I have been to Cafe 56 twice since my last post. Once during the soft opening and once after the grand opening, It was not too grand. The food is bland and came to the table cold. I had a dish with mashed potatoes that had luke warm gravy poured over cold lumpy spuds, bleah. If it were good diner food I would not be too excited anyway but it tastes like food from the dorm days.

They are the newest addition to a family of diner style restaurants that have different names All the location information is here:

http://www.sandiegohomecooking.com/lo...

I haven't tried them yet, I am a little reluctant because I am noit a big diner fan.

Here is a good recipe for an appetizer. Sometimes I roll a slice of proscuitto around the asparagus before I roll it into the phyllo

Phyllo Wrapped Asparagus

8 or 9 asparagus spears, depending on size
1/2 (16-ounce) package frozen phyllo dough sheets, thawed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup finely grated Grana Padano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Unwrap the phyllo and cut the stack in half lengthwise. Reserve 1 stack for later use. Cover the phyllo with a damp towel to keep it from drying out. Take 1 sheet of phyllo and brush lightly with some melted butter. Sprinkle with some grana padano. Place 2 to 3 asparagus spears on the short end of the sheet. Roll up, jelly-roll style. Place each piece, seam side down, on a baking sheet. Brush with more melted butter and sprinkle with more grana padano. Repeat until all the asparagus spears are used up. Place baking sheet in oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy.

We went to Cin Cin in Poway a week ago. (Its near the Target of all places) and it was quite good! The bruschetta was served with heirloom cherry tomatoes, and a fresh pesto that was outstanding. The marinara sauces tasted very fresh and sweet and the salmon stuffed with crab was very good as well. There were 5 of us and everything we ordered was wonderful and the service was very good as well.

Ok, now my innocent request for taquitos has marked me as a hopeless pothead :)

No really, I wanted fried rolled "taquitos" with guacamole and that nice plactic Tub O' Salsa.

(really Officer)

I think a large part of the problem is that in cities like Chicago or New York the restaurant scene is mature and saturated. If you open a place with so-so food you can't survive in those cities. The Gaslamp is our “downtown” and is a very young community which does not have the combination of old great standards and innovative new places (to the same degree as Chicago for example) that causes the competition to be fierce and the convention traffic probably feeds enough revenue into the Gaslamp area so the need to fight to keep on top is just not there.

Having said that I have had some good (not fabulous) meals in the Gaslamp, but I only really go there when I have business meetings or am attending a work related event at the convention center (or going to hear music at the HOB). I live in North County and when there are better places closer (Arterra, Market, and el Biz etc) that’s where I end up. I will make a special trip for places in North park like the Linkery and Pomegranate because they are doing a great job creating interesting food.

You are correct, that is San Diego-ese for taquitos.

oops! my apologies to both Petes and anyone who might have looked for the pink panther in Evanston....

Garlic Naan & Korma sauce!

Chicago has great food but you do need to make reservations before you go!

I second Chef Roger with Bistro 110, They have good food in a nice casual atmosphere (the artichoke is fabulous).

My other favorites are Marche (just for the decor alone, but the food is also great) and Topolobampo ( I had the best roasted pork baked in a butternut sqash dish- I keep trying to duplicate that dish) and there is always Bandera for good basic midwest type food.

Finally, if you can go down the loop to Evanston and try Pete Sellars, the lobster bisque is the best I have had anywhere, rich and creamy with nice lumps of lobster in soup.

My Favs:

Cahill porter (Irish cheese washed in beer). Its a black cheese and has a very rich cheddar flavor and a very interesting crunch.

Ewephoria- A sheep cheese gouda. Very sweet/nutty dessert cheese

I used 3 TBls for 4 onions ( 2 brown and 2 sweet onions) it tool 40 min in a cast iron pan to carmelize, but they were fabulous. I added some homemade beef stock and had onion soup. It was very rich!

I have a good friend who specialized in "special" birthday cakes. One year she decorated a baked Alaska look-alike. It was made of clown balloons looped together and created a spectacular splash of whipped cream when the birthday girl tried to cut the cake. Later that year she made another cake (for me) that was beautifully decorated with roses and all the usual accouterments. When I tried to cut the cake, it was impossible... She had decorated a cardboard box!

