Sultan Kebab & Baklava
131 Jamacha Road
El Cajon, Ca.
619-440-1901
http://www.sultanbaklava.com/
Hours: 10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. daily
We've driven right by this place at least a couple of times a week for the past year but never managed to stop until we saw a review in the Union Trib...
As I can't eat most everything because of my health, The Darla did the honors today. She ordered the Adana Kebab; essentially a spiced beef kebab platter with rice, salad, yogurt and a gigantic sheet of flat bread.
It's named after Adana, a town in south central Turkey (I lived near Izmir, on Turkey's west coast, with weather very similar to San Diego).
For dessert, she had pistachio and walnut baklava and something resembling deep fried honey (the guy behind the counter spoke little English so we're not really sure what to call it). All of the desserts were exceedingly sweet, as was the always free Turkish tea (imagine 2 sugar cubes in a tiny little 2 ounce cup of tea and you get the idea)...
The meal was $10, $3 more for the desserts plus tax; for a grand total of $18 after the $3 plus tip.
Everything was good, portions were more than generous (The Darla made an omelet from the leftovers the next morning), the place was clean, staff was attentive to the customer and they have one heck of a bakery case...
I only had a brief opportunity to speak with a member of the family who tells us they came from Ankara approximately 4 years ago.
A note about the importance of tea in Turkey: it's THE social lubricant, especially since alcohol is frowned upon* and it's virtually impossible to escape as there are young boys with brass trays of hot tea everywhere, summonable by a snap of the fingers at hundreds of local shops throughout the city. They magically appear with their trays, small gold-rimmed glass tea cups, small spoons and a pyramid of sugar cubes.
*My dad bought a brand new 64 Chevy (green with a white top, 4 doors and inline 6 cylinder engine) to sell when we got to Turkey as new American cars went for a serious premium at the time and generally became taxi cabs for the rest of their lives.
After liberally plying the buyer with a couple of bottles of Chivas Regal, they arrived at a price ($6000 for a car my dad had paid $2300 cash for in Southern Illinois, then drove around for another year there in Turkey). The new owner would then pay another $6500 in taxes to the Turkish government and have the car stripped down to the frame, which they would then strengthen and put back together before it ever saw duty on the streets of Izmir.
When it was time to leave, my dad asked if he could get them a cab home and the new owner said "Don't worry, the car knows the way..."
No. 181
Barnes BBQ
Lemon Grove
It took us 3 trips to Lemon Grove until we finally got a chance to check this place out (they used to open later but it's 11:00 AM now).
We split the 2 Meats Plate (pork ribs and beef brisket) which comes with 2 side dishes (we ordered the beans and cole slaw) for $11.99 plus a Coke for for almost $15 including tax. We had forgotten to specify "sauce on the side" as they are known for their hickory smoke so it was all covered with a pretty fair sauce (a little too sweet for me, but...). We could taste the smoke in the brisket but not on the ribs.
Their beans supposedly get a fair shot of smoke as well but they were way, way too sweet for me.
In order to be fair, we will visit them again soon and this time, we'll remember to ask them for our sauce on the side.
Lemon Grove
It took us 3 trips to Lemon Grove until we finally got a chance to check this place out (they used to open later but it's 11:00 AM now).
We split the 2 Meats Plate (pork ribs and beef brisket) which comes with 2 side dishes (we ordered the beans and cole slaw) for $11.99 plus a Coke for for almost $15 including tax. We had forgotten to specify "sauce on the side" as they are known for their hickory smoke so it was all covered with a pretty fair sauce (a little too sweet for me, but...). We could taste the smoke in the brisket but not on the ribs.
Their beans supposedly get a fair shot of smoke as well but they were way, way too sweet for me.
In order to be fair, we will visit them again soon and this time, we'll remember to ask them for our sauce on the side.
No. 180
Pho SuperBowl in El Cajon
This place has been open for 3 weeks now and we stopped by this morning to check it out.
As I can't have a lot of things, I wasn't able to do the tasting today so we'll depend on the wife for that. She ordered the Beef & Shrimp Pho with a small green apple tea on the side.
The owner is a personable young guy and as we were the first customers in the door (10:30 AM on an overcast Sunday morning), we got to talk to him before he got too busy. The place was immaculate inside, something pretty rare around here nowadays...
They are also a grill but we didn't get a chance to check that out this visit (they also sell Ban Mi sandwiches, which is why we stopped by). The owner also gave the wife a small taste of Boba, a drink with bits of tapioca floating around in it, served ice cold and she liked that as well.
The wife loved the soup and says the green apple tea is wonderful as well and we'll be back soon. Our bill was $9 for enough to have fed both of us extremely well.
No web site.
After we left there, I drove across the street to Jack In The Box to check out their latest, a Bourbon BBQ Steak Grilled Sandwich (their description: Tender steak, melting American cheese, grilled onions and bourbon BBQ sauce on grilled artisan bread). I took 2 bites and tossed it into the trash (way too sweet)...
UPDATE (5 June 2011):
We stopped by with The Boy today for our second visit (there's another location right around the corner from where he and Stacy live in La Mesa).
This visit, the wife had the Orange Chicken, The Boy had the char-grilled Beef Soup, we split an order of Egg Rolls and a Green Apple (iced) Tea. Both agreed they'll come back again and Minh, one of the owners, gave The Boy the address for the La Mesa location.
Service and the food were both excellent again, the total was $24 and coin; make it an even $30 with tip...
This place has been open for 3 weeks now and we stopped by this morning to check it out.
As I can't have a lot of things, I wasn't able to do the tasting today so we'll depend on the wife for that. She ordered the Beef & Shrimp Pho with a small green apple tea on the side.
The owner is a personable young guy and as we were the first customers in the door (10:30 AM on an overcast Sunday morning), we got to talk to him before he got too busy. The place was immaculate inside, something pretty rare around here nowadays...
They are also a grill but we didn't get a chance to check that out this visit (they also sell Ban Mi sandwiches, which is why we stopped by). The owner also gave the wife a small taste of Boba, a drink with bits of tapioca floating around in it, served ice cold and she liked that as well.
The wife loved the soup and says the green apple tea is wonderful as well and we'll be back soon. Our bill was $9 for enough to have fed both of us extremely well.
No web site.
After we left there, I drove across the street to Jack In The Box to check out their latest, a Bourbon BBQ Steak Grilled Sandwich (their description: Tender steak, melting American cheese, grilled onions and bourbon BBQ sauce on grilled artisan bread). I took 2 bites and tossed it into the trash (way too sweet)...
UPDATE (5 June 2011):
We stopped by with The Boy today for our second visit (there's another location right around the corner from where he and Stacy live in La Mesa).
This visit, the wife had the Orange Chicken, The Boy had the char-grilled Beef Soup, we split an order of Egg Rolls and a Green Apple (iced) Tea. Both agreed they'll come back again and Minh, one of the owners, gave The Boy the address for the La Mesa location.
Service and the food were both excellent again, the total was $24 and coin; make it an even $30 with tip...
