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Another Side of BBQ
Maybe it's been done already, and I missed it, but it would be fun to have something like a "Convoy walk." Or a convoy of diners on Convoy? A movable feast? Which restaurants are worth trying? There are so many...Even though I live nearby, I have yet to sample even half of them. (Of course I have my favorites, but I wonder what I am missing out on!) Regarding the Bargain Bites du Jour, thank you for the tips. I'm sure all of us who love to dine out but find that our Alexander Hamiltons have turned into Abraham Lincolns are scrounging around, trying to find just the sorts of bargains you have discovered. Oh--returning to the June 10th review--I hope the smoke from the BBQ wars has settled! (And just how many bottles of ketchup and molasses BBQ sauce will be bought for those Fourth of July Q's?)— June 24, 2009 9:22 p.m.
Eat Your Broccoli
Honey's used to be Brian's which used to be...I dunno. Had the word "egg" in it--maybe "The Good Egg." I started breaking my fast there about twenty-five years ago. Then, I stopped eating breakfast out because although I LOVE breakfast, I wasn't loving the weight gain. A few months ago (March 2009), though, I had a yearning for one those skillet breakfasts. So I drove on over to Honey's thinking the menu would be what it had always been--and it was. I was in luck. I ordered the skillet Bedford described above--potatoes tossed with bacon, onions, cheese and topped with two eggs. However, not only did I wind up spending nearly fifteen bucks on the skillet and "cawfee," I didn't enjoy my experience at Honey's at all. First, off, the service was lackadaisical. I felt invisible (and the joint was NOT jumping). Second, the place had become shabby. The furnishings, the carpet, the rest room--everything cried out "refurbish me!" Finally, although there were plenty of potatoes in my skillet, and two eggs did sit atop them, the mix-ins were not very evident, so the dish was rather blah. The English muffin was of the cheapest variety (no nooks to catch the melted butter--or was it margarine?). There was no side of fresh fruit. The funny thing was that I had been missing this place, recalling the good ol'days. And although my skillet could have just been one bad egg while there were eleven good ones out there somewhere, the unappealing muffin, the lack of fruit, and the stinky restroom--they weren't flukes. Want a great breakfast? Hit Hob Nob Hill on Banker's Hill! Great menu, ultra-friendly service, and deeeeeelish!— June 17, 2009 5:04 p.m.
Smoking or Non?
Good restaurant reviewers are a rare breed, and I not only enjoy reading Ms. Wise's reviews, but I have learned quite a bit from them--and I was a cook and foodie long before Wise arrived at The Reader. Reviews of restaurants do not make or break a restaurant just as film reviews (for example, "Dunc's" reviews) do not make or break a film. Well-conceived, thoughtful reviews stimulate us, teach us how to become our own best reviewers, and sometimes prompt us to try a restaurant (or film or music venue...). The negativity of many of the comments posted above makes me uneasy. I mean we are talking BBQ. Not nukes in North Korea or the California budget deficit or carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Let's face it: we experience the same foods and movies and music differently. My taste buds are not your taste buds. And as far as I am concerned, Ms. Wise lives up to her surname. Week after week she provides us with detailed, amusing, intelligent--and yes, wise--reviews. Of course, we the readers are entitled to disagree with a review and to express our disagreement (best done thoughtfully, using concrete detail from experience, avoiding faulty logic and sweeping generalizations) without resorting to name-calling and insults to Ms. Wise's palate (yes, that is spelled PALATE). I am not an aficionado of BBQ, mainly because I grew up here, where BBQ usually means backyard grill and bottled sauce. However, I have dined on some truly succulent BBQ with great sides a few times in my life--once in St. Louis, for example. Locally, I used to like Kansas City BBQ. In any case, if I were in a BBQ mood, and Ms. Wise were to recommend a place (whether it had Oaxacan or Bavarian music--who cares?) I might do well to give it a try. But if I did, and I disagreed with her assessment, I would not find it necessary to hurl insults at her background, her knowledge, or her PALATE. Naomi, you keep on keepin' on!— June 13, 2009 9:57 p.m.
