Taste of North Park 2012

Mr. Tall and I were so excited and optimistic about our ability to eat and drink at Taste of North Park. Oh yeah, we could totally hit up all fifty-something restaurants, bars, and shops. Boy, did we overestimate our stomachs. This year was the 4th annual Taste of North Park, which is an event where you can sample food, wine, and beer at the numerous restaurants, and sip (a copious amount) craft beer and microbrews while perusing through the shops in the San Diego neighborhood of North Park.

Mr. Tall and I worked our way from Sea Rocket Bistro, down on 30th Street, and through University Avenue. Here are photos of a fraction of the food and drinks that we consumed.

First top: Sea Rocket Bistro's mussels in creamy Ballast Point beer broth and bacon. I love mussels, but am partial to a tomato-based, not cream, broth. So, this was not my favorite version, although the mussels were plump and fresh. The last time Mr. Tall and I stepped into that space was when it used to be The Linkery, which was a long time ago. The restaurant had minimal decor and not much of an ambiance, but I would like to check out their $1 raw oysters every Tuesday night one of these days.

After Sea Rocket Bistro, we made a couple of stops, including at Zensei Sushi, where I was pleasantly surprised by a tasty vegan roll, and The Smoking Goat, where we had shots of watermelon-tomato gazpacho and crispy croutons (which was delicious, although I was hoping they would bust out their duck-fat fries ...). Our next stop was Mosaic Wine Bar, which is in a huge, 2-level space. The top level is a small, gallery area, and downstairs is a wine bar and shop. They were not only serving blanco and rojo sangria, but also offered flatbread pizzas. The pizzas were good, but nothing to write home about. However, the white sangria was refreshingly tasty--the perfect drink for a warm summer, er, fall day.

Mr. Tall and I made our way through several spots that had forgettable samples: Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria (we love Lefty's, but they chose to serve 2 terrible pasta dishes and a vegan pizza aka pizza sans cheese), Eddie's (decent philly cheesesteaks, but I have had better), and Paesano's Fine Italian Food (an old-school, Italian-American spot, but their lasagna was not very good). We walked over to the busier part of 30th Street, and sampled some "loaded" tater tots at True North Tavern (not very good) and fried green tomatoes at Urban Solace. I was super excited to try fried green tomatoes, especially because they were frying them to order--which is an impressive feat! However, I was just not a big fan, perhaps I just don't really like green tomatoes. Urban Solace is a hit or miss for us, so it remains to be seen if we'll ever go back there again.

Oh, and someone brought their pygmy goat--it was so adorable! Here is the owner is feeding it some sort of pet food. I think I may have to convince Mr. Tall to get us one as a pet. Apparently, pygmy goats make great pets (if you have a lot of space), and you can even milk them.

Not surprising there were 2 versions of ceviche. The first was fish ceviche with bacon at El Take It Easy; flavorful, but the ceviche was chopped so finely to a point of mush and their presentation was not very appetizing (they were scooping the ceviche out of a bucket on to a chip). Mr. Tall and I have been to El Take It Easy once and enjoyed the food, so it was disappointing to see that they didn't seem to try very hard or care very much about promoting their restaurant. We had a better version at El Comal, which had a variety of seafood, corn, red onion, and olives. I think Mr. Tall tried a gordita con pollo, which was average. We would like to return to El Comal to try their regular menu offerings because we are always looking for a new, good Mexican restaurant.

At almost every participating shop, you could sample a full cocktail-size glass of beer. Toward the end of our stroll, I was so stuffed with food and beer that I almost couldn't eat or drink any more. So, at Home Mercantile, I asked them for just half a cup of Green Flash Oktoberfest beer. We also sampled beers from Stone Brewery and the Lost Abbey among many others. I'm more of a wine gal, but Mr. Tall prefers beer, so he was happy to have tried a variety of local brews. 

There were a couple of pizza spots along Taste of North Park, including Lefty's, URBN Coal Fired Pizza, and Sicilian Thing Pizza. Unfortunately, Lefty's and URBN left a lot to be desired; URBN didn't even serve pizza! But we were so happy to have finally tried Sicilian Thing Pizza because it was seriously good! Mr. Tall and I usually pick up a whole pie from Pizzeria Luigi's, but we have since converted to Sicilian Thing. They had samples for thick-crust, Sicilian-style pizza and thin-crust pizza. Both were delicious as they were made from the same, amazing dough. We already went back last week and got a Sicilian square, thick-crust pizza. Total carb heaven. 

