Some Recent Travel

Lately, I've been doing quite a bit of traveling.  Some of it's been for fun, some for work...  In either case, I have managed to eat at a few nifty places along the way.  

Phoenix, AZ

I've gotten to go to Phoenix in the spring every year for the last three years.  This year, my brother, Clayton, got married there.  We were able to stay at our favorite hotel in Scottsdale, the Westin Kierland.  It's just so pretty - lots of influence from Frank Lloyd Wright - and relaxed (it has a lazy river).  It's supposed to be great for golf too.   I like the restaurant that's actually in the hotel, Deseo.  It serves up latin food including quite a range of ceviches.  Right across the street is the lovely Kierland Commons.  It's an outdoor shopping area that has an upscale range of shops and eateries.  I've tried, and recommend, North (a rustic, Italian spot) and The Greenhouse (California-inspired cuisine).  Finally, in Old Scottsdale, I got to check out Arcadia Farms, which is a really nice and elegant, lunch spot.  

Orlando, FL

I headed to Orlando in early May for a work-related conference.   We stayed in the really nice Grande Lakes JW Marriott - lots of marble and open spaces.  We ate at the hotel's main upscale restaurant, Primo.  It is an Italian restaurant with a strong focus on local and seasonal ingredients.  The chef, Melissa Kelley, opened her first location of Primo in Maine.  Everything was well-prepared, but it was not inspiring, and a little pricey.  

Detroit, MI

I got to travel to Michigan for the first time this summer, and to Detroit no less.  I'm not sure what I was expecting - evidence of economic downturn at it's worst?  I did see a lot of run down homes and un-repaired streets (including 8 Mile), but I also saw some lovely parts of town.  I got to eat at two nice restaurants, both with a fish focus.  I ate dinner at the very posh and sleek Ocean-Prime and then followed with lunch at the more old-school Mitchell's Fish Market.  A pleasant experience.  

Fresno, CA

This was my first time to visit a non-coastal Californian city.  Let me just say that I had a really bad travel experience getting home and I'm not sure how much that has tinged my perception.  I did not like Fresno.  It was greener than I thought it was going to be, but no great restaurants (we at at a P.F. Chang's), no great sites...  maybe, if I go back under better conditions, I will like it more....

Napa/Sonoma Trip - Days Three and Four

On Day 3, we were joined by our friends Jessica and Mark and spent the day visiting wineries. On our last day, we headed down to San Francisco first thing in the morning. We again met up with Jessica and Mark to see their lovely, new, larger apartment and to get some tasty dim sum, before flying back to Austin.

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Oakville Grocery

124 Matheson Street

Healdsburg, CA 95448-4118

(707) 433-3200

We decided to have a picnic lunch at one of the wineries. We stopped by Oakville Grocery’s Healdsburg outpost (the original is in Napa Valley) which was located conveniently one block from our hotel. They have a fantastic selection of foodstuffs ranging from fresh fruit, meats, cheese and olives to sandwiches and pizzas. The store is super cute as well.

Peay Vineyards

We made our first stop at Peay Vineyards. Stephen and I had our first Peay wine at Trio, in Austin, and were hooked. They produce lovely, European influenced pinots and cold-climate syrahs. They are actually located at the northernmost reaches of Sonoma in Cloverdale. To celebrate their spring release, they had a lovely party with all of the current wines, as well as cheese and salumi selections and fantastic grilled sausage sandwiches. The party was held in their winery which is situated in the middle of down town Cloverdale. It was a great experience as we to try old release wines and all of the new ones that weren’t sold out. Yummy.

