Jim Strain's Profile
Dussini in San Diego
I've not eaten at Dussini, so I won't disagree with any of the posts, but Herbert33's comment that it was "not a good value at $25+ per entree" caught my eye. With the hiccups in the economy recently, we may all need to recalibrate our ideas of what constitutes "overpriced." I've recently done double takes at a number of local restaurants where the prices have been seriously adjusted upward. I don't think they're gouging; I think they're trying to recover their costs. Bad news for the restaurateurs as potential customers are priced out of the place, and bad news for us would-be diners who are staying home with our Spam and Kraft mac 'n' cheese.
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Molly's, San Diego?
We've eaten there twice in the past year or so, both at wine dinners. At both, the food was definitely first rate, but it was really enhanced by the wine selections and the unobtrusive but highly informative commentary of their premiere wine director, Lisa Redwine. There are quite a few excellent restaurants in San Diego these days, but Molly's is for sure worth your time.
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Dog Friendly dining in San Diego
In my experience, the best casual restaurants in Mexico all have at least one dog on the premises, and they always seem to be well behaved. Another local dog-friendly place is Cafe Chloe (sidewalk tables).
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Where in San Diego
Although I don't believe it's on the regular menu, Antica Trattoria in La Mesa frequently has a veal chop as a special. The one I last had, as I recall, was served with a a red wine reduction and sliced mushrooms. Very good.
And Happy Birthday, G!
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Mission Bay - inexpensive dinner for 15 kids?
Lotsa Pasta in Pacific Beach is near Mission Bay and very affordable. Kids like it because everyone gets to pick their own variety of pasta and what sauces or extras go with it. It's a big room and can easily accommodate your mob. They may not make anyone's "10 Best" list, but the food is reliable and tasty and (IMO), a very good value.
Restaurant Week
Count me as among the rabble who enjoy restaurant week. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but I’ve never encountered wait staff who seemed annoyed by a busy evening on a week night, since that translates into better tips. Neither have I had a long wait for a table, but I know that does happen. On the other hand, when we make our RW picks, we’re not necessarily looking for the biggest savings, but rather for places we’d like to eat, and where the RW selections look intriguing. Like you, we don’t usually order dessert when it’s optional, but maybe that’s one reason it seems like a treat when it’s “forced” upon us. For us (and maybe we’ve just been lucky), the price has always worked out to be a good – and occasionally terrific – value. Given the state of the culinary business climate, I guess I’m for any kind of a gimmick that will help to keep the eateries open the other 50 weeks of the year.
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Brunch/Lunch in Laguna/Dana Pt area
Thanks to your recommendation, five of us met for lunch today at the Coyote Grill in South Laguna. Thank you!
They don’t take reservations, but we only waited about ten minutes for a table at 11:45, and it was exactly the right combination of casual, friendly, and -- most important -- delicious.
One of our group came from Altadena, one from Cathedral City, and I came from eastern San Diego County. All three of us left furnaces when we left our homes, but Laguna was pleasantly warm, and the skies were clear as could be.
I had chorizo and eggs with black beans and corn tortillas. Others in our party had a humongous chicken burrito, an enchilada plate, a Mexican style shrimp salad and -- sigh! -- a hamburger. Everyone made yummy noises, and I appreciated the ice cold Pacifico. Everyone’s plates were clean.
About the time we finished eating, and would have been feeling guilty about hanging out, the place started to clear out, so we stayed at our table for another hour (we tipped *very* generously) and there was never any hint of impatience on the part of the staff. It was a great reunion, and I heartily thank you, Joseph, and the other OC hounds who helped make it happen.
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Brunch/Lunch in Laguna/Dana Pt area
Next Sunday a group of us who attended the same all-boys high school are planning a lunch and we picked Laguna or Dana point as a compromise for those who must travel from San Diego or San Fernando.
Can someone recommend a venue that has good food, not too expensive or fancy (can’t handle the Ritz Carlton), and where 8 or 10 guys could have a leisurely meal, and then hoist a few beers or coffees? You folks came through for me a couple of years ago, so I’m hoping you can hit another homer. Thanks very much!
