Category: California

I have been to many types of restaurants in my travels. However, I have never had Persian food. I was thrilled that I was going to be able to try something completely new. Bandar is located in the Gas Lamp District of San Diego. They have been serving their homemade Persian recipes for over 20 years.

The restaurant was beautifully decorated. It created a romantic feel.

They proudly displayed all the awards they have won. This included awards for their famous chicken.

We had a huge group for dinner the night I visited. They did a fantastic job at accommodating us.

The table started off with an assortment of dip appetizers. It was perfect for sharing.

This assortment included:

1. Feta and Olives. The feta was extremely fresh. It was slightly sour and had a bite when eaten with the salty olives.
2. Hummus. This was a classic pureed garbanzo bean and tahini (ground sesame seeds). This too was made fresh; I could tell by the texture. It went well with the fresh pita bread slices that were at the table.
3. Must-O Khiyar (cucumber dip). This was homemade yogurt and chopped up cucumber. This dip was so light and refreshing. It is the perfect kind of dip to serve at a picnic or cookout in the summer.
4. Kashk-O Bademjan (eggplant). The eggplant was sautéed in garlic and onion which created a savory flavor. The eggplant was tender and soaked up the essence of the garlic. This was my favorite of the four dips.

For dinner the menu offered so many choices from beef, chicken, lamb, vegetarian, and gluten free. Everything sounded great. I decided to try their chicken since it has won so many awards. Now that I had pin-pointed that I wanted chicken, it was time to decided which chicken dish to choose. I went for the Albalu Polo. This included their charbroiled chicken tenderloin and black cherry rice.

To start off, the portions on every dinner they served were huge. I am not exaggerating. It was the first thing everyone said when their plates came out. One person could not eat everything that came on the plate. I would highly recommend you share with someone.

The chicken was great. I could taste the saffron that they used as a marinade. It was not an overpowering spice. Somehow the chicken came out in balls. I have no clue how they did that. The moisture stayed in the meat so each bite was juicy.

The rice was out of this world. They used two types of rice, a long grain and a rice that almost felt like a skinny noodle. Mixed in with the rice were black cherries. They were chopped in half so that the cherry juice could mix throughout the rice. It was both sweet and tart at the same time. It added additional texture. I loved this rice; it was such a unique way to prepare something that could have been very plain. I could see myself eating this just as a meal.

This wonderful dinner was a perfect example of why people should venture out of their food comfort zone. Had I not ventured out I would never gotten to enjoy these Persian dishes. Check out the awards and menus at http://www.bandarrestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

T

San Diego has so many restaurants. However, not all of them are along the water. Edgewater Grill lives up to it’s name. It is located right along the harbor.

I had a wonderful view, on a clear sunny day. As I sat there, I watched sail boats go back and forth. It really made me wish I was on one of them.

To enjoy the sunny day, I started off with an American Mule. It was American vodka and ginger beer. They served it in a copper mug to help keep it extra cold.

For lunch I wanted something light. The fish tacos looked like they would hit the spot. I had my choice of how I wanted my fish prepared. I got my Mahi-Mahi blackened for a little extra flavor.

The taco was loaded with shredded cabbage, large chunks of avocado, fresh pico de gallo, and bell peppers. The drizzled across the ingredients was a creamy yogurt sauce. Plus it came with a side of French fries.

The taco was so packed I needed to eat some of the fish and avocado by themselves in order to be able to pick up the taco. The corn tortilla shell they used was very fresh and had a great corn flavor. Even though the taco was stuffed they were not heavy or make me feel overly full.

If you want a nice relaxing spot for lunch then head over to Edgewater Grill.

http://www.edgewatergrill.com/

Enjoy!

T

When I travel for work I really like it when the people I am visiting select the restaurant to eat at. Usually they select a place they really enjoy so I am pretty much guaranteed a good meal. That’s what my experience was at Currant in San Diego.

Since it was San Diego, the restaurant had their doors and windows open so diners could enjoy the cool breeze from outside.

We had a table that was off on its own, it felt very private. We had a wonderful waiter who took care of our every need. They had many dishes on the menu that sounded delicious, including several of the daily specials.

While the crab cake sandwich sounded good, I could not stop thinking about the Primavera Risotto. I sounded so good I figured I would be mad at myself for not trying it.

The risotto was made with Arborio rice. It was combined with asparagus, carrots, cherry tomatoes (cut in half), tons of parmesan cheese, and cream to make the sauce.

