Author Archives: anthonydonovan2014

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

 

 

Slater’s 50/50 (11 of 52)

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Of all the places in this challenge so far, Slater’s 50/50 has the been the place that the largest number of my friends and associates were shocked to learn I’d never been to.  The intonation in their disbelief was similar to when I tell people I’ve never been outside the United States and they say “You’ve never been to Mexico?!” as though I had been there before but just refused to acknowledge it as a separate country.  With so many of my friends familiar with Slater’s I came armed with a lot of knowledge and unsolicited opinions with which to guide the small army of friends I showed up with:

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

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

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villian

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matt-My co-star in “Five Course Love”, Runner, Lover of beer

Stephanie-Blogger, runner, fellow Disneyland enthusiast

Tomy-Fashionista, Rocky Horror performer, an original Kathryn

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If there were a dozen or so fewer of us you could see the giant bronze burger we are standing in front of.

The namesake burger of Slater’s 50/50 is crafted with 50% beef and 50% Bacon.  Yeah,  BACON. This, to me, was equal parts seductive and terrifying at the same time.  It’s like if  Bradley Cooper and Betty White put out a sex tape.  Among the other bold and awesome factors to Slater’s was the fact that they boast over 100 microbrews on tap.  I don’t even like beer and i’m impressed!  Among some of the beers ordered were Matt’s Deschutes Mirror Pond Pale Ale & Stephanie’s Latitude 33, which they both loved.  Slater’s also offers the opportunity to create and name your own burger, which several folks opted to do.  As for me, I felt crafting my own burger wouldn’t really be giving Slater’s a fair shake at seeing what they offer from their menu so I went with the “World’s Greatest Turkey Burger”.  It’s topped with smoked gouda, baby greens, red onions, a portobello mushroom cap and creamy pesto sauce on a honey wheat bun.  When it arrived, I learned the other trademark of Slater’s 50/50:  Cartoonishly large food.

I now know what it's like to have a sloppy make-out session with Audrey II.

I now know what it’s like to have a sloppy make-out session with Audrey II.

While there was much confusion with exactly how I was supposed to eat this, I made do.  I took at least 2 bites before asking our server for a shovel and a rake.  This was a damn tasty burger.  Well cooked and juicy.  The gouda added a great sharpness and the honey wheat bun was a really nice change up from the usual sesame seed buns I eat at McDonald’s  other fine establishments.

Our appetizers and main courses arrived at the same time, not that I’m complaining.  It was all going to the same place:  the stomachs of 14 ambitious burger lovers.  I ordered a combo plate of Fried Mac & Cheese Balls with Tapatio Ranch and Beer Bettered Jalapenos with cilantro Lime sour cream.  Enormous, fried, soul-hugging goodness.

Sized for sharing.  with a baseball team.

Sized for sharing.  with a baseball team.

Naturally, with so much food I was going to need to wash it all down somehow.  Enter the Almond Joy Milkshake!  The selection of Milkshakes at Slater’s 50/50 is redonk like whoa (meant in the best possible way).  I took the most time deciding what kind I wanted.   When you’re a late 30’s Diabetic, drinking ALL of them isn’t an option anymore so you pick and choose your moments with the utmost care.  It was of course, the best sex you’ve ever had served in ice cream form.

Aimee had the Graceland Milkshake (Peanut butter and banana, RIP king) and the Frito’s Crunch Burger, ground beef patty topped with melted cheddar cheese, house made chili, Fritos and 1000 island dressing on white brioche.  She said the burger was really good with a nice, but controlled spice on the chili.  Anna and Joe both ordered the B’B’B’ Bacon Burger, the lauded 50/50 patty with bacon American cheese, sunny side up egg, thick cut bacon and bacon island dressing on a bacon pretzel bun.  Anna said it was everything you want a bacon burger to be.  I should hope so considering I’m sure the only reason everything on it didn’t have bacon was because the chickens died of heart attacks from the bacon-only diet they were fed before they could lay the eggs for the burger.  Joe enjoyed the burger and added that it was surprisingly, not over-bacon’ed.  Keep in mind Joe’s childhood nickname was “Twinkie” so make of that what you will.

