tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76874919105003969752024-03-13T08:00:55.534-07:00gastro bitsfood takes with geeky humorJameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-59100650901678271782013-06-13T12:22:00.001-07:002013-06-14T14:25:34.929-07:00Dishcrawl Carlsbad - Gregorio's, Knockout Burger, Relm, Swirlicious<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Date of Dining:</b> 6/12/2013 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Price:</b> $45 per dishcrawl ticket</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Quick Bit:</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ great event to meet fellow foodies</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ vibrant upbeat atmoshphere</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ Some restaurants could have taken the event more seriously</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Disclaimer:</b> I was provided with a free media pass to the dishcrawl event.</span></span></blockquote>
I was surprised to receive an invitation to <a href="http://dishcrawl.com/carlsbadvillage/">Dishcrawl Carlsbad</a> as I have not been so active in blogging lately, but I was happy to attend the event and brush off my camera lens to take some food photos.<br />
<a href="http://dishcrawl.com/">Dishcrawl </a>is an event organized by foodies for other foodies; it occurs throughout many cities in the US and is growing. During a Dishcrawl, participants always pay $45 for a ticket and get to sample dishes from 4 restaurants along the way. During the Dishcrawl, participants also have the opportunity to talk with chefs, owners, or managers of the restaurants in order to gain some additional insight to the restaurant. For restaurants, Dishcrawl is a great way to showcase culinary specialties to those from out of the area while maintaining and strengthening support with loyal local customers.<br />
I was surprised that our event included 29 participants and that restaurants in the Carlsbad Village had agreed to serve the foodies. Participants of the Dishcrawl ranged from cosmopolitan Carlsbad Village locals to wayfaring gastronomes from Hillcrest and Temecula. Overall, the group was vibrant and had a lot of energy. It was great to have the opportunity to chat with many others who were devoted to cooking and eating well-prepared food.<br />
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<h3>
Gregorio's Italian Restaurant</h3>
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<b>Location:</b> 300 Carlsbad Village Dr, Ste 208<br />
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<a href="http://www.gregoriosrestaurant.com/">website</a></div>
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The Dishcrawl started at Gregorio's, a favorite of the locals who have all long visited and developed favorite dishes. Gregorio's prepares a rustic Italian homestyle cuisine that strives to be "your kitchen away from home." Further, Gregorio's donates all profits to charity including the Boys and Girls club four nights a week! These actions of giving back to the community has really resonated well within the community.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3c-7MDK_PoQ/Ublq4pnCxdI/AAAAAAAAMKE/gQo7VA3eVWo/s1600/DSC05702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3c-7MDK_PoQ/Ublq4pnCxdI/AAAAAAAAMKE/gQo7VA3eVWo/s640/DSC05702.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shrimp aglio e olio - shrimp, linguini, olive oil, lemon</td></tr>
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The shrimp dish was what the restaurant considered its signature dish - it was a healthier take on a shrimp scampi with some additional pasta. The dish contained a healthy amount of garlic that was pervasive throughout the palate. As a minor critique, the dish could have used a little more salt.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvBFbrZGF5Q/Ublq2dU09EI/AAAAAAAAMJ8/4_F8wKVnB1c/s1600/DSC05699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OvBFbrZGF5Q/Ublq2dU09EI/AAAAAAAAMJ8/4_F8wKVnB1c/s640/DSC05699.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eggplant parmigiano - fried eggplant, mozzarella, pasta</td></tr>
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The eggplant parmigiana is considered the most popular dish at Gregorio's and it was also my favorite of the trio. I really enjoyed the different layered textures within the dish as well as the rich complexities within the interplay of the eggplant and cheese.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sicilian chicken - chicken, breadcrumbs, fusili, vodka cream sauce</td></tr>
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The final dish was the Sicilian chicken, which is another popular dish of the restaurant. The chicken was pounded and deep fried and combined with a fusili made with a vodka cream sauce. I thought that the vodka cream sauce was very well made and served well to cut the richness of the fried chicken. However, I also thought this dish needed some additional seasoning, especially within the breadcrumb batter itself.</div>
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Overall, I feel that Gregorio's was a great place for locals to enjoy. While there is nothing fancy about the food, it was still simple food prepared well. It is also amazing that the restaurant can donate profits to charity four days a week.</div>
<h3>
Knockout Burger</h3>
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<b>Location:</b> 2971 Carlsbad Blvd<br />
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Knockout Burger is a local burger watering hole that is themed around boxing. It's an alternative to In-n-out, but also slightly more expensive.</div>
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Knockout Burger was a restaurant that totally didn't take the Dishcrawl seriously and lacked professionalism when dealing with such a crowd. While I can understand that the restaurant happened to get busy prior to our arrival, it still took more than 45 minutes for them to prepare the food for the group. It also seemed unreasonable that they felt all the food needed to be completed at the same time. For a small burger restaurant trying to serve 30 people, they simply should have prepared whatever food they could in whatever time they could and sent it out as it was completed, completely fresh.</div>
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Further, the restaurant could have provided some food during the long wait such as fries or free beverages as those are generally low cost items that would not impact sales margins. The way it worked out - the burgers were not completed until <i>after </i>we had already reached the next restaurant and <i>finished </i>the food at that establishment.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoQClsUM4GA/UblrDYWiQ1I/AAAAAAAAMKc/5W3y1-VAkAk/s1600/DSC05724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="514" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XoQClsUM4GA/UblrDYWiQ1I/AAAAAAAAMKc/5W3y1-VAkAk/s640/DSC05724.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cheeseburger</td></tr>
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The burger seemed to be a frozen patty as it was largely tasteless and lacked any caramelization that is traditionally expected from a burger. Further the lettuce was wilted and the sauce was waterlogged creating a completely washed out flavor. Finally, the meat to bun ratio was completely off as the "flavor" from the processed white breaded bun completely overwhelmed what flavor was left from the patty. To add insult the injury, the fries were chalky lumps of starch that had somehow managed to survive past their intended half-life.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_TGRwQTdz4/UblrG4kJMrI/AAAAAAAAMKk/h6sKyTY5m7o/s1600/DSC05727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="520" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-B_TGRwQTdz4/UblrG4kJMrI/AAAAAAAAMKk/h6sKyTY5m7o/s640/DSC05727.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken sandwich</td></tr>
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The only thing worse than the fries was the chicken sandwich. The chicken was completely dry, and the waterlogged lettuce completely washed out any flavor whatsoever. The only redeeming quality to the chicken was that it was fully cooked so that I know I'm not going to be infected with salmonella.</div>
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Overall, the only good quality of knockout burger was it's name; the food knocked me out, and I'm actually surprised I didn't have to visit the hospital. Perhaps I'll need to send them a bill for cleaning out my toilet though. Stick with In-N-Out which is both cheaper and tastier, or better yet visit the<a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2011/10/elevation-burger.html"> gastrobits favorite fast food burger Elevation Burger </a>while in Carlsbad.</div>
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Relm Wine.Beer.Bistro</h3>
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<b>Location: </b>2917 State St, Carlsbad, CA<br />
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<a href="http://www.thewinerelm.com/">website</a></div>
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The third stop of the Dishcrawl was Relm Wine.Beer.Bistro. I would classify the establishment mostly as an adult lounge as much of the seating is comfortable leather sofas that are spread throughout the room.</div>
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Relm's owner Rene Fleming serves as the establishment's curator, sourcing only special boutique wines in the restaurant. These wines are all small production, hard to find wines that have all passed the grade of Mrs Fleming's discerning palate. Most importantly, Relm is an acronym for relax, enjoy, laugh more and epitomizes the experience the Dishcrawl had while at the establishment.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oC8LDDJy0_o/UblrOSNad9I/AAAAAAAAMK0/CVSvgVnHtmE/s1600/DSC05713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="522" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oC8LDDJy0_o/UblrOSNad9I/AAAAAAAAMK0/CVSvgVnHtmE/s640/DSC05713.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mediterranean salad - strawberries, mixed greens, kalamata olives, cucumber, perponcinis, cherry tomatoes</td></tr>
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The salad was a standard salad, but was still put together very well. All the ingredients were fresh and the flavors amalgamated in a satisfying combination even without the dressing.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hummus </td></tr>
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The hummus was a milder variation of hummus in that it didn't contain a lot of garlic. However, I found this to be good because garlic doesn't really go well with wine.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1RBEbQvRJc/UblrTmr-V2I/AAAAAAAAMLE/esn75NsI3W4/s1600/DSC05719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d1RBEbQvRJc/UblrTmr-V2I/AAAAAAAAMLE/esn75NsI3W4/s640/DSC05719.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">hot spinach artichoke dip</td></tr>
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The dip was hot and went together well with the other elements. It also paired better with wine in comparison to some of the other offerings. I enjoyed that there were actual artichoke hearts within the dip.</div>
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Overall, Relm was my favorite stop of the Dishcrawl; the atmosphere was extremely comfortable and relaxed and the service was top notch. When the initial food ran out for the Dishcrawl group, they immediately re-filled all the food; the management was more concerned with satisfying the customer than padding their pocketbooks. I was also happy with the selection of wines at Relm as they truly seemed unique. I would definitely stop by Relm again if I was in the area, but in the meantime, I will hope for an outpost to open closer to where I live.</div>
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<h3>
Swirlicious Frozen Yogurt</h3>
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<b>Location:</b> 2992 State St, Carlsbad, CA<br />
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<a href="http://swirliciousyogurt.com/">website</a></div>
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Swirlicious is a local spin off of the popular frozen yogurt places that have opened all around the country lately. While the owners have modeled the establishment after some of the more Asian yogurt establishments in San Diego, Swirlicious adds its own distinct ideas to the establishment as well.</div>
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At Swirilicious, one gets a cup and then fills it with as much yogurt and toppings as they desire. Yogurt flavors change monthly while toppings vary more frequently. From what I noticed, some of the toppings were truly unique; there were juice poppers which are pearl-shaped balls that contain flavored juice and a nice pop when chewed. Adding this topping would create a nice textural contrast against both the yogurt and other more traditional toppings.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGJXaV7-IZ0/UblrbgOCgUI/AAAAAAAAMLc/Ke3oQCLxyUs/s1600/DSC05733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="598" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tGJXaV7-IZ0/UblrbgOCgUI/AAAAAAAAMLc/Ke3oQCLxyUs/s640/DSC05733.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">swirlicious yogurt</td></tr>
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I opted for a healthier yogurt selection as I got mostly the tart yogurt and filled up with fruits and nuts. The yogurt was very well flavored and all the toppings were fresh and added a unique flavor to the entire product.</div>
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Swirlicious is nice yogurt establishment that adds a dimension to the community that otherwise cannot be found. </div>
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Conclusion</h3>
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Overall, I found the Dishcrawl event to be a success. Many times when eating, it is not necessarily about what the food tastes like, but moreso about the company you enjoy while eating the meal. With a group of enthusiastic foodies, the experience was a great one as I was able to make many new friends and explore an area of town I have never been to otherwise. Further, there was easily enough food for everyone to enjoy.</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b>Note: </b>For the restaurants that participate in a Dishcrawl, it is important to keep some perspective - the participants of the Dishcrawl will be members of media, influential local food-lovers, and potential foodies from further away. When one takes the Dishcrawl seriously and delivers a good experience, the rewards are obviously. Conversely, by not taking the customers seriously, the consequences seem just as predictable. </blockquote>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-37448444730351628202013-06-03T21:16:00.001-07:002013-06-03T21:17:21.009-07:00Seoul Sausage Company - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Date of Dining:</b> 4/13/2013<br />
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<b>Price:</b> $7-10 per item<br />
<b>Location:</b> 11313 Mississippi Ave, Los Angeles, CA<br />
<a href="http://www.seoulsausage.com/">website</a><br />
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Previously, we discussed how food truck owners that were successful were able to parlay that success into <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/04/wich-addiction-grand-opening.html">brick and mortar establishments</a>. Today we discuss one of the most famous of those examples as the winners of The Great Food Truck Race Season 3 - Seoul Sausage.<br />
After winning the Great Food Truck Race, owners Ted Kim, Yong Kim, and Chris Oh used the winnings to not only establish a food truck, but to also open a brick and mortar establishment. Situated in Little Osaka in Los Angeles, the storefront is the perfect location to get a late night (or in my case mid-afternoon) snack.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">flaming ball - rice, kimchi, garlic, jalapeno, sriracha aioli</td></tr>
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Famous from the show, the fried rice balls are one of the signature dishes of Seoul Sausage. I had to try one to see what all the fuss was about. While I've had my share of fried balls from various food trucks, I did enjoy the Seoul Sausage ball more. The panko breading was extremely tasty, and the filling of the ball had the right combination of seasoning, spices, and flavor. The sriracha aioli dip was a great complement as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qg6WuNK6jV8/Ua1kQGtygvI/AAAAAAAAMJQ/OtKdk-8w1Io/s1600/DSC05429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="454" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Qg6WuNK6jV8/Ua1kQGtygvI/AAAAAAAAMJQ/OtKdk-8w1Io/s640/DSC05429.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Da KFC (korean fried chicken) - sweet and sour, daikon, kimchi cornbread</td></tr>
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Rather than get a sausage, I had on good authority to try the KFC. The fried chicken was just as good as can be expected from a well-fried korean-style chicken, but the spicy and tangy sauce brought the dish to a new level. The daikon cubes were perfect as a refreshing palate cleanser between bites of the succulent chicken. The only disappointment was the rather bland cornbread.<br />
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<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
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Overall Seoul Sausage is a great addition to the Little Osaka - it provides some great fusion snack foods and variety that the area otherwise lacks. The group won The Great Food Truck race because the food was great, and the brick and mortar location shows just how good the food is. I look forward to a return visit - hopefully I'll try the Sausage next time!</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-62093043429909895492013-06-03T09:20:00.002-07:002013-06-07T16:32:56.651-07:00Updates: Big News and a DishcrawlThis will be a shorter post, but it will cover some news as I haven't written in awhile.<br />
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First, you can expect some major news to break in the next few weeks. In addition the news, I'll be looking to write about a few places I've been to the past few months as well. Look for these articles to hit starting this week.</div>
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Next, after starting in San Diego over a year ago, <a href="http://dishcrawl.com/community/407">Dishcrawl </a>is making its way to <a href="http://dishcrawl.com/carlsbad">Carlsbad</a>, and I've been invited to check out the event. Dishcrawl is an event that is completely open to the public where the attendees visit 4 restaurants in a region and have a chance to meet with the chef or owners of those restaurants to ask questions, while enjoying the signature dishes of each establishment. Overall, it should just be a great time in visiting with other like-minded foodies and having a great time. Expect a report of this next week. In the meantime, you can check out some past dishcrawls at the<a href="http://www.facebook.com/DishcrawlSanDiego"> facebook page</a> and discover which 4 restaurants will be featured by following the dishcrawl twitter @DishcrawlCarl.</div>
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For the next article, expect an update on a popular food truck with lots of soul...</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-17622520096983883632013-04-01T22:19:00.003-07:002013-04-01T22:25:09.340-07:00George's California Modern - Wedding Reception<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Date of Dining:</b> 3/31/2013 </span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ERxrEjzVq4/UVpNTwcQEXI/AAAAAAAALeo/HLQhZSGekoU/s1600/DSC05296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3ERxrEjzVq4/UVpNTwcQEXI/AAAAAAAALeo/HLQhZSGekoU/s320/DSC05296.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location:</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;">1250 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.georgesatthecove.com/california-modern"><span style="font-family: inherit;">website</span></a></span><br />
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Due to my lack of writing lately, it looks like I will be doing the unthinkable and actually writing about the same place twice in a row!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">While I'm not sure of the exact process involved with planning a wedding reception at George's, I do know that the bride and groom get to be involved with the menu to a large degree. As a result, the menu tends to get slanted towards seasonal versions of favorite dishes.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nOW11gaM8o/UVpNWdgAIvI/AAAAAAAALew/wdedmc2MoHw/s1600/DSC05366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0nOW11gaM8o/UVpNWdgAIvI/AAAAAAAALew/wdedmc2MoHw/s320/DSC05366.JPG" width="309" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">menu for the wedding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">I was extremely fortunate to be invited my Yao of <a href="http://insert-food.blogspot.com/">{insert-food}</a> to his wedding. Yao worked with Chef Trey Foshee and his wife to develop a great menu for the wedding. As Yao hails from a family full of foodies and constantly enjoys culinary adventures with his wife, the food for his wedding was extremely important. While I don't know if it was his intention, I felt that Chef Foshee's food illustrated the themes of love between my friends and delivered the message in a way that only food can.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Canapes</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">As with any wedding, we started the evening with some canapes.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGVGy67i9NU/UVpNbLrDBKI/AAAAAAAALfA/Yz34ZyXyTxY/s1600/DSC05340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XGVGy67i9NU/UVpNbLrDBKI/AAAAAAAALfA/Yz34ZyXyTxY/s640/DSC05340.JPG" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pea soup - chino farms peas, ham snow</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">The pea soup was very light and refreshing. Unlike other pea purees, the soup was not very viscous and worked nicely as a savory drink. The ham snow was a very nice touch that added just the right amount of seasoning to the soup. This dish was illustrative of flirting in a relationship. It lightly tickled the taste buds to get an interest before moving in for the next move.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1i6qeFxd0Vk/UVpNdjlX9GI/AAAAAAAALfI/OljYgjkR5rw/s1600/DSC05343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1i6qeFxd0Vk/UVpNdjlX9GI/AAAAAAAALfI/OljYgjkR5rw/s640/DSC05343.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lobster falafel - meyer lemon yogurt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">The falafel had the perfect mix of lobster flavor with delicate spices. The lemon yogurt really tied together all the flavors and lowered the intensity of the spices. This was my favorite of the canapes. The falafel reminded me of when you find that common interest with the one you love as it really hooked me into the meal.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLcJIAUKzzE/UVpNf9abNeI/AAAAAAAALfQ/wbvb3c0n8bI/s1600/DSC05345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cLcJIAUKzzE/UVpNf9abNeI/AAAAAAAALfQ/wbvb3c0n8bI/s640/DSC05345.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beef tongue tacos - cilantro, avocado, carrot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">These were introduced as "beef tacos" since it was feared that some would not want to enjoy the tongue. Like other preparations of beef tongue I had at Georges, the tongue was cooked to perfection; there was a great balance of flavor, texture, and crunch. This course was more about the different textures and crunches as there was contrast between the tongue, the taco shell, and the pickled carrot. The Mexican flavors melded together very well and it was an enjoyable bite. The tacos were similar to the first fight a couple has as the crunch was similar to a fight, but the flavors were similar to the making up afterwards, forging and even stronger relationship.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">First Course</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gEQAa4OQ-yQ/UVpNouuu0zI/AAAAAAAALfw/lwGN0pGtXVM/s1600/DSC05374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gEQAa4OQ-yQ/UVpNouuu0zI/AAAAAAAALfw/lwGN0pGtXVM/s640/DSC05374.