Recipe - Roasted Asparagus

I went shopping this weekend and got some nice asparagus. I’m going to roast them to use as part of my salads for lunch for the coming week. I’m using a technique that I’ve used for other things like oven-baked fries and pita chips. It’s super easy and super healthy.

Ingredients:

1 bunch fresh asparagus

Cooking spray (lemon, olive oil or butter flavored works well)

No-salt seasoning (I like Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb, the one with the turquoise cap)

Preparation:

Trim asparagus and place in a glass baking dish. Spray with cooking spray until the top layer is thoroughly coated. Sprinkle liberally with No-salt seasoning of your choice. Toss the asparagus until evenly coated with the cooking spray and seasoning. Roast in the oven at 350° for 15 - 20 minutes. Toss one more time before serving and adjust seasoning as necessary.

It's just that easy!

How do I like mine?

Very garlicky with a squeeze of fresh lemon to top it off

Review - Saigon

Good and authentic...Saigon Vietnamese Restaurant

I can see Saigon from my house. Saigon is an authentic Vietnamese restaurant with a huge menu. I love this place, and luckily it’s only ½ a mile from my house so I walk there. The restaurant has no ambience and the building is odd. The dining room is just a large, high-ceilinged square filled to the brim with tables. There are murals of forest around the top of the walls which makes one wonder what used to be there previously. High up near the ceiling, in the middle of the murals there are big screen televisions on the front and back walls. In addition there are large dark windows on one side which makes it look like there might have been a dance club there at one time. There is a big fish tank for decoration and a few tanks of crabs and such for eating. Even though it looks so odd inside, they are one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants. If you’re looking for pho this may not be your first choice, but if you want something a little more interesting you’ll love this place. If I want pho there are a few other places I can go which make it with more flavor, but I’m not the biggest pho fan. I prefer the highly seasoned grill meat and vermicelli dishes. They also have very good versions of dishes you’d think of more as Chinese which is great if you‘re taking someone who isn‘t very adventurous. The menu is huge and may take a while to navigate through, but except for their pho I’ve never had anything there that wasn’t great. You'll also find a large selection of unusual drinks such as avocado shake, pennyworth, or soda with salted plum. When we first started going there we were usually the only people there who weren't Vietnamese. Now it's about 50/50. It's growing in popularity without losing any of it's authentic flavor.

What do I get?

There are a few dishes I love here. On their appetizer menu they offer a rare beef or rare shrimp salad. It’s probably nothing like you’re imagining. Thin slices of rare beef or shrimp top a mound of crispy thinly sliced vegetables such as celery, cucumber, carrots and daikon and chopped peanuts are added. It’s served with a sweet vinegar dressing and lime. Definitely too big for an appetizer unless you’re sharing it with a large party.

I also love their char-grilled pork with vermicelli. Tender highly seasoned chunks of pork in a bowl of vermicelli and thin cut crispy vegetables, pickled daikon and carrot and sprinkled with chopped peanuts. It’s served with a vinegary sweet chili dressing. It may be meant for dipping, but I like to pour the whole cup over my food so the noodles and veggies soak up that great flavor.

My other favorite dish is curry goat with vermicelli or French bread. This is a curry soup with chunks of tender goat meat and potatoes and just the right amount of sweetness. You can order it with noodles or French bread but I’ve never tried it with the French bread. The soup is slightly thin to begin with, but thickens up as the potatoes break down. I put a few slices of jalapeno in it when it first comes to the table and take them out when the broth has reached the right heat level.

I always take home half of any of these dishes. There's just too much food for one meal.

Sometimes I’ll also order condensed milk with lime. This is no longer on their menu but a couple of the waiters there know me from when I first started going and I can usually get one of them to have it made for me. It’s just condensed milk over ice with lime juice. Very refreshing but not too sweet.

My roommate is not as adventurous as I am so he gets one of the more Chinese style dishes like Mongolian beef or curry chicken with steamed rice and Thai iced tea. Even though these aren’t what I usually order they are very very good.

What's cool?

