Happy Fat Tuesday to all of our loyal readers.  As promised, I am giving you a fresh review to peruse.  Hopefully you are all having a great time tonight and remember, “laissez les bon temps roulez.”

So in honor of this great party holiday, I set off in search of some authentic Cajun food in the heart of San Diego.  I’m happy to report that I found a spot that’s only 10 minutes or so from my house.  Lucky me… you know how I love my spicy food.

Gulf Coast Grill – On Park Blvd. between University and El Cajon.

There aren’t many Cajun/creole options in the Greater San Diego area.  In fact, besides this place I only know of one other, and it’s in old town.  Since I generally avoid old town and its horrendous parking situation, I was pretty stoked to find out about Gulf Coast Grill.  It’s the perfect location for me, sandwiched right between Hillcrest and North Park.  The easiest way to get there is to take Park all the way up from downtown, which turns into a meandering path leading you by Balboa Park, Museum Row and the San Diego Zoo.  All in all, it’s probably one of the most scenic routes that you’ll find that doesn’t involve the coast.

Anyway, enough about my adopted hometown.  What about the place itself?  Well, surprisingly, it’s pretty large.  They have a decent sized patio up front, a nice little bar area and two large dining rooms.  The larger of the two is set back and slightly darker, providing a nice quiet atmosphere for a hot date.  (Do people still say “hot date”?)  The decor is mostly wood and the lighting is comprised of a lot of those light strings you’d normally associate with Christmas, but without the obnoxious colors.  In short, it’s exactly what you’d expect an authentic Cajun restaurant to look like.

As I walked in, I was greeted at the door by a host/waiter/jack-of-all-trades.  It was the lunch hour and it looked as though he was also doing some of the serving because he and the bartender were sharing the responsibility of seating people and working the phone.  I told him it was just me, and after he’d finished giving me a confused look, I grabbed a seat at the bar and was quickly given a menu.

I knew that I was going to go Cajun with my order, but was stuck deciding between the jambalaya and the gumbo.  The bartender pushed me toward the gumbo when she told me that it was pretty spicy.  Usually, I find jambalaya to be the spicier of the two dishes, so I was intrigued at this abnormality.  I ordered the hush puppies as an appetizer and the 1/2 order of gumbo to follow.

The hush puppies were artfully done, although I must say that nobody is ever going to eat the bit of salad that they put on the plate to make it look this good.  The truth is that hush puppies are simple food.  They’re like a savory donut, and when done right, need very little accompaniment.  The remoulade that was drizzled on them was pleasant enough, but I would have preferred it in a dish for dipping rather than poured by the chef for aesthetic value.  That being said, the hush puppies were cooked perfectly, not too dry with just the right amount of crunch and thickness on the outer layer of corn.  I only had one complaint: that my gumbo came out before I could eat enough of them and, by the time I had returned, the remoulade had made them a little too soggy.  Oh well, it’s a dish meant for two people anyway… eating 4 out of the 7 ain’t bad.

The real star of the meal was the gumbo.  I know it’s not much to look at from the picture, but it was one of the spicier gumbos I’ve had.  I was literally sweating by the time I’d finished the bowl.  On top of the heat, which I loved, I also have to say that they used a ton of seafood.  The dish had an oyster, several shrimp, crawfish tails, little scallops and big chunks of fish (I was told they use red snapper or salmon).  All of the seafood was cooked well.  Nothing was rubbery and the only thing I was disappointed in was the oyster.  Maybe that’s just because oysters aren’t really my thing though, or it could be that the richness of the oyster was a little out of place considering the heat of the dish.

For those of you who like a really thick gumbo, you’re going to be disappointed here.  This one is a little on the thin side, due mainly to the fact that it has less rice and more seafood.  I’d take that trade-off any day.

I was very happy with my meal and look forward to going back.  My appetizer and half order of gumbo (which was plenty), and one Stone IPA came out to be $25.  The service was fast and the bartender was knowledgeable about the food.  I’ll be honest, I didn’t really get a good vibe from the place when I first walked in, and I’d be interested to see how the service holds up when the place gets packed.  But still, I can’t fault them for the service they gave me and I’ve certainly seen worse since I’ve moved down here.

