Hillcrest Farmers Market

We love our local farmers market!

 

Every Sunday between 9AM and 2PM you too can enjoy the Hillcrest Farmers Market on Lincoln and Normal St. in the DMV parking lot. Since it is within walking distance from our house, we visit pretty much every weekend.

Organic food galore! Pretty much 80% of the market is organic and locally grown produce. The rest is filled with local artisans promoting their crafts. You will find everything from food and flower vendors, glass, canvas, paper and metal artisans, original wire art, hand-made clothing and accessories, unique jewelry and much, much more.

This is a little treasure I just HAD to have! It's a ring with an elastic band, so cute and what better way to welcome Spring?

Of course we never go home without a bag full of organic produce, this trip scored us this beautiful red chard and some giant green onions! Here is one of my favorite Chard recipes.

Red Chard, isn't it beautiful?

 

Giant Green Onions

We will see you there next Sunday!

30th On 30th

Here's another great monthly event going on in our neighborhood. 30th on 30th takes place on the 30th of every month and includes participation from many of the fantastic bars and restaurants on 30th Street. They are all offering some killer specials on drinks, appetizers and meals!!

Participants include some of my favorite places such as Cantina Mayahuel, Alchemy, True North, Ritual Tavern, Sea Rocket Bistro, The Linkery, Urban Solace.....the list goes on and on and on.

So if you have always wanted to try one of these places, now is the time. Get down there this Tuesday and take a stroll (or ride your bike) down 30th and take advantage of this great opportunity!!

We Have Grapes!!

 

About 1 week old........

We were told by our new landlords that our back fence will be covered with grapes in a couple of months. From the looks of it, we are already well on our way!

There are 3 old vines (variety unknown) that were planted over 30 years ago, and they say the grapes are incredibly delicious. But what I want to know is, how do you make wine out of grapes? 

It's time for some research........

Pizza Gourmet Express

You know how when you move into a new place and all your stuff is in boxes and the last thing you want to do is COOK anything? Most of you will agree that is a great time to order a pizza for delivery. Well, we were so impressed by Pizza Gourmet Express that we ordered pizza THREE nights in a row, and we keep going back.

Their traditional raised edge crust is perfect for the "The Works" pizza, and we discovered the herb thin crust is most excellent with just about everything. All of the ingredients are fresh and of quality. We haven't tried it yet, but we hear the duck confit pizza is truly amazing with basil pesto, slow roasted duck, goat cheese and figs, wow!

Another cool thing about Pizza Gourmet Express is that they deliver pizza's in the University Heights area by bicycle, I love seeing local businesses doing the green thing, every little bit helps.

If you happen to be in the area, stop by and pick up a pie. They are located right under the University Heights sign on Park Ave. across from Small Bar (another local favorite place!).

Time To Move Again!

As if getting married and planning a wedding wasn't enough, we just signed a lease on a new house the other day, we are moving in a little over a week. What am I doing?

Even though we are just moving a little over a mile away, our current neighborhood and the new one, are like night and day.  In the new house we will have a garage, indoor washer and dryer, a cute yard (with grape and jasmine plants!), better street parking, and there are great restaurants and shops within walking distance, all for the same rent we pay now.

University Heights is known for some great eats. We found Soltan Banoo a long time ago and it is still one of our favorite Mediterranean restaurants in San Diego. There is also the Ethiopian restaurant that we want to try but the wait is always too long, Muzita Bistro. El Zarape is always good for inexpensive Mexican food, and Small Bar is our new favorite bar within walking distance. I'm sure once we get moved and settled in I will get out and find more great places, so stay tuned!

Now, what did I do with that packing tape........

The Ritual Tavern

I love this place. The Ritual Tavern is a place you can go to relax, enjoy a good beer or a glass of wine, and enjoy some good comfort food.  You don't have to scream to your server to place your order, you could actually have a conversation with someone. It is appropriately dim, mellow, and everyone is friendly and cool.

Some of my favorite food items from the menu;

The house onion rings - Ale battered, served with house remoulade - I also love their house made ketchup.

Fish and Chips - Domestic farm-raised catfish with house cut fries and coleslaw - you would never guess it is catfish, very light and still delicious.

Shrimp Scampi - Garlic, butter, sherry and ciabatta bread, yummmmmy!

Sadlebrush Gumbo - Jidori chicken, mexican shrimp, niman's andouille sausage organic long-grain wild rice- I haven't actually tried this yet, but it is top of my list for the next visit!

The servers and bartenders are always super cool and happy to pour you a taste of a new beer  before you buy a whole glass. They keep the selection interesting and feature lots of  local craft breweries.