For me, it’s great that it’s within walking distance. It’s also nice to have waiters who know you and what you like. Other than that there’s nothing interesting here except for the food.

What sucks?

Like most other Vietnamese restaurants I’ve been to the chopsticks are plastic. It’s very hard to use smooth plastic chopsticks with slippery noodles. Also, they have the worst fortune cookies. They’re artificially colored and flavored and aren't crispy.

Rating...Great food, period.

Review - Phil's B.B.Q.

OMG it’s good…Phil's B.B.Q.

Phil’s B.B.Q. has only been around for 11 years but it is already a San Diego institution. Phil’s originally had a small location in Mission Hills and there was always a line to get in. In 2007 they moved to a much larger location in Point Loma and there’s still always a line to get in. Once you’re a block away from the restaurant you’ll start smelling the wonderful smoke coming from the building so you‘ll have no problem waiting knowing that you‘re about to get some really good food. When approaching the restaurant from the parking lot you’ll find a sign on the corner of the building telling you there is a 21 minute wait from that point, just like Disneyland. You can watch the line before you get there on their website‘s BBQueue cam. We went shortly after they opened at 11:00 and the line wasn’t out the door yet but it was to the door but the line goes pretty fast. There is a copy of the menu board outside the restaurant to help you make your choice before you get to the order counter which helps the line move a little faster.

Once we reached the head of the line we were greeted by a friendly woman with a larger-than-life personality who explained how things work. First you go up to the counter to place your order. You’ll be given a pager which will go off when your order is ready. If you order a soft drink, you’ll be given a glass which you take to the beverage station and choose from a large variety of drinks including several iced tea choices, lemonade and of course a number of different sodas. All soft drinks come with unlimited refills. For those who want beer, wine or sangria you can order some in the bar. You can choose any table except the large tables in the middle which are reserved for parties of 5 or more. Patio seating is also available. Then you’ll wait for your pager to go off, but it didn’t take very long. By the time we got our drinks and settled in it was only a minute or two before our order was ready. Even though it’s mostly serve yourself, there was also a waiter who brought utensils and a plate for bones. The one in our section was very friendly and funny. The service here is just as good as the food.

The menu is extensive, offering several sizes of dinner plates featuring baby back or beef ribs and chicken plus sides. You can also order meat only without the sides. A variety of sandwiches and a couple of salads are also available as well as sides by themselves. Their servings are large but they also offer Ticklers which include a smaller serving of meat, cole slaw, french fries and 2 onion rings (no substitutions).

What did I get?

I ordered the Baby Back Rib Tickler. The ribs are great and topped with a vinegary barbecue sauce. The fries are thin-cut but fresh and the onion rings are very crunchy and aren‘t overly breaded. The cole slaw was good basic slaw. Even though the Tickler is a smaller meal I was still stuffed when we left and I didn’t eat most of my fries. My roommate ordered the BBQ Broham. As much as I enjoyed my meal, next time I’ll probably order the Broham. The Broham is served as a sandwich, but you’re not going to be able to pick it up to eat. A huge pile of pulled pork is set on a bed of cole slaw and covered with BBQ sauce. There was a large bun included, but it can easily be left aside since there is so much meat and slaw. The pork was very tender and had a wonderful smoky flavor.

What's cool?

Even though this is a BBQ restaurant and their fries are thin-cut, they have malt vinegar on the table.

There are separate lines for to-go and eat-in orders and you can call your order in ahead for take-out.

The coolest thing though is the wash up station. You’re going to get messy eating their food and will need to wash up before you leave. Instead of having to squeeze into a small bathroom and wait for an open sink, they have a large, double faucet sink with soap and paper towels outside the bathrooms for those who just want to wash their hands.

Rating...The best BBQ I‘ve had in San Diego, and a good time as well.

Recipe - Lemonheads Cake

I’m going to a potluck on Sunday. I’ve decided to bring this cake so I thought I’d share the “recipe” with you. The reason I say “recipe” in parenthesis is it’s really more of a way to jazz up a lemon cake which you can make from scratch or from a box. I don’t bake so my roommate does that for me but we just buy cake mix and frosting in the can.

