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/
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).
No. 163
Chen's Golden Palace in El Cajon (Since 1992):
We had started out to grab a quick bite at Popeye's but they were out of mild chicken and we didn't want to wait.
We'd been through that before there when an idiot manager refused to let us out of the drive thru line when they said it'd be another 20 minutes.
That's actually a crime (false imprisonment) when all they have to do is have the car in front of us pull over to wait for their order, standard procedure for just about any drive thru operation on the planet.
Needless to say, we wrote the company about this idiot manager's actions...
Ed Bedford who writes the "Tin Fork" column for The San Diego Reader had reported on Chen's recently and since it was right down the street from Popeye's, we decided to check it out.
It's a small store front operation and the menu says they specialize in Chinese Cuisine and Fish & Chips.
We ordered egg rolls (4), sesame shrimp, Mongolian beef, an iced tea for me and a couple of cans of Coke for the Boy. The egg rolls were a little too sweet for my taste (like Pick Up Stix, they used a lot of carrot), the sesame shrimp were morsels of shrimp meat in a lot of breading with honey and sesame seeds on top and the Mongolian beef came with slivered onions and red and green bell peppers. The Boy says he would have liked larger pieces of beef in the dish but it was OK other than that.
They also served us some fried won ton crisps with a sweet orange sauce for dipping and a couple of small bowls of generic brown rice. I asked for chop sticks for myself and a small container of hot mustard.
Service was prompt, eveything was hot and it was just over $25. Everything came in styrofoam containers, cups or plates, maybe a dozen items total.
The Boy says he enjoyed it but probably wouldn't go back again.
We had started out to grab a quick bite at Popeye's but they were out of mild chicken and we didn't want to wait.
We'd been through that before there when an idiot manager refused to let us out of the drive thru line when they said it'd be another 20 minutes.
That's actually a crime (false imprisonment) when all they have to do is have the car in front of us pull over to wait for their order, standard procedure for just about any drive thru operation on the planet.
Needless to say, we wrote the company about this idiot manager's actions...
Ed Bedford who writes the "Tin Fork" column for The San Diego Reader had reported on Chen's recently and since it was right down the street from Popeye's, we decided to check it out.
It's a small store front operation and the menu says they specialize in Chinese Cuisine and Fish & Chips.
We ordered egg rolls (4), sesame shrimp, Mongolian beef, an iced tea for me and a couple of cans of Coke for the Boy. The egg rolls were a little too sweet for my taste (like Pick Up Stix, they used a lot of carrot), the sesame shrimp were morsels of shrimp meat in a lot of breading with honey and sesame seeds on top and the Mongolian beef came with slivered onions and red and green bell peppers. The Boy says he would have liked larger pieces of beef in the dish but it was OK other than that.
They also served us some fried won ton crisps with a sweet orange sauce for dipping and a couple of small bowls of generic brown rice. I asked for chop sticks for myself and a small container of hot mustard.
Service was prompt, eveything was hot and it was just over $25. Everything came in styrofoam containers, cups or plates, maybe a dozen items total.
The Boy says he enjoyed it but probably wouldn't go back again.
No. 162
Goodbones of El Cajon (formerly Geno's BBQ)
We'd eaten at Geno's maybe half a dozen times in our almost 6 years here and heard there were new owners recently but finally made it over there last night, the night before Thanksgiving.
There's a few items left from Geno's, such as the signs, the old menu board, a little of Geno's sauce, an old surfboard, some rattan, a surfing mural and maybe a dozen miniature "Woodies" but the food is vastly different.
To start with, they now smoke their meats with hickory, the way it should be (I like other woods, even mesquite, but hickory is it), and unlike Geno, who didn't smoke it at all. Geno was all about his sauces, which he had attempted to mass market and called his smokeless meats "West Coast Barbecue".
And I have to admit that I like their new sauce more than the Geno's variations. For one thing, it's almost perfectly spiced instead of offering 3 different heat ranges.
As I'm not the eater I used to be, the Boy and I split the 5 pork rib dinner with 3 side orders and 2 sodas for a little over $17 total. These weren't baby back ribs (which I eat almost exclusively) and even though I had a couple of them and the Boy had 2 as well, they were meaty enough that the wife had the leftovers when she got out of class last night.
We had wanted corn on the cob as one of our sides but they were out by the time we got there so we had corn bread instead. The other 2 sides were their slaw and beans.