No. 179
Jersey Mike's Subs
This is a franchise operation which started out in New Jersey in 1956 and now has over 500 outlets coast to coast
We'd been meaning to check this place out for several months now and finally made it on the way back from visiting the VA in La Jolla today.
As the area had been wiped out by the recent flooding, I called ahead to make sure they were open.
We both had the Origianl Italian with provolone, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami and pepperoni
The standard fixin's (Mike's Way) include most of the usual stuff (shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, spices, and red wine vinegar) and the wife asked for several different peppers on her 4 inch "Mini" (I had the 7.5 inch regular).
With a soda, the total was just over $14.
The place was nicely laid out and clean and the people we dealt with were pleasant but we have a glut of sandwich shops here and hope they make the cut (we recently lost several Submarina locations)...
Their web site: http://www.jerseymikes.com/
This is a franchise operation which started out in New Jersey in 1956 and now has over 500 outlets coast to coast
We'd been meaning to check this place out for several months now and finally made it on the way back from visiting the VA in La Jolla today.
As the area had been wiped out by the recent flooding, I called ahead to make sure they were open.
We both had the Origianl Italian with provolone, ham, prosciuttini, cappacuolo, salami and pepperoni
The standard fixin's (Mike's Way) include most of the usual stuff (shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, spices, and red wine vinegar) and the wife asked for several different peppers on her 4 inch "Mini" (I had the 7.5 inch regular).
With a soda, the total was just over $14.
The place was nicely laid out and clean and the people we dealt with were pleasant but we have a glut of sandwich shops here and hope they make the cut (we recently lost several Submarina locations)...
Their web site: http://www.jerseymikes.com/
NO. 178
FIVE GUYS BURGERS & FRIES
The Darla and I made it out to Liberty Station (formely Naval Training Center San Diego - where I went to Teletype Repair School a lifetime ago) for lunch after a business meeting downtown yesterday.
As I'm now officially a gimp, it wasn't easy for me to get to the place (I had to park across the street and crawled over a low fence rather than walk around the long way).
It's fairly industrial looking inside, with 50 pound bags of potatoes, bags of peanuts in the shell (free while you wait for your order to come up) and boxes of peanut oil acting as room dividers, the large, open kitchen, the red & white tile treatment on the walls and counters (In & Out style) and how they alternate the color scheme of the hanging overhead light fixtures to match the checkerboard tile work.
We ordered 2 small burgers (the LBC - Little Bacon Cheeseburger - mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and mayo with Swiss cheese for me, everything on the wife's LHB - Little Hamburger), a small order of fries, their skinless hot dog and a Coke. By everything, they mean mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, mustard & ketchup. Additional (free) toppings include relish, onions, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce and hot sauce.
Burgers come in 2 sizes only, the only toppings for the hot dogs are cheese and bacon, fries are either regular or Cajun, small or large and there's also a grilled cheese and a veggie sammie on the extremely short menu (as it should be). They use the Coke product line (also a point in their favor) and sell bottled water (no shakes, coffee, etc).
Even the small burgers were large but when our order came up, they forgot the bacon part...
And they advertise that their meat is never frozen and there are no freezers in the place but the patty was almost flavorless and appeared to be a generic Angus burger.
The bun was only so so and with the mayo and other condiments, it was a sloppy, gloopy mess (I hated the stiff, taste free sliced tomatoes and the lettuce needed to be properly manicured).
The hot dog had good flavor (butterflied and grilled) and the bun was also grilled but it was way too much dense bread.
The fries were the high point, home made, awesome and huge!
They routinely fill the cup, put it in the bag with the rest of your order then dump another scoop on top of that.
My brother Jim in Cleveland Heights, Ohio (there's a location there too) warned us about making the rookie mistake: order a small, single order of fries which is more than enough for 2 people.
We spent $18.00 exactly and although the chain is supposedly the fastest growing company in the field (600 new locations last year), we really couldn't see the attraction despite the quotes on the wall (Zagat Survey, Boston Globe Magazine, GQ and other smaller publications such as Time Out New York, Colorado Springs Gazzette, GO Magazine, Gulfshore Life, etc )...
We will visit it again, at least once more, to be fair and to be sure we had an accurate sampling...
Their web site: http://www.fiveguys.com/
The Darla and I made it out to Liberty Station (formely Naval Training Center San Diego - where I went to Teletype Repair School a lifetime ago) for lunch after a business meeting downtown yesterday.
As I'm now officially a gimp, it wasn't easy for me to get to the place (I had to park across the street and crawled over a low fence rather than walk around the long way).
It's fairly industrial looking inside, with 50 pound bags of potatoes, bags of peanuts in the shell (free while you wait for your order to come up) and boxes of peanut oil acting as room dividers, the large, open kitchen, the red & white tile treatment on the walls and counters (In & Out style) and how they alternate the color scheme of the hanging overhead light fixtures to match the checkerboard tile work.
We ordered 2 small burgers (the LBC - Little Bacon Cheeseburger - mushrooms, lettuce, tomato and mayo with Swiss cheese for me, everything on the wife's LHB - Little Hamburger), a small order of fries, their skinless hot dog and a Coke. By everything, they mean mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, mustard & ketchup. Additional (free) toppings include relish, onions, jalapeno peppers, green peppers, A-1 sauce, BBQ sauce and hot sauce.
Burgers come in 2 sizes only, the only toppings for the hot dogs are cheese and bacon, fries are either regular or Cajun, small or large and there's also a grilled cheese and a veggie sammie on the extremely short menu (as it should be). They use the Coke product line (also a point in their favor) and sell bottled water (no shakes, coffee, etc).
Even the small burgers were large but when our order came up, they forgot the bacon part...
And they advertise that their meat is never frozen and there are no freezers in the place but the patty was almost flavorless and appeared to be a generic Angus burger.
The bun was only so so and with the mayo and other condiments, it was a sloppy, gloopy mess (I hated the stiff, taste free sliced tomatoes and the lettuce needed to be properly manicured).
The hot dog had good flavor (butterflied and grilled) and the bun was also grilled but it was way too much dense bread.
The fries were the high point, home made, awesome and huge!
They routinely fill the cup, put it in the bag with the rest of your order then dump another scoop on top of that.
My brother Jim in Cleveland Heights, Ohio (there's a location there too) warned us about making the rookie mistake: order a small, single order of fries which is more than enough for 2 people.
We spent $18.00 exactly and although the chain is supposedly the fastest growing company in the field (600 new locations last year), we really couldn't see the attraction despite the quotes on the wall (Zagat Survey, Boston Globe Magazine, GQ and other smaller publications such as Time Out New York, Colorado Springs Gazzette, GO Magazine, Gulfshore Life, etc )...
We will visit it again, at least once more, to be fair and to be sure we had an accurate sampling...
Their web site: http://www.fiveguys.com/
No. 177
Okawa Steak House & Sushi
This is where Trattoria Di IV (Italian Fusion) used to be in Santee.
It doesn't open until 11:30 AM so the wife and I had a spare 15 minutes to look over the menu before they were ready.
I didn't have any of the Western Rolls (cooked shrimp, avocado & cucmber & sushi rice with pickled ginger and wasabi) but the wife made short work of that ($6.50).
