Monthly Archives: December 2014

Big Kitchen (49 of 52)

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I’ve been very fortunate in this challenge to dine at some of San Diego’s premiere upscale restaurants.  Trendy, hip, swanky and (in some cases) just plain too good for the likes of me have all been explored but I’ve also loved going to the smaller, mom & pop-style hidden gems of the city.  I’ve learned that a restaurant experience doesn’t have to be expensive or have a celebrity chef attached to it to be unique.  Enter this week’s restaurant:  Big Kitchen.  As this was a breakfast, most of the usual early morning foods fans were in attendance.

Amy B-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

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

Calei-Vegan food lover, a Mrs and a Mom, fellow Disneyland fan

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

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

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

Liam-Star Wars fan, Lego enthusiast, the Earl of Sandwich

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

Nearly everyone in this photograph is from a place where we'd get made fun of for dressing like this in December in San Diego.

Nearly everyone in this photograph is from a place where we’d get made fun of for dressing like this in December in San Diego.

Big Kitchen has some serious history to it.  A San Diego staple for nearly 35 years, I may actually be the last person in this city to not have eaten here.  Many notables have come through and even worked here.  Most famously Whoopi Goldberg who left behind a promising career as a dishwasher at Big Kitchen to settle for becoming an Academy Award winning actress.  The staff, most notably owner Judy, are colorful friendly and so welcoming you really do feel like you’re a guest in someone’s home. Much like in my home, they only accept cash.  It actually makes dining with a large group easier, so it was no problem for me.  Those select few in my group who didn’t bring cash were back in a jiffy (yeah, I said jiffy) after hitting up a nearby ATM.  Jiffy.

Harry ordered the Turkey Omelette with a side of potatoes.  He enjoyed all facets of the dish and the roasted garlic was of particular note.  Calei got the Tofu Rancheros, which was originally brought to her with cheese but was made vegan at her request with absolutely no hassle.  She said the rancheros was super delicious and worth coming back for.  For Liam, she got the kid’s pancake, which he liked.  Amy had the Biscuit with veggie gravy with sauteed veggies,  fruit, Rye toast and fresh squeezed orange juice.  She’s been here several times and this dish is a favorite of hers.  Amy calls it the best veggie gravy she’s ever had with an amazing flavor and herbiness.  The sauteed veggies were a bit oily for her taste but she loves this place.  Anna ordered the Kirk Scramble.  She said it was awesome.  She loved the Blue Cheese, bacon and mushrooms.  Anna also found the potatoes to be top notch.

Kelsey had the Biscuits and gravy.  She found the gravy to be way too lumpy and the sausage was overwhelmed by the Sage and Thyme.  There was no parsley because Paul Simon didn’t make her breakfast.  She said it wasn’t bad but also wasn’t what she wanted.   Joe also had the biscuits and gravy.  He praised how big the food was but wished for more sausage.  Lily enjoyed her pancake.  I could tell she appreciated the fresh ingredients from the look of joy she wore while rubbing pieces of the ripped pancake into her hair, which she did because baby.  I had the spinach and mushroom omelette with bacon and potatoes on the side.  My breakfast also included an iPad-sized piece of coffee cake.  It was delicious but ridiculously large.

LARGE Coffee cake. I left the giant novelty fork in the picture for scale.

LARGE Coffee cake. I left the giant novelty fork in the picture for scale.

My main was course was fluffy and delicious.  While new ground certainly wasn’t broken, it was simple breakfast food done right.  Also, super affordable.

If they had drive thru, this place would be perfect.

If they had drive thru, this place would be perfect.

So in closing I would say Big Kitchen is definitely worth your time.  It’s charming, kitchy, cozy and fun.  Most importantly, good coffee and yummy breakfast food that will fill you up and make you happy in that special way that only breakfast, and occasionally tequila, can.

Further reading

 

Saltbox (48 of 52) (CLOSED)

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San Diego’s booming downtown nightlife is centered in the Gaslamp Quarter.  Whether you want the warm salty safety of TGI Fridays, the eat-it-with-a-fork dark beers of The Field or to be harassed by homophobic crazy homeless drifters, you can find all of it downtown. This is the setting of tonight’s challenge restaurant, Saltbox.  Located in the Palomar Hotel, the interior is posh, modern and hard to find (For me anyway, you may be better with directions.  You likely are.)  It also features an incredibly unique unisex bathroom with individual stalls built into the walls.  Ready to face this challenge were a few salty friends I brought with me:

Amy B-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

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

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

When were we ever going to get another chance to do group photo in the bathroom? Never. This isn't Ally McBeal.

