jmtreg's Profile
Himalayan Cuisine and Bazaar
If this is the place in La Mesa, I have been there. The food was pretty good, as I seem to recall - similar to Indian cuisine, but not exactly the same.
San Diego CLOSED Restaurants - Replacement for old board.
Um. . .there are no entrees at Apertivo. That's the point of a tapas restaurant - so the food should have come more or less at the same time. That said, the food really declined after the revamp.
San Diego CLOSED Restaurants - Replacement for old board.
There has been something weird going on with Apertivo over the last few months - the Twitter feed has been increasingly desperate, and according to Twitter, it closed yesterday. If so, why not inform folks a few weeks in advance? Very odd.
If Apertivo is indeed closed, then it is a very sad occasion - the concept was great, but the execution (and the food) wasn't there - especially after the move from 30th to Texas and El Cajon.
You are leaving San Diego forever; where would you eat?
I would hit the taco shops hard - even though we often disparage taco shops, they don't really exist anywhere else (at least not like they are here). I'd get the rolled tacos from Lucy's Taco Shop on C Street, carne asada tacos from Tacos El Gordo in National City, the carne asada burrito at La Posta (around 2 a.m.), breakfast burritos from Dos Brasas on San Diego Ave., tacos adobada from Mexican Fiesta on India Street, and. . .well, if you've lived here long enough, you have your favorite places and favorite items. Its always the little things - the foods you eat on a regular basis - that you miss the most.
San Diego - Great weather, but where is the outside dining?
Okay, a couple of points - First, there are very few restaurants in San Diego that do not have an outdoor dining area. Now they may not have the miles of grassland you want (outside of the Prado, or the Rancho Bernardo Inn), but there is always an outside seating area. Second, and perhaps this is news to you, but San Diego gets cold at night. So a restaurant putting in a large outside seating area does so with the full knowledge that no one will actually sit outside during the dinner service.
Wood - fired Pizza?
Yeah, that sounds off. Bruno's crust is charred, but never crumbly. I've had both Caffe Calabria and Bruno's, and I seem to recall Bruno's having more char. That said, they're both good, and it really comes down to personal preference.
Best San Diego Mexican Food?
You have to go to Tacos El Gordo in National City at least once. The carne asada is quite possibly the best I've had in San Diego - moist, beefy, and smokey! The smokey flavor they get in the carne was life-altering. I wanted to drive to every taco shop in San Diego, and slap the owners for serving me unsmokey carne asada. Speaking of which. . .I need to get down to National City.
Best ethnic restaurants in San Diego?
Italian (Pizza) - Pizzeria Bruno (its about four blocks from me, as opposed to Caffe Calabria, which is about 15 blocks).
Italian (Other) - I like Arrivederci in Hillcrest and Cucina Urbana
Chinese: China Max and maybe, Spicy City
Lebanese: Mama's Bakery
seeking loud loud restaurant
Urge Gastropub on a Friday/Saturday night would fit the bill.
Please comment on my dining list for my 5-day trip to SD
I have to agree - there are no good burritos in NYC. Also, the San Diego taco shop is somewhat unique, similar to a New York pizzeria (with the same variety in quality).
Gluten Free Street Tacos?
Yeah, y6y6y6, the places you mention should all be fine. Just have the kid avoid burritos.
Balboa Park: Good, Cheap, Fast?
Yeah, the museum/zoo portion of Balboa park is actually a small part of the overall park, which is huge - the largest urban park outside of Central Park - and almost all of which is used by San Diegans. That said, the food at the park has always been meh. So, nobody eats at the park except for tourists, and who cares what they think.
Good coffee in San Diego?
If you're near North Park, I'd look into Cafe Calabria, which brews a damn fine french press. When you get your stuff out of storage, you can also take advantage of the fact that Cafe Calabria is its own coffee roaster.
Starlite is spot on
Since we're reviving this thread, I have to admit that I've never actually eaten an entree at Starlite, even though I've been their at least a dozen times. I've had appetizers, the brunch, and plenty of cocktails, but I've never actually eaten a dinner entree at Starlite (and I have no idea why).
Who's familiar with 'old' San Diego restaurants?