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Good Eats in Little Italy
I haven't eaten at Filippi's in years, but whenever I'm cooking something Italian, and I need ingredients that you can't get at Von's, I often head for the grocery and deli counter at Filippi's. The selection is good and the quality is reliable. I don't think the restaurant or its menu have changed much -- if at all -- since we used to go there with the kids 30 years ago. It sure ain't trendy, but the prices are family-friendly and the aroma always, always stokes the embers of my memory and sets my mouth to watering.
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Good Eats in Little Italy
I wouldn't exactly call it a tourist trap, but Little Italy definitely makes most of its money from tourists. Nevertheless, it's possible to get a good meal there. I agree with Mona Lisa for the spaghetti-and-chianti vibe, but my personal favorite is Buon Appetito where I've had some memorable meals (ambitious risotto, vitello tonato, and some delicious but affordable Italian wines). In Little Italy, I think the distinction between formal and casual is generally whether or not there's a cloth on the table.
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p.s. You're gonna love The Better Half.
Support your local restaurants!
Yes! Business is way off everywhere. Places where reservations have always been essential have plenty of seating. Anybody who wonders whether or not we're really in a recession has only to ask a restaurant owner. I'm really afraid that, in San Diego at least, we're headed for a big shakeout.
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The Fishery (SD) has reopened
There is indeed a more limited selection, and the stuff in the cases is premium quality (and price). I don't know what would happen if you asked for something that wasn't on display (no snapper, for example), but that they certainly have because the restaurant is serving it.
For selection these days, I think the fish market at Blue Water Grill on India Street seems to rule.
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The Fishery (SD) has reopened
I phoned The Fishery in Pacific Beach this afternoon to see if their renovations were anywhere near done, and if perhaps they had an opening date yet, and it turned out they reopened last Thursday night. Sooo, we decided to go there for lunch.
I have to confess I was worried. I was afraid I'd find white tablecloths and chandeliers and doubled prices. No way. They've pretty much kept the original character of the place, though according to the waitress, they've added 31 seats. Most of that came by shortening the fish market display cases (by a lot, actually), and opening up the north end a little more. They've also added a small bar (beer and wine) with six or eight stools. Still, it looked and felt pretty much like the same old place.
We got there kind of late for lunch, and for a variety of reasons, we decided to keep the lunch kind of simple. Much of the menu looked the same. I did recognize a number of the dishes, but it *seemed* a bit shorter. The wine list has been refreshed, and there are some good affordable selections. Entrees can be steep in price, but the most expensive dishes are made with some very expensive ingredients.
Anyway, we had the mussels appetizer (yummy as always), and for our lunch we had two varieties of fish and chips -- taste test. I ordered the "Market Catch and Chips" with the scary "AQ" instead of a price. Di ordered the "Halibut and Chips" for $20 (I know, but have you shopped for halibut lately?). Both turned out to be pretty good, but my generic Market Catch was MUCH better. I guess I knew it would be, since halibut, with its firm flesh and very mild flavor wouldn't be my first choice for a fish&Chips treatment. The Market Catch (which turned out to be snapper) was very, very good.
The star of the show, though, was dessert. We shared a bowl of fresh (Crows Something farms) strawberries with a balsamic reduction over a hefty scoop of vanilla gelato. It was by far the best example of the berries-and-balsamic thing I've ever tasted. The berries had been warmed, and I don't know what kind of vinegar that was, but I'll vouch that it didn't come from the middle shelf at Vons. If they have it when you visit, don't miss it.
As it turned out, the AQ fish and chips were $9, so I guess that'd qualify as a Consumer Reports "Best Buy." In all, a very satisfying lunch to welcome back an old friend.
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Cafe Pacifica, Old Town San Diego
I was saddened to see an item in yesterday's paper that Cafe Pacifica would be closing at the end of this month. For many years, it has been (IMO) the best restaurant in Old Town. According to the brief article, revenues at the restaurant have been in decline for the past several years, since the "improvements" to Old Town State Park demoted its place on the list of attractive tourist destinations in this area.
We didn't eat there all that often, but my memories include some great bouillabaisse, delicious local fish prepared with great skill and care, and according to my wife, the most memorable catfish she'd ever eaten. Anyway, when the landlords recently jacked up the rent, Cafe Pacifica made the decision that has been forced upon too many San Diego restaurateurs in recent years. I guess the upside is that I'll no longer have to search for a parking place, since I can think of anything else that would bring me to Old Town these days.
