carli's Profile
Del Mar restaurants
I believe they're taking the location on the corner of Del Mar Heights Rd and El Camino Real, which is a very large building, and although it's still within the Highlands shopping center, it's way larger and has more of a standalone look than other restaurants there and perhaps can create more of a separate presence.
Del Mar restaurants
Kitchen 1540 is wonderful and has private cabanas outside, which would be a great way to go, if available at night and for the size of your party. I don't think the original poster said anything about wanting "middle of the road" which is good because Kitchen 1540 is not, either in price or quality.
Staying at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, but transportationally challenged...
Oops, sorry, I just realized I mentioned the forbidden rental car...but again, you can probably hitch a ride in the hotel van; otherwise, these are all definitely a quick cab ride away.
Staying at the Lodge at Torrey Pines, but transportationally challenged...
Sounds like a great trip!
Definitely hit up the Torrey Pines gliderport, which is right down the street and around the corner from the Lodge (although you'd probably still want to hop a ride in the hotel van). Not that the food is outstanding, (but they do make a great BLT), it's just the setting is jaw-dropping and unique and your kids will probably be entranced by the guys with paragliders running down the grassy slope and jumping off the cliff over the Pacific, sailing out and circling back. Here's a link to the Cliff Hanger Cafe, where you can get a good sandwich and spend some time watching the action (try to go on a weekend when paragliders are out in full force especially with good wind) - http://www.flytorrey.com/cms/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=43&Itemid=65
Also nearby, either by hotel van or rental car is Roberto's taco shop on Carmel Valley Rd, near the entrance to the parking lot for Torrey Pines State Beach (not the beachside parking but the parking lot which is across the lagoon). This is a classic super casual California taco stand with picnic tables outside, and while it's certainly not the best Mexican that the entire area has to offer, you can get a good carne asada burrito and other very casual Mexican food there and it's very close to your hotel. We live in Del Mar and have had many out-of-area visitors who insist on a stop at Roberto's after a morning of surfing. It's kind of an institution.
The closest village to your hotel is Del Mar with La Jolla Shores a close second in the opposite direction further south down the coast. Both have many good dining options.
You've already mentioned Kitchen 1540, which is our favorite special occasion place in Del Mar. Definitely try to go for lunch or dinner, but try to eat on the patio overlooking the pool and ocean before (or during) sunset.
For more casual fare, on Camino Del Mar (which is also Hwy 101) we go to Cafe Secret (around 12th St) for their good empanadas, Prepkitchen around 13th, I think (good organic, simple stuff but it's pricey and not really worth it when we take our whole family since I feel like we also cook in that style at home), and Americana on the corner of 15th and Camino Del Mar.
If we want to eat or have a drink at the beach, we go to Poseidon because the best thing about it is that you can eat on a patio/deck basically sitting on the beach. Food is fine, but not special. Jake's is another option next door on the beach, but with no outside seating it seems a little too insulated from the beach so if we're in the mood to eat at the beach, we definitely prefer Poseidon.
In the Del Mar plaza (at 15th St and Camino Del Mar, across from Kitchen 1540 at L'Auberge) our kids love Smashburger, which makes a good quality burger, has a lively, hip atmosphere and is an order-at-the-counter kind of place also serving some decent beer/wine. Has tables w/umbrellas outside on busy Camino Del Mar. Further west walking towards the beach, our kids also love to go to Del Mar Pizza and grab a slice to take to the beach. Very tasty basic pizza.
Heading the other way from your hotel, you can check out similar good options at either La Jolla Shores or the village of La Jolla, which is a little further. The Del Mar places are close enough (under 5 miles) so that the hotel van would probably drop you and pick you up, although I certainly don't know hotel policy on that.
Have fun!
