Oak Mountian Winery

Today I had the pleasure of trying a Temecula winery that is a little off the main beaten path. Oak Mountain on the De Portola trail. Nice little place, great view of the valley and not a lot of traffic to deal with. And great wine.

Really enjoyed it all. Very Napa like. But we brought home 2 bottles, a White Merlot and a Brut Sparking wine. Both fantastic. I would also have brought a bottle of the Cab, it was smooth like butter! Sometimes you have to save something for the next tasting!

I have favorites in Temecula: Doffo's, Bailey's, Wilson Creek... I'm adding Oak Mountain to the list, right near the top. Worth the trip to the other side! 

Oak Mountain Winery

Roys

Dad is in town for a visit. So tonight, we tried something new. Roy's in La Jolla. Because it was next to the bookstore and I have been wanting to try it for some time.

Ordered a appy plate with a bunch of stuff on it. The tuna was great, the sushi roll was really good and the lobster pot stickers were just about perfect. Order those if you go.

Mains: I had the barramundi, and it was well prepared and tasty. The sundried tomato paste and edemame hummous garnish was a really nice touch. Dad had Hebi. Never had that before. Too bad. Texture was that of yellowtail, taste was more mild. Really, really tasty fish. Hawaii specialty. Joy has the lemon grass shrimp, and it too was a good dish.

All in all, a good dining experience, albeit a tad pricy. Entrees were in the $25-30ish range, but the food was good, well portioned and the service was excellent. I'll be back... !

Roy's - La Jolla location

Two for the road...

So.. What to do for lunch.. ? (And I was actually feeling like something different.. Seeing as I skipped breakfast and was still feeling full from last night's feast..  )

Well.. Thank god for food trucks! Two for the road was in the Copley cul de sac today. Interesting menu, burgers, chicken, etc. But the lobster roll caught my eye. Yummy. Bun was great, lobster was good, not overly mayo'ed up and fresh and tasty. The Mexican diet coke in a glass bottle was a great touch and the free cookie was almost as good as the cookie place at the local farmers markets.

I have already subscribed to the RSS feed for this truck. Will frequent again!

Two for the Road

World Curry

Might call this PB weekend.

Today we wanted something different. And I have been wanting to try the Thai curry place in PB for quite some time. Thai, Indian and English curries all served in a casual setting, right on Garnet avenue.

We started with the Samosas. They were good, fresh and served with a nice sauce. Tasty. If anything they were a tad on the greasy side, but very enjoyable.

Bobbi had the Golden curry bowl. It was fresh and tasty. Served on a bed of brown rice, it was just the right size for lunch, and packed with flavor. I never really tasted it fully, I had already had a few fork fulls of the Phall.. Whats Phall you say? Normally when a place serves something "spicy" it just isn't that spicy. This Phall was, well, as advertised. Probably the hottest thing I have had in a restaraunt in a long time. Like the golden curry, it was fresh, tasty and most enjoyable. I have been looking for really hot food in SD, and I found it here. Will be back. For Phall.

Next time I will take down a whole order of Phall. Eat it in 30 minutes, and my name will go on the wall!

Curry in a hurry - World Curry

Costa Brava

Have you ever walked into a place and felt like you were entering another world, or at least another country? Well, last night Terry and I went to Spain for a couple of hours to enjoy tapas and a little 'us' time.

Costa Brava is a hidden little gem in Pacific Beach. The outside of the restaurant is covered in climbing ivy which acts as a natural barrier to the street just outside the door. When you pass through the gate and go up the steps you are automatically transported into the heart of Spain. The wait staff greets you with a smile and their authentic Castilian lisps which only add to the relaxed ambiance.

The food at Costa Brava is amazing! We ordered lamb skewers, olives with anchovies, sardines, escargot, tuna wrapped in pastry, mushrooms in wine sauce, and lovely little dates wrapped in bacon. It seems impossible that such small portions could pack in so much flavor and satisfy so completely, but they did. I am sure that we will go back again and again.

Amé el alimento y la atmósfera. Estaré detrás otra vez.


Costa Brava

Craft and Commerce

This morning, at the reasonable hour of nine a.m., Terry and I tried to go to the air show on Coronado Island. As we were rolling down hwy. 5 we noticed that there was at least 4 miles of cars backed up. Everyone in San Diego seemed to have the same idea we had about getting to the air show early. So, out of necessity, we decided to change our plans. We decided to park in Little Italy, walk to the water front, and watch the planes pass over the Broadway Pier.

After our afternoon of sitting in the sun we decided to go to take a quick walk up the road to the corner of Beech St. and Kentner. We had passed by Craft and Commerce many times before, so today we decided to pop in for a cocktail and a bite to eat. We shared the salmon B.L.T. and oh my were we pleasantly surprised. I expected it to be delicious, but I never imagined that my taste-buds would joyfully explode with each bite. The buttery salmon and bacon were complemented perfectly by the olive loaf bread, avocado, and fresh arugula. In a word, it was YUMMY!

If you are the sort that likes a refreshing cocktail or an interesting microbrew Craft and Commerce is the ultimate space for drinks. It is not so much a bar as it is a new age lounge with an airy elegance. I had a Cry Baby Cry which is a mixture of hard apple cider, champagne, and ginger. Terry had a glass of Old Viscosity which is a microbrew infused with chocolate and coffee essence. Both were just what we needed to relax, enjoy the moment, and one another. Kudos to the bartender.

All in all it was the perfect start to our Valentine's Day weekend.

Wormwood and the like..

Revisit alert!

Last night I had the pleasure of sharing a meal with my gal at Alchemy. Love that place. Good food. Good spirits.

Started with a tabbouleh like salad, which was a mix of bulgur and quinoa. Great. Something I will try to make at home. Also had a half starter of falafel, and I must say it was some of the best I have had.

My chicken breast was cooked perfectly, and so was Bobbi's burger. Food has always been good.

The highlight of the meal for me was a new spirit to try. (For us anyways.. ) Kubler Absinthe. I was impressed, they brought the water fountian to the table in in no time the louche was busy forming. Quite an experience. I found it to be a complicated herbal mix, not without the complexities of a scotch with the overtones of licorice and citrus. Will do this again!

If your in northpark and want a nice, elegant dining experience, you can't go wrong with Alchemy.

Alchemy San Diego