Ingredients:

1 lemon cake made from scratch or from a box.

1 can of vanilla frosting or a batch of your favorite vanilla frosting recipe.

1 bag of Lemonheads (use according to taste)

Preparation:

Bake lemon cake according to your recipe or box directions. Make frosting according to your recipe if you’re making it from scratch. While cake is baking, grind Lemonheads until they are mostly powder. I use a spice grinder to save a lot of time and hassle. Crack some more of the Lemonheads into small chunks. Mix some of the ground Lemonheads into frosting, tasting after adding. Continue to add Lemonheads and taste until the frosting tastes as tart and lemony as you like. Cool cake. Frost with Lemonhead spiked frosting. Sprinkle cracked Lemonheads over cake.

That's all there is to it.

How do I like mine?

Super tart and lemony. By the time I’ve added enough Lemonheads to reach my flavor level the frosting will definitely be yellow.

One caveat: When I made this the first time my downstairs neighbor came to the door to complain about the pounding.

Review - Crab Hut

Kind of disappointing…Crab Hut

I was really looking forward to going to Crab Hut. A friend of mine who usually has similar tastes to mine recommended it enthusiastically. Even though the name of the restaurant is Crab Hut, they describe themselves as a Louisiana crawfish kitchen. Seems weird to me but that’s not important. What’s important is when I read that description I was immediately craving Cajun crawfish with all the fixings. Unfortunately that's not really what I got.

So, having said that, the place is cute and the wait staff is friendly. It’s decorated to feel like a casual seaside eatery. There are nautical signs and decorations and the cash register area was covered by the façade of a grass roof. The acoustics of the dining room make it quite loud which is fine considering the fun and casual feel. Surprisingly there wasn't a wait for a table when we showed up even though it's not a very large restaurant. Tables are covered with paper and there’s a roll of paper towels and a little table sign which shows the prices for the day. One of the waiters comes around with a bowl of lime wedges and plunks some down on the table. Another came around with a pail full of little plastic containers with salt and pepper in them and he gave us plastic seafood bibs with a picture of a lobster (odd since lobster's not on the menu) holding a slice of lemon in one of the claws and it reads “Let’s get cracking”. Very cute. Your entrée is brought to the table in a plastic bag which holds in the flavor of the sauce and shells are left on the table. Another thing I thought was cute is the t-shirt our waiter was wearing. It had a picture of a crab with a halo and said “Holy crab”.

What did I get?

We started with the Cajun fries which are basically crinkle cut fries sprinkled with hot chili powder. Not bad but not as spicy as I was expecting and they needed salt. Next we tried a bowl of clam chowder. It was fine but not anything special other than the bowl it was served in which was square and black. For our entrees I ordered the crawfish with the Cajun sauce, medium spice and my roommate ordered clams with garlic butter, mild. This is where the disappointment comes in. The menu says the crawfish comes with corn and sausages. I was expecting crawfish boil like I’ve had many times before at other restaurants with a whole cob of corn and a whole piece of sausage. Most places also include potatoes. There was a small cobbette of corn and 2 thin slices of smoked sausage, it wasn’t even andouie. Expecting to see an actual sausage, when I got my food I didn’t think there was any sausage in it so the waiter brought me some. He said he gave me 4 instead of 2 because of the mistake. Once I got close to the bottom of my pile of crawfish I realized there was sausage in it. Oops. The sauce was spicy enough but it really needed salt. Adding both containers of salt and pepper that they gave us helped a little but it would have been better if it had been incorporated in the sauce. Other than the quality of the crawfish itself I didn’t enjoy this nearly as much as the Louisiana steam pot at Joe's Crab Shack, even though I usually don’t tend to eat at chain restaurants.

My roommate’s clams were pretty good. The sauce was definitely garlicky. My biggest complaint here is it seemed there were too many empty shells considering you’re paying by the pound.

What's cool?