Ah yes, the Chicken Pie Shop. I've been there once, and ordered the chicken pie (of course), and found it to be fairly good - good crust, good enough filling, and good gravy. It was everything I expected. On the other hand, my significant other ordered the pasta primavera (don't ask me why, as I have no idea what possessed my s.o.), and it was awful. That said, the place is cheap, and really old.
Also, have we mentioned Ruford's? I went there for the first time about a week or so ago, and their menus have a picture of JFK driving by the restaurant, which is cool. On the other hand, its basically diner fare.
WineSeller and Brasserie
I went there once with my parents and found the place to be so-so. The service was good, the place had a good ambiance (especially for being in the middle of an office park), but the food was merely okay. For the money, I'd go with the Wine Vault and Bistro, which has better food and ultra-swanky-seeming tasting menus.
French Onion Soup
On a slightly unrelated note, on Sunday I made genovese sauce, a Neapolitan ragu made from meat (chuck roast), wine, and onions. The results were like a cross between pot roast and french onion soup (minus the broth). Toss with some penne, some pecorino, and some pepper, and you have a really good meal.
Ba Ren
They're closing at the end of the month, so I wouldn't give them too much crap.
Will be visiting SD in March. Hoping to find a restaurant with no spoons.
Read up on Underbelly have you? (If not, well, you have your answer - go to Underbelly in Little Italy). Snark aside, you need to provide a bit more information than that - where are you staying, will you have a car, how far do you want to drive, and what kind of place are you looking to go to. Remember, San Diego is a very large place geographically.
Andrew Zimmern in San Diego
And the Linkery made up something for him (but he decided to go elsewhere). By the way, has anyone tried the thresher shark sausage from Catalina Offshore?
First time in San Diego end of March for wife's bday
If you go with the pure seafood route (and why not? San Diego has pretty good seafood), JRDN, Tower 23's restaurant is pretty good (its not a favorite here, but it is a huge step up from the other places on the beach in PB). For Mexican cuisine, I'd hit up the Mariscos trucks (Maricos German, etc.), which specialize in seafood. For a more neighborhood feel, you might want to consider going to the SeaRocket Bistro, or go to Bluewater (for some of the freshest fish ever).
Farmers Market Favorites
Yes, the produce at Trader Joe's is so-so, but that's not the reason to go there. I go to Trader Joe's for dry goods, frozen foods, and wine. I go to farmers' markets, or Sprouts for produce, and I go to Mona Lisa for Italian fare. But that said, Trader Joe's is really good on proportioning items for single people.
Where in San Diego can I buy New England style hot dog rolls?
My condolences. Remember, not only can you wear a t-shirt in February (with shorts! and flip flops!), but the beer is better out here.
Farmers Market Favorites
When I go to the Hillcrest Farmer's Market, I usually go to Sage Mountain Farms for the greens and garlic, Suzie's farm for the odd vegetables (Romesco cauliflower is 10000% better than regular cauliflower), and I especially like Tom King farms for pomegranates and watermelons (especially watermelon).
Tomatoes in San Diego
Wow, talk about restoring an old thread. My grandma's favorite brand of tomatoes was Pastene, which is a pretty common supermarket brand on the East Coast, but virtually nonexistent out here. The irony, of course, is that the tomatoes Pastene uses are grown here in California. My parents like Cento quite a bit. For my money though, I like the bottled "passata rustica" tomatoes you can find at Mona Lisa for sauces. Now, for pizza (Sicilian style with the sauce on top, of course), I have a well-hidden supply of Pastene tomatoes.
Yummy, casual places like Urban Solace that are new to me?
Well, mortadella is bologna. . . .but that said, I haven't been impressed with the non-oyster menu selections either. Which is too bad because the beer has been pretty good, and I like the atmosphere. In the ideal world, the owners of Tiger!Tiger! and the owners of Carnitas Snack Shack team up and create one great place.
Best Places for Lunch in SD
I concur - socal1, you have to understand that San Diego County is just a tad smaller than Connecticut. Now, if you want to drive upwards of two hours, then we can provide you with several places to go. Also, your request is pretty vague - practically every restaurant in San Diego serves lunch. What sort of food are you talking about? What's your price range?
San Diego New Places Opening Thread, Part Deux
Cool, I'll have to check it out for lunch sometime soon.
