Brians' American Eatery

So today was cold and with a wind chill factor of "are you freakin kidding me?" you might not think I'd want to go to Brians' American Eatery for brunch.  There's always a line and it gets pretty crowded with people trying to wait inside, but, it's worth it!  They have parking, but you may have to park somewhere else and walk when it's really busy.

First of all, no, I'm not spelling it wrong.  It's Brians', not Brian's, because it's 2 guys named Brian.  Brians' is in Hillcrest, on Washington between Lincoln and Cleveland.  This location used to be an old coffee shop that never changed.  When it became Brians', everything changed.  It's still got a vintage coffee shop feel but now it's on purpose.  There's also a heated patio on the side for when it's not raining or windier than heck.

Brians' is all about good food and lots of it.  I'm not kidding.  If you consider yourself a big eater you might be surprised and you'll definitely be satisfied.  You're never going to go there and get "a little bite" of something.  I've never finished my whole meal.  They offer breakfast, daily specials and a big variety of entrees and sandwiches and everything is good.  When you order a cup of coffee, they leave a full pot on the table.  Same thing with hot tea and they bring a honey bear with it.

Not only is the food really good and really big, the staff is great.  If you leave Brians' unhappy, it's probably your own fault.  Everyone is friendly and attentive and eager to make sure you get everything exactly the way you want it.  

For breakfast I like their Country Benedict; a biscuit topped with sausage, scrambled eggs, country gravy and green onions.  I love that I can get grits instead of potatoes.  I also like that they put fresh fruit on many of their plates.  Other favorites include Fried Chicken and Waffle, Hey Ricky!, Nachos El Brian or any of the burgers.

Brians' is absolutely my first choice for Sunday brunch.

Make sure to get one of their frequent diner cards!

Review: Florencia's Ristorante - North Park

This afternoon we found ourselves walking around North Park, hungry and with no idea of where to go.  We eventually got to University Avenue near 30th Street where there are at least half a dozen restaurants and as many food choices on a single block.  With all those choices we settled on the Italian restaurant, Florencia's Ristorante. 

Florencia's has a typical Italian look.  The dining room is large and on the dark side, but there is also a small patio with about 6 or so tables.  It was a beautiful day so we chose to sit outside.  We also chose to sit outside because the inside of the restaurant was pretty warm.  You could feel the heat from the kitchen making it's way through the dining room towards the open doors.  The walls surrounding the patio were painted to look like a Venice canal.  It was cute even if one of the gondolas looked like it had a kidnapped boy in it screaming to be saved. My roommate was also amused by the fake fire logs which were lit and sitting in an alcove inside the dining room, without a fireplace.  The restaurant is on the South side of the street, so it was cool and shady.

The first thing I noticed once we sat down was that although it was 1:00 in the afternoon on a Saturday, there was only one other person there.  The table where we had initially sat down was next to the wall but it was wobbly, so we moved to another one next to the patio fence.  We had our menus in front of us but there was a sandwich board on the sidewalk with specials listed on it.  When the waitress, who was really beautiful by the way, came to take our order we had expressed interest in knowing what specials were available.  Instead of telling us anything about what specials were available, she simply said "we have a lot of specials", so I got up and walked out of the patio to read the specials.  Not an impressive beginning.

My roommate ordered "Fettucine Spicy Antonio", basically a spicy version of Alfredo sauce with tomatoes.   Looking at their online menu, this dish is listed as being served with Penne instead of Fettucine, and I don't know if it was listed the same way on their printed menu or if he requested the Fettucine instead. The meal came with a choice of Minestrone or a dinner salad.  He chose the salad with Bleu cheese dressing and ordered a Coke drink. I didn't find this dish terribly appealing.  The sauce appeared to be broken and the overall appearance of the dish wasn't appetizing.  I will give them a lot of credit for the sauce being spicy though.  Although my roommate didn't agree, I found the Coke to taste a bit watered down.

I ordered an Antipasto salad with the house dressing.  The salad was a good size for lunch, but the plate it was served on was much too small.  The first few times I stuck my fork into it, pieces of lettuce or the pepperoncinis would fall off.  They did not skimp on the meats and cheeses.  However, the dressing needed some help.  When she brought it, it just looked like a ramekin full of olive oil and that's pretty much how it tasted.  The flavor of the herbs and spices were good and very traditional for Italian salad dressing, but they didn't mix in at all.  It was in desperate need of vinegar and should have been served in a salad dressing shaker.

The garlic bread was made with a nice Italian bread, very crusty on the outside but soft inside.  It had a lot of garlic flavor, but it was very dry.  I dipped the bread in a little of the salad dressing at the bottom of my plate.  The oiliness of the dressing mixed with the dry bread made a very nice bite.

If someone were asking if I knew of a good Italian restaurant in the area, I would not recommend this place. However, if you find yourself in the area on a beautiful San Diego afternoon and just want to chill out al fresco,  this is one of the places you could go.

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.

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.