LMC & Mr. Tall's Adventures in Santa Barbara: Part 1

Mr. Tall and I recently went on a much needed vacation and culinary adventure in Santa Barbara. While I was studying my life away last semester, Mr. Tall found a lovely bed & breakfast across the street from the wharf and thoroughly researched interesting attractions in town. We made our way from San Diego, stopped in Los Angeles for one night to have dinner with my sister (at Yabu, of course), and off we went to Santa Barbara.

After checking in to our B&B, Casa del Mar Inn, Mr. Tall and I checked out Stearns Wharf and took in the sights by the beach. Since it was nearly dinner time, we walked over to Brophy's Brothers, which was highly recommended by a friend of mine who's from Santa Barbara. Brophy's Bros is a 2-story restaurant at the Breakwater fisherman's wharf that is very popular among the locals and tourists; the top floor is the restaurant/bar and the bottom floor is its bar/merchantile. Mr. Tall and I waited for 45 minutes (good thing we weren't too hungry) and were seated inside on the second level. There are seatings out on the terrace overlooking the Breakwater; the bar faces and opens out to the water as well; and there are several tables inside.

All the entrees were served with cole slaw, a choice of a green salad or a cup of clam chowder, and a choice of rice pilaf or french fries. Its fresh fish menu changes daily depending on the market availability. Mr. Tall ordered the halibut, which was grilled and served with a curry spice sauce and mushroom, and served with cole slaw a rice pilaf. As for me, I'm not a huge fan of clam chowder (or any cream-based soup for that matter) but decided to try Brophy Bros' version anyway--and I was pleasantly surprised! I have limited experience with clam chowder, but this one had really good balance flavors from the cream and little cubes of potato, and nice chunks of clams in nearly every bite.

My entree was the Thresher shark, grilled and served with a sweet and tangy sauce of red onion and pineapple, and it was delicious! It was my first time trying shark and I really enjoyed it; its texture was similar to a cross between halibut and tuna but more dense and a meatier flavor. The portions at Brophy Bros were extremely generous, and Mr. Tall and I weren't even close to finishing our entrees because our pieces of fish were so huge!

Mr. Tall is not a breakfast person, but luckily our B&B has a lovely selection of breads, pastries, and really yummy homemade blueberry muffins, and a variety of tea, coffee, and juice. Every morning, I woke up, grabbed some blueberry muffins and several tea bags, and avoided all eye contacts with other patrons and ran back to the room because my bed head is not even slightly attractive. The B&B room's kitchenette area is equipped with a mini-fridge, sink counter, and a microwave, which was very convenient for heating up my muffins and hot water.

For our first full day in SB, Mr. Tall and I started the day with an early lunch at Tupelo Junction. Although Mr. Tall did the research for Santa Barbara attractions, I happily volunteered to research restaurant spots. Well-reviewed by the NY Times and Bon Appetit, the Tupelo Junction was a natural choice for one of the restaurants not to be missed. Our water arrived in mason jars, which was a really nice touch reflecting the restaurant's southern-style influence. There were so many items we wanted to try on the menu, but we knew our appetites could not accommodate.

So, Mr. Tall decided on the oven-roasted free-range turkey sandwich with cranberry sauce, cream cheese and lettuce (Mr. Tall dislikes tomatoes in his sandwiches and burgers, among other applications), and served with sweet potato fries. The sandwich was great, but the fries were disappointingly soggy and oily. I went with Tupelo Junction's signature fried chicken salad. Definitely not the healthiest "salad" but with the combination of crunchy fried chicken cutlets, dried cranberries, toasted pumpkin seeds, huge chunks of fresh corn bread croutons, and herb buttermilk dressing (with plenty of dill), every bite was worth it!

Day 1: Old Mission Santa Barbara & Rose Garden

Day 1: Santa Barbara Botanic Garden--definitely our favorite attraction in SB!