Hi Carrie,

How are you able to control the humidity in your cave/refrigerator? And what cheeses are you making? and where does one find Z'atar? (already mixed)

Thanks!

Bleah! that sounds like the green burrito crispy taco shells, which are fried to be crispy and soaked in wet sauce and end up being limp and clammy.

We live in Rancho Penasquitos, out last outing was to the Kraken and we have also been know to go to Tiki House in PB, Winstons and the Waterfront. La Posta sounds good and I am going to Rolobertos next time we are at the Waterfront..sounds great! Any ideas for up north, or are we going to need to move :)

Thanks!

BK (before kids) my DH and I would go out to listen to music and when the show was over we would head out for rolled tacos & Guacamole before heading home. (yes, it was a rut but it was a good way to soak up the beer and add back those calories lost while dancing). The kids are older now and we are able to get out more so we have regressed back to those lovely days and are finding it almost impossible to find any places that stay open that late. Any suggestions?

There are several Indian food markets in little India on Black Mountain road (off Miramar Road).

Lucky Seafood in Mira Mesa (on MM blvd)

Kabul Market in Kearny Mesa (on Convoy)

Thanks Honkman!

Does anyone have a website for Cavaillon? I have searched, googled and no luck. I would like to go there this saturday!

I work in Carlsbad near Legoland and don't get downtown too often, but here are some places near where I work that I frequent.

BellFleur- Nice upscale place, good wine selection.

http://www.bellefleur.com/

Kings (a chain but great seafood) Stick to Carlsbad here, Mission Valley is not as good for food or service

http://www.kingsseafood.com/restaurants.html

West- New place right off 5 at Cannon, I have eaten here serval times and the food is always fabulous.

http://www.weststeakandseafood.com/

Tip Top meats-old world comfort food. (also a excellent meat market and grocery. (I get my veal bones here for demi glace).

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profiles/places/92234

Fidels, wonderful Mexican.

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profiles/places/86805

Greek Village-sit down resturant and a step above any Greek food I have had anywhere in San Diego.

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profiles/places/110019

Pelly's Cafe & Fish Market-Very casual fish market-good sandwiches

http://entertainment.signonsandiego.c...

Snort- I have to agree on Pizza Port, they have the most nauseating pizzas I have ever had. The beer is great but yeeech.

I second the Pete Millers recomendation. The steaks are great and the lobster bisque is outstanding

For great Mexican you can also try two hidden treasures, Mario De La Mesa (in La Mesa) and Ponces (in Kensington, an old place that has been around for more than 40 years)

I go there quite often and the food is wonderful! They have a great Thai link if you like spicy and the cheese plate always offers some original tastes. Try the grilled asparagus and the roo.

What worked for us was to have them "help" with dinner. We started when they were pretty young and we found that when they make dinner there was a sense of ownership and they got to see what is going into the meal. My kids now have very sophisticated tastes and eat almost anything. They can also cook certain meals themselves. Of course that backfires on you when your daughter orders the lobster and your son wants the swordfish with the crab stuffing.....Are you sure you want to bypass the Mac n cheese and nuggets phase?

What cheeses does she make?

Thats great! I will look for that book this weekend. I am interested in branching out (once I have gotten the basics down) into some wilder recipes. What Cheeses are you making and how do you solve that heating from 90 to 100 (but no more than 5 degrees in two minutes issue? It is supposed to take 30 min but I always seem to take much longer.

I just started making cheese, I tried about a year ago and got busy, but wanted to dive in while I have time during the holidays. I have made queso blanco and Cheddar (now aging in the veg drawer which has been annexed as a cheese cave), My next cheese will be a Monterey jack, and then a pepper jack. Long term I want to make a blue and stilton. I ma making the cheeses using the Ricki Carroll books as well as other resources on the net.

I would love to find some classes in So. Cal, so far they are either in the bay area or east coast. Anyone else in this area making cheese?

There is also a Mr. Peabodys in Carlsbad that has great fries, it may be owned by the same people on Friars road. They serve good general pub food. the problem with In and Outs fries are that they are great but the half life is 5 minutes..then they turn into mush.