The Regulars

I have been eating out a lot lately. A lot. I can blame it on Jessica's visit, I can blame it on the gift cards we have purchased and received lately, I can blame it on not having time to go to the grocery store after work... but really, who am I kidding, I love to eat out and so it doesn't exactly take twisting my arm to get me to go.

One thing I have not been doing is eating at new places. We have been spending a good deal of time at the old stand-by's which has given me the opportunity to try new things. Today's post is dedicated to a few 'fall-back' restaurants and new things I've tried there. See, you can teach an old cat new tricks. Or is that dog? I don't know, that's why I write about food.

First up: C Level. You can all join in unison and roll your eyes at me. I KNOW I always go to C Level. It's totally my old stand by. I know the menu inside and out. I know the wine flights inside and out. The wine flights and menu both taste better when sitting on the heated patio on a day other than Friday or Saturday, as this is one place whose quality suffers when super busy. You're sick of hearing about how I'll never get over them getting over the lobster artichoke fondue (cue horrible yet somehow uber popular Expose song from the early 90's), how the seared ahi sandwich and lobster mac and cheese are my favorite items on the menu, and exactly why the regular burger was significantly better than the Kobe burger is. Relax, friends, I know I've said it all before... that is why I bring you: A NEW MENU ITEM!!!!!!!


This is not just any new menu item, it's my new favorite menu item and the dish I have ordered the last three times I have visited C Level. Everything Crusted Ahi is it's name, and Deborah (we're on a first name basis despite the fact that I've only met her half a time. I will introduce myself to her one of these evenings) pairs it with black rice, a lovely pineapple salsa, and a little bit of wasabi. Light, flavorful, and very fresh - this ahi dish is perfect with the eclectic or fruity white flight.

Next on the list, Hash House A Go Go. Hash House, which has become a Matt Hughes staple, is my favorite place to go when celebrating at breakfast time. Whether it's post-race, pre-workday, or the start of a great birthday - Hash House is a fun place to start your morning. My most recent trip was to celebrate my sister Corrie's (picture above) birthday! She turned 24 (which means I am getting old) and we figured, why not ring in this year with enormous amounts of Benedict?




The Eggs Benedict (in this case, Roasted Chicken Benedict) was a new dish for me, as we generally do a hash and a pancake. Glenn, of course, had to get his favorite Snickers pancake in addition to the 3.5 pounds of mashed potato-biscuit-egg-chicken-hollandaise goodness that was on my plate. This may have been the best thing I've ever ordered at Hash House. I thought they had it made with the hashes, but no, the Benedict was out of this world. More food than any man (or horse) should consume in two days, but the thing is, it actually tastes really good, too.



My final restaurant is one I do not have any pictures from, mostly because everything is too good to stop and take pictures of. It is also not a place I have blogged about in the past, but if you follow me on Twitter, you will know that I have been there four (FOUR!) times in the last two weeks. Bronx Pizza. This might be the best pizza I've ever eaten in my life. Actually, I take that back. The best pizza I've ever eaten in my life was in the real New York at a place I am sure I will never find again. It was 2:30 in the morning and we had spent the last several hours in deep conversation at a bar/club we were told was just a fun place to hang out but actually turned out to be a gay bar (yikes is all I have to say about that one...). Seeing as there has never been a time where I haven't been hungry at 2:30am, we all decided to stop in for a slice of pizza on our way home. It was so good.

Bronx is almost as good as that. Post gay-bar when you were expecting fun pub good. In the last 2 weeks I have had: pesto, pepperoni and mushroom, bell pepper and pepperoni, spinach and mushroom, and plain cheese. Pesto and bell pepper with pepperoni are my favorites, and if you can muster up 2 or 3 of your friends to go with you, order a whole pie as they make those super fresh just for you. One thing to remember: bring cash! Bronx Pizza does NOT take cards of any kind, so save up those dollar bills.