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Northgate Market - San Diego
I love that place. When you arrive and get out of your car, the smell of the fresh tortillas is like a free sample in itself. And I lost count of how many kinds of ceviche they had in the deli section (just past the fruteria). Here's a link to their site:
http://www.northgatemarkets.com/
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Decent Mexican food in San Diego?
So, uh, what exactly do you want in your burrito, anyway? If you're from LA, I know you couldn't mean one of those two-pound monstrosities filled with rice and vegetarian beans. Could it be that your problem is that you've been looking in La Jolla? I'm always suspicious when I go into some place and Vivaldi is playing in the background and the menu lists "Taqueax" and "Buriteaux." ;-)
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Currant in SD--lunchtime review
My recent lunch experience at Currant was much more positive than Daantaat's . No time for a lengthy review, but we had the moules frites (mussels with fries on top), and the mussels were some of the best I've had recently (though the Fishery in PB is still the champ). The mound of fries topping the pile of mussels was, in my opinion, even better than Chloe's, which I also love. Di had the sweetbread club sandwich, which she adored, and I had a fancy chicken salad sandwich that may have been the best thing of its kind I'd ever tasted. We split a bottle of Kim Crawford Chardonnay, and the total bill, less tip, was $70.00. The room, is very comfortable, and nicely decorated with some funky wood-panel paintings on the wall. Lots of glass gave a view on one side into the lobby of the Hotel Sofia which was festively decorated with a number of large Christmas trees.
I'm old enough to remember when this place was the greasy spoon coffee shop of the Pickwick Hotel (Greyhound Post House Cafe), and I was blown away by the transformation. We're definitely going to give it a try for dinner.
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The Better Half (restaurant)
I’ll add my voice to the praise for The Better Half. Last night Di and I, after reading previous posts here, decided to give it a try.
When we arrived about 7 p.m., I recognized the building as one I had only eaten at once, years ago, when it was an earnest but struggling sandwich shop. Surprisingly, after Alice’s post, the place was more than half empty, and we were seated immediately at a good sized table adjacent to the welcome warmth of a space heater. The dining room staff, composed of three women and a guy who appeared to be the maitre d’, were all friendly and very well briefed on the menu and wine list. We immediately ordered a half bottle of a French Vouvray.
An amuse-bouche was (forgot the word) a small slice of a terrine of morel and shitake mushrooms with a few caramelized onion bits on top. Delicious and different. To accompany our wine, we ordered the charcuterie plate which came with a complex liver terrine, a small slice of excellent pate, turkey and sun-dried tomato sausage bites, some tiny and exquisite candied figs (each about the size of a grape tomato), four giant caper berries, the customary toast, and ramekins filled with green olives and cornichons. It sounds like a lot, and it was, but it somehow just managed to sharpen the appetite. Very nice. After the appetizer was cleared away, a server brought us each a tiny ice cream cone topped with a little dollop of lemon sorbet. This was an amenity that was pretty common 20 or 30 years ago, and I for one was delighted to see it back at The Better Half.
For our dinners, Di had the short ribs in a complex red wine sauce, served over perfectly mashed potatoes. The chef later told us that the ribs were cooked for 8 hours in a 200-degree oven. Personally, I’m not a huge fan of short ribs, but these were by far the best I’d ever tasted. For my entrée, I had the special off-menu fish dish, roget (I’d never heard of it, so don’t know if that’s the correct spelling), a succulent Mediterranean whitefish. It was sautéed just to medium-rare doneness and served atop a bed of lemon/saffron risotto. I’d never heard of this particular fish, and it was really very, very good. It wasn’t until the next morning that it occurred to me what a big carbon footprint that little fish must have made, having been flown in from France. Oh, well; I’m no Al Gore, I guess. The dish itself was really excellent, but this chef is so good, I’m sure he could’ve done as well with a less exotic specimen. The risotto was perfectly done and just the thing for a cool January night.