Mr. Tall and I also checked out Caffe Calabria. Their concept is a bit confusing; it's a coffee and espresso bar, which also serves Neopolitan-style pizza. The common thread is that they both have Italian roots, and they do them really well at Caffe Calabria. They generously offered a choice of a small coffee/espresso drink and a buffet of pizzas! I had a latte flavored with cinnamon and honey, which was delicious. If I lived in North Park and drink coffee and espresso on a regular basis, Caffe Calabria would be my spot. They're not messing around with their pizzas either; they are made in a genuine, Italian wood-fire oven. Great crust, simple sauce, minimal toppings. Considering Mr. Tall's favorite food is pizza, we will definitely go back to Caffe Calabria to enjoy more of their Neopolitan pizza. 

Our last top on Taste of North Park was Heaven Sent Desserts, where they were giving out slices of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting to everyone as the event was coming to a close.  I had been to Heaven Sent several years ago and was not impressed. I think they have since changed their pastry chef, and this red velvet cake was quite delicious. Mr. Tall and I were so full at this point, after walking around, eating, and drinking for 4 hours, that it was a bit difficult to enjoy this last bit of dessert.

Overall, Taste of North Park was a fun and unique experience--and totally worth $30! We only managed to try about half of the fifty-something restaurants and shops, but loved discovering the neighborhood. We'll have to work up our appetite for next year!

Enjoy,

LMC

No Bones to Pick with Herringbone

If you watch Top Chef and live in San Diego, then you are likely familiar with the name Brian Malarkey. In the span of 2 years, he has opened an impressive five restaurants in San Diego. I have to give Chef Marlarkey and his partner credit for the clever names based on different material--Searsucker, Herringbone, Burlap, Gingham, and Gabardine. I have tried Searsucker on 2 occasions and am not a fan of the restaurant--the food was subpar, and the ambiance was very "sceney." (You can find my review, as P.K., of Searsucker on Yelp back on April 19, 2012.) So, when Mr. Tall took me out to Herringbone, I was a bit skeptical but had an open mind (and an empty stomach, as they would say on Iron Chef America ...).

Located in a converted warehouse in La Jolla, Herringbone looks nondescript from the outside. But, of course, the interior and decor were thoughtfully hip with nods to the ocean (many artistic interpretations and uses of blow fish) and four olive trees among the dining tables (I guess, that's the "field" portion in their "Fish Meats Field" motto). The open kitchen is enclosed in glass windows; unfortunately, it is not as easy to admire the work of the kitchen staff as the kitchen is slightly elevated from the dining room. The ambiance was casual and lively. The front bar was bit loud, but the dining room area was not loud at all--Mr. Tall and I were able to comfortably converse throughout dinner without having to yell and huh at each other.

Along with the olives and almonds "compliments of Chef Amanda" (you may remember her from season 7 of Top Chef), I ordered a glass of Albarino and Mr. Tall got a Trumer Pilsner, served in a really interesting, cylindrical beer glass. They also have a nice selection of intriguing cocktails (which I may have to try on our next visit). Our nice waiter suggested that the chef intends for the menu to be ordered as a 3-course meal of "Cold Fare," "Hot Fare," and "Plates." So, that we did.

Mr. Tall is not a big fan of most seafood (he only eats fish; no raw fish either), but the seafood-heavy menu at Herringbone still had enough options for pickier eaters. We started off surf-and-turf style from "Cold Fare"--tuna and beef carpaccio, served with pistachio, lemon oil, and a micro salad. The carpaccio was sliced paper-thin, super tender, and tasted mild. The pistachio provided a nice crunch and saltiness; the lemon oil and micro salad added a much needed acidity and pepperiness to the dish.

We followed up with a smoked trout dip and toasts. The menu only says smoked trout and toasts, but luckily our waiter clarified that the smoked trout is in a hot, cheesy dip and made sure that we were okay with the dish before taking our order. We decided to go for it, and we were glad that we did. The unusual and surprising combination of smoked fish and cheese totally works! There was a lot of acidity in the dish, which I think helped to make the flavors really stand out.

Our waiter said that they are "known" (not sure how you're "known" for a dish when you have only been opened for 2 months, but I'll run with it) for their Day Boat Alaskan halibut dish, and also suggested the whole roasted Tai snapper. I was not feeling those dishes, so I went for my go-to dish of seafood stew with mussels, fish (I think it may have been sea bass), fennel, tomato, and harissa aioli--and, of course some toasted bread to sop up the juices. The seafood stew did not disappoint. There was a lot of fresh, plump seafood (the shrimp were huge!), and I love the addition of fennel. I was expecting a real kick from the harissa aioli, but it tasted more like a plain aioli, which was still flavorful.