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Del Mar Pizza
211 15th St, Del Mar, CA 92014
Cafe Secret
1140 Camino Del Mar, Del Mar, CA 92014
NYC foodies relocated to SD. Looking for good suggestions
We moved here from Manhattan about 7 yrs ago. We still get back frequently but miss living among all the great restaurants. You won't find them in abundance here, but there are bright spots. And, the other great thing is the difference in produce - all you have to do is take one trip to Chino Farms and you'll be blown away. Or even any of the local farmer's markets, and what still makes us pinch ourselves is that we can get this stuff all year round!
As for restaurants, Kitchen 1540 is our best bet for special occasions and definitely gives us the California beachy feel, but sit outside on patio before sunset for the full effect. It's kind of similar to George's but I think the food is better. I know a lot of people love Marine Room, but I personally dislike it...reminds me of an 80's "nouvelle cuisine" place. Stuffy and overrated, in my opinion. Our other favorite is Market. Our all-time favorite is Kaito, but that's in a different category...not much atmosphere, just exceptionally wonderful sushi and other dishes, as well as very personable, interesting sushi chefs who are very welcoming. Wine Vault is also excellent.
There are other spots that are solid but just not special occasion places.
Enjoy and happy anniversary!
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Marine Room Restaurant
2000 Spindrift Drive, La Jolla, CA 92037
Anxious about 1st trip and looking for advice
I live in San Diego (north county coastal) but I'm also originally from New England (grew up in CT, went to school in Boston, worked/lived for 20 yrs in NYC), so I wholeheartedly agree that the seafood is not comparable here. Especially this time of year, I crave a plain steamed lobster with lemon and butter, or a great lobster roll, or steamers, or littlenecks on the halfshell, or...oh, I better not go on or I'll cry!
BUT, there are a few seafood dishes that I think we do better in San Diego than in New England. For one, although I had several favorite sushi spots in NYC, I have never found anyplace in the U.S. better than Kaito, in Encinitas, which is about 20 miles north of downtown San Diego. The downside is that it would be a hefty cab fare to get there from where you'll be staying. The other type of seafood to sample in San Diego is the type found at Marisco's German truck, which was already mentioned. Wonderful fish tacos, shrimp tacos, ceviche and soup. There are other Marisco's locations that others can chime in on, but I love the truck on University around 35th.
Personally, if I were still living on the east coast but visiting SD, I'd skip places like Pt Loma Seafood and maybe even Fish Market since you can get similar fish that's at least as good in Boston. Fish Market does have a nice sushi bar and a great view from up top, but other than that, for a purely seafood experience, it's not as unique as either Marisco's or Kaito.
Where to get bacon without sugar added?
Try the Jimbo's stores close to you, either in Carmel Valley in the Del Mar Highlands shopping center or in the Carlsbad Forum. I don't know if there's a specific "no sugar added" brand, but they sell a few kinds of minimally processed bacon in their meat section.
The Kebab Shop (Mira Mesa)
Okay, well now we're not going in circles anymore...if your point was that the quality of the doner kebab is the problem for you, that's a different thing. Thanks for clearing it up!
The Kebab Shop (Mira Mesa)
Chezwhitey, I'd rather go to Mama's Bakery, but now we're in a different genre!
To my way of thinking, it's great to recommend a place that's within driving distance like Chinese places in SGV or a great doner place in West L.A. (do you know one?), but to suggest that someone wait until they can go to Europe is unnecessary. I think most people on this site are interesting in knowing about good, tasty eats in San Diego, and although it's interesting to know where the best, purest version of a certain dish can be found, I don't think it contributes anything to the discussion when the local version is completely dismissed because it's not the best you've ever had or as authentic as can be found in the place where it was created, etc.
On the other hand, I can see why someone would remark that the doner kebabs in Germany have ruined them for enjoying anything here (same with the pizza or certain pasta dishes in Italy or NY, etc), but that's different than suggesting others just skip it here in SD to wait until the next jaunt to Europe, which for many, may never happen.