And although I'm not supposed to have beef and shrimp, my cravings got the better of me and we split an order of the Tempura Shrimp & Veggies (2 large shrimp, yams, squash & sweet potato - $6.00).
We also split the Hibachi Samurai Steak from the lunch menu (steak, grilled vegetables, rice, salad, miso soup - $10.95). The veggies were grilled baby corn, onions, mushrooms, zucchini & carrots and were spinkled with sesame seeds. Even though the steak portion was fairly small, it was very flavorful and perfectly done and because of my condition, I didn't have more than about a third of it.
The wife also had hot tea but their iced tea had that artificial berry flavoring in it so I waited until I got home for a bottle of water.
Our total was $26.35; make it an even $30 with tip.
We both agreed we'd go back again, despite the iced tea...
This is where Trattoria Di IV (Italian Fusion) used to be in Santee.
It doesn't open until 11:30 AM so the wife and I had a spare 15 minutes to look over the menu before they were ready.
I didn't have any of the Western Rolls (cooked shrimp, avocado & cucmber & sushi rice with pickled ginger and wasabi) but the wife made short work of that ($6.50).
And although I'm not supposed to have beef and shrimp, my cravings got the better of me and we split an order of the Tempura Shrimp & Veggies (2 large shrimp, yams, squash & sweet potato - $6.00).
We also split the Hibachi Samurai Steak from the lunch menu (steak, grilled vegetables, rice, salad, miso soup - $10.95). The veggies were grilled baby corn, onions, mushrooms, zucchini & carrots and were spinkled with sesame seeds. Even though the steak portion was fairly small, it was very flavorful and perfectly done and because of my condition, I didn't have more than about a third of it.
The wife also had hot tea but their iced tea had that artificial berry flavoring in it so I waited until I got home for a bottle of water.
Our total was $26.35; make it an even $30 with tip.
We both agreed we'd go back again, despite the iced tea...
No. 176
Smashburger in La Jolla
We stopped by right in the middle of the lunch rush and it was crowded (locals and tourists). The decor is modern commercial, there's seating for maybe 50 people (mainly booths with a small counter and several small tables out front), parking is very hard to find, it's claustrophobic in there when it's busy and I imagine the rent is a bear in the heart of downtown La Jolla...
After finally getting a booth, the food arrived fairly soon despite the crowd and everything was hot and well done, no complaints there.
The wife had their third pound Spicy Baja Burger which comes with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle mayo and fresh jalapenoes on a chipotle bun (hold the cheese, please), I had the third pound Mushroom Swiss Burger (mushrooms, Swiss with mayo on their egg bun), we split an order of fries and I had a Coke. The total was $16.70.
The buns were both good, as were the condiments on both burgers and although it's an Angus beef patty, I had a hard time distinguishing the flavor (it's sort of like Burger Lounge's grass fed beef)...
The fries are similar to Mickey D's but are served in a wire basket, as are the burgers.
And taking a page from my brother Jim's book, I asked for my Coke in a frosted mug.
The wife really liked her burger but also realizes there's nothing there she couldn't also do at home and I'd go back, if I were already over that way and it wasn't during the lunch hour rush or tourist season.
Their web site: http://www.smashburger.com/
We stopped by right in the middle of the lunch rush and it was crowded (locals and tourists). The decor is modern commercial, there's seating for maybe 50 people (mainly booths with a small counter and several small tables out front), parking is very hard to find, it's claustrophobic in there when it's busy and I imagine the rent is a bear in the heart of downtown La Jolla...
After finally getting a booth, the food arrived fairly soon despite the crowd and everything was hot and well done, no complaints there.
The wife had their third pound Spicy Baja Burger which comes with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, onion, chipotle mayo and fresh jalapenoes on a chipotle bun (hold the cheese, please), I had the third pound Mushroom Swiss Burger (mushrooms, Swiss with mayo on their egg bun), we split an order of fries and I had a Coke. The total was $16.70.
The buns were both good, as were the condiments on both burgers and although it's an Angus beef patty, I had a hard time distinguishing the flavor (it's sort of like Burger Lounge's grass fed beef)...
The fries are similar to Mickey D's but are served in a wire basket, as are the burgers.
And taking a page from my brother Jim's book, I asked for my Coke in a frosted mug.
The wife really liked her burger but also realizes there's nothing there she couldn't also do at home and I'd go back, if I were already over that way and it wasn't during the lunch hour rush or tourist season.
Their web site: http://www.smashburger.com/
No. 175
Schlotzsky's Deli
Grossmont Center
La Mesa, Ca.
I had The Original (smoked ham, Genoa and cotto salami, melted Cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, black olives, red onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard and their special sauce on a toasted sourdough bun) and with their chips & soda, the combo was for $6.49 plus tax. I was visiting the wife in Grossmont Hospital (right across the street).
I thought I'd eaten at the Sacramento location maybe 15 years ago...
I don't particulary care for their bun (deli doesn't belong on a bun), there was too much finely shredded lettuce and the tomato ends were disgusting.
They also serve pizza, pannini, wraps, soup, salad and a couple of desserts (cookies, carrot cake)
Their web site: http://www.schlotskys.com/
Grossmont Center
La Mesa, Ca.
I had The Original (smoked ham, Genoa and cotto salami, melted Cheddar, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, black olives, red onions, lettuce, tomato, mustard and their special sauce on a toasted sourdough bun) and with their chips & soda, the combo was for $6.49 plus tax. I was visiting the wife in Grossmont Hospital (right across the street).
I thought I'd eaten at the Sacramento location maybe 15 years ago...
I don't particulary care for their bun (deli doesn't belong on a bun), there was too much finely shredded lettuce and the tomato ends were disgusting.
They also serve pizza, pannini, wraps, soup, salad and a couple of desserts (cookies, carrot cake)
Their web site: http://www.schlotskys.com/
No. 174
Bull's Smokin' BBQ
Finally. We drove right past this place half a dozen times looking for it, mis-read the map a couple of times, drove right by the life-size bull sculpture on the sidewalk, missed the bull shaped sign on the roof, but we finally made it over there for lunch today...
It's on the corner, with seating for 32 inside and more than that on the patio.
Decor could best be summarized as western...
BTW: One of the original partners was from TV Food Network's "Iron Chef" but he's no longer affiliated with the business.
We started off with the Bull's Duo, half a pulled pork sandwich and half a beef brisket sandwich. We liked the bun, the meat was good (nice smoke signature) and they allow you to sauce it yourself so we sampled both the spicy and sweet sauces as well. The wife liked the brisket, the pulled pork had great texture and flavor and she really liked the spicier of the 2 sauces but the cole slaw wasn't too good.
I also ordered an iced tea and after we polished off the sammies, we asked for a taste of the Andouille. It was too spicy for me but had good flavor.
Then we had a couple of pork ribs a la cart (country ribs, not baby backs). They were fall-off-the-bone tender with plenty of meat and that seemed to top us off (and more iced tea).
Our bill was $18.53 including a $2 tip to the server / bartender.
Would we go back?
Yes, especially for the pulled pork and brisket sandwiches.