They have happy hour specials Tuesday thru Saturday from 5:30 to 7:30, and on Sundays you can take advantage of specials from 3:30 to 9:30.

West Coast Tavern

Picture from Yelp  

There's another new tavern in town. I've been wanting to check out the West Coast Tavern (formerly Hawthorns) for weeks and we finally got there last weekend.

First off, the decor is awesome, it is literally inside the old Birch North Park Theater on at 2891 University Ave. in San Diego. Originally built in 1929, the building itself is full of unique charm and history. I instantly fell in love with the red vinyl booths and the brick walls.

The menu is limited but everything sounds great. We ordered the Triple Dip, three different types of hummus with pita bread which was very tasty. Of course I was checking out what other people were eating, those Angus Sliders looked tempting!

They have a decent beer selection on tap, I chose Stones IPA. The wine list is reasonable with most selections under $30 a bottle, and an assortment to choose from by the glass. They also had an interesting selection of specialty drinks.

The service was great, our server was super friendly and informative. She told us they hope to have some live music in the evenings soon, it has just the right ambiance for some jazz.

They are doing a big NYE masquerade party this year, it might be something to consider? Here is the info, nice music line up. westcoastclublife.com

New Blog!

I know, I can barely keep up with this one, I must be insane!

I started working on this new venture about a month ago and I am really happy with where it's going. Of course it will evolve and change a million times before I am satisfied, or maybe never, but I sure enjoy the process.
http://idontcookbutmyboyfrienddoes.blogspot.com/

This blog is very much a combination of Mark's love of cooking and my love of blogging, he cooks and I write about it. We hope that you will find it entertaining, inspiring and maybe even get a good recipe out of it.

Please don't be shy, leave a comment if you like something or hate something or just want to say hi! Also, if you click on "subscribe" you will a notification every time I post something new, don't worry, I won't flood your inbox!

Thanks for reading!

RK Cafe Sushi

Avid sushi lover that I am, I am always in search of the BEST sushi restaurant in town.

We recently ended up at RK Cafe Sushi in Hillcrest because Sushi Deli was as usual, too crowded. We were promptly seated but we must have gotten there right in time because there was soon a line forming.

We took advantage of the beer and saki specials, and then ordered edemame which was a little on the dry side, but still served it's purpose. I really loved the spicy tuna salad, it was REALLY spicy, and the ginger dressing worked nicely with it.

We also ordered tuna sashimi which was fresh and tasty. Next was the Washington roll, not my favorite but it was OK. We still wanted just a little bit more and ordered something from the specials board and it turned out to be my favorite roll.

The service was great, prompt but not rushed, attentive but not hovering. I liked the prices and the menu. It did get a little crowded, it isn't a large place, but it is still comfortable. We will for sure go back again!

Beer Week In San Diego

What a tragedy, surf, sunshine (in November) and some of the BEST beer in the world.

The official San Diego Beer Week is in full swing November 6 to the 15th, but there is always a good craft beer within a mile most anywhere in San Diego theses days. To advocate this point, San Diego was recently named in Men's Journal as the number one beer city in America.

There is too much going on to list it all, but click here for the whole schedule of events. Get out there and enjoy a pint or two!

Wine Anyone?

We like wine. Allot. It didn’t take long to figure out that we needed to find the most affordable source to maintain the drinking habits of two wine lovers that are not exactly rich. Then we found the San Diego Wine Co.

The San Diego Wine Co. is located on Mira Mesa Blvd. just east of the 805. Judging from the crowd that was there today, it’s quickly losing its “best kept secret” status.

Open to the public 7 days a week, you can find some really good deals on some really good wines. They offer a wide selection of domestic and foreign wines from all over the world in a warehouse style. Displayed right in the case, each selection is well described.

On Saturday you can participate in their wine tastings which is a great way to try new wines. I think it’s usually at least 10 tastings for $10. The entire staff is great. They are very knowledgeable and make you feel like no question is a dumb question.

I highly recommend you join their weekly newsletter and learn more. See you there!

The Linkery

I have wanted to go to The Linkery in North Park for a long time, I finally got the chance.

It was one of those Friday nights that we were too tired to cook, but too hungry to just drink our dinner....(I've been reading Kerouac). We finally decided to go to Apertivo on 30th. We had been there before for wine and tapas, which was OK. We wanted to give it another chance, but arriving tonight, it was closed up, gone. Another apparent victim of the economic downfall.

Since we already scored a pretty sweet parking spot, we wanted to find an alternate eating place within walking distance. The Linkery was right there.