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chino farms peas - dungeness crab, almond milk sorbet, lettuce cream, yuzu, rhubarb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">To me the first course was all about duality: the sweetness of the peas with the sweetness of the crab, the sweetness of the peas with the sweetness of the almond milk, the juxtaposition between the sweetness of the peas and the slight bitterness of the pea pods, the bitterness of the pea pods against the bitterness of the lettuce cream. All of these elements worked together to really illustrate that while the peas may be great alone, they are much better when paired with another. The amalgamation of the dish was an extremely complex, yet light and refreshing salad.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Second Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssmRehtrKOU/UVpNsnGWE6I/AAAAAAAALgA/RO0zhRoxX10/s1600/DSC05378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ssmRehtrKOU/UVpNsnGWE6I/AAAAAAAALgA/RO0zhRoxX10/s640/DSC05378.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mushroom stew - 60 degree egg, black truffle, roasted onion jam, potato foam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyKvH_1PEKY/UVpNu68L4II/AAAAAAAALgI/i5d6J3WvDck/s1600/DSC05381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZyKvH_1PEKY/UVpNu68L4II/AAAAAAAALgI/i5d6J3WvDck/s320/DSC05381.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">While chanterelle season has passed, the substitute of maitake and bushimeji mushrooms worked really well, and I hardly noticed the difference. This dish was every bit as good as I remembered it, and all I wanted to do was revel in the glory of the taste as all my other troubles were washed away. The stew had a very similar effect to love where one simply wants to enjoy the harmonic ecstasy of the moment. This dish was my favorite of the night.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Third Course (A)</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O569LYJMdo0/UVpNwmQlSKI/AAAAAAAALgQ/m2EmtiAs0Ic/s1600/DSC05392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O569LYJMdo0/UVpNwmQlSKI/AAAAAAAALgQ/m2EmtiAs0Ic/s640/DSC05392.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lamb loin and shoulder - charred eggplant, peas, apple, pine nut risotto, lamb "caramel"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">The lamb was cooked perfectly and the rich red meat flavors really shone through. The strong savory flavors of the lamb were held in check by the sweetness of the peas and the slight tartness of the apple. The lamb was similar to the strong raging passion of love while the vegetables were the sensible logic that holds back those emotions in public. Together, they formed a symbiosis that created a wonderful plate.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Third Course (B)</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BN_VfihO7gM/UVpNy7KhHTI/AAAAAAAALgY/nTmpM7QPL5w/s1600/DSC05399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BN_VfihO7gM/UVpNy7KhHTI/AAAAAAAALgY/nTmpM7QPL5w/s640/DSC05399.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">local black cod - peas, asparagus, fennel, razor clam-tomato broth, seaweed, meyer lemon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">The black cod was cooked to be extremely delicate. The vegetable medley was a really nice textural contrast to the absolute delicacy of the fish. Meanwhile, the razor clams added a nice chewy element to the vegetables. The cod itself had a really nice and rich flavor, but it was really highlighted by the fennel. While the cod was the star of the dish, it only succeeded when backed with the fennel, whose contrast allowed the cod to really shine through. </span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Fourth Course</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BnA4oqF-R24/UVpN0uF5OxI/AAAAAAAALgg/gbzhSmbagGA/s1600/DSC05402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BnA4oqF-R24/UVpN0uF5OxI/AAAAAAAALgg/gbzhSmbagGA/s640/DSC05402.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ginger panna cotta - vanilla crumble, tangerine, cucumber sorbet</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">The panna cotta again illustrated duality: the panna cotta itself was extremely spiced from the ginger, while the cucumber sorbet immediately cooled the palate. The orange and vanilla paired off with the panna cotta, but the cucumber was the voice of reason and brought the situation back to balance. </span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Fifth Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--2-R_fYyDyI/UVpN2zlfFzI/AAAAAAAALgo/T5c9ZwrU7Ig/s1600/DSC05427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--2-R_fYyDyI/UVpN2zlfFzI/AAAAAAAALgo/T5c9ZwrU7Ig/s640/DSC05427.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">left - banana tiramisu - banana cake, espresso, marscapone cream, chocolate mousse, buttercream<br />
right - hazelnut almond - praline, nutella mousse, swiss meringue buttercream<br />
by Jenny Wenny Cakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Both cakes were extremely moist and very well put together. I really enjoyed the banana tiramisu as it wasn't as sweet, which allowed the flavors of the banana and espresso to shine through more clearly. The hazelnut almond cake was also very enjoyable as the flavor of hazelnut was pervasive throughout. Overall, both cakes were enjoyable.</span></span></div>
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<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19.953125px;">Overall I thought Chef Foshee did a great job with the wedding menu. I really thought his interpretation for the wedding dishes to highlight different facets of love was a wonderful interpretation of the relationship. As my friends had a hand in choosing the dishes, I felt that I learned a lot about them and their love for one another as I was eating the food. It was a truly masterful job and great culmination to a beautiful wedding day. I hope Yao and his wife have many years of happiness and wonderful life together. I hope they will live in good health and that their kids will also have good health. Finally, I hope they enjoy their honeymoon in Japan! (Yao, no blogging allowed during the honeymoon!)</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-39781762372808089022013-03-07T21:10:00.001-08:002013-03-07T21:14:36.758-08:00George's California Modern - New Years Eve 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Date of Dining:</b> 1/31/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $75 for 4 course prix fixe<br />
<b>Location: </b>1250 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037<br />
<a href="http://www.georgesatthecove.com/california-modern">website</a><br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
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+ high quality innovative dishes</div>
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+ great service and front of house</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ nice selection of wines</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ some small inconsistencies in food</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ dishes could have been explained better</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">For those wondering, I am still alive but I've been quite busy traveling around the country the past few weeks. While I did eat many a great meal, I decided not to try and get past TSA with my camera as I wasn't checking any bags, so unfortunately we'll have to re-live a few older experiences.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I've covered <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/11/tbl3-georges-california-modern-november.html">TBL3 quite</a> <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2011/12/tbl3-georges-california-modern.html">extensively</a>, it's been awhile since I've visited George's for the regular menu. While my previous experience wasn't that great, I hoped that I would enjoy the "regular menu" more during this visit.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I ended up visiting as part of the New Years Eve 2013 celebration with a group of other foodies. When we sat down, we noticed a red wine stain on the tablecloth as well as some hairs as if the table had not been properly bused prior to our seating. When we pointed it out to the wait staff, they promptly re-set the entire table and gave a complimentary round of champagne for the table, which I thought was a great, Michelin quality move.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">First Course</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vfkAN5m_DiA/UTlrlYHPtCI/AAAAAAAALbg/2sLf1dYV4L8/s1600/DSC05115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vfkAN5m_DiA/UTlrlYHPtCI/AAAAAAAALbg/2sLf1dYV4L8/s640/DSC05115.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smoked beef tongue carpaccio - winter truffles, comte, burnt onions, thyme pearls</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I ordered this dish remembering the fabulous beef tongue dish from TBL3. While this was not those standards, I still found the dish very enjoyable. There was a nice balanced smoky flavor on the perfectly prepared beef, and the onion and comte was the perfect complement to the dish. The only downside was that I did not detect any truffle as was advertised, but fortunately I felt the plate was great even without it.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Second Course</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ttq-qOY7Tho/UTlrzy3vpSI/AAAAAAAALb4/TpoVIi8jRGM/s1600/DSC05118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="562" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ttq-qOY7Tho/UTlrzy3vpSI/AAAAAAAALb4/TpoVIi8jRGM/s640/DSC05118.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chanterelle stew - 60 degree egg, roasted onion jam, potato foam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XrNpdsm5r1E/UTlrwvHxM8I/AAAAAAAALbw/1FyCTtBek8U/s1600/DSC05116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="294" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XrNpdsm5r1E/UTlrwvHxM8I/AAAAAAAALbw/1FyCTtBek8U/s320/DSC05116.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">As I previously pointed out, I felt this dish was one of the best of all of 2012. The creamy unctuousness of the egg was balanced with the harmonious earthy flavors of the chanterelles that were stewed to a soft texture so that the entire dish sung of umami flavors. The onion jam added just a touch of sweetness to brighten the dish as well. </span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Third Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jUCt6n_OQ0/UTlr1yEWqOI/AAAAAAAALcA/KGaqdUBp8Ow/s1600/DSC05124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6jUCt6n_OQ0/UTlr1yEWqOI/AAAAAAAALcA/KGaqdUBp8Ow/s640/DSC05124.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">roasted duck - beets, cocoa, black pepper gnocchi, strawberry, buckwheat, sorrel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The duck was cooked perfectly and the skin retained a nice crispy texture. The gnocchi were cooked to a nice soft pillow and worked well against the sauce. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the sweetness of the beets, the bitterness of the cocoa, and the tartness of the strawberries. The elements were deconstructed on the plate, but amalgamated to a nice complex and rich sauce.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Fourth Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJqI1CpMgLQ/UTlr5HM0d_I/AAAAAAAALcI/QnwS7cHjm-Q/s1600/DSC05137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="534" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EJqI1CpMgLQ/UTlr5HM0d_I/AAAAAAAALcI/QnwS7cHjm-Q/s640/DSC05137.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">goat cheese panna cotta - cranberry compote, orange segments, bacon, sage gel, honey foam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I really enjoyed the contrast between the bacon bits and the dairy flavors of the panna cotta. I also felt that the safe gel and honey foam really provided nice highlights to brighten up the flavors of the dish. Unfortunately, the crust of the panna cotta was too hard; it was difficult to eat and didn't seem to add any interesting flavors to the dish. Fortunately it was easy to scoop the panna cotta off the crust and enjoy the meal without the hazard.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Overall, my second visit to George's was much more successful than the first visit. While there may have been some roadblocks, the front of house skillfully overcame those obstacles and made the entire evening a night to remember. The chanterelle stew was one of the best dishes I had all year, and I can't wait to potentially see it again in the future.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While TBL3 won the terrabyte, the regular George's California Modern is still a great destination, and is awarded the gigabyte award.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-65710135341782008592013-02-10T22:27:00.003-08:002013-02-10T22:32:16.423-08:00Slater's 50/50 (Lake Forest) - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfsOKn5Gxq8/URiEZe09rQI/AAAAAAAALac/uJ9wkZkHeeE/s1600/DSC05248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LfsOKn5Gxq8/URiEZe09rQI/AAAAAAAALac/uJ9wkZkHeeE/s320/DSC05248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Date of Dining:</b> 2/10/13 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Price:</b> <span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;">$5 per appetizer, $9-18 per burger</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Location:</b> 24356 Swartz Ave, Lake Forest, CA 92630</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.slaters5050.com/"><span style="font-family: inherit;">website</span></a></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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<h4>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Quick Bit</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ knowledgeable and friendly service</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ same great Slater's 50/50 brand in a new location</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19.953125px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">+ great customization of burgers</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ some small kitchen kinks still to work out</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Disclosure: </b>I was invited to attend a preview night event for this restaurant and the food price was comp'd</span></span></blockquote>
I recently visited<a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/12/slaters-5050-san-diego.html"> Slater's 50/50 in San Diego</a> for the first time, and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The Slater's brand provides gourmet burgers in a casual and relaxed atmosphere along with over 100 beers on tap, specialty cocktails, and beer cocktails. It is the brainchild of owner Scott Slater and Executive Chef Brad Lyons <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/12/slaters-5050-san-diego.html">(read more about them in my previous coverage</a>). When I received an invitation to attend the "preview night" of the new Lake Forest branch, I thought it was a great opportunity to re-live the experience.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxi0vP2w42E/URiEcncW1nI/AAAAAAAALak/7-lpvKWDGaY/s1600/DSC05250.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fxi0vP2w42E/URiEcncW1nI/AAAAAAAALak/7-lpvKWDGaY/s320/DSC05250.JPG" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brand new condiments</td></tr>
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One thing I thought would be interesting was that due to my familiarity with Slater's 50/50, I was likely to know more about the menu and concept than my server. To my delight, my server ended up being great at his job; he knew the menu very well, he was friendly, and very responsive to any request. If it wasn't for his obvious nervousness with being an opening, I would have thought he was actually a veteran server from another location.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FH1PU8XNry0/URiEfXWRIAI/AAAAAAAALas/SYoP93r37Dk/s1600/DSC05254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FH1PU8XNry0/URiEfXWRIAI/AAAAAAAALas/SYoP93r37Dk/s640/DSC05254.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">take 2 - french fries and beer battered onion rings</td></tr>
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Perhaps the only mishap of the night was the take 2 appetizer. It is normal to expect some kinks to any new restaurant and our appetizer seemed to have been friend long ago and died under the heat lamp. However, the bacon ketchup and pumpkin sauce were so good that they almost rescued the dish.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DcvoR9XP_Hk/URiEiV8qxYI/AAAAAAAALa0/rI4ppBz9YEM/s1600/DSC05256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DcvoR9XP_Hk/URiEiV8qxYI/AAAAAAAALa0/rI4ppBz9YEM/s640/DSC05256.JPG" width="600" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">design it - 1/3 lb angus, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, green chile, horseradish sauce</td></tr>
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The design it was cooked to the desired temperature, and the horseradish sauce was an absolute hit. Rather than use store-bought horseradish, it was clear that the kitchen had made their own sauce as it was kicking strong and really complemented the flavor of the beef patty. The green chile also added that great pepper flavor without the heat to add an additional dimension to the burger.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hb9kI2qzik8/URiElP1SRnI/AAAAAAAALa8/hjWGwyIOUYk/s1600/DSC05262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hb9kI2qzik8/URiElP1SRnI/AAAAAAAALa8/hjWGwyIOUYk/s640/DSC05262.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">burger of the month - "pizza burger" hawaiian - 1/3lb 50-50 angus/sausage patty, mozzarella sticks<br />
grilled pineapple, ham, marinara sauce</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3nB4tOPhdw/URiEnn-BkyI/AAAAAAAALbE/r3nZjPhSekI/s1600/DSC05265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f3nB4tOPhdw/URiEnn-BkyI/AAAAAAAALbE/r3nZjPhSekI/s320/DSC05265.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I elected to try the burger of the month, as the concept of the pizza burger sounded interesting. Overall, I was really happy with the burger as it really did taste similar to pizza, except that it was much better. The flavor of the 50/50 beef/sausage patty was extremely exciting. Coupled with the sweetness of the pineapple and the crunch from the mozarella, and the entire burger was enjoyable to eat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKpyvn_POjc/URiEp1QxqfI/AAAAAAAALbM/kni2Eiluwjc/s1600/DSC05268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="498" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QKpyvn_POjc/URiEp1QxqfI/AAAAAAAALbM/kni2Eiluwjc/s640/DSC05268.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cococarma - toasted coconut, caramel, chocolate cookie, ice cream</td></tr>
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The cococarma features a warm cookie topped with ice cream. Just like the other place that serves a similar dessert, this was just as delightful. If you could have a warm girl scout cookie somoa topped with ice cream, the result would be the cococarma.<br />
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<h4>
Conclusion</h4>
<div>
While many new restaurants need up to 3 months to catch their stride, I truly believe Slater's 50/50 in Lake Forest will be running full speed inside a week. In the mean time, enjoy the selection of beers and exciting burgers.</div>
<div>
With the ability to translate the great Slater's experience so quickly and seamlessly, Slater's 50/50 is awarded the bit award.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-14999381091197028322013-01-16T20:39:00.003-08:002013-01-16T23:21:56.133-08:00Solace & the Moonlight Lounge - Matt Gordon Tasting<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMMDaNjBKsY/UPdz5BfjzKI/AAAAAAAALXk/RihnKkIe1ok/s1600/DSC05220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pMMDaNjBKsY/UPdz5BfjzKI/AAAAAAAALXk/RihnKkIe1ok/s320/DSC05220.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 1/15/2013<br />
<b>Price:</b> $100 for 8 course tasting<br />
<b>Location: </b>25 East E St, Encinitas, CA<br />
<a href="http://www.eatatsolace.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ high quality menu packed full of bold and rich flavors</div>
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+ great creativity and use of technique to create interesting dishes</div>
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+ most dishes were very aromatic</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ is there such thing as too much of a good thing?</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">As we were enjoying the previous <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/11/tbl3-georges-california-modern-november.html">TBL3</a>, the brain trust of myself, <a href="http://www.rodzillareviews.com/">Rodzilla</a>, <a href="http://insert-food.blogspot.com/">Yao from {insert-food}</a>, and <a href="http://www.foodieflirt.com/">Foodie Flirt </a>was hard at work in determining which restaurant to visit next. One of the candidates was Chef Matt Gordon, who was interested in creating a tasting experience. After contacting Chef Gordon, we were able to arrange such a tasting at his Encinitas Restaurant Solace & the Moonlight Lounge.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Chef Matt Gordon is the Executive Chef and part-owner of Solace & the Moonlight Lounge - the second restaurant to open after Urban Solace. Prior to moving to San Diego, Chef Gordon worked in such kitchens as Willi's Seafood and Raw Bar, Scott's Seafood, and Gordon Biersch Brewing Company. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Just prior to our visit, Chef Gordon had an <a href="http://sandiego.eater.com/archives/2013/01/14/matt-gordon-on-the-san-diego-chef-community.php">interview published on Eater</a>. Our group found this interview extremely enlightening on his approach to food. We also noticed that he was inspired by Chef Trey Foshee of George's California Modern. When Foodie Flirt invited Chef Foshee to join, I felt extremely fortunate when that invitation was accepted. Before the meal began, Chef Gordon explained that the menu was inspired by foods he liked to eat himself and hoped we would enjoy them as well.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">First Course</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YiByh3Fh6E/UPdz9Jpw7NI/AAAAAAAALXs/JjO_Xa5oE4E/s1600/DSC05167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="518" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8YiByh3Fh6E/UPdz9Jpw7NI/AAAAAAAALXs/JjO_Xa5oE4E/s640/DSC05167.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sea and smoke - smoked oysters, duck fat, clam dip, squid ink crisps, lemon shallot chutney</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I started this course my sampling a small bite of the clam dip, and I was immediately transported into unctuous decadence. The clam dip was made of cultured cream, clams, and duck fat, which amalgamated a real complexity in different fats, textures, and saltiness. When I felt that I might have been potentially overwhelmed, the chutney immediately refreshed my palate. The chutney also did a great job of lingering on the palate, which infused the successive bites with fresh acidity. Finally, the squid ink crisps were extremely tasty and enabled a fun component of dipping into the sauce.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I really felt that this dish was an impressive way to start the meal because it was extremely rich, yet balanced in flavor, acidity, texture, and restraint. It might have even been my favorite dish if not for...</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Second Course</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EnpoqiOKDR8/UPd0DipOG2I/AAAAAAAALX8/D_P6LgFdxfM/s1600/DSC05180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="526" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EnpoqiOKDR8/UPd0DipOG2I/AAAAAAAALX8/D_P6LgFdxfM/s640/DSC05180.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">offaly interesting - confit of sweetbreads, chive crusted bone marrow, white onion gruyere puree<br />
onion soup</td></tr>
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<div>
This course was Chef Gordon's take on French Onion soup. If other french onion soups are this good, I will order it every time I see it for the rest of my life. The bone marrow was a great flavor burst and acted almost like the bread component. The different preparations of onions were really enjoyable in their textural contrast as well as how the flavors melded together into an even more complex flavor. Finally, the sweetbread was prepared perfectly and was immensely fulfilling. While many dishes were great, I felt that this dish was the one I enjoyed the most for the entire evening.</div>
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<h4>
