Imagine a party.  A huge party.  A blowout of epic proportions.  A party so big with so many people that it almost feels like everyone in the world is there, caught in a beautiful swirling chaos of fashion, music, alcohol, food and fun.  That was my birthday party.  Now imagine you’ve woken up the following day.  The sun is easily 10 lumens brighter than it normally is.  Sounds are louder.  Actually everything is louder.  Maybe you’re hung over, maybe not.  Maybe you woke up alone in your own home, maybe not.  Maybe your pants are accounted for… You get the point.   You want breakfast.  Even better, you want brunch.  It could even be the very reason you chose to have brunch at Pacific Beach’s The Patio the morning after your birthday party.  In any event.  My sleepy/hung over dining companions were as follows:

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

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

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

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

Joey-Future music professor, Sazerac drinker, makes a mean cup of coffee

Kelsey-Project manager, Advanced level foodie, Has been known to drop it like it’s hot after a few cocktails

Kevin-Gentle giant, works among the dregs of humanity, probably lived with someone you know.

Kyle-Actual VH-1 game show star, Dr amazing, She brings the heat.

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

Nicole-Stage Manager, Cupcake diva, Co-Creator of World’s Cutest Baby

We party hard. We breakfast hard. Yes, even the toddler. Especially the toddler, truth be told…

The Patio boasts two locations in San Diego; one just outside Hillcrest and another in Pacific Beach.  As brunch is gay church, we opted for the surely-less-crowded P.B. location.  It was still pretty busy.  The website describes the atmosphere as “Cozy and vibrant” and the outdoor-ish patio was just that.  Aside from the flies, it was A lovely location to enjoy our food and drink.

Kyle and Kelsey both had the Smoked Pork Belly Benedict (spinach, potatoes, hollandaise, served on a house-made biscuit).  Kyle found the poach a bit overdone but the hollandaise was delicious.  She additionally felt the dish wasn’t terribly enhanced by the pork with an underwhelming biscuit but good potatoes.  Kelsey also felt the eggs were overcooked but she enjoyed the potatoes, saying they were well seasoned.  The dish was not a complete throw away for her.  Durwood ordered the Dutch Bourbon Pancake with caramelized bananas & apples, berry compote,  with chantilly cream.  The concept of the dish was something different from what Durwood was expecting.  He felt the flavors got muddled together in just a bunch of sweet.

Durwood’s review may not have been but your blood sugar will be surely through the roof over this dish!

Joey ordered the Smoked Chicken Hash with Poached Eggs.  The chicken was smoky, which he liked but Joey also felt that was the only flavor note to the dish.  The poach on his eggs was inconsistent.  He would’ve preferred the potatoes that came with Kelsey’s dish instead of the hash.  It was his second choice to have the hash and he learned the valuable lesson that one should NEVER second guess one’s initial food order.  Ever.  Nicole had the Corn Flake crusted French Toast with seasonal berries, brioche and  whipped cream cheese.  Lily was still too drunk from last night to eat, which is only made more puzzling by the fact that she wasn’t at the party.   She prefers to drink alone.  Nicole thought the french toast had a great crunch and flavor.  She was disappointed to not be offered a kid’s menu for Lily, not realizing there was one available until nearly the end of our meal.

Draw me like one of your French toasts, Jack…

Kevin got a “Man-mosa”, a rum-based Mimosa with a slice of bacon for a swizzle stick.  For food, he got the Ranchero Skillet (eggs, soyrizo ranchero sauce, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese and patio potatoes).  He felt the Man-mosa was a little too rummy but bacon fat is good so he was a fan ultimately.  The skillet, on the other hand, failed to impress.  Kevin compared it to something you would get at Denny’s.  Ouch.  Anna ordered the Patio Breakfast with sausage,  and scrambled eggs.  While she wasn’t a fan of the biscuit, Anna really loved the rest of her meal.  She called the sausage some of the best she’s ever had.    Aimee had the Smoked Chicken Hash as well.   Her experience was not a good one.  She found the potatoes flavorless in the hash, completely lacking any crispness.  She also found the choice to use raw onion in the hash very unusual.  Her eggs were under seasoned and brown on the bottom.  She also had issues with the biscuit, saying that a drop biscuit should be smaller and less dense than the one offered.

Harry, Anna and I all got the Breakfast Potato Skin with cheddar cheese, bacon, eggs and scallions.  Harry started with a bloody Mary, which he said was awesome.  He was less impressed with the potato skin, calling it nothing special in a huge portion.  Anna really liked the potato and I also enjoyed it.   I also had the Smoke Pork Belly Burrito with eggs, potatoes, ranchero sauce, tomatillo sauce, cheese.  It was very hearty.  A good kind of fill-you-up-breakfast.  It was a bit greasy but after a night of heavy drinking, quite possibly just what the doctor ordered.

