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.