So if you’re in the mood for some authentic Cajun food, give Gulf Coast Grill a shot… and tell ‘em EatMeCalifornia sent you.

Exactly one year ago tonight, EatMeCalifornia came on the radar.  It’s been a pretty good year overall, I think.  But I can certainly understand the frustration that some of our readers have felt about the lack of content over the past few months.  What I offer you tonight is not an excuse, but rather, an explanation.

You see, over the past year, a lot has changed for Mikey and myself.  I started law school (don’t ask me why) and Mikey has been doing his best to navigate the treacherous waters of single-fatherhood.  While I can’t, and won’t speak for Mikey in this post, I want to assure you all that we still care about the site.  We love food, we love you, and we have the exhausted bathroom scales to prove it.

This post isn’t going to be a food review.  You won’t get the nice pictures and ruthless observations that you’re used to seeing, but that’s okay.  I am here to assure you that EatMeCalifornia is not going the way of the dinosaur/buffalo/Ace of Base.  We’ve been eating… a lot.  And we’re genuinely looking forward to bringing you some great reviews in the near future.  But right now, I’d like to explain myself and why I haven’t been up to snuff.  If you care to read on, I think it’ll give you good reason to still care about us.

You see, things change.  Life is always moving and nothing stays static.  Being food reviewers was never our first job, it was just something we did for fun.  I started law school last September, totally thinking that I could keep the site going.  I’ve eaten a ton of great meals in San Diego, as well as some atrocious ones, and was fully intending to share my experience with you.  However, as often happens, life got in the way.

Sure, I could tell you that Hodad’s is the closest thing to In-And-Out that you’ll find in San Diego and Quarter Kitchen has a dessert, with poached pear in red wine, that is one of the best of my life.  But the fact of the matter is, I ate those meals in order to get to know the people I was dining with.  I am in a new city feeling out the cuisine, but more importantly, getting to know people.  We all have people in our lives who give us guidance, support, encouragement and all the other sustenance necessary for us to make it through the day.  I’m no different.  Being in a new town meant bearing the additional responsibility of setting up a whole new support group.

I’m not a chef, I’m a guy who talks about his experience.  Honestly, I’m flattered that you guys even read this stuff.

Now that I’ve been here a while, I think it’s safe to say that I can be objective again.  I don’t want to ratchet up expectations, but I’m hopeful that we can post at least a couple new reviews every week.  Obviously when we were both unemployed and unencumbered it was much easier to post everyday.  But that isn’t real life, is it?

Still, we appreciate all of the support of our readers and the last thing we’d ever want to do is fail you.  So here it is, my commitment that I will post at least one new restaurant review every week.  I’m sure Mikey will do the same.  We’ll augment when we can, but we need to get it going again and today’s the day.  Look for my latest review on Tuesday, I promise it’ll be worth your time.

Until then, thanks for reading.  And happy 1st birthday, EatMeCalifornia.

In the month that I’ve been living in San Diego, I’ve had the privilege of eating at some awesome places.  One place, however, has risen above the rest and now qualifies as my home base.  That place, my friends, is the Neighborhood.

Neighborhood is a bar, first and foremost.  They are actually the closest thing to Father’s Office that San Diego can offer.  They have a great selection of craft brews and Belgian ales, and a nice wine list as well.  Recently they have also introduced hard liquor to the bar, in the form of two specialty cocktails which I have yet to try.  All I know is that one of the drinks is made with Hendrick’s Gin, which is really all anyone needs to know in assessing quality.  Here is a picture of my favorite part of the Neighborhood:

As I said before, they have a pretty impressive beer selection.  They also have a happy hour from 4-7 during the week, and during that happy hour all San Diego beers are 2 for 1.  I’ve never seen a 2 for 1 happy hour with drinks before, and I’m not even sure if it’s legal, but I like where they’re going with the idea.  The last thing I will say about the beer menu is that it changes frequently.  If you’re looking to get your normal Stella or Newcastle, then this is not the place for you.  However, if you are looking to experiment with a few amazing IPAs, then I highly recommend them.  Like Father’s Office, the service staff is very knowledgeable about their beers and are always willing to let you have a little taste before you commit.

