Uptown Dave's Profile
looking for chocolate covered cherries with cognac
O.K. kids, here's the update...
Went to Vine Ripe in La Mesa. They had Russian chocolates, but no chocolate covered cherries.
Went to Tip Top Meats. They usually carry Mon Cheri, BUT generally only during the winter, so they are now out of season and they don't have them.
Went to International Deli on Regents Rd. in La Jolla. They had a Polish brand of chocolate covered cherries! YAY! They had a gift box with 20 gold foil covered chocs for about $10, and they also had singles, from the same company but wrapped differently, for $8.99/lb. Purchased individually, $9 gets you about 30 pieces. AND, more importantly, they are fresher. The boxed set seemed to loose it's alcoholic oomph, They were just too old.
looking for chocolate covered cherries with cognac
Thanks guys! Those are great tips!
looking for chocolate covered cherries with cognac
Anyone know if there is a place in the San Diego area that has those boozy chocolate covered cherry cordials (usually of Eastern European origin), or possibly Mon Cheri brand?
Thanks!
Restaurants that transport you to another country.
I am looking for restaurants anywhere in San Diego County that make you feel like you are eating in another country.
For example, it could be a French bistro where the ambiance, the authentic menu scrawled on a chalkboard, the vin rouge served in tumblers, and the French-speaking staff combine to make you feel as though you were transported to some cute little place in Paris's 4th Arrondissement.
Game on!
What are your Top 3 monthly "go to" places in the D.C. Metro area?
O.K., so you're a foodie, and your friends are foodies. It's Thursday night and you decide that you and Carol want to go out for a good dinner and a nice bottle of wine. So you call up your friends, Ted and Alice and say, "Hey, we're going to _______ for dinner tonight, wanna join us? What is _______?
In other words, I am looking for a list of your Top 3 "go to" places -- the places you go at least once a month and possibly even once a week. The places where you are friends with the kitchen, the service staff, and the management. Not a foo-foo 12-course dégustation, or a place that requires you to bust open your piggy bank. Just good food, good wine -- no brainer.
Aix-en-Provence - where should I eat?
Hi Lisa -
I hope you had a great trip!
I will be in Aix in November. Did you find any great places?
Thanks!
David
Sessions Public - a trip report
EGAD! I FORGOT THE DESSERTS!!!
We ordered two of the desserts -- the peach cobbler and the brownie with bourbon sauce.
The cobbler wasn't at all what I would expect of a cobbler. It wasn't crunchy or pie-crusty. It was cooked peaches in a bowl under what seemed like, for lack of a better word, a sweet pancake. It was a bit strange. Not unpleasant, but not very inspiring either.
The brownie, however, was spectacular! It was a great brownie, both cakey and chewy, topped with a scoop of ice cream (vanilla, I think, but I don't really remember) and the all important caramel, bourbon sauce. It's too good to be split more than two ways.
Sessions Public - a trip report
Friday night, Barbarella, myself and two friends hit up the new, awkwardly-named, Sessions Public in Point Loma.
For those who want the bottom line -- it was a bit loud but we had a great time, very much enjoyed the food, and the staff, and the small wine list that is populated with some really nice wines at extremely reasonable prices. We will be going back and recommend that you check it out.
On to the specifics...
Sessions Public shares a wall with the old Catalina Bar on Voltaire. The space is long and narrow, a bar along one side, a dozen or so tables in the back, and one deuce on the patio basking in the light of the 7-11 across the street. The acoustics are loud and lively. The music is loud, conversations are loud, and when the place is hopping, you'll need to raise your voice to be heard.
It is the brainchild, and the first restaurant venture of owner Abel Kaase. For Sessions, Abel brought in a consulting chef to develop the menu which I would characterize as New American Tapas (mostly). Abel told us that he and the consulting chef developed the menu to satisfy his personal tastes and to be one that could be well executed by whomever was in the kitchen. We were told that the staff has been trained on (i.e. sat down and actually tasted) all the menu items.
The menu is divided into Small Plates, Shared Plates, Sandwiches, Salads, and a few Large Plates. On this trip we stuck with Small, Shared, and Sandwiches, though I saw the Prawn Salad and the CAB Burger delivered to the table next to us and they looked great.