Third Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ISbIy7bEWlQ/UPd0GTedWNI/AAAAAAAALYE/VdI1-Bgr_t8/s1600/DSC05182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ISbIy7bEWlQ/UPd0GTedWNI/AAAAAAAALYE/VdI1-Bgr_t8/s640/DSC05182.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">is that a carrot in our pocket? - sable fish stuffed with poached and roasted carrot, watercress<br />
sunchoke star anise sauce</td></tr>
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<div>
The sable fish was prepared perfectly as was extremely delicate and flavorful. The carrot puree was infused with curry, which was a nice contrast to both the anise and the sweetness of the carrots. The roasted carrots were also extremely well prepared, and we even enjoyed eating the carrot tops. However, I really enjoyed the sunchoke anise sauce. I felt the anise spice really accentuated the various flavors of the dish.</div>
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<h4>
Fourth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EsMKqNp5FwQ/UPd0IcaGi7I/AAAAAAAALYM/34qz4x2Jx88/s1600/DSC05193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EsMKqNp5FwQ/UPd0IcaGi7I/AAAAAAAALYM/34qz4x2Jx88/s640/DSC05193.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">curds and whey - housemade ricotta roulade, green olive juice, candied kabocha squash, honey jelly,<br />
mizuna, caramelized whey reduction</td></tr>
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<div>
I enjoyed various elements of this dish. The ricotta was well prepared and had a great flavor. I also enjoyed that the honey jelly was "spiked" with a real kick of cayenne. Finally, the caramelized whey was very clever and inventive. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Fifth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RauOI9gQqRs/UPd0LYSwjYI/AAAAAAAALYU/zuClpmExpss/s1600/DSC05196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="446" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RauOI9gQqRs/UPd0LYSwjYI/AAAAAAAALYU/zuClpmExpss/s640/DSC05196.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">uni-laterally banned - cornmeal shrimp cake, uni gonad, seared foie gras, foie gras mousse,<br />
uni shellstock reduction</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
For many at our table, this was the first time that we were able to experience uni and foie in the same bite. Overall, most of us felt that it worked because the uni was able to stand up to the foie.<br />
The best part of this dish was the foie gras mousse ball. When the ball was cut into, the foie mousse covered the rest of the plate and mixed with the reduction to make a rich and flavorful sauce. The combination of the liquefied uni and foie against the whole uni and foie was a thrilling juxtaposition of textures and flavors as the flavors were each unique. All of this was tied together by the prawn contrasted against the shrimp corn cake. These were welcome additions to use in soaking up the rest of the uni and foie sauce.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Sixth Course</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SVlyja5k4M8/UPd0NuNM7aI/AAAAAAAALYc/lntWTuRRjhA/s1600/DSC05207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SVlyja5k4M8/UPd0NuNM7aI/AAAAAAAALYc/lntWTuRRjhA/s640/DSC05207.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">deer prudence - pine smoked sous vide venison, chanterelles, potato mille-feuilles, red wine syrup,<br />
pickled baby red onion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The venison was cooked perfectly and contained a very smoked flavor, which lingered on the palate. This smoke infused the mushrooms, potato, and onions with the same smoke flavor. The mille-feuille was a technical marvel as all the layers of potato were cooked well and contained a light texture.<br />
<br />
<h4>
Seventh Course</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F3QR27GZY7U/UPd0QE0cQrI/AAAAAAAALYk/S2Y_J4hN2QE/s1600/DSC05212.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F3QR27GZY7U/UPd0QE0cQrI/AAAAAAAALYk/S2Y_J4hN2QE/s640/DSC05212.JPG" width="378" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">popper bonilla - cauliflower pot de creme, brown butter cake, sweet jalapeno caviar<br />
cheddar crisp, vanilla bean whipped, bacon dust</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
For dessert, we were surprised as Chef Gordon invited Chef Jeff Bonilla to create desserts. You may remember that Chef Bonilla created my<a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2013/01/2012-gastrobits-awards.html"> favorite dessert of 2012</a>.</div>
<div>
After eating my first dessert of 2013, it is going to be awfully difficult to surpass. The pot de creme was extremely light and airy, yet retained a rich cauliflower flavor base. The jalapeno caviar contained all the pepper flavor of the jalapeno without the heat from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsaicin">capsaicin</a>. This allowed a really fresh taste of pepper be infused along with the caviar. However, the cheddar crisp is what really tied the dish together. The crisp contained the salt needed to accentuate all the other flavors while also acting as the crunchy textural contrast, which made the dish incredibly fun to eat. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Eighth Course</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P1Fk8UGORPg/UPd0TL3GSFI/AAAAAAAALYs/Bt4Ia0Krtio/s1600/DSC05219.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P1Fk8UGORPg/UPd0TL3GSFI/AAAAAAAALYs/Bt4Ia0Krtio/s640/DSC05219.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">terry's milk - aerated chocolate, gran marnier gel, chocolate genoise, satsuma foam, candied orange glass<br />
chocolate sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The chocolate genoise had the perfect texture of cake, which really carried this dish. I also enjoyed the orange glass, which added a nice amount of acidity and texture. The various chocolates acted as distinct and different sauces in which to dip and enjoy the cake. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Conclusion</h4>
<div>
While I was initially excited about tasting Chef Gordon's food, the entire dinner exceeded my highest expectations. Chef Gordon warned me not to expect food on the level of TBL3, but I felt several of these dishes were on that level of preparation. With the great company I had for dinner, I felt the meal was a smashing success. I hope that in the future, Chef Gordon may be willing to make his tastings available to the public by arrangement, similar to how TBL3 is arranged. When that happens, I will definitely be willing to return for an encore engagement.</div>
<div>
While I can't give Solace itself an award, I will go ahead and give Chef Gordon's tasting dishes the gigabyte award. Hopefully this tasting will be more available to the public in the future, so the award carries more meaning.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-42118957553067320822013-01-13T20:33:00.003-08:002013-01-17T09:56:22.559-08:00Original Sab E Lee (Rancho Penasquitos)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_GPhOdq0kyg/UPOEJ-CnMuI/AAAAAAAALWo/pUVuaMB7XBE/s1600/DSC05142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_GPhOdq0kyg/UPOEJ-CnMuI/AAAAAAAALWo/pUVuaMB7XBE/s320/DSC05142.JPG" width="303" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining</b>: 1/3/2013<br />
<b>Price:</b> $6-10 per dish<br />
<b>Location:</b> 13223-2 Black Mountain Rd, San Diego, CA 92129<br />
<a href="http://originalsab-e-lee.webs.com/">website </a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ great authentic isan style thai food</div>
<div>
+ numerous selection of dishes</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ spice levels could be more accurate and use real chili</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ new restaurant blues</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">You may be wondering why many Thai restaurants use some name in the for Sab E Lee. According to my friend and fellow food writer <a href="http://insert-food.blogspot.com/">Yao at {insert-food}</a>, it's because in Thai it means delicious.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When I heard that Sab E Lee was going to open in Rancho Penasquitos, I knew I had to try it out. I have been a loyal customer to both the Linda Vista and Santee locations over the years, but never remembered to bring my camera for a proper review. I felt that the opening of the new location was the perfect time to rectify my oversight.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">There may be some confusion around Sab E Lee's various owners, so I'll do my best to clarify the story as much as I know. Kobe was the original owner of Sab E Lee in Linda Vista (SEL-LV). After opening to much success with Chef May Lee in the kitchen, he then moved to open Sab E Lee in Santee (SEL-S) with a new chef from Thailand. When he left, he left May Lee in charge of SEL-LV. After there was some confusion about which restaurant people referred to, SEL-LV added "Original" in front of the name. However, SEL-LV's limitation has always been its size - there are a mere 5 tables seating about 18 people. Therefore, May Lee entered into a partnership to open the new Sab E Lee in Rancho Penasquitos (SEL-RPQ). While May Lee remains at SEL-LV, SEL-RPQ is run by other members of her family, so it retained the "Original" in the name.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">SEL-RPQ opened in the waning days of 2012, but I'll go ahead and call that a "soft opening" and consider it a new restaurant of 2013. As such with new restaurants, expect delays as the staff figures out how to run things effectively. We arrived along with several other tables to completely fill the restaurant, and there were long delays for the food to arrive. I was happy to wait, but I could sense some frustration with some other tables.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pzMzyPAkxkA/UPOENJzyavI/AAAAAAAALWw/EXvLppWsqeo/s1600/DSC05145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pzMzyPAkxkA/UPOENJzyavI/AAAAAAAALWw/EXvLppWsqeo/s640/DSC05145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tom yum soup with shrimp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I always enjoy Sab E Lee's soups, and with the recent trend to cold weather, I really enjoyed the heat from the soup. I'm not a big fan of lemongrass, but this soup had just the right blend of lemongrass to give it a sour and tangy flavor while retaining a rich and savory flavor.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8X8RLGa7FnQ/UPOEPyHmGQI/AAAAAAAALW4/56Bu3OB5A74/s1600/DSC05146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8X8RLGa7FnQ/UPOEPyHmGQI/AAAAAAAALW4/56Bu3OB5A74/s640/DSC05146.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">spicy raw beef</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">There's a running joke that I have a "barbaric" palate and especially enjoy raw beef. It's probably true, but what first attracted me to Sab E Lee was this raw beef dish, and it has never disappointed. The beef is always tender and is dusted with rice powder to give it a nice crunch. The rest of the preparation resembles a larb with cilantro, lime, onions, and garlic. This dish was just as good as I expected at the new location, and I'm glad they haven't lost a beat in what I consider their signature dish.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_qgfwhl9LI/UPOESXnFUCI/AAAAAAAALXA/MgRGc4bEcoQ/s1600/DSC05150.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-W_qgfwhl9LI/UPOESXnFUCI/AAAAAAAALXA/MgRGc4bEcoQ/s640/DSC05150.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">catfish larb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">If there's another signature dish of Sab E Lee, it's probably the catfish larb. Unfortunately, this dish was off from what I expected. The fish did not taste of catfish, and the lack of spice set the dish back.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HgUWNJ-qzeY/UPOEViH7ExI/AAAAAAAALXI/leQgRItdxCI/s1600/DSC05148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="468" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HgUWNJ-qzeY/UPOEViH7ExI/AAAAAAAALXI/leQgRItdxCI/s640/DSC05148.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">drunken noodles with chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I really enjoy the drunken noodles because I like how the basil flavor infuses into the rest of the dish. While I really did enjoy this dish, so did the rest of the table as it was quickly devoured before my eyes. One great quality about Sab E Lee's noodle dishes are that they do not overcook the noodles. Most other Thai restaurants overcook the noodles so they become too soft and mushy. These noodles have some resistance to them, which enables them to carry a greater depth of flavor.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kJq3NyrEsB4/UPOEYGMROqI/AAAAAAAALXQ/pps7Zsy_nT0/s1600/DSC05153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kJq3NyrEsB4/UPOEYGMROqI/AAAAAAAALXQ/pps7Zsy_nT0/s640/DSC05153.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mango sticky rice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">To finish things off, the mango sticky rice is a crowd pleaser. The sticky rice is infused with condensed milk, and the sweet mango gives a fresh feel to the sweetness.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Sab E Lee in Rancho Penasquitos definitely still has some new restaurant kinks to work out. However, if you are a fan of the other Sab E Lee restaurants, or just a fan of good Thai food, it is a great new restaurant in an otherwise cultural culinary desolace. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Based on reputation, I give the kilobit award to all Sab E Lee restaurants in San Diego. The Rancho Penasquitos location is probably still a bit, but I have confidence that their level will rise to kilobit in the coming months.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><b>Update</b> (1/17/2013):</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://kirbiecravings.com/2013/01/sab-e-lee-new-rancho-penasquitos.html">Kirbie </a>and <a href="http://pinkcandlesatridgemonthigh.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-new-original-sab-e-lees-in-rancho-pq.html">caninecologne </a>also visited SEL-RPQ </span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-19658216158491396932013-01-13T18:59:00.000-08:002013-01-13T20:02:10.450-08:00Zabb Elee - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TbyPSfryENo/UPNvJS13_gI/AAAAAAAALV8/iKTbW3iFnjo/s1600/DSC04247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TbyPSfryENo/UPNvJS13_gI/AAAAAAAALV8/iKTbW3iFnjo/s320/DSC04247.JPG" width="319" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 10/4/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $6-11 per dish<br />
<b>Location:</b> 75 2nd Ave. New York, NY, 10003<br />
<a href="http://zabbelee.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ extended tasty interpretations of Thai favorites</div>
<div>
+ bargain prices</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
While visiting New York City, it is a great opportunity to try some other ethnic cuisines. As the spicy flavors of Thai cuisine are among my favorites, I knew I had to find one of the city's best Thai restaurants.</div>
<div>
Zabb Elee opened its East Village location during the summer of 2011 and quickly became one of the city's leading restaurants. Many critics hail quality of the cuisine. When I found the<a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2011/05/zabb-elee-east-village-is-best-thai-in-manhattan-nyc.html"> Serious Eats review</a> of the restaurant, I thought that it would be a great opportunity to try and compare with my favorite San Diego Isan style cuisine. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8THDIJFvcaE/UPNvNZiZbZI/AAAAAAAALWE/DyprAVhsy2k/s1600/DSC04248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8THDIJFvcaE/UPNvNZiZbZI/AAAAAAAALWE/DyprAVhsy2k/s640/DSC04248.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">som tum muazuar - papaya, shrimp, bbq pork, rice noodle, tomato, long bean</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The som tum muazuar is Zabb Elee's take on papaya salads. Rather than making simple papaya salads, these are the super deluxe version, containing elements of an entire meal, while retaining the papaya and sauce as the base. By adding the savory elements of grilled meats, the already well-made papaya salad gets elevated to a greater level. I especially enjoyed the fried pork skin as they really took the dish over the top in both flavor and texture. The sauce had a tangy balance of sour, sweet, and spicy - emphasizing all the flavors within the dish.</div>
<div>
After eating this papaya salad, my expectations for the dish have been raised to an incredible level. When I tasted this dish, I felt as if I was on some hidden camera show where the chef had been replaced by a Michelin caliber chef as the food was so amazing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SjYFcOftWzo/UPNvP9ea5zI/AAAAAAAALWM/P-LnD93r0AI/s1600/DSC04251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SjYFcOftWzo/UPNvP9ea5zI/AAAAAAAALWM/P-LnD93r0AI/s640/DSC04251.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gang som - bamboo shoot, papaya, shrimp, sweet lime juice</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
After the som tum, any dish following would have a lot to live up to. The gang som brought my expectations back to reasonable levels. The dish was well prepared as the contrast of the earthy crunchiness of the bamboo with the sweetness of the papaya accentuated the shrimp. The sauce also acted reasonably curry-like due to the sweetness from the papaya. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05wkhPpozOI/UPNvSGNJT_I/AAAAAAAALWU/hZ_MSlXsayc/s1600/DSC04255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-05wkhPpozOI/UPNvSGNJT_I/AAAAAAAALWU/hZ_MSlXsayc/s640/DSC04255.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pla muk yang - grilled squid with garlic pepper lime dip</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The squid was grilled to perfection and seasoned well. The squid was not overly chewy and served as a great platform for the dipping sauce, which was fantastic. The fish sauce mixed with the garlic, peppers, and lime was a great vehicle for highlighting the flavors of Thai cuisine.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Conclusion</h4>
<div>
Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Zabb Elee. I wished that I had the opportunity to order more dishes. I felt that the cuisine at Zabb Elee was loyal to the authentic Thai flavors, while reaching out to establish where the cuisine can evolve in the future.</div>
<div>
Zabb Elee gets the kilobit award for such great execution and creativity. I highly recommend that you visit while in New York and craving some Thai.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-37777364327960902012013-01-09T22:10:00.000-08:002013-01-09T22:14:27.273-08:00Sky Room (closed)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9fJVoZxtXQ/UO5RYE3VgvI/AAAAAAAALUE/4dTt_Mo51Xc/s1600/DSC05027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9fJVoZxtXQ/UO5RYE3VgvI/AAAAAAAALUE/4dTt_Mo51Xc/s320/DSC05027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 12/21/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $95 for 7 course tasting menu<br />
<b>Location:</b> 1132 Prospect St, La Jolla, CA 92037<br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ venturing into the culinary unknown</div>
<div>
+ variations on the same ingredient</div>
<div>
+ knowledgable and friendly service</div>
<div>
+ great view</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ dishes could be edited</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Culinary trends are cyclical as time come and go; Oysters Rockerfeller turns into Oysters on the Half Shell until even that turns into Oyster Foam, before Oysters Rockerfeller returns in a deconstructed form. There are no beginnings or endings to in culinary arts - but this was an ending.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">A warm breeze blows through the hills of Escondido, buffeting that late season chanterelle before passing into the Highlands of Torrey, where the nasturtium is germinating for the spring bloom, before that breeze collides with the cool onshore flow in the Cove of La Jolla. Here the hot and cold air battles as it blows by a solitary tower, a tower where the top is known as Sky Room.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Recently, it was determined that the Sky Room at La Valencia was operating as a restaurant without the proper permits. Rather than keeping the iconic restaurant, the owners elected to allow the restaurant to operate through its sunset provision and then close the restaurant. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Fortunately, in the culinary world these endings can form into a new beginning. Chef Luke Johnson aspires for such a new beginning. With a resume that includes stints at Alinea (America's top restaurant) in Chicago and Melisse in Los Angeles, Chef Johnson pushes the envelope of modernist cuisine. His farm to table modern technique style showcases the same ingredients prepared in several ways on each dish. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Our group, which included <a href="http://rodzillareviews.com/">Rodzilla </a>and <a href="http://insert-food.blogspot.com/2012/12/sky-room-at-la-valencia-la-jolla-ca.html">{insert-food}</a> decided to try Chef Johnson's food before he relocated, as we were unsure of his next destination.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">First Course</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5rVuaZv7tE/UO5Raaxc8PI/AAAAAAAALUM/sUS1VwzHfN8/s1600/DSC05029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="582" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c5rVuaZv7tE/UO5Raaxc8PI/AAAAAAAALUM/sUS1VwzHfN8/s640/DSC05029.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oyster - kunomoto, salsify, grapefruit, chive</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This was a great opening dish in both flavors and pace. The acidity and tartness of the grapefruit simultaneously cleansed the palate while causing the mouth the water. I felt the puree of grapefruit was the element that really tied the entire dish together. The three preparations of oyster were distinct and fun as well.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Second Course</span></span></h4>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VMooSkd24c0/UO5Rf1l_ftI/AAAAAAAALUc/NDeFyFcy9Bk/s1600/DSC05034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VMooSkd24c0/UO5Rf1l_ftI/AAAAAAAALUc/NDeFyFcy9Bk/s320/DSC05034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yvIywaQzVBQ/UO5RhvihGeI/AAAAAAAALUk/IBMDthRbM9w/s1600/DSC05035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yvIywaQzVBQ/UO5RhvihGeI/AAAAAAAALUk/IBMDthRbM9w/s640/DSC05035.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lentil - onion, pig, yam</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I really enjoyed the pork belly in this dish as it was cooked extremely well. The lentil soup reminded me of a time where I burnt some peas trying to create the Maillard reaction.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Third Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XWYU_ZZD8o0/UO5RjG0R82I/AAAAAAAALUs/H5kXzNo6iok/s1600/DSC05040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="396" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XWYU_ZZD8o0/UO5RjG0R82I/AAAAAAAALUs/H5kXzNo6iok/s640/DSC05040.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lobster - turnip, orange, mushroom</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I really enjoyed the preparation of the lobster as well as the lobster foam, which I found very aromatic. I liked the contrast in flavors from the lobster tail versus the lobster knuckles, and thought the mushrooms added a nice element of umami to the dish.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Fourth Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pejxYRnjADk/UO5Rk5nVOMI/AAAAAAAALU0/kenV8CW1VAw/s1600/DSC05043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pejxYRnjADk/UO5Rk5nVOMI/AAAAAAAALU0/kenV8CW1VAw/s640/DSC05043.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gnocchi - beet, veal, lemon, parmesan</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I thought this was the best dish of the night. The key to this dish was the candied lemon. When I ate the lemon, it lingered on my palate while I ate the other elements in the dish. Together with the beats and parmesan, the lemon flavors created a sauce for the gnocchi, which I really enjoyed. The gnocchi were cooked perfectly and were very fluffy. When I first ate the dish without the lemon, I felt it was missing something, but after enjoying the lemon, the rest of the dish really came together.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Fifth Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8rv4TeXSvk/UO5Rm7pDfdI/AAAAAAAALU8/PGcSELsHz7E/s1600/DSC05048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x8rv4TeXSvk/UO5Rm7pDfdI/AAAAAAAALU8/PGcSELsHz7E/s640/DSC05048.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">venison - celery, pine nut, raisin, sage, coffee</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I felt that the venison was cooked to perfection. The coffee sauce really added a lot of depth of flavor to the venison and complemented the game flavors very well. The pine nuts and sage added to the theme of the forest as well.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Intermezzo</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lk2E1ZpTQhM/UO5RobAEn4I/AAAAAAAALVE/k3Kxz5TiWqg/s1600/DSC05051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lk2E1ZpTQhM/UO5RobAEn4I/AAAAAAAALVE/k3Kxz5TiWqg/s640/DSC05051.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">verjus gelee, mint</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This was a nice palate cleanser to prepare for the dessert courses</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Sixth Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gwUChHXQmto/UO5RqR15gfI/AAAAAAAALVM/pbngfSTSMD4/s1600/DSC05054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="478" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gwUChHXQmto/UO5RqR15gfI/AAAAAAAALVM/pbngfSTSMD4/s640/DSC05054.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cheese - honeycomb, fennel, cornbread</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The fromager d'affinois cheese was a great piece of cheese in both texture and flavor. Having usually skipped the cheese course, this course really educated me on how cheese works well in the progression of a meal.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Seventh Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NbyidjHY0Cg/UO5Rr8EqSwI/AAAAAAAALVU/tKAb3OA-oHM/s1600/DSC05057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="372" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NbyidjHY0Cg/UO5Rr8EqSwI/AAAAAAAALVU/tKAb3OA-oHM/s640/DSC05057.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">gourd - chocolate, spice, streusel, chestnut</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This dish was one of my favorites. The butternut squash was served in juice form in the center of the plate and them it was complemented by an extremely light and airy puree. Every bite screamed out with a purity in flavor that really impressed me. I even appreciated the macarons, streusel and chestnut on this plate as they added interesting textures to highlight different variations of the squash flavor. Despite Chef Johnson not being a pastry chef, this dessert was superior to many desserts I enjoyed prepared by pastry chefs this year.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The most impressive quality to this meal was that I saw that Chef Johnson was not afraid to try new things and push the culinary envelope. While some of the dishes didn't work, Chef Johnson's work seems to be ahead of the other San Diego trends. That said, I do feel that sometimes one can be somewhat ambitious and push too far too fast. In some dishes, some of these envelopes were pushed too far and the dishes didn't work. With that said, I am still excited about Chef Johnson's food and look forward to his next venture.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-70752468214129454032013-01-01T17:41:00.001-08:002013-01-01T20:05:54.367-08:002012 gastrobits awards<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