Their web site: http://www.bullssmokinbbq.com
PS: While one of the owners was showing someone else around the place, he mentioned that they also smoke their own salmon and of course, the wife had to pipe up and say "I bet they're hard to light..."
Finally. We drove right past this place half a dozen times looking for it, mis-read the map a couple of times, drove right by the life-size bull sculpture on the sidewalk, missed the bull shaped sign on the roof, but we finally made it over there for lunch today...
It's on the corner, with seating for 32 inside and more than that on the patio.
Decor could best be summarized as western...
BTW: One of the original partners was from TV Food Network's "Iron Chef" but he's no longer affiliated with the business.
We started off with the Bull's Duo, half a pulled pork sandwich and half a beef brisket sandwich. We liked the bun, the meat was good (nice smoke signature) and they allow you to sauce it yourself so we sampled both the spicy and sweet sauces as well. The wife liked the brisket, the pulled pork had great texture and flavor and she really liked the spicier of the 2 sauces but the cole slaw wasn't too good.
I also ordered an iced tea and after we polished off the sammies, we asked for a taste of the Andouille. It was too spicy for me but had good flavor.
Then we had a couple of pork ribs a la cart (country ribs, not baby backs). They were fall-off-the-bone tender with plenty of meat and that seemed to top us off (and more iced tea).
Our bill was $18.53 including a $2 tip to the server / bartender.
Would we go back?
Yes, especially for the pulled pork and brisket sandwiches.
Their web site: http://www.bullssmokinbbq.com
PS: While one of the owners was showing someone else around the place, he mentioned that they also smoke their own salmon and of course, the wife had to pipe up and say "I bet they're hard to light..."
No. 173
Kabaya
This is one of 2 noodle stands just inside the door of Mitsuwa Market, where we buy our imported sushi grade rice (Kokoho Rose). It's a large Japanese grocery store, maybe 15 miles from here. Incidentally, Sam the Cooking Guy also shops there (we ran into him shortly after we had dim sum with him at another place about a mile from there)...
I had the Number 23 which means jumbo prawns, rice, tempura veggies, miso soup, something pickled (your guess is as good as mine) and I also had a Sierra Mist, the Pepsi equivalent of Sprite.
The wife ordered almost the same (minus the tempura), the Number 22..
Our total (including tax) was just over $16.
The prawns were huge, I didn't much care for the soup as it was lukewarm at best but the wife really liked the pickled whatever (she thinks it's some kind of sea weed but I think it's a squash or cucumber).
And yes, we'd go back again (the next time we run out of rice)...
This is one of 2 noodle stands just inside the door of Mitsuwa Market, where we buy our imported sushi grade rice (Kokoho Rose). It's a large Japanese grocery store, maybe 15 miles from here. Incidentally, Sam the Cooking Guy also shops there (we ran into him shortly after we had dim sum with him at another place about a mile from there)...
I had the Number 23 which means jumbo prawns, rice, tempura veggies, miso soup, something pickled (your guess is as good as mine) and I also had a Sierra Mist, the Pepsi equivalent of Sprite.
The wife ordered almost the same (minus the tempura), the Number 22..
Our total (including tax) was just over $16.
The prawns were huge, I didn't much care for the soup as it was lukewarm at best but the wife really liked the pickled whatever (she thinks it's some kind of sea weed but I think it's a squash or cucumber).
And yes, we'd go back again (the next time we run out of rice)...
No. 172
Eddie's of North Park
Despite the rain (I got soaked after we ate), we made it a point to check this place out for lunch today (we've been meaning to get over there for maybe a year now)...
It's on a corner in North Park, a free-standing house converted to its' current use (imagine the mid 70's / early Togo's for those of you reading this in Silicon Valley, you know who you are).
And yes, there is an Eddie but he works the second shift so we didn't get to talk to him (maybe our next visit).
Yo, Eddie!
Their web site (link below) says they use the traditional Amoroso rolls, there's seating for maybe 2 dozen or so inside, there is a Tastykakes sign on the wall near our table and Eddie has a nice collection of Philly memorabilia, as well as a Coke sign and a hamburger sign my brother Jim would love to have in his collection...
On to the grub:
Of course, I had the mushroom cheesesteak with no salt, no onions and extra white American cheese. It was large and superb, meaning no dinner tonight for me and I now have one more choice for a great cheeesesteak, this one even closer than the others.
The wife had the French Dip (reasonably priced at $7.50) and comparable to the best we've had here in SoCal (Milton's, DZ Akins, etc) with the exception of Phillippe's in LA, where the French Dip was invented in 1918.
Candidly, there's also at least one other French Dip near and dear to us, in Squarefield, of all places; a place I first ate at in 1962, but I digress...
There's also a ribeye steak sandwich on the menu but it's supposed to be a dinner-only thing and as the boss wasn't there, it'll have to wait until at least our second visit, sometime in the next couple of weeks.
The only negative thing I can possibly say about the place are the generic crinkle-cut fries (I'm a serious guy when it comes to my fries, as many of you already know). They were served hot (my biggest pet peeve being cold fries - there's simply no excuse for it!) but by the time I'd had my way with the beef, I didn't have much of an appetite for the potatoes.
I also had a fountain Coke and the total was a very affordable $20.66 including an extra $.75 each for mushrooms and the extra cheese.
Eddie's is also wheelchair accessible or whatever it's called now, with a monster of a ramp to get to the front door, an accommodation that geezers (such as myself) may soon find all too necessary...
http://www.eddiesphilly.com/
Eddie's
3501 30th St
San Diego, Ca.
Despite the rain (I got soaked after we ate), we made it a point to check this place out for lunch today (we've been meaning to get over there for maybe a year now)...
It's on a corner in North Park, a free-standing house converted to its' current use (imagine the mid 70's / early Togo's for those of you reading this in Silicon Valley, you know who you are).
And yes, there is an Eddie but he works the second shift so we didn't get to talk to him (maybe our next visit).
Yo, Eddie!
Their web site (link below) says they use the traditional Amoroso rolls, there's seating for maybe 2 dozen or so inside, there is a Tastykakes sign on the wall near our table and Eddie has a nice collection of Philly memorabilia, as well as a Coke sign and a hamburger sign my brother Jim would love to have in his collection...
On to the grub:
Of course, I had the mushroom cheesesteak with no salt, no onions and extra white American cheese. It was large and superb, meaning no dinner tonight for me and I now have one more choice for a great cheeesesteak, this one even closer than the others.
The wife had the French Dip (reasonably priced at $7.50) and comparable to the best we've had here in SoCal (Milton's, DZ Akins, etc) with the exception of Phillippe's in LA, where the French Dip was invented in 1918.
Candidly, there's also at least one other French Dip near and dear to us, in Squarefield, of all places; a place I first ate at in 1962, but I digress...
There's also a ribeye steak sandwich on the menu but it's supposed to be a dinner-only thing and as the boss wasn't there, it'll have to wait until at least our second visit, sometime in the next couple of weeks.
The only negative thing I can possibly say about the place are the generic crinkle-cut fries (I'm a serious guy when it comes to my fries, as many of you already know). They were served hot (my biggest pet peeve being cold fries - there's simply no excuse for it!) but by the time I'd had my way with the beef, I didn't have much of an appetite for the potatoes.