We spent the rest of the afternoon roaming through the Russian River Valley. We had our picnic lunch at Rochioli Winery. It is a pretty vineyard with a great picnic area. They were very sweet and we enjoyed one of their current sauvignon blancs with our lunch. From there we headed on to Arista. A Texan family is behind this recent addition and they’ve started making some pretty good pinots. A winery to keep on your radar. Next we ventured to Gary Farrell. Stephen and I first went to Gary Farrell 5 years ago with Stephen’s friend Reid. It was our first wine tasting ever, and this pretty winery holds a special place in my heart. We acquired some of their library merlots and enjoyed the view. Our second to last stop was at Moshin Vineyards. They were hilarious. They have pretty decent wines and the tasting room and staff are highly amusing. While we sipped the wines against a musical backdrop of Lady Gaga, we listened to stories regarding the making of the wines. They had great one liners like “when you opt to do native yeast fermentation, don’t fill up the barrels completely, they overflow….” Finally, we went to J Vineyards to finish up with some sparkling wine. We tried vintage and late-disgorgement wines which were intriguing. The staff was not great. They were the least informed we’d ever met. Not the best experience, but tasty wines.

Dry Creek Kitchen

317 Healdsburg Avenue

Healdsburg, CA 95448-4105

(707) 922-5399

For our last night in the wine country, we revisited Charlie Palmer’s restaurant, conveniently located in the bottom of our stylish hotel. Of all the meals we had, this one was the most approachable. You weren’t wondering as to the ingredient combination or puzzled by a foam. Now I happen to adore adventuresome chefs, so approachable isn’t necessarily what I look for, but I know some folks do. If you want great food you understand, this is the place for you.

We started with the Sonoma Greens Salad which I expected to be composed of delicate spring leaves, but we got some pretty hearty romaine wedges instead. The dressing was nice, and I enjoyed crunching my way through. I then had the Coriander Crusted Duck with Caramelized Onions, Celeriac Mousseline and Confit. I ordered medium and it came out medium! The chefs out here don’t seem to be suffering from the under-doneness I’ve found elsewhere. I also ordered a side of the Ragout of Mushrooms, which was large and had tasty trumpets in it (my fave). Stephen had the Poached Guinea Hen with Peas and Ham. He also ordered a side of veggies which contained lovely summer squash and thinly sliced fennel. For dessert we split the ice cream/sorbet. It came in a triangle presentation of nine flavors. I loved the pistachio, the mint and the espresso-Baileys. Oh the strawberry rhubarb was superb. The chocolate and chili was a little heated for me, but overall, quite tasty!

For wine, we had a pinot off of their extremely Sonoma–focused wine list. You would be hard pressed to find a wine not from this specific area. We ended up trying out a 2007 Kosta Browne (K vineyard). It was a little unapproachable at first, but it opened up nicely with rich earthy undertones, and delicate red fruit on the palate.

Dry Creek Kitchen occupies a beautiful space. It has huge glass windows with large open areas under vaulted ceilings. Each of the tables is covered with a white table cloth, pots of ivy adorn the tops and the warm glow of firelight is cast about the place. The ambience supports the new American cuisine to perfection. This is a lovely restaurant.

Yank Sing

49 Stevenson Street

San Francisco, CA 94105

(415) 541-4949

I try to get dim sum every time I head to San Francisco. I always go to Yank Sing, which has multiple locations around down town. This location is tucked away on a side street, and it gets pretty crowded fast on the weekends. We always order a pot of jasmine tea and order what we fancy from the carts that are pushed around the dining room. One of their specialties is the Shanghai Dumpling or “soup” dumpling – a broth is carefully encased in a delicate wonton – and it is quite tasty. I also always order their pork baos and the egg custards. It’s a great place to gorge on lovely Chinese dumplings!

Napa/Sonoma Trip - Day Two

On Day 2 of the trip, we went to two of our favorite wineries.  We are on their mailing/distribution lists, and love their wines.  Unfortunately, if you’re not on their list, you can’t visit.  I would highly recommend checking out these wines though, if you have a chance at a restaurant, etc.  They are wonderful.    

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Paul Hobbs Winery

We actually had purchased a tasting at Paul Hobbs during a charity auction and dinner for HeartGift, a local Austin charity.  (We ended up getting on the list later.) Paul Hobbs makes glorious, lovely, elegant wines.  The winery is secluded and very hard to find but it is beautifully designed - we sat at a wonderful dining table in front of this very modern fire place that was done in cool whites with black accents.   We spent our morning with the events coordinator, who was extremely helpful and informative.  We were able to taste some pinots, which we were really excited about, as we’ve only had the cabs before.  We also tasted the 2005 Stagecoach cabernet sauvignon, a malbec, and two chardonnays.  Altogether a fantastic experience!