Note: You do NOT need to be hung over to enjoy this.

So the overall reviews of The Patio were not terribly favorable but as the aforementioned “Boy” in The Boy who Ate San Diego, I actually quite enjoyed the food here.  While it was a bit crowded and the service was not great (I asked for a Diet Coke that didn’t show up until my plate was clean, a tactic I thought was only used by my Mom to score dessert) I did enjoy my meal.  I would go back.  I would just have to find a different group of friends to go with.  Still, I go against the crowd and say thumbs up.  Try it for yourself and let me know if I’ve discovered a diamond in the rough here of if my taste is really just suspect.

Further reading : The Patio on Lamont website

To see all the pictures from this meal be sure to follow The Boy Who Ate San Diego on Instagram!

Many column inches of this here blog have been dedicated to droning on and on about my search for a great burger and how they are, quite possibly, the world’s most perfect food.  This week’s challenge is a chain burger restaurant.  In a mall.  Sound scary?  It could be, but I’m no snob.  I’m always ready to judge anyone’s food, as are my burger-loving friends:

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

Amy B-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

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

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

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

Molly-Recent San Diego transplant, jewelry maker, The new girl

Your food tasters, much like the burgers, are prepared over an open flame pit.

Eureka offers “a jubilant atmosphere with handpicked house music, televised sports and weekly events … Our exceptional hospitality and unique environment creates a value driven experience defined as “eatertainment!” I love a good buzzword.  Here’s hoping the food was given as much thought as the catchphrase.

First up were libations.  With lots of beer to go round but a limited amount of spirits, I wasn’t really in any mood to drink, so I let others take the lead.  Harry got the Sazerac.  He found it a little heavy on the anise but good.  David ordered the Moscow Mule (Which he found standard), Amy had the Rosemary’s Ruby Red (Gin, Rosemary, grapefruit & citrus).  Amy found the drink very refreshing and good.  Molly ordered the Hemingway (Rum, Grapefruit, Maraschino & Citrus).  She enjoyed it but said it was nothing remarkable.

Amy, Molly and I started with the Truffle Cheese Fries with creamy Havarti truffle sauce & green onions.  Amy felt the fries were lacking truffles and cheese while Molly also branded them a bit bland.  I think it’s a great concept but the execution left a little to be desired.  I immediately thought back to a more successful version of that dish I’d had earlier in the challenge.

You had one job, fries.

Aimee ordered the Osso Buco Riblets with sherry braised pork & firecracker aioli.  She said they were pretty tasty but the sauce was a little strong.  David got the Lollipop Corn Dogs (Polish sausage in a sweet corn batter with spicy porter mustard,  homemade ketchup &  ranch), which he thought were fine but nothing amazing.

It was right around this time that the live music started.  A duo of Celtic-style/adult contemporary/music that sounds like the soundtrack to the pivotal scene in every rom-com ever where the female lead realizes she has to get on that train before her one true love departs forever-type music.  It was enjoyable enough but it was loud.  Coupled with an already crowded, closely seated area, it just kind of made for more noise on top of noise.

Soon it was time for main courses.  Aimee had the Fried Chicken Sliders with tomato jam,  house pickles & signature handcut fries.  She had a few issues with this dish.  She said the biscuit was the most un-biscuit like biscuit she’d ever had.  They were doughy when they should have been light.  Chicken was under seasoned and really thin.  It wasn’t an entrée for Aimee and felt more like an appetizer.  She also thought the Tomato jam was way overpowering.   Harry had the Naked Chicken Saltimbocca  with oven roasted tomatoes, proscuitto, sage, smoked mozzarella, arugula & lemon vinaigrette.  He said he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but this wasn’t it.  He felt while all the flavor components were there, the proportions and textures were way off.  He said the highlight of the dish was the accompanying brown sauce, which read more like an Au jus.

David ordered the 8oz Flat Iron Steak with wilted kale,  chimichurri & signature handcut fries.  While he enjoyed it, he wasn’t blown away by it.  Durwood got the Cowboy Burger (fried shoestrong onions, bacon, cheddar & house made BBQ sauce with signature handcut fries).   Durwood’s #1 beef (heh) was that the bacon was limp, which compromised the textural and structural integrity of the burger.  He felt it was adequate but nothing special.  Amy had the Veggie Beet burger with added Havarti.  She enjoyed the patty but the bun was soggy and fell apart easily under the weight of it.  Kinda ruined it for her.