We chose a couple of select craft beers from their impressive list. I just had to try the delicious homemade semolina bread with local olive oils. We especially enjoyed the mild yet distinct taste of the "Escondido avocado oil", because we like that stuff.

Since we kind of indulged with the bread and oil, we decided to share a BLT sandwich. The sandwich they served was WAY more than just a sandwich. I will never order another BLT without comparing it to this masterpiece. It's obvious that the key to this sandwich is the bacon. Not your ordinary bacon. This is house cured, premium thick sliced savory bacon. And then there was the potato salad. Served on the side, it could easily pass as the main course. This stuff is the bomb.

Another thing I liked about the Linkery is that they include the tip in the bill. I can see how some people might not like that, but I tend to over tip anyway, it's probably better for me. If I could have, I would have tipped our waitress a lot more, she was great.

***1/2
I give them 3 1/2 stars. I liked the vibe, feel, space and decor. Prices were reasonable. We had good service, but I would like to see more variety on the menu.

You Will Thank Me For This Recipe

I really can't describe this soup with words. It is quite possibly the worlds BEST soup EVER. Just make it, do it today, you won't be sorry!

Spicy Butternut Squash & Sweet Potato Soup

* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 red onion, peeled and diced
* 1 tablespoon ground coriander
* Pinch of red chili flakes
* 3 garlic cloves finely minced
* 1 tomato, blanched, peeled, seeded and diced
* 10 oz diced and peeled butternut squash
* 7 oz diced and peeled sweet potato
* 6 oz diced and peeled carrot
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 cups water (or 2 cups water and 2 cups chicken stock)
* Salt and pepper
* Grated Parmesan
* Fresh parsley, chopped, to serve

In a large thick bottomed pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. When warm, add the onion, coriander and red chili flakes. Cook on medium heat, without browning, for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft.

Add the garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute, then add the tomato and cook for 2 extra minutes.

Add the rest of the vegetables and cook for 4 minutes, stirring.

Cover with the water or stock. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft.

Remove the bay leaf and purée the soup. Add more stock or water if necessary.

To serve, sprinkle fresh Parmesan cheese and parsley. Enjoy with crusty bread on the side.

Our First Krim!

After 8 weeks of patience and caring for our black krim tomato plant, we have finally picked the first fruit of our labor. We have lots of tomatoes on the vine, but this is the first to be picked.

The black krim isn't known for it's beauty, but it's taste is incredible, slightly sweet. I made a toasted pita, goat cheese, fresh basil, and sliced black krim tomato sandwich, perfect combo.



We have a bunch of other stuff in our potted garden. We've already picked two bell peppers, and we're looking forward to trying the hot chili peppers. We use the herbs on a daily basis, they are producing nicely.

Tiffany's Kick Ass Chinese Chicken Salad

Maybe it's because I am preparing myself to be on my own for a week while Mark is camping with his brother in Zion, but I have been in the kitchen lately. Those who know me know that I pretty much avoid the kitchen at all costs. Mark does an excellent job of taking care of all cooking activities. Yes, I am spoiled.

We had a couple of left over barbecued chicken breasts, and I had seen a recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad somewhere weeks ago, so it has been on my mind. Of course today, I could not find that recipe anywhere, so I just made up my own, and it turned out fantastic!

All amounts are approximate

Mix together;

2 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 cups shredded cabbage
3 stocks celery, chopped
1 cup broccoli tops
1/2 cup cilantro
1/4 cup onion (I used green)
1/2 red bell pepper, diced

~Dressing~

In a separate bowl, mix together

1/2 cup rice vinegar
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. honey
2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. fresh ginger
2 tsp. horseradish
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste

Mix dressing with all chopped ingredients, cover and refrigerate overnight. I didn't have any on hand, but I thought some sliced almonds would be good too.

I will be taking this to work for lunch several times this week, it's easy!

Soltan Banoo

As I make my way around my new neighborhood, I am discovering some new and delightful places! Last weekend we had a fabulous dinner with friends John and Phoebe at Soltan Banoo in University Heights.

Soltan Banoo is a charming restaurant (formerly Cafe Caspian) warmly decorated with eclectic Persian flair. I can't wait to sit out on the deck when it warms up a little this summer. The pillows, textures and soft lighting all add to the cozy ambiance. For sure a good "date place".

As much as I love to try new things, my favorite Persian dish is the zereshk polo and that is what I ordered again. I was not disappointed. The chicken was tender, the basmati rice was perfect and combined with just the right amount of sweetness from the cranberries, it could not have been better.

The service was equally impressive. Patrons are greeted as if you were being invited into their home, and they were attentive and friendly throughout the meal. Note this, if you bring your own tupperware for your leftovers, you can enter a drawing once a month for a free meal! Is that an awesome idea or what?