After a fun-filled first day, Mr. Tall and I headed to the State Street area for dinner at Los Arroyos. Once we entered this restaurant, we ordered our food at the cashier and sat down to enjoy fresh tortilla chips and a selection of salsas at their salsa bar. I am a big fan of horchata so Los Arroyos's homemade horchata was a delicious choice, and Mr. Tall went with his usual Jarritos tamarindo. Mr. Tall's Burrito Mojado--a burrito filled with steak and black beans topped with salsa roja, cheese and sour cream--served with rice, was very filling; the steak was flavorful and not too fatty, unlike most carne asada; Mr. Tall really liked it.

I ordered a special item of Tacos a Mano Rajas con Queso--two soft tacos of homemade tortillas with chorizo grilled pasilla chiles and onion, topped with Monterey Jack and queso fresco--it was absolutely delicious! Their soft taco plates come with a side of rice and black beans or Caesar salad, which was good but not as memorable as the tacos themselves. Mr. Tall and I enjoyed Los Arroyos so much that we returned for a second time for a shared plate of Maria's Enchiladas--two enchiladas with carne asada topped with salsa verde, cheese and shredded lettuce.

It was a mighty tasty afternoon snack! Los Arroyos is undoubtedly one of our favorite restaurants in SB. They also have another location in Montecito, which is a short drive from the State Street area. If I lived in SB, Los Arroyos would have a place in my heart like Mama Testa does!

On our second day, Mr. Tall and I decided to take a leisure day of walking and shopping on State Street as well as visiting the museum. Another favorite spot on the trip is Blenders in the Grass. It's sort of like a Jamba Juice with a dozen locations from Santa Maria to Oxnard. Mr. Tall really enjoyed the Red Cranberry, a blend of cranberry juice, strawberries, non-fat plain yogurt and raspberry sherbet, which was a special item on the menu that day. I also enjoyed the Tropical Guava, which blended guava juice, strawberries, banana, non-fat frozen yogurt and pineapple sherbet. They have menu items like a date-based smoothie among other interesting and seasonal choices. They also offer a wide variety of free supplements such as bee pollen and spirulina to boost up any of their 24-oz smoothies. Their Blenders in the Grass jingle on the radio is pretty catch, too--"Give me a Blender!" I will boldly say that their smoothies are much better than Jamba Juice--give me a Blender now, please!

Day 2: Santa Barbara Museum of Art

I was trying to consolidate all of our adventures into one post, but I'm getting a bit A.D.D. so please come back soon for part deux of SB!

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

LMC Eats LA: Yabu

When Mr. Tall and I visit Los Angeles, there are three things we always do: visit my sister at UCLA, lunch in Thai Town, and dinner at Yabu. Located on West Pico Boulevard in the West Hollywood area, Yabu is a small and inconspicuous gem of a restaurant. The place probably seats only 25-30 people so the tables and sushi bar are always occupied, but we have managed to get a table without too long of a wait as long as we don't get there too late.

The first time Mr. Tall and I visited Yabu was for my sister Pinnerton's birthday. There is a set menu, but the daily special changes depending on the availability of seafood. We started with an order of crispy fried Japanese black-back sole. The fish was so fresh, simply cooked, and simply delicious. The best part was probably the fish's bones--crispy and yummy!

Mr. Tall is not a fan of sushi and sashimi, but my sister and I are so we tried some new dishes we had never had. First up was the Suzuki, or the sea bass sashimi. It's no Blue Fin tuna, but the fish was fresh and beautifully cut to nearly translucent, paper-thin slices. Mr. Tall ordered the next dish, which was the Japanese-style chicken wings. Probably not the most authentic dish, but still absolutely delicious.

The chicken wings, simply broiled and sprinkled with Japanese sea salt, went fast.

Mr. Tall steered clear of this one: Santa Barbara sea urchin. I thought it was creamy and fresh, but Pinnerton didn't really enjoy it very much. My sister and I are always up to trying new things so that was probably our adventurous dish of the night.

Although the seafood is well known at Yabu, its soba dishes are the most renowned because the soba is made in-house every day. My sister and I have tried a cold soba dish, but we enjoyed soba soup dishes the best. Our favorite was the Tanaki, or soba with tempura batter vegetable paddy. There are a variety of other noodle dishes, but soba is definitely the way to go. The "before" picture on the right ...

