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Soup of the Evening
Love the French Onion soup at La Bastide in Scripp's Ranch as well as at Bleu Boheme in Kensington.— January 8, 2010 5:11 p.m.
The Year in Restaurants
To: ncboy (comment #2 above): I was not "quibbling." I was adding a different perspective regarding a restaurant. Ms. Wise's "Top Restaurants of 2009" list will be very influential, and, as I said in my preface to comment #1 above, I appreciate the overall article (and, further, I am a fan of Ms. Wise's reviews). The point is: anyone who is going to spend X amount of hard-earned dollars benefits from knowing in advance what she/he is going to get for those dollars. Mayahuel has potential, but the menu is formulaic and the ingredients--IMHO, not prepared very well: tasteless shrimp, salty and dry "steak", etc. This was Wise's nominee for "Best Inexpensive Mexican." My point is that it is not all that inexpensive, and it is not very good. So I just want to warn potential diners...they can check yelp.com or chowhound.com and find comments similar to mine. However, Bravo to La Wise! And best wishes for 2010!— December 31, 2009 7:03 p.m.
The Year in Restaurants
While I appreciate this year-end summary/analysis, I am disappointed to see Cantina Mayahuel named the "best new inexpensive Mexican" restaurant. First, it is not inexpensive. Two tacos (4.50 each) plus a side of black beans and rice (3.50) will cost you $12.50 before tax and tip. Bowls are $11, as are salads. And that's that! Aside from chips, guac, and salsa and one daily special (Wednesday's special of grilled halibut weighs in at $20), that's the menu. (Ms. Wise mentioned the Friday special of mole, but I haven't had the chance to try it, and probably won't given my experiences there to date.) The formula is simple: you can have steak, chicken, mahi, or shrimp in your taco, salad, or bowl. Neither the mahi nor the shrimp were flavorful on the two occasions I dined there. The beef was over-salted and dry. (I didn't try the chicken.) There are about 60 tequilas, and the cost of a shot varies from 4.50 to 18.00. For a margarita, choose your fave tequila and add $1.50. The cheapest margarita (4.50 + $1.50) costs $6--not $5, as the article claims. (Ok, it's only a buck difference, but that's a margarita with the cheapest ingredients.) There is a nice patio--but not-so-nice in this weather. Seating inside is at the bar and at high tables with bar stools--not exactly comfy. The staff is friendly, and the service, fine. But, as several yelpers have written, this place is better for drinking than for dining. I would hope that there is a better "New" Mexican joint in town. I'll stick with my old favorites. Let's see what 2010 brings!— December 30, 2009 9:32 p.m.
Gobble Well
Thanks for the exhaustive list!--a necessary addition to the refrigerator art. And special thanks for listing the establishments serving the dark meat of the beloved bird. However, after considering each restaurant, I was, finally, exhausted, and figured that roasting a hen, mashing up some taters, and steaming some brussels sprouts is not such a chore, plus there are the leftovers! I do highly recommend the prix fixe meal at El Bizcocho, though. With wine pairing and live piano melodies flowing, the exquisite cuisine is magic. And then, after an optional Remy Martin, a room at the Inn...— November 11, 2009 3:01 p.m.
The Golden Coast
I love Iris! I've been there for lunch with friends three or four times in the past year, and I agree with Ms. Wise regarding the overlapping experiences we shared (Ms. Wise was there for dinner, not lunch). The view of the estuary, the relaxed yet aesthetically pleasing ambiance, the patio....Ah...great place for sunset. (And friendly, quite competent service.) To add to the review, I think it should be mentioned that the list of BEERS is substantial. In fact, Iris has special beer pairing dinners (the most recent was October 22, I believe). (Regarding wine: on Tuesday evenings, you can BYOW and the corkage fee is waived.) Some of the lunch items my friends and I have enjoyed fully have been Tommy's pate, the pizzeta that Ms. Wise describes, the BBQ baby back lamb ribs, the house salad, various soups. Main courses: Tommy's meatloaf, fish tacos, grilled salmon salad, various specials-of-the day. Dessert? Tres leches cake= deelish. Three stars in my book--and oh! there's a parking lot as well as parking on the street.— October 23, 2009 7:26 p.m.