The New Neighborhood

We are pretty much all moved into the new house. There are still plenty of projects to work on to make it just right, and if I can just find some time to do it, I might get to a place where I can take some pictures and show you all! Stand by for that soon....

In between all the moving, I have managed to find a little time to explore the new hood and all that it has to offer. There are plenty of thrift and antique stores that I am dying to get into, cute little boutiques, cafes and bars all over the place, and certainly some eateries that my palate can't wait to try.

After much anticipation, The Blind Lady Ale House on Adams Ave. is finally open. We have been watching the construction for months since it's almost next door to Rosie O'Grady's, and we often go there for brunch and their excellent spicy bloody's. We have sampled several of the fine ale's that The Blind Lady is already famous for, (I loved the Hanger 24 Alt) they have over 200 and the menu keeps changing. All of the pizza's look and smell fantastic, the menu alone will make your mouth water. We had the house chorizo with artichokes, yum! I have a feeling we will be regulars there in no time.

We also had a chance to check out Urban Solace on 30th last weekend for their Bluegrass Brunch, it was incredible! I want to go back again and again till I have tried everything on the menu, it all sounds so good. Shannon, Mark and I all ordered something different and swapped bites, I think I liked Shannon's Hanger Steak Benedict with smoked ancho chili hollandaise the best. I ordered the cheesy scrambled eggs, served with grits, which I have NEVER had before, I actually liked them!

My goal is to try a new place at least once a week, so keep checking back for more reviews!

Chaquita's

If you have been around San Diego for a while, you may already know about Chiquita's Mexican Restaurant located at 4110 Home Ave. If you don't, you should, it is certainly one of my favorite places in town for some authentic Mexican food.

We strolled in there on a recent Saturday night, a little on the later side for dinner, and decided to sit at the bar. We started with a huge basket of fresh hot tortilla chips and some of the BEST salsa I have had in a long time. Of course you HAVE to have a "Cadillac Margarita" with chips and salsa that good!



The bartender and staff were all in good spirits and happy to make sure everyone else was happy too. There were several large groups celebrating various special birthdays and momentous occasions. For Mark and I, we had just signed a lease for our first place together, and we were ready to celebrate ~ and soak it all in! More about all that in a later post.....

We started with soup, we both ended up with a different variety, both were so good, I can't decide which was better. For my entree, I had the jumbo garlic shrimp plate. The perfectly proportioned serving included five of the best tasting shrimp I have ever had, of course cooked in a garlic and butter mixture that left you wanting more. Appropriately sided with some really good re fried beans and rice that were definitely not your local "Roberto's" rice and beans!

Mark enjoyed his carnitas plate almost as much, but maybe one of the best parts of both of our meals was the fresh tortillas, WOW, so good! There is something about really good corn tortillas that can just make the meal.

Do add it to your list of restaurants to try. Moderately priced and casual family friendly, you can't go wrong at Chaquita's.

Cantina Mayahuel

November 1 & 2nd was the Day of the Dead or Dia De Dos Muetos, celebrated mostly in Mexico. It's a great tradition that focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and relatives who have died.

Traditions include building private altars honoring the deceased, using sugar skulls, marigolds, and the favorite foods and beverages of the departed, and visiting graves with these as gifts.

Cantina Mayahuel on Adams Ave is a fabulous cantina and tequila bar where appropriately, the Day of the Dead festivities were underway last weekend.

I became a huge fan of this place for their insanely good tacos and muy bein Margaritas. Though the food menu is not extensive, what they do serve is as authentic as you can get this side of the border. Everything I have tried so far has been incredible, but a must try is their shrimp tacos. Unbelievably good.

As for their tequila menu, well, that is more extensive. You will find over 125 varieties of tequila and a separate mezcal menu that is also impressive. You can even learn a thing or two about the interesting history of tequila if you should so desire.

But you don't have to wait for next years Day of the Dead to stop by, any day of the week all year long is a good time to visit if you ask me!

My New Blog!

I love a tasty micro-brew at a good dive bar. But I also enjoy sipping a fine wine in a refined establishment from time to time. So, to find out more about my experiences and adventures at San Diego's best seedy dive bars, to the "Top of the Hyatt's", and everything in-between, please visit my new blog

illhaveanotherone.com.

I'm having a lot of fun designing the new site and thinking of ideas. I am also learning about how it is possible to make $$$ with my blog, why not??

Please let me know if you have suggestions, ideas or comments, I am all ears. Don't forget to check back often the site will be constantly growing and changing!