And here is the "after" ... We devoured it and licked the bowl clean. The soup was flavorful and the soba was amazing. A must-try.

Mr. Tall was quite full yet so we order the broiled black cod with shitake and enoki mushroom. This dish was such a wonderful preparation, and we all enjoyed it very much.

The birthday girl had to have dessert--even though I had baked her a dozen Lemon Poppy Seed cupcakes, which were awaiting in her dorm room. The green tea parfait consisted of crispy corn flakes, red bean, green tea ice cream, and whipped cream, of course. Yabu is undoubtedly one of our favorite restaurants in LA. It is unpretentious, reasonably priced, and served delicious and straight-forward food. The food culture in LA is greatly diverse, and there is a vast availability of all sorts of restaurants around the city. Yabu is truly one of a kind and worth a visit if you're ever in the area. Have a happy 4th of July!

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

Coming up: vacation and good eats in Santa Barbara with LMC & Mr. Tall and San Diego Restaurant Week!

LMC Eats LA: Thai Town

My sister is attending her first year of undergrad at UCLA so it was inevitable that Mr. Tall and I occasionally explore the good eats in Los Angeles during our visits.

The place we always stop by for lunch is Thai Town. Located on Hollywood Boulevard (between Normandie and Western Avenue), Thai Town stretches several blocks down the street in a bit of a sketchy part of the city. Our favorite spot is definitely Ruen-Pae. Located in a small, strip-mall-like complex, between a donut shop and a Japanese restaurant, Ruen-Pae offers a very wide range of Thai dishes--from noodles, traditional side dishes to rice, and many offerings that you will not see on a menu of a typical Thai-American restaurant. The menu can be a bit overwhelming since it is so large, but if you take sometime to peruse through it, everyone is bound to find something they might like. Since I can generally get Thai iced tea at most Thai restaurants, I always opt for longan juice when dining at Ruen Pae. Made from dried longans, longan juice is sweet and refreshing with a subtle longan flavor. Other drink offerings include Thai iced coffee and sugar cane juice.

During one of our visits, my sister ordered Guay-taey kua gai, or stir-fry noodles with chicken, egg, bean sprouts and preserved squid. In Thailand, the dish is usually topped with little crispy Chinese donut, but I don't think it's made anywhere here in the U.S. (at least not that I have seen anyway). This dish was simply mediocre, and I don't think we would order it again. There are so many other things on the menu that are more traditional and tasty--including kao mun gai. As Zane Lamprey nicknamed it on the Food Network's "Have Fork, Will Travel," wow mun gai is one of Mr. Tall's favorite Thai dishes. Kao mun gai has a Chinese origin and has found immense popularity in Thailand. The chicken is boiled with some garlic and herbs. The rice, or kao mun, is cooked with garlic and chicken broth, giving the rice a depth of flavor and a little glisten! The chicken is served over the rice and with a nam jim, or a sauce, of fermented soybean, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and ginger.

Wow mun gai-licious!

Call me a creature of habit or just a girl who knows what she likes, but I always get the same 4 dishes--som tum, larb, koh moo yang and kao neuw. The som tum Thai, or papaya salad, is made of shredded green papaya, cherry tomato, green beans, dried shrimps, palm sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, chilis, and peanuts (of course). Traditionally, all the flavoring ingredients are mashed in a mortar (usually a wooden one), then the papaya and vegetables are combined and finished with peanuts. There are variations on som tum, including one with salted, preserved little crabs called som tum pbooh, which Ruen Pae also offers.

With the som tum, I usually order koh moo yang (grilled pork neck) or larb (spicy ground meat "salad"). The menu lists koh moo yang as simply barbecue pork, but it is really the pig's neck portion grilled. The pork is quite fatty, but the sweet marinade and spicy nam jim work to balance the fattiness. This is arguably one of my favorite dishes ever (oh, and one of Mr. Tall's favorites, too). Seriously, if you have the opportunity to go to Thai Town or visit Thailand, be sure to try some grilled pork neck--you will thank me later.

