Eden -Hillcrest

Eden, the garden of landscapes and frolic, has opened in the space that Universal left vacant. A restaurant nightclub duo, the food serving modality has opened up for business.

With a renovated decor, giant distressed wooden doors and a fake grass walkway bring you into the outdoor bar area where firepits, lounge chairs and various eye candy greet you for an afternoon beverage.

The restaurant attached with tables bordering the side walk has also opened up for business. Offering a selection from Chile and Co catering company, the menu had some interesting selections.

As its not fully open, we were seated next to the construction zone of what will become the interior of the new nightclub..

The brunch menu was interesting. The yoghurt parfait came out, ironically similar to what you would buy at Starbucks, plastic cup and sealed granola bits and all:



The ahi tuna, served inside a tomatoe shell was ok, but also came out on disposable ware:



The egg sandwhich, reminded me of an egg mcmuffin at 3x the price:


Not sure if the restaurant was waiting for it's plate order but the disposable plates and plasticware were a big disappointment.
Prices were fortunately reasonable..

A bloody Mary was needed...



It came with a side salad:


Overall, much potential for this once happening sunday brunch spot. The drinks were substantial, but the food and service have a way to go...

- Posted from my iPhone

Lefty's pizza Mission Hills

Chicago deep dish pizza fans raved about Lefty's in mission hills, so a trip was definitely in order.

The establishment is a basic pizza joint, low key, with pickup in the front and a very casual sports influenced back area for seating.

The cornmeal thin crusted pizza with spinach, sundried tomatoes and chicken was selected:


Although good, you could barely identify the chicken!! The sundried tomatoes were in there somewhere. Not sure what all the rave was about as Bronx nearby seemed to rank higher in my book.

Running down to trader joes and using the basic cornmeal pizza and adding caramelized onions and sundried tomatoes yielded the following creation:


Olive oil drenched sundried tomatoes with caramelized onions and cheese on a thin crust was simple yet fabulous..

Perhaps the deep dish have and added excitement but did not find it.. A16 in SF or the various street pizza offerings in NYC still have my vote...

- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Mission hills SD

Off the sajj - Lebanese Hillcrest

A new Lebanese addition to the hood, Off the sajj took over the spot of what use to be a hamburger spot.

Offering a variety of middle eastern specialties, from zatars to hummous, foul and kabobs, a lunch opportunity had a sampling of several items.

The babganoush, roasted eggplant dish was remarkably fresh:



Served on disposables plates (???), the pita dipping action didn't require the plasticware provided.

The chicken kabob plate, served with cinnamon enhanced basmati rice, hummous and a green salad was tasty:





The standard zatar: a flat pita bread like spread with olive oil, thyme and spices was definitely a morning breakfast reminder of Lebanon:


The foul, a chickpea bean based hot dish was hearty:



Prices were reasonable, set up for a quick bite or a casual dining spot, the new entry into hood is directly competing with Alladin, however a lower cost entry contender with less of an atmosphere.

The dessert selections were sweetly attractive:


We'll see if the late night kabob and shwarma's start entertaining the out and about crowd..

- Posted from my iPhone

Makota DC

On the outskirts of Georgetown, a special Japanese restaurant Makoto. Almost hidden from the streets and directly underneath another Japanese restaurant that had signage everywhere, this little jem has a red door and short stairwell into a 6 table and full sushi bar venue.

Kimono wearing hosts greet you at the door, inspecting you for proper attire. Afterall, the coat requirements are in place so you "don't have to air next to certain people!"

When you're seated, you have various food options, the tasting menu or a la carte.

The tasting menu consisted of various chef selected dishes:






The steamed mussels in rice wine were fantastic, large and lightly seasoned, warmed broth with scallions warned up the tastebuds.

The lemon and Ginger flavored fishcakes were delicious and light. Full fish lightly breaded in a sweet and succulent lemon zest and Ginger sauce. Accompanied with a persimmon salad..

The sashimi was amazing. Tuna, fat tuna, mackerel and red snapper all fresh and vibrant

Not to be without your own wasabi root for extra shavings





Whole fried butterfly fish was crispy and crunchy:




An intermediate salad of avocado and shrimp with mango and a chile miso soup was refreshingly good and decoratively fantastic:






Our own little fireplate was brought out to cook scallops, tiger shrimp and thinly sliced meat ad large mushrooms to cook over the hot fire plate:

With little garnishings of green scallions, minced onion and red pepper minced onions, the need and scallops were cooked to perfection and balanced exquisitely well with onion based toppings:

Baby sushi of tuna, mackerel and yellowtail were brought out to cleanse the palatte. Light, tasty, with fresh wasabi and pickled ginger!








