Strawman's Profile
Good coffee in San Diego?
If you are in NC, La Costa Coffee Roasters at El Camino Real and Dove Lane is my go to spot for drip and beans.
ISO Duck Legs or Game Meats in OC
Thanks for the tips. I'll check them out. As for what type of game meats, pretty much anything that can walk, run or fly is an option.
ISO Duck Legs or Game Meats in OC
Recently relocated from San Diego and looking for information on where to find duck leg quarters and other game meat in OC. Live in Aliso and travel to Fountain Valley regularly so sources in south county would be appreciated.
TIA
Hey guys need best Fish & Chips in San Diego?
Churchill's Pub in San Marcos does a solid fish and chips.
SD Malarkey leaves Oceanaire
Mostly working. Did get a chance to stop at Kaito last week. Incredibly good and authentic nigiri. F those "sushi" rolls....
SD Malarkey leaves Oceanaire
Strawman met with some out of town friends for a wine dinner a couple of weeks ago at Searsucker on a Friday night. Yes, the name is bad, but overall, the experience was fine. The small plates were the way to go. We shared the crab cakes, duck fat fries, farm bird lollipops, spicy baja shrimp with grits, and a dish of roasted peppers. The cheddar puffers were actually pretty good and kept coming to the table gratis.
Being the carnivores that we are, all four men ordered the beef cheeks. They were good, but did have a pretty heavy hand with the salt. The ladies both ordered a squash lasagna dish that the complimented.
For sides, we had the bacon grits and the fingerling fennel potatoes. The potatoes were great and the grits were good if not inspired. What do you want for grits? Would have tried some other sides but some weren't really wine friendly.
Service was good and attentive and the "talent" level at the bar was very good. Especially the blond with the hip high pirate cuff boots! The restaurant is a bit noisy, but we were seated pretty near the bar area that became crowded towards the late evening.
Brian came over to our table and we shared some wine with him, and yes, he did mention his upcoming venture "Burlap". Don't know if the concept will work, but he seemed genuinely excited about it.
They do charge a pretty hefty fee for corkage, but the did not limit the number of bottles you can bring (a big plus for our gang) and they did provide ample good stemware and decanters when requested (another plus).
Overall, I'd give the starters a 7-8 out of 10 and the entrees a 7. For the culinary wasteland that is San Diego, that's pretty good. I'd go back, and I'll give burlap a whirl when it opens.
-----
Searsucker
611 5th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101
Need Norwegian gjetost cheese
Venissimo shows it in stock. May not be your requested brand. Not sure which location.
866-729-2433
www.venissimo.com
Wine Toasts, as in Cheers! or Salute! ??
My favorite is "Skoal".
From Nordic skål, which is related to the English word skull. From the ancient custom of drinking from the skulls of defeated enemies and toasting friends. Something about drinking from the skull of your fallen enemy just appeals to me....
Sommelier snobbery - why do 4 star restaurants refuse to list white zinfandel?
Reminds me of the time I went to a nice Brittish pub. Great selection of imported beers primarily from the isle. Customer was pissed that they didn't have Coors Light. Customer began acting like a bag of douche. Customer didn't appreciate everyone laughing at him either.
Some people are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
That said, I have little use for a sommelier personally. I've met some good ones, and also some that are merely hucksters trying to push whatever wine they got on discount.
Knight Salami Company (San Diego)
I've purchased and tried the Finocchiona.Cacciatori and Sopressata from Knight. I find that I prefer the Finocchiona over the others. I think the quality has been acceptable and the flavor is good. It's a far cry from what is available from Salumi in Seattle but for a local start up I think that it's a decent value and is readily available at local farmers markets as well as a few retailers. I always purchase some Salumi when I'm near a Dean and Deluca and I've ordered it direct, but the shipping costs are somewhat prohibitive.
I'll purchase the Knight products again but I have hopes that the overall consistency and flavor will improve.
If I have a subscription to Wine Spectator's print magazine do I NOT automatically get access to winespectator.com?
It is a separate subscription to WS print and web editions.
Stone Brewery Garden dining - san diego/escondido
Count me in the underwhelmed category regarding the food at Stone. I've been there about half a dozen times and tried a number of different dishes.
The beer is pretty solid, with some better than others. I'll return for beer but wouldn't ever make a special trip for the food.
What are the 'not-to-miss' wineries at this tasting event?
None of them are "not-to-miss", but I'd try to hit Blackbird, Pahlmeyer and Terra Valentine.
1996 Clos du Val: Delicious or past its prime?
I've had a couple of Clos du Val cabs in the last year. 1994 and a 95 IIRC. I'd pass. These are way too long in the tooth.
San Diego - one dinner to impress
I ate at Market last night. Had the tasting menu consisting of duck confit salad, white bass crusted with nuts, beef duo with tenderloin and short ribs followed with a sundae for dessert. The sea bass was the highlight, followed by the confit salad. The beef was very good but not exceptional. The food was spot on and the service was fine if a bit informal. If you want good food prepared with fresh local produce and can live with wait staff in blue jeans then I'd recommend it.
An Analysis of the Concordance Among 13 U.S. Wine Competitions
And none of that changes the fact that regional wine competitions, or meaningless gold medals, mean less than nothing.
An Analysis of the Concordance Among 13 U.S. Wine Competitions
You folks are spending waaaay too much time on analysis of these wine "competitions". I will admit, some of your points make it clearer to me why you shouldn't give much credit to anything that wins a medal anywhere.
I have never bought anything based on what won a medal. Nothing in this thread will change that behavior.
WA - Jay Miller - is his rating scale only 90-100?
A Jay Miller review means less than a James Laube review.
I didn't think that was possible.
new to north county.... where do you buy your fresh fish and meats?
Pelly's in Carlsbad for fresh fish. Tip Top in Carlsbad or T & H Prime Meats in San Marcos for meat.
Marilyn Merlot 1988 ($2,000.00 ARE YOU SERIOUS)
What P.T. Barnum said..............
I can't imagine anyone paying that kind of coin for one of these "wines" but the value, if there is one, isn't related to what's in the bottle but what's on the bottle.
Good Meals near Carlsbad?
Pelly's Fish Market and Cafe for lunch.
-----
Pelly's Fish Market & Cafe
7110 Avenida Encinas # 101, Carlsbad, CA
palm springs steak houses
Had steaks at Rattlesnake in Palm Desert a few months ago. Food was decent but somewhat overpriced. Brought two bottles of wine, manager waived corkage on one. View was nice and service was adequate.
I think they may close for a while during the summer.
Temecula Wine Country
Wine competition and medals mean less than nothing. Enter a wine, get a medal. I've sampled a good number of Temecula wines, including South Coast, actually hoped to have liked them, and never found any that were worth the money being asked.
Temecula is what it is. A nice place for a picnic, and a good place to pick up drunk chicks from the O.C. As long as you go for those reasons, you'll have fun. If you go there hoping to have world class wines, you'll be disappointed.
Spend a little longer on the road and hit Santa Barbara County.
Dim Sum in San Diego
I've eaten at Jasmine and Pearl. Neither are what I would call world class but both are serviceable. I'd give a slight nod to Pearl.
Dining Recommendation-One Eve in SF
No checked luggage. Carry on only so I should be able to self check and be there on time as long as I get there by 8:00. 5:00 or 5:30 at the restaurant would be best. I'd guess I have an hour and a half for dinner.........
Thanks.