The beans were almost chili flavored, the corn bread was too sweet for us (we're corn bread bakers ourselves) but the slaw was servicable, almost a compliment as we're very particular about our slaw.
We both agreed we'd go back again.
I want to sample the pulled pork and talk to the owners.
I think they'd do themselves a favor by eliminating the remnants of Geno's reign as most Q joints are rather plain inside and concentrate on upgrading their menu boards and the menu itself.
Geno's used to offer buffalo burgers and other distractions and I think a good rib joint should stick to their strong points instead of trying to appeal to everyone and pleasing no one...
See the web site here (it appears they may still be related to Geno's): http://www.goodbonesbbq.com/
Update: 3 December 2008
The Boy and I made a second visit last night and split the shredded pork sandwich, with slaw and beans again. It's a great sandwich with very little difference between it and Geno's version (Geno toasted the bun).
With a couple of sodas, our total was $10.05.
And we talked to one of the owners who tells us that Geno sold it a couple of years ago now (our best guess is that new signage is way too expensive, which would also explain why Geno's name is still on the web site). She also advised us to check out the beef brisket, which we will do on our next visit...
Update II: 10 December 2008
We tried the beef brisket last night (split an order) and it was good but it wasn't what we expected.
In most places (and when we make it at home), Texas style beef brisket is a slab of smoked, sliced beef with au jus, but here, it's shredded and served like a pulled pork sandwich with light BBQ sauce. Good brisket needs no sauce and I'd be interested in having it done that way on our next visit.
I also had an ear of corn on the cob with my meal and it wasn't a frozen, boiled cobbette and I'll order it again (they were out the last time I asked for it). Our total was just over $13 with 2 sodas and beans for the Boy.
We'd eaten at Geno's maybe half a dozen times in our almost 6 years here and heard there were new owners recently but finally made it over there last night, the night before Thanksgiving.
There's a few items left from Geno's, such as the signs, the old menu board, a little of Geno's sauce, an old surfboard, some rattan, a surfing mural and maybe a dozen miniature "Woodies" but the food is vastly different.
To start with, they now smoke their meats with hickory, the way it should be (I like other woods, even mesquite, but hickory is it), and unlike Geno, who didn't smoke it at all. Geno was all about his sauces, which he had attempted to mass market and called his smokeless meats "West Coast Barbecue".
And I have to admit that I like their new sauce more than the Geno's variations. For one thing, it's almost perfectly spiced instead of offering 3 different heat ranges.
As I'm not the eater I used to be, the Boy and I split the 5 pork rib dinner with 3 side orders and 2 sodas for a little over $17 total. These weren't baby back ribs (which I eat almost exclusively) and even though I had a couple of them and the Boy had 2 as well, they were meaty enough that the wife had the leftovers when she got out of class last night.
We had wanted corn on the cob as one of our sides but they were out by the time we got there so we had corn bread instead. The other 2 sides were their slaw and beans.
The beans were almost chili flavored, the corn bread was too sweet for us (we're corn bread bakers ourselves) but the slaw was servicable, almost a compliment as we're very particular about our slaw.
We both agreed we'd go back again.
I want to sample the pulled pork and talk to the owners.
I think they'd do themselves a favor by eliminating the remnants of Geno's reign as most Q joints are rather plain inside and concentrate on upgrading their menu boards and the menu itself.
Geno's used to offer buffalo burgers and other distractions and I think a good rib joint should stick to their strong points instead of trying to appeal to everyone and pleasing no one...
See the web site here (it appears they may still be related to Geno's): http://www.goodbonesbbq.com/
Update: 3 December 2008
The Boy and I made a second visit last night and split the shredded pork sandwich, with slaw and beans again. It's a great sandwich with very little difference between it and Geno's version (Geno toasted the bun).
With a couple of sodas, our total was $10.05.
And we talked to one of the owners who tells us that Geno sold it a couple of years ago now (our best guess is that new signage is way too expensive, which would also explain why Geno's name is still on the web site). She also advised us to check out the beef brisket, which we will do on our next visit...
Update II: 10 December 2008
We tried the beef brisket last night (split an order) and it was good but it wasn't what we expected.
In most places (and when we make it at home), Texas style beef brisket is a slab of smoked, sliced beef with au jus, but here, it's shredded and served like a pulled pork sandwich with light BBQ sauce. Good brisket needs no sauce and I'd be interested in having it done that way on our next visit.