After some a short absence, I was compelled to make an update based on my 2012 year end awards.<br />
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Looking back at 2012, it was the year where I truly embraced food writing. I set a torrid pace to start the year and then experienced some burn out as we neared the end. Looking back at all the photos, there's so many good dishes that I had during the year. For this year's awards, I've decided to just highlight the best dishes and assign them some arbitrary awards.</div>
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<h4>
Best New Restaurant - Akinori Sushi</h4>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5lNWv7zkuc/UOOF4LcYuPI/AAAAAAAALS4/e9P4ChsxGhw/s1600/DSC03736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r5lNWv7zkuc/UOOF4LcYuPI/AAAAAAAALS4/e9P4ChsxGhw/s400/DSC03736.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Akinori opened just recently has and has been serving an inspired trendy style of high quality sushi. If you like your sushi in the kaiseki style (some hot dishes as well as sushi), then Akinori is the place to experience omakase done right.<span id="goog_1384478826"></span><br />
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<h4>
Best Vegatable Dish</h4>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vnyjyX3NAhk/UOOFKGGsK2I/AAAAAAAALQ0/UJj_TERlgEU/s1600/DSC04928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vnyjyX3NAhk/UOOFKGGsK2I/AAAAAAAALQ0/UJj_TERlgEU/s640/DSC04928.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carrot - TBL3 @ George's California Modern</td></tr>
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The carrot cooked from the coffee crust grill was an amazing preparation. The carrot was prepared to actually taste similar to meat in heartiness and texture. The flavors meshed together incredibly well.</div>
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<h4>
Best Ethnic Thai</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRLb8W70f_0/UOOFV99M0wI/AAAAAAAALRU/yKU8K1HO7Qc/s1600/DSC04248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oRLb8W70f_0/UOOFV99M0wI/AAAAAAAALRU/yKU8K1HO7Qc/s640/DSC04248.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">som tum muazuar - Zabb Elee (NYC)</td></tr>
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This papaya salad from Zabb Elee was a masterpiece. There was a wide range of flavors and textures while delivering a rich thai flavor. Best of all, it only cost $10. Unfortunately, you'll have to fly to New York City to sample this dish.<br />
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<h4>
Best Ethnic Latin</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1XYmJ0fMoY/UOOFXyQXEEI/AAAAAAAALRc/8wTp7prnlZM/s1600/DSC03924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W1XYmJ0fMoY/UOOFXyQXEEI/AAAAAAAALRc/8wTp7prnlZM/s640/DSC03924.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">octopus - Mision 19 (Tijuana)</td></tr>
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The octopus from Mision 19 had a variety of latin flavors with incredible technical execution. Each octopus was cooked very well and had a complex range of sauces to highlight the flavors and texture of octopus. Not only was this dish the best Latin, dish but it was one of the best dishes of the year.</div>
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<h4>
Best Ethnic Chinese</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ROp2DmDXOtk/UOOFQGVfyBI/AAAAAAAALRE/dw8Bf8B66jw/s1600/DSC04638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ROp2DmDXOtk/UOOFQGVfyBI/AAAAAAAALRE/dw8Bf8B66jw/s640/DSC04638.JPG" width="604" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">famous prawn in hot wok - Lao Hunan (Chicago)</td></tr>
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The prawns were cooked perfectly in the hot wok and had a great balance of flavors and spice to resemble Thai food to some extent. The accompanying garnish added a lot of flavor in the form of herbs and spices to add depth to the dish. </div>
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<h4>
Best Noodles</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V2f42OujvK0/UOOFnXOjAAI/AAAAAAAALSI/FWl0f_Y6TCQ/s1600/DSC01783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V2f42OujvK0/UOOFnXOjAAI/AAAAAAAALSI/FWl0f_Y6TCQ/s640/DSC01783.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tonkotsu ramen - Tsujita (Los Angeles)</td></tr>
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The tonkotsu ramen at Tsujita packs a might flavor punch as the broth is boiled for 60 hours prior to serving. The result is an extremely thick and luxurious essence of pork flavor.</div>
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<h4>
Best Ethnic Italian</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fZReFFSoack/UOOFSp9MleI/AAAAAAAALRM/v4ncGNVFgww/s1600/DSC04759.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fZReFFSoack/UOOFSp9MleI/AAAAAAAALRM/v4ncGNVFgww/s640/DSC04759.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tagliolini nero - Balena (Chicago)</td></tr>
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The squid ink pasta from Balena was sauced perfectly and contained a great amount of flavor of both sea urchin and crab. This is pasta cooked properly</div>
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<h4>
Best Ethnic Japanese</h4>
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<tr><td><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LddoSYmj0qI/UOOFMe3rHmI/AAAAAAAALQ8/kHi0HCdIXUo/s1600/DSC04835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LddoSYmj0qI/UOOFMe3rHmI/AAAAAAAALQ8/kHi0HCdIXUo/s640/DSC04835.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">matsutake mushroom soup - Akinori</td></tr>
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The matsutake mushroom soup was full of fresh seafood cooked to perfection along with a slow cooked mushroom soup. The flavor of the mushroom transferred well into the broth and was an extremely surprising and fulfilling highlight to the omakase meal.</div>
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<h4>
Best Sandwich</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k3d9qzDwo-4/UOOFhAcFcpI/AAAAAAAALR0/VOdLoYShA38/s1600/DSC03045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k3d9qzDwo-4/UOOFhAcFcpI/AAAAAAAALR0/VOdLoYShA38/s640/DSC03045.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">porchetta sandwich - Ariccia Italian Market</td></tr>
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The porchetta at Ariccia is amazing in flavor. Recently, the pig was changed to a local acorn-fed pork, which has imparted even more flavor into the finished porchetta product.</div>
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<h4>
Best "Pizza"</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rCpWrpatWPs/UOOFk5-eCDI/AAAAAAAALR8/PTVQYb31U3k/s1600/DSC02094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rCpWrpatWPs/UOOFk5-eCDI/AAAAAAAALR8/PTVQYb31U3k/s640/DSC02094.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tuna crisp - Flavor Del Mar</td></tr>
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With nothing comparable to Pizzeria Mozza, the best "pizza" I had was the tuna crisp at Flavor. The mix of the tuna with the umami crisp underneath was the perfect bite.</div>
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<h4>
Best Raw Preparation</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xQ_459VGnA/UOOFqzycovI/AAAAAAAALSQ/DxTZPHeJIv4/s1600/DSC01809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="538" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8xQ_459VGnA/UOOFqzycovI/AAAAAAAALSQ/DxTZPHeJIv4/s640/DSC01809.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">raw beef - Totoroku</td></tr>
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The raw beef dishes were all amazing at Totoroku, but none were more impressive than the beef throat. The yield to serve a table of 4 requires the slaughter of 1.5 cows. The throat has an incredible balance of natural fat with a pure beef flavor. I enjoyed the raw beef throat even more than the finest toro.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Best Seafood Dish</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_Jo-86Qhq8/UOOM9IGXyQI/AAAAAAAALTM/KnllWpxTmBE/s1600/DSC01253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-c_Jo-86Qhq8/UOOM9IGXyQI/AAAAAAAALTM/KnllWpxTmBE/s640/DSC01253.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">salad of dungeness crab - A Simple Supper with Gavin Schmidt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The dungeness crab salad capture the pure essence of crab flavor to explode in my mouth. The accompanying spring vegetables really highlighted the sweetness of the crab dish. To top it off, there was some special preparation to the gelatinous wrap that could only be served in an underground dinner.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Biggest Surprise Dish</b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NGcNu-7UeQ0/UOOFFwvKE7I/AAAAAAAALQk/fEfQMJ__4Ig/s1600/DSC05120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NGcNu-7UeQ0/UOOFFwvKE7I/AAAAAAAALQk/fEfQMJ__4Ig/s640/DSC05120.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chanterelle stew - George's California Modern</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
I didn't eat this until there was 38 minutes left of 2012, which was the first surprise. The second surprise was the incredible unctuous texture of the dish. It was simultaneously rich, while being anchored with the earthy flavors. Each bit was also incredibly light and delightful.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Best Dessert</h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9URx3xldAtY/UOOFyWoeQQI/AAAAAAAALSo/jaT8tYgFoKg/s1600/DSC02951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9URx3xldAtY/UOOFyWoeQQI/AAAAAAAALSo/jaT8tYgFoKg/s640/DSC02951.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">watermelon, prosciutto, love & break dancing - Evolve Explore Your Senses</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The dessert from Jeff Bonilla was not only one of the best desserts, but also nearly the best overall dish I had all year. It combined elements of the savory prosciutto to enhance the sweetness of the watermelon. Every bite was light and packed full of flavor.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h4>
Best Overall Dish</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbPT7z_aPG8/UOOFIEG2irI/AAAAAAAALQs/fcnxjV3AY6Q/s1600/DSC04884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xbPT7z_aPG8/UOOFIEG2irI/AAAAAAAALQs/fcnxjV3AY6Q/s640/DSC04884.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smoked beef tongue - TBL3 @ George's California Modern</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The beef tongue in this dish had a delicious smoky flavor, but it was the brandade cream that really highlighted the dish. Each bite of this dish was a party in my mouth.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Best Overall Restaurant - George's California Modern</b></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFB7rZpy-co/UOONo0PyYAI/AAAAAAAALTc/krrYMzn3vRs/s1600/DSC04865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-lFB7rZpy-co/UOONo0PyYAI/AAAAAAAALTc/krrYMzn3vRs/s400/DSC04865.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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With another awesome TBL3 and a well executed New Years Eve, George's California Modern takes home the title of best restaurant 2012. George's raised its gastrobit rating from gigabyte to terabyte and includes a great wine list worthy of the oenobyte. Last but not least, I had an incident during my New Years Eve experience that was handled masterfully by the front of house. Another food writer commented that it was a "Michelin move," and I agree.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-10188044017771707172012-12-09T20:31:00.003-08:002012-12-09T20:35:09.320-08:00Banker's Hill Bar and Restaurant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3I9ogrLX2Xc/UMIbcgj4P4I/AAAAAAAALNA/pfdF88oQKyw/s1600/DSC04952.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-3I9ogrLX2Xc/UMIbcgj4P4I/AAAAAAAALNA/pfdF88oQKyw/s320/DSC04952.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining: </b>11/25/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $10-13 appetizers, $15-20 entrees<br />
<b>Location:</b> 2202 4th Ave, San Diego, CA 92101<br />
<a href="http://www.bankershillsd.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit:</h4>
<div>
+ high quality local food at more reasonable prices</div>
<div>
+ good portion size</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ among the best desserts I've had at any restaurant</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ it was difficult to carry a conversation due to the acoustics</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ unnaturally dark room</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">About three years ago, James Beard finalist Chef Carl Shroeder opened Banker's Hill Bar and Restaurant to expand his culinary empire out of Del Mar. The concept of the restaurant was that it should serve as an everyday neighborhood restaurant where people can go to enjoy some drinks and get some good food at affordable prices. I actually visited Banker's Hill about a month into its opening and enjoyed the food, but thought the portions were too small to follow up the "affordable prices."</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Within the ensuing three years, Chef Shroeder was a finalist for the James Beard Award and has made some changes as owner of Banker's Hill while still remaining head chef of <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2011/09/market-restaurant-and-bar-restaurant.html">Market Restaurant and Bar</a>. Chef Ted Smith heads the kitchen of Banker's Hill. Prior to Banker's Hill, Chef Smith served under Chef Shroeder at Market. Meanwhile, at Banker's Hill, Chef Smith has carried out Shroeder's culinary vision.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EKNhrg18V-w/UMIbfnjhlAI/AAAAAAAALNI/k94Tqx_MBQQ/s1600/DSC04956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EKNhrg18V-w/UMIbfnjhlAI/AAAAAAAALNI/k94Tqx_MBQQ/s320/DSC04956.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The #5</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
As Banker's Hill also serves as a local watering hole, it is vital that the drinks are good. The #5 was a spin off of a mojito infused with cucumber. I really enjoyed the freshness from the drink and it served as an excellent palate cleanser in between courses. I did feel that the cocktails were a bit expensive as they seemed to retain the Del Mar pricing.</div>
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<h4>
First Course:</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jp7By14uHQ/UMIbkf97WZI/AAAAAAAALNQ/JM_l0iW6U1c/s1600/DSC04959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Jp7By14uHQ/UMIbkf97WZI/AAAAAAAALNQ/JM_l0iW6U1c/s640/DSC04959.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">coriander spiced albacore tuna tartare - sesame seed crackers, serrano chili vinaigrette, lemon aioli</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The quality of the albacore was top notch, and the quality of the fish really shone through in this dish. The serrano vinaigrette was had a nice touch of heat to really liven the dish. The sesame crackers worked out really well as they contributed a hit of umami to unify the flavors within the dish. While I did enjoy the coriander, I did feel that it was a bit strong for a more delicate fish such as albacore. However, it did not take away from the overall enjoyment of the dish.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hFZPDqCcTbk/UMIbm7VjvrI/AAAAAAAALNY/LT1nZs7k0gU/s1600/DSC04970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="388" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hFZPDqCcTbk/UMIbm7VjvrI/AAAAAAAALNY/LT1nZs7k0gU/s640/DSC04970.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">roasted beet salad - citrus vinaigrette, shaved fennel, marcona almonds, caprasan goat cheese</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The beet salad was extremely refreshing and extremely satisfying. The beets were cooked to perfection, while the almonds added a crunch, the goat cheese added a savory flavor, and the fennel brought in much needed freshness. The entire dish was extremely well rounded and enjoyable in every way. While it was "just" a beet salad, this particular salad was executed to perfection.</div>
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<h4>
Entree</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9B0jnM9a1NI/UMIbtMlFR4I/AAAAAAAALNo/rl1viivRS4Y/s1600/DSC04977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9B0jnM9a1NI/UMIbtMlFR4I/AAAAAAAALNo/rl1viivRS4Y/s640/DSC04977.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bone in pork chop - brussels sprouts, sweet potato, homemade apple sauce, maitake mushrooms</td></tr>
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<div>
For the entree, we decided to share the pork chop; we were lucky we made this decision as the chop was enormous. While the pork was cooked a little more than I like (we weren't asked about temperature), it still retained a a nice moisture. The pork itself was really well cooked, and the combination of pork and mushrooms was extremely satisfying as it had a great umami flavor. I also enjoyed the sweet potatoes to go with the pork. Unfortunately, the apple sauce and brussels sprouts did not work as well - the apple sauce was a little too sweet and overwhelmed the pork (this is usually why you need to cook the apples with the pork), while the brussels sprouts were too salty. Fortunately these elements were easy to separate and the dish was saved.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Dessert</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z-GfnkPNcXM/UMIbwaYLUHI/AAAAAAAALNw/Kuw4Rq_GmBI/s1600/DSC04980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z-GfnkPNcXM/UMIbwaYLUHI/AAAAAAAALNw/Kuw4Rq_GmBI/s640/DSC04980.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seasonal fruit crostata - pear crostata, ice cream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
For dessert, we enjoyed the seasonal fruit crostata made of pears. The crostata was baked fresh and was extremely enjoyable. Further, the ice cream was of top quality and the hot and cold contrast of the hot tart to the ice cream made for a satisfying conclusion to the meal. For a mere $7, this dessert was a real home run in price to deliciousness ratio.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<div>
Chef Carl Shroeder excels at executing his dishes to perfection. For a neighborhood restaurant such as Market, this is the perfect formula to success. Since my previous visit, the portion sizes have increased dramatically to justify the prices and serve as an every day stop. I was extremely happy with the mostly well-executed food, and would recommend Banker's Hill to anyone looking for a casual low-key, but delicious meal. While the prices are still a bit beyond "every day" they are reasonable for the quality of food that is served.</div>
<div>
For executing the vision of the restaurant so well, Banker's Hill Bar and Restaurant gets a megabyte award.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-28564360898093891492012-12-02T20:54:00.003-08:002012-12-02T20:59:39.723-08:00Slater's 50/50 (San Diego)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37csohfOeZk/ULwoCmb9FrI/AAAAAAAALLU/j4LmhulFM60/s1600/DSC04983.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-37csohfOeZk/ULwoCmb9FrI/AAAAAAAALLU/j4LmhulFM60/s320/DSC04983.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 12/1/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $5 per appetizer, $9-18 per burger<br />
<b>Location:</b> 2750 Dewey Rd, San Diego, CA 92106<br />
<a href="http://slaters5050.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ selection of over 100 beers</div>
<div>
+ comfortable relaxed atmosphere</div>
<div>