Fantesca Estate & Winery

Our afternoon tasting was at Fantesca.  This was another hard to find winery, but it was worth the journey.  We got to taste a range of their 2008 wines - the chard and the pinot.  We also were able to sample some fantastic cabernet.  This winery was recently purchased and so they seem to be still discovering themselves.  The pedigree of the vines and the winemakers (Heidi Barrett) they have on board are impressive.  This is going to be a crazy wine.  In addition the place has beautiful views, a crazy cave that is an old silver mine and great staff.  It was a good visit.  

Castello di Amorosa

This was my least favorite wine place by far.  It’s really a quintessential tourist trap.  Our driver thought it was the bees knees and we had always been curious about the massive medieval structure nestled in the hills.  So we checked it out.  All of the wine, while priced in the $20+ range, was disgusting.  They all had residual sugar and were super frou frou.  The castle was pretty intense though a tad goofy.  The actual structure, in terms of building materials and breadth was impressive (it does look like it came straight from 1300’s Italy).  Tons of kids were running around taking it all in.  All together a kitschy experience.  If you’re tired of tasting wine, check it out.  Otherwise, don’t go.     

Cyrus

29 North St
Healdsburg, CA 95448
(707) 433-3311

Amazing. I mean really, just amazing. Cyrus is located in the Sonoma town of Healdsburg.  It specializes in new American cuisine (read fusion flavors, locale ingredients, French preparation and techniques).  We had an absolutely wonderful dinner there.  

The dining room is a bit old-fashioned and is all creamy walls, mahogany wood and crisp white table cloths.  It was a comfy setting for the meal.  Immediately upon seating, we were offered 5 canapés in a tower representing various flavors – salty, sweet, sour, bitter and umami.  These ranged from spring rolls to glazed strawberries and all were delicately prepared.  It certainly set the tone for this dining adventure.  We then moved on to the caviar and champagne service.  They wheel this large cart around which contains all of their caviars on off on ice as well as an old-fashioned scale to weigh out your ounce or half-ounce.  It’s an impressive presentation and a fun way to start off the meal, especially since the accompaniments are re-imagined (the crème fraiche was frozen with liquid nitrogen and frozen and the eggs were somehow turned into yolk puddings – bizarre but tasty).  After the caviar, we selected the 5 course tasting menu (they offer 8 as well).  They have vegetarian menus as well.  They were very easy going about subbing in vegetarian options.  Stephen and I selected slightly different courses, and so we got to sample many dishes.  While we were waiting for our first dish we were treated to their bread select which is vast and baked every 20 minutes (seriously) as well as an amuse bouche of smoked salmon (to give the chef time to prepare).  Delish!

The wine list at Cyrus is very extensive.  While we were tempted by some bottles, we opted to just have the sommelier pair wines with each of our courses since were having so many different dishes.  I’m glad we did.  We had amazing wines that were unusual and well-matched.  I think my two favorites were a gruner veltliner and a madeiro,  though we had a lovely American nebbiolo and a pear cider as well.  Tough choices! We had never had any of the wines before, and we ended up tasting 9.  I love their sommelier!  

When we finally got to out meal we had everything from Artichokes a La Barigoule with Sauce Skordalia, Sea Bream with Galangal Rice Noodles and Banana Blossoms, to a Lamb Loin Roulad with Green Garlic Risotto and Fava Ben Ragout.  Everything was meticulously prepared and the flavors melded harmoniously.  As if this wasn’t enough food, we also had a cheese course and a dessert course.  Upon sitting down at our table, I had noticed this amazing cheese cart.  I had to have some.  Stephen and I each selected three cheeses with the help of the cheese “sommelier”.  They were all lovely. Finally we moved on to the dessert course.  I had a deconstructed Tira Misu and Stephen had the Chocolate and Peanut Butter Tart with Caramelized Banana Ice Cream.  Heaven.  As if this wasn’t enough, the candy cart was brought around.  As a parting gift, we were each given a box containing a brownie and were told to choose from their homemade lollipops, caramels, chocolates, nougats and cookies.  It was almost too much!  (They were all tasty treats later).  