Free-Range Grazing
I kinda feel like I went to a different restaurant, but no. Two weekends ago, on a Saturday, during brunch hours, I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in eons. We were visiting Sonic Arts, in the next block, and thought we'd try the "new place." My friend eats sparsely, so he chose the fruit and cheese plate and coffee. Being cautious, I chose bacon and eggs (how could they screw them up?) I also ordered a Bloody Mary. The 2 postage stamp size pieces of --what was it? edam?-- and a tall, skinny limb of blue arrived with two or three raspberries and a couple of grapes. My friend asked for bread. Extra charge. My friend then ordered sourdough toast. Then he asked for butter; a miserly portion was provided. AS for my bacon and eggs (ten bucks): I asked for poached eggs--"Sorry, ma'am we don't have a poacher." I tried to explain (why?) how to poach eggs using a skillet. Nope. So I asked for over-easy (I love gooey yolks!). I was served 2 over-medium+ eggs, two pieces of fat back--pale white and light pink with no browning or crunch--well, with no meat to speak of (sorry to be so old school and crave some crispy applewood-smoked bacon). The potatoes were too finely diced (more steamed than sauteed) and seasoned with a whallop of celery powder--I couldn't eat them. There was no toast or muffin or...So I asked, "Doesn't this come with bread?" "Nope." Well, if my egg yolks had been gooey, I would have needed some toast! Even so, my friend and I ordered another round of toast (extra charge). It came, and we asked for butter and jam. We got a teaspoon or so of each. The $7 Bloody Mary was boring at best (a 4 buck bloody). We did not receive water refills, and my friend did not receive a single coffee refill. There were only two other tables being served while we were there. So $30 later--before tip--we realized we shoulda gone up the street to the Big Kitchen. It is true that the ambience is pleasant at Alchemy and that the menu looks promising. But for BRUNCH, I do not recommend it (maybe I will try dinner)...Perhaps in a few months they will have figured out how to poach an egg and what seasonings make for good home fries--well, and how breakfast ain't breakfast without bread.— September 16, 2009 6:56 p.m.
Feasting on Olympus
I have long been a fan of Apollonia ever since it was Aesop's Tables. When it was Aesop's, the menu was not as interesting as it now is, but the food was earthy, delicious, and consistent. The service was nearly exuberant in the old days with plenty of "OH PA!" I agree with Ms. Wise on just about everything in the review. However, I was able to get some rare lamb once by over-exaggerating my case: I asked for blood rare and stressed that I was not kidding. It's best to go there with a "posse" or be prepared to take home plenty of leftovers. There's just too much to sample. The appetizer platters themselves are meals. My memories of languid evenings on Greek isles lead me always to order retsina. I know most people loathe the stuff, think it tastes like turpentine, but to me it is refreshing, it goes so perfectly with kalamatas, feta, and other appetizers, and it's quintessentially Greek. (I'm no ouzo fan, though; I prefer Metaxa.) The $20 Food Week menu looks great, but be prepared to add on! Thanks, Ms. Wise, for putting this place back in the public eye where it belongs! Oh Pa!— September 9, 2009 5:55 p.m.
Art and Magic
...and where is "Seraphine" playing? I can't find it anywhere... Thanks....— July 28, 2009 7:31 p.m.
Oh, Tempura, Oh, Morels!
I was surprised to read that the price of the FOOD in this feast cost a mere $45 per person. Having avoided L'Auberge because I had concluded, after years of hearing snide comments about the food, the service, and the high prices (and partly because I never forgave whomever it was who tore down the old Del Mar Inn to build L'Auberge), I resisted the positive review and the idea that the food was--comparatively speaking--affordable. (Compared to WHAT? To other local 4 star restaurants.) My resistance was such that I doubted Ms. Wise's memory of the tab, or maybe her math skills. So I checked the on-line menu and tallied up the damage and damn! it came out (including dessert) to a tad less than $45 per person. Musta been that $16 burger. Or maybe using wild veggies (ramps, seaweed, and nettles, etc.) cuts costs in Chef McCabe's kitchen? Thanks, Ms. Wise, for the definition of farro (it's not in the dictionary--yet) and for the "pick hits" list (maybe I can get someone to take me to L'Auberge for my birthday--right before Del Mar is invaded by the race season crowd.)— July 9, 2009 12:17 p.m.
Gimme More Turkey
Has anyone tried The Kebab Shop near Petco? They describe themselves as having the world's best "doner" kebabs and schwarma. See website at http://www.thekebabshop.com/index.html— July 7, 2009 11:10 a.m.