Brad had the Peanut Butter and Jealousy, ground beef topped with thick cut bacon, creamy peanut butter and strawberry jelly on a honey wheat bun.  He felt the burger was lacking Peanut Butter and could’ve benefited from some good sharp cheddar.  He assured me more than once that he wasn’t stoned during our meal.  David ordered The Old Timey because he was the oldest person at the table and at 6:30pm, it was getting close to his bedtime.  The Old Timey is ground beef, American cheese, thick cut bacon, grilled onions, green leaf lettuce, tomato and 1000 island dressing on white brioche.  While he said the burger was okay, for him it was nothing unlike he could get elsewhere, just hugely portioned.

Joe “Bish” ordered the specialty burger of the month: Japanese pork Belly with coleslaw.  He loved it.  Melt-in-your-mouth rich, smooth and well partnered with the coleslaw.  Joe also enjoyed how easy it was to cut up and share, which he did with me because he’s demonstrated many times over the course of our 12-year friendship that he’s skilled at getting on my good side.  Damn tasty sandwich.  They should really add it to the main menu.  Kate ordered the create your own burger:  She crafted a 2/3 lb fried chicken (“The whole God damned hen house”-Kate) on white brioche with coleslaw, beer battered onion rings, thick cut bacon and barbecue sauce.  She named it “The Trailer Dweller’s Delight”.  It was huge.  Seriously.

 

At 6 months pregnant, Kate's soon-to-be Daughter is already entered in 3 competitive eating contests scheduled the week after her due date.

At 6 months pregnant, Kate’s soon-to-be Daughter is already entered in 3 competitive eating contests scheduled the week after her due date.

Ky also created her own burger:  50/50 patty on a brioche bun with Vampire dip (roasted garlic, cheese & artichoke), tomato, jalapeno, pickles, lettuce and garlic aioli.  She named the burger George and enjoyed eating him very much.  Lily Did not partake of a burger because she is a baby but she was able to wear a Brioche bun like a giant hat at the Kentucky Derby.  Did I mention the size of the food here?   Mandy created her own burger called “I’m Boring”.  It had lettuce and tomato on a beef patty.  She found it very flavorful despite the name she gave it.

Matt had his own creation, The “In my Mouth”: a 50/50 patty with bacon pretzel bun, Danish blue cheese, arugula, grilled onions and Slater’s signature Bacon ketchup.  Matt had been to Slater’s several times and deemed his creation “absolutely delicious”.  Stephanie created her own “Texas” burger: beef patty on brioche, baby greens, fresh salsa, roasted corn, black beans, avocado mash & cilantro sour cream.  A Slater’s veteran, she pointed out that they tend to cook mediums closer to rare so level up for desire done-ness.  She also mentioned that her toppings were a bit bland and could’ve benefited from a bit more seasoning.

Tomy created his own burger, “Kathryn”: 50/50 patty on bacon pretzel bun with vampire dip, baby greens, lettuce and Fritos.  He said it was tasty but “a bit much” size-wise.  He was one of a few people who contacted the following day to tell me their stomachs regretted their choices.  Ah, the dangers of building your own burger.  Caution is advised.

The side items seemed to be the real stand out.  Between everyone at the table we had Beer Cheese Fries (chili, beer cheese sauce, melted pepper jack cheese and jalapeños), Slater’s Fries (A canoe sized bowl) with bacon infused ketchup*, Sweet potato fries with pumpkin dipping sauce*, Mashed potato Mac n’ Cheese (Exactly what it sounds like but surprisingly light!).

*Highest overall marks of the night from all diners.