On the night we were there it looked like this:
Small Plates
Fries / garlic aioli $5
Thinly Sliced Serrano Ham / artisan bread $6
Bundnerfleisch thinly sliced air-dried beef / artisan bread $6
Asparagus / lemon aioli $5
Quinoa $5
Blistered Tomatoes / chiffon basil, garlic, artisan bread $3
Nueske Bacon Tempura Lollipop / chili lime dipping sauce $8
Alsatian Onion Tart $7
Shared Plates
Cheese Plate (3 or 5 cheeses) $10/$15
Duck Confit Thai Summer Rolls / sweet chili dipping sauce $8
Roasted Beets / goat cheese, sherry vinegar, pine nut brittle $9
Sauteed Crab Cakes / celery root slaw $13
Spicy Calamari / confit tomato ragout $10
Salt & Pepper Wings / scallions, ginger garlic dipping sauce $9
Crispy Chicken Oysters / Frank's Red Hot Sauce, celery $9
Sandwiches
CAB Natural Burger / Winchester Gouda, arugula, confit tomatoes, garlic aioli $12
Roasted Portobello Mushroom / grilled zucchini, confit tomato, fresh Mozzarella, chevre, basiI mayo $9
NueskeTempura Bacon BLT / confit tomato, arugula, soy lemon aioli $12
Short Rib Slider / garlic aioli, pickled red onions, arugula $11
Sausage of the Week, served with condiments $9
Salads
RLL Salad / garlic balsamic blue cheese dressing / add ribeye $6 $8/$10
Spicy Wild Mexican Prawn Cobb / bacon, farm egg, avocado, blistered tomatoes, Sriracha dressing $11/$14
Farm House Poached Egg/ frisee, crispy duck, shaved asparagus $10/$13
Side Salad / baby Romaine, pear tomatoes, pickled red onions $6
Large Plates
Duck Confit / mushroom broth with udon noodles $17
Ribeye Fries / 8oz ribeye, blue cheese, truffle oil, herb salad $20
Orecchiete Pasta / seasonal wilted greens, truffle butter $15
Seared Albacore Tacos / mole, corn relish $19
Brick Chicken / quinoa, salsa rojo $16
Here are my impressions on what we ate...
Bundnerfleisch thinly sliced air-dried beef / artisan bread
A small mound of the dried beef, about the size of the bottom of a wine glass (sorry, forgot to get photos -- will remember next time!) served with toasted baguette, thin sliced on the bias, and pickled red onions.
I thought this was o.k., though I was hoping for more flavor from the beef. I thought the mild-flavored beef contributed more to the texture than the flavor so I would recommend going easy on the pickled onions.
Blistered Tomatoes / chiffon basil, garlic, artisan bread
A bowl (about 3/4 cup worth?) of roasted, small tomatoes (possibly heirloom -- some were yellow , some red).
This too was o.k., not bad, just not as exciting as I had hoped. If the tomatoes had been charred and seasoned a bit more, this could have been quite nice. Barbarella liked this dish, and the crispy thinly sliced toasted baguette that came with it.
Nueske Bacon Tempura Lollipop / chili lime dipping sauce
An order here is three strips of bacon, each on it's own skewer [N.B. Abel says that most dishes served in multiples will have an odd number of the item because it looks better on the plate. If you have an even number in your party and want to share, be sure to ask for an extra piece when necessary.]. The bacon has been dipped in a tempura batter and deep fried resulting in an almost candied bacon-like product. The chili (sic) lime dipping sauce is fish sauced based and is like a spicy nuoc nam.
Our table was loving this item that is fast becoming the Sessions Signature Dish. If you like bacon (and who doesn't?) then you should enjoy this. One of our friends even used the bacon to build a sort of BLT using components from our other dishes. He probably didn't notice that there is a Tempura bacon BLT on the menu. Will definitely have to try that next time.
Duck Confit Thai Summer Rolls / sweet chili dipping sauce
This was like the fresh garden rolls you might find at a Vietnamese or Thai restaurant, but instead of pork, the kitchen used duck. The roll was thinner than what one would expect (about the diameter of a quarter or just a little less), cut into eight, 1" long pieces.
In general, I think the idea of making the roll thinner to increase the duck-to-veg ratio was a good idea. However, that said, the mild flavor of the duck was a bit lost here. Overall, pleasant, just not very duck-y.
Spicy Calamari / confit tomato ragout
Our charming and helpful server, Brittany, recommended this as we were looking for more things to try.
The calamari was excellent -- very nicely battered and fried -- and while the tomato confit was also tasty, I preferred using some of the spicy chile sauces from the other dishes.
Crispy Chicken Oysters / Frank's Red Hot Sauce, celery
A bowl of breaded and fried chicken oysters. This is NOT "chicken-fried oysters", but rather the two wonderful, teaspoon-shaped bits of dark meat from the back of the bird known as the chicken's "oysters". If you saw the film, Amelie, there is a scene where the man, whose tin box of memorabilia is found by Amelie, is shown taking apart a chicken that he has roasted. We are told that the first thing he eats, as a special treat, are the oysters. Accompanied by Frank's Hot Sauce, celery sticks and a lovely balsamic vinegar/blue cheese dressing.