When were we ever going to get another chance to do group photo in the bathroom? Never. This isn’t Ally McBeal.

For cocktails, Harry ordered the “Diamond in the Ruff” (Bombay saphire, dry vermouth, luxardo, st George absinthe & orange bitters).  He said it was really good. David and Amy both had the “Ginger Rogers” (Dickle rye, lime juice, ginger syrup, cinnamon syrup & rhubarb bitters).  Both gave high marks to the very good cocktails of this place.  Amy followed that up with an “Old Thymer” (Wild turkey, housemade thyme syrup & angostura) which was another hit.  Molly got the “L’il Miss” (Smirnoff, elderflower, lemon &  rose water).  She followed suit and said the drink was really good.  This place’s bar is obviously a highlight.

Ginger Rogers: Does everything a Fred Astaire can but backwards and in heels.

Ginger Rogers: Does everything a Fred Astaire can but backwards and in heels.

Right about here is where the problems started.

Right next to our table (no exaggeration, I had to hold my phone up because he could probably read my phone screen) a man showed up with a guitar, a harmonica and began an uninterrupted 90 minute set of 70’s classic rock covers at full volume. All hope my friends and I had of speaking to each other over our dinners were dashed as anything we attempted to shout at one another only looked like we were lip synching for our lives to the tunes of Elton John, Kansas & Neil Young.  Now, don’t get me wrong: this guy was very talented.  He played well and was a proficient enough vocalist, despite bringing “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” down a few octaves (The rumors are true, we high tenors are the judgiest bitches in the world).  But the bigger problem I have here was not with this guy who was simply doing what he was paid to show up and do.  It’s with Saltbox and other trendy places like it that don’t seem to understand that you can’t have it both ways.  You can’t do upscale dining *and* dive bar cool.  You just can’t.  You gotta choose.  This place passed itself off as a restaurant and bar but a much more accurate description would be “hotel bar with food available”.  And said food was why we were all here.

Right about here is where the problems continued…

For dinner Molly ordered the Half Kale Caesar Salad & The Burger on brioche with bacon, cheddar, lto, grain mustard aioli & pickles with a side of fries.  She said the salad was flavorless and barely had any dressing.  The fries were tasty but when Molly asked for the “House made ranch”, she was informed that they didn’t have it.  Her burger was equally disappointing.  Though cooked correctly, it was really bland.  She concluded that she could get a better burger at In-n-Out at a quarter of the price.  Amy got the Butternut Squash Ravioli with Buerre noisette, sage, pomegranate & chanterelle.  She found the raviloi to be really sweet and unbalanced.    As a table we shared side items of Cauliflower Gratin & Broccolini.   The cauliflower was found both by Amy and Harry to be nothing more than mushy and inside a low grade cheese sauce.  By definition; not a gratin.

Harry had the Skirt Steak with Achiote marinade, herbed rice, chimichurri & plantain chips.  Harry found the steak to be overcooked and the rice to be severely under-cooked.  He was thoroughly unhappy with it and planned to mention it to our server (who we were all pretty sure was a bartender assigned to our table) but after bringing our food, our server disappeared for nearly 45 minutes (or 12 acoustic rock covers).  not good.   David ordered Roasted Pumpkin Soup (with Pepitas, pea tendrils & chives) and the 1/2 Roasted Chicken with root vegetables, bordelaise, parsley and celery leaf salad.  In a change of pace, he really enjoyed the soup.  He said it was great.  The chicken however was dry and flavorless.

One of the few hits of the evening's food: David's Pumpkin Soup.

One of the few hits of the evening’s food: David’s Pumpkin Soup.

I got the Yukon Potato Flatbread with chicken added and a side of Fries.  Though  I was charged for it, the chicken never made its way onto my flatbread but I was so hungry by the time they brought it, I didn’t care.  It was more food than I thought it was going to be but it was good enough.  Nothing astounding but competently made.  The fries were fries and I got more than I thought I would.  Still on the expensive side (even after they took the missing chicken off my bill).