When our affable server, Matt, asked us if we were ready for dessert, we roared with laughter and then quickly stopped ourselves for fear of creating a flash flood of collective vomit.  We then waddled “March of the Penguins style” back to our cars, which were all now lower to the ground.

Overall this place was really great.  Bring your hungriest friends and get ready for some seriously big, but delicious, eats.

Further reading: https://slaters5050.com/

 

 

 

Mille Fleurs (10 of 52)

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In the last few years I’ve developed a real fondness for French food and San Diego has been a great place to get some French food when the mood strikes.  Mille Fleurs offers up a number of solid reasons to want to eat there (critical acclaim, a ton of “best of” list shout outs) but the real sealer was knowing that Janet Jackson lives right near it.  Janet Jackson!

Mille Fleur (Mee-yay flewer) is located in the impossibly swanky neighborhood of Ranch Santa Fe.  It’s located among some crazy prime canyon-side real estate.  Huge, palatial homes that say less “San Diego living” and more “Stately Wayne Manor”.  This place is probably where Batman gets his French take out.  I wanted to take more time to drive down the hill and see the houses but I didn’t pass the credit check.  At least my dining companions and I got a really good dinner out of it.

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

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

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

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Notice how I mastered the “Bending over to tie your shoes” pose. Next stop, America’s Next Top Model.

The nearly empty restaurant boasted things you don’t see all the time; lovely countryside views, softly piped in techno music and very friendly French employees.  The girls wasted no time in ordering a cocktail before dinner.  Amy had the Pousse Rapiere.  “Brut” Champagne, Orange Curacao and an Orange Twist.  She described the drink as “sweet and lovely”.  Aimee ordered the “French Kiss”; Grey Goose Vodka, St. Germaine, Crème De Frambois and Float Of Champagne.  She said the drink was delicious.  Before our main meals, we were all served a refreshing vinegar-based salad with gorgonzola, walnuts and strawberries.  It was a small but effective palette cleanser.  

For starters, I had the Chino’s Farm Cauliflower Tasting.  Cauliflower prepared 3 ways: Pan-Fried in Bread Crumbs, in Verjus Dressing and Cauliflower Velouté (Soup).  This is where the whole “Farm-to-table” thing Mille Fleurs does really shines.  The fried and dressed Cauliflower were okay, if under-seasoned,  but the main star was the soup.  It was perfect.   Amy ordered a whole bowl of it and she also loved it.

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The prissy version of Red Lobster’s “Ultimate Sampler”

For main courses, Harry ordered the Venison, which came with Spaetzle.  Yeah, you read that right… It was then that our server told us that the head chef for Mille Fleur is German!  PLOT. TWIST.  Not that it made a difference to any of us, it was just unexpected.  Harry said the Venison was “Amazing.  Very delicious”.  Aimee enjoyed the Spaetzle with her dinner as well; Pan seared Duck with a blackberry sauce, pecan potato pancake and brussels sprouts.  Her dinner was met with mixed reviews.  While she found the duck to be perfect, crispy and medium rare with a delicious sauce, the brussels sprouts were under seasoned and unnecessary to the dish.

My dinner was Lamb with garlic confit and cous cous and it was beautifully cooked.  Melt in your mouth confit and the cous cous was perfectly light and fluffy.  Really strong showing on the main course here.

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The key word here being she “HAD” a little lamb…

Amy ordered the vegetable ravioli with Gruyere, caramelized onions and chives.  While she loved the Gruyere, Amy found herself wishing the filling of the ravioli was as delicious as the toppings.  Also unimpressive to Amy were the vegetables.  While this ordinarily might seem unimportant when you consider this place has it’s own farm, that viewpoint takes on a bit more weight.

There was no way I wasn’t having dessert at a French restaurant.  I ordered the Pavlova.  For those unaware, Pavlova is basically a giant meringue.  Still confused?  Imagine a GIANT Lucky Charms Marshmallow.  That’s what it tastes like.  Topped with lemon curd and a medley of Fresh Berries and Lavender Chantilly, this dish is not for the faint of heart.  Zingy, tangy, crispy and SUPER sugary.  It’s sized for sharing but I was in it to win it.  and by “it”, I mean the shakes and a eye twitch that I still can’t stop.