The atmosphere is definitely fun. I’m always up for eating seafood with my fingers and leaving the shells on the table. They also offer sweetened or unsweetend iced tea which isn't common around here. Their sweet tea must not be as sweet as you would usually get in a Southern restaurant because I ordered it half sweet & half unsweetened and there was just a very light sweetness to it. That works for me. Most places that offer sweet tea make it way too sweet for my taste.

Rating...I’d give it a pass and go somewhere else.

Review - Burger Lounge

Trendy burgers...Burger Lounge

The Burger Lounge on Adams Avenue is a little on the expensive side but their food is really good. The menu is very basic; beef, turkey or vegetarian burgers served on a fresh bun, a couple of salads and chicken tenders “on a stick” and fresh fries and onion rings. They also make thick shakes and malts and root beer floats that are definitely bigger than I can finish. The shakes and malts come in a large dessert glass with the tumbler on the side which holds about as much as is in the glass. The root bear float also comes in a large dessert glass filled with vanilla ice cream and a bottle of high quality root beer on the side that you add yourself. If you’re not into ice cream you can order an enormous cupcake instead, either red velvet, “Hostess Style” chocolate and black and white. The décor is very modern and seating is crowded, but they also offer a few outside tables for dining on sunny days or warm evenings. Orders are taken and paid for at a counter then your food is brought to your table. They certainly aren’t cheap, but everything is good.

What do I get?

I’ve had both the beef and the turkey burgers and they’re both good. I also have had their onion rings which are fresh and home made.

What's cool?

They’re a certified green restaurant. All their food is fresh and high quality.

Rating...Always tasty and filling and a great place to spend time with friends.

Review - Awash Ethiopian restaurant

A tasty adventure...Awash Ethiopian restaurant

Awash Ethiopian restaurant is sparsely decorated but clean and comfortable. Their menu offers a pretty long list of authentic Ethiopian food. If you’re new to Ethiopian food but are adventurous, you’re in for a treat. What makes Ethiopian food unique is the spices they use and the way the food is served. All the entrees are served on enjera, a thin bread with a spongy texture and a tangy taste. You’ll also get plenty more enjera on the side. The enjera is the utensil they use to eat. After tearing a piece off you use it to pick up your food. Some might be afraid this would be messy, but the enjera prevents the sauce of the food from getting all over your fingers.

They offer entrees made with beef, chicken, lamb, a large variety of vegetarian options and fish (only served Wednesdays and Fridays). To start try a sambusa, seasoned beef or lentils wrapped in a flaky pastry and fried, served with a really spicy hot sauce on the side. The portions are large enough that they can be shared by two. With the most expensive dish being $16, it’s quite a good deal. Most dishes run around $9 or $10. They offer beer and wine from Ethiopia as well as American beer and wine and a few popular import beer brands. There’s a happy hour on certain weekdays with $2 beers including imports.

What do I get?
I love lamb and they offer a few different lamb entrees so I usually choose one of those. I also love their sambusas and their home made baklava is great. It’s served warm and isn’t as sweet or as rich as Greek Baklava. I like it much better. Someday I’m going to try Tej, an Ethiopian honey wine, but haven’t yet.

What's cool?
If you’re a true coffee lover you’ve got to try their Ethiopian coffee. They roast the beans when you order it and bring them out in the pan for you to smell before grinding and brewing. It’s served in an African pottery pitcher with demitasse sized cups. As you might imagine it’s very strong.

What sucks?
Their American wine choices. At the same price as their Ethiopian wines ($4 per glass and $14 per bottle) they only offer Charles Shaw wines, commonly referred to as 2 buck Chuck. Some of the Charles Shaw wines are pretty good, but it’s difficult to see paying $14 for a $2 bottle of wine.


Rating...You must go if you’re ok with eating with your fingers.