Upscale bar food. Tasty but not worth the wait.

Upscale bar food. Tasty but not worth the wait.

There were some dessert items on the menu but after a very long wait, numerous service snafus and having to spend an entire night texting each other at the table to save our voices, we weren’t interested in trying any of them.

So, you’re probably thinking that we hated this place and would never come back.  Not true.  The drinks were successful across the board so if you are a business professional in San Diego needing to take the big wigs out for a cocktail on the company’s dime, take them here.  I think Saltbox is really doing themselves a disservice in the way they are marketing themselves.  This is a hotel bar with some food available.  Passing it off as a restaurant first gives the wrong impression and sets up diners for a disappointing dinner experience, which is what we had.  Come back for cocktails.  After you’ve eaten somewhere else.

Further reading

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

Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Cafe (47 of 52)

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In this town you can’t fling a dead cat without hitting 5 Mexican food restaurants. What you’ll find (in addition to some really grossed out people in the path of a flying feline carcass) is a variety of styles of Mexican food.  You’ve got fusion, upscale, hole-in-the-wall to white washed gringo chow and everything in between.  This week’s restuarant is Jimmy Carter’s Mexican Cafe.  Contrary to my first thought, it was not founded by our 39th president but by a guy named Jimmy Carter in 1991.  It was classic diner food but after noticing a lack of authentic Mexican food in the area, he reopened it as a Mexican cafe and it’s been there ever since.  It took 23 years for me to have my first meal here but better late than never, right?  Joining me were some of my Mexican food loving friends:

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

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

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

Dylan-The newest addition, the 2014 model.  A Kate & Joe production.

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

Sebastian-The coolest kid in Kindergarten.  A Kate & Joe production.

You will be shocked to learn that this picture was taken post margaritas.

You will be shocked to learn that this picture was taken post margaritas.

Margaritas were a must for starters.  Amy Ordered a Mezcal Margarita.  She thought it was a tasty and different take on a smoky mezcal.  Harry had a Cucumber Margarita.  He loved it and found it to be very refreshing.  Aimee got a Azul Margarita which looks a lot like Windex in a glass.  She said it was very good and they didn’t spare the hooch!

For appetizers, Aimee had the Calamari Strips.  She thought it was a little unusual that they actually sell Calamari by the piece but she enjoyed them.  A bit chewy but that was more than made up for by the outstanding sauce that came with it.  Harry started with a cup of Chicken Tortilla Soup.  He said it was tasty but nothing he would lose his mind over.  I started with Chicken Taquitos.  They arrived, as it traditional, buried under a pile of shredded lettuce, sour cream, pico de gallo and guacamole.  I’m sad to say what awaited me under all that was less than impressive.  In fact they were kind of burnt to all hell and back.  The Chicken on the ends was so charred it almost had a bacon-like consistency.  They could have done with a quicker journey through the fryer.

There are rolled tacos under here, I just know it.

There are rolled tacos under here, I just know it.

For our main dishes, Harry had the Shrimp Tostada.  He said it was fine but nothing spectacular.  Joe had the Calamari Al Mojo de Ajo.  He loved the big, tender pieces of Calamari and the sautee in butter and garlic.  Also high marks came from Joe for the side of Telaquepaque Sauce.  Kate ordered the build-your-own-plate with shredded beef crispy taco, chicken enchilasa with green sauce and Chili Relleno with Red Sauce.  She also enjoyed it and praised the moist beef, the Chili Relleno which was “Larger than my head” and had a unique texture outside of the normally runny fillings.  She loved that the enchilada was so fresh and made with hand made corn tortillas.  Chris had the Chile Colorado.  He said it was competently executed but not outstanding . This particular dish, according to Chris, can be found done better elsewhere.

Aimee also had the Chili Colorado with pork.  She loved it and praised the tender pork with just the right amount of heat on the finish.  Amy got the Taco Salad with Soy Ground Beef.  She said it was good but there were some issues with the taco shell-to-filling ratio . Also she mentioned the salad would likely be better served tossed than layered.  Overall she found her dinner to be not much better than what could be found at a drive thru Mexican place (of which there are roughly 12,345,678 in San Diego).  I ordered one of the house specialties, the Comidas Del Mar Enchiladas (Shrimp).  I was really not impressed with this dish.  The shrimp were tiny.  The kind you can add to a salad for 50 cents at most chain restaurants.  The sauce, billed as “Creamy chipotle” tasted like reheated Tostitos cheese dip.  It was really greasy and gross.  I’m sad to say I really did not enjoy it.