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Big ups to this place on the presentation, the food was super pretty.

Amy had the Rhubarb Pie a la mode with Irish Cream Sauce.  She loved the pie.  great crust and straight up, unaffected rhubarb, which is a rarity.  The ice cream was fantastic and the irish cream sauce was great.  She also ordered a glass of Canadian Ice Apple Wine, which was super sweet but well paired with muted sweetness of the pie.

Aimee ordered the Mignardise Cookie Plate: an impressive array of homemade mini pastries and chocolates.  While Aimee herself is more prone to a softer cookie than the kinds presented in this dish, she said the chocolate was top notch.

Overall we found this dining experience to be a positive one.  While not everything was a home run, this was a really nice place.  It ain’t cheap so set aside some cash and wear your cleanest pair of sweatpants (I’m kidding, put on some slacks you God damned yocals).  The atmosphere is really great and the service was terrific.  As we were leaving, under what I was sure was some glucose-induced hallucination, I heard the thumping baseline of Wild Cherry’s 1976 classic “Play That Funky Music”.  Indeed, I was not imagining this.  At night the front half of Mille Fleurs becomes a piano bar dance party where middle aged wealthy folks dance the dances of yesteryear and use $100 bills instead of toilet paper or something.  I’m imagining this of course.  This joint is way classier than my imagination.

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

 

 

SPECIAL REPORT: The Boy who ate New Orleans

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I just came back from 5 days in the big easy.  New Orleans.  NOLA.  Nawlins.  No, I didn’t go for Mardi Gras.  I went for a dear friend’s 30th birthday.  I had never been there before.  New Orleans, that is, I’ve been to a bunch of birthdays.  My first visit couldn’t have gone better, really.  I discovered a city so unique, so beautiful and so full of art, music, fun and FOOD.  Lots and lots of food.  So much food.  I could spend hours and hours going on about the food I ate and detailed accounts of each delicious thing I consumed but instead, I decided to rank a top 5 most amazing things I’ve eaten in New Orleans.

This list might surprise some as it doesn’t read like a New Orleans cuisine 101 list with Gumbo, Jambalaya, etc.  I certainly did eat all of these things and LOVED them.  This is more a list of the real stand outs that I wasn’t expecting.  While I would ordinarily post pictures for each dish, what I found was whenever I or my friends took out our phones during dinner, we would often times be the only ones on our phones so we got super self conscious about it.  Besides, the focus here was living in the moment, right?

#5 Crawfish Etouffe at Olde N’awlins Cookery

My favorite New Orleans dish done just right.  You pretty much can’t swing a dead cat in NOLA without hitting a dozen places to get bomb ass Etouffe but this was particularly welcome.  Rich, creamy, hearty and full of chunks of juicy crawfish tails and love.  Even better once I added some of Aimee’s fried catfish.  It’s really difficult to get a bad plate of food in this town.

#4 Crawfish Omelette at River’s Edge Restuarant

While this dish might initially seem like overkill or some sort of “cashing in on Creole” dish, it was surprisingly good.  I didn’t think crawfish would lend itself well to breakfast food and boy am I ever happy to be wrong.  It was fluffy, rich, delicious and not-fishy, which means fresh as all get out.  A better way to start a day in New Orleans, I could not think of.  Not including the Hurricane for breakfast I had at Pat O’Brien’s the next day.

#3 Bananas Foster Cheesecake at Pere Antione’s Restaurant

Banana cheesecake with Banana cream and a rich rum sauce that was so good that it defies description.  Aimee and I were so enraptured with it that a woman came from across the restaurant to ask what we were enjoying so much.  When we told her the sauce, she said “Don’t waste a drop of it”.  Did I mention how much I love the locals?