Review - Bangkok Spices

Inexpensive Thai food...Bangkok Spices

Bangkok Spices is the go-to place for inexpensive Thai food to go. The food is good, there’s a great selection on their menu and you can order almost any dish with whatever protein you like. They offer a few different vegetarian protein options including mock chicken and mock duck. You can also order beef, pork, chicken, seafood and duck. Like many Thai restaurants, you can order your food with whatever level of spice you want on a scale of 0-10. I’ve never been disappointed with any of their entrees, noodle dishes and curries. I haven’t found most of their appetizers to be very good though. I prefer to order to go. This place doesn’t offer much in the way of ambience, just good food. The building they’re in was originally a Pizza Hut and you can still tell it was. Brick walls and floors and wood paneling don’t read as Thai. The music they have chosen to play is easy listening and singers and standards. I find the look of the place and the music they play to be incongruous with the food they serve. They serve wine and beer and of course Thai iced tea. You can never go wrong with Thai iced tea.

What do I get?

My usual order is sweet basil with duck. The first time I took a friend of mine there I ordered my usual and after tasting it he ordered the same to go several times the following week. I’ve tried a couple of their curries and they were both very tasty. I also like their Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup.

What’s cool? They have duck! Their Thai iced tea is good, not too sweet but not watered down.

What sucks?

As mentioned earlier their appetizers have almost always been disappointing. In addition, they don’t have a web site so I suggest getting a copy of their menu to have at home. You’re going to want to order by phone for pick up. If you order there, you might have a bit of a wait.

Rating…Order to go and eat in your sweats or pajamas with a friend

Review - SDMA Sculpture Court Cafe by Giuseppe

Lunch and Art at reasonable prices...SDMA Sculpture Court Cafe by Giuseppe

The SDMA Sculpture Court Café by Giuseppe was a very welcome surprise. While spending a pleasant day walking all around Balboa Park, we asked about places to eat inside the park. We had already checked out the Japanese Friendship Garden’s tea room, but found nothing we really wanted. I’ve been to The Prado before, but didn’t want to spend that much money. The Sculpture Court Café turned out to be the perfect place for a sunny day in San Diego.

With tables going from the walkway in front of the museum, through the covered courtyard and into the sculpture garden every table provides a nice breeze and something to look at. The entrance to the café is beautiful. Huge open-work metal gates in a pattern of half swirls separate the crosswalk from the courtyard. The courtyard is covered by a huge sail shade keeping the diners comfortable. Butcher paper is laid over the tables and a small bucket of crayons is provided for those who like to doodle. I drew a picture of a goldfish which I think came out pretty good. They also offer a Grab n’ Go counter where you can purchase pre-made salads and sandwiches that you can take into the garden to eat.

The menu is a nice selection of Italian inspired sandwiches and salads and artisan pizzas. For those who aren't walking around the park all day, they offer a few pasta dishes, a steak dish, salmon and a large burger. They have a few specialty cocktails and wines listed on their menu, but I don't think they have a full bar. They also have a good selection of desserts, although I didn't get a chance to look at any of them. I don't think anyone there was ordering dessert today. And of course, there's coffee drinks for those who do venture into dessert territory.

What did I get?

I wanted to start with Calamari fritti but was told they were taking it off the menu so it was no longer available. Just as well. What I did get turned out to be quite enough. I ordered a drink they call a Balboa Paloma. It’s grapefruit soda, tequila and lime juice. It was a good choice for a warm day, light and refreshing. Both my roommate and I both ordered their “Ultimate Grilled Cheese” sandwich. It was delicious and not too heavy. Grilled sourdough bread with prosciutto, mozarella, fresh tomatoes and pesto. On the side we chose their green salad. A mixture of organic greens and a balsamic viniagerette which wasn’t too sweet. It was just the right lunch for a warm day that involves a lot of walking/biking.

What's cool?

It’s all cool. The food and the setting are both great and it's always fun to have crayons at your table.

What sucks?

Well, not so much as sucks as it is an inconvenience. They’re only open for lunch 11:00 - 3:00 and there was a bit of a wait for a table with nowhere to sit while waiting.

Rating...Mmmmm mmmm good, casual yet sophisticated and not too expensive.