Mr. Tall went the "meats" route and ordered the braised lamb shank, served with mashed potatoes and baby broccoli. The braising gravy had black olives, orange, and piquillo peppers. Mr. Tall enjoyed this new American dish with great Middle Eastern flavors and very tender lamb.

Of course, Mr. Tall and I couldn't leave without trying some desserts. The Herringbone sundae (chocolate ice cream, espresso caramel, sea salt blondies, caramelized cocoa nibs, and marshmallow cream) immediately stood out on their dessert menu. It had the best of both sweet and salty; the caramelized nibs added an amazing crunch and deep chocolate flavor; and the espresso caramel was perfect. We loved this dessert!

Mr. Tall and I really enjoyed our meal and would likely return to Herringbone to try more of their menu offerings. Casual, cool ambiance, solid food, and good service. It may not be our favorite restaurant in San Diego, but it is a place worth checking out if you are near the area and looking for something different than the usual spots on Prospect or in downtown La Jolla. Mr. Tall and I will probably check out Gabardine in Point Loma in the near future, and will definitely blog about it! Eat well and until next time!

Enjoy,
LMC

LMC Eats LA: Pizzeria Mozza

Mr. Tall's favorite food, without a question, is pizza. So, naturally, I wanted to take him to a really  good pizza place for his birthday. Two years ago I had attempted to make a reservation for us at Pizzeria Mozza in Los Angeles about 2 weeks in advance, and they were all booked up for a dinner on Saturday night. For Mr. Tall's birthday this past year, I knew I had to call 3 weeks before the dinner date (that's the earliest they accept reservations in advance), and managed to snag a reservation early on a Saturday evening for a party of five.

We started the meal off with the incredibly simple but fantastic Proscuitto di Parma and bufala mozzarella. Pizzeria Mozza makes sausages, cures their salumi, and makes their mozzarella in-house, so you know they are not messing around.

We also shared a tricolore insalate with Parmigiano Reggiano and anchovy dressing. I love anchovy, so this salad was a winner for me.

The birthday boy is serious about his pizza and salumi, so naturally he went with the bacon, salami, fennel sausage, and guanciale (what I call the "meat lover") pizza. He really enjoyed the pizza, and said that it was the best pizza he had ever had.

On the other hand, I went with the classic Margherita with mozzarella, tomato, and basil, which was simply delicious.

My sister ordered the fennel sausage pizza with panna, red onion, and scallions.

Another pizza we ordered was one with cherry tomatoes, anchovies, olives, and chiles.

The pizza dough is obviously the star--it had the perfect chew, crisp, and char (yup, the three C's of good pizza). But the toppings were not to be outdone; the ingredients had a great artisan quality and were thoughtfully prepared on each pizza.

The most surprising part of the meal were the desserts. Holy moly, some of the best desserts we have ever had. I only found out after the fact that Nancy Silverton was the James Beard Foundation's Pastry Chef of the Year in 1990, and it all made sense.

One of the two desserts we ordered was caramel copetta topped with with 2 generous scoops of caramel ice cream, marshmallow sauce, and Spanish peanuts. This dessert was amazing--the combination of sweet, creamy, crunch, and a little salty was perfection. Seriously, one of the best desserts I have ever had.

Last but not least was the butterscotch budino, sprinkled with some sea salt (a necessity in my opinion) and served with rosemary and pine nut cookies. I love, love me some butterscotch budino (or pot de creme)--if it's on a menu, you can bet that I will order it. This budino was divine, even the cookies on the side were the perfect, crunchy, salty addition to the sweet and creamy pudding.

Pizzeria Mozza did not disappoint, and lived up to our high expectations when it came to the names of Nancy Silverton and Mario Batali. If you are a pizza lover, you must check out Pizzeria Mozza--and save room for dessert! Reservations are had to come by, but it is worth the hassle and wait. Unfortunately for us, Pizzeria Mozza is in LA, but we have happily discovered Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria in Encinitas. Mr. Tall has already requested that Blue Ribbon be the destination for his next birthday dinner. Eat well and until next time!

Enjoy,
LMC

Sweet Start to Our Married Life!

One of my favorite aspects of planning our wedding was choosing the desserts! I knew that I did not want a giant wedding cake and definitely wanted cupcakes and French macarons. (Again, photos courtesy of our amazing photographer Aaron Huniu at Aaron Huniu Photography). Here is a shot of our dessert table!
 