The food at Neighborhood is hit and miss.  They do a really good impression of the Father’s Office burger, with one element that is even better than the original.  The roll that they serve the burger on is phenomenal.  It holds up way better than the roll that FO gives you.  Of course, I think the beef quality and surreal flavor of the FO burger trump anything that Neighborhood puts out.  Still, I find it to be a more than adequate replacement for the FO burger, especially because I’m about 3 hours away from Santa Monica.  All of the ingredients in the Neighborhood burger are fresh and delicious, and I highly recommend it to anyone living down here in San Diego.

If you’re going to the Neighborhood to watch a game, you’re also likely to be disappointed.  This is a lounge-type bar where you can talk with your friends and listen to some relaxing music.  They do have a TV, but the volume is all the way down and it’s in a location that is not really accessible to the majority of the bar.

The rest of the menu features an eclectic mix of salads burgers and bar food.  I’ve had the jalapeno mac and cheese, which was fair, and the chorizo corn dogs, which were fantastic.  The sweet potato fries are also not to be missed (although, I wish they were a little crispier).  Overall, this is a modern, classy bar, with a fantastic beer selection and a well executed menu.  When you’re in the East Village, or even down in the Gaslamp, it’s definitely worth the trip.  Enjoy!

Hey everybody,

Mikey’s been giving me the business about being a douchebag lately.  I know I haven’t been posting on the regular, and I plan on doing better over the next couple weeks.  I only have a few minutes to spend before getting back to work, but I wanted to give the peeps back home a little introduction to a dish that is unique to San Diego: The California Burrito.

Basically, you can only get California burritos in San Diego, which is retarded.  Shouldn’t they at least be called San Diego burritos?  Anyway, despite the misnomer, they are incredibly delicious.  The other great thing is that you can get them almost anywhere.  I haven’t verified this yet, but I’m pretty sure you can even get them at the local chinese food joint.

Since you can get a Cali burrito anywhere and it’ll taste great, my main priority in choosing a place to get one is proximity to my apartment.  Now, I have about 20 mexican food places within a short drive of my place, but since I live downtown, I rarely drive anymore.  Instead, I walk one block south and two blocks west, right into the front door of…

Azteca Taco Shop – Corner of Park and Market, East Village

Before I get into my review of Azteca, we need to talk about the Cali burrito for a second.  What the heck is a California burrito, anyway?  Well… it’s a magical dish, crafted from carne asada, guacamole, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream and, here’s the kicker: french fries.

It has no beans, no rice, and essentially no unneccessary fillers.  It’s pure unadulterated goodness.  I usually get mine without the sour cream because they tend to put more guac in its place.  My favorite thing about the Cali burrito is the way the fries interact with the rest of the burrito.  It’s an Irishman’s dream.  You know how much we love our potatoes.

Like I said, you can get these anywhere and usually for around five bucks.  I get mine at Azteca for exactly that amount.

Azteca is a little hole-in-the-wall, right next to the train stop.  It is a little dirty, a little sketchy at night and hazardous in a general kind of way.  Some people get scared off by the neighborhood, but not me.  I am a man of the people.

Actually, I never stick around to eat at Azteca.  I simply get my food to go and retreat to the relative safety of my secure building.  I’m an elitist populist.

The best parts of the Azteca Cali burrito are the guac and the carne asada.  They also have a delicious hot sauce that you have to ask for on the side.  The guac is fresh and the carne is tender and juicy.  The fries are pretty pedestrian alone, but they get the job done when combined with the other ingredients. The cheese and pico contribute nicely as well.  Overall, it’s still a fast food burrito and it should be valued as such.

For the price, the quality of the food is pretty good and it’s served quickly.  The tables are kept clean and there are always a few people in the dining room.  They also offer breakfast, but I’m not sure if they serve it all day.  I already know a few good breakfast spots that I’ll be sharing with you over the next couple weeks, so keep coming back to see the places I’ve discovered.