This was the first time I ever had a risotto with this many vegetables. And to tell the truth, this was the best risotto I have ever had. It was extremely rich and creamy. Though it was rich, it was not an overpowering flavor. It was not the kind of risotto that after a few bites you would be full. I truly could not stop eating it.  Thank goodness it was a lunch size portion.

The flavor of the parmesan cheese shined through. The tomatoes added a slightly sour taste but it was minimal. The carrots added crunch. There was arugula on top that was slightly wilted because of the heat. It added a bitter, herby accent to the few bites I ate it with. And to my surprise, there was one beet in the center of the bowl. I did not see it until I started moving the risotto around. The cream sauce started turning purple. It just added color, it did not affect the taste.

The table also shared the thyme French fries. They were shoestring fries that were very crispy. It was a great thing to munch on while we waited for our food. Though they were cooked with thyme, I did not think there was enough on the fries. They could have added more for extra flavor.

Their dessert menu was extremely tempting. I was intrigued to try the Butterscotch Gooey Butter Cake. The waiter did say it was a popular dessert.

The butter cake was a heavy. The flavor reminded me of a sugar cookie. The cake was topped with a butterscotch icing. It was very sweet, and along with the cake, this dessert was over the top. I really enjoyed it but there was no way I could eat the whole thing myself. I would recommend sharing it.

The cake also came with a side of homemade caramel ice cream. It was topped with a rum anglaise. The ice cream was extremely creamy. It would be perfect on its own as a dessert. It also tasted great when combined with the cake.

When looking at the photo I took, you probably noticed a chocolate dipped biscotti. This came with another dessert but they did not want it. I decided to enjoy it along with my cappuccino. They make a really great cappuccino if you need a little caffeine boost.

So if you find yourself in San Diego, I would recommend you check out Currant. Visit their website to see all they have to offer. http://www.currantrestaurant.com/

Enjoy!

T

I love a good steakhouse. When visiting San Diego, I was lucky to get to visit Donovan’s Steakhouse. They are a high-end restaurant known naturally for their steaks.

When I walked in, I headed straight to the bar where I got to enjoy a fun cocktail.

I ordered the Orange Mark. It was a blend of green mark Russian vodka, Cointreau, fresh lime juice, and San Pellegrino blood orange.

This drink was sweet and smooth. I loved the orange flavor. It was not overpowering, yet still refreshing. It went down very easy.

After pre-dinner cocktails, we headed over to our table. To my surprise when I opened my menu it lit up. It was the coolest thing and it was really necessary because the restaurant was dark inside.

The table started with a giant seafood tower. The presentation was spectacular. It came with raw oysters, crab legs, jumbo shrimp, and lobster tails. I tried everything except the raw oysters.

The crab meat was sweet and did not need any sauces to be enjoyed. The shrimp were so big I needed to cut them in half in order to dip them in the cocktail sauce. For the lobster, normally I would want my lobster hot and with melted butter. But this lobster tail was cold. I really enjoyed it cold. The sweet taste came out more because it was cold. The meat was also very tender. I did eat a few pieces with cocktail sauce for a little bite of horseradish.

Not long after finishing the fresh seafood, the steaks came out. I ordered an 8oz filet mignon. Rather than a plain, medium filet changed it up and got it Oscar style.

By ordering the filet this way, I got Alaskan king crab meat on top and then it was covered with a house made béarnaise sauce. It was extremely over the top. it was really tasty but in the end I think the crab and sauce actually took away from the flavor of the steak. Plus it cost a lot extra to do it this way and it was not worth the price.

Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the steak after I took some of the béarnaise sauce off. There was a nice salty, grilled taste. It was a perfect medium too.

I also enjoyed a glass of red wine with the steak. It helped enhance the flavors of the meat.

On the side I got two pieces of asparagus. It was grilled up and also had a slight salty taste. I really wish I had gotten a few more pieces.

Along with the steak I got a classic baked potato. I made sure they put butter and bacon on it. The butter made the potato creamy and the bacon added crunch.

The table also ordered a side of creamed spinach to share. I had a little taste of it. It reminded me of a spinach dip that you would eat with tortilla chips while watching football. It was good but I was starting to get full and wanted to save room for dessert.

Speaking of dessert, I shared the fresh made crème brulee. It came with fresh strawberries on top. It was the perfect sixe for sharing.