Molly and I both ordered the Napa Burger (with roasted Roma tomato,  pesto aioli,  Havarti,  pancetta,  arugula & signature handcut fries).  While Molly found the patty to be well cooked and juicy, she found the pancetta a bit bland and the bun a little insufficient for such a hearty burger.  Most bizarre to Molly was the side salad, which included blue cheese and cranberries.  Had she known this, she would’ve re-thought her decision to have them use ranch dressing.  Because ew.  I myself was a fan of this burger.  I’m not one to ever enjoy tomatoes on my burger but roasted roma is the way to go.  It gave great flavor to the burger.  I liked the pesto, cheese and pancetta.  It was messy but good.  I would order this again.

Oh yeah, the onion bangles were okay.

For dessert we tried two dishes; The Butterscotch Rum pudding (with homemade whipped cream, caramel sauce & flaky sea salt).  The other was the Chocolate Espresso Souffle Coffee Cup Cake (with homemade whipped cream and vanilla bean ice cream).  The butterscotch rum pudding was tasty but really lacked any rum flavor for Amy.  Molly found them tasty but, to use her words, “Not worth the calories”.  The chocolate cake was extremely rich but kinda muddled in its flavors.  I preferred it over the pudding.  Both dishes seemed to be included as after thoughts to round out the menu.

My favorite of the two desserts, if only for the excessive use of whipped cream.

The overall feeling we were left with from Eureka was that of more upscale mall type food court food.  Granted, not the kind you’d find in any mall but I don’t know that I would make this burger, though tasty, a destination place.  Lots of competition for a good burger.  Lucky for the city, perhaps not so much for Eureka.

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

To see all the pictures from this visit be sure to follow The Boy who ate San Diego on Instagram!

While I’ve never considered myself one to come running to a restaurant once I hear the name of the celebrity chef behind it dropped, I have to say I have thing about Top Chef contestants.  I’ve been to nearly all of their San Diego eateries (including one I covered on this here blog).  Coupled with the fact that word-of-mouth has been awesome on this place, I was pretty excited for this week’s challenge, as were my band of cohorts:

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

Amy B-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

Amy J-Rocky Horror performer, Michigan football loyalist, a common floozy

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

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

Kelsey-Project manager, Advanced level foodie, Has been known to drop it like it’s hot after a few cocktails

We’re ready to go out in Blais of glory.

Juniper and Ivy, from the imagination of one Chef Richard Blais, promises “Refined American food with a left coast edge”.  It’s located in the heart of downtown San Diego’s cooler older Sister, Little Italy on the block between Juniper and Ivy (an embarrassing amount of time passed before this connection occurred to me).  The bar menu at Juniper and Ivy is impressive.  Amy B, Harry & myself all ordered the Milly Vanilli (Gin,  Mint tea, Cherry anitdote & Vanilla Clove Foam) We were all big fans of this drink but it’s important to mention that the combination of vanilla and clove smells vaguely of dog breath but tastes delicious.  There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write but here we are.  Bottom line: the drink was awesome.

Chris decided to challenge the bartender by saying “Make me something with that rye I’ve never had”.  The result was Michtel Rye, Benedictine, peach bitters.  He loved it.  Harry and Kelsey both had the Devil in Disguise (Rye Whiskey, Creme de Mure,  Ginger, Soda & Bitters) Harry was a big fan and Kelsey applauded the lack of “Bourbonyness” in the drink.  Kelsey’s second (and third) drink was the Wells Bells (Vodka, Pineapple, Mint, Pena Honey & Citrus).  She called it good, mellow & not overly sweet.  Aimee ordered the “In The Ivy” (Orange blossom vodka, Summer berries & riesling).  Later with dinner, Amy B had a Hungarian wine, the 2011 Ribolla Gialla Erzetic Rebula Gorsika Brda SOLD AMERICAN!  She said the explosion of consonants was delicious.  Amy J had a 2012 Malbec (Bueyes Valle de Uco Mendoza), which she very much enjoyed.

For first round of apps, after much deliberation (you have no idea) we ordered as a table and shared the following: Our Buttermilk Biscuit with sea salt and smoked butter.  You guys, this was greatest biscuit of all time anywhere ever in life.  It’s served in a small cast iron skillet and it’s pretty amazing.  We even joked about ordering another one for dessert.  Less impressive for me were the Swedish Meatballs (with Red Kuri, McCart’s Preserves & Pumpkin Seed Pesto) but Aimee  said they were  juicy, delicious and sauce was so good.  Kelsey ordered the Ahi Tuna Tartare with Sunchoke Mayo, Blackberry & Easter Egg Radish.   She said the tartare had interesting flavor but she didn’t care for the floral notes.  Amy B had the Warren Pear Toast with walnut, pickled fennel & Pt Reyes Blue, which she thought was lovely.  I also ordered the Cherry Bomb Poppers filled with Pimento cream cheese.  They were nice enough with a pretty solid heat but nothing outstanding for me.  The other most impressive starter was the Corn Fritter with Avocado Crema.  Originally ordered by our vegetarians in the group, this dish was a hit with the entire table.  Crispy, fresh corn with a light batter and delicious cooling avocado crema.  Outstanding.