I also had an ear of corn on the cob with my meal and it wasn't a frozen, boiled cobbette and I'll order it again (they were out the last time I asked for it). Our total was just over $13 with 2 sodas and beans for the Boy.
Number 161:
Sharp - Grossmont Hospital Food Service
I recently spent almost a week in the hospital and, as expected, hospital food and I really don't get along. It's not that there's anything wrong with it, especially when a dedicated, trained staff is trying to save your life, but...
I guess the nearest comparison would be airline food, although I haven't flown since I was discharged from the Navy in 1973, but I have to admit that it was better than that, and in fact, some of it wasn't too bad at all.
I recently spent almost a week in the hospital and, as expected, hospital food and I really don't get along. It's not that there's anything wrong with it, especially when a dedicated, trained staff is trying to save your life, but...
I guess the nearest comparison would be airline food, although I haven't flown since I was discharged from the Navy in 1973, but I have to admit that it was better than that, and in fact, some of it wasn't too bad at all.
(Then there's military hospital food and I've had my share of that too)...
The main thing they try to do is feed you a balanced, low fat, low cholesterol, low sodium diet with enough fruits and veggies to satisfy the biggest gorilla in the zoo and I did my best as I am now recovering from a heart attack, have diabetes and do recognize the need to change, if only to prevent this from happening again.
Over the week, they fed me a fairly good chicken noodle soup with wide, flat noodles (like Mom used to make), a fair version of mac & cheese, roast beef (tough and chewy), several attempted chicken dishes, a plain (no mayo or anything else) tuna sandwich, which was delicious at the time, scrambled eggs, tiny little pancakes, tea, juices, lots of fruit (peaches, pineapple, etc), stewed tomatoes, brown rice, etc.
Condiment packs are small (for instance, a single packet of pepper) or non-existent. Salad dressing comes in a 1 ounce serving, and there's lemon juice for tea but hardly ever any sugar. I did learn to appreciate Spike, although I'm not quite sure what it is and they gave me a 3 ounce serving of ice cream once. And, shortly before I left, I discovered you could ask for hot tea anytime (I froze most of the time I was there and it would have been helpful if someone had mentioned it 5 or 6 days earlier)...
After a while, I couldn't take it any more and one of the dieticians offered to get me a hamburger but instead, I had the wife and Boy bring me a salad, some iced tea and bread sticks from home.
Now that I've been discharged and am on the mend at home, I've made a serious effort to keep it up and haven't even had a beer since then...
And I should point out the excellent care I got, from the El Cajon EMT, the boys in surgery, the Intensive Care Unit, the nurses on the fourth floor and Dr. Mike Rodriguez...
PS: Although I am qualified to go through the VA, the ambulance crew takes you to the nearest hospital when you experience a medical emergencey and as we have no insurance, I now have a bill of $111,318.90 to pay off...
Number 160:
Milton's Delicatessen:
This place is just across the freeway from the Del Mar Fairgrounds and I've been meaning to get up there to check it out for a couple of years now (good deli is hard to find here).
Before we left (the wife had a catering gig in Rancho Santa Fe), I looked at their web site and reviews of the place on Yelp and other related web sites. Most said it was pricey (it is) and a number of people didn't care for the service but I had no problem with it.
I had intended on ordering any different number of things but ended up having the French Dip as the waitress assured me that I could get well done roast beef.
The fries were room temperature when my order came (delivered by another employee). I've always said a server should "run" her own food and this is exactly why: the person dropping the order could care less and isn't impacted by a customer leaving a smaller tip...
The meat was good (and a generous serving), they make their own breads inhouse and it was good too (as was the au jus), the iced tea flowed nicely and besides a short wait (less than 5 minutes) to be seated and the cold fries, I'd go back again, if I find myself up that way, 35 miles north of here.
The total for the sandwich and iced tea was $18 and coin, make it an even $22 with tip...
Their web site: http://www.miltonsdeli.com/
This place is just across the freeway from the Del Mar Fairgrounds and I've been meaning to get up there to check it out for a couple of years now (good deli is hard to find here).
Before we left (the wife had a catering gig in Rancho Santa Fe), I looked at their web site and reviews of the place on Yelp and other related web sites. Most said it was pricey (it is) and a number of people didn't care for the service but I had no problem with it.