I also had a fountain Coke and the total was a very affordable $20.66 including an extra $.75 each for mushrooms and the extra cheese.
Eddie's is also wheelchair accessible or whatever it's called now, with a monster of a ramp to get to the front door, an accommodation that geezers (such as myself) may soon find all too necessary...
http://www.eddiesphilly.com/
Eddie's
3501 30th St
San Diego, Ca.
No. 171
The Tin Fish II (Downtown)
The Tin Fish's original location is at the end of the pier in Imperial Beach and we've been there many times (it's one of several places we always take our out of town guests).
This location is in the shadow of PetCo park and across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel and McCormick & Schmick's and as we were downtown so the wife could go to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCASD), it was a short drive to The Tin Fish.
The menu here appears to be identical to their IB location and it's all good.
Today, we had our normal, the Fish & Chips platter. There are 2 sizes and we split the larger one, with 6 deep fried shrimp and approximately that number of pieces of fish as well, cole slaw, cross cut potatoes and I had an orange soda (the wife had water). The fries bordered on lukewarm but other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our total was $17 and coin.
I should point out that the cocktail sauce had a nice bite to it and this place has an enormous amount of outdoor seating, right across from San Diego's massive Convention Center so if you find yourself hungry while at next year's Comic-Con...
The Tin Fish's original location is at the end of the pier in Imperial Beach and we've been there many times (it's one of several places we always take our out of town guests).
This location is in the shadow of PetCo park and across the street from the Hard Rock Hotel and McCormick & Schmick's and as we were downtown so the wife could go to the Museum of Contemporary Art (MCASD), it was a short drive to The Tin Fish.
The menu here appears to be identical to their IB location and it's all good.
Today, we had our normal, the Fish & Chips platter. There are 2 sizes and we split the larger one, with 6 deep fried shrimp and approximately that number of pieces of fish as well, cole slaw, cross cut potatoes and I had an orange soda (the wife had water). The fries bordered on lukewarm but other than that, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Our total was $17 and coin.
I should point out that the cocktail sauce had a nice bite to it and this place has an enormous amount of outdoor seating, right across from San Diego's massive Convention Center so if you find yourself hungry while at next year's Comic-Con...
No. 170
Casa de Bandini
Carlsbad, Ca.
We first ate at (and wrote about) Casa de Bandini before we had even decided to move back here. In fact, we had researched the place before we came down on vacation (pre-Google) and it was the first San Diego grub we had, arriving just in time to check into the hotel and go to dinner (we had been craving some good Mexican food for quite some time, so..).
We fell in love with the place (great old historical building, great food) and made it a point to stop by every time we came back on vacation.
And after we moved here, we used to take all of our out of town friends there.
Casa de Bandini was created by Diane Powers and was originally in Old Town before lame duck Governor Gray Davis showed her the door (Old Town is a state park), and gave the contract to a corporation out of Delaware (?), a campaign contributor, our best guess...
Obviously, we hated to see it go.
Fast forward several years and it's now open in Carlsbad, maybe 40 miles from here.
I don't get around much anymore so it was several months before we could all get together and make the trip up there.
As I had to go to the VA Hospital in La Jolla for the Coumadin clinic this morning (they take my blood, measure a couple of levels and I'm done in 10 minutes), we decided to make the short trip (from there) less than 10 miles up the coast to Carlsbad and see the new place.
Incidentally, we drove by the place a couple of times until the guy at the gas station told us that the street wasn't marked properly.
It's a nice, new building with certain of the artifacts from the original sprinkled around the main dining room (there's a large outdoor area as well).
The Boy ordered La Especial de la Casa ("Our most magnificent Mexican combination plates with carne asada, green chile & cheese tamal, chicken enchilada, concha of frijoles, Mexican rice and guacamole. A perfect sampling of many of our popular Mexican items - $16.75"), the wife ordered the Camarones Rancheros ("Tender shrimp sautéed with fresh vegetables in a mildly spicy ranchero sauce. Served with Mexican rice and frijoles - $15.95") and I had a beef taco & enchilada with beans & rice (Las Combinaciones). I also had an iced tea (nice glasses), the Boy had a Coke and the wife, who really doesn't drink much with her meals, had a glass of water. Of course, we also had a heap of warm chips and fresh and tangy salsa and our total was $54.05, make it an even $62 with tip...
Of course everything was great. I tasted the shrimp (several times), the wife and Boy traded tastes and I parted out half of my taco and enchilada so they could try them as well. Needless to say, I was the only one to walk out of there not stuffed to the gills (and there'll be no dinner tonight).
Their web site: http://www.bazaardelmundo.com/bandini/
Carlsbad, Ca.
We first ate at (and wrote about) Casa de Bandini before we had even decided to move back here. In fact, we had researched the place before we came down on vacation (pre-Google) and it was the first San Diego grub we had, arriving just in time to check into the hotel and go to dinner (we had been craving some good Mexican food for quite some time, so..).
We fell in love with the place (great old historical building, great food) and made it a point to stop by every time we came back on vacation.
And after we moved here, we used to take all of our out of town friends there.
Casa de Bandini was created by Diane Powers and was originally in Old Town before lame duck Governor Gray Davis showed her the door (Old Town is a state park), and gave the contract to a corporation out of Delaware (?), a campaign contributor, our best guess...
Obviously, we hated to see it go.
Fast forward several years and it's now open in Carlsbad, maybe 40 miles from here.
I don't get around much anymore so it was several months before we could all get together and make the trip up there.
As I had to go to the VA Hospital in La Jolla for the Coumadin clinic this morning (they take my blood, measure a couple of levels and I'm done in 10 minutes), we decided to make the short trip (from there) less than 10 miles up the coast to Carlsbad and see the new place.
Incidentally, we drove by the place a couple of times until the guy at the gas station told us that the street wasn't marked properly.
It's a nice, new building with certain of the artifacts from the original sprinkled around the main dining room (there's a large outdoor area as well).
The Boy ordered La Especial de la Casa ("Our most magnificent Mexican combination plates with carne asada, green chile & cheese tamal, chicken enchilada, concha of frijoles, Mexican rice and guacamole. A perfect sampling of many of our popular Mexican items - $16.75"), the wife ordered the Camarones Rancheros ("Tender shrimp sautéed with fresh vegetables in a mildly spicy ranchero sauce. Served with Mexican rice and frijoles - $15.95") and I had a beef taco & enchilada with beans & rice (Las Combinaciones). I also had an iced tea (nice glasses), the Boy had a Coke and the wife, who really doesn't drink much with her meals, had a glass of water. Of course, we also had a heap of warm chips and fresh and tangy salsa and our total was $54.05, make it an even $62 with tip...
Of course everything was great. I tasted the shrimp (several times), the wife and Boy traded tastes and I parted out half of my taco and enchilada so they could try them as well. Needless to say, I was the only one to walk out of there not stuffed to the gills (and there'll be no dinner tonight).
Their web site: http://www.bazaardelmundo.com/bandini/
No. 169
Gio in La Mesa
We first heard about this place when they called the wife for an interview, then called her back to cancel it (what's up with that?).