My other favorite is larb. Larb is a relatively common dish offered in some Thai restaurants, but the rendition at Ruen Pae is pretty much like any larb you would get in Thailand.Larb is usually made with ground pork, cooked with ground toasted rice, shallot, cilantro, green onion, spear mint leaves, fish sauce, lime juice, and dried chili peppers. Larb is usually enjoyed along side som tum and kao neuw, or sticky rice. These dishes are Northeastern specialities that have long garnered extreme popularity in Bangkok. I could honestly eat som tum, larb or koh moo yang, and sticky rice everyday and be a happy Thai camper.

There are other places in the same complex as Ruen Pae that are worth checking out. My family usually visit Ganda, which is on the other side of the complex and offer a variety of prepared dishes for take-out, desserts and snacks. I have gotten take-out from Ganda once before and it was pretty good, but the "B" rating from the health inspection keeps me from going back; although I occasionally pick up some desserts and snacks from there. Another place that is a must for sweets lover is Baan Kanom Thai, or literally house of Thai desserts. It offers a plethora of homemade Thai desserts, imported snacks (durian chips anyone?) and so much more! My sister and her friends visit other places in Thai Town such as Krung Tedd, but Mr. Tall and I always end up going back to Ruen Pae because the food is always authentic and the service always courteous. I also pack my cooler full of to-go orders to take back to San Diego--usually some spicy basil stir-fry, curries and grilled pork neck (I really do love it that much).

I have yet to find Thai food in San Diego as authentic as the food in Thai Town. Nonetheless, my philosophy for Thai food in San Diego and the rest of California is that even if the food is not authentic, if the interpretation is genuine and flavorful, then I can't complain too much. So, if you can't make it to Thailand, then you'll definitely want to visit Thai Town for authentic Thai food with very reasonable prices. Thai Town holds a celebration of Songkran, or Thai New Years, on the first Sunday of every April with food vendors and entertainment along the streets. Wat Buddhajakramongkolratanaram, a Thai temple in Escondido, also holds an event for Songkran with food stands and entertainment.

School had been really busy this past semester, leaving me no time to do many leisure activities. Even though I'll be working full-time this summer, I hope to update the blog more often.

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

Coming up: more good eats in LA and vacation with LMC & Mr. Tall in Santa Barbara!

San Diego Restaurant Week 2008: Currant Brasserie and Trattoria Acqua

The first installment of San Diego Restaurant Week in 2008 lasted from January 27th to February 1st. Mr. Tall and I did not visit any restaurants last year, but we did go to Top of the Cove in La Jolla in 2006. Top of the Cove is currently still under construction (as it has been for nearly a year), but I hope to visit it again when the place re-opens. This year, I managed to have 2 occasions to enjoy Restaurant Week. The first occasion was for my law school partner in crime Anika's birthday, and the second was just a Friday night date for Mr. Tall and me.

For Anika's birthday, we went to Currant Brasserie at the Sophia Hotel in Downtown. We parked at Horton Plaza--I must add that the new self-validate system there is much more efficient--and walked over to the restaurant.
After we ordered, a brown bag (a really cute touch) of freshly baked sourdough with rosemary rolls accompanied by butter arrived. They were still warm and a great start to the meal. For our first course, Anika had the Bibb Lettuce Salad with red teardrop tomatoes, rendered pancetta and Point Reyes blue cheese vinaigrette, and I had the Caramelized Five Onion Soup with braised short ribs, black truffles and marrow toasts. The soup was very light yet flavorful, although the essence of the black truffles was merely detectable. I have never had marrow before, but I thought it tasted much like butter so I had no problem with that.