#2 Praline Bacon at Elizabeth’s

We stopped at this hole in the wall place for brunch and what we found was a sign that did not lie

With my breakfast I ordered the decadent Praline Bacon, Which is exactly what it sounds like.  4 slabs of bacon trapped Han Solo Carbonite-style inside a wall of sweet praline sugar.  I swear it almost killed me but it would’ve been a treat worth dying for.  Plus they were blasting Disco in the restaurant.  Heaven exists, y’all.

#1 Blue Crab Beignets at La Petit Grocery

My favorite place to eat in NOLA was this restaurant from the mind of Top Chef contestant Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocerie.  The highlight of this incredible meal was our appetizer, Blue Crab Beignets.  Light-as-air dough puffs filled with tender, delicately sweet blue crab.  Served with an Aioli dipping sauce.  Absolutely amazing.  The kind of dining experience you don’t want to end and the FIRST place I am going back to upon my return.

It really was an amazing experience in every way but I enjoyed the food so much I felt it warranted it’s own entry.  We now return you to your regularly schedule blog.

 

The Mission (9 of 52)

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I will never understand people who “Don’t do breakfast”.  That is so strange to me.  Breakfast is awesome.  It’s the reward for waking up.  You survived another night!  You’re a fucking bad ass.  Here’s a pancake!  Whether it’s a down home Southern feast of grits, biscuits and ham made with love or left over Cool Ranch Doritos and flat cherry coke because you’ve hit rock bottom, everyone should enjoy breakfast.  It should be the law.  My friends and I are BIG into breakfast.  So much that we often eat it for dinner.  Brupper.  It’s a thing.

One of the several hot spots in San Diego for breakfast is The Mission, located in the neighborhood of North Park.  I LOVE North Park.  It’s home to so many awesome things.  You can hit up a bar with coin-op video games from the 80’s, shop at my favorite vinyl record store, pick up some KFC and take a stripper fitness pole dancing class on one block.  Granted, the parking is pretty miserable and you sometimes have to shoo away a smug of Hipsters on Friday nights, but North Park is still the business.  A lot of my friends had been to The Mission before and were surprised I’d never been there.  What can I say?  My sheltered-ness knows no bounds!

Joining me for breakfast were:

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

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

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

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

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Post coffee smiles. Because “Pre-coffee” would’ve been cruel.

The Mission is one of those places where it’s usually crazy busy unless you get there in the morning.  As we were there at 7:45am, we got prime seating with a high chair so Lily wouldn’t have to eat on the floor like some sort of Depression-era orphan.  in addition to traditional American breakfast favorites, The Mission also offers a wide variety of Mexican breakfast food.  While I can usually be counted on to order something sweet at breakfast, I chose instead to order the California Burrito because I lack any originality before 9am.  Eggs scrambled with cheese, scallions & tomatoes wrapped in two handmade tortillas.

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Simple, tasteful and full of potatoes. Like me.

There is something to be said for good execution of a simple dish and this plate had it.  While it was comparable to just about any breakfast burritos I’ve had, it was tasty and well done.  The rosemary potatoes were nice and I loved that I could have them instead of black beans, which saved me the trouble of flinging my plate across the room.  I also enjoyed the bacon because bacon.

Nicole ordered the Cinnamon French Toast, which was my favorite dish at the table.  Just sweet enough to satisfy and spicy enough to balance the dish out.  Also it was presented beautifully.  Who doesn’t love being presented with something pretty first thing in the morning?

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See? It’s got fruit! It’s healthy!

Amy ordered the house-made granola with almonds, honey, fruit and yogurt.  She found the flavors to be on point but did note that the proportions of each ingredient on the dish were odd.  Pretty standard fare.  Abby ordered Granola Banana Pancakes with a side of chicken sausage.  The taste was good but the portions were large to the point where the pancakes almost seemed to seep up every drop of syrup and left the cakes feeling dry.  Both Amy and Abby ordered the Mexican Hot Chocolate, which they both very much enjoyed.