Funny thing is, we actually drive to SGV area for our Thai fix, and I'm not even sure it's that authentic, but we love it and have been going there for years (President Thai, in Pasadena) and don't usually bother to eat Thai here in San Diego (except Sab e Lee, but a drive to Santee isn't very convenient for us).
The Kebab Shop (Mira Mesa)
I understand what you're saying but I think if someone will not be traveling to Europe anytime soon, they might really enjoy the Kebab Shop doner kebab and would never know the difference.
My husband is a good example of someone who craves their doner kebab from time to time and he's had plenty of more authentic (I guess) and probably slightly better ones.
By the way, what makes the Kebab Shop's doner kebab less authentic? Just curious...is it their unique mix of spices, which is, to my palate, what makes it extra good?
The Kebab Shop (Mira Mesa)
I have to chime in here and just say, authentic or not, the Kebab Shop has some delicious grilled meat dishes (whatever you want to call them) and a fabulous garlicky creamy sauce to go with them (whatever you want to call that) and as an added bonus, some really yummy french fries to eat on the side. Mmm-mm. Works for me.
Having spent lots of time eating much more "authentic" (I guess) doner kebabs all over Europe, I still like what I've had at the Kebab Shop and would recommend the place.
Honkman, I can understand why you might want to make the minor distinction that you can find better doner kebabs in other parts of the world, but it seems very limiting, in the pursuit of sampling tasty food around San Diego, to discourage anyone from trying the Kebab Shop because it doesn't measure up to the "real thing", which is mostly found tens of thousands of miles from here.
Mother's Day with Vegetarian options?
In addition to George's, I'd consider Flavor Del Mar in the Del Mar plaza. They've been getting some mixed reviews, but I've had two great lunches there. They just sent an email w/their Mother's Day menu, and it looks great and is fairly reasonable (3 courses for $40 and kids under 12 are $15). The menu choices look wonderful (here's a link to it: http://www.flavordelmar.com/events/MOTHERS_DAY_MENU.pdf) and you can't beat sitting on their beautiful terrace, which is protected yet offers a stunning view.
Again, nothing wrong with George's, which I also love, but Flavor is another option equidistant (or maybe closer) to UCSD. Sounds like the OP may be heading down to Linkery, though.
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Linkery
3794 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104
Help for Mother's Day... North County SD Something with a view?
You should consider the "Waterfall Terrace" at Kitchen 1540 at L'Auberge hotel in Del Mar. I just looked on their website...never knew it before, but I see that the Waterfall Terrace is the outdoor section of their patio that overlooks the ocean. It's a great spot where I've enjoyed many a delicious lunch with a breathtaking view. Looks like this is the first year they're offering a Mother's Day brunch buffet, which is pricey at $58/adult and $29/children ages 5-12, but the food is always great and the setting is amazing.
Here's a link to it - http://www.laubergedelmar.com/blog/mothers-day-delights
Downtown cheap eats
Congratulations on your marriage!
One of our favorite cheap eats downtown is the Kebab Shop - http://www.thekebabshop.com/ And another is Burger Lounge (actually in Little Italy) - http://burgerlounge.com/neighborhoods/#little-italy
Have a great stay. Are you coming from Europe? Enjoy San Diego!
Fried Ipswich clams @ Bite of Boston
Oh my gosh, I'm so excited to try this place! As a transplant from the east coast, I crave lobster rolls and good fried clams, especially as the summer approaches. I haven't been able to find anyplace around here that does a decent lobster roll (yes, I've checked Studio Diner, Flavor Del Mar, and Red Tracton's...any others out there?) Thanks for the tip.