We found a wonderful local bakery called Sumi's Oven. Her bakery is located in a somewhat random business park; but I think because her bakery is located in a non-traditional location, she is able to keep her prices reasonable given the great quality of her cakes. Our 2-tier wedding cake consists of a marble cake with raspberry filling layer and a hazelnut chocolate layer with simple whipped cream. We didn't get to have any of the marble/raspberry layer (I mean, we already tried it at the cake tasting), but we had some of the hazelnut chocolate layer, which was so delicious! We have half of the hazelnut chocolate layer in our freezer that we are planning to bust out at our 6-month anniversary (not sure if the cake would still taste good if we wait for our 1-year anniversary ...). We also order mini vanilla, lemon, and red velvet cupcakes, which flew off the tier like hot cakes!

The next item on our dessert table are macarons! I have had some amazing macarons from Bouchon, Bottega Louie, and Miette, but I realized that finding good ones in San Diego may be a challenge. Fortunately, a friend of mine introduced me to Heidi at Triple Cream Bakery. We had strawberry macarons with strawberry buttercream filling, lemon with lemon buttercream filling, key lime with dulce de leche filling, and chocolate with chocolate hazelnut filling. We were so happy that we were able to find delicious macarons for our wedding!

Last but not least, I surprised Mr. Tall with a groom's cake from my friend Janelle's Silver Cup Bakery. Mr. Tall is a HUGE San Francisco Giants fan, so the design was an obvious choice. The cake is a chocolate cake with chocolate malt filling and cream cheese frosting. Mr. Tall loved the cake and it was delicious!

Mr. Tall and I would highly recommend all of the bakeries that we worked with for our wedding--or any special occasion! Our wedding was such a fun fiesta, and we would love to do it all over again especially taste testing desserts. Eat well and until next time!

Enjoy,

LMC

Coming up: LMC's culinary adventures in Los Angeles (Pizzeria Mozza!) and some of our new favorite spots in San Diego.

New (Blog) Look, Newly Wed

Hello, everyone! I realize it has been forever, but I am determined to not abandon this blog of mine. I have been quite active on Yelp and Instagram, so I thought I should show some love in the blogosphere as well. I cleaned the blog up a bit and chose a new, simple design for a fresh look. Also, Mr. Tall and I recently got married, so yay! We had an amazing time, which could not have happened had it not been for our vendors. A big part of our wedding was the food, of course. The Darlington House in La Jolla was our lovely venue, and we were required to choose from a list of caterers. Out of the long list, we enlisted Culinary Concepts to provide the food for our wedding. We contacted 2 other catering companies, and had tastings with CC and another company, but CC won us over with their food and presentation. With the modern Mexican fiesta theme in mind, the folks at CC created the perfect menu for us. (Photos courtesy of our amazing photographer Aaron Huniu at Aaron Huniu Photography.)

One of our appetizers for cocktail hour were the pernil arepas, which are Columbian cornmeal cakes topped with braised pork. Our guests' favorite was probably the inside-out nacho, which is especially a scoop of fresh guacamole rolled in crush tortilla chips and panko breadcrumbs, deep fried, and served with chipotle creme and roasted tomato salsa. Delicioso!

Instead of having the usual sit-down dinner, Mr. Tall and I opted for a plate salad course and 3 food stations of chicken mole, beef short ribs, and street tacos. The stations gave our wedding a less formal ambiance (but a bit more formal and service-oriented than a buffet) and allowed our guests to try more dishes than they would have gotten in a traditional sit-down dinner.

Everything tasted great, but my personal favorite was probably the short ribs kabik (apparently, a Rick Bayless recipe), which are beef short ribs braised with garlic, banana peppers, fire roasted tomatoes, onions, oregano, and achiote, served with arroz blanco. Muy delicioso! If you are looking for a caterer for any event, weddings, birthday parties, etc., we would highly recommend Culinary Concepts--great food, great presentation, and great service!

Also, another favorite thing from our wedding were our favors, which were from Jackie's Jams. We wanted something edible for our favors, so naturally our local favorite jam-maker Jackie's Jams came to mind.

We ordered the 1 1/2 oz. jars of mango raspberry, strawberry rhubarb, mango habanero, and, our all-time favorite, triple berry jam. We taste-tested the jams at their location at the Little Italy Mercato and picked up our order from the Ocean Beach Farmers Market. David from Jackie's Jams was super nice and helpful throughout the ordering and jam-making process. He even provided blank labels to us since we wanted to design and print the labels ourselves--and even threw in a jar of their cherry apple jam on top of our order!

Our wedding was a fantastic fiesta--totally worth all the stress, time, and effort! But I am glad that everything is back to normal, and we can enjoy our day-to-day lives without having to panic about a wedding detail. Until next time ... not 5 months from now!

Enjoy,
LMC

Coming up next: as promised, LMC's Culinary Adventures in Los Angeles (Pizzeria Mozza!) and wedding desserts!