Bety's Tacos, Encinitas. Reliable, excellent.

Las Olas, Sports Arena area: chile relleno burrito. Go ahead and yell at me. I dont care.

Tempura Udon soup at Sushi Mura (new at Liberty Station) was excellent.

Fresh & Easy market has jarred grilled artichoke hearts packed in a water & oil combination. I think they are excellent.

Thanks!

Hey Island and BC, any recs for dinners in the la quinta/palm desert area? Looking for good sit-down mexican, pizza/italian, burgers and other casual stuff. We plan on checking out the 3rd corner outpost too.

Thanks!

Nati's Mexican Restaurant in OB. It's still there. Shouldn't be, but it is.

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Nati's Mexican Restaurant
1852 Bacon St, San Diego, CA 92107

I picked up some beauts at the Point Loma Fresh & Easy yesterday.

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Point Loma Cafe
4856 N Harbor Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

I heard from a reliable source the Rancho Valencia Resort property, under new ownership, is back to its former excellence, food/service-wise. I think it would be an idea place for a rehearsal dinner.

http://www.ranchovalencia.com/meeting...

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Rancho Valencia Resort
5921 Valencia Circle, Rancho Sante Fe, CA 92067

You might want to check Roy's (locations downtown and UTC). I dont know what the NYE dinner entails, but I do know that they take special care of children and the food is very good.

Il Postino Ristorante on 30th.

http://www.ilpostino-sandiego.com

Palumbo Family Vineyards for Italian reds.

http://www.palumbofamilyvineyards.com

Hello hounds: Passing through Woodland Hills/Thousand Oaks/Agoura Hills, etc...corridor around dinnertime on Friday evening, 12/10. I am looking for a casual spot for dinner, preferably italian or mexican. Something a little nicer/spiffier than hole in the wall places.

Research on CH turned up two places of interest, with caveats:

Grissini, Agoura Hills - nice menu but the website photos of people in suits, ties, dresses, is scaring me;

Sabor Cocina, Thousand Oaks - looks kitchy, but the menu looks good albiet pricey.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!!

I purchased meyer lemons at the Morena Costco yesterday and they are beautiful.

I hope you like it. Please report back!

I am not referring to the owner wanting to control costs. I am referring to the completely dysfunctional state of the restaurant and its staff on the occasion my attempted to dine there. The departure of chef DiBiase is further evidence of that state as far as I am concerned.

"Dysfunctional" immediately comes to mind.

Tried Osteria Origano this week. Our party of 4 liked it very much. We shared 3 pizzas and a couple of salads. Pizzas are 11" - enough to split if you supplement with a salad and bread. I think their crust is just about perfect - thin and chewy with just the right amount of resistance. Lovely salads of roasted vegetables and greens. An order of sea bass walked by and we almost fell off our chairs - beautiful chunk of fish. Next time. Decent wine list. VERY attentive service; they really are trying hard. The restaurant itself is very handsome. I have only two complaints: the "chairs" are really table height backless bar stools - they are attractive but not comfortable enough; the place can be noisy with traffic on 5th, especially with ambulances going by all the time - closing the french doors to the sidewalk tables would help a lot.

www.osteriaorigano.com

Give it a try. I have been once with a group of four but since the menu is small, we were able to try a good deal of the items offered. Two out of our group have been at least four times in the past month. Its good enough that I consider it a special occasion place but with a great price point. Our party had gnocci, seared ahi, and pork chops. The ahi was overcooked; the other entrees were excellent. Do not skip dessert. Have the crepes, and if offered, the caramel panna cotta. Service is understated and professional, and witty if you care to engage the server. The space is charming: black and white minimalist but comfortable. The wine list illustrated on a world map drawn on a wall-sized chalkboard. Check the hours before you go, the schedule is a little quirky.

I dont know how new it is, but we had a great meal at 25 Forty Bistro & Bakehouse in Old Town a few weeks ago...

http://www.25fortybistro.com/

I looked at the website for the inn/restaurant. The proprietor is identified but there is no contact information. I will take another look but didnt see anything helpful there.

And I dont think anyone at Cosmopolitan is monitoring internet feedback. They should, though.

He he....you are right.

Intended to try 25-Fourty Bistro last night but found it was closed so we wandered over to Cosmopolitan. The menu looked fine and based on Roseville, we like the chef, so we decided to give it a try. Walked into the courtyard to find the hostess station empty. Headed toward the bar where two of the waitstaff were standing around, chatting, but did not acknowledge us. Back to hostess station and waited a little longer trying to figure out what we were doing wrong. We observed at least half the tables were empty, however, the courtyard space is very nice as reported here. We were just about to give up when the hostess walked up and asked if she could help us. "yes, a table for 4 please". "there is a 20 minute wait, is that ok?" No further explanation. We asked why that would be, and she told us there were only two servers working. "No that is not ok" I replied, at which point she turned her back and left us standing there. No "sorry"; no "we can seat you at the bar while you wait"; no "please join us some other time", no NOTHING. I found the attitude pure tourist trap. Its off the list for good. Bad service is one thing but to be confronted with complete indifference from the get-go is insulting.

If you are looking for a light dinner or just want to relax with a glass of wine or beer, try The Wine Pub on Shelter Island Drive. Its tucked away in the corner of a little strip mall and the owners are PL locals who have done a nice job with the space and the menus. Check it out.

http://www.thewinepubsd.com

Casa del Rey Moro was the name.

Point Break Cafe on Shelter Island Drive. Occupies the former site of Boll Weevil. Decor unchanged since 1963. Tiki-nautical theme. World class tuna melt. Have not yet tried the patty melt, but intend to soon.

http://pointbreakcafe.wordpress.com

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Point Break Cafe
2743 Shelter Island Dr, San Diego, CA 92106

The Wine Pub is a nice spot for a light dinner. Its quiet little place with a simple, well executed menu. Nice patio too.

http://www.thewinepubsd.com

Thank you for mentioning this. "Urge" and "Gastro" is an unfortunate combination in a restaurant name.

Bingo! Thank you cgfan, SD Produce is very convenient.

Looking to find something in the SD metro area if possible. Have already tried Vons, Trader Joe, Henry's, a couple of florist shops, all in the Point Loma area. Have not yet tried Whole Foods. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

Fresh & Easy carries a house label CA olive oil. The F&E Greek olive oil is excellent and a good value to boot. Based on that information, I will be trying the CA soon.