This too is my favorite part of the chicken and I was very excited to see this on the menu. And while, perfectly fine, I thought that the breading, deep-frying, and dipping in Frank's Hot Sauce somewhat mitigated the glories of the oysters. Another part of the chicken, a bit of thigh meat perhaps, would have served as well. Something like a skewer of grilled oysters might prove a better showcase for this tasty morsel. Still, I am heartened to see someone appreciating and featuring this often overlooked delicacy.
Short Rib Slider / garlic aioli, pickled red onions, arugula, fries
Three short rib sliders with the fixin's.
Very enjoyable. I especially liked the fries (which are fried in duck fat) dipped in the garlic aioli with its nice bite of fresh garlic.
Sausage of the Week, served with condiments
This night's sausage was a lamb sausage served en croute, like a Beef Wellington (if you're the fancy-smancy sort) or like a pig-in-a-blanket (if you're not).
Either way, this was one of my favorite items of the night. The condiments were a whole grain mustard,a fig jam, and the aforementioned very tasty garlic aioli. The dish comes with just one sausage so I recommend ordering at least two (if you're like me).
We shared two bottles of the Leal Syrah -- a wine we have enjoyed many times before -- a steal, priced at an extremely reasonable $29 (which is the price this wine is often sold for in retail shops). Abel told us that he wanted to offer great wines, but that he wanted to keep them all priced under $40.
The wine list:
Redmon Chardonnay $39/$12
Canyon Road Chardonnay $16/$5
William Hill Central Coast Chardonnay $19/$6
Snapdragon Chardonnay $18/$5
Trione Sauvignon Blanc $36/$11
Handley Sauvignon Blanc $22$7
Laird Carneros Creek Pinot Grigio $29/$9
Canyon Road Merlot $16/$5
Tobin James Made in the Shade Merlot $30/$9
Jade Merlot $25/$6
Canyon Road Cabernet $16/$5
Justin Cabernet $38/$12
Sonoma Junction Cabernet $24/$7
Tobin James Ballistic Zinfandel $29/$8
Rosenblum Zinfandel $30/$9
Rancho Zabaco Zinfandel $25/$7
Leal Syrah $29/$9
Edna Valley Syrah $23/$6
C. Donatiello Pinot Noir $36/$8
Acacia.Pinot Noir $30/$8
And, as it is a public house, the beers...
They have a very good selection of beers on tap that are listed on the chalkboard above the bar. (I am guessing there were maybe 20? I should have counted or taken a photo.)
Bottle Beers
Miller Lite $3.50 120z
Miller High Life $3 120z
Pacifico $4 120z
Delirium Tremens $9 330ml
Hop Rod Rye $9 220z
Big Eye IPA $4.50 120z
Lost Abbey Inferno Ale $17 750ml
St. Feuillien Triple $18 750ml
Maredsous Blonde $8 11.2oz
Houblon Chouffe $9 11.2oz
Chimay Red $10 330ml
Chimay Blue $11 330ml
Racer 5 $9 220z
Hacker Pschorr Weisse $6 11.2oz
Duvel $9 11.2oz
Russian River Consecration $20 120z
Russian River Damnation $12 120z
Newcastle $4.50 120z
Blackthorn Cider $5 120z
Ballast Point Wahoo $9 220z
Stone IPA $4.50 12oz.
Bittburger $4.50 120z
Ink48 & Print
No, the rooftop bar is not serving food yet -- they are still figuring things out. Perhaps in a few weeks. You cannot reserve a table, it is first come, first served, even for hotel guests.
The bartenders don't seem very experienced. I asked a bartender for a specific recommendation regarding cocktails and he said, "I don't really know, I just drink beer." Another bartender -- quite young-looking -- was measuring the ingredients for a basic cocktail with a jigger. Also, at the moment the spirits available are of the lowest common denominator. It seems they don't have a "top shelf".
Glass of wine (served in a plastic replica of a wine glass) is $9 -$19. Basic cocktails are $16 (e.g. Moscow Mule - Smirnoff vodka, ginger beer, lime juice). Amstel Light is $7. Brooklyn Lager is $8
However, the view is great, seating is nice and it's a beautiful place to hang out.
Where to buy Tobiko (NOT Masago)
I was able to buy some Tobiko from Nijiya -- I forget the exact cost per pound but I believe it was less than $30/lb.
Using Thomas Keller's French Laundry recipe for cornets (which he fills with salmon tartare), I filled the cones with wasabi creme fraiche, topped with tobiko and served with champagne.