Unfortunately the flavor spectrum on this dish was about as wide as the color spectrum.

Unfortunately the flavor spectrum on this dish was about as wide as the color spectrum.

In closing while my experience at Jimmy Carter’s was not the best, others seemed pleased with their drinks and some of the things they had but I got the distinct impression that better Mexican food can be found at too many other places in San Diego.   This is why we try new things.  Well, that and my obsessive need to publicly state my opinions on everything.  Anyway, you get the point.  Walk don’t run.

Further reading

To see all of the photos from this dinner, be sure to follow The Boy who ate San Diego on Instagram!

Cafe 21 (46 of 52)

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When you have a bustling food and drink area as large as downtown San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, it can get confusing knowing which places are good.  Don’t worry, I’m here for you.  In addition to having lived in the Gaslamp Quarter for 4 years, I’ve also covered several restuarants located in this area such as BiCE, The Neighborhood, South Paw Social Club and Cowboy Star.  I’ve had great success with all these places so I was looking forward to seeing if this week’s restaurant would stack up.  With me were the few, the curious and the thirsty:

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

Amy B-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

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

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

 

BRING US ALL THE SANGRIA. Also food.

BRING US ALL THE SANGRIA. Also food.

Cafe 21 began as a small place in Normal Heights which grew, both in popularity and size and eventually opened a spacious location downtown offering world food, local cuisine and live music.  We got our fill of all 3 this evening.

Abby started with a Peach Basil Sangria, followed by a flight of 6 seasonal sangrias.  She was a fan of 4 of them, going on to say that the other two tasted like wood and were overly fermented.   Amy had Persimmon, Grape and Cardamon Sangria, followed later in the night by a classic Sangria.  She enjoyed all of them and said they were each spiced really well.

For food starters, Harry ordered the Fontina Fondue; a Fontina, and Cream Cheese Blend served with House Made Bread Crostinis and Steamed Chef’s Choice Vegetables.   There were disagreements over this dish.  While it was certainly tasty, Kesley and Amy both strongly felt that the consistency of it did not merit the title “fondue” and was more like “Cheese dip”.  Amy felt the dish could’ve also benefited from more dippables.  It was very tasty but I’m more inclined to call it a sort of pub cheese instead of proper fondue.

That's not ranch dressing, It's fondue. Well strictly speaking, it's not fondue either. It's... It tastes good. Eat it.

That’s not ranch dressing, It’s fondue. Well strictly speaking, it’s not fondue either. It’s… It tastes good. Eat it.

David had the Cristo Crepes; Free Range House Roasted Chicken Breast, Handmade Crepes,  Mozzarella Cheese, House made Apricot Jam, and House made White
Wine Apricot Puree, Powdered Sugar.  It was a strange combination of sweet and savory which he found weird but good.

For our main courses, Harry ordered the Apricot braised Lamb Shank in Apricot, Tomato, Onion Sauce, served with Apricot Squash Couscous , and Sautéed Organic Spoon Spinach.  He said it was perfect.  It fell right off the bone with wonderful spices.  David had the Masala Chai Tea braised Short Ribs with Mission Figs, Red Onion Honey Braising Sauce served with Sautéed Green Beans and House Made Curry Potato Gallette.  He said it was delicious with the braising sauce being the real stand out.  Abby got the Curry seared Scallops with Potato Leek Puree and House Yellow Curry Yogurt Sauce.  She said they were amazing.

Amy and Mandy both got Veggie Cabbage Rolls with Isreali cous cous organic tomatoes, garlic onions, carrots and house made tomato sauce.  Mandy was a big fan of the sauce.  Amy also said cabbage rolls offered a nice mix of flavors and were very satisfying.  Kelsey ordered the Flat Iron Steak Flat Bread with Heirloom Tomatoes, House Avocado Pesto Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese.  She thought it was good but could use a bit more variety in the dish.  It reminded her more of a quesadilla.  She also pointed out that the menu online was very  different from the menu offered, in which she found the choices to be a little meh.  I had the Grilled Pear Salad with Mixed Greens, Butter Grilled Fresh Pear, Almond Slivers, Dehydrated Cranberries, Feta Cheese, House Honey Balsamic Dressing and grilled chicken added in.  For a salad, this was full of flavor.  Really nice components making for a light but very satisfying healthy dinner.  I don’t eat light much in this challenge so this was a refreshing change of pace.