+ responsive and high quality service</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ some technical execution issues</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ no reservations accepted, so wait times up to 2 hours on busy nights</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">After opening in Orange County in 2009, Slater's 50-50 has quickly expanded its Southern California empire to San Diego. Slater's 50-50 burger containing 50 percent beef and 50 percent bacon was named Orange County's best burger of 2010 by OC Weekly, which gave the restaurant momentum to open in San Diego. The accolades have continued to pour in from San Diego, being named Best Burger 2012 by San Diego Magazine and Fox 5 News. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Slater's 50/50 was founded by owner Scott Slater and Executive Chef Brad Lyons - both alums of San Diego State University. Although they started Slater's in Orange County, the location in San Diego was inevitable as each desired to return to their hometown. Chef Lyons started in the culinary industry at the age of 16 and trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Los Angeles. The 50/50 burger was his creation.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Appetizers</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bxFrR2IOMQs/ULwoIhty7II/AAAAAAAALLk/SJ1KWo-Guho/s1600/DSC04988.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="492" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bxFrR2IOMQs/ULwoIhty7II/AAAAAAAALLk/SJ1KWo-Guho/s640/DSC04988.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pick 2 - beer battered onion rings, sweet potato fries</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The appetizers contain a standard assortment of 6 appetizers that can be ordered alone or combined into a larger plate. We settled with just two of the fried items. To spice up the selections, special sauces are included with the order; we received a bacon ketchup and a pumpkin sauce. I found the pumpkin sauce to go well with both fried selections, but especially liked the combination with the onion rings because the added sweetness enhanced the onions to be similar to vidalia onions. I also liked the combination of the sweet potato fries with the bacon ketchup as the savory bacon flavor in the ketchup complemented the natural sweetness of the sweet potato.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Also included with each table was a condiment tray that had an interesting item:</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ap9-WKcrAjU/ULwoE0kPBZI/AAAAAAAALLc/fUf-pakQ43Y/s1600/DSC04985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ap9-WKcrAjU/ULwoE0kPBZI/AAAAAAAALLc/fUf-pakQ43Y/s320/DSC04985.JPG" width="128" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Although named as bacon salt, I felt that there wasn't too much bacon in the salt. There was enough to add a little bit of flavor, but the color likely included some smoked paprika in the mix.</span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Burgers</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When one orders a burger that is not off the standard menu, there is a paper menu to make several selections such as size of patty, type of bun, and toppings. (This process is very similar to The Counter) At the end of the burger design process, one is asked to name their burger creation.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When the burger is brought to the table, they contain a knife stabbed through the center as pictured below</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJvWNDE7DQ4/ULwoLo8WAGI/AAAAAAAALMY/YEzaw60G9VU/s1600/DSC04991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uJvWNDE7DQ4/ULwoLo8WAGI/AAAAAAAALMY/YEzaw60G9VU/s640/DSC04991.JPG" width="420" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2/3 lb beef (med rare), honey wheat bun, cucumber, tomato, grilled onions, swiss, green peppers, <br />
fried egg, baconnaise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Unfortunately the first burger I ordered medium rare suffered from some execution issues:</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ge8bNBSKiL4/ULwoTTemI8I/AAAAAAAALMg/WdOxax4g9tQ/s1600/DSC05001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="199" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ge8bNBSKiL4/ULwoTTemI8I/AAAAAAAALMg/WdOxax4g9tQ/s320/DSC05001.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"medium rare" burger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I thought this was closer to a high medium as most of the pink was gone (and all the juices were gone).</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_agN69YX94/ULwoffLV78I/AAAAAAAALMk/KxNg8tLEalw/s1600/DSC05004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_agN69YX94/ULwoffLV78I/AAAAAAAALMk/KxNg8tLEalw/s320/DSC05004.JPG" width="294" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">real medium rare burger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">After a quick refire, I got the burger juicy just as I expected. While the patty was not grass fed, I felt that there was some nice beef flavors in the mix as I didn't think it had ever been frozen. I enjoyed the over easy egg yolk that ran in to mix with the beef juices as well.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DqwTlbJDsbg/ULwoXXsIH3I/AAAAAAAALMo/4IxPPjXxbD0/s1600/DSC04998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DqwTlbJDsbg/ULwoXXsIH3I/AAAAAAAALMo/4IxPPjXxbD0/s640/DSC04998.JPG" width="590" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2/3 lb 50/50 burger (medium), alfalfa sprouts, mixed greens, smoked gouda, tomato, corn and black beans</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">We also tried a 50/50 burger whose lowest cooking temperature was medium</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KeCWiGjaekk/ULwobJySjlI/AAAAAAAALMs/9vOEh9bpBz0/s1600/DSC05002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-KeCWiGjaekk/ULwobJySjlI/AAAAAAAALMs/9vOEh9bpBz0/s320/DSC05002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"medium" 50/50 burger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While this burger seemed cooked to medium well, we weren't sure if the 50/50 burger was supposed to have any color so we didn't send it back. The burger did have a distinct bacon flavor throughout the patty, but we weren't necessarily sure that it was a good thing. After sampling the medium rare patty versus the 50/50, most of us preferred the juiciness of the beef patty. The 50/50 burger was surprisingly low on fat, which was really missed.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">With San Diego's appetite for all varieties of burgers, Slater's 50/50 fits right at home. Slater's adds some innovative ideas such as the 50/50 burger as well as special "burgers of the month" that utilize the Le Cordon Bleu training of Chef Brad Lyons. Perhaps the best quality of Slater's is its diverse selection of over 100 craft beers. While Slater's 50/50 may not have the best burger in San Diego by my opinion, it was certainly a fun and enjoyable experience despite the one hour wait for seating.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-2445776156535813722012-11-29T22:25:00.002-08:002012-11-29T22:28:20.936-08:00Joe's Shanghai (Midtown) - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Date of Dining:</b> 10/6/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $4-10 appetizers, $12-30 entrees<br />
<b>Location: </b>24 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019<br />
<a href="http://www.joeshanghairestaurants.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ high quality xiao long bao</div>
<div>
+ good service for comparable class restaurants</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ portions could reflect the price better</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I was in New York, I wanted to make a stop to visit one of the famous Chinese restaurants in the city. Unfortunately, the threatening weather influenced me to change from a visit to Chinatown to a restaurant closer to the hotel as I didn't want to get stuck and lost in a rain storm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Luckily, one of New York's Chinese institutions had a branch close to my hotel. Joe's Shanghai was founded in 1995 and has been recognized as one of the city's best Chinese restaurants by the New York Times, Gourmet Magazine, Travel and Leisure, and Zagat. While these accolades may not be quite as recent, I felt that it would still be a good opportunity to sample what the city had to offer in its Chinese cuisine.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mixed seafood asparagus chowder</td></tr>
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As the weather was cold and raining, it was absolutely vital that I got a soup to warm up and feel comfortable. This soup accomplished that perfectly as it was heated to nice hot temperature. The mix of vegetables and shrimp was a nice combination as the sweetness of the peas and carrots complemented the sweetness of the shrimp while the mushrooms added some earthiness to balance things out.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-styp7dtuYpc/ULhMYpMwDDI/AAAAAAAALLA/8SouRULyKcQ/s1600/DSC04469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-styp7dtuYpc/ULhMYpMwDDI/AAAAAAAALLA/8SouRULyKcQ/s640/DSC04469.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">crab meat with pork steamed soup buns (xiao long bao)</td></tr>
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Joe's signature dish is the soup dumplings, which are offered as just pork or a pork and crab mix; We opted for the pork and crab mix. The dumpling skins were hand made and were extremely delicate - almost translucent, but retained enough strength to hold in the soup within each bun. The amount of soup, the flavor, and the stuffing were all in perfect harmony to give a great bite. These xiao long bao were of the same caliber that I enjoyed at Shanghai's top xiao long bao establishments (Jia Jia Tang Bao). Overall, I was extremely pleased with these soup dumplings.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_Dw-H7MGls/ULhMcOMPsTI/AAAAAAAALK4/brSywGDKnYc/s1600/DSC04473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_Dw-H7MGls/ULhMcOMPsTI/AAAAAAAALK4/brSywGDKnYc/s640/DSC04473.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">seafood rice cakes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Because of the Shanghai namesake, I decided to order the rice cakes, which are a classic shanghai dish. The rice cakes were not overcooked and aside from the liberal use of soy sauce, the dish was well composed and enjoyable.</div>
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<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<div>
While I was unable to make it to Chinatown during this visit, the quality of Joe's Shanghai gives me hope for future visits. I enjoyed most of the dishes, and the signature soup dumplings were an absolute delight. If I had one complaint about the restaurant, it's that the restaurant seems suck in the nineties as far as the ambiance and plating of the dishes. While the taste of the food remains at a high quality, the feeling of walking into an older time period may be somewhat of a turnoff for the younger crowd, especially in the middle of midtown.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-4676460297470392072012-11-15T20:41:00.001-08:002012-11-15T20:43:38.967-08:00Ess-A-Bagel (Interrupt)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Date of Dining:</b> 10/6/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $10.75 for sandwiches<br />
<b>Location:</b> 831 3rd Avenue, New York, NY<br />
<a href="http://www.ess-a-bagel.com/">website</a><br />
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<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
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+ classic bagels made fresh on site</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ wait time could be shorter</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I was in New York, one of the things I wanted to try was the classic lox and bagel. After consulting many different sites, I chose Ess-A-Bagel as the place to try the delicacy based on location and reputation.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Established in 1976, Ess-A-Bagel has become a staple of the New York bagel scene. The bagels are boiled and baked on premises constantly throughout the day.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0hhBmWVYl0/UKXALNot5GI/AAAAAAAALKM/zWBFhjNRpOA/s1600/DSC04464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="402" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x0hhBmWVYl0/UKXALNot5GI/AAAAAAAALKM/zWBFhjNRpOA/s640/DSC04464.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">everything bagel - nova lox, scallion cream cheese</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
For my one breakfast at Ess-A-Bagel, I settled on the classic sandwich. While I asked for a hot bagel, I assume this was code for tourist and I felt my bagel was anything but hot and fresh. Further, the lox was not particularly good to make up for the bagel; the kirkland brand smoked salmon you get at Costco was better. Overall, I have to say that the sandwich was a little better than what you would get at the local Einstein Bros. However, when cost and convenience are factored in, I didn't particularly feel that Ess-A-Bagel was far superior to the local bagel shop.</div>
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<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<div>
Ultimately, I have to agree with the <a href="http://newyork.seriouseats.com/2009/10/serious-eats-finds-new-yorks-best-bagel-1.html">Serious Eats articl</a>e that I referenced when choosing a bagel shop - namely, a bagel older than 30 minutes is indistinguishable from any other bagel. While Ess-A-Bagel was churning out fresh bagels to order from the bagel counter and was packed full of customers, they were unable to send out fresh bagels as sandwiches to customers. This failure is a massive oversight.</div>
<div>
If you are in New York and want to enjoy great bagel and lox, I recommend ordering the lox and cream cheese separately and then going to the bagel counter to make your own sandwich. This will ensure the freshest bagel with the best taste.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-12337033832945069572012-11-09T17:19:00.002-08:002012-11-09T21:19:08.720-08:00TBL3 @ George's California Modern (November 2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Date of Dining:</b> 11/8/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $170 for TBL3, $80 for wine pairing<br />
<b>Location:</b> 1250 Prospect, La Jolla, CA 92037<br />
<a href="http://www.georgesatthecove.com/TBL3">website</a><br />
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<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
<b>+ </b>seasonal ingredients prepared masterfully</div>
<div>
+ great selections of wine for pairing</div>
<div>
+ completely different experience from previous TBL3</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ the storytelling of the experience could have been more consistent</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I've enjoyed a variety of other tasting experiences in the past year, it would have been wrong of me to not visit the penultimate progressive meal this year (and during my personal favorite food season of the year). During the <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2011/12/tbl3-georges-california-modern.html">TBL3 meal last year</a>, I learned much more about Chef Trey Foshee's food and was so happy that many of the dishes won my end of the year awards.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">For this TBL3, many other food writers were included - it was organized by <a href="http://insert-food.blogspot.com/">Yao at {insert-food}</a> and also included <a href="http://www.rodzillareviews.com/">Rodzilla </a>as well as (newly launched) <a href="http://www.foodieflirt.com/">Foodie Flirt</a>. It was a great opportunity to catch up with Yao after his trip to Australia and meet Foodie Flirt for the first time.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Perhaps as a disclaimer, I've been sick for about a week prior to this meal, but felt good enough to go eat the food. I feel like I was able to taste about 80% of the flavors but may have missed some of the more delicate touches.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">First Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5kVc9zsogEU/UJ2NIoRrbyI/AAAAAAAALJU/vqjEhML1GIQ/s1600/DSC04870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="470" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5kVc9zsogEU/UJ2NIoRrbyI/AAAAAAAALJU/vqjEhML1GIQ/s640/DSC04870.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">local lobster - spiny lobster leg meat, citrus whipped cream, northern divine salmon roe,<br />
jerusalem artichoke, sorrel<br />
pairing: NV Henry Devernay Brut</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">The meal opened with the seasonal spiny lobster of local waters. I sampled a piece of the leg meat at first and I was really surprised to discover that the flavor was in fact more intense in the leg meat. The citrus cream was really well done in that the cream was extremely smooth in flavor but the citrus really came through in the flavor. The caviar added a nice element of saltiness. Taken together, the entire dish really worked nicely as an opening course.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Second Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BDESDvKQIOg/UJ2NMFPHdpI/AAAAAAAALGc/pzLQNXdZJ7E/s1600/DSC04873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="254" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BDESDvKQIOg/UJ2NMFPHdpI/AAAAAAAALGc/pzLQNXdZJ7E/s320/DSC04873.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cup covers the smoke inside the oyster</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xrOrd2KtDxI/UJ2NO-HHsVI/AAAAAAAALGk/0JDcD03kQ7w/s1600/DSC04876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xrOrd2KtDxI/UJ2NO-HHsVI/AAAAAAAALGk/0JDcD03kQ7w/s640/DSC04876.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">oyster - fannie bay oyster, candied buddha's hand, apple, celery root puree, smoke<br />
pairing: NV Henry Davernay Brut</td></tr>
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<div>
As the cup was lifted, a pervasive smoky aroma permeated through the air. The smelling experience of the smoke was truly part of the dining experience. The oyster itself was extremely creamy and had a nice flavor. The celery root puree added a creamy textural component to carry through the dish, which the apples added a bit of sweetness and textural contrast.</div>
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<h4>
<b>Third Course</b></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2fMP24CGaPg/UJ2NSA55CsI/AAAAAAAALGs/TfPy26fr4M8/s1600/DSC04880.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2fMP24CGaPg/UJ2NSA55CsI/AAAAAAAALGs/TfPy26fr4M8/s320/DSC04880.JPG" width="263" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">cup that was covering the oyster</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KzFhiPBOXPI/UJ2NVT73wVI/AAAAAAAALG0/PWvNFsr_e1w/s1600/DSC04881.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KzFhiPBOXPI/UJ2NVT73wVI/AAAAAAAALG0/PWvNFsr_e1w/s320/DSC04881.JPG" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pairing: GCT - gin and tonic with celery and candied buddha's hand</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FkH2rHYfiYM/UJ2NX6MI7OI/AAAAAAAALG8/p4CEGjd7Kls/s1600/DSC04884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FkH2rHYfiYM/UJ2NX6MI7OI/AAAAAAAALG8/p4CEGjd7Kls/s640/DSC04884.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">beef tongue - brandade cream, cherry tomatoes, purslane, germanium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
This was the best dish of the night for me; moreover this is a strong contender for best dish of the year. Chef Foshee described this dish as a "play on smoke" with the previous dish and also his take on a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitello_tonnato">vitello tonnato</a>.</div>
<div>
The beef tongue was incredibly tender and contained a strong essence of beef flavor. It was complemented with the incredible salted cod flavor of the brandade cream. The greens enhanced the flavors of everything and added a needed acidic contrast. When I had everything in my mouth and bit into the tomato, the tomato juice literally burst the flavors throughout my palate as an explosion.</div>
<div>
To cap off the dish, the drink was incredibly well done. The smoke in the glass really worked well with the gin and tonic and the celery and candied buddhas hand added a very nice flavor.</div>
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<h4>
Fourth Course</h4>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uvG5HbSEAGQ/UJ2Nbl3NrGI/AAAAAAAALJY/fb0bxU-8QfY/s1600/DSC04888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uvG5HbSEAGQ/UJ2Nbl3NrGI/AAAAAAAALJY/fb0bxU-8QfY/s640/DSC04888.JPG" width="628" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">peas - chino farm pea puree, tosse peas, lettuce puree, lemon foam<br />
pairing: 2008 Gutzler Pinot Noir (blanc)</td></tr>
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<div>
While I was wondering what could possibly follow the amazing beef tongue, this dish was an incredible followup that completely caught me off guard. At first we were wondering if peas were in season, but were informed that there are actually two pea seasons and that the fall pea season is preferred because the sugars in the peas are a bit purer in flavor. This pea puree was incredibly flavorful and supplemented well with the perfectly al dente crunchy peas. The popping texture was an amazing feeling in the mouth. Finally, the lemon foam really worked in brightening the dish and adding a bit of acid without compromising the quality of the peas.</div>
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<h4>
Fifth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iWO0xJ3emjI/UJ2NgnMDspI/AAAAAAAALJc/bmuWXZJnOVE/s1600/DSC04897.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="382" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iWO0xJ3emjI/UJ2NgnMDspI/AAAAAAAALJc/bmuWXZJnOVE/s640/DSC04897.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">turnips - sous vide turnip, seaweed butter, uni, white truffle<br />
pairing: 2009 Evening Land 'Summum' Seven Springs Vineyard Chardonnay</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Chef Foshee came tableside to shave the white truffles on top of the turnips - this is actually my first time to have white truffle, and I can definitely confirm that I prefer it to black. The aroma of the truffle was enough to still permeate through my sick haze and I really enjoyed the aroma.</div>
<div>
What I really enjoyed in this dish was the strong umami flavors complemented by the earthy truffles. The turnip cooked sous vide oozed of umami, but was topped with the seaweed butter that even further enhanced these flavors. The uni added a nice salty and seafood contrast while the earthiness of the truffles rounded out the dish.</div>
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<h4>
Sixth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qiyP4rhwbA/UJ2dZj0xa3I/AAAAAAAALJw/EgBZeMGIkM0/s1600/DSC_0477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="323" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_qiyP4rhwbA/UJ2dZj0xa3I/AAAAAAAALJw/EgBZeMGIkM0/s400/DSC_0477.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chino farms squash - butternut squash puree brussels sprouts, persimmon, pomegranate, brown butter sauce<br />
pairing: 2011 Long Shadow's 'Poet's Leap' Riesling</td></tr>
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(photo provided by insert-food - my camera battery died and I lost the save of this photo)</div>
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<div>
The squash was prepared very nicely as the puree had a really sweet and creamy flavor that was complemented but the crunchiness of the pomegranate seeds. This course was perhaps somewhat lacking without the wine pairing, but really made sense when drinking with the wine. The squash and other fruits acted as the "front end" component to the wine while the Riesling had an incredible long and complex finish to carry through the dish.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Seventh Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lR7vqcfxjWQ/UJ2NlxIlL3I/AAAAAAAALHk/MitEZdX7Wjk/s1600/DSC04907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lR7vqcfxjWQ/UJ2NlxIlL3I/AAAAAAAALHk/MitEZdX7Wjk/s640/DSC04907.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">poached chicken - poached chicken, chicken jelly, chicken skin, maitake mushroom<br />
pairing: 2009 Weingut Knoll gruner veltliner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Prior to the meal, Chef Foshee found out I was sick and joked that he would include some chicken soup on the menu; I imagine he was referencing this dish when he mentioned that comment. When Rodzilla read the tweet, he jokingly blamed me for "wasting" a course while Yao and I assured him that it would include some other fabulous ingredients.</div>
<div>
While I'm not exactly sure how to interpret this dish, I still felt that it was a great take on a deconstructed chicken soup. The chicken jelly acted as the broth while the poached chicken pieces were the meat. The raw matsutake mushrooms were sliced very thinly and acted as noodles. Those three components taken together had a very soulful and delicate amalgamation of flavor. While the chicken skin was absolutely delicious and a great textural crunch, the boldness of the flavor did somewhat cover the other delicate flavors. However, it was still a great component to be included in the dish.</div>
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<h4>
Eighth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zP73WRX_t9Q/UJ2Nqu1AE3I/AAAAAAAALH0/FhEORnP8x6s/s1600/DSC04910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="418" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zP73WRX_t9Q/UJ2Nqu1AE3I/AAAAAAAALH0/FhEORnP8x6s/s640/DSC04910.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snapper - snapper, grapefruit, verbena, fish bone and verbena stock<br />
pairing: 2010 Salwey Pinot Gris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
