SaltyRaisins's Profile
Lunch after seeing His Holiness, the Dalia Lama..
Might as well put reincarnation to the test and go to Cowboy Star. Something tells me that the atmosphere and decor would appeal to Mr. Gyatso. Chinese food is probably out.
But seriously, have a good visit. I hear he's a really nice guy.
Namaste!
Exceptional Gelato in San Diego
BI's pear sorbet is wonderful. And I agree about GV- a certain chewy texture that I've not experienced anywhere else, but I like their deal: they were doing espresso and gelato way back when we were all just fine with Swensen's after finishing with the elementary school musical. Same goes for Saffron and doing Thai before the Thai government had their program teaching how to do that menu that we all know from our first experiences with their cuisine, from the tom yum soup to the fortune cookie. Love them or hate them, I have places like these to thank for my liking of the better stuff thanks to their striking out in their own direction.
Sorry for the sermonizing.
Try the Gelato Vero strawberry when they have it. Gives Haagen-Dazs some competition in that category. And yes, nowhere near as good as the place in Palermo with the wild micro strawberry "frutti di bosco" artiginale stuff. But still pretty good.
Cheers.
Coffee Snob in Search of a fix
Thanks jay and cg. I've never been to Halcyon- glad to know about it.
Coffee Snob in Search of a fix
Dude- I always learn something about my tastes when I read about yours. Thanks.
I feel that Influx has the best, but often uneven, caffe espresso in Little Italy. I've noted that Cafe Italia and Pappalecco do espresso that is characterless in comparison, but then I, like Josh, am not really a coffee snob and will happily drink bitter espresso after a good meal when I can't stand it on an empty stomach. I agree with your last sentence.
On the caffeine subject, do you know where to get puerh teas in SD? I should have bought some last time I was in Taiwan, and really miss it.
Cheers.
Coffee Snob in Search of a fix
I'd recommend Zumbar below the interchange in Sorrento Valley:
http://zumbarcoffee.com/
Great roasting and a great espresso. They're in a bit of an odd location, but I work in that area once a week, and so happy they're there.
+1 for Caffe Calabria.
Also, I recall other hounds speaking highly of a certain coffee cart that pulls a nice ristretto- perhaps they'll chime in.
Good luck!
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Very well. I used to go to Vik when it was still grandmothers cooking (and I'm not embellishing with nostalgic rose-tinted lenses here) in the back of a grocery, and it certainly had it's day: the food I ate there for many years of visits was not even close to the problematic food you described. Yes, it did become a bit more industrialized when they expanded. Maybe I should have said "Makes me miss the OLD Vik Trading Company," but the Vik I remember is not deserving of the bombastic skewering you gave the place. My pride and ego aside, my last visit to Surati was not much better that your description of Vik these days, but apparently I was foolish enough to order one of their dhosas. I'll just order snacks from now on, then.
Balls!
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Thanks guys- I really appreciate the details. I'll get back to you.
Cheers!
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Thanks. I'll plan a weekend visit. What is kahndvi?
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Ipsit and Josh (and anybody else)-
I didn't order pani puri last time, and I love eating them- more chaat and less larger items perhaps?
Set me up a nice lunch menu, and I'll follow your suggestions. What would make a nice meal for two?
Thanks!
Davanti Bringing its Iowa Italian to Del Mar
Italy is lucky to have these chubby iPadders spending their hard-earned American dollars there. But I know what you mean even though most foodie Italians I know (a lot of them) are kinda (or totally) chubby.
Buon appetito.
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
I think they were open the next day. They are certainly open now.
Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego
Not sure I'm all that into the Surati brand of farsan anymore: last time I went, their idlis were rock-hard and vapid, their coconut chutney was bland, the consommé was saltwateresque, the dosa was borderline cardboard, and the place was pretty dirty (and I'm aware that they were t-boned by a car- still, it was pretty bad). The prices were fair, though. Makes me pine for our own version of Vik Trading in Berkeley.
What do you like to order?
Cheers.
What's new?
And the rumor is dated, and now false. Hope whatever's there is good, as I am "circa di FN" in the neighborhood category. Captain's Daughter place, hopefully?
The Captain's Daughter Sandwich
Your title sounds a bit tawdry, but no, I can't think of any place save Vietnamese that do a 'wich with a tin of fish onboard. Sounds like a good thing to make at home, provided you've got the right bread. I know...a buzzkill, but there it is.
Buen provecho.
Calm. Quiet. Warm. Peaceful. Soft. Care. Slow. Refined. Hushed. Candlelight.
I was kind of surprised with this, but my recent experience with Cafe Bleu on Washington had these characteristics. I hated the atmosphere at their other location, but the new place is a lot nicer and less shiny-surfaced. The food is not the most creative, but is good, and their new part owner, Javier, takes very good care of his customers.
A presto
SD CHers What's Your "Holy Grail" Dish [Moved from SD board]
Thanks, but not so sure of my taste credentials: I do enjoy McD's egg McMuffins or a plain hamburger with an order of fries from time to time while listening to Katy Perry. Putting that aside for now...