We finally made it over there today and it's a big place at the very end of the restaurant / antique row that is downtown La Mesa. Today (Thursday) is also their day for the hot rods so we got free entertainment as well.
We left here right at 3:00 PM so we were able to order from the lunch menu (dinner menu starts at 5:00 PM). We split an order of Fish & Chips, a side order of Tequila Lime Shrimp, I had an iced tea and the wife had iced water.
The fish (cod) was nicely done and affordable ($10) including fries and cole slaw. The appetizer shrimp were $9 and our bill was just over $23 ($27 total, including the tip). Our only complaint is that the shrimp were a little tough (overcooked?) and we will come back again.
We should probably also mention that the place is huge, with indoor and outdoor seating and a glass garage door that opens up to the fresh air on the sidewalk out front.
Their web site: http://www.giorestaurant.net/
We first heard about this place when they called the wife for an interview, then called her back to cancel it (what's up with that?).
We finally made it over there today and it's a big place at the very end of the restaurant / antique row that is downtown La Mesa. Today (Thursday) is also their day for the hot rods so we got free entertainment as well.
We left here right at 3:00 PM so we were able to order from the lunch menu (dinner menu starts at 5:00 PM). We split an order of Fish & Chips, a side order of Tequila Lime Shrimp, I had an iced tea and the wife had iced water.
The fish (cod) was nicely done and affordable ($10) including fries and cole slaw. The appetizer shrimp were $9 and our bill was just over $23 ($27 total, including the tip). Our only complaint is that the shrimp were a little tough (overcooked?) and we will come back again.
We should probably also mention that the place is huge, with indoor and outdoor seating and a glass garage door that opens up to the fresh air on the sidewalk out front.
Their web site: http://www.giorestaurant.net/
No. 168
Blue Water Seafood Grill
We saw this place on "Diners, Drive Ins & Dives" last week and decided to check it out when I picked the wife up at school shortly after Noon today.
It's across the freeway from the airport (20 miles from here, just like everything else worth doing or eating here), parking is hard to get, it's small and crowded and they don't have near enough seating. And they appear to be understaffed (no refills, long waits, etc), it's expensive and the menu needs reworking (it's a bit confusing) but other than that, it's a great place!
The wife had the Alaskan Halibut Sandwich with lemon garlic marinade and served on a bolillo (Mexican roll) with lettuce, tomato, sliced avocado, red onion and their white sauce. I had the grilled jumbo shrimp plate with salad and rice and a couple of Sprites, which were close to warm when the order came, easily a half hour after walking into the place.
The wife loved her sandwich (and my shrimp) and ate some of the salad and rice as well. There were approximately a dozen shrimp, grilled after marinating in the same lemon garlic butter. I asked the woman at the cash register if I could have cole slaw instead of the salad but she said it'd be a buck more (cole slaw is a lot cheaper to make than that salad), so I declined.
Our total was $42.30...
I also asked her if it was normally this busy or was it because they played their segment on "Diners, Drive Ins & Dives again recently and she said "Both".
There are 8 four-top tables on the patio, approximately the same in the main room and they are stocked with malt vinegar, Tapatio, Sricacha and Cholula hot sauces on each table.
We were there close to an hour and a half, we fed the meter $1.50 for parking, the line had dwindled to only 3 people by the time we left (1:45 PM) and the wife said she'd definitely go back again, just not when it's so busy.
No web site.
We saw this place on "Diners, Drive Ins & Dives" last week and decided to check it out when I picked the wife up at school shortly after Noon today.
It's across the freeway from the airport (20 miles from here, just like everything else worth doing or eating here), parking is hard to get, it's small and crowded and they don't have near enough seating. And they appear to be understaffed (no refills, long waits, etc), it's expensive and the menu needs reworking (it's a bit confusing) but other than that, it's a great place!
The wife had the Alaskan Halibut Sandwich with lemon garlic marinade and served on a bolillo (Mexican roll) with lettuce, tomato, sliced avocado, red onion and their white sauce. I had the grilled jumbo shrimp plate with salad and rice and a couple of Sprites, which were close to warm when the order came, easily a half hour after walking into the place.
The wife loved her sandwich (and my shrimp) and ate some of the salad and rice as well. There were approximately a dozen shrimp, grilled after marinating in the same lemon garlic butter. I asked the woman at the cash register if I could have cole slaw instead of the salad but she said it'd be a buck more (cole slaw is a lot cheaper to make than that salad), so I declined.
Our total was $42.30...
I also asked her if it was normally this busy or was it because they played their segment on "Diners, Drive Ins & Dives again recently and she said "Both".
There are 8 four-top tables on the patio, approximately the same in the main room and they are stocked with malt vinegar, Tapatio, Sricacha and Cholula hot sauces on each table.
We were there close to an hour and a half, we fed the meter $1.50 for parking, the line had dwindled to only 3 people by the time we left (1:45 PM) and the wife said she'd definitely go back again, just not when it's so busy.
No web site.
No. 167
The Pretty One (Fred)...
FRED's in El Cajon
We first met Fred at his Alpine outlet when the Boy and I unsuccessfully tried to eat his 2 lb Monster Alpine Burger (No. 150).
This place is an old Taco Bell and he and his partners did a great job converting it into a hamburger & hot dog stand with drive thru, outdoor seating for 20 and 32 seats inside.
The menu has quarter pound, half pound and three quarter pound burgers, patty melt, quarter pound hot dog, corn dog, cheesesteak, grilled cheese, BLT, chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets, as well as crinkle cut fries, onion rings, malts, shakes and sodas...
We missed seeing Fred (the pretty one) when we dropped by today but we'll stop by again soon.
We tried the quarter pounder for the wife and I accidentally ordered the Monster Burger, thinking it was a half pounder (it's a 3/4 pound chunk of ground beef) combo (with fries and soda). The bun is good and the burger patties are different from anything else we've had around here. The fries were hot and we will be back again soon. Our combined total was $11.28.
UPDATE: We've been back several times now and it's our favorite burger place in town. On our second visit, I had a single cheeseburger (hold the special sauce, add mayo), and stopped by twice more to get the photo of Fred (The Pretty One) above...
We first met Fred at his Alpine outlet when the Boy and I unsuccessfully tried to eat his 2 lb Monster Alpine Burger (No. 150).
This place is an old Taco Bell and he and his partners did a great job converting it into a hamburger & hot dog stand with drive thru, outdoor seating for 20 and 32 seats inside.
The menu has quarter pound, half pound and three quarter pound burgers, patty melt, quarter pound hot dog, corn dog, cheesesteak, grilled cheese, BLT, chicken sandwich and chicken nuggets, as well as crinkle cut fries, onion rings, malts, shakes and sodas...
We missed seeing Fred (the pretty one) when we dropped by today but we'll stop by again soon.
We tried the quarter pounder for the wife and I accidentally ordered the Monster Burger, thinking it was a half pounder (it's a 3/4 pound chunk of ground beef) combo (with fries and soda). The bun is good and the burger patties are different from anything else we've had around here. The fries were hot and we will be back again soon. Our combined total was $11.28.
