I'm back from San Diego, and I already miss it. I can understand the allure of the place with the picture perfect weather patterns and the never-ending activities. I just wish I could make it work for me in a permanent way :)
We went to the restaurant at Del Coronado (the wrong one), and it was pretty good. We had plans to go to the 1500 restaurant, and instead went to the one next door! Newbie mistake, I suppose... I stayed with the restaurant week menu this time because it seemed pretty good. My one disappointment was that my steak was overcooked. This seems to be a prevalent issue with the restaurants in the area, not just this one. They offered a Kobe beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon and Gorgonzola butter. I ordered it medium-rare, and I got it medium-well. I asked the waiter if I had mistakenly ordered like I got it and he said no. I ate it anyway because it was good, but I was still disappointed.
The next day, we decided to skip a big dinner and head over to a wine bar in the same hotel called ENO. There are a few locations scattered around the country. The wine flights and the cheese flights were very well executed. The wine list was better than I've seen in other places, but a little too focused on the local wines. The selection of imported wines was pretty good, but the french side seemed focused on the usual suspects (really high-end items and the brand names everyone knows). I guess it is what sells, right?
The cheese side was one where I felt good that they stayed local. I tried this beautiful Gorgonzola from Oregon that was a great match for the wines and the membrillo (quince paste). I also tried an aged Jack that tasted like a young Parmesan. I also found a local farm-aged cheddar that rivalled the stuff from England. In all, a very good experience.
The other west coast peeve I have (first being the inability to cook meat properly) is the lack of selection in wines. I managed to talk to a few vendors in the area, and a few things seem to cause the problem (at least in the SoCal area):
- Plenty of California wines available
- The added cost of shipping to the west coast
- The high demand in the east coast
So I guess I'm part of the problem :)
One thing I really wanted to do but was impractical (this time) was to rent a motorcycle and ride through the coastal highway. I would have loved that very much. The problem was that I could not find a local rental place that had sport bikes. You could find a Harley pretty much down the street, but that's not what I wanted to ride. There is one popular place that delivers, but it is not worth it for just one day. Maybe next time I can arrange the transportation based on the bike :)
These things are 'solvable', so if that's all I have to complain about Southern Cal, I guess that's a good thing. I also tried my exit strategy as an early relocation option, but it failed.
I can't wait for my next trip! I hope it happens more than 8 years apart...
Later,
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
San Diego: Rekindling of an old flame
My lady and I are in San Diego on a 50/50 (B/P) trip. it has been a long while since we've been to SoCal, and we almost forgot how much we like this place.
We're lucky enough to be right in the heart of downtown in a nice waterfront hotel that's minutes from everything. To make things even better, it's restaurant week!
So far, we have sampled a small amount of places like Nobu at the hard rock hotel, Frank's mexican food joint on Fifth, and a corner diner on G street next to a mall. we also checked out a local pancake place called Richard ... pancake house. the place has lines that reach around the corner, even on weekdays. it's a small place, but they don't skimp on the portions. the pancakes were good, but I liked ones from the diner to be better IMO. the corned beef hash (guilty pleasure) was different than what I'm used to, and didn't kill my stomach as usual. They blended everything more, and I think that made a big difference.
Nobu was an odd experience. I'm used to California wait staff being laid back and a little slow compared to the people in the east coast. My waiter was a little loopy and more in pace with east coast guys, so we felt a little rushed (the place wasn't even 50% full). The food was mostly good. there were some rolls that seemed average like the spicy tuna roll, and others that were just perfect, like the yellowtail jalapeño roll. we also ordered their signature dish (black cod miso) and it was spot on. the waiter suggested the vegetarian version of the same dish, and that was disappointing. The eggplant lacked the saltiness of the cod, crucial to the balance of the dish.
We also visited the nine-ten restaurant in La Jolla to sample their restaurant week menu. I skipped the first course to get their truffle risotto appetizer, and it was a good choice. They did not skimp on the truffles, but the rice was a little under-cooked. the flavors were well balanced, however. It reminded me of a similar (but better) dish I had in Paris.
The second course was a braised short rib with baby vegetables that was well executed. It paired nicely with the California Pinot suggested by the staff. Although we're about to burst at this point, we decided to try a bite of the third course. I chose the lime semifreddo, and the picked the milkshake and beignets. it was so good, we managed to somehow make room for it :)
We have plans to visit the restaurant at El Coronado this thursday. I'll report on it later,
We're lucky enough to be right in the heart of downtown in a nice waterfront hotel that's minutes from everything. To make things even better, it's restaurant week!
So far, we have sampled a small amount of places like Nobu at the hard rock hotel, Frank's mexican food joint on Fifth, and a corner diner on G street next to a mall. we also checked out a local pancake place called Richard ... pancake house. the place has lines that reach around the corner, even on weekdays. it's a small place, but they don't skimp on the portions. the pancakes were good, but I liked ones from the diner to be better IMO. the corned beef hash (guilty pleasure) was different than what I'm used to, and didn't kill my stomach as usual. They blended everything more, and I think that made a big difference.
Nobu was an odd experience. I'm used to California wait staff being laid back and a little slow compared to the people in the east coast. My waiter was a little loopy and more in pace with east coast guys, so we felt a little rushed (the place wasn't even 50% full). The food was mostly good. there were some rolls that seemed average like the spicy tuna roll, and others that were just perfect, like the yellowtail jalapeño roll. we also ordered their signature dish (black cod miso) and it was spot on. the waiter suggested the vegetarian version of the same dish, and that was disappointing. The eggplant lacked the saltiness of the cod, crucial to the balance of the dish.
We also visited the nine-ten restaurant in La Jolla to sample their restaurant week menu. I skipped the first course to get their truffle risotto appetizer, and it was a good choice. They did not skimp on the truffles, but the rice was a little under-cooked. the flavors were well balanced, however. It reminded me of a similar (but better) dish I had in Paris.
The second course was a braised short rib with baby vegetables that was well executed. It paired nicely with the California Pinot suggested by the staff. Although we're about to burst at this point, we decided to try a bite of the third course. I chose the lime semifreddo, and the picked the milkshake and beignets. it was so good, we managed to somehow make room for it :)
We have plans to visit the restaurant at El Coronado this thursday. I'll report on it later,
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