Like I said, I'm regularly drawn to order anything (especially risotto) 'ai frutti di mare' even when all all signs point to it arriving with some frozen calamari rings, a single rubbery scallop and salmon chunks. I know I can make a good one myself with some cuttlefish, good mussels, a mantis shrimp or two etcetera, but stupidly still have to order it hoping that it might be better than others I've had. Stupid like if they put it on the menu at Denny's, I'd order it kinda stupid.
Your tortillas with carnitas is kinda perfect, since the bad ones probably won't kill you, unlike bad crustaceans. I remember eating them in Guad when I was about seven year old the way you described them, and realized that I regularly order my tacos with carnitas, pura carne. I am also a sucker for pozole. Good ones do send me over the moon.
Cheers!
SD CHers What's Your "Holy Grail" Dish [Moved from SD board]
You have established a new holy grail for me. There is really nothing more fulfilling. Risotto ai frutti di mare maybe.
Foodie/budget friendly place for a group/birthday
I like this idea a lot. They'd probably be able to do ten courses (like "viand du porc sous grasse"- aka CARNITAS) and then you could do (portable) table side sundaes with a bucket of Dreyers or something, all for less than $15 a head.
Cheers.
Kitchen 1540 – 20 Dishes, 10 Courses – White Flag Tasting Menu
1 poster, 3 questions, 1 comment:
1) It sounds like this was a custom event, but then you mention it's on the regular menu. Do we have you to thank for the possibility of this experience?
2) So you were out the door for $300, or does that not include tip and beverages (or a babysitter for new child of honkman)?
3) What do you mean by "important restaurant"? Because there have been times when I felt that Super Cocina might be the most important place in SD county ... maybe even the world.
Poprocks are not any more gimmicky than a do-it-yourself tableside sundae. They are a way of life. Especially after eating three bags, shotgunning a diet coke and holding your breath. Glad to see they're still considered cool, because I've always liked them.
Thanks!
Foodie/budget friendly place for a group/birthday
Regal Beagle, perhaps? Nice sausages on good rolls made to order, the usual fried bar food (wings etcetera) but done correctly (that is: to order, fresh oil, better than average quality), vegetarian options, and at least 25 craft beers on tap, in addition to great cans in the fridge. Pretty reasonable grad student friendly prices, great service, no stench of "bar rot," and big long tables for groups (if you get there on the earlier side). Not a major "foodie" destination, but I've never been unhappy there.
Blind Lady Alehouse?
Ritual Tavern?
I'm thinking a gastropub rather than something that might be an ordeal (i.e. Ex Desserts- I can just see the waitress being overwhelmed already) would fill the order for you.
Cheers!
Need 8 good month old friendly spots in San Diego
Yes, thanks- I did a significant name swap by mistake. Also, they don't have room for standing at the bar, so make your reservations at least a week before.
Underbelly
Now, it would really be something if they refused to use bowls. That would impress me.
Need 8 good month old friendly spots in San Diego
Honestly, I can't think of any place "unfriendly" to an 8-monther, save for your own comfort level taking your baby to a nightclub or something.
For the babysitter night: Quality Social for drinks (a hidden "speakeasy" behind Neighborhood- you gotta text them in advance to make reservations) Cafe Chloe, Cowboy Star, Pizzeria Bruno Napolitano (all fine with the baby, too), Starlite Lounge (strongly encouraged), or the twenty-five minute trip up to Kaito for the only excellent sushi in the area. The area around the Hilton MB isn't the best for great eating- a ride on the trolley, bus or cabs will be required to get you to these places. Your hotel might have a shuttle that could get you downtown for the first three.
For sports bars, I'm not sure. I think there are a few places near Old Town that might fit the bill. If you get the desire to eat Mexican, don't bother with Old Town- hit up one of the trucks (good threads for this), Super Cocina, or if it's the chippy, margarita kinda place you want, Ortega's in Hillcrest never fails.
Cheers.
Underbelly
It just occurred to me that the place loses a third of their seating when their windows are closed. Wonder how they did in the rain today. Probably better in bad weather, assuming they close the windows.
If anyone is wondering what the obsession with these windows is, it's that when they're open, the place basically has no walls on two sides.
I actually like the place, but there is some glaring "offness" with the ramen, and since you order right away any attempt to linger at the bar is difficult. I like Neighborhood better- more in their wheelhouse. I'm also not in to their restrictions on things like ketchup and spoons. Seems like they are trying to prove some kind of notion and instead come off a bit holier-than-thou rather than cool or culinarily principled.
Allright.
Kaito Omakase - First Experience
And I hope you ate all of it. Looks like I was a day early. Wasn't unhappy with my selection, just have the desire to go again soon.
Really enjoyed watching Morita's colleague cutting his daikon paper thin katsuramuki style, layering the resulting long sheets and slicing the next day's daikon tsuma. What's his name? He actually took me through a full description of everything they had in the case while Morita-san was taking a "break."