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Studio Diner
4705 Ruffin Rd, San Diego, CA 92123
Burmese Food in San Diego
I've been told there are no Burmese restaurants in SD by people very close to the SD Burmese community. My daughter did an internship last summer with the Internat'l Rescue Committee, which helps resettle refugees into new homes in San Diego, and at the end of the internship, they had a great party (to which parents were invitied!) that highlighted the food of all the refugee communities. We had some wonderful Somalian, Sudanese and Iraqi food, among others, but the director of the program was lamenting the lack of Burmese food and said that because there are no Burmese restaurants in SD, he wasn't able to order any food that was a true representation of Burma, although I think he substituted some Thai specialties that were similar.
Recent Great Cheap Eats in San Diego
Chicken doner at Kabob Shop in Mira Mesa or downtown. Yum. Don't know how much it is exactly, but definitely less than $10. If you add their awesome fries, it might get to $10, but I doubt it.
Trip itinerary help
Sara, just a heads up - although PB and La Jolla are bordering communities, PB and Torrey Pines area (if you're referring to Torrey Pines State Park) do not border each other and are about a 20-30 min drive apart via I-5. Torrey Pines State Park is north of La Jolla village. Still definitely great to see both in the same day but just didn't want you to think it's one and the same.
If your plan is to head to Torrey Pines State Park, another option is to do breakfast or lunch at the Lodge at Torrey Pines either at AR Valentien (sit out on the deck overlooking the pool area w/the Pacific in the distance) or in the more casual Grill Room area. The Lodge is a great example of early California Craftsman style of architecture, in a gorgeous setting on the bluffs overlooking the Pacific.
If you're hikers, you can walk from the Lodge at Torrey Pines (less than a mile) in to Torrey Pines State Park, where there are great trails from the state park down to the beach, but plan on a couple hours of walking to go there and back. http://www.lodgetorreypines.com/dining.php#page=page-1
It's definitely worthwhile to visit the village of La Jolla and the nice restaurants listed in prior posts, but just wanted to clarify that Torrey Pines is a bit further north. Enjoy!
Annual birthday dinner dilemma
We sat at a table for two along the window on Fri night and it seemed fine. Granted, our res was early (6pm) but by the time we left, the place was packed, but the noise level was still okay, and I'm sensitive to it. Definitely jovial and lively, but not too loud to my ears. Might be not as tolerable if our table was in the middle of the room.
Annual birthday dinner dilemma
I just had a fantastic, yet simple, b'day dinner this past weekend at Cotogna on Sat, which is the less-costly sister restaurant to Quince. I'm not a resident of your wonderful city and am already dreaming of returning, when I will make a beeline for Cotogna. Had the grilled asparagus with buratta antipasti and gnocchi with dungeness crab and peas in a light lemony cream sauce. Hubby had the simple chicken baked in the wood burning oven. Dessert was bombolini with little slices of candied kumquats and ricotta, again in a lemony sauce. Everything was really perfect, albeit simple...not your typical fancy celebration b'day dinner, but was just what I wanted and it exceeded expectations. I just loved it. They have several nice tables for four along the wall towards the far side of the restaurant, where it would probably be most quiet. Cozy, warm atmosphere with cheerful bar along dining area and wood-burning oven at one end. Service was outstanding - very pleasant, knowledgeable, attentive and professional. Not too loud but not a quiet place either. It was perfect for my husband and me, and made for a really special, memorable b'day. Enjoy and happy bday!
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Cotogna
490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
4 days to celebrate in San Francisco (and maybe wine country)
Jasmine, thanks very much for the suggestions. Had a fantastic weekend and enjoyed some fabulous food. Here's where we ended up -
Thurs - arrived in mid-afternoon and hotel concierge suggested Tadich Grill because we were craving a simple dungeness crab salad for lunch. Salad had a gigantic amount of fresh crab, good lettuce and yummy dressing. Classic and delicious. That evening we went to Slanted Door. It was warm enough to be outside, looking at the Bay Bridge - magical! Food was very good, not outstanding, but the whole experience hit the spot. Was fun to explore the Ferry Building before dinner I had the yellowfin sashimi and the much-touted crab with cellophane noodles. Hubby had spring rolls and ribs. He liked his more than I liked mine. The flavor of the crab got lost and muddled in with the noodles. The yellowfin was a thick slab with a dab of something on top (can't recall what!) and was tasty enough but fairly unremarkable.