As this was more of a delicate flavor dish, I felt that I perhaps missed some of the delicate flavors from being sick. I really enjoyed the quality of the snapper in the raw form.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Ninth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5K1tCqcw-VU/UJ2Ntu3Iw2I/AAAAAAAALH8/jTy9jQv59yQ/s1600/DSC04917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5K1tCqcw-VU/UJ2Ntu3Iw2I/AAAAAAAALH8/jTy9jQv59yQ/s640/DSC04917.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">swordfish - swordfish a la plancha, chino farms yellow, green, white cauliflower, italian parsley, bacon<br />
pairing: 2010 Chateau Thivin Gamay</td></tr>
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<div>
The cauliflower had three preparations - grilled, raw, and puree - and really was the star of the dish. The different contrasts of the cauliflower really supplemented the flavor of the swordfish and added moistness to the fish. The bacon added nice bits of salitness as well.</div>
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<h4>
Tenth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sh0gIunMmLg/UJ2NwzeMbCI/AAAAAAAALIE/on_Ao1YTjaQ/s1600/DSC04926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sh0gIunMmLg/UJ2NwzeMbCI/AAAAAAAALIE/on_Ao1YTjaQ/s400/DSC04926.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">soil-crust grill - salt, egg white, star anise, cafe motto coffee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJcfdcxylU0/UJ2N2pKVxrI/AAAAAAAALIU/vA9sDz0GBRo/s1600/DSC04928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="422" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tJcfdcxylU0/UJ2N2pKVxrI/AAAAAAAALIU/vA9sDz0GBRo/s640/DSC04928.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">carrot - yogurt, carrot jam<br />
pairing: 2008 Falcor Sangiovese</td></tr>
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<div>
This dish was a complete revelation and the playfulness was extremely enjoyable as well. The carrot was rich enough to act as a protein from the soil-crust grill and retained much of the coffee flavors. The house made yogurt was incredibly tasty and the sourness of it acted as a nice contrast with the rich earthy sweetness of the carrot. The carrot jam added a nice sweet tartness to really round out the flavors of the dish. </div>
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<h4>
Eleventh Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t5TePbMHMW0/UJ2N-dspd9I/AAAAAAAALIs/bcCXuNxlUrk/s1600/DSC04933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="568" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t5TePbMHMW0/UJ2N-dspd9I/AAAAAAAALIs/bcCXuNxlUrk/s640/DSC04933.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lamb - paella rice, hollandaise squid ink, seaweed, lamb, squid, lamb jus<br />
pairing: 2003 Chateau Simard</td></tr>
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<div>
A classic surf and turf rounded out the savory courses. The cooking temperatures of every component on the plate was spot on. I especially enjoyed the squid preparation. One interesting thing I found about this dish was that eating each of the proteins with the other components worked well, but eating them together also brought out an entirely different flavor profile that was enjoyable as well</div>
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<h4>
Twelfth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q3f4RrVZO8/UJ2OAsmc-CI/AAAAAAAALI0/mEpRNSOloCk/s1600/DSC04937.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3Q3f4RrVZO8/UJ2OAsmc-CI/AAAAAAAALI0/mEpRNSOloCk/s640/DSC04937.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">frozen yogurt - late season kumquat, kalamata olive,bourbon, vanilla gelee</td></tr>
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<div>
This course served as a great palate cleanser with the acidity from the kumquat. The frozen yogurt was also extremely well done with the vanilla gelee enhancing the vanilla flavors of the yogurt. What really worked in the dish was the kumquat olive and bourbon mix that complemented the flavors of the vanilla frozen yogurt.</div>
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<h4>
Thirteenth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0AYQcYndHng/UJ2OEJTnoVI/AAAAAAAALI8/SBarMd3rOWc/s1600/DSC04940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="618" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0AYQcYndHng/UJ2OEJTnoVI/AAAAAAAALI8/SBarMd3rOWc/s640/DSC04940.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brown butter pear - pear, hazelnut, parsnip panna cotta, parsnip chip<br />
pairing: 2008 domain de durban muscat de beaumes de venise</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
When Chef Foshee brought out this dish, I was extremely impressed with his description of the parnsnip chip - he described it as a "dynamic garnish." The way my parsnip chip was bent into the great shape, I thought it was dynamic indeed. The pairing of the pear and parsnip was an excellent choice as it contrasted a root vegetable sweetness with the sweetness of a fruit. The hazelnuts was the intermediate earthy flavor that tied the elements together, and the dynamic garnish even seemed to emulate the branches of the tree. I appreciated that this dish was not too sweet, but was packed with flavor.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h4>
Fourteenth Course</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H91KRnO-4Tk/UJ2OGWRqbMI/AAAAAAAALJE/aqJ2dMEQXjw/s1600/DSC04945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H91KRnO-4Tk/UJ2OGWRqbMI/AAAAAAAALJE/aqJ2dMEQXjw/s640/DSC04945.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chocolate cremeux - red wine quince, sesame brittle, cumin ice cream, chocolate cremeux<br />
pairing: 2009 cargasacchi 'invincible sun' late harvest pinot grigio</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
This was the first time I had quince and I was really impressed with this preparation. There was a nice sweetness and tartness to the dish that really worked well with the cumin ice cream. If I had to pick a star of the dish, it was the cumin ice cream. The spice of the cumin was just the right level to work with the quince and also enhance the flavors of the cremeux. The cremeux was a nice and rich dark chocolate flavor that was a nice way to finish off a meal.</div>
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<br /></div>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
<div>
While I felt my first TBL3 experience was a real showcase of Chef Foshee's culinary vision and talent, this experience combined that vision and really showcased all the flavors of fall as well. So many of the components in our meal were extremely seasonal to this time of the year and they were featured prominently throughout the meal. While I consider myself having eaten many things, it was great to enjoy this meal with several components that flavors that I haven't had previously - namely the white truffles, quince, and buddha's hand (as more than a garnish). </div>
<div>
The company I had to enjoy the meal was superb as well. I really enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with old friends and make new ones as well. </div>
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While the service was much improved from the last meal, it still has a small ways to improve. While I felt that there was a progression and story to this meal, I got lost in the story somewhere in the middle. Had there been a bit more consistency to how the dishes were brought I feel that the experience would be perfect.</div>
<div>
Still TBL3 is easily San Diego's premier tasting experience. My experience at TBL3 this year is enough to upgrade my award to the coveted Terrabyte award. Congratulations Chef Foshee!</div>
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Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-69007085906762725652012-11-04T19:23:00.001-08:002012-11-04T19:35:20.608-08:00Sora<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3L8cnFjnz4/UJcm3c7EUBI/AAAAAAAALEg/upJ8CUhkZa8/s1600/DSC04839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V3L8cnFjnz4/UJcm3c7EUBI/AAAAAAAALEg/upJ8CUhkZa8/s320/DSC04839.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 11/3/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $11-18 per appetizer, $15-30 per entree<br />
<b>Location:</b> 655 West Broadway, San Diego, CA 92101<br />
<a href="http://sorasandiego.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit:</h4>
<div>
+ great aromas in the food</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ premium ingredients in the food</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ excellent service</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828; font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">+ free validated parking after 5pm</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ construction in the front makes the restaurant hard to find</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ some flavors are repeated</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When Sora first opened two months ago, I was really interested in trying it. Unfortunately it opened while I was planning for my vacation, so I was unable to attend the opening. Perhaps that is for the better because the restaurant was much maligned in its initial reviews. Fast forward two months, and the owners are trying to re-invent the restaurant. I've seen no less than three separate coupon offers to try and get diners back into the restaurant. It was from the bloomspot deal that I got the opportunity to try a four course dinner for two.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Sora is headed by Chef Teruya Noriyoshi, who trained under renowned Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. Chef Noriyoshi worked with the Nobu brand in the flagship restaurant before opening Nobu aboard the Crystal Serenity cruise ship, Nobu Milan, and Nobu San Diego. Sora, which means "sky" in Japanese, focuses on Japanese Italian style dishes that Noriyoshi featured at Nobu San Diego during tasting menus. While there currently is no sushi bar, the restaurant plans to add one in the coming months to supplement the Japanese-Italian fare.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">First Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMs3qjOmbN8/UJcm6GKw2lI/AAAAAAAALEo/I2vUSQo88V8/s1600/DSC04845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iMs3qjOmbN8/UJcm6GKw2lI/AAAAAAAALEo/I2vUSQo88V8/s640/DSC04845.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wagyu tartare - onion, garlic, capers, soy sauce, olive oil ricotta foam</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fAQLOnzaiDE/UJcm8pR51oI/AAAAAAAALEw/jctlX4vCJmg/s1600/DSC04846.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fAQLOnzaiDE/UJcm8pR51oI/AAAAAAAALEw/jctlX4vCJmg/s400/DSC04846.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The wagyu tartare was a bit of a misnomer as the meat was torched to give it a smoky flavor. While I was initially perplexed, I liked the seared preparation as it melted the fats in the beef slightly to give the entire dish a great mouth feel. Some bread accompanied the tartare to enable creating a crostini type serving mechanism that worked really well. The olive oil foam added to the mouth feel of the entire dish.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eIGAT77zQdE/UJcnDID1RkI/AAAAAAAALFA/kpTnN9hSvoY/s1600/DSC04848.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eIGAT77zQdE/UJcnDID1RkI/AAAAAAAALFA/kpTnN9hSvoY/s640/DSC04848.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mussels - miso sake broth, yuzu juice, garlic</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The mussels were cooked perfectly. The miso sake broth was delicious, but the key ingredient was the yuzu juice; not only did it add the required acidity, it brought a nice freshness to the entire dish. As many of you have noticed, I tend to order mussels a lot because I enjoy them and it gives a good indication on the quality of cooking. In this preparation, I felt both the flavors and technique were among the best mussel preparations I've had.</span></span></div>
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<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Second Course</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dVOu5MiYf80/UJcnGPmJexI/AAAAAAAALFI/Thw23wwKE6s/s1600/DSC04851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dVOu5MiYf80/UJcnGPmJexI/AAAAAAAALFI/Thw23wwKE6s/s400/DSC04851.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">parmesan cheese block for the risotto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vXbUbApIoMQ/UJcnLe7xH3I/AAAAAAAALFY/_TQwwLQnREE/s1600/DSC04859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vXbUbApIoMQ/UJcnLe7xH3I/AAAAAAAALFY/_TQwwLQnREE/s640/DSC04859.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">truffle and wild mushroom risotto - black truffle, wild mushroom puree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The black truffle risotto was the highlight of the night. First, the truffle aroma from the risotto was totally prevalent when it was initially brought to the table. Then the entertainment factor of the parmesan wheel for the risotto was an added benefit to the dish. Finally, the risotto had great flavor. While the parmesan wheel might be discounted as a parlor trick, it really did add some nicely melted cheese to the risotto and improve upon the flavor. While I worried that the cheese might make the dish too salty, the risotto was perfectly seasoned in the end.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I also felt that there was tremendous value to this dish. While a truffle risotto is likely to set you back $45-60 in most fine dining restaurants, it also includes shaved truffles on top. This particular preparation didn't include the shaved truffles but only cost $28. Moreover, the portion was equal if not greater than those other restaurants. I'd like to see a $5-10 supplement to add shaved truffles on top next time.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OYnXhJIm13k/UJcnN10-7NI/AAAAAAAALFg/Sa5cM2l2tL0/s1600/DSC04860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OYnXhJIm13k/UJcnN10-7NI/AAAAAAAALFg/Sa5cM2l2tL0/s640/DSC04860.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">uni and crab pasta - garlic negi miso sauce, edamame puree, fusilli di gragnano</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While the uni pasta was well-prepared, it was a bit of a letdown after the risotto. There were strong aromas of uni coming from the sauce, and the crab added a nice sweetness that complemented the uni. The pasta was handmade and prepared perfectly al dente. I really enjoyed how the pasta was able to capture the sauce. If I had one complaint about this dish, it's actually that the portion was too large. Because uni is a strong flavor, the extended version of it somewhat overwhelmed my palate. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Third Course</span></span></h4>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">(Note - while the deal allows ordering 2 entrees, we decided to get 1 so we could try both the risotto and uni pasta)</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vMrBQbbxgpc/UJcnQNrs3kI/AAAAAAAALFo/1TwGQV4GVbQ/s1600/DSC04862.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vMrBQbbxgpc/UJcnQNrs3kI/AAAAAAAALFo/1TwGQV4GVbQ/s640/DSC04862.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">japanese new york sirloin - wasabi butter armagnac sauce, maitake, shiitake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I had very high hopes for this dish to finish out the night, and I ordered it over the filet because I was fascinated by the description of the wasabi butter armagnac sauce. Unfortunately, the sauce did not live up to my expectations. The meat was still cooked well and went very well with the mushrooms, but the dish seemed flat after the absolute hits of the risotto and the pasta.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Dessert</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8l-jn5raaew/UJcnRwt-KBI/AAAAAAAALFw/4BUhlnbAEcE/s1600/DSC04863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="314" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-8l-jn5raaew/UJcnRwt-KBI/AAAAAAAALFw/4BUhlnbAEcE/s640/DSC04863.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">green tea tiramisu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I'm not exactly sure where the tiramisu came into this dish, but it was very enjoyable. I didn't really detect liquer, but this dish featured layers of green tea, chocolate cake, and marscapone which were very enjoyable. Best of all, it was not too sweet.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While Sora still has a few things to sort out, I really enjoyed my experience there. The food was well-prepared and well-executed, and the portion sizes were adequate. </span></span><span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">I would go as far to put Sora as a <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/p/gastrobits-guide-to-convention-center.html">gaslamp destination for convention</a> goers. I understand that while the restaurant had some initial hiccups, it has learned from those mistakes and is now generally back on the upswing.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I was also extremely impressed with our waiter and the service in general - I would put the service on one star michelin level. The ambiance was somewhat of a strange trendy vibe, but that is to be expected from gaslamp restaurants.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">All of this is enough for Sora to get the megabyte award.</span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-7873989777867995242012-11-01T20:07:00.002-07:002012-11-01T20:10:18.835-07:00Regina Pizzeria (North End) - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P87zw_yPPnI/UJMz41rnudI/AAAAAAAALEE/jS5gJAE8-5Q/s1600/DSC04189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-P87zw_yPPnI/UJMz41rnudI/AAAAAAAALEE/jS5gJAE8-5Q/s320/DSC04189.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 10/2/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $11-14 small pizza, $19-23 large pizza<br />
<b>Location:</b> 11 1/2 Thatcher St, Boston, MA 02113<br />
<a href="http://www.reginapizzeria.com/location_detail.php?location_id=38&Brick%20Oven%20Pizza%20-%20North%20End%20-%20The%20Original%20-%20Boston%20-%20Boston">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ brick oven pizza -> great tasting crust</div>
<div>
+ great selection of specialty pizzas</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ wait can be long</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While many people argue about the merits of New York pizza vs Chicago pizza, my friends from Boston have always insisted that Boston pizza was actually the best. Intrigued, I made sure to make a stop to try the Boston pizza from what was allegedly the best pizza in the city.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Regina Pizzeria has been open since 1926 and was mainly a family run operation until it was expanded in the last decade. While I did pass some of the mall locations, I noticed that those locations used conventional style ovens to cook the pizza. However, what makes Regina special is its brick oven that was built in 1888; the oven reaches temperatures in excess of 700 degrees, which makes the crust taste especially unique. Another specialty of Regina is that the sausage is made fresh daily.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-joNyyd0Oz2I/UJM0DHgrurI/AAAAAAAALEM/KYYonW-EjLA/s1600/DSC04193.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="444" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-joNyyd0Oz2I/UJM0DHgrurI/AAAAAAAALEM/KYYonW-EjLA/s640/DSC04193.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Anthony - regina sausage, sausage links, roasted peppers, onions, mushrooms, garlic, mozzarella</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">As I dropped by Regina during the afternoon to avoid the rush, I only had space to sample a small pizza as part of a snack. I settled on the St Anthony because it contained the specialty sausage and was also a white pizza.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">In the first bite, I knew that the crust was special. The style of the pizza isn't quite <a href="http://www.verapizzanapoletana.org/">VPN </a>- I'd say it's more of an Americanized version of VPN, which made the experience much more enjoyable. Moreover the flavor of the Regina sausage really stood out. It had a nice complex flavor of spice mixed into the pork sausage that made the flavors of the St Anthony special. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I haven't tried the best Chicago and New York pizzas to declare a winner of the best style of pizza in the US, if Boston Pizza is in the style of Regina, it will be hard to beat. The pizza had all the characteristics I enjoy of the VPN style pizzas, but were brought up a notch. Keeping in mind that Regina is a completely casual style restaurant, it was definitely one of the better pizzas I've had in my life.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Regina Pizzeria gets a bit award for the great tasting brick oven pizzas.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-69965174291950665502012-10-28T16:56:00.001-07:002012-11-01T20:07:43.416-07:00Ippudo (New York) - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofhiwnup04o/UI3ARdFiTjI/AAAAAAAALDc/VJEQ1Xyt2c8/s1600/DSC04375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ofhiwnup04o/UI3ARdFiTjI/AAAAAAAALDc/VJEQ1Xyt2c8/s320/DSC04375.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining: </b>10/5/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $14-25 per ramen bowl<br />
<b>Location:</b> 65 Fourth Ave, New York, NY<br />
<a href="http://www.ippudony.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit:</h4>
<div>
+ great selection of different tonkotsu styled ramen</div>
<div>
+ authentic ramen flavors outside of Japan</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ wait times can be long</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ price makes it a huge luxury</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While ramen is normally considered a fast food item in Japan, the American attitude towards ramen is very different. Most people probably consider is a cheap yet filling meal enjoyed by "poor" college students. However, some other places have decided to enhance ramen to the point where it is a luxury food made from the best ingredients. One such establishment representing the latter philosophy is Ippudo.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When I visited New York, I knew the city was great for its diverse ethnic foods; one of the foods I wanted to try was the city's best ramen. After several people pointed out that Ippudo was considered the city's "best" I decided to visit during lunchtime to avoid the large crowds.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Inside Ippudo, the restaurant is much more the atmosphere of a trendy New York restaurant with Japanese influences than the Ramen-ya. While this didn't take away anything from the taste of the food, I did feel a bit out of place eating my ramen in such a swanky environment.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TQWkBw7CdOU/UI3AUzZ_saI/AAAAAAAALDk/pM3XJrL_7Kk/s1600/DSC04378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TQWkBw7CdOU/UI3AUzZ_saI/AAAAAAAALDk/pM3XJrL_7Kk/s640/DSC04378.JPG" width="634" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shiromaru hakata classic ramen - tonkotsu, pork loin, kikurage mushrooms, menma, red pickled ginger</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">As one of the bowls we sampled, we decided to go for the classic. This would give us the pure flavor of the tonkotsu broth without any added ingredients. As expected, the broth had a full a rich flavor; unexpected, the broth had a deep complexity capped by the delicate sweetness. Overall, this was a great bowl of ramen.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rzG1uX3zSIU/UI3AYY8RioI/AAAAAAAALDs/KhhZ5l_YE08/s1600/DSC04380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="522" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rzG1uX3zSIU/UI3AYY8RioI/AAAAAAAALDs/KhhZ5l_YE08/s640/DSC04380.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">akamaru chashu ramen - tonkotsu, pork loin, "umami dama", cabbage, sesame, kikurage mushrooms,<br />
