Even though we don't smoke meats that often (we especially love pulled pork), our visits to BBQ restaurants in San Diego are even less! I heard about SQUE from a friend and purchased a groupon to try it out. As the expiration date approached, we decided it was time to head over for a taste!
According to the map, it was off the 94 to the east of downtown. After exiting the highway, we easily spotted the building! The finger art was loud and clear about the location of the restaurant parking, which was a small lot to the right of the building. Inside of the restaurant, there's only 4-5 tables so I'm sure a lot of people take food to go.
Dennis talked to the girl at the counter for recs and we ended up with the 3 meat, 3 side combo, perfect for sampling the menu.
Souplantation has always been one of my favorite healthy alternative buffets so I was thrilled to attend a very special Souplantation dinner earlier this year. This event was a celebration of the hardworking farmers who make Souplantation what it is, a chain committed to providing customers with fresh wholesome food. A slick black bus arrived at the restaurant, VIP style, filled with these farmers, unaware of what was in store for them.
I've heard mentions of Soda & Swine before so I was delighted when a friend suggested meeting there for dinner one evening. A short drive later we were on Adams Avenue, ready for a little look-see and taste!
This restaurant is not only a neighbor of Polite Provisions but is a sort of "shared" space. Patrons can order food or drinks from the menu and sit in either area! During dinner it was completely packed. The length of the line varies throughout the night so if you're lucky, you may hit a lull!
With a 15-20 minute wait to order, we were able to ponder the menu a bit. A wide range of options included choice of proteins, cheeses, sauces, and even the meal type, which had sliders, submarines, spaghetti or meatballs! The meats had special names such as "swine" for smoked pork, "hog" for chorizo, "bovine" for beef, "hen" for chicken, "grain" for quinoa, and "banh-mi" for another version(?) of smoked pork. They also had a few yummy sounding sides to select from! Decisions decisions!
In celebration of San Diego's Bike to Work Day, I'm posting about Wich Addiction in Mira Mesa, which offered a free breakfast sandwich to commuters this morning. Free breakfast sandwich? Why yes please! Radio station KPRI also handed out a free Del Mar Fair ticket so more incentives to get my bike out into the daylight. I actually have today off but rode a total of 9 miles with Dennis in the spirit of things. This girl survived the trek and it felt great!
Prior to today, we've visited several times. On our first visit, Dennis ordered the New England Style Spicy Tuna. This sandwich has sashimi style tuna that came out in little cubes! It's got this interesting sriracha aioli which made it a little spicier than what I prefer (which is hardly anything), but keeps it unique. The addition of cool cucumber cubes and the furikaki seasoning keeps the sandwich feeling fresh as well.
Another year, another Taste of Hillcrest! Can you believe it's been going on for 15 years? This year I was provided a pair of media tickets for their event on April 18, 2015 between 12-4pm.
I was planning a birthday dinner for Dennis with friends and made a reservation for Davanti Enoteca in Del Mar. We've been here a couple times before, including San Diego Restaurant Week and have enjoyed the food.
It's a cute restaurant. Look at these big empty wine bottles as props near our table! I want one for my room!
There's also a bicycle out front for deliveries. Or maybe it's just a decoration.
They gave us this handy glossary guide when we were seated! I loved how it defined the unfamiliar words I've been seeing in italian restaurant names (davanti enoteca i.e. in front of the wine bar).
While waiting for the rest of our party, Dennis ordered the Churchill Downs cocktail. We were a little shocked when this cup full of crushed ice came out. The waitress said it was in the same style as the original mint julep...
We took a day off work to visit Catalina Island for Dennis's birthday. Did you know that you could get a free round trip starting the day of your birthday? I got this idea from marvelous Mary of This Tasty Life. You must sign up ahead of time and reserve with the email promo code they send you.
Dana Point was our starting point since it was the closest. The telephone rep had told me to arrive 1 hour prior to departure but they don't even hand out tickets until 1 hour and 20 minutes before departure!
After getting tickets ($76.50 for mine, FREE for Dennis), we had to wait in another line to get long term parking pass ($12/day) because we had to move our car out of short term parking (free with a 4 hour limit only).
We hadn't eaten anything yet so we rushed to the nearby RJ's Cafe for a quick bite. This breakfast place was within walking distance, about 0.3 miles per Google maps.
I ordered a stuffed French toast with orange and cranberry sauce. It came out big and bulky! You could see the batter on the toast and inside was a huge chunk of cream cheese!
The family was celebrating dual birthdays (Dennis and his sister Lisa) and decided on Dumpling Inn. It used to be a tiny but popular hole in the wall off Convoy Street but they recently moved into the next building (previously a supermarket).
Off to the far left side seemed to be party central because we, along with other large parties, were seated there.
To the right of the entrance was a pick-up or to-go area and smack dab in the center of the restaurant was a bar area, probably the center of their Shanghai Saloon add-on for the afternoon/evening crowds! There were plenty of tables all over the restaurant as well.
We browsed the menu but of course dumplings were a MUST at a dumpling house. This was the Pork Potstickers.