Crabby Mood
Regarding Crab Catcher: Ms. Wise gets an A for this one (along with her cholesterol score!) I took two friends to the CC in September--both from high school: one, my pal; two, our teacher. We were in a reunion year. My friend was giddy about going to the CC because as a child she had LIVED in the place--that very room--when the Green Dragon Colony consisted of homes, not restaurants and shops. (Nancy now lives near Chicago.) I was happy to go for the view. The La Jolla Cove and the view up to Scripp's Oceanography pier is among my favorites, and when I am touring outtatowners around, we usually zip by the shell shop where the cave is and then down to the cove for a walk at Scripp's Park. I had SOME hope for the food, but was wary. And for good reason. Two of us shared some blah oysters. Then two of us each ordered the Crab Catcher sandwich: "Bering Sea King Crab, applewood smoked bacon, lettuce and tomato on toasted brioche with a roasted garlic herb aioli - $18." Sounded like a winner--though pricey. I asked if they would toss on a slice or two of avocado, and the pleasant waiter said "no prob." Our teacher ordered the burger--she had a burger craving and, now in her eighties, eats very sensibly most of the time (no burgers.) The sandwiches were embarrassingly bad. The brioche was stale, there was not much crab, the bacon could have been the stuff on sale at Food 4 Less, and the avo didn't show up. Aioli? OK, if you say so. The burger, on the other hand, was cooked to order and delish. Still, the burger did not redeem the rest of the meal. Go there for a cocktail and the view. If you want crab, pack a picnic and head below to the park. Or go to Oregon.— February 15, 2009 5:26 p.m.
Sushi Secret
If you're not on the bus, there's a parking lot just west of the Sushi Diner on Mesa College Dr.— February 7, 2009 9:21 p.m.
Jim and the Volcano
Once a year or so we go to Bully's to satisfy our rare beef craving. One thing that has always been the case (since the '70's) is that if the meat is over or under done, the waitstaff will bring you another portion to suit your liking. Further, if you want more "stuff" for a baked potato, you can get it. This is an "ask and ye shall receive" type of joint. By the way, some people swear by the Bully Burger, saying it's the best in town.— January 29, 2009 1:06 p.m.
History and a Side Salad
This place sounds great! But is the food really classifiable as "American"?— June 26, 2008 2:23 p.m.
Wannabe Sexy Exy
I am glad to read a review of this "Greek" restaurant as I really enjoy Greek (and Middle Eastern) food. I found the review enlightening, but there was at least one error of fact: retsina does not have a licorice flavor; it is ouzo, a Greek spirit, that tastes of licorice. Granted, retsina might be an acquired taste (one which I have acquired)--it has the flavor of the pine barrels in which it has fermented. Furthermore, it is hard to find, but it is the perfect accompaniment to Greek appetizers, and I am happy to drink it throughout a Greek meal.— May 5, 2008 7:49 p.m.
None
Don't expect a free basket of chips and some good salsa--no freebies here. I used to love lunch at the Brigantine at this Old Town location, but have not yet been thrilled with Zocalo. I've tried it several times, though, and the expensive (now $9.50) "ultimate" shaken margaritas are tasty--sure was a lot of ice in that shaker, though. It was lunch on January 31, back parking lot full. Sat inside (kinda chilly out under the very pretty bougainvillea). My friend had the special of the day: a seafood tostada. Atop a fried corn tortilla covered with black beans were cubes of grilled fish, one or two shrimp, a scallop, salsa, avocado slices, cilantro. $14. His dish was the winner of the two but not something he would try again. I had Ecuadorian grilled shrimp. At my request, they substituted saffron rice and black beans (available with other dishes) for the risotto accompaniment. I was presented with a very large white plate; in the center was a scoop of yellow rice upon which were perched four medium shrimp. On the side was a small portion of mashed black beans. The shrimp were dry, the rice had no real saffron (well, who actually expects it?) and was lukewarm, and the frijoles negros not worth describing. $16. I requested some salsa to moisten the shrimp, but not only did the salsa moisten them--it overpowered the four sad shrimp. Tab after tip (two ultimate marg's, one seafood tostada, four sad shrimp) was $60. That's lunch, folks. If you are in Old Town, go elsewhere. There are many fine restaurants within a block of Zocalo.— February 2, 2008 5:14 p.m.