black garlic oil, nitamago (soft boiled egg) (extra)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This preparation was widely considered the favorite of many who recommended Ippudo. The black garlic is very similar to the kotteri from <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/08/ramen-yamadaya-san-diego.html">Ramen Yamadaya</a>. While I found this bowl of ramen to be very enjoyable as well, I felt that it did not hit the highs as well as other comparable ramens of the same style - namely this type of ramen goes for the strong, in your face, umami kick flavor profile.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While the shiromaru ramen had its own unique style, the akamaru ramen was very similar to the signature ramen from Yamadaya and <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/04/tsujita-la-interrupt.html">Tsujita</a>. While I felt that overall this ramen was better than Yamadaya's, I would probably rather eat at Yamadaya 19 times out of 20 due to the price difference. I also felt that it lagged a bit behind Tsujita's ramen in every category.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">New York's best ramen was definitely a very enjoyable destination; the ramen served is as good if not better than most places in Japan. However, the price ultimately factors into the equation. Before you go to Ippudo, you should ask yourself the question of just how much you're willing to spend for "great plus" ramen rather than just great ramen. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Ultimately, Ippudo still delivers as New York's best ramen restaurant, but I will rank it in the higher category of awards due to its price. Thus, Ippudo is given the megabyte award.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-170628688208887032012-10-25T20:52:00.000-07:002012-10-25T20:55:05.751-07:00Truluck's<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lEdzaevE4I4/UIoCTDD0-sI/AAAAAAAALB0/EiYb53BOls4/s1600/DSC03803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lEdzaevE4I4/UIoCTDD0-sI/AAAAAAAALB0/EiYb53BOls4/s320/DSC03803.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining: </b>8/20/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $26-42 entrees, AYCE market price<br />
<b>Location:</b> 8990 University Center Lane, San Diego, CA 92122<br />
<a href="http://trulucks.com/pages/la-jolla-california">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit:</h4>
<div>
+ great preparation of seafood dishes</div>
<div>
+ nice happy hour options</div>
<div>
+ wine flights are interesting and well-priced</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ atmosphere could feel more modern</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ pricing could be cheaper</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Truluck's is a seafood chain restaurant with 11 locations nationwide. However, that has not stopped affected the quality of the food served at the restaurant. While I'm not usually a fan of chain establishments, there is a lot of good press about Truluck's by many local San Diegans.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I decided to check out Truluck's because of their all you can eat stone crab claws. For a market price on Monday evenings, you can order an all you can eat stone crab claws that also comes with unlimited soups and salads.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Another great part of Truluck's is their high quality wine list and their program of getting a flight of wines.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBd4i2fADdM/UIoCWHeW_cI/AAAAAAAALB8/Bibu0uhIOZU/s1600/DSC03817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LBd4i2fADdM/UIoCWHeW_cI/AAAAAAAALB8/Bibu0uhIOZU/s640/DSC03817.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chardonnay showdown wine flight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I chose to try the Chardonnay showdown, and I was very impressed by the wines that were poured; they were both of high quality and a great value. </span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Appetizers</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8if7_kpE74/UIoCZUty2UI/AAAAAAAALCE/6zKmumQUwjc/s1600/DSC03810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="540" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j8if7_kpE74/UIoCZUty2UI/AAAAAAAALCE/6zKmumQUwjc/s640/DSC03810.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">lobster bisque</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The lobster bisque was a well executed standard bisque. It was perfectly seasoned and contained some chunks of lobster as well. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHthCvAcCzo/UIoCf6-iNOI/AAAAAAAALCU/KT89FaJeNoo/s1600/DSC03834.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="404" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tHthCvAcCzo/UIoCf6-iNOI/AAAAAAAALCU/KT89FaJeNoo/s640/DSC03834.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tomato and watermelon gazpacho</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This soup was the highlight for me. I ordered this after having several crab claws and the acidity and balance enabled me to down a few extra plates. There was an excellent balance of sweet and sour along with the herbs to really bring a refreshing quality to the plate.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udXMrk7Py3I/UIoCcwZHt1I/AAAAAAAALCM/GcRm893pwOs/s1600/DSC03813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="436" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-udXMrk7Py3I/UIoCcwZHt1I/AAAAAAAALCM/GcRm893pwOs/s640/DSC03813.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mesclun greens salad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The salad was a nice mix of several elements including olives, pecans and goat cheese. All of these elements combined to enhance the salad into an enjoyable one.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Entrees</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ACgO5lHFTTc/UIoCjsu9hAI/AAAAAAAALCc/o1e7dVC5sOU/s1600/DSC03826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="566" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ACgO5lHFTTc/UIoCjsu9hAI/AAAAAAAALCc/o1e7dVC5sOU/s640/DSC03826.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">miso-glazed chilean sea bass</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This dish was really pushed by the wait staff and is probably their signature dish. For clarification, the sea bass was a sustainable version from a farm in Georgia. However, being farmed did not take away any of the flavor of the sea bass as this was excellently prepared. The fish was cooked perfectly and had a great balance of miso flavor to really bring in that umami punch. While I didn't think I would like the fried rice, I surprisingly enjoyed it. This was definitely a well-executed dish that even surpasses some of the entrees of celebrated local chefs.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GoR5--WFlJw/UIoCnmiah8I/AAAAAAAALCk/WJzKbcSBpiU/s1600/DSC03832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="590" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GoR5--WFlJw/UIoCnmiah8I/AAAAAAAALCk/WJzKbcSBpiU/s640/DSC03832.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stone crab claws</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">To start, a plate of nine claws is brought out. The stone crab claws are all pre-cracked so they are easy to eat. Lemons and dipping sauce are also brought, but I didn't waste any time with the sauce. While the crab claws are the the really big claws that you can order a la carte, they still contained a great flavor. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DXmGQb62ROw/UIoCqh8IGRI/AAAAAAAALCs/w5J_2TB9NuA/s1600/DSC03836.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DXmGQb62ROw/UIoCqh8IGRI/AAAAAAAALCs/w5J_2TB9NuA/s320/DSC03836.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">additional plates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">After the initial plate, all subsequent plates contain three additional claws. We queried the waiter and he said that he believed the record was 93 claws in one sitting.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Overall, I was very impressed by the quality of the claws, but for the price, you will definitely need to come prepared to feel that you got your value out of the purchase.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Dessert</span></span></h4>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q82a_zpt2G8/UIoCt7y2kLI/AAAAAAAALC0/CqDI-M-S7w8/s1600/DSC03840.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="628" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q82a_zpt2G8/UIoCt7y2kLI/AAAAAAAALC0/CqDI-M-S7w8/s640/DSC03840.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chocolate cake</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">To drive home the old fashioned restaurant vibe, plastic desserts are brought out on a tray with each dessert a humongouse portion. We elected for the chocolate cake, which was rich and a nice end to the meal.</span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Although Truluck's is a chain restaurant, it is an easy recommendation for a great seafood restaurant. The dishes are prepared extremely well, and they execution is consistent. There is also a great wine list to accompany the meal. </span></span><span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">Perhaps the only problem with Truluck's is that being the chain restaurant restrains the heights to which can be achieved.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">For the great execution of seafood dishes, Trulucks gets the megabyte award.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-61078423973962588952012-10-21T17:58:00.000-07:002012-10-23T15:06:41.995-07:00Voltage Coffee and Art - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58It2MhErvk/UISIVB6TpoI/AAAAAAAALBA/GSn-CEKBfIQ/s1600/DSC04099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-58It2MhErvk/UISIVB6TpoI/AAAAAAAALBA/GSn-CEKBfIQ/s320/DSC04099.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 10/1/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $2.50 for pour over<br />
<b>Location:</b> 295 3rd St, Cambridge, MA<br />
<a href="http://voltagecoffee.com/">website</a><br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit:</h4>
<div>
+ great atmosphere of an art gallery with a coffee shop</div>
<div>
+ high quality coffee beans</div>
<div>
+ convenient location</div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Δ Ordering can be difficult when there is a line</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span></span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Voltage Coffee and Art is owned by Lucy Valena. Valena's premise is that coffee acts as a fuel for artistic innovation; by providing coffee in an art gallery ambiance, Valena hopes to jump-start creative works. </span></span><span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">Interestingly, Voltage was founded through a </span><a href="http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/money/smallbusiness/2011-05-06-creative-financing-for-small-businesses_n.htm" style="line-height: 19px;">microloan program</a><span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">. Valena used this loan to establish a reputation to eventually secure venture capital for establishing a brick and mortar storefront.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The espresso drinks served at Voltage contain added flavors to take them to the next level such a the vanilla and burnt sugar in the Atticus Finch drink. However, the draw for me was the the <a href="http://madcapcoffee.com/">Madcap</a> pour over. I knew Madcap was an up and coming coffee roaster and I jumped at the opportunity to enjoy their coffee in the pour over method - a process that unlocks more acidity and floral notes in the coffee leading to greater body and balance in flavor.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bz7KH82akOQ/UISIXYXeNLI/AAAAAAAALA4/5N6eybevju0/s1600/DSC04092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="496" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Bz7KH82akOQ/UISIXYXeNLI/AAAAAAAALA4/5N6eybevju0/s640/DSC04092.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">madcap ethiopian pour over</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When I sipped the Ethiopian Kochere, I knew I had made the correct choice as it had a great balance of acidity and floral notes to complement the toffee undertones. Even without added milk or sugar, the cup was extremely balanced, and more reminiscent of a strong yet balanced tea.</span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">With its great variety of espresso and pour over coffees and excellent ambiance, I was extremely happy with my visit to Voltage. Even with a single visit, I am confident in awarding Voltage the bit award.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-73317927179398009252012-10-21T17:57:00.000-07:002012-10-21T18:04:29.960-07:00Dae Jang Keum Korean BBQ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chL5_NFYhos/UISHqdmGFuI/AAAAAAAAK_s/abNEhv4CWLQ/s1600/DSC04776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-chL5_NFYhos/UISHqdmGFuI/AAAAAAAAK_s/abNEhv4CWLQ/s320/DSC04776.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 10/13/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> ~ $40 per person, but depends on amount ordered<br />
<b>Location:</b> 7905 Engineer Rd, San Diego, CA 92111<br />
<br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ high quality and varied selection of meat</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">+ great <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banchan">banchan</a></span></div>
<div>
+ free coffee and peanuts while waiting</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ all around service issues marred the meal</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Δ parking can be difficult</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><i>You're probably wondering why I haven't been posting recently. One of the reasons is that I went on vacation, but the other reason is simply posting twice a week had caught up to me and I needed a bit of a break. I believe that I have had enough of that break, and will try to update a little extra (especially about my vacation) for a week or two to make up for my absence.</i></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I've long heard that Dae Jang Keum (DJK) was the best Korean BBQ restaurant in San Diego, but didn't have a chance to investigate until recently. While it is not the cheapest restaurant, DJK is supposedly better based on the quality of meat, marinade, and banchan.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGtzk-Tu59o/UISHsqZhG5I/AAAAAAAALBU/Gq8Ag3vtuJo/s1600/DSC04781.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="324" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nGtzk-Tu59o/UISHsqZhG5I/AAAAAAAALBU/Gq8Ag3vtuJo/s640/DSC04781.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">banchan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">With quite the spread of banchan, I was extremely happy with the quality of preparation in these dishes. Each dish was well seasoned and full of flavor. They served as the perfect appetizer for the coming onslaught of meat.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2qKqV3vacco/UISHvZ3OUjI/AAAAAAAAK_8/MI3WvsbCCEw/s1600/DSC04785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2qKqV3vacco/UISHvZ3OUjI/AAAAAAAAK_8/MI3WvsbCCEw/s640/DSC04785.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">charcoals</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I'm not sure that these were <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binchotan">binchotan charcoals</a>, they did seem to have many similar properties in how they cooked the meat. The use of coals in a korean bbq restaurant was quite the surprise to me as most places simply resort to a gas grill. However, the use of coals is welcome as they add a nice smoky and mesquite flavor to the meat.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ENQULRpD7M/UISHxZ0XSrI/AAAAAAAALAE/a-6sb4YYm68/s1600/DSC04789.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="338" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ENQULRpD7M/UISHxZ0XSrI/AAAAAAAALAE/a-6sb4YYm68/s640/DSC04789.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">To start, we were given a grill cover to cook the first few courses. This would serve to cook the tongue and brisket cuts.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx43yHkrehQ/UISH0Gw3WbI/AAAAAAAALAM/t3zanoJ1_gY/s1600/DSC04797.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Vx43yHkrehQ/UISH0Gw3WbI/AAAAAAAALAM/t3zanoJ1_gY/s640/DSC04797.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">combination A (minus the brisket)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">It was about at this time where I started having problems with the service. I asked the waitress to allow me to take photos, but she seemed in an awful rush. It was rushed to the point that the brisket was unceremoniously dumped on the grill plate before it had adequate time to heat. As most experts will tell you, one of the secrets to good barbecue is getting a nice sear on the meat from a hot grill. The grill was also filled with more meat than should have been present to allow air flow to develop a nice caramelization.</span></span></div>
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</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6HoJ1TI7Kvs/UISH2lyvIsI/AAAAAAAALBo/bKXamM7ZXJI/s1600/DSC04799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6HoJ1TI7Kvs/UISH2lyvIsI/AAAAAAAALBo/bKXamM7ZXJI/s640/DSC04799.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">brisket</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"> The problem was exasperated later as before we had even finished cooking the brisket, the waitress returned and served the remaining portion of meat on the grill and placed the pork belly to grill.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dN9FHk8f108/UISH5Gng5vI/AAAAAAAALBY/ckDv5H9tPks/s1600/DSC04803.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dN9FHk8f108/UISH5Gng5vI/AAAAAAAALBY/ckDv5H9tPks/s640/DSC04803.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pork belly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">As the grill was nowhere near the correct heat, our pork belly began the slow process of boiling. It was at this point where I decided that enough was enough and took over the grill entirely. As such, I was mainly unable to get further photos as I had to fight off the waitress from intruding against my wishes.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I believe that the rush was due to the amount of meat we ordered - normally one round of coals would not be enough to cook that quantity of meat, but she tried to rush us through the cooking process so that an entire round of meat could be cooked using one set of coals. When I asked for the coals to be changed out, I was initially refused, and our party had to wait for 20 minutes before the waitress gave in.</span></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILVpTLF3CkQ/UISH8GDUCTI/AAAAAAAALBc/8UXem2tlpMM/s1600/DSC04808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILVpTLF3CkQ/UISH8GDUCTI/AAAAAAAALBc/8UXem2tlpMM/s640/DSC04808.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rib eye</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">After the coals were changed, I managed to get one more photo before having to man the grill again. To cook the thicker meats, the pan was changed out for a grill so that the charcoals could directly infuse the smoky flavor into the meat.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While I generally had a favorable impression of the meal, it was severely marred by the service. Having to concentrate entirely on fighting off the waitress is not how I like to enjoy my meal. I did think the meat was of higher quality than the other all you can eat restaurants.</span></span></div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While the quality of the meat at Dae Jung Keum was great, I had many problems with the service on a Saturday night. My feeling of the meal was so mixed that really all I can say was that the whole meal was inconclusive. I really did enjoy the preparation of the banchan along with the quality of the meat - it was not on the same level as Totoraku, but it was comparable for a much cheaper price. I guess this is a good thing as it means I will have to visit again before making a final determination.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-91456618163924145962012-09-24T09:26:00.001-07:002012-09-24T09:26:14.084-07:00Chef Chin (Convoy)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zagbiujjh9Q/UF_9ebhho6I/AAAAAAAAK-M/q9FgP_747qg/s1600/DSC04053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="187" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zagbiujjh9Q/UF_9ebhho6I/AAAAAAAAK-M/q9FgP_747qg/s320/DSC04053.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 9/21/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> ~$6-9 for veggies an appetizers, $10-15 for entrees, market price for seafood<br />
<b>Location:</b> 4433 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111<br />
<a href="http://chef-chin.com/">website</a><br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ outstanding Shanghai style preparation</div>
<div>
+ diverse menu with many great options</div>
<div>
+ well balanced Chinese dishes</div>
<div>
+ low corkage fee</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ seafood shells could have been pre-cracked better</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ service could be more attentive</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;">Δ menu items could reflect real names instead of coming up with cute pseudonyms</span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">After showing what San Diego has been missing in the Chinese food scene, I thought it only fitting to show what San Diego has recently come into in comparison. Chef Chin (formerly Chin's on Convoy) came about as a result of a schism in the ownership group of Chin's. One side of the group wanted to expand the restaurants out past San Diego while the other side wanted to stay focused in one area. As a result, Chef Chin was born as it was bought out launched as a pilot restaurant for the new imperialist owners.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Perhaps the most important change the new regime made was to import an accomplished chef from Shanghai to run the restaurant. While the menu ranges to many Szechwan cuisine as well, Chef Chin really specializes in Shanghai style cuisine. The essence of Chinese cuisine is to create very balanced and well-rounded dishes; each dish must achieve great balance on its own and stand on its own. This is what allows several courses to be set in the middle of the table at once for a family style meal as each dish has its own distinct flavors that sets it apart from others.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">In order to get a good sense of the menu and lay some dining plans for the next months, fellow writers <a href="http://www.rodzillareviews.com/">Rodzilla </a>and <a href="http://insert-food.blogspot.com/">Yao from {insert-food}</a> joined me for this meal. Somehow we were branded the "ultra secret dinner club" from this. One interesting tidbit from this Shanghai restaurant is that the water is served iced instead of boiled - traditionally Shanghai restaurants serve hot water only to show it has been boiled.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Appetizers</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvHkjG-pbew/UF_9K6Ig3pI/AAAAAAAAK9U/tUUG2PcADrE/s1600/DSC04026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZvHkjG-pbew/UF_9K6Ig3pI/AAAAAAAAK9U/tUUG2PcADrE/s640/DSC04026.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pickled spicy cucumber</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The cucumber was pickled in the Chinese style so that it had an tremendous balance between sour, sweet, and spicy. All the elements came together with the underlying sourness to really open up the palate and serve as a great amuse.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EJ484IM7xcQ/UF_9QkYFdOI/AAAAAAAAK9k/vThPczOb-zA/s1600/DSC04028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="344" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EJ484IM7xcQ/UF_9QkYFdOI/AAAAAAAAK9k/vThPczOb-zA/s640/DSC04028.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pickled jellyfish head</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While there is some inherent flavor in the jellyfish, this dish is really all about the texture. The crunchy yet spongy texture of the jellyfish has a fun interplay on the textural senses in the mouth and served as a nice starting point for the meal. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hv0_lBRCc/UF_9N0CW5gI/AAAAAAAAK9c/siBi6wwVVtA/s1600/DSC04027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="366" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H_hv0_lBRCc/UF_9N0CW5gI/AAAAAAAAK9c/siBi6wwVVtA/s640/DSC04027.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">roast beef and ox stomach mix</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This appetizer was more of a Szechwan style appetizer. With an underlying but light sense of heat along with some light Sichuan peppercorn oil, this dish laid a base for the future spicer dishes to come. The hearty proteins were also indicative of the future protein courses.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qY2nPSVU5A4/UF_9ZBhGuNI/AAAAAAAAK98/KPhf2LmAnv4/s1600/DSC04040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qY2nPSVU5A4/UF_9ZBhGuNI/AAAAAAAAK98/KPhf2LmAnv4/s640/DSC04040.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smoked fish</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">To round out the appetizers, the smoked fish really brought the progression to a point where the meal could be eaten and enjoyed. The fish had the great depth of flavor from the smokiness, the sweet glaze really complemented all the flavors. While there are bones in the fish that can be eaten, this should still be done with caution and only after much chewing.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OM93xirYlu0/UF_9UPQpTuI/AAAAAAAAK9s/NpcuTjvg5IM/s1600/DSC04033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="488" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OM93xirYlu0/UF_9UPQpTuI/AAAAAAAAK9s/NpcuTjvg5IM/s640/DSC04033.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">green jade fish soup - fish, egg, chinese mustard greens</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The green jade fish soup rounded out our appetizers. While all the appetizers were good, this dish really brought everything together; it was almost like it signaled an end to the first meal so that a second meal could begin. With most of the appetizers being cold, the soup really warmed the up the core of the body and brought an immense satisfaction to the palate.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Seafood</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8EoEOw5rxzU/UF_9b8Fh7oI/AAAAAAAAK-E/yFgRnOQk7u0/s1600/DSC04044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8EoEOw5rxzU/UF_9b8Fh7oI/AAAAAAAAK-E/yFgRnOQk7u0/s640/DSC04044.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bi Feng Tang Crab - crab with golden garlic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Shanghai is known for crab dishes. Moreover, Shanghai restaurants are known specifically for Bi Feng Tang style crab. In this style,</span></span><span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">the crab is fried along with a lot garlic so that everything is a nice golden color. The garlic and sugar impart a deeply rich and complex flavor that permeates through all of the crab.</span><br />