I had intended on ordering any different number of things but ended up having the French Dip as the waitress assured me that I could get well done roast beef.
The fries were room temperature when my order came (delivered by another employee). I've always said a server should "run" her own food and this is exactly why: the person dropping the order could care less and isn't impacted by a customer leaving a smaller tip...
The meat was good (and a generous serving), they make their own breads inhouse and it was good too (as was the au jus), the iced tea flowed nicely and besides a short wait (less than 5 minutes) to be seated and the cold fries, I'd go back again, if I find myself up that way, 35 miles north of here.
The total for the sandwich and iced tea was $18 and coin, make it an even $22 with tip...
Their web site: http://www.miltonsdeli.com/
A BOOK I HAD BEEN WORKING ON:
Grilled Ribeye Steak Sandwich with Mushrooms, Mayo & Poppy Seed Roll
Chili Cheese Dog...
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Cheeseburger
Italian Sub Sandwich
Mushroom Cheesesteak with extra white American cheese
Italian Sausage Sandwich
NOTE: Click on photos for a larger version
I'm putting together a small cook book about what we eat for lunch.
It started 10+ years ago, when we lived in Squarefield. I'd jump in the truck, drive around town, looking for something, anything new or different to eat. Maybe I'd forgotten a place or something new had opened, anything...
Normally, I'd drive the loop, find nothing and go home disgusted.
It's not much different here in San Diego, a collection of maybe 40 towns the size of Squarefield, just pushed together. It's a fairly large place, there are a number of bright spots but the problem is everything is also 20 miles away.
Of course, that leads to jumping in the truck, checking out this town again and then going home to pout when I don't find anything...
I also tell people that the book is for guys who work at home, retired guys, guys under house arrest, guys who are problem drinkers, shut ins, etc.
There are 30+ items on the list, I have a great title and theme, we've tested all of these recipes and I'm now shooting them in high resolution for print...
THE LIST:
1) Beef Tacos
2) BLT
3) Brats & Beer
4) Burger (numerous styles)
5) Chicken (or Turkey) Salad
6) Chili / cornbread
7) Chili Cheese Dog
8) Chili Cheese Dog Burrito
9) Cheesesteak
10) Club Sandwich
11) Corn Dogs
12) Egg Salad
13) Fruit Salad & Cottage Cheese
14) Grilled Cheese
15) Ham & Swiss on Rye
16) Ham, Lettuce & Tomato
17) Ham Salad
18) Hot Dog (different buns, toppings, etc)
19) Italian Beef Sandwich
20) Italian Sub
21) Italian Sausage Sandwiches
22) Muffaletta
23) Panini
24) Pizzadilla
25) Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
26) Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
27) Pulled Pork BBQ Sandwich
28) Roast Beef Sandwich
29) Salami & Cheese Sandwich
30) Steak Sandwich
31) Turkey with lettuce, tomato & mayo
32) Tuna California
33) Tuna Salad
34) Tuna Spectaculare
35) Tuna Stuffed Tomato
Other Possibles:
Corned Beef on Rye
Pastrami
Rueben
Monte Cristo
UPDATE: Unfortunately, I had to cancel this project recently...