As we ate, the place filled up (though still not completely), and the kitchen got busy. Because our entrees were so slow arriving (though I hardly noticed), they comped us a dessert. We split a piece of the bread pudding which I’m told is the signature dish there. It included toasted and sweetened pecans and Bushmills Irish whiskey sauce. It was very good as those things go, and I award extra props for not overdoing the whiskey in the sauce. My favorite bread puddings are my wife’s homemade ones, but my top prize for a restaurant bread pudding still goes to the one at the recently closed Bud’s Louisiana Food Shoppe. Finally, I have to mention the one thing I didn’t care for was the coffee. It comes in a small or large French press (my favorite method). It may just be my personal preference, but it seemed very strong, and lacked that orgasmagenic aroma that I look for in a top-quality brew.
As others have mentioned, The Better Half is not cheap, but for the quality of the food (carefully, skillfully, imaginatively conceived and prepared) and attentive service, it’s one helluva value. If you’re thinking about going, I recommend you do so very soon. It’s not a large room, and once the mass media reviews it, we’ll all play hell getting in.
Tip: You can park for $3 just across the street and around the corner in the parking lot of the Assistance League. For Hillcrest, that’s a great deal.
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Oceanaire.. disappointed
Sorry you were disappointed. I agree with others that the seafood is the star at Oceanaire, so if you avoided that, you avoided the very thing for which the place is renowned. I just wanted to comment on the wine list. It's not correct that their least expensive bottle is $88. When we've eaten there, it's true that some pricey boutique bottles were prominently featured, but they also had a number of very affordable selections in the $30-$40 range. If I ever paid over $100 for a bottle of wine in a San Diego restaurant, I'd darn sure want some assurance up front that it would be worth the price. Better luck in the future.
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Thanksgiving in San Diego
I received a piece of email the other day from Tapenade, and it looked pretty good. Sort of a melange of traditional TG turkey with some imaginative French touches. Here's a link to the special menu:
http://www.tapenaderestaurant.com/menu.cfm?menuid=576
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Countries largest wine menu in San Diego?
200 Bottles! Wow! Maybe now we'll *finally* get a wine bar that can provide the right answer when you ask, "What's the word?"
Are there Dog-Friendly restaurants in San Diego?
Add Cafe Chloe. There's almost always a canine contingent on the patio, and they also have a community water bowl.
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What is the most expensive restaurant in San Diego?
Well, one can only charge so much for a steak or a piece of fish, even if stuffed with truffles and dredged in caviar (sounds like the original Iron Chef -- or Vegas). But if I were looking for the place that could put the biggest kink in my line of credit, it would be someplace with a trophy wine list.
French Market Grille review
North San Diego. Bernardo Heights Parkway and Pomerado Rd.
Sabor Latino (San Diego)
Great report! I know where we're eating tonight. BUT... wasn't Ana Maria's at the corner of Lake Murray Bl. and NAVAJO RD? No matter; I'll find it.
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Casa de Madera - San Diego
Thanks very much, Jeff. Sorry to hear it, but I've been very curious about what sort of direction the place would take after dumping their stellar chef. Sounds like they're more intersted in being a club than an eatery. Too bad; I was one of those who fell instantly in love with the original. Now I feel like a "dumpee" myself.
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Old Trieste in SD is...old...
I was really sorry to read Butterbutt's post. When Diana and I had only been married a few years, Old Trieste was our idea of fine dining. We used to SAVE UP to go to dinner there, and it was a mini-tradition that we would go there on our anniversary. It's now been many years since we were last there, but I still remember it fondly. The first time we ate there, and those complimentary fried zucchini slices hit the table, I thought it was so exotic (FRIED zucchini????), but it was so delicious I wanted to make a meal of them. Those were the days when men were required to wear a jacket and tie (I wore my only suit), and there was still a sign outside with the dress code that included, "NO PEDAL PUSHERS." I guess nothing stays the same -- nor should it.
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Columbian in SD County
Thanks, Dumkling!
Just reading about that Picada Colombiana has jacked my cholesterol level into the stratosphere. Can't wait to try it!
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Columbian in SD County
I've never heard of it, but I didn't even know there was a unique Colombian cuisine. Could you give us a quick lesson? I'd really be interested.
As to your immediate question, my best advice would be to try Berta's in Old Town (assuming they're still there). They used to feature a variety of dishes from Central and South America. Good luck.
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