Aimee ordered the banana blackberry pancakes.  While she found them tasty, Aimee experienced much the same problem as Abby with her pancakes.  3 seemed to be a bit too much, though the flavors were on point.  Her big problems were with the overcooked bacon and eggs that seemed to lack any seasoning.

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This breakfast was last seen stomping Tokyo.

Joe had Blueberry Pancakes, eggs and bacon.  While he deemed the eggs “just okay”, the pancakes were huge and delicious, as all breakfast should be.  Lily ate a bit of Nicole’s breakfast while fending off fans from other tables (She’s like crack for Grandmothers at nearby tables).

The final verdict on The Mission is: good.  While the food is nothing ground breaking, it is some pretty solid eats.  I can’t be sure I would make it a “Have to” on the list San Diego restaurants but it was certainly a good breakfast and when you love breakfast like we do, that’s a good thing.

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

BiCE Ristorante (8 of 52) (CLOSED)

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I’m particular when it comes to some foods but I don’t feel right labeling myself a “Food snob”.  Like, for example, I still eat at The Olive Garden even though it’s not considered “Real Italian food” and I eat at Taco Bell even though it’s not considered “Fit for human consumption”.  You get the point.  I was raised in an Italian/American household so I, like most Italians, have my own ideas as to what constitutes “Home style Italian food”.  There has to be pasta, wine, and at least one older gentlemen at the table who has removed his shirt prior to the meal.  As much as I hold my own family traditions near and dear to my heart, I understand that not everyone grew up in a scene from Tony Manero’s home life in “Saturday Night Fever”.

In the last few years, a series of high end restaurants have sprung up around downtown San Diego and Italian places loom large on that roster, so I needed help picking one.  I found that BiCE Ristorante (Pronounced BEE-CHAY, not like Season 4 American Idol finalist/reason Carrie Underwood has been inflicted upon all of us, Bo Bice) appeared on nearly every top 10 list so I was excited to add it to the list and revisit my old stomping grounds (I lived in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter from 1998-2002 before it became the awful tourist-studded douche-moat that surrounds castle Petco Park).  Nestled away on the corner of Island & 4th, BiCE’s location was delightfully free of the things most locals hate about downtown San Diego.  I had a small but dedicated group of close friends willing to brave this challenge with me for the cheese bar science.

Amy-Vegetarian Belle, Author, Event Planner

David-Technical writer, singer, robot super villain

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

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Meet the “Dietary Restrictions Bingo” dream team.

We were greeted by our server Alessandro who spoke with such a thick authentically Italian accent that I am certain his Grandfather sprang to fame by serving Lady and the Tramp dinner in an alley in 1955.  He was lovely.  Actually, the whole staff was really nice. Kelsey started her meal with a Trio of Tartar: fresh ahi tuna and avocado – salmon with chives – sea bass flavored with citrus.  They were all good but the real stand out for me was the tuna.  light, refreshing and perfectly done.  

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*Photo completely and utterly stolen from BiCE’s website

Amy’s goal from the moment I added this place to the list was to hit the cheese bar and hit it hard.  BICE offers and incredible selection of cheeses that must be seen to be believed.  It can be a bit intimidating but Alessandro put down his accordion long enough to be of great help with Amy’s cheeses.  The in-house cheese monger even came to our table to describe every cheese, recommend wine pairing and even told us which order to eat them like some sort of “cheese expert” or some shit…  The cheese consisted of Lagrein (A semi soft, wine-washed rind cow’s milk cheese), Sottocenere al Tartufo (Truffle cheese with ashy rind) & Sapori del Piave (Rich, complex, Northern Italian cheese).  If the entire dinner consisted just of this cheese, I would have been perfectly fine.  Seriously good cheese.  Plans are already in the works to go back and continue working our way through the cheese menu alone.