For our second course, Anika had the Roasted Jidori Chicken with warm Tuscan bread salad with currants, pine nuts and braised greens, and a drizzle of natural chicken jus. I ordered the Hibachi Salmon with green tea soba noodles, shaved vegetable slaw, and mandarin orange coconut butter. The portion of the Jidori chicken was very generous (about half a bird), and the birthday girl said that she enjoyed the dish. For me, the salmon was perfectly cooked (not overcooked, for once!), and as interesting as the mandarin orange coconut butter sounded, it actually married all the ingredients together quite nicely. Overall, I liked this dish.

Anika ordered the Pumpkin Cheesecake with orange mousse, cranberry jam, and pecan gremolata, and I had the Apple and Sun-dried Currant Canneloni with apple cider sabayon. The birthday girl enjoyed her dessert especially a lemon-y sauce that accompanied the cheesecake. The waiter informed me that the canneloni was not a regular offering, which compelled me to try it, and I was definitely satisfied. The diced apple and sun-dried currant were sweet yet tart, wrapped in a phyllo dough-like pastry and drizzled with the wonderful sabayon. In other words, it was yummy!

Overall, the food at Currant was delicious, and the ambiance was sophisticated yet unpretentious and casual. The service was very attentive as our courses came out in a timely manner, and our water glasses were never empty. You can also view the activities in the kitchen from the outside of the restaurant. So, if you find yourself in Downtown and want something different than what are typically offered downtown (steakhouses, etc.), then head over to Currant and you might be pleasantly surprised.

For Little Miss and Mr. Tall's date, we went to Trattoria Acqua in downtown La Jolla. Mr. Tall and I have fond memories of La Jolla as it was where we attended our undergrad at UCSD, enjoyed our first few dates, and we like to visit the Cove for nice beach-side walks. Located on Prospect Street, Trattoria Acqua is one of the restaurants on that particular row with an ocean view. Unfortunately, we couldn't see much of the ocean at night, but it still provided a nice backdrop. (Side note: if you want what Mr. Tall and I consider the best view in downtown La Jolla, try having dinner at George's Ocean Terrace, and you will fall in love!) After we ordered our meal, a basket of slices of sour dough baguette arrived along with a white bean hummus, which was delicious--I had to remember not to ruin my appetite.

Let's get to the good stuff (beware, my courses were very protein- heavy): for our first course, Mr. Tall had the Zuppa, a rich broth of four onion soup topped with a Gruyere cheese souffle, and I had the Carpaccio di Manzo, thin sliced Filet Mignon carpaccio garnished with daikon sprouts, Parmegiano Regiano, toasted pistachios and a lemon white truffle vinaigrette. Mr. Tall is generally not a big fan of onion flavor so the Zuppa was light enough to please his palate; he said he liked it but that it was not great. I thought the carpaccio was delicious and well accented by the grated cheese and toasted pistachios for texture; although, I would have preferred more of the vinaigrette (it tasted almost as if they forgot to put it in) because the acidity would have united the whole dish a bit more.

For our main course, Mr. Tall ordered the Fagiano, oven-roasted pheasant served atop a ragu of Italian Coteghino sausage, crispy sage and assorted Tuscan white beans and finished with au jus. I ordered the Cassoulette (Anthony Bourdain would have been proud), Muscovy duck leg confit adorning a lamb stew with Italian sausage, imported butter beans and tomatoes. Mr. Tall enjoyed this course because the pheasant was cooked very well leaving the skin crispy and the meat moist. It was my first time trying something confit, so I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. But the duck leg was crispy on the outside and very moist on the inside; however, the whole dish was just over salted. That just sort of killed it for me. I did manage to eat most of the dish (my grandma taught me not to waste food!), but it was definitely not as good as I had hoped.

Finally, for desserts, Mr. Tall had the Cannoli Della Nonna, Grandma Agnese's (um, I'm guessing it's the owner's or chef's grandmother?) homemade Sicilian cannoli filled with sweetened ricotta and chocolate chips, and I had the Tiramisu, espresso soaked ladyfingers, in between layers of mascarpone cheese, chocolate and cocoa. Call me boring, but the other desserts just sounded a bit too heavy for me, considering how much meat I had eaten! The Tiramisu hit the right spot and ended the meal on a better note for me than the previous course. Mr. Tall had never had cannoli and had no complaints about it.

