an ACE bandage”.  Amy enjoyed the tastes and textures of the vegetables.  She also loved the cabbage and enjoyed the selection of beers, many of which she’d never heard of.  Kevin was able to get his food modified spice-wise but would tone down the onions in the future.  Christine enjoyed the flavor and lack of fattyness of her lamb.  She also loved the cabbage, an ordinarily “Humble” vegetable’s chance to shine here.

Suzanne found everything perfectly cooked with a great delicate sauce.  She officially branded the cabbage the “hidden gem” of this place with perfectly balanced sweetness.  Did I mention folks loved this damn cabbage?  Brad said the spice level of his dinner was perfect.  He loved the tenderness of the meat and was a big fan of the lentils.  Ky was happy (as was I) to see jalapenos added to the lamb for extra heat.  She admitted that this meal was her first time ever having lentils and she loved them.  Sean, while skeptical at first, said everything was delicious with great spice.  Mandy also loved the flavors without the spice getting out of hand in each dish.  She also praised the lentils.

Our server told us that there are no Ethiopian desserts (no wonder they always stay so fabulously thin!  Yeah, I’m going to hell for that one) but Muzita does offer a few dishes that look a bit more familiar to the less worldly palette.  Folks shared the Kahlua Chocolate Cake, which I had a bite of and it was moist, delicious and generously portioned.  Kevin announced that this cake was his favorite part of the meal “But I’m biased because i’m fat”.

With that our near-disaster last minute change of venue paid off beautifully.  We managed to find a great new place with outstanding food.  I love that I’ve lived here for 16 years and I can still discover new places like this.  Thanks to my dining companions for being so adventurous with me.  I will for sure be back.

Further reading: http://www.letseat.at/muzita

333 Pacific (12 of 52)

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The city of Oceanside, while technically not in San Diego proper but still within county limits, has a beautiful pier with a sunset one must see to believe.  This was the setting for my latest restaurant in the challenge; 333 Pacific.  Part of the lauded Cohen group of restaurants, 333 Pacific overlooks the beautiful Oceanside Pier.  The style is lavish, upscale and lush, which impresses tourists and makes locals have to wonder why it’s in Oceanside, of all places.  But hey, good food is good food, no matter where it’s located.  I may or may not have used that same theory in place of the “5 second rule” in college.  Don’t you judge me.

I was joined for this dinner by two of my favorite ladies and expert level foodies.

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

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

Wish you were here. So we can sample more cocktails without looking like hopeless alcoholics.

Wish you were here. So we can sample more cocktails without looking like hopeless alcoholics.

 

333 Pacific (named for the restaurant’s street address) has won several awards for it’s food and drink.  Considering they have over 100 vodkas, i’d say they know how to satisfy their customers.  At least the ones who love vodka.  Which is me, so SCORE!  I started with Seaside Tea: A mix of iced tea vodka and lemon vodka.  Think upscale version of a John Daly.  It was really tasty in that special way that says “Don’t order another or you won’t remember eating here”.  Aimee had the Bellitini: A mix of peach vodka, orange juice and champagne.  She enjoyed it but felt it needed more peach flavor in it.  Suzanne had the “Sour Kiss”:  A mixture of citrus vodkas, Grapefruit juice and a key lime foam.  She says it had great flavor, was very light but could’ve done with less foam as it seemed to take up more than half of the glass.

For our appetizers, Aimee ordered the Andoullie & Kale Soup with white beans, garlic, tomatoes & herbs de provence.  She loved it.  Delicious comfort food with a nice spice.  Aimee also mentioned that the next time she’s sick she wants a “bucket of that soup”.  Noted.  Suzanne started with the Beet Salad.  The salad has beets, truffle oil, goat cheese, fried capers and roughly 16 pounds of arugula.  While she praised how well the beets were cooked, Suzanne notes that the salad was uninspiring and tough to eat with so much unruly greenery happening on the plate.  She said that, with micro greens, the dish would be more successful and she’d feel less like a woodland creature wading through the forest for cooked beets.

I ordered the very interesting “Ahi Stack For 2”.  It didn’t take me long to figure out why they made this dish for 2 people.  It was a stack of sushi rice, avocado, cucumber, mango, crispy shallots topped with an inch thick layer of sashimi grade ahi tuna with a lemongrass-soy sauce to pour over.  Think sushi cake.  The presentation was beautiful and striking.  The tuna was fresh and delicious, the rice wasn’t over powering and the sweetness of the fruit and crunchiness of the cucumber and shallots added just the right amount of texture and contrast to the sour sauce.  Seriously delicious and unique.

The last time I saw something this stacked and pretty was when I saw Sofia Vergara in a Prada gown.

The last time I saw something this stacked and pretty was when Sofia Vergara wore Prada.

For the main courses, Aimee ordered the Kobe Meatloaf: blue cheese crusted with seasonal mashed potatoes, green beans and cabernet ketchup.  Upon ordering our server asked Aimee if she “really liked Blue cheese”.  Rightly suspicious, Aimee answered that she was okay with it.  The server went on to say that this particular dish is covered in it and gave the option to change to a different cheese.  Aimee went with Gouda.  She enjoyed the meatloaf, saying it was really juicy throughout and the cabernet ketchup was a great compliment to the dish.  The mashed potatoes were underwhelming.

Suzanne ordered the Braised 8 Oz Boneless Beef Shortribs: with carrot & parsnip purees, lump crab, applewood smoked bacon, potato zucchini hash and braising jus reduction.  She said the ribs were cooked beautifully, super tender and totally celebrated beef  without being over powered by the parsnip puree, which was stellar.  Since I got a taste of the seafood during my appetizer, I was hankering for a steak.  I ordered the top sirloin (Medium rare).  It was cooked perfectly, not only by my estimation but by both ladies at my table who, unlike me, have actually cooked a steak before!

Yes folks, that is a potato chip on top of mashed potatoes. ANARCHY.

Yes folks, that is a potato chip on top of mashed potatoes. ANARCHY.

I ordered sauteed mushrooms and a peppercorn demi on the side because I friggin love peppercorn anything.  I made the right choice.  The demi was tangy and somehow smoky but paired beautifully with the meat.  There were also unremarkable mashed potatoes on my plate.  This launched an interesting discussion about how some upscale restaurants will prepare and showcase their proteins so expertly but the side dishes often seem like an underwhelming after thought.

That having been said, the overall experience of 333 Pacific was certainly anything but underwhelming.  Great atmosphere, beautiful location and some damn good food.  Price-wise definitely a more “special occasion” or “written off as a company paid business expense” type place.  I would take my East coast tourists here as a means to impress and I feel it would do just that.

Further reading: http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/333pacific