Strawberry Ice Cream

As the weather has been getting closer to what summer in San Diego looks like, we decided to have an inaugural BBQ (which, apparently, in the South is called a 'grill out' as BBQ only involves things that actually have BBQ sauce on them) on our patio. Every good BBQ needs at least one 'stand out' item, and my guess was the Kirkland kielbasa and turkey dogs weren't going to rule supreme in that arena, so I had better come up with a clever side dish or dessert.

In comes the huge ice cream maker a friend's Mom gave to me last year. "Why don't I make ice cream?" I asked Glenn. "Of course! Yes!" he cheered enthusiastically. And so it was decided. I would make ice cream for the BBQ and everyone would love it.

We came to the conclusion that strawberry ice cream would be the best route, as it was fresh and summery and strawberries are already available all over town. I purchased a few pounds of fresh red berries, half the dairy section of my local Vons, and a lot of ice. Making ice cream is much simpler than I rememberd, all you really have to do is get the ingredients together, warm them up, and then throw them into the ice cream maker, ensuring ice is covering all parts of the maker for the next 20-40 minutes.

A photo documentary of the steps:




5 cups of pureed strawberries and more lactose than the average cow can produe in her lifetime later, it was time to pour my strawberry cream deliciousness into the ice cream maker. I monitored it fairly closely, adding ice as necessary, and covering each layer of ice with a nice heap of rock salt. Flavorful, fresh, and ready to welcome in summer - our strawberry ice cream was a hit!

Zocalo Grill

When you live in San Diego, Mexican food is as local as you're going to get. Why was it so hard, then, to figure out a place to go to dinner for our friend's birthday? We wanted Mexican, or something with Latin influence, but something unique and maybe a little more classy. Decent atmosphere, good food, fun drinks. I did some research and came up with this list:

Miguel's (our old stand-by)
Ortega's (my boss, who is a picky eater, loves it here!)
Zocalo (owned by the Brigantine, Latin flair, in Old Town)
Kemo Sabe (in no way Mexican, but Glenn wanted to add it to the list)

I texted (oh, I know I'm cool with my texty texting) this list to my good friend Julie so the decision making could begin. Julie is a/Ryan's - whose birthday we were celebrating (picture below) - wife and better half b/a friend of mine since the early years of 1998 when I wore Levi's and a blue hoodie every day, and c/a very talented photographer and the owner of Journey of the Lens. Check out her site, you will not be disappointed. Back to food... the decision was made to hit up Zocalo in Old Town. They had eaten there before, but it had been a while, and we had never been so that was a fun new twist on the evening. Here is Ryan, excited about Zocalo.



Ever since the whole Casa de Pico/Bazaar del Mundo/Old Town dramz a few years ago, I have tried to find other parts of town that had good Mexican food, and as a rule boycott any new Mexican restaurants in the Old Town area. La Pinata and Old Town Mexican Cafe are still ok, but that's about it. Seeing as Zocalo is owned by the Brigantine family of restaurants and has been there for longer than the debacle, I thought it was acceptable to show my face in this tourist trap of a neighborhood.

Zocalo has a great spot - right on a corner in the middle of San Diego Avenue. The Spanish style building fits in with the area nicely, and we really enjoyed sitting on the patio. Atmosphere: check. To start, our server brought us a plate of thinly sliced bread and chimichurri to dip it in. This went over very well, and for a group trying to fit into their swimsuits from last summer, it sure beat the caloric overdose that is unlimited chips and salsa. We also ordered the "queso fundido" which, essentially, is baked cheese with some onions and peppers, and our share of sangria, fruity drinks, and mojito's. Fun beverages: check!

The menu at Zocalo is unique and kind of exciting! Fresh seafood, slowly braised meats, and a good assortment of Mexican and Latin inspired dishes - so far this place seemed like a winner. I ordered the New World Sampler which included smaller portions of carnitas, barbacoa, and "lamb lollipops" which reminded me SO MUCH of the line in Two Weeks Notice where Sandra Bullock says "I've never warmed up to the idea of a flesh popsicle" that I had to order it. The lamb, which I am usually not a huge fan of, was quite tender and had a slight "grilled" flavor to it that added a little kick. The carnitas, flavored ever so lightly with a sweet honey-based sauce, was excellent, and the barbacoa tasted exactly like what it was - a flavorful piece of slowly braised beef short-rib. The trio of meats were accompanied by corn tortillas, which I did not realize were there until about 3/4 of the way finished with my meal, and three lovely salsas. Zocalo calls the salsa's "nuevo latin" - I am not sure what that means but here is what I think they were: one was the chimichurri, one was a spicy red salsa that tasted almost like the hot sauce at Taco Bell, and one was large chunks of a fruity substance that was delicious with all of the meats.