UPDATE: We've been back several times now and it's our favorite burger place in town. On our second visit, I had a single cheeseburger (hold the special sauce, add mayo), and stopped by twice more to get the photo of Fred (The Pretty One) above...
No. 166
SONIC in Santee:
The new Sonic Drive In has been open for almost a month now and we were finally able to drive into the parking lot, grab a space, order a meal and check the place out this morning (lunch at 9:00 AM).
After pressing the button, someone finally acknowledged us after maybe 8 or 9 minutes (I pressed it more than once), and after repeating our order a total of 4 times to this ditzoid, it was delivered maybe 3 or 4 minutes later.
Of course, much of it was wrong (cold fries, no napkins, you have to ask for condiments, which they carry around in a fanny pack, cheese on the burger when I specifically said "NO CHEESE!" and more than once), and after the wife walked into the service area, (instead of waiting another 8 or 9 minutes for someone to respond to the damn button), they brought us some hot fries.
We ordered the Extra long Coney Dog, a Works Supersonic (burger), onion rings, fries and a Coke. Our total was $12.69 and I tipped the kid who delivered it a buck.
Those of you familiar with "Reno 911" will know what I mean when I say we were served by Terry, who was a nice enough kid (they have to buy their own skates or roller blades) and none of this disaster was his fault.
The Coney Dog was mediocre at best, the onion rings way too sweet, the cold fries were ghastly but we changed our minds when we got a hot order and the burger was not bad at all, despite the wife's lactose intolerance...
We had intended to count the covered parking spaces on our way out but they still haven't solved their traffic problem and orange traffic cones block most everything off so we weren't able to drive around to that side of the building, where there appears to be maybe another 20 spaces, maybe more.
There are also 5 tables out front so walk up customers can get served there...
Would I go back?
Not likely but if I did, I would order the burger again (and fries, if they're hot).
UPDATE (3 June 2009):
We were finally able to drive right in and order our food today, after 10:00 AM as well. I had the Supersonic burger again, the wife had a single, we split a small fry (no salt) and tried the Cherry Limeade we see on their TV ads.
The Supersonic was fine (the wife wasn't impressed), the fries were only lukewarm and the Cherry limeade was too sweet for our old palates.
The new Sonic Drive In has been open for almost a month now and we were finally able to drive into the parking lot, grab a space, order a meal and check the place out this morning (lunch at 9:00 AM).
After pressing the button, someone finally acknowledged us after maybe 8 or 9 minutes (I pressed it more than once), and after repeating our order a total of 4 times to this ditzoid, it was delivered maybe 3 or 4 minutes later.
Of course, much of it was wrong (cold fries, no napkins, you have to ask for condiments, which they carry around in a fanny pack, cheese on the burger when I specifically said "NO CHEESE!" and more than once), and after the wife walked into the service area, (instead of waiting another 8 or 9 minutes for someone to respond to the damn button), they brought us some hot fries.
We ordered the Extra long Coney Dog, a Works Supersonic (burger), onion rings, fries and a Coke. Our total was $12.69 and I tipped the kid who delivered it a buck.
Those of you familiar with "Reno 911" will know what I mean when I say we were served by Terry, who was a nice enough kid (they have to buy their own skates or roller blades) and none of this disaster was his fault.
The Coney Dog was mediocre at best, the onion rings way too sweet, the cold fries were ghastly but we changed our minds when we got a hot order and the burger was not bad at all, despite the wife's lactose intolerance...
We had intended to count the covered parking spaces on our way out but they still haven't solved their traffic problem and orange traffic cones block most everything off so we weren't able to drive around to that side of the building, where there appears to be maybe another 20 spaces, maybe more.
There are also 5 tables out front so walk up customers can get served there...
Would I go back?
Not likely but if I did, I would order the burger again (and fries, if they're hot).
UPDATE (3 June 2009):
We were finally able to drive right in and order our food today, after 10:00 AM as well. I had the Supersonic burger again, the wife had a single, we split a small fry (no salt) and tried the Cherry Limeade we see on their TV ads.
The Supersonic was fine (the wife wasn't impressed), the fries were only lukewarm and the Cherry limeade was too sweet for our old palates.
FRIDAY'S FISH WRAP
This started when the wife saw a TV ad for Wendy's Premium Fish Fillet Sandwich (Hand-cut fillets of North Pacific cod in a crisp Panko crumb breading, served with crisp lettuce and creamy tartar sauce on a warm bun). Only available at select Wendy's locations"...
Then I heard a radio spot saying McDonald's was offering their Filet-O-Fish for $1.39 each on Fridays. Finally, our neighborhood Jack In The Box advertises their fish sandwiches 2 for $3.
And it being Friday...
Once we realized our mission, we asked Neighbor Neal if he wanted to tag along. Neal is the guy fish fear, a natural for this gig. He's got a place on the Colorado River with a small fishing boat, is restoring a much larger boat and has a freezer full of Arizona catfish...
We picked up Neighbor Neal right at 10:30 and our first stop (and the farthest away) was Wendy's.
We spent $10.09 (2 fish sandwiches @ $3.59 each, which we split, small fry and small soda) and ate it there. Then we headed off to our local McD's, a couple of blocks from the house. We spent $2.79 for 2 Filet-O-Fish at the drive thru window and then drove across the street to Jack In The Box. We spent another $6.47 there (2 for $3 Fish Sandwiches, small fry, medium drink) for a grand total of $19.35.
Moon rates them in this order: Wendy's, McD's and Jack In The Box and says they need more tartar sauce (that's why we call him El Condimento).
Neighbor Neal and the wife rate them in this order: Wendy's, Jack In The Box and McD's, say they all need more sauce, that Wendy's fish was the best and Neighbor Neal liked Jack In The Box's bun better.
Personally, I rate them in the same approximate order as Neighbor Neal and the wife and yes, they all could use a little more sauce.
And Neighbor Neal popped for lunch since we invite him over for dinner once in a while...
UPDATE: The wife checked out Carl's Jr's fish sandwich a couple of days later. It sells for the same as the Wendy's ($3.59) but their (Wendy's) fish is better. The wife ranks it second to Wendy's (nice bun, plenty of sauce and a slice of tomato) and ahead of Mickey D's and Jack's...
UPDATE II: The wife and Boy checked out Rally's and Burger King a couple of weeks later. Both said they were in the neighborhood of McD's Filet O Fish and that they never give you enough sauce but disagreed on overall scores.
The wife rates them (in order): (4) Burger King, (5) Rally's & (6) McD's.
The Boy prefers: (4) McDonald's, (5) Burger King and (6) Rally's...
Then I heard a radio spot saying McDonald's was offering their Filet-O-Fish for $1.39 each on Fridays. Finally, our neighborhood Jack In The Box advertises their fish sandwiches 2 for $3.
And it being Friday...
Once we realized our mission, we asked Neighbor Neal if he wanted to tag along. Neal is the guy fish fear, a natural for this gig. He's got a place on the Colorado River with a small fishing boat, is restoring a much larger boat and has a freezer full of Arizona catfish...
We picked up Neighbor Neal right at 10:30 and our first stop (and the farthest away) was Wendy's.