The Chilean sea bass was grilled to ultimate satisfaction. Tender and juicy, melted in your mouth:





With a while wheat soba noodles and mushroom soup to finish:
And a little spice box full of pepper and seaweed flavors:

The finishing touch, a grape and grand marnier granite was amazing:




Gracious hostess, fantastic and well prepared fish an the hospitality that is missing in many places, makota truly has some treasures to offer..


- Posted from my iPhone

Location:Washington DC

Hotel Del Coronado

With beach front property, gorgeous sunsets and brunches fit for a king, hotel del in Coronado, once a place where several presidents and other elite vacationed, has a historic yet vibrant energy. Built in 1888, classic polo wearing beach resort is a destination not to be missed.

Sunset cocktails are definitely a good starter into the weekend. Freshly made lump crabcakes were devoured between myself and LM:




Nice mustard based tarragon sauce complimented the lump luscious crab... Hearty and delicious.



The mussel dish underwent an improvisation. Originally offered with a chorizo broth, we requested white wine and herbs.. Fabulous sized Carlsbad mussels:



Flatbread pizzetti finished the meal. BBQ baja shrimp on a thin crust with caramelized onions:



With great company, a beautiful sunset and a temperate evening, southern Cali at is best...

- Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)

Location:San Diego

Regent thai- DC

Adams Morgan neighborhood has a lively outgoing atmosphere, streets lined with outdoor seating, restaurants and bars.

A comfort thai place, Regent has a spicy well prepared dishes to offer:


Lemongrass and chili basil mussels were definitely a kick starter:


Red curry with chicken was a sweet and spicy rich dish that was fantastic:


The drunken noodles were a special treat. Larger than life noodles basted in a garlic black sauce, hearty and delicious:


The eggplant with chicken was also quite good with basil and mild peppers:


The red panang also looked fabulous:


Goon bites with a back of the throat spice that gets the juices flowing..

- Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)

Pumpkin it up

Pumpkin and spice and all that's nice is filling the winter air. From allspice brews to cinnamon and nutmeg ciders or the occasional cinnamon stick hot whisky, pumpkin is a versatile fruit that shouldn't be reserved for a seasonal event.



With a medium sized pumpkin, the meat and pulp can be boiled and blended with milk, butter, cinnamon and vanilla to create a light creamy pumpkin soup:.




Utilizing the pulp and cooking it with garlic, cloves and a rub of bitter orange, cinnamon and capers, adding a chicken broth base with a little curry creates a curried pumpkin soup thats bound to offer a kick, topped with a pumpkin oil and roasted pumpkin seeds:


And let's not forget the seeds.. Roasted pumpkin seeds basting with a little olive oil, sea salt and some herbs du Provence creates a very festive and tasty snack:


The mighty pumpkin lives on! Finding it way into all kids of goods including cupcakes, cheesecakes, ice creams, puddings and Ginger cakes:


- Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)

Gala event dinners..

Everyone who has been to a Gala event or a fundraiser know that the food options are limited... Afterall, it's all about the charity or event and not necessarily the food...

Still, that doesn't mean you can't enjoy the selections..

The walnut topped cranberry salad with German endives and is a little overdone these days:


The main dish was a Carb free all protein plate: filet with two jumbo shrimp and a baby carrot:


Simple and straightforward...

- Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)

Pacifica del mar

With a beach front view and a stormy night, the cozy interior of Pacifica was bustling with activity.

An industry event had the usual suspects: duck pizzetti, beef topped crostini and goat cheese filled pastries.

But the interesting dish of the night was a seared ahi served in a smoked mushroom sauce. An earthy woodsy character of a sauce with a light fish like ahi was a different combination:



Raw raw goodness...

- Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)

Wok off... Stir it up

The battles of the Chinese food cook offs continue... From the desert to the wetlands.. Lol SD... We have some contenders.

Enter Zine, tucked behind the casino floor in the Palazoo hotel in las Vegas, red interior lighting, dark wood tables and an airy open space transfer you from the chaotic casino floor to a secluded space for gastronomic pleasures...

The dish candidate, a wok stirred Taiwanese chicken clay pot:


Roasted peppers, basil and glazed chicken cooked to a pipping hotness with Chinese broccoli:


Lightly stir fried, crisp and sesame oil coated... Let's hear it for contender number one... Zine:



Helicopter back to the once dry san Diego, turned wetlands overnight... And Sichuan chicken in allied gardens is contender number 2:



-kung pao chicken with a mild peppery was a bit subdued but still tasty.

Sichuan beef with onions and peppers was definitely juicy:



But the surprise of it all.. Chinese burritos! These oversized eggrolls were a monstrous feast to enjoy:



The judges vote is in... The crowd deliberates and goes wild with anticipation.. And the verdict is.... Drumroll please....

Master geisha says: you must go to convoy street or back to SF for erik's 5 spice chicken...


Posted using mobile cam.. Eating and blogging on the go, excuse spelling mistakes :)