It's a salad that eats like a meal! This is why skinny people are always trying to sell me on this shit!

It’s a salad that eats like a meal! This is why skinny people are always trying to sell me on this shit!

For dessert, we got all three of the offerings:  a flourless chocolate with vanilla ice cream and raspberry puree, creme brulee cheesecake & A pumpkin cream cake roll.  While I liked all three, I felt the real stand out was the creme brulee cheesecake.  It combined two of my favorite dishes flawlessly.  Less impressive was the flourless chocolate cake, which was served in a cast iron skillet that had clearly cooked too long.  It was burnt and too hot to eat for nearly the entire time we were at the table.  The pumpkin cream cake roll was super tasty but many at the table felt the dish could use a warm element instead of being served cold.

Cafe 21 demonstrates an adept creme brulee technique. The proper way to burn a dessert.

Cafe 21 demonstrates an adept creme brulee technique. The proper way to burn a dessert.

So in closing the final word on Cafe 21 seemed to be a swing and a miss on desserts, some positive reviews for the food but the real ace in the hole at this place is the drinks.  It’s a charming location with a nice staff and minimally invasive live music.  While I won’t be rushing down there again when the first opportunity arises, I certainly would have no problem with winding up there again for dinner and drinks.

Seriously, though.  That wasn’t fondue.

Further reading

To see all the photos from this dinner be sure to follow The Boy who ate San Diego on Instagram

 

Bijou (45 of 52) (CLOSED)

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Several hours after this week’s challenge, I awoke in a darkened room feeling the fire of a thousand volcanoes rumbling in my chest.  As I chewed a fist full of Tums & went back to bed, I said in my best Madonna voice “Absolutely no regrets”.  Obviously, this serves as proof that I don’t eat 14 pounds of fried butter on the regular (So yes, Dr. F, you can rest easy).  This can only mean this week’s challenge is French food!  Bijou in La Jolla is the Sister restaurant of a place I covered earlier this year on the blog, the fabulous Addison Del Mar. Expectations were high as my friends and I arrived in our fanciest eatin’ pants.

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

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

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

After this dinner we started to think that French people may actually be too lethargic to move when someone starts playing a Jerry Lewis film and that's how that whole rumor got started.

After this dinner we started to think that French people may actually be too lethargic to move when someone starts playing a Jerry Lewis film and that’s how that whole rumor got started.

Bijou is luxurious and elegant without feeling super stuffy.  The staff was very attentive and knowledgeable.  They made us feel very at home and did a bang up job at keep a straight face while we butchered every word on the menu.   Fortunately booze transcends all language barriers, so we started from there.  Aimee had the Peche Champgane Cocktail, which she said was great.  Chris ordered a Blue Mint. Chris and Amy B both had a “starter” cocktail (Pear Vodka, Germain, Lemon Juice, Grapefruit juice and basil).  They said both cocktails were flawless.  Amy B also had Aligote for her wine.  Harry got the Kentucky Bees Knees.  Amy J had the “Yellow Jacket”.  They both enjoyed their drinks.  High marks to the bar.

The chef was feeling generous (or bored.  Either way, Yay.) that night so he sent out a few bites for the table to enjoy.  The first was the Oeufs Mayonnaise.  Basically the French version of a deviled egg.  I’m not a fan of eggs, so I gave mine to Aimee.  She said it was good.  Nothing to scream about but a really good deviled egg.  The second bite he sent out was a beautiful pork belly.  I don’t think I’ve ever used the word “creamy” to describe meat before but it just melted in your mouth.  Really spectacular.  A perfect bite of pork.