To accompany our meals, Mr. Tall ordered a red Italian beer (we don't remember the name anymore), which he liked, and I ordered a glass of Estancia Pinot Noir that didn't disappoint. All in all, Mr. Tall and I enjoyed our meal at Trattoria Acqua--the ambiance was warm and romantic (but not too cheesy), and the service was good. There was a couple at a table right behind us that Mr. Tall was facing, and the woman kept complaining the whole time about how much the service sucked and kept coughing with her mouth open--disgusting! We were glad that they finally left during our meal. So, despite the inconsiderate neighbors, Mr. Tall and I had a nice time, but the food will not likely get us to go back. Trattoria Acqua is a lovely place for a date, and I wouldn't doubt that perhaps their regular menu may fare better than the Restaurant Week selections.

If you did not get a chance to check out San Diego Restaurant Week the past week, there is a list of restaurants that is extending their offerings of Restaurant Week menu. The second installment will be from June 22nd to June 27th, so hopefully Mr. Tall and I will get the opportunity to visit yet another restaurant (or two).

Enjoy,
Little Miss Contrary

Coming up: LMC's culinary adventures in Los Angeles!

Farewell Agent 2-007!

Well, I have officially finished my first semester of law school and am currently enjoying a much needed break. So, I would like to post some of the memorable good eats and sweets captured from the last few months of 2007. Let's get to it!

While visiting my sister at UCLA, we enjoyed some really fantastic Indian fare at Ambala Dhaba in Westwood. So, if you're ever find yourself in the Westwood area and craving Indian food, I highly suggest Ambala Dhaba.

During the same LA trip, my sister, Mr. Tall and I also waited in line for an hour (!!!) to get some Sprinkles cupcakes. We bought half a dozen cupcakes, which cost nearly $20. We got Red Velvet, Strawberry, Black & White, Dark Chocolate and Vanilla Chocolate. The shop was quaint and stylish (and located right next to a Monique Lhullier boutique). In my humble opinion, I thought the cupcakes' flavor offerings were creative, and their signature look of the dots and sprinkles definitely made them more fun and unique. They were all tasty but my personal favorites were Strawberry and Black & White.
I would wait in line for maybe 15-30 minutes for them but would think twice about waiting any longer than that. I am a cupcake fiend though so who knows I might just tough it out the next time I'm in LA and get some anyway!

Mr. Tall returned from the mall once upon a weekend while my head was buried in the books and had a sweet, little surprise of a Sprinkles Pumpkin Cupcake Mix from Williams-Sonoma ($14). The mix makes a dozen cupcakes and also includes their signature sugar dots and a recipe from Cinnamon Frosting. The cupcakes were almost as delicious as they ones from the shop so if you don't make it to LA or don't feel like waiting in line, the cupcake mix is the way to go!

It was not Sprinkles that LA Magazine named the best cupcakes in LA, but it was Dainties "It's All About the Cream" cupcakes.
Right after I told her about this exciting news, my sister brought some down with her from LA when she came to visit for Thanksgiving, to my pleasant surprise! All their cupcakes are chocolate with various creams which is topped as the frosting and also inside the cakes. I believe we had Raspberry, Mint, Banana, Caramel, some sort of candy bar cream, and chocolate chip, I think. Anyway, the cake itself was good and the creams were all very delightful, especially the raspberry and mint ones, but my only complaint is that if it's "all about the cream" then they should give you more cream! My sister said that she pre-ordered the cupcakes on their website, after which the chef personally emailed her to confirm the order--and the owner even gave her some extra cupcakes to take home with her order!

Is that a good-looking turkey or is that a good-looking turkey?! I am officially declaring Mr. Tall the Turkey master because so far he has handled our Thanksgiving turkeys like a champ! This year, we went for a fresh turkey instead of a frozen one, and I think it tasted a little bit better. Mr. Tall had a simple dry salt brine, which made the turkey flavorful but not salty. Since we invested in a roasting pan that came with a "v" rack, our bird turned out with the most wonderfully crisp skin, and with the meat thermometer we were able to ensure that it wasn't overcooked.

