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February 28, 2024

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News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news

News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

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February 28, 2024

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Mary Beth Abate

Mary Beth Abate is a Reader contributor. See staff page for published articles.

Uninspired in Clairemont: Kitchen 4140

Hello, deniseathome, thank you for your comment. "Blackened" food is the name given to a quick-cooking process developed by New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme. It is supposed to produce a peppery black crust while searing the meat over a very hot fire or in a very hot skillet. It is used on thin, uniform cuts of meat or fish. Typically, you would coat both sides of the meat or fish in melted butter, rub it well with a zesty spice mix (a common one would be paprika, ground black, white and red peppers, garlic salt and thyme), then sear quickly over very high heat. Because high heat is used, the meat or fish must be quite thin, or else you end up with charred outsides and tough, dry meat or fish. Again, thin and uniform is the key. The "blackening" is supposed to be from the butter/spice mixture, not the meat. Unfortunately, "blackened" seems to be one of those misunderstood cooking methods that gets applied to cuts of meat or fish for which it is not appropriate. Hanger steak is too thick and too tough of a cut for traditional blackening. It needs to be marinated, then seared quickly, served rare and sliced thinly across the grain. In this case, I was not told that the meat was "blackened" until it was served. If I had known, I would not have ordered it either.
— January 9, 2012 8:37 p.m.

Warehouse Wars: Urbn Coal Fired Pizza/Bar

Thanks, good to know.
— January 3, 2012 3:29 p.m.

Warehouse Wars: Urbn Coal Fired Pizza/Bar

Thanks for your comments - at least I know one person read my blog besides my mom! 1. I've been to Urbn more than once, and nearly everyone in the place has been eating AND drinking. I've seen families with young children eating pizza and drinking sodas as well as others drinking cocktails, beer or wine with their meals. 2. I understand that increased traffic to an area can make parking complicated and it's no fun to have drunken shouting in your front yard in the wee hours. "Street parking" merely means that the place doesn't have its own parking lot. I'm pretty sure that people know about private lots, where they can pay to park their cars if they prefer.
— December 30, 2011 10:27 p.m.

For Reuben's Sake: The Linkery

I've learned that good spelling and good food don't necessarily go together, and to take it with a grain of salt, so to speak. I guess we'll have to assume it was the entire cow and not just it's liver that was in the pasture.
— December 16, 2011 8:25 p.m.

Getting Burgered: Boomerangs Gourmet Burger Joint

I saw that mac and cheese on the menu - it sounds great. The "adult" iced teas look interesting too! We loved chatting with Jose at the bar.
— December 16, 2011 8:13 p.m.

Naomi Wise, R.I.P.

Lovely tribute, Ed. Naomi will be missed.
— December 16, 2011 2:48 p.m.

Cheapskate Me: Eclipse Chocolat

I'm sure you'll enjoy it as much as I did. MB
— December 9, 2011 10:43 a.m.

Date Street Breakfast: Little Italy Mercato

Thanks for the kind words, Catt. I always look forward to my market visits. Those nutcrackers are great! Little Italy always does such a good job of decorating the neighborhood no matter what season it is. Best, Mary Beth
— December 7, 2011 2:44 p.m.

The Bun Bo Hue Dossier

I agree, food is a subjective experience. I've traveled all over the world and have eaten my share of dishes that were beautifully prepared, but just not to my taste whether due to cultural differences, ingredients I couldn't get behind, or just my taste buds. But, there is no excuse for serving Cha Gio, or anything else, that has been sitting around long enough to get cold and mushy. They should not serve old, stale food to anyone. Also no excuse for the waitstaff to set the food down and then disappear. It was early, we were the only customers for most of our meal. Since you are a regular customer there, I'm sure the staff knows you are a food writer. No doubt they give you the best of the best, as well as anyone you send to the place if they are aware of your recommendation. Most restaurants will give regulars a bit of special service as a thank you. Fine by me. Perhaps they thought the old Caucasians wouldn't know any better, or that we didn't deserve their best effort. I know that sounds harsh, but it happens. While I can appreciate serving Caucasians a different level of spiciness (we tend to overestimate our ability to handle it), my central complaint is about being served food that should have been in the garbage. I do appreciate your response however. I will continue to try restaurants you recommend. I've been to many, and this is the first time I've had a bad experience at one. Unfortunately it was just so bad I hesitate to give them a second chance.
— November 15, 2011 10:23 a.m.

The Bun Bo Hue Dossier

I went here Friday, 11/11 based on this review. Don't care that it's a hole in the wall, I've eaten in much worse and had much better food. Had the Bun Cha Gio Thit Nuong and husband had Bun Bo Hue. When I got my meal, I tasted one of the Cha Gio pieces, and it was stone cold, tasted of old grease, and was gummy mush inside. So obvious it had been sitting there for a long time. I guess they figured I wouldn't know any better. The waitress never came back to check on us so I had to pick out the rest of the pieces and take them up to the front desk to ask for a freshly made one. She apologized and brought another out, it was hot, but the inside again was gummy and no discernible taste, just mush. Gave one to the husband to taste (with no comment so I wouldn't influence him) and he said the same thing. Pork was super fatty, and not in a good, grilled, crispy pork fat way, but a cold, white, flabby way. Overly salty. In all, the worst bowl of Bun Cha Gio Thit Nuong I've ever had. Didn't taste husband's Bun Bo Hue but he said it was mediocre at best. Did they know you were a restaurant critic or something? What we got for food sure didn't impress us at all, unless you count the several times later in the evening I was "reminded" of the greasy, salty mess. Not recommended at all.
— November 13, 2011 12:19 p.m.

News & Politics Neighborhood News News Ticker Under the Radar

Food & Drink Beverage News Booze News Drinks All Around Feast! San Diego Beer Tin Fork

Movies Big Screen Movie Archives Movie Reviews Movies@Home

Happenings Fishing Report Outdoors Reader Travel Roam-O-Rama Surf Diego Theater Your Week

Music Blurt Classical Music The Gonzo Report Live Five Musician Interviews Of Note Upcoming Shows

Comics Famous Former Neighbors Obermeyer Overheard in San Diego

Archives Reader by issue date Today’s stories All of the latest stories

Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

See all neighborhoods

February 28, 2024

See previous issues