Overall, Cyrus was one of my top five dining experiences.  The service was impeccable, the food beyond well prepared, and the wine interesting and varied.  A great experience all around! 

Healdsburg Hotel

25 Matheson Street

Healdsburg, CA 95448

(800) 889-7188

I love this hotel on the Healdsburg plaza.  It is a little bit older structure, but it has been updated nicely.  We stayed in a corner suite with a great view of the pool and courtyard.  The level of quality here is great as well.  Great spa products, nice coffee shop, and the continental breakfast is great.  The downstairs sitting area is outfitted with little tray tables next to the fire place and you treat your self to fruits and yogurt, eggs, sausage, bacon, smoked salmon, etc.  Very pleasant way to start the morning.  Also, the concierge is very helpful.  I highly recommend.   

Napa/Sonoma Trip - Day One

For our anniversary, we decided to celebrate by heading out to the wine country in northern California.  We spent several days in Napa Valley and Sonoma.  Unfortunately, the weather was not great - it rained a lot!  But as a result, everything was vibrant, almost hyperbolic, in its greenness.  Quite beautiful.

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On day one, it took us forever to get out of SFO and so we just made a quick stop at In-N-Out Burger.  It was actually the first time I had one of their famed burgers.  I confess that I am not much of a fast food person.  I have to say, they are pretty tasty, though, like all fast food burgers (or burgers in general), quite heavy.  I ordered a cheeseburger with grilled onions.  It came with their special sauce, which appears to be some derivation of russian dressing.  What really impressed us was their to go service -they gave us trays for our food and basically extra-large napkins to catch any stray food.  Very nice! 

Chappellet

Our only tasting on Thursday was at Chappellet at Pritchard Hill.  It is located far to the east of Napa valley.  It is a bit hard to get up there, as it is at a high elevation, but it is very pretty.  They are known for their cabernets, but of course they do a bunch of merlots, zins, cab francs, chards, etc.  Apparently they are going to be doing a chenin blanc soon.  That will be interesting to taste!  We ended up tasting a chardonnay, a cab franc, a merlot,   They were lovely to us and we got to taste a 1973 Cabernet.  Pretty fantastic - wines that are that old just have a completely different character.  

Bardessono

6526 Yount Street

Yountville, CA 94599-1270

(707) 204-6000

We spent our first night in Yountville at this gorgeous, spare, environmentally-conscious hotel.  I liked it a lot.  Our room was spacious and calming.  We had a fireplace and cool automatic shades on all of the windows.  The outdoor architecture was beautiful.  They have different designated areas designed around specific trees - we were in Magnolia, we also wandered through Olive and Birch.  Plus they had a wonderful kitchen garden with a crazy artichoke plant.  Lots of water features and stone work decorate the spaces.  This is a soothing place with attentive staff and a high level of quality.  I would definitely go back!

Vintner’s Collective

1245 Main St

Napa, CA 94559

(707) 255-7150

Wow.  The folks here represent 18 small, boutique producers.  We found some wines really like - all under the Ancien label - and one wine maker we think is amazing - Phillipe Melka.  The tasting room is located in downtown Napa in a nice old building that apparently used to be a laundry.  It has a lovely bar and they will pour you a tasting for $25 - 6 wines.  We must have tasted 10 or 12, because I was a tough cookie.  We learned a lot, though.  We enjoyed stopping by before dinner.  

Ubuntu

1140 Main Street

Napa, CA 94559-2639

(707) 251-5656

Ubuntu was fantastic.  This place was crazy good, and a little bit crazy too.  The restaurant cum yoga studio is right on main street in Napa.  The space is a large and open.  There is a bar to the right, part of the kitchen is on display in the back and there is a large communal table in the middle and smaller tables dispersed around the perimeter.  There are definitely some interesting sculptures - the people, the cow bell.  Large photo collage artwork with inspiring sayings on the wall - imagine no possessions, etc.  The waiters are helpful and very proudly tell you that the name is zulu and means extending humanity towards all (bit of BS if you ask me).