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">While this particular preparation of the crab was slightly overcooked, all of the elements in the flavor were still present. The garlic really imparted a large amount of flavor into the crab, which made it especially enjoyable to eat. Most surprisingly, despite the frying technique there was very little remaining oil in the preparation.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mamIk44wWU/UF_9g_27-cI/AAAAAAAAK-U/UnmaE9b6hBU/s1600/DSC04055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0mamIk44wWU/UF_9g_27-cI/AAAAAAAAK-U/UnmaE9b6hBU/s640/DSC04055.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">zhao pai lobster </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">While this lobster doesn't really compare with the one from last week, its preparation was still the best I have seen in San Diego. An integral part of a Chinese restaurant's success is being able to order high quality live seafood dishes as these dishes are celebratory in nature. This dish fulfills that need, making Chef Chin a great destination for a Chinese meal.</span><br />
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">Entrees</span></h4>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvftKjIkXPk/UF_9WQZr_UI/AAAAAAAAK90/UKW1I5rp0ZM/s1600/DSC04034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-zvftKjIkXPk/UF_9WQZr_UI/AAAAAAAAK90/UKW1I5rp0ZM/s640/DSC04034.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">braised pork with preserved vegetables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">This dish is perhaps the signature dish at Chef Chin as it is featured prominently in all the marketing. This dish also delivers as it was my favorite dish of the evening. The pork belly is braised until it is fork tender and smothered in a sweet yet complex sauce that really complements the flavor of the pork. While this dish looks intensely rich, it maintained a great sense of balance and was still easy to eat.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--5J3fECIqu4/UF_9jvAqY9I/AAAAAAAAK-c/46FZ8PPEP1Q/s1600/DSC04058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--5J3fECIqu4/UF_9jvAqY9I/AAAAAAAAK-c/46FZ8PPEP1Q/s640/DSC04058.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Szechwan spicy intestine hot pot</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">While I am a fan of intestines, I generally prefer the dry style. This was probably the least favorite dish of the evening as the wet style of hot pot required a large amount of garlic to neutralize the resulting flavors.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FBm8kPujddU/UF_9mdNOZGI/AAAAAAAAK-k/7H_5rcffI2w/s1600/DSC04060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="414" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FBm8kPujddU/UF_9mdNOZGI/AAAAAAAAK-k/7H_5rcffI2w/s640/DSC04060.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chinese squash with preserved shrimp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">In contrast to the intestines, the Chinese squash was beloved by all. This was definitely in the top three dishes of the night as the Chinese squash contained an intense depth of flavor. Almost every person at the table who tried this for the first time had a verbal explanation of surprise when tasting the squash flavor.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esJ5g1mIAIU/UF_9pTEBaVI/AAAAAAAAK-s/_oe2lq5QeZM/s1600/DSC04062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-esJ5g1mIAIU/UF_9pTEBaVI/AAAAAAAAK-s/_oe2lq5QeZM/s640/DSC04062.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">braised tofu in spicy bean sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828; line-height: 19px;">The braised tofu was also a favorite at the table. The tofu was really seasoned well and the sauce made the dish very tasty. The accompanying mushrooms really enhanced the flavors of the dish to give it a meaty flavor even though this dish was entirely vegetarian.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5eWxpT8fZFs/UF_9r3b2jeI/AAAAAAAAK-0/ahjBZBNJkms/s1600/DSC04063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="348" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5eWxpT8fZFs/UF_9r3b2jeI/AAAAAAAAK-0/ahjBZBNJkms/s640/DSC04063.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sauteed lamb slices with cumin and scallions</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This was another favorite at the table. The lamb was cooked incredibly tender and the cumin imparted a nice complement to the gamey flavor in the lamb. This also served as the "red meat" of the meal as there was very little otherwise.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0qzJ2zaxeo/UF_9uvKXh0I/AAAAAAAAK-8/3gSM3BrWZHk/s1600/DSC04071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="350" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W0qzJ2zaxeo/UF_9uvKXh0I/AAAAAAAAK-8/3gSM3BrWZHk/s640/DSC04071.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ma la fragrant pot - chili, shrimp, pork, tripe, celery, lotus root</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While this dish is one of the signature dishes at Chef Chin, this time I did not agree with the outcome. The flavors of dish suggested that it had been prepared previously and left at the hot plate to die. The shrimp was egregiously overcooked and the dish lacked an overall vibrant zing. While our table did not have the space for the dish, I would have preferred that they brought out the plate and allowed for people to decide how to consolidate dishes and make space.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span>
<h4>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Dessert</span></span></h4>
</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2n2OTvLc3n4/UF_9xPA79rI/AAAAAAAAK_E/1yruiybzwFc/s1600/DSC04072.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2n2OTvLc3n4/UF_9xPA79rI/AAAAAAAAK_E/1yruiybzwFc/s640/DSC04072.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">black sesame soup rounds with fermented rice soup</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">To finish off the meal, we got the Shanghai rendition of a classic Chinese dessert - soup rounds. The soup rounds are small rice dumplings that were filled with a sweet black sesame filling. What made this dish particular to Shanghai was the use of the fermented rice in the soup, as fermented rice is a key ingredient to Shanghai cuisine. I really enjoyed the soup rounds and thought that it really rounded out the meal well.</span></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Conclusion</span></span></h3>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Chef Chin is the best Chinese restaurant I've eaten at in San Diego. With the authentic flavors and diverse menu selection that is generally prepared well, this new restaurant venture is poised for success. If you want a taste of real Shanghai cuisine, do not miss Chef Chin. While there are still some kinks to work out, mainly with the service, the restaurant is poised for success.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Until Chef Chin works out some of the service issues (which turned into food issues), I can only award it the megabyte award.</span></span></div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-52098468267977610502012-09-16T19:44:00.000-07:002012-09-21T15:39:44.713-07:00Tan Cang Newport Seafood (Santa Ana) - Interrupt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nfqrFg24Dow/UFaIWQRub5I/AAAAAAAAK8Q/qaboyf8fvF8/s1600/DSC04013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nfqrFg24Dow/UFaIWQRub5I/AAAAAAAAK8Q/qaboyf8fvF8/s320/DSC04013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 9/15/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $14.99 per pound of lobster, $8-14 other per dish<br />
<b>Location:</b> 4411 W. First Street, Santa Ana, CA 92703<br />
<a href="http://www.tancangnewportseafood.com/">website</a><br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit</h4>
<div>
+ great lobster</div>
<div>
+ other dishes are also prepared well</div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ parking lot could be larger</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ could accept credit cards</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ service could be more "above the board"</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When people ask me for a Chinese restaurant recommendation in San Diego and I am unable to (in good conscience) make a recommendation, the followup question is usually, "why not?" Tan Cang Newport Seafood in Santa Ana epitomizes what I would expect from an equivalent Chinese restaurant in San Diego.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">First, let me start with this; the food tastes absolutely amazing. There are a lot of problems with this restaurant. It's crowded and a little dirty, the service is typical of Chinese restaurants, the parking lot is too small for the crowds, and they only accept cash. However, let me end with this; the food tastes absolutely amazing.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<h4>
Live Seafood</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hRkmh19-B8/UFaIZ5HtDpI/AAAAAAAAK8Y/K6aI6nRhvMg/s1600/DSC04017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3hRkmh19-B8/UFaIZ5HtDpI/AAAAAAAAK8Y/K6aI6nRhvMg/s640/DSC04017.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">zhao pai lobster - lobster, ginger, scallions, chili</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1zKVqW_Eeg/UFaInZglQhI/AAAAAAAAK84/5mZyu_ExZTg/s1600/DSC04015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-h1zKVqW_Eeg/UFaInZglQhI/AAAAAAAAK84/5mZyu_ExZTg/s320/DSC04015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
I set aside the live seafood as a section because any self-respecting Chinese restaurant will have a great selection of live seafood. These selections can include lobster, crab, spot prawns, geoduck, and fish. Tan Cang is known particularly for their lobster, but the other seafood is good as well.</div>
<div>
The lobster was prepared in the "zhao pai" style, which is to say it is fried and then sauteed with ginger, scallions, and chili. The succulent flavor of the lobster is really complemented by the aromatics. While American lobster is usually enjoyed with clarified butter, the Chinese preparation of lobster imparts a rich and complex flavor throughout the entire lobster. This is partially due to the lobster being chopped into pieces first so that the sauce can permeate through the entire animal. However, the lobster is still cooked to perfection and the meat retains a nice delicate yet chewy texture.</div>
<div>
To eat the lobster, the waiters gave separate plates for the shells, which were removed at an appropriate pace as we accumulated shells. This was actually quite excellent service compared to the typical restaurant.</div>
<div>
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<h4>
Regular dishes</h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6XzSrHcRMJY/UFaIg2e0VbI/AAAAAAAAK8o/z2GDJVGtzOM/s1600/DSC04021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="398" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6XzSrHcRMJY/UFaIg2e0VbI/AAAAAAAAK8o/z2GDJVGtzOM/s640/DSC04021.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">clams in black bean sauce - onions, bell pepper</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
While Tan Cang usually nails this dish, this particular evening did not go over too well. There was too much cooking wine used in the sauce that a large alcohol taste permeated throughout the dish. This marred an otherwise excellent preparation of clams.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTF3x_iDTO0/UFaIdNg_1dI/AAAAAAAAK8g/ALxK-b1vrVc/s1600/DSC04018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="334" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NTF3x_iDTO0/UFaIdNg_1dI/AAAAAAAAK8g/ALxK-b1vrVc/s640/DSC04018.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pea sprouts - garlic</td></tr>
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The pea sprouts dish was another setback on the evening and an example of the "typical service." We wanted to order the "big pea shoots" but were informed that they only had the sprouts. When I tried to change the order, the waiter had already closed the ordering process and walked away.</div>
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There was nothing wrong with the preparation of the pea sprouts except that we didn't want the dish. They were perhaps slightly overcooked but were flavored well.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYtCaH78r3E/UFaIj3jYSdI/AAAAAAAAK8w/FEXx0A3EW5s/s1600/DSC04024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oYtCaH78r3E/UFaIj3jYSdI/AAAAAAAAK8w/FEXx0A3EW5s/s640/DSC04024.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">kung pao chicken</td></tr>
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While you may ask why I order kung pao chicken, it is Tan Cang's best non-seafood dish. The chicken is incredibly flavorful and is cooked to maintain a nice tenderness in the center. The kung pao flavoring is spot on and has the exact balance of sweet with spicy. </div>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
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While Tan Cang Newport Seafood has a variety of "typical Chinese" issues to sort through, the quality and flavor of the food was excellent. They were so good that one actually can ignore all the problems. With the relatively cheap price of the lobster compared to the quality, Tan Cang delivers an extremely satisfying meal.</div>
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For the lobster and kung pao chicken that I just can't get out of my mind, Tan Cang Newport Seafood receives the megabyte award.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7687491910500396975.post-62351336792702625222012-09-13T22:11:00.003-07:002012-10-25T20:16:40.607-07:00Davanti Enoteca - Carmel Valley<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stVzhrucYKo/UFK01w7decI/AAAAAAAAK6o/JODE-byQdVQ/s1600/DSC03984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-stVzhrucYKo/UFK01w7decI/AAAAAAAAK6o/JODE-byQdVQ/s320/DSC03984.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Date of Dining:</b> 9/9/2012<br />
<b>Price:</b> $7-11 appetizers, $12-19 plates (3 order per person probably)<br />
<b>Location:</b> 12955 El Camino Real, San Diego, 92130<br />
<a href="http://davantidelmar.com/">website</a><br />
<h4>
The Quick Bit:</h4>
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+ well-prepared pastas</div>
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+ interesting and well prepared salads</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ entrees could be stronger</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Δ portions of plates could be larger</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #282828; line-height: 19px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">When I last visited a <a href="http://www.gastrobits.com/2012/03/mia-francesca-carmel-valley.html">Scott Harris restaurant</a>, I was less than pleased due to both the hostess and the entrees. Since it is now long past the "3 month window" for new restaurants, I returned next door to visit the other Scott Harris restaurant in the complex. From a quick glance, Davanti seemed fairly full while Mia Francesca was nearly empty - I guess the three months didn't improve the outlook others had of Mia Francesca.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">I dined with a group of four and we decided to just order a bunch of items and share them all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Starters:</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O8CS6ym9ZO0/UFK07gBgzTI/AAAAAAAAK64/uGNm-6xop2A/s1600/DSC03986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O8CS6ym9ZO0/UFK07gBgzTI/AAAAAAAAK64/uGNm-6xop2A/s640/DSC03986.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken liver pate</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The chicken liver pate came with some bread and appeared to be topped with boiled red cabbage. While I enjoyed the pate, others at the table were less than thrilled. The pate definitely had a strong offal quality to it, but I found that the flavor had a lot of depth and was very enjoyable.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iopwk6BvJk/UFK1EQPxx5I/AAAAAAAAK7Q/mtdTbrNFcK0/s1600/DSC03990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="384" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3iopwk6BvJk/UFK1EQPxx5I/AAAAAAAAK7Q/mtdTbrNFcK0/s640/DSC03990.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ricotta + honeycomb</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The ricotta and honeycomb went over much better with the table. The ricotta was finished even before the bread was eaten. The honeycomb was a true piece of a local honeycomb and had an amazing freshness and quality to the flavor. It really brought up the overall quality of the ricotta.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WevtwnsiWvU/UFK042XghbI/AAAAAAAAK6w/mPwqTrtl764/s1600/DSC03985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WevtwnsiWvU/UFK042XghbI/AAAAAAAAK6w/mPwqTrtl764/s640/DSC03985.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4 for $20 - prosciutto di parma, salame tartufato, taleggio, gorgonzola</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">For $5 increments, a board of 3, 4, or 5 selections can be made. The prosciutto was the highlight of the plate. It contained a very delicate texture but was supported with a really nice cure that gave a great depth and complexity to the flavor. While the salame tartufato was supposed to have truffle, I almost felt the curing of the prosciutto had more of the truffle quality than the salame. The taleggio had a nice earthy balance to the rest of the meats, but didn't end up pairing well because the other meats were great on their own. Similarly, the gorgonzola was out of balance when compared to the meats on the plate.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r17mD2dglfY/UFK1BbZbHwI/AAAAAAAAK7I/JDS5OHxrgK0/s1600/DSC03998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="442" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r17mD2dglfY/UFK1BbZbHwI/AAAAAAAAK7I/JDS5OHxrgK0/s640/DSC03998.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shaved brussels sprout - pecorino parmesan vinaigrette</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">While this salad looks simple, it actually packed quite the punch. The sharpness of the pecorino and parmesan really complemented the bitterness of the brussels sprouts, and the entire dish had a nice earthy feel to it.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMuyUJNEs7U/UFK0-ymDNdI/AAAAAAAAK7A/K63c-wXAV7o/s1600/DSC03987.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CMuyUJNEs7U/UFK0-ymDNdI/AAAAAAAAK7A/K63c-wXAV7o/s640/DSC03987.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">roasted corn - walnuts, aged goat cheese, arugula, wild mushrooms</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This corn salad was the best appetizer of the night. The sweetness of the corn was contrasted with the earthy taste of the mushroom and the bitterness of the arugula. The almonds added a nice crunch as well. I could have eaten three of these by myself.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Plates</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4d4VrfuqCSc/UFK1HY0abII/AAAAAAAAK7Y/Gi9IBL1faWc/s1600/DSC03992.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="408" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4d4VrfuqCSc/UFK1HY0abII/AAAAAAAAK7Y/Gi9IBL1faWc/s640/DSC03992.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">focaccia di recco - honeycomb</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">If Davanti has a signature dish, this is it. This is basically two flabreads that are sandwiching some cheese, and honey can be rubbed on top for the final product. Had we not ordered the ricotta appetizer, this would have been amazing. As it was, it was still extremely good, but was almost a repeat of the ricotta. This dish was less sweet than the appetizer, so there was more complexity in both texture and the depth of the cheese flavors. </span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEz9A7PyJYk/UFK1KZpKixI/AAAAAAAAK7g/N2eWz-5C5Zc/s1600/DSC03994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="420" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZEz9A7PyJYk/UFK1KZpKixI/AAAAAAAAK7g/N2eWz-5C5Zc/s640/DSC03994.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">paccheri can salsiccia e pomodori al forno - giant rigatoni, sausage, tomato, parmigiano</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">The rigatoni were cooked almost too al dente, but this ended up working out because they really needed to stand up the spiciness of the sausage. The sausage was a typical hot italian sausage, but was cooked well to complement the entire dish.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BZeMLFdL14c/UFK1NMmyPII/AAAAAAAAK7o/0esUrJlCPhg/s1600/DSC03996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="416" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BZeMLFdL14c/UFK1NMmyPII/AAAAAAAAK7o/0esUrJlCPhg/s640/DSC03996.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">riccio di mare e granchio - linguine, sea urchin, crab</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #282828;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">This was the best dish of the night. The sea urchin really integrated well with the linguine and made the pasta taste of the urchin. This was complemented by the succulent sweetness of the crab. This is another dish where I could have eaten three by myself because it was so good.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-neYwOblvwiI/UFK1QJxgB8I/AAAAAAAAK7w/850D8v3Yh3Y/s1600/DSC04000.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-neYwOblvwiI/UFK1QJxgB8I/AAAAAAAAK7w/850D8v3Yh3Y/s640/DSC04000.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bistecca con ravanelli e funghi - grilled hanger steak, roasted radish, grilled oyster mushroom, saba, salsa verde</td></tr>
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While I thought the presentation of this dish was incredible, I ended up thinking it was just so-so. The balsamic on the plate overwhelmed the other flavors, and the dish had a prevailing sweetness to the entire dish. Even the salsa verde was not enough to stand up to the sweetness of the balsamic.</div>
<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
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I was much happier with my visit to Davanti Enoteca than Mia Francesca. There were some great dishes and the menu contains a great variety of dishes. Some of the dishes were real home runs, while others have a lot of work required. I would definitely return to Davanti to try some other dishes in the future. We also had no issues with the service.</div>
Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17890057472555378007noreply@blogger.com0