The real stand out of this meal was the main course dishes.  You guys.  I can’t even.  Readers of this blog  already know that I make it a point with every meal to try everyone’s dish and decide on a favorite.  Sometimes it’s what I got, sometimes it’s someone else’s.  This was my first honest-to-Mama-Celeste four-way dead heat.  Every single one of these dishes was a home run.  I ordered the Ravioli di Manzo alla Massaia con Salsa di Funghi Profumati al MarsalaSOLD AMERICAN! (Gavel bang)  It’s a homemade Ravioli Stuffed with Braised Beef, Veal and Spinach in a Mushroom and Marsala Wine Sauce.  At first I thought the plates and portions were a bit small for the price but one taste of this and I understood.  Rich as hell, creamy and delicious.  With so much going on in the dish it would seem like some flavors might get trampled in the mix but each note of every ingredient came forward.  It was like a tightly rehearsed band tearing through my favorite song.  Crazy good.

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Meaty, creamy, mushroomy goodness. I love you, food.

Kelsey ordered Tortelloni di Ricotta e Spinaci con colata di Gorgonzola, which is extremely hard to pronounce.  Spinach and Ricotta Tortelloni in a delicate Gorgonzola sauce & crunchy Walnut.  It was incredible.  The perfect blend of salty, savory and a touch of sweet flavors.  I’ve never seen Kelsey tear through a plate of food that fast and we’ve been to crayfish bakes together.  

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It’s almost too pretty to eat! I’m just kidding, put the God damn plate down and back away from the table…

David ordered the special of the day, potato gnocchi with king Crab in a creamy Alfredo sauce with cherry tomatoes.  Another home run; rich, creamy, perfectly prepared fresh gnocchi and fantastic crab meat.  It was so good I had almost forgotten that David nearly ruined the entire meal by spilling his Mojito all over the table.  Almost.

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If I knew this could be the result of Sebatian’s murder in “The Little Mermaid”, I would’ve rooted for the French chef the whole time. 

Amy also ordered a vegetarian dish but it’s important to note that she was hardly low on options.  In fact, Alessandro (While gently kissing up her arm) said they could easily adjust nearly any main course item to be vegetarian.  It gets better:  They also offered a wide variety of whole wheat pasta and even gluten free substitutions, which is fantastic!  Amy had the Tortino di Parmigiana di Melanzane Condita al Pesto Leggero which is properly pronounced only by Italy natives and insufferable show-offs.  It’s Baked Eggplant Parmigiana with Pesto Drizzle and it’s amazing.  Again the “Keep it simple” approach that BiCE seems to employ works perfectly in this zesty dish with eggplant perfectly fried and somehow not soggy (Sorcery at it’s purest).  

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Alessandro was also able to suggest a perfect red wine with dinner which all of us were far too far off in food-induced love to remember.

 Seriously amazing meal.  We had dessert and while I was not as blown away by dessert as I was by everything that preceded it, it was all still very good.  Amy had a Pineapple Tart with maple ice cream, which was very tangy and good.  I ordered BiCE’s take on Tiramisu, which was muted in it’s sweetness and not so aggressive but it was very smooth, and creamy.  A good ending to the meal.  My favorite dessert (as well as the table’s favorite) was what Kelsey ordered; Pistachio Lava Cake.  Made to order, it comes with a scoop of ice cream and a piece of white chocolate Pocky on top.

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I was the only person at the table brave enough to try the candied octopus looking thing on the right. It was candied hibiscus. I am courage.

I have to say I never thought green gooey cake would delight me so much, especially considering I’m not a big pistachio fan, but by this point in the meal I was prepared to follow BiCE to the ends of the Earth.  This was the best place I’ve been to so far.  Fully lived up to the hype.  Also, though a more high end place, not as expensive as I expected.  I’ve ran up bigger tabs with two people at Applebee’s (See? not a snob!!!)

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