Fri morning, got up and decided to explore Ferry Bldg again on our way to Telegraph Hill/North Beach. Had a delicious almond croissant at Acme bread (perfect, not too sweet and not overloaded with marzipan as some of them can be) and had a latte at Blue something coffee place (sorry, can't recall name but I think it's well-known). Delicious latte. Had late lunch at The House, where I had the mussels in shrimp broth with some garlic toasts, which I used to sop up every last bit of that incredible sauce. Vowed to come back but, alas, we were never were able to get in!
That night we got a res at Cotogna, and I would say that was the highlight (food-wise) of the trip. Everything was simple perfection. Even the taste of the butter on the amazing bread was like the most farm fresh deliciousness. I had an antipasti of grilled asparagus (served chilled) with a lemon-y burrata on top that was like pillows of soft dairy freshness. Then I had the gnocchi with crab, peas and light lemon-ish cream sauce. Oh my gosh. I'm still dreaming of that dish. Light and perfect. My husband had the chicken, which he usually doesn't go for but he had a big lunch at The House (can't recall for the life of me what he had) and he wanted something rather simple. The chicken was crispy and moist with a smoky flavor from the wood-burning oven. Served with some wilted spinach and some sort of grain. Great. Dessert was the topper - those little bombolini (like donut holes, as the waitress said) with ricotta and little candied pieces of kumquat in another lemon-y sauce. As it turned out, each of my choices ended up having a hint of citrus, which I really love. Outstanding, simple dinner with some great wine (I had the Gavi, which I loved). Stands out in my mind as one of the best meals I've had in a long time.
Saturday, we went to the Ferry Building (couldn't keep us out of that place) to check out the farmer's market and had the Ham and Tam sandwich at Cowgirl Creamery for breakfast, which was great. Not over-the-top, but the best ham and cheese on a fresh roll that one could wish for...wonderful ingredients and perfect way to start the day, people-watching, sitting on the deck. Rode bikes over the Golden Gate bridge and found a place in Sausalito past the ferry dock called Spinnaker. Right out of the 70's. Had a hunch it would not be a foodie haven but that was okay because we got a table in the bar area on the window and ordered delicious Bloody Marys. Enjoyed watching a couple seals playing and didn't really care that the food was probably going to be mediocre. Hubby had fish & chips, which he liked a lot, and I had a seared scallop and mussel appetizer that was better than expected. That night, we intended to go to Bar Crudo or Lers Ros Thai, both of which sound great, but we were too tired to go out so we ordered room service (meh) and collapsed.
Next day was our last one and before heading to the airport, we had a straightforward breakfast at Sears Fine Food (I think that's what it's called), which was fine. My husband liked his Eggs Benedict a lot, and we enjoyed the old-time atmosphere.
We were sad to leave your great city and are dreaming of coming back for a longer stay next time, but will be sure to make reservations at a few of the places you recommended, as well as revisiting Cotogna and The House. Thanks again!
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Slanted Door
Ferry Slip, San Francisco, CA 94111
Tadich Grill
240 California St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Bar Crudo
655 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94117
Cowgirl Creamery - Petaluma Facility
105 H St, Petaluma, CA 94952
Sears Fine Food
439 Powell Street, San Francisco, CA 94102
Lers Ros Thai
730 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA
Cotogna
490 Pacific Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
4 days to celebrate in San Francisco (and maybe wine country)
I'm turning 50 on Friday (woo hoo, sort of)! My husband and I just booked a last-minute trip to San Francisco to celebrate. We arrive at noon on Thurs and leave late on Sun evening. We've lived in Del Mar (north of San Diego) for the past 7 years but before that we lived in NYC for most of our lives and miss the city and its wonderful food choices...although we also feel very grateful for and continue to be astonished at the fabulous year-round produce and wonderful ingredients that we can enjoy in CA. We're SO excited to be able to spend time in San Francisco, which (with the exception of a few quick business trips) we haven't been able to do until now.