Our little feast for 4: creamy mashed potatoes (recipe from Tyler's Ultimate), brussel sprouts with crispy procuitto, mashed acorn squash with butter and brown sugar, and, of course, whole cranberry sauce. Oh, we also enjoyed homemade pumpkin pie and apple-cranberry pie. Yum!

My plate: I made a vegetable gravy (a recipe from Cook's Illustrated) to accompany the mashed potatoes because it is relatively healthier and lasts longer for leftovers than traditional gravy made from drippings. I could use another plate of that right about now!

Mr. Tall and I had a small, celebratory 2-year anniversary dinner at The Prado at Balboa Park. (We actually had to postpone the dinner plans because it was during the fires.) Mr. Tall was a little hesitant to try a Cohn Restaurant for many blogs did not greatly review them, but we thought that the atmosphere at Balboa Park should help make it a romantic dining experience. For the first course, I enjoyed the Warm Farmer's Salad (romaine hearts split and grilled, drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette with pickled red onion, feta cheese and marinated tomatoes) and Mr. Tall got the Tortilla Soup. I really liked the salad because I love the acidity not only from the balsamic dressing but from the pickled red onion, and Mr. Tall liked his soup as well.

For our main course, Mr. Tall ordered the Adobo Braised Pork Osso Bucco served with sweet plantain mash, sauteed white corn, tomato and zucchini, with tomatillo cilantro sauce. Although osso bucco is traditionally made of veal shanks, Mr. Tall thought that this Latin-inspired version was flavorful and the meat was moist, but the presentation of the mash and sauce underneath the shank was a bit messy. I ordered the Roasted Sea Bass served atop organic baby argula, roasted fingerling potatoes (I'm a sucker for fingerling potatoes!), and a white truffle infused beet puree.

The dish was delicious, and even though the beet puree was more like a sauce and did not have as much of the white truffle essence as I would have liked, I still enjoyed it. The acidity from the beet puree and the peppery argula perfectly complimented the meaty fish. I also had a glass of a dry and delightful Pinot Grigio with dinner, which was just a great accompaniment to the meal. We ended the lovely evening with the Chocolate Souffle Cake served with triple espresso gelato capuccino with bruleed Italian meringue peaks (those were so good!), raspberry coulis, and tuille cookie spoon.

The combination of the warm cake and the cool gelato were fantastic, but we could have totally done without the tuille cookie spoon. All and all, Mr. Tall and I enjoyed a nice dinner with a reasonable price tag and a lovely view of the wishing well and terrace of The Prado.

A friend of mine was visiting San Diego on a business trip, so Miss Andrea suggested that we go to Urban Solace in North Park because she had read so many good reviews on Yelp and I had also read a few raves on other blogs as well. We started with the Sweet Potato Fries, which by the way is my new, absolutely favorite thing! This version was awesome and its accompanying Maytag Blue Cheese-Buttermilk Dressing was mild enough not to overpower the sweetness of the fries.

Wisconsin White Cheddar Mac n' Cheese topped with caramelized bacon and (not so) charred grape tomatoes

Sweet Corn Spoon Bread

Potato Gratin. Not your traditional scalloped potato au gratin, but it was still delicious.

Char-Grilled Hanger Steak with homemade steak sauce, caramelized parsnips and celery root mash. Unfortunately, I didn't get to try this as there was so much food on my own plate (and the sweet potato fries were tempting and filling). But Andrea said that it was very good.

Cinnamon Brined Center-Cut Pork Chop served with braised Swiss chard, shallot sauce and sweet corn spoon bread. The pork chop was well cook and tender. Mr. Tall and I will definitely be making a trip to US some time this week as I am craving the sweet potato fries, and Mr. Tall wants to try their take on the American comfort food trend.

I shall end 2007 with a toast of Ben & Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt with fresh raspberries--cheers!

Happy 2008,
Little Miss Contrary