We started with a lovely snack of chickpeas with romesco sauce.  They were tender and succulent and gently spiced.  The menu changes depending on what is in their biodynamic garden and what they can get organic produce-wise.  We had the signature dish, which was spring leaves on a sardinian flatbread with thinly sliced and toasted mushrooms and truffled cheese.  It was light and a paean to all that is spring.  Then we had the gnocchi with roasted and raw turnips.  The raw turnips were almost sweet!  Lovely pesto - Stephen wished for more greens.  Then we had a curry with lemongrass and calcots.  The presentation was gorgeous and unexpected - the curry was cold, but tasty!  Finally, we had the grits, with the eggs, ricotta and chard.  This was the heaviest dish by far, but again a harmonious melding of flavors and textures.  All together, wonderful.  Not necessarily as light and healthy as I would have anticipated.  The wine list is small - all biodynamic growers and such.  We had too - a sauvignon blanc and a colombard (reminded me of a torrontes).  

Desserts were spectacular - Stephen had the chocolate and I had the pain perdue.  I would go back to this restaurant in a heartbeat.  Yum!  

Santa Barbara - A Quick Guide

Santa Barbara is an absolutely gorgeous town north of Los Angeles on the Pacific coastline. It is nestled right up to the water, with beautiful mountains behind. A much quieter locale than the rest of southern California, it is a great vacation spot. Besides stunning scenery and weather, it has fantastic little restaurants, shopping and a thriving wine country to boot. I highly recommend making a pilgrimage to this SoCal gem…

Where to Stay

Bacara Resort & Spa

8301 Hollister Avenue
Goleta, CA 93117
805-968-0100

This is a lovely Spanish-colonial style resort located slightly to the north of Santa Barbara proper. It is one of those places where, upon arrival, you find that the pictures you’ve seen haven’t exaggerated its beauty, but perhaps, under-rated. The complex is comprised of many small buildings with rooms and suites that are stocked with the highest quality amenities (Fresh products abound!). The property also has an amazing set of pools, a world class spa, golf and other activities, and fantastic vistas. It’s a treat to be able to stay here!

Shopping

State Street is the main drag of downtown Santa Barbara. It is a Mecca for shopping. It has everything from Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom’s to little boutiques and surf wear purveyors. From here it’s an easy jaunt to Stearn’s Wharf, which is pretty, but very kitschy.

Restaurants

Miro

8301 Hollister Avenue
Goleta, CA 93117
805-968-0100

This is the restaurant at the Bacara. It is a high-end purveyor of California haute cuisine. It has a lovely view over the cliffs of the Pacific Ocean. The wine list is quite extensive with a broad selection of Central Coast wines. The cuisine is inflected with Spanish edges (a nod to the name) but the ingredients are pure California - fresh and flavorful.

Bouchon

9 West Victoria Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-3123
805-730-1160

This is a small, almost delicate, restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara. It has a locally focused menu that changes seasonally to reflect the freshest available ingredients. I had an amazing dish of lamb chops here the first time I visited Santa Barbara - they were grilled to perfection and served with lovely, light accompaniments. They also have a great, almost exclusively Santa Barbara-sourced, wine list, I had a tasty little sparkling rosé from Flying Goat that I wish I could get in Texas....

Seagrass

30 East Ortega Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93101-1629
805-963-1012

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, this is a fantastic seafood restaurant. My little sister spent a semester UC Santa Barbara and every time someone came to visit her, she inevitably took them to Seagrass for dinner. This restaurant is all about the “coastal experience”. They do everything from amazing sashimi-style dishes to hearty bouillabaisse-like stews. While you will find some wines from further afield, Seagrass excels at providing a Santa-Barbara focused wine-list.