I've spent an hour checking out this board and still can't figure out what to do/where to go so I'm hoping you'll be kind enough to help us figure it out. Here are the basics of our trip and what we like:
We're staying at the Renaissance Stanford Court hotel at 905 California Street and will not have a car but will take public transportation and/or taxis. We love unique, special dining experiences (who doesn't?!) and we're not really into "fine dining" or generally fancy places although if a place is seriously "best in class" then we'd love to go. We do not usually care for French cuisine (although lots of our favorites are French-influenced). No steakhouses or Mexican, please...although we like it, we get enough in San Diego. We like fresh seafood, Japanese, Asian and fresh/local ingredients in general, and lots of different tastes. Anything interesting or unique. My husband likes spicy stuff. We prefer a place that's not super noisy or trendy but don't want anything too stuffy. Hmmm...asking a lot, aren't we?
We're also hoping to go to Napa, Sonoma and/or Anderson Valley for a day and might do that on our last day (Sun)...is it possible to go to a great restaurant, eat something wonderful and visit a nice winery or two before getting back to SFO for our 8:15 flight? Is that realistic, and are there drivers or specific tours/places that would be good for that? This is my first stop for that question, and maybe I need to research that elsewhere?
Also, what is the "best" place to celebrate a special birthday in San Francisco or surrounding area, without regard to price?
Thank you in advance for any advice you can provide, and I apologize in advance that this request is so varied and broad.
One week in Mission Beach, need recs
The Torrey Pines gliderport has an outside burger/grill place, where we usually get great BLTs and sit on their little deck...so much fun to watch the paragliders take off from that spot, but bring a jacket as it can get chilly up there. Every time we have out-of-town visitors, an afternoon at the gliderport, coupled with a walk on one of the trails at Torrey Pines state park, usually ends up being a highlight of their trip. We haven't been there for about a year, but I assume that little grill place at the gliderport is still open so there's no need to bring a picnic unless you prefer it (and I agree that sandwiches from Rubicon deli are great!)
Burger Lounge Expansion
I just want to chime in to say that I LOVE Burger Lounge for what it is. As fast food, it's the best option around, and it fills other niches as well.
I've been 2-3 times to Little Italy, once to the one in Kensington and twice to the Coronado Burger Lounge in the last few years, and while some visits were definitely better than others, I still think it's head and shoulders above other fast food or casual burger options for many reasons, mostly just taste.
Not only do I prefer to eat grass fed beef for lots of environmental/health reasons, but to my tastebuds, the burger has a cleaner, less "muddy" flavor with the char-broil taste really shining through. I always order it medium rare, and only once did the burger arrive cooked medium, but even then it was still juicy.
I love their brioche-style buns, too. I don't know if the fries are hand cut, but they're definitely always hot, crisp and deliciously fresh tasting as if made at home, and I love the parsley sprinkled on them. My standard order is the kids burger (or whatever it's called, maybe mini burger) and the 1/2 and 1/2 order of fries/rings.
We have two kids, and we like the fact that it's a place we all enjoy and yet isn't mainly geared towards kids. I can actually have a decent glass of wine and hubby can have a nice beer, our teenage daughter can have a good (not mass produced) veggie burger, and we're all pretty happy. It's also a place that works if we can't do a longer more leisurely meal (as we might have at Alchemy) so we're happy that it meets most of our needs at a great price.
We're probably in a minority on this board, having kids and all, and our needs are probably a bit different, but I still think I'd be going to BL if I were single or there were just two of us, although maybe not as often.