For starters, Aimee ordered the Salmon Rillettes (with toasted baguette, radish and onions).  She said the dish was incredibly rich and sized for sharing.  The radish and cornichons really added great crunch and broke up some of the fattiness of the fish.  Chris and Craig both got the Escargot en Croute.  Craig said the dish was well prepared.  Jackie started with the French Onion Soup.  She said it was awesomely cheesey and she loved the browned part of the cheese on top.  I ordered the steak tartare.  I’d had it before but had forgotten that it came with a raw egg yolk on top. While I almost always bend to my ridiculous food fussings, I decided it was time to man up (er, “boy” up?) and try it.  I quickly cut up the egg yolk and just told myself it was a sauce.  It added a great richness to an already lovely pile of raw steak.  I love a good tartare.  true story.  Still not eating eggs though because gross and no.

Like all things I don't like, I quickly sliced it up and ate it before I even had time to think about what was happening.

Like all things I don’t like, I quickly sliced it up and ate it before I even had time to think about what was happening.

For our main dishes,  Aimee got the Steak Frites.  She called it easily one of the top 5 best steaks she’s had in her life.  She loved the compound butter on top that added great saltiness.   Chris had the Coq au Vin.  While he said it was good, it struggled to meet expectations after our experience at Addison.  Harry ordered the Loup de Mer (Ratatouille).  He said it was pretty much the second best meal he’s had this year (behind Addison, of course.  Have I mentioned how hardcore we ride that place’s jock?).  Rich, savory and buttery.  He loved it all.  The Amys split the Gnocchi al la Parisienne, Mushroom Ragout and Haricots Verts.  Amy B found the gnocchi to be delicious with an usual texture (Bijou makes its gnocchi from flour rather than the traditional potato.  Super light!)  and a great buttery sauce.  She also gave high marks to the Haricots Verts (green beans) and mushrooms.  Amy J also found the gnocchi to be a flavorful highlight.  Craig ordered the Veal Pailiard (with arugula, tomatoes and mushrooms)  Jackie and I both ordered the Lobster Gratin.  The dish was incredibly rich and flavorful.  Warm and savory with huge, tender and delicately sweet chunks of lobster with mushrooms and various veggies that married perfectly with the rest of the dish.

I printed this picture out so instead of wasting both our time with a list of foods I shouldn't be eating, my Doctor can simply point to it.

I printed this picture out so instead of wasting both our time with a list of foods I shouldn’t be eating, my Doctor can simply point to it.

Dinner in a French restaurant without having dessert almost seems stupid.  So we ordered just about everything on the dessert menu.  Hilariously the only thing we didn’t order was the creme brulee which I don’t doubt was awesome but stomach real estate for all involved was at a premium by now.  We were looking to break some new ground and we did with one particular dessert, which I’ll get to in a moment.   Other dishes served were Brown butter Clafoutis.  Macarons Du Jour.  Pot de Creme.  Fruit tart with Lemon Curd.  The standouts according to most diners were the Clafoutis & Pot de Creme.  All of the desserts were fabulous but one simply rose above to a whole different level altogether.  The “Paris Brest” is a light pastry with a hole in the center (Think a croissant shaped donut.  Hey, what a novel idea!) in the center they pipe in almond cream, sprinkle toasted almonds on top and drizzle with caramel.  It’s the best dessert I’ve had on this entire challenge.  It’s also only $10 and I dream of it fortnightly.  Life changing-level fat kid bliss.

As gay man, here is a pair of brests I would happily throw my face between forever.

As gay man, here is a pair of brests I would happily throw my face between forever.

The final verdict from me on Bijou is a positive one.  While others with me felt there are better places to go to drop that kind of money on dinner, I really liked what they had to offer.  Addison is not special occasion dining, it’s once a year dining but I feel that Bijou is a good special occasion place, especially if you love French food.  You’ll drop a pretty penny but it’s accessibly priced for upscale dining and you will get an expertly crafted, elegant and tasty dining experience.

Further reading

To see all of the photos from this dinner, be sure to follow The Boy who ate San Diego on Instagram!

Tam’s (44 of 52) (CLOSED)

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One of the things I’ve developed a great fondness for in the last few years is Thai food.  I first tried it when I was dating a guy some years ago who loved Thai food.  In the years since I’ve been unable to shake neither my love of spicy basil noodles nor younger guys who are completely wrong for me.  Fortunately, tonight I was only revisiting one of these life choices.  Tam’s is the first restaurant in this challenge that is literally walking distance from my home.  I still drove because lazy, but I totally could have walked there if I was so inclined.  Joining me was a small but dedicated group:

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

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

We stood on the stage for this pic. Does that sound odd? You ain't seen nothing yet...