The working title for this dish was “CORN BALLS WITH SOME GREEN SHIT”. Doesn’t matter. Still amazing.

For our main dishes, we selected a variety of small plates.   Aimee ordered the Linguni (it’s how they spelled it!) and Clams with uni butter, brioche crouton & red Chili.  She said it was divine and not at all skimpy on the clams.  She & Chris also ordered the Berkshire Pork Porterhouse with white corn puree, peach, smoked almonds & dandelion chimichurri.  Aimee seemed to enjoy this one more than Chris, who was more focused on other dishes in his praise.  Harry got the House Charcuterie (Duck Ballantine, Head Cheese, Chicken liver & Pate de Campagne).  He dubbed the plate awesome but not for first timers, with such daring departures from a normal plate of its kind.

Kelsey ordered the off-menu option “Burger and Fries”, a take off on (wait for it) the Double Double from In-N-Out.  Since it models itself after In-N-Out I can only imagine it means a decent burger with reheated elementary school cafeteria fries.  She loved the sauce and said the burger was juicy and cooked really well.  She also said the fries were well executed.  Kelsey also ordered the Bahn Mi (cured pork, pickled daikon & fish sauce caramel).  She said it had really nice balance.  While the dish wasn’t as overwhelming as it sounds, it did get to be a bit much towards the end.  Amy B. ordered the Corn Agnolotti with foraged mushrooms & huitlacoche.  Amy also ordered the slow roasted beets with bartlett pear ricotta, marcona almonds, miso honey vinaigrette & living kale.  She loved this dish and applauded how balanced it was and how different an approach it was to beets.   The vegetarians also had the heirloom tomato with early girl, sweet 100, feta ice cream, pine nuts, celery & banyuls.  Amy J loved how this dish was unusual but super yummy.  Many of the vegetarian dishes were well thought out with great textures.  She found the whole place very accessible to vegetarians.

I ordered the Prawn and Pork (smoked rigatoni with prawns, pork belly & burrata).  The pasta was well cooked and the sauce was rich and tasty.  The smokiness brought a really unique element to what could otherwise be a pretty standard dish.  The prawns were cut up, which was nice and the real stand out was the pork.  Salty and bacon-y goodness.

Smoked rigatoni. I always thought smoking in a kitchen was against health code but who am I to question Richard Blais?…

I also had the Corn Cobb (indigo rose, Suzie’s greens, lamb bacon, soft boiled egg, Enrique’s cotija & buttermilk pablano dressing).  While this was nothing Earth-shattering, it was a damn fine piece of roasted corn, which I highly enjoy.  I can’t say that each individual flavor came through but the cotija was the real star of this plate.  Salty but mild, adding a creaminess to the corn.  Delish!

I didn’t care that I was in an upscale restaurant, I still ate it typewriter-style. I cannot be tamed.

We were determined to go big on desserts, so we ordered the entire dessert menu, which consisted of the following:

Yodel (Devil’s cake, white chocolate, hazelnut brittle & hot chocolate which is poured over it at the table).  This was a feast of tastes and textures with crunchy and soft chocolate.  This was my second favorite dessert.

Macarons (3 flavors; coconut curry, cinnamon & lemon).  They were all excellent with unusual flavor choices.  A good macaron is an instant skill of any pastry chef and these were terrific.  Not a signature must-have, but very good.

A peanut butter and jelly of sorts (This one was harder to describe.  It’s just a mix of sorbets, cakes and fruit that taste like the sandwich)  We had something similar at Cowboy Star a few weeks ago but this was a less literal flavor interpretation.  It was pretty good.

Blueberry (Sherbert, corn cream, nitro yogurt).  This was Kelsey’s absolute favorite.  A zingy, zesty and sweet explosion of flavors and textures.  SUPER unique and very very good.

Caramel Chocolate Mousse (buttermilk, cocoa nib, meringue).  This was the business.  Aimee described it best as “Bowl-licking good”.  An amazing combination of salted caramel and chocolate in a light, fluffy mousse.  Stellar.

The worst part about this dessert was having to share it was 6 other people. Seriously amazing.

The wrap up on Juniper and Ivy is that it was well worth the hype.  It’s been profiled on a ton of must-do San Diego restaurants and it’s easy to see why.  The staff was also great and the whole vibe was cool.  Also, on a more surprising note, it was way more affordable than many of us were expecting, which means repeat visits will most certainly be a thing.  As the menu changes frequently, it will mean a new adventure every time, which even a creature of habit like me can appreciate.

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

To see all of the pictures from this week’s restaurant, be sure to follow The Boy Who ate San Diego on Instagram!