We spent $10.09 (2 fish sandwiches @ $3.59 each, which we split, small fry and small soda) and ate it there. Then we headed off to our local McD's, a couple of blocks from the house. We spent $2.79 for 2 Filet-O-Fish at the drive thru window and then drove across the street to Jack In The Box. We spent another $6.47 there (2 for $3 Fish Sandwiches, small fry, medium drink) for a grand total of $19.35.
Moon rates them in this order: Wendy's, McD's and Jack In The Box and says they need more tartar sauce (that's why we call him El Condimento).
Neighbor Neal and the wife rate them in this order: Wendy's, Jack In The Box and McD's, say they all need more sauce, that Wendy's fish was the best and Neighbor Neal liked Jack In The Box's bun better.
Personally, I rate them in the same approximate order as Neighbor Neal and the wife and yes, they all could use a little more sauce.
And Neighbor Neal popped for lunch since we invite him over for dinner once in a while...
UPDATE: The wife checked out Carl's Jr's fish sandwich a couple of days later. It sells for the same as the Wendy's ($3.59) but their (Wendy's) fish is better. The wife ranks it second to Wendy's (nice bun, plenty of sauce and a slice of tomato) and ahead of Mickey D's and Jack's...
UPDATE II: The wife and Boy checked out Rally's and Burger King a couple of weeks later. Both said they were in the neighborhood of McD's Filet O Fish and that they never give you enough sauce but disagreed on overall scores.
The wife rates them (in order): (4) Burger King, (5) Rally's & (6) McD's.
The Boy prefers: (4) McDonald's, (5) Burger King and (6) Rally's...
No. 165
Hooley's Irish Pub & Grill
This was our old friend Wild Bill McGinley's favorite watering hole and it took us 4 visits until we finally got to check it out. As you may remember, Wild Bill passed away suddenly on Thanksgiving Day a couple of years ago.
Several years ago, we had scheduled lunch there on a Monday, when we were going to a movie next door to their Rancho San Diego location, only to discover that they aren't open on Mondays.
The second time was last year, when they were preparing to staff their new La Mesa location (I'd grab lunch while the wife waited for an interview).
Unfortunately, we realized it was a Monday again...
The third time, last month, was when all of us were going out for dinner (and it wasn't a Monday) but this time, we discovered they shut down after the lunch rush and don't reopen until 5:00 PM, a good hour from then....
Today, after the wife got out of a seminar she had to go to, we drove over to the La Mesa location, and walked right in, shortly before Noon.
We split their Fish, Shrimp & Chips lunch ($14.95), side order of slaw ($.75) and I had an iced tea (the wife doesn't drink with her meals) for a total of just over $19 before tip.
They will substitute the shrimp for a second piece of fish at NO extra cost...
The steak fries were actually hot, the cod wasn't too bad, the 4 shrimp were nice and we both liked the cole slaw. They make their own tartar sauce (very good) and also sent out a small serving of a hot sauce (also very good).
Yes, we'd both eat there again (the French Dip and the French Onion Soup both looked good), and splitting the meal between us was just perfect...
Their web site: http://www.hooleys.com/
This was our old friend Wild Bill McGinley's favorite watering hole and it took us 4 visits until we finally got to check it out. As you may remember, Wild Bill passed away suddenly on Thanksgiving Day a couple of years ago.
Several years ago, we had scheduled lunch there on a Monday, when we were going to a movie next door to their Rancho San Diego location, only to discover that they aren't open on Mondays.
The second time was last year, when they were preparing to staff their new La Mesa location (I'd grab lunch while the wife waited for an interview).
Unfortunately, we realized it was a Monday again...
The third time, last month, was when all of us were going out for dinner (and it wasn't a Monday) but this time, we discovered they shut down after the lunch rush and don't reopen until 5:00 PM, a good hour from then....
Today, after the wife got out of a seminar she had to go to, we drove over to the La Mesa location, and walked right in, shortly before Noon.
We split their Fish, Shrimp & Chips lunch ($14.95), side order of slaw ($.75) and I had an iced tea (the wife doesn't drink with her meals) for a total of just over $19 before tip.
They will substitute the shrimp for a second piece of fish at NO extra cost...
The steak fries were actually hot, the cod wasn't too bad, the 4 shrimp were nice and we both liked the cole slaw. They make their own tartar sauce (very good) and also sent out a small serving of a hot sauce (also very good).
Yes, we'd both eat there again (the French Dip and the French Onion Soup both looked good), and splitting the meal between us was just perfect...
Their web site: http://www.hooleys.com/
No. 164
Pizzeria Luigi
1137 25th St.
San Diego, Ca. 92102
(619)233-3309
We first saw this place on TV Food Network's "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives".
We made it down there (I used to live in the neighborhood back in the early 70's) early one Saturday afternoon, well before any dinner rush, at least hypothetically...
When we got there, they were lined up out the door, on the sidewalk and down the street. As I'm not fully recovered physically, we stood in line as long as I could and then left, grabbing a pizza back here in El Cajon.
Later in the week, I called and talked to Chris and he said it was because of the TV feature and that it'd quiet down soon, please come by again.
Tonight, we literally stood in line for only a few minutes, placed our order and then grabbed a table...
When our pizza came, it looked wonderful but it's fairly large (18") and with the pepperoni calzone (hold the ricotta), side salad and 2 Cokes, table real estate was at a premium.
Our total was $27.50 and I threw another $2.50 in the tip jar.
The calzone was burn-your-mouth-blazing-hot and the Boy did exactly that, our half of the pepperoni pizza was wonderful (the wife's half was vegetarian, hold the cheese) but the side salad was mediocre.
I heard one of the guests at the next table tell someone there that he'd also seen the segment on "Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives" and when he saw our calzone come up, he asked what it was so I gave him a bite (he loved it but I suspect he burned his mouth too).
I really liked the pizza's crust (we all agreed on that) but the sauce was too mild for the wife's taste and she wouldn't order it again. The Boy especially liked the calzone and said it was probably the best one he'd ever had. It was a lot of food and we tossed half of the salad and a couple of slices of the wife's vegetarian pizza before we left.
On the way out, they served an order of pasta to one of the outside tables and the wife and the Boy both commented on how good it looked.
Finally, we didn't get to meet Luigi as it was his night off...
Their web site: http://pizzerialuigi.com/
Luigi's pepperoni calzone with marinara sauce for dipping
UPDATE: 31 July 2009
Now there's a second location, this time on El Cajon Blvd, approximately 10 miles from here and parking is pretty hard to find in that neighborhood.
We stopped by to check it out and we have to say it's way too loud (all reflective surfaces with nothing to dampen the ambient noise). And they should lower the volume of the music too (OK, I'm a geezer but in my defense, I've also antagonized a neighbor or two over the years with our stereo)...
The Boy and I split a pepperoni and mushroom pizza (one size only), we had a couple of sodas from the machine (the wife had water) and she ordered the Pasta Putanesca. We love their crust but our pizza had way too much sauce and the wife says the pasta was great.
Our total was $25 exactly (I tossed a couple of bucks in the tip jar).
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