We stood on the stage for this pic. Does that sound odd? You ain’t seen nothing yet…

Located in a tiny strip mall in Normal Heights, Tam’s defies expectations.  Unless you were expecting to walking into an empty restaurant in November with Valentine’s decorations up, Christmas lights, Disco ball lights, a stage and a tiny Asian lady asking what you’d like her to make for you, in which case you nailed this place.  Tam is delightful.  She’s such a character I wouldn’t be surprised if I found out she’s an actress playing the part of an old lady from a Kung Fu movie who has a Katana in her broom closet and the secrets of a thousand-year-old empire hidden in her spice rack.  I’m actually still unsure those last two aren’t true.  She speaks broken English, she’s sassy and she cooks all the food.  It’s very much like we were guests in her home and she treated us as such.

She bulldozed us into recommended we start with a curried potato egg roll with pumpkin sauce.  Not wanting to offend our hostess, we smiled politely and sipped our bottled water (which she brought us free of charge and insisted twice we weren’t drinking fast enough)  Turns out Tam knows what the hell she’s talking about and can throw down in the kitchen.  These were a massive hit with the table.  Crispy, rich with just the right amount of heat.  Easily worth coming back for alone.  This whole night just got as awesome as it was bizarre.

Asian fusion? Indian-inspired? Call it what you will, it was delicious.

Asian fusion? Indian-inspired? Call it what you will, it was delicious.

It wasn’t long before we had collectively finished enough of our water that we were allowed to order our dinners.  Tam was a bit overwhelmed with the amount of food but seemed up to the challenge of feeding this table full of hungry Americans (Look, for all I know she could also be a citizen but it’s way funnier to paint her as the near-offensive film cliche so just go with me on this.  Did I mention we love her?)

Aimee had the Amazingly Rich Pork (Batter fried pork loin with coconut ginger sauce and a Yellow Curry paste).  She said it lived up to it’s name.  Impressively moist for such a thin cut of pork.  Aimee called the Yellow curry a nice touch.  Harry ordered the Broccoli Stir Fry with Shrimp (with carrots and onion in oyster sauce).  He said it was awesome and tasted like Tom Yam Soup.  Amy got the Veggie Fried Rice.  She found the dish surprisingly light with very fresh vegetables and generously portioned.

Durwood had the Orange Chicken Pad Thai (yeah, that’s a thing) and Lard Nar with chicken (Rice noodles stir fried with garlic and broccoli).  He thought the pad thai was wildly innovative and delicious.  He called the dish “Some Top Chef-type shit”.  He also loved the flavor of the Lard Nar, calling it “Home made with a touch of love”.  I tried each one of these dishes and they were fabulous.  Loaded with flavor and super tasty.

Then something went wrong.  Very very wrong.  So wrong that I’m left confused and befuddled.

I ordered the Spicy Thai Curry Noodle (with snow peas, jalapeno, mushrooms, basil and curry powder).  My food came out last.  I was excited because, remember, I love Thai food and the evening had such promise and got off to such a strong start.  This dish…  It was awful.  It was absolutely flavorless.  It tasted like boiled pasta noodles with boiled vegetables.  Also a shit ton of curry powder which only added heat.  There had to have been a sauce she just forgot to add.  There HAD TO HAVE BEEN.  Everything else had been so good and so flavorful.  I poured some of my left over egg roll sauce all over my dinner and it barely helped.  I couldn’t get through it.  I was so upset.  Also confused but mostly upset that I was going to have to write about this dish during what had otherwise been a stellar evening of food.

We didn’t order dessert.  We didn’t have to because Tam brought us donuts.  I don’t mean she served us a house dessert based on donuts.  I mean an actual pink box of donuts from a nearby bakery.  Again, free of charge.  This made the evening even more awesomely strange.  I was pretty sure at that point Durwood was going to propose to her.

Yeah, totally not kidding about the donuts.

Yeah, totally not kidding about the donuts.

As for my dinner snafu, I have to chalk it up to a swing and a miss.  My dish was a mistake.  A smudge on an otherwise perfect record.  I am determined to return to Tam’s for another go at dinner.  She was too nice.  Too talented a cook and again, SHE GAVE US A DOZEN F**KING DONUTS.  I MEAN COME ON! I’m going back and you should go there too.

Further reading

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