OUR REGULAR MENU:
Beef:
Beef Stew
Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
Roast Beef Dinner, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Roast Beef Hash
Shredded Beef Enchiladas
Shredded Beef Tacos
Steak:
Cheese Steaks
Cube Steak
Filet Mignon with Shallot Sauce
Rib Eye Steak
Salisbury Steak
Shish Kebabs
Sirloin Tips
Skirt Steak Fajitas
Smoked Brisket
Smoked Steaks
Swiss Steak
Teriyaki Steak
Ground Beef:
Chili
Ground Beef Tacos
Hamburgers
Meat Loaf
Spaghetti
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Sausage:
Brats in Beer
Chili Cheese Dogs
Corn Dogs
Hot Dogs
Italian Sausage Sandwiches
Kielbasa with Cabbage & Potatoes
Other:
Calzone
Pizza
Pork:
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
BBQ Ribs
Chop Suey
Ham (baked or fried)
Ham Hocks & Beans
Honey Mustard Pork Roast
Pork Chops
Roast Pork
Ribs & Kraut
Chicken:
Beer Can Chicken
BBQ Chicken
Chicken & Dumplings
Coconut Chicken Wraps
Fried Chicken
Salsa Chicken Packets
Roast Chicken
Rotisserie Chicken
Turkey:
Club Sandwiches
Hot Turkey Sandwiches
Roast Turkey, Dressing & Gravy
Turkey Sandwiches
Fish:
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Catfish
Crab
Red Snapper
Halibut
Lobster
Mesquite Prawns
Prawns with Bacon on a Skewer
Salmon Patties
Trout
Chinese / Japanese:
Beef Tempura
Black Bean Chicken
Cashew Chicken
Fried Rice
Szechwan Shrimp
Tempura Vegetables
Appetizers:
Chips & Guacamole
Chips & Salsa
Deviled Eggs
Green Onion Fritters
Green Onion Pancakes
Nachos
Quesadillas
Salami, Cheese, Crackers & Fruit
Shrimp and Chorizo Quesadillas
Shrimp Scampi
Spring Rolls
Wonton Wrapped Shrimp
Soup:
Cioppino
Egg Flower Soup
French Onion Soup
Hot & Sour Soup
Potato Leek Soup
Shrimp Wonton Soup
Spicy Potato Soup
Tortilla Soup
Vegetable Beef Soup
Salad:
3 Weenie Salad
Chef Salad
Chinese Chicken Salad
Cole Slaw
Cottage Cheese & Fruit
Crab Louie
Cucumber & Onions
Fruit Salad
Garden Salad
Heck of a Jicama Salad
Jicama & Peppers Salad
Mexican Tuna Salad
Moon’s Pasta Salad
Persian Salad
Potato Salad
Shrimp Salad
Slightly Asian Cole Slaw
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Pasta, Potatoes & Rice:
Baked Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Egg Noodles
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fiery Angel Hair Pasta
French Fries
Green Onion Rice
Hash Browns
Macaroni & Cheese
Mashed Potatoes
Pan Fried Potatoes
Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Pasta with Pesto Sauce
Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives & Anchovies
Steamed Rice
Wild Rice
Yams
Side Dishes:
Apple Fritters
Apple Sauce
Artichokes
Asparagus
Baked Beans
Black Beans
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cherry Tomatoes sautéed with Red Wine Vinegar
Corn on the Cob
Creamed Corn
Fried Apples
Green Beans
Green Beans a la Romano
Grilled Veggies
Lima Beans
Peas
Pork & Beans
Refried Beans
Roasted Bell Peppers with Balsamic Vinegar
Sauer Kraut
Sautéed Mushrooms
Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes
Stuffed Mushrooms
Whole Kernel Corn
Zucchini
Bread:
Baguette
Biscuits
Ciabatta
Corn Bread
French Bread
Focaccia
Garlic Bread
Sour Dough
Rolls
Dessert:
Bananas Foster (flambé, on the grill, microwave versions)
Banana Pudding
Brownies
Cookies (Lemon Ginger, Date Nut, etc)
Fudge
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry Shortcake
Sandwiches:
BLT
Black Forest Ham
Burgers
Cheese Steaks
Club Sandwich
Egg Salad
Fried Ham Sandwich with Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo & Mustard
Good Earth Tuna
Grilled Cheese
Ham & Swiss / Grilled Ham & Cheese
Ham Salad
Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
Roast Beef Sandwich
Salami & Cheese Sandwich
Steak Sandwich with Grilled Onions
Submarine Sandwich
Turkey Sandwich
Breakfast:
Bacon
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
Eggs
French Toast