Underbelly
On the menu-
Appetizers in the 5-8 dollar range (peanuts are three bucks):
Togarashi Spiced Boiled Peanuts
Kurobuta Sausage with housemade kimchi
Shrimp Gyoza
Ahi Tataki
Ginger Beef Brisket Mushu
Shucked Oyster with Pickeled (sic) Watermelon, Sake Mignonette
Teriyaki Chicken Salad
Seven Radish Salad w/ Spicy Ahi Crostini
Ramen bowls from 8-13 bucks:
all topped with soft-boiled egg, bean sprouts, ginger, scallions, seaweed, sesame seed
Tonkotsu bowl- 8
Underbelly Ramen- char-su belly, applewood smoked bacon, kurobuta sausage
Belly of the Beast- Oxtail dumpling, smoked brisket, hoisin glazed shortrib
and without the egg (for all my vegan friends)
Vegetable Ramen- truffle oil, shitake, shimeji, oyster mushroom, enoki, white asparagus
Charred Spicy Kimchi Ramen- napa cabbage, rainbow carrots, shishito peppers
toppings to add: all the meats and veg, broiled unagi, kimchi octopus, and sake braised oxtail from 2-5 bucks
Had lunch here today, and gotta commend the post-hipster kimchi-taco set for taking a stab at something other than TJ dogs or re-deconstructed Cobb salads for late night grub. You walk in, and are encouraged to place your order immediately at the cash register (about $40 bucks for two bowls, and app and some beer), and furble your way through the narrow passage between back-to-back rows of 100-lb wrought steel barstools that seem designed to bruise your hips (and certainly your unmentionables), search for a seat at the bar facing in, or at the inner bar facing out, or at the outer bar facing in beneath huge open windows along this noisy part of Kettner. If you choose one of the last two options, you should be prepared to accept second-hand broth falling into your bowl from the ends of the noodles being slurped by the stranger sitting close directly across from you. Great beer list- looked like they've at least 25 on tap, but the Racer X I had was a little weird with ramen...
I know Momofuku is inspiring to this crowd in a lot of ways, but you can't really classify their stuff as ramen. Pretty much the same with Underbelly. For the real thing, you can't do better in SD than Yakitori Yakudori Ramen or Santouka. Some elements were really good: nice tonkotsu broth, decent noodles, good standard toppings. Some things were not: characterless mushroom-based broth in the veggie bowls, raw carrots in the Charred Spicy Kimchi Ramen, along with very little of the namesake kimchi, lots of direct upfront Scoville-style heat that was kinda weird in ramen, soft-boiled egg that was very soft boiled so that the whites were runny, very little broth and way too much noodle. Hopefully with a bit of time, these things will sort themselves out, although I'm guessing that some of them are quite intentional. Other things were just odd: the braised short rib trend of recent years has spilled over into this brand of fusion, and so there's a lot of beef going into the meat bowls- kinda like having brisket barbecue ending up in my soup, oxtails in my dumplings (really just wontons with a thin but nice tasting beef filling). Now that I'm looking at the menu, there was no sign of the Hoisin Glazed Short Rib in my Belly of the Beast Bowl, so no comment there. In fact, a lot of beef and not as much pork as a place called "Underbelly" let me to expect.
The gyoza were fine.
Certainly not izakaya, probably not ramen, but whatever. Good place to drink some nice beer and eat something hot past 11pm in a part of town more known for spaghetti, meatballs and bad parking. Careful of the stools on the way out.
One last thing: as Neighborhood has no ketchup, Underbelly has no spoons.
750 W Fir St (At Kettner), Little Italy
Kaito Omakase - First Experience
Finally making it to Kaito felt almost the same as getting bar mitzvahed or something: a lot of mental prep to join in on just another day in the life of the congregation. And a real congregation it was: lots of happy, interested people transfixed on the goings on over the counter. We had seats with our backs to the windows, and could see it all.
Not sure if Morita-san being objectively tipsy helps his knife-skills, but it certainly helped him put on a very cool show. He even asked me for a big beer- overtly cheeky, but something I was happy to do after eating a bit of his food.
Ate a lot of the things listed above (including the homemade inari filled with his unagi gohan, topped with super-thin omelette ribbons and salmon roe- wow), but there was no anago or tuna cartilage. Hopefully next time.
So much was good, but I was happiest with his simple and perfectly crafted nigiri- his chu-toro, kanpachi and the beautiful kohada can't be topped based on my experiences.
At the end of the meal (after a closing bowl of their type-specimen miso soup), I asked for my all-time favorite tek-kyu maki, and he obliged with a huge freebie of excellent maguro, Chino cukes, wasabi, one of his hand-popped shiso leaves all bundled up. Perfect.
Their rice is exceptional. Koshihikari with red vinegar- done right, this is the foundation for the best sushi I've eaten here and in Japan, and they do it right at Kaito.
Out the door for about $175 omakase for two with booze. Beyond worth it.
Cheers!
Kaito Omakase - First Experience
Thanks, people. I guess $50 was a bit of an arbitrary starting point. Sounds like under $200 is totally possible.
Hara heta...
Kaito Omakase - First Experience
Hello cgfan.
Thinking about heading up there tonight, and wanted your advice on ordering. Omakase (two of us at $50 pp) or just on our own? I like the relaxation involved in omakase, but as you can see, we're hoping not to drop more than $200 for dinner with tip and drinks.
Is this possible/worth it?
Cheers.