Day in the park

Today was another beautiful day in San Diego. In my attempt to walk as much as possible, my roommate and I have been going places on Sundays where we can walk around and see stuff without spending alot of money. Today we went to Balboa Park Balboa Park. We spent about four hours and very little money.

When we arrived we parked about halfway up Balboa Drive and crossed the Cabrillo Bridge. From there we went to the Organ Pavillion and down to the International cottages. Each week a different nation's cottage has an open house, sells food and performs traditional dances or music. Today was Lithuania. They were selling sausages, kugells and sauerkraut. Not what we were hungry for.

So we walked back up past the Organ Pavillion to the Japanese Friendship Garden where they have a tea room. Still didn't find anything we wanted. We decided to go ask if there were other places to eat besides The Prado, which is good but not what we were looking to spend. Finally wound up at the SDMA Sculpture Court Cafe which we really enjoyed.

After lunch we rented a surrey and rode around for an hour, got shaved ice and watched a juggling show before returning it. That was so much fun. The surrey is easier to pedal than a bicycle at times, but it's still alot of work going uphill. We had a nice enjoyable ride while we were getting exercise and it was only $20. I definitely want to do that again.

There's so much to see at Balboa Park. I think we'll probably be going alot this Summer.

Review - Rei Do Gado (Downtown)

OMG, so much food, but it‘s soooo good...Rei do Gado

Rei Do Gado is a Brazilian Barbecue restaurant. For those who’ve never been to Brazilian Barbecue, it’s an all you can eat meat fest. They grill various types of meats on large skewers. The waiters bring the skewers around and slice off pieces of meat onto your plate. Your given a little wooden object painted red on one side and green on the other. As long as you’ve got the green side up the waiters will keep coming around with meats. Once you turn the red side up they stop. They’re very quick to bring you meat as soon as they see the green. You never have to worry about waiting for more. You’re more likely to find too much meat on your plate at one time and they'll still be coming around. It’s not just meat either. Before you start getting meat there’s a pretty big buffet of salads and sides. The buffet is great all on it’s own, featuring a selection of cheeses, fruits, salads and vegetables, including both white and green asparagus, hearts of palm, marinated mushrooms and olives, stuffed sun dried tomatoes, and the list goes on. If you’re not a big eater you need to be careful that you don’t fill up before the meat starts coming.

They also have a full bar, a variety of wines and a caipirinha station where a woman stands and makes nothing but caipirinhas, and she’s making them constantly so once you order one you get it within seconds. A caipirinha is the national drink of Brazil. It’s made with a Brazilian liquor called cachaca, distilled from sugar, but it’s sweeter than rum. The cachaca is muddled or shaken with sugar and lime and served over ice. You might want to get one just because you’re in a Brazilian restaurant, but for my taste it’s too sweet. If you still haven’t had enough after you’re done with all the meats, they offer a few really nice looking desserts, but I’ve never had room for them.

What do I get?

A little bit of everything. Ok, that’s an exaggeration. If you got just a little bit of everything your stomach would explode.

What's cool?

In back of the dining area there’s a glass wall that you can see the meat roasting through. Also, many of the wait staff are from Brazil. They’re all good looking.

Rating...The perfect place to take your favorite carnivore for his birthday. It‘s not cheap but you‘re definitely going to get your money‘s worth.

Review - Lido's Italian Foods

Good, inexpensive comfort food...Lido's Italian Foods

When I walk into Lido’s it’s like I’m walking into childhood memories. It’s like a mixture of places I remember going to dinner and homes of relatives I haven’t seen in years. The décor doesn’t seem to have changed since the 70s. There’s nothing about this place that doesn’t scream family, with the exception of the bar which is small and closed off from the main restaurant. The main dining room is full of booths and most of the people sitting in them are with family. You’ll almost always see at least one group of people dining there who are chatting with the owner’s daughter. So many of the diners here are regulars. There’s another dining room behind accordion room dividers that has tables and chairs and often is filled with large groups. The food is simple and good. In addition to traditional Italian American dishes like pasta and pizza, they offer barbecue and steaks as well as a couple of seafood items.

What do I get?