Grits
Ham
Hickory Smoked Ham & Red Eye Gravy
Oatmeal
Omelets
Pancakes
Sausage Links
Sausage Patties
Toast
Waffles
Beef Stew
Hot Roast Beef Sandwiches
Roast Beef Dinner, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy
Roast Beef Hash
Shredded Beef Enchiladas
Shredded Beef Tacos
Steak:
Cheese Steaks
Cube Steak
Filet Mignon with Shallot Sauce
Rib Eye Steak
Salisbury Steak
Shish Kebabs
Sirloin Tips
Skirt Steak Fajitas
Smoked Brisket
Smoked Steaks
Swiss Steak
Teriyaki Steak
Ground Beef:
Chili
Ground Beef Tacos
Hamburgers
Meat Loaf
Spaghetti
Stuffed Bell Peppers
Sausage:
Brats in Beer
Chili Cheese Dogs
Corn Dogs
Hot Dogs
Italian Sausage Sandwiches
Kielbasa with Cabbage & Potatoes
Other:
Calzone
Pizza
Pork:
BBQ Pork Sandwiches
BBQ Ribs
Chop Suey
Ham (baked or fried)
Ham Hocks & Beans
Honey Mustard Pork Roast
Pork Chops
Roast Pork
Ribs & Kraut
Chicken:
Beer Can Chicken
BBQ Chicken
Chicken & Dumplings
Coconut Chicken Wraps
Fried Chicken
Salsa Chicken Packets
Roast Chicken
Rotisserie Chicken
Turkey:
Club Sandwiches
Hot Turkey Sandwiches
Roast Turkey, Dressing & Gravy
Turkey Sandwiches
Fish:
Bacon Wrapped Scallops
Catfish
Crab
Red Snapper
Halibut
Lobster
Mesquite Prawns
Prawns with Bacon on a Skewer
Salmon Patties
Trout
Chinese / Japanese:
Beef Tempura
Black Bean Chicken
Cashew Chicken
Fried Rice
Szechwan Shrimp
Tempura Vegetables
Appetizers:
Chips & Guacamole
Chips & Salsa
Deviled Eggs
Green Onion Fritters
Green Onion Pancakes
Nachos
Quesadillas
Salami, Cheese, Crackers & Fruit
Shrimp and Chorizo Quesadillas
Shrimp Scampi
Spring Rolls
Wonton Wrapped Shrimp
Soup:
Cioppino
Egg Flower Soup
French Onion Soup
Hot & Sour Soup
Potato Leek Soup
Shrimp Wonton Soup
Spicy Potato Soup
Tortilla Soup
Vegetable Beef Soup
Salad:
3 Weenie Salad
Chef Salad
Chinese Chicken Salad
Cole Slaw
Cottage Cheese & Fruit
Crab Louie
Cucumber & Onions
Fruit Salad
Garden Salad
Heck of a Jicama Salad
Jicama & Peppers Salad
Mexican Tuna Salad
Moon’s Pasta Salad
Persian Salad
Potato Salad
Shrimp Salad
Slightly Asian Cole Slaw
Wilted Lettuce Salad
Pasta, Potatoes & Rice:
Baked Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Egg Noodles
Fettuccine Alfredo
Fiery Angel Hair Pasta
French Fries
Green Onion Rice
Hash Browns
Macaroni & Cheese
Mashed Potatoes
Pan Fried Potatoes
Pasta with Marinara Sauce
Pasta with Pesto Sauce
Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Capers, Olives & Anchovies
Steamed Rice
Wild Rice
Yams
Side Dishes:
Apple Fritters
Apple Sauce
Artichokes
Asparagus
Baked Beans
Black Beans
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cherry Tomatoes sautéed with Red Wine Vinegar
Corn on the Cob
Creamed Corn
Fried Apples
Green Beans
Green Beans a la Romano
Grilled Veggies
Lima Beans
Peas
Pork & Beans
Refried Beans
Roasted Bell Peppers with Balsamic Vinegar
Sauer Kraut
Sautéed Mushrooms
Sautéed Cherry Tomatoes
Stuffed Mushrooms
Whole Kernel Corn
Zucchini
Bread:
Baguette
Biscuits
Ciabatta
Corn Bread
French Bread
Focaccia
Garlic Bread
Sour Dough
Rolls
Dessert:
Bananas Foster (flambé, on the grill, microwave versions)
Banana Pudding
Brownies
Cookies (Lemon Ginger, Date Nut, etc)
Fudge
Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Strawberry Cheesecake
Strawberry Shortcake
Sandwiches:
BLT
Black Forest Ham
Burgers
Cheese Steaks
Club Sandwich
Egg Salad
Fried Ham Sandwich with Lettuce, Tomato, Mayo & Mustard
Good Earth Tuna
Grilled Cheese
Ham & Swiss / Grilled Ham & Cheese
Ham Salad
Portobello Mushroom Sandwich
Roast Beef Sandwich
Salami & Cheese Sandwich
Steak Sandwich with Grilled Onions
Submarine Sandwich
Turkey Sandwich
Breakfast:
Bacon
Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast
Eggs
French Toast
Grits
Ham
Hickory Smoked Ham & Red Eye Gravy
Oatmeal
Omelets
Pancakes
Sausage Links
Sausage Patties
Toast
Waffles
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