By the way, re: Thomas Keller... If you ever cook anything from his French Laundry cookbook be aware that Keller's preferred kosher salt is Diamond Crystal. Due to the flake size, Diamond Crystal is about half as dense as table salt. Morton's kosher, falls in between. I found all this out the hard way. I love my salt, but I had to cut, by half, the amount of Morton's I used for Keller's recipes.
Where to buy Tobiko (NOT Masago)
I had thought about going to my local sushi bar and just ordering a few orders of Tobiko and then discarding the rice. I'll also check out Nijiya today and report back.
Looking for Okunomatsu "FN" Sparkling Sake
Thanks, I appreciate it. I'll check it out.
Where to buy Tobiko (NOT Masago)
Anyone have any recommendations as to where I might find true Tobiko (flying fish roe), not to be confused with Masago (smelt roe)?
I tried Ranch 99 where I have seen it before. I just came from Mitsuwa, and Nijiya, but forgot to look for it while I was there. Anyone purchase Tobiko at either of these markets?
Thanks!
David
Looking for Okunomatsu "FN" Sparkling Sake
Anyone know where I might find this particular sparkling sake within say 20 miles of San Diego?
I have tried Mitsuwa, Nijiya and Ranch 99.
Thanks!
Sunday lunch in the style of Animal or Church & State?
Dear L.A Chowhounds,
A friend and I will be in L.A. next Sunday and are looking for a place to have lunch -- perhaps something a bit interesting as we will be without our less adventurous partners. We would go to Animal, but they are not open for lunch; neither is Church & State. Any suggestions?
Thanks!
Looking for Great Food, Atmosphere, Low Production, Hip but not tragically so, for under $200 for 2
Thanks to all for taking the time to reply! It looks like Ive got some homework to do. I'm bringing my wife to L.A. for our 7th anniversary. :)
david
Looking for Great Food, Atmosphere, Low Production, Hip but not tragically so, for under $200 for 2
Thanks for the recommendation - I'll check it out!
david
Looking for Great Food, Atmosphere, Low Production, Hip but not tragically so, for under $200 for 2
Say that you are in your 30's or 40's... You and your partner, and/or friends want to go somewhere to have a really enjoyable dinner within a 20 mile radius of downtown L.A.. The food should be great and also a little bit interesting -- somewhere between burgers/tacos and molecular gastronomy. The place should be unfussy, low production -- no tuxedoed waitstaff hovering about. The atmosphere should be comfortable and lively -- hip, but not tragically so. The sort of little place where an under-appreciated local chef/owner turns out great food for his/her grateful regulars. This place would likely be near the top of your "Go To" list when you say, "Hey, let's go out tonight! Where do you wanna go?" Total cost with a bottle of wine, tax & tip, under $100 per person.
What is the name of this place?
Communal Tables in San Diego County
There is one, maybe 8-person, communal table at Cucina Urbana.
My Favorite Mexican Restaurant in San Diego County - Hacienda de Vega (Escondido)
and a couple more photos...
My Favorite Mexican Restaurant in San Diego County - Hacienda de Vega (Escondido)
Hey BC,
Barbarella took those photos! She wields a mean iPhone camera, I'll post a few that I took for a view from the opposite side of the table.
While I'm here, just a couple of comments...
The Ajillo Shrimp may have been cooked in oil rather than butter. And I didn't think that I would call the sauce for the Lechuga "very spicy hot" -- there is some heat there, but more sweet. I think I commented to Barbarella that it was like a spicy honey mustard.
We love the place and, outside of our home, it may be the most relaxing place to eat and drink we know!
JRDN - Overpriced and Underwhelming
Here are some photos from the meal at JRDN (pronounced "Jordan")...
The scallop app, the gnocchi app, the halibut entree and the lobster entree.
State Road Restaurant now open in North Tisbury (Martha's Vineyard)
CORRECTION
The chef previously worked at Slice of Life and the Sweet Life Cafe. When the staff member said that he had previously worked at Moxie, she may have been referring to the sous chef..
State Road Restaurant now open in North Tisbury (Martha's Vineyard)
Oh right, right, right! I forgot about about the super salty fennel sausage n the bucatini dish. Fortunately, it was easily isolated from the rest f the ingredients.
State Road Restaurant now open in North Tisbury (Martha's Vineyard)
and the final few photos from State Road Restaurant.
State Road Restaurant now open in North Tisbury (Martha's Vineyard)
and a few more photos from State Road Restaurant.
State Road Restaurant now open in North Tisbury (Martha's Vineyard)
some more photos from State Road Restaurant