La Super-Rica Taqueria

622 North Milpas Street
Santa Barbara, CA 93103-3032
805-963-4940

Supposedly Julia Child’s favorite taco stand, La Super-Rica has been drawing long-lines of crowds for its authentic, Mexican tacos for some time. The building itself is hardly more than a shack, with a makeshift dining room out back. However, the cooks turn out quite the variety of tacos on small corn tortillas. I enjoyed the Rajas and the simple chicken taco. This place is cheap and an excellent lunch option.

Further Afield in the Wine Country

Less than 60 miles north of downtown Santa Barbara is the amazing wine country of Santa Barbara County. Encompassing three AVA’s, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Maria Valley, and Santa Rita Hills, this is definite Pinot country, though other varietals increasingly get their fare due. Visit for a day trip or a long weekend. It is simply beautiful.

The first town you will encounter along the 101 is Buellton. It is home to the restaurant cum winemaker The Hitching Post II (406 East Highway 246, Buellton, CA 93427, 805-688-0676). The Hitching Post II shot to fame in the movie Sideways as a purveyor of excellent Pinot Noirs. Head down Highway 246 to the little Danish town of Solvang. Among the Danish restaurants and curio shops is an excellent tasting room called the Tastes of the Valley (1672 Mission Dr (Hwy 246), Solvang, CA 93463, 805-688-7111). It is dedicated to providing a tasting venue for small, boutique wineries that can’t afford spaces of their own.

If you’re planning on a full day, head up to Los Olivos, a quaint little country town. If you’re hungry, head to Los Olivos Grocery (2621 Highway 154, Santa Ynez, CA 93460, 805-688-5115). Located in the small center of downtown Los Olivos, this is a true country store. It has an excellent deli that is perfect for picking up sandwiches for a picnic. If you’re planning on staying in the area, the Fess Parker Wine Country Inn (2860 Grand Avenue, Los Olivos, CA 93441, 805-688-7788) is a great option. Los Olivos also has many tasting rooms – check out Andrew Murray, Consilience and Qupé. Head on to the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail for a gorgeous drive through the wine country.

San Diego Restaurants

From My Recent January Trip:

Amarin

3843 Richmond Street

San Diego, CA 92103

619-296-6056

Located in Hillcrest, this quaint Thai restaurant serves up classic fare in comfortable surrounds. While the menu is quite extensive and a bit creative, the core dishes ring true. I would suggest trying the Pad Thai, Summer Rolls and various curries as they are all excellent. In addition, they have a reasonable selection of wines and beers. If you’re looking for authentic, Thai cuisine, venture forth to Hillcrest!

Tartine

1106 1st Street

Coronado, CA 92118

619-435-4323

Located on the bay-side of Coronado Island, Tartine offers French-European fare in a relaxed cafe environment. The restaurant offers pastries and coffees for breakfast. For lunch, the menu expands to include several excellent paninis - try the turkey (with marinated artichokes and gruyère) or the simple ham and brie - as well as salads and other small dishes such as quiche. Dinner includes a range of entrees from mussels to duckling. Altogether, Tartine is an excellent, light dining experience that hits the right note on Coronado’s main drag.

Extraordinary Desserts

2929 Fifth Avenue

San Diego, CA 92103

619-294-2132

Apparently there are two locations of this divine dessert locale. I went to the one situated in the little white house on near Balboa Park. There was a line snaking out onto the sidewalk when we arrived one Saturday night around 8PM, however, the waitstaff moved quickly to manage the volume and we did not end up standing around too long. The brainchild of pastry whiz Karen Krasne, this dessert shop offers amazingly sized cakes, pastries, etc. that are delicious and elegant. I had the passion fruit pavlova - meringue, passion fruit creme, fresh fruit - while my dining companions sampled some of the chocolate cakes - raspberry and dark chocolate, chocolate and praline. The whole aesthetic is traditional french-style desserts with global flavors and exotic panache. The average size of the desserts is enormous, so don’t be afraid to ask for a to go bag. If you can’t make it out to Balboa Park, there is another location in Little Italy. Enjoy!