I always get the Chicken a la Florentine. You can order half a chicken or a whole chicken for just $5 more. The chicken is great. It’s full of spices and lemon juice and is always cooked just right. They even give out the recipe for this dish both posted on a wall in the restaurant and on their website. The dinner comes with soup and salad. The soup is always minestrone and their salad always comes with the house dressing. You also get garlic bread and a side of pasta or fries. I get the pasta with olive oil and garlic. Definitely not date food. I usually only eat one piece of chicken and a bite of pasta before boxing it up to take home for 3 or 4 meals.

What's cool?

Nothing. This place is about as cool as your mother’s housecoat, but that’s what this place is all about, comfort food and family.

Rating...Good anytime. Be sure to bring Grandma when she visits from out of town.

Review -The Tin Fish (Imperial Beach location)

Good food at the beach...The Tin Fish

The Tin Fish is just what I thought had been missing in San Diego; Good sea food without fuss or high prices. They have several locations in San Diego as well as a few locations outside of California. The Imperial Beach location is completely casual. Just the right vibe for a sunny weekend day. The restaurant is at the end of the Imperial Beach pier. There are a few tables outside, stools at a counter on both sides of the front wall and a few more tables inside. Orders are taken at the register and numbers are called to advise diners to pick up their food. The menu offers alternatives for those who don't like fish but the fish is what it's really about. Their menu calls their fish & chips famous but they not only serve the traditional cod, but also swordfish, salmon or halibut & chips. You can also order various seafoods with chips, several types of fish tacos and burritos, fish sandwiches, fish/seafood soups and grilled fish selections.

What did I get?

Clam chowder and fish & chips. The clam chowder was good. The fish is battered then dipped in what I'm assuming is corn meal before frying giving it a unique texture. The chips, while not traditional are really good. Instead of a thick cut french fry they server crisscut fries that are really crunchy. They even held their crunch after being drenched in malt vinegar. On the side came cole slaw. Their version is different from other cole slaws I've had. There is nothing creamy in the dressing, just vinegar and seasoning. Unusual but good. Their serving sizes are hearty. Their were two of us and we shared a bowl of clam chowder and an order of fish & chips and both of us were satisfied. Actually, I was pretty full.

What's cool?

You can order 1/2 orders of some of their items. I really thought that was great because the fish & chips came with five pieces of fish. I never could've eaten that much. I also loved being able to sit outside and watch the surf while we ate. Luckily we had lunch rather late in the day so we didn't have a problem getting an outside table. All their seating is at a premium during the usual busy periods.

What sucks?

Unfortunately their iced tea was terrible. Since I'd never been their before I don't know if that is usually the case or not. It was over brewed, way too bitter. Even after adding some water to try to tone it down and some lemon, which I don't always use when I drink iced tea, it was still pretty bad. I wound up throwing more than half of it away after we finished eating.

Rating...Definitely the place to go if you just want some good, unpretentious fish and seafood in San Diego.

Recipe - Greek Broiled Lamb Chops

When it comes to red meat lamb is my absolute favorite. I love it. The dish I most often make for special occasions is Greek Roasted Leg of Lamb. But that’s expensive and not really practical when you’re only cooking for two. I came up with this recipe when I found some nice lamb chops at the store. It’s quick and easy, so you can whip it up on a weekday.

Ingredients:

2 lamb chops

2 teaspoons of your favorite Greek or Mediterranean spice blend*

1 medium lemon

1 teaspoon salt*

* My favorite spice blend is Mediterranean Sea Salt from San Diego Coffee, Tea and Spice Inc. http://www.sandiegocoffee.com/. Since it already contains salt I use one tablespoon of it and leave out the added salt.

Preparation:

Sprinkle chops on both sides with spice blend and salt. Squeeze one half of the lemon over the side of the chops facing up. Save the other half for the other side. Place chops under broiler. Broil for approximately five minutes. Turn chops and squeeze remaining lemon over them. Broil another five minutes or until they are done to your liking.

Quick and simple, huh?

Serves 2.