Julie had the seared yellowfin, served with snap peas and green chili rice/risotto. The yellowfin was good, but I think ahi has more flavor than yellowfin - are they the same thing? Either way, it didn't do too much for me. Glenn ordered the skirt steak accompanied by sweet potato fries. I thought this dish was unique, it reminded me of the flank steak at Indigo Grill; served with chimichurri and a sweet quesadilla instead of the sweet potato fries. The steak itself was tender and flavorful, Glenn ate every last bite, and Julie and I were sure to help him with the fries. Ryan ordered the carne asada nachos - a very Ryan meal so it was fitting that he ordered it for his birthday celebration. They looked excellent and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy every birthday bite! Good food: check!


Look how satisfied and happy we were! Also note, I do not have any pictures of food. It could have been the sangria, or maybe I just forgot I was a food blogger for a night.


My only complaint about Zocalo: the service was not fantastic. Our waiter seemed distracted and not interested in his job or us. His distraction, however, did not deter us from having a great night and therefore I would still give Zocalo a high mark. Eat there and be merry!

Zocalo
2444 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, 92110
(619) 298-9840

Recession- Proof Dining

I read something in Gourmet a few months ago about well-known and pricey Manhattan restaurants lowering their tasting menu price as the economy continues to spiral downward, but had yet to experience this "bail out plan" for food for myself. Friday night marked my first (and hopefully not last) welcoming of the 'lower prices thanks to this deathly economy' menu into my life.


logo courtesy of http://www.lavacheandco.com

A friend, a sister, and a food blogger journeyed to the hippest of hip areas in Hillcrest - Robinson and 4th - for what we thought would be a light bistro meal at La Vache. Upon arriving, we noticed a special menu advertised on the tables - the "Bail Out" Menu. Having limited funds and unlimited appetites, we promptly decided it would be necessary to order more than originally intended. We started, as most great evenings do, with a bottle of the house Cabernet Sauvignon. A French Cabernet, this wine had more depth and less "oomph" than it's Napa Valley cousin, all for the lovely price of $13! You would think it would be awful, but truly, it was not.

One of my favorite things about La Vache, Bail Out menu or not, is their fresh, crusty bread and herb butter. The bread is always brought out at the perfect temperature, the butter spreads easily but also melts onto the bread, flavoring it with fresh herbs and a slight sweetness in every bite. La Vache, in addition to Bread and Cie, is proof that man can live on bread (and wine) alone. Another favorite thing: you can draw on the tablecloth.



Next up we figured out our entrees. We ordered a cheese pizza (thin, crispy, covered in a simple tomato sauce and a few handfuls of cheese), the beef bourguignon, and the pasta al pistou. Also on the bail out menu is a smaller version of La Vache's cassoulet, which I highly recommend. The bail out versions do not come in their own cast iron pots, but they are $5 less per dish, so take your pick. The evening's favorite had to be the pasta al pistou - a simple, creamy pesto sauce with perfectly cooked pasta. There was also more than enough food for the 3 of us, so we each had the opportunity to take home the extras and eat them the next day! Luckily, pasta, stew, and pizza all taste good the 2nd time around, as opposed to the halibut I once tried to reheat in the microwave at work.

I think I like the regular menu a little more than the bail out menu at La Vache, but my favorite things about the restaurant are available for significantly lower cost; the bread and butter, fun French wine, and a great atmosphere where you can draw on the tables. If nothing else, this menu allows me (and hopefully you!) to experience La Vache more regularly. That, in my book, is certainly bail out worthy!

La Vache
420 Robinson Ave, San Diego, 92103
(619) 295-0214

http://www.lavacheandco.com