Starlight

3175 India Street

San Diego, CA 92103

619-358-9766

I ventured to Starlight with my sister and her husband for an after-diner drink on a chilly Saturday night. My sister had heard that it was an intriguing and well-designed spot in an odd part of town, right off of the San Diego Freeway. It was indeed interesting. You enter through a hexagonal opening of wooden slats and immediately come upon the large central bar under a high ceiling with dangling star lights. There are tables pushed to the edges around the bar that are for dining. If the interior bar is full, make your way to the back, where there is a second, out door bar and seating area. We had a glass of sparkling rose vin du table out there and enjoyed the atmosphere. They have a large list of specialty cocktails as well. I understand their dinner menu to be locally, and seasonally focused Americana-fusion fare. Check it out.

The Lodge at Torrey Pines

11480 North Torrey Pines Road

La Jolla, CA 92037

858-453-4420

Nestled into the ocean-side cliffs north of La Jolla, The Lodge at Torrey Pines is an architecturally stunning resort, golf course, and great place to grab a cocktail before dinner! I’ve hung out in the bar at Torrey Pines several times. It’s very relaxing to sit either outside on the porch or inside next to the roaring fire while sipping a California Pinot or Chard. Designed in the Craftsman-style, it is all warm woods, stained glass and delicate wrought-iron details. If you have the time, wander about the property - it is gorgeous! I highly recommend stopping by at some point, if you are in the area.

From Past Visits:

Cafe Chloé

721 9th Avenue

San Diego, CA 92101

619-232-3242

Cafe Chloé is a cute little french eatery located in downtown San Diego. It offers lovely pastries and breakfast items in the morning followed by more traditional french bistro fare for lunch and in the evenings (think duck confit and steak-frites). The café is well-appointed emulating “Parisian-chic” with little tables inside and out, as well as a central dark wood bar. They have a decent wine list, heavily tilted towards france, as well as an informed selection of local and international beers. Overall, well worth a stop for a quick café au lait or a light meal if you’re in the area.

Sushi Ota

4529 Mission Bay Dr

San Diego, CA 92109

858-270-5670

This little sushi spot is regularly touted as one of the best in San Diego, if not the best. It’s location would belie all such aspirations as it is situated next to a 7 Eleven in a back corner of a little strip mall. You can make reservations, but they often don’t seem to mean much, as I’ve had to wait a good while to eat there every time I’ve gone. People just don’t want to leave! This is a classic sushi-joint. They do amazing pieces - luscious tuna, salmon, yellowtail, etc. They also have rolls and other japanese fare (like tempura and gyoza, e.g.) however, I wouldn’t waste my time on these creations. I would go straight for the good, old-fashioned sushi. It can’t be beat!

Hash House a Go Go

628 5th Avenue

San Diego, CA 92103-4220

619-298-4646

This mainly breakfast joint is constantly packed (though they serve lunch and dinner as well). You could go at 3 PM on any day and still probably encounter a wait. Known for their huge flapjacks and amazing hashes, this place is worth the wait. You will be so full, you won’t nbeed to eat anything for the rest of the day anyhow! I recommend the veggie HH Eggs Benedict, the House Smoked Salmon Hash and any of the Flapjacks (though particularly the Blueberry Pecan or the Brown Sugar Banana). Get one to share with your table!

Tractor Room

3687 5th Avenue

San Diego, CA 92103-4218

619-543-1007

The sister restaurant of the Hash House, it is actually located right down the street! I went here one morning after being turned away from Hash House. It was a lucky chance, as I like the Tractor Room even more than Hash House. It has the same over-sized approach to breakfast/brunch as the Hash House, but it is a little more refined. They serve up amazing rosemary corn bread to start while you sit and peruse the concise but broad menu. I highly recommend the Fresh Ground Lamb Scramble, the Elk Sausage Hash, and the Free Range Boar Hash. They are all delicious. Of course, they also have Flapjacks much like Hash House. They are huge, so again, get one for the table to share. Finally, they are whizzes with Bloody Mary’s. Sit outside on their porch, order yourself a cocktail, and while your Sunday afternoon away.