How do I like mine?

Rare

Review - Onami

Sushi bargain...Onami

Onami is an all you can eat buffet featuring sushi and Japanese food. The front entrance features a bit of kitsch, but the rest of the restaurant is subtle and modern. They also have a small patio for outside dining. The menu differs a bit from day to day but the majority of offerings stays consistent. Featuring four different food stations. Salads and crab claws, sushi and sashimi, hot foods and soups, and dessert. They also have a limited offering of pastas. All the food is included in the price of your meail. Drinks are available for a separate charge. They offer sodas, hot green tea or iced passion berry tea, beer and wine, sake and plum wine

What do I get?

I usually start with some of their salads. Sumi salad, shrimp/cucumber, kimchi and smoked salmon. Next is tempura, shumai, fried calamari, gyoza, sweet spicy crab and a deep fried roll with shitake mushrooms. I just eat the shrimp and green beans from the tempura. Next is sushi and sashimi. I usually have a little bit of all the types of sashimi then pick a few types of sushi. Normally I will also have a piece of chocolate cake, maybe some fruit and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert.

What's cool?

The dessert station offers Japanese green tea or mango ice cream. I don’t eat them, but it’s still cool. I also like the women’s restroom. It’s not particularly large or well decorated, but each stall is a little room with walls and a real wood door. However they blew it with the sinks. They’re in a tight space and tend to send water all over the place. The coolest thing though is a smoking area. There’s a somewhat hidden door that leads to a little fenced off are where smokers can smoke…reminds me of an exhibit at the zoo…The great North American smoker. Status: Endangered

Rating...If you like sushi and want a lot of it cheap, go. Just be sure to wear your eating pants.

Recipe - Farmer's Salad (Jewish deli style)

aIf you Google farmer's salad you'll find a large number of recipes that seem to have nothing in common. Apparently there is a version of farmer's salad for every region, country or culture. This version is the one my mother used to make and is very similar to the one served at the local Jewish deli. A good choice for a meatless meal. It's healthy, low fat, super easy to make and yummy. Great on a hot day.

Ingredients:

1 quart cottage cheese

1 pint sour cream

1 large cucumber

1 bunch red radishes

1 bunch green onions

salt

pepper

Preparation:

Chop cucumber (peeled or not) into small, evenly sized chunks. Chop cleaned radishes into small, evenly sized chunks. Chop green onions in small, evenly sized pieces. Mix chopped cucumber, radishes and green onions together.

That's it

Serve cottage cheese, sour cream and vegetables in separate bowls for family style dining. Allow diners to help themselves and season to their liking with salt and pepper.

Serves approximately 6 hearty eaters.

How do I like mine?

Cucumbers partially peeled. A generous portion of cottage cheese, lots of vegetables and a dollop of sour cream with a touch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. If I'm really hungry I might have a few woven wheat crackers on the side.

Review - K Sandwiches

Fast and cheap but oh so good... K Sandwiches

K Sandwiches offers next to nothing in decor or atmosphere with the exception of a few tables you can sit at outside, but the food makes it well worth going to. Fresh baguettes and croissants are not only the bases for their tasty sandwiches but you can buy them on their own as well. Vietnam is known for great French bread. The baguette sandwiches feature an interesting selection of meats with Vietnamese pickled vegetables, cilantro, jalapenos and spiced mayonnaise. They also offer a huge drink selection including a whole refrigerated wall of all your favorite bottled and canned drinks, French coffee, traditional Vietnamese drinks, Boba, smoothies and slushes. There are also ready made Vietnamese specialties to grab and go. It's almost always crowded but they turn orders out quickly.

What do I get?

#9 Grilled Pork Sandwich or # 11 Grilled Chicken Sandwich...no cilantro. I like a little spice so I get it with the jalapenos on it but take them off once I get home. They leave just enough of their oils on the sandwich to add some heat but aren't overpowering.

What's cool?

A number calling system with a TV featuring a woman calling your number out in English and Vietnamese...what a trip, sure ain't like the deli

Rating...You gotta go!