The sugar was caramelized to perfection. It had a slight saltiness to it and added great crunch to the cream when eaten together. The cream filling itself was sweet and smooth. I am so glad I ended my meal with this dessert. The sweetness helped balance out the saltiness of the steak.

If you are looking for a wonderful steak while in San Diego, then check out Donovan’s. They are a little pricy so check out their menu first at www.donovanssteakhouse.com

Enjoy!

T

Once again I found myself in San Diego. It was time for lunch so what better place to head to than the Gas Lamp District. I knew I would have no problem finding a place.

I came across Barleymash.

It’s a great sports bar with lots of TVs and open windows to the outside. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed the great San Diego weather.

I sat at the bar and ordered a red sangria. I wanted something cold and refreshing. This one was not overly sweet. I wish it came with a little more fruit.

They offer a few flatbreads which are great for sharing. I ordered the salami flatbread. It was salty from the meat and all the cheese. The crust was not cracker thin but thin enough. It was slightly doughy.

Since I was near the beach I wanted to make sure I had some fresh seafood. I ordered the tuna poke. It was fresh Albacore tuna that was tossed in a teriyaki sauce for a sweet and salty taste.

Along with the tuna, there was fresh sliced avocado, green onion, sliced cucumber, and a homemade teriyaki beer-brined kimchi. On top were toasted sesame and wasabi cream. And to help eat the tuna, there were crispy wontons on the side.

The tuna was great. It melted in my mouth since it was so tender. It paired wonderfully with the tangy kimchi. Their kimchi is not spicy like others I have had. While eating the mixture on the wonton crisps added extra texture, I really enjoyed eating it all on the cucumber slices. It felt fresher to me. The refreshing juices from the cucumber mellowed the kimchi and enhanced the taste of the teriyaki tuna.

If you enjoy craft beer, Barleymash is a perfect spot for you. They do have an area of the restaurant where they make their own. It is fun that visitors can actually see it.

If you are looking for a casual place to grab a drink and little to eat, check out Barleymash. http://www.barleymash.com/

Enjoy!

T

I have been to several wonderful restaurants in San Diego over the years. I have never been to a more romantic, cozy place as Opercaffe.

It is small and quaint inside. It made me feel like I was in Italy.

What better way to start off an Italian dinner than with a glass of Cabernet.

It goes wonderfully with some homemade bread. It was wonderful dipped in olive oil (Italian butter!). However, it was fantastic dipped in their homemade marinara sauce.

One of the main reasons I was excited to try Opercaffe was because they had arancini on their menu. They are called Gli Arancini on the menu.

The rice ball was stuffed with mozzarella cheese. It was lightly breaded and then deep fried. It came with a side of the homemade marinara sauce.

Their sauce was amazing. it had a ton of minced garlic in it and the flavor really came through. The rice ball had a great crunch on the outside and a soft cheesy center. It tasted great with and without the sauce. It was also perfect to share.

They had a homemade minestrone soup on the menu that I had to try. I love soups. The broth was creamy. I could taste the basil they had mixed in. It was loaded with fresh vegetables. It was the perfect starter pairing with the arancini.

For my main dish I ordered the Capesante E Gnocchi. Their homemade gnocchi were stuffed with asiago cheese. They were sautéed in a butter garlic sauce, mixed with jumbo sea scallops.

The scallops were cooked perfectly. They were tender and soft with a subtle sweet taste. They married well with the butter and garlic they were cooked in.

The gnocchi were the true stars of this dish. I have never had gnocchi that were stuffed with anything. The cheese added more than a salty taste; it added another subtle layer of flavor to the potato gnocchi.

When those cheesy delights were combined with the butter garlic sauce the flavor was elevated yet again. The dish became slightly rich, but not at all overpowering.  After several bites the saltiness went away and all I could taste was the savory hints of the butter.

I was enjoying myself so much at Operacaffe that I did not want to leave. So what better way to continue the evening than with dessert. They had a large selection of homemade Italian treats. I was able to see them in their case.

I knew I had to go with the fresh cannoli. There were several on the plate which made them perfect for sharing.

The shell of the cannoli was crunchy with a hint of cinnamon. The cannoli cream was the perfect consistency with a few chocolate chips mixed in. The sweetness was the best way to end the meal.

Opercaffe offered up one of the best Italian meals I have had in a long time. I would highly recommend them. They are not a very big restaurant so I would suggest you make a reservation.

Visit the website at http://operacaffe.com/ to see all they have to offer.

Enjoy!

T