So I think Burger Lounge is a home run kind of place for lots of different reasons, and I'm very happy they're in the San Diego area. Where we live (Del Mar), a Smashburger opened up within the last year, and we've tried it twice but I always find myself wishing it was a Burger Lounge instead. I see that the Counter is coming soon to Del Mar Highlands, and having tried the location in Carlsbad Forum, again, I wish it was a Burger Lounge instead. And again, the fact that BL uses grass-fed beef really makes it even more attractive to me, beyond the taste.
Swiss Chocolates with Liquer?
I don't recall if they're Swiss in origin, but I've seen chocolate w/liqeur at both World Market and Costco from time to time, especially around the holidays.
Cherry Pie
I, too, am a big fan of Elizabethan Desserts so I don't want to discourage you from getting your cherry pie there, but I haven't tried that one yet so I can only recommend the cherry pie from Village Mill bakery in Del Mar Highlands shopping center, next to Jimbo's. It's really delicious. We have friends from LA who HAVE to have it every time they visit us.
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Elizabethan Desserts
155 Quail Gardens Dr, Encinitas, CA
Where should a couple of moms & their teens eat the night before our visit to UCSB?
Thanks, everyone, for the great sounding suggestions. Not sure which one we'll pick, but we look forward to trying one of them!
Where should a couple of moms & their teens eat the night before our visit to UCSB?
A group of us will be visiting UCSB from the San Diego area - two moms with our three daughters, all around age 17. We're staying at the Pacifica Suites hotel on Hollister Ave. Although we don't mind driving and would eventually like to explore downtown Santa Barbara, it would be ideal to find a restaurant fairly close to the hotel for dinner as we'll be getting in around dinnertime.
All of us are pretty adventurous eaters, with one vegetarian (not vegan) kid in the mix. No particular cuisine in mind, but we all love good Japanese, Thai, Indian, Mexican, or just a nice bistro/cafe type place. We'll probably want a glass of wine (at least the moms)!
Where would you suggest we go? Thanks in advance.
Recommendations for a Local
Our family LOVES Minh Ky and we're slowly working through the menu there...the problem is, we get stuck on one or two dishes and never want to order others. We'll have to try the beefsteak with tomato. That place is amazing...I've been in City Heights frequently lately for work reasons and have eaten at some real gems. Wish we had the same variety up here in North County. We are also BIG fans of Kebab Shop, where my 12-yr-old has requested to go for her b'day dinner tomorrow night. I usually go for the chicken doner, and of course, the fries are amazing. Also love many of the others on your list and am interested in checking out the few that I haven't heard of (such as Mea Kwan). Thanks for the ideas!
Kaito - an amazing experience
My husband and I seem to usually spend around $150, including tax, tip and alcohol.
I always have omakase and usually eat several more pieces of sushi than my husband does. My husband tends to have one or two types of sushi and then orders the shrimp tempura roll, which is really great. I always have one (or very rarely, if we're there for a very long time, I might have two) glasses of sake (the one in the brown bottle...can't recall its name, but it's really great!) and my husband has a bottle of beer. I'd say our appetite and ordering is probably about a normal amount...we don't hold back at all, but we also don't gorge ourselves.
Sometimes, I have to ask Joe-San for one more thing because he sometimes assumes I'm finished before I'm ready to be done! Years ago, the first time we went, when Kaito was in its former space on Encinitas Blvd, we came in one night and the only seats open were in front of Joe-San so now we gravitate to him every time, and we love his sushi. He suggests things before just giving them to us, and describes them well...it's rarely necessary, but once or twice I've steered him in another direction if I feel like it's not going to be my cup of tea. He has a great memory and usually recalls (sometimes better than I do!) what I liked from my last visit, even if it was several weeks prior.
As you can probably tell, my husband and I are not at all sophisticated sushi lovers (and my husband many times prefers just having the tempura rolls), yet we don't find Kaito intimidating at all. Believe me, if we can be comfortable there, anyone can. It's a very welcoming place.