For the moment, I’m holding off on recommending Azteca for anyone other than East Village residents.  The quality is good, but you can get a great Cali burrito almost anywhere.  Regardless of where you get it, the important thing is that you indulge in the wonder that is the California burrito.  Just be careful, these things are like crack to mexican food fans.

Hey everyone,  I’m sure at least a few of you have noticed that I haven’t posted in almost three weeks.  For those of you who haven’t, you must just visit the site because of Mikey’s unwavering dedication.  The reason that I haven’t been posting is that I’ve been pretty busy lately.  I moved to San Diego and started law school.  Today was actually my first day of real classes, and I just got done with my reading, so I figured I’d give you guys my first San Diego food review as a local.  Here we go…

Turf Supper Club – Golden Hill

Turf is your traditional dive bar.  That’s not to say that it is dirty or slum-like in any way; it’s very dark and just conveys that old-school vibe that you would associate with a dive.  The aforementioned lighting, red booths and old movies playing on the TV discourage the yuppie crowd from putting in an appearance and the resulting group is a blend of locals with a slight influx of hipster.

I found this place through my friend Alexis, who lives in (or on?) Golden Hill.  She conned me into helping her unload her moving van this past weekend by offering free food and beer.  What starving college student can say no to that?

We hit up the bar around 10 on Saturday night and there was a pretty decent crowd.  It’s called Turf Supper Club because, with the exception of a few items, they only have meat on the menu.  Not only that, but you also get to cook the meat yourself on one of two large grills situated in the middle of the dining room.

Because you cook your own, the prices are pretty affordable and the quality is high.  I chose the burger, while my new friend, Ray, got a steak.  (I was already so wrapped up in my burger that I didn’t ask what cut he ordered.)

The waitress brought our plates out quickly.  Mine had the burger, bun and all the trimmings.  There is one caveat regarding the Turf club: they don’t do sides.  My buddy’s steak came with a little salad, but if you’re looking for fries and the like, you’re going to be disappointed.  Still, with as much meat as they give you, you don’t need a whole lot more food to satisfy your hunger.

There isn’t going to be an “after” picture of my burger because I inhaled it so quickly.  That said, I must give my compliments to the chef. (Oh, wait…)  The meat was cooked just the way I like it, and the seasoning and flavor was amazing.  I don’t know if it was the seasoning on the grill, or just an expert hand with the salt shaker, but it was damn good.

All narcissism aside, if you consider yourself to be an expert level griller of meat you should definitely give Turf a try.  The freshness and quality of the food is top-notch, the prices are affordable, and if your meal sucks… you’ve got nobody to blame but yourself.

I don’t have a ton of experience with Greek food.  But I can honestly say that Taverna Tony is the best Greek restaurant that I’ve eaten at, so far.  I mean no disrespect to the Greek at the Harbor.  You guys are great and make us feel welcome whenever we drop in, but the meal I had the other night absolutely knocked my socks off.

Taverna Tony – Just off PCH south of Pepperdine, in Malibu.

The location of this restaurant is great.  It’s in a cute little shopping center, full of metaphysical bookshops and boutique clothing stores.  It’s quintessential Malibu.  Plus it’s just across the street from one of my favorite bookstores and the infamous Malibu Starbucks.  It’s down a sidestreet though, so it’s not as susceptible to the noise of PCH traffic.  It’s also a fairly large restaurant, with a nice little patio for evening dining.

The best thing about the restaurant, besides the delicious food, is Tony, himself.  I’ve never been to a restaurant which said so much about the character and charisma of one man, like this one did.  I got the opportunity to meet the man and find out a little bit about what makes Taverna Tony such a special place.  One of the first things that I found out was that much of the decor had been hand-picked and imported directly from Greece.  This includes the rustic tables and chairs which give the restaurant and authentic, yet comfortable, feel.  

Since I was a little late meeting my group of friends, I got there just in time to take advantage of the appetizers they ordered.  The spread included two dips with pita (taramosalata and hummus), meatballs, fried calamari and saganaki.

I apologize for the quality of the pictures.  I only had my phone on me and did the best I could.

As far as the quality of the appetizers, they were excellent.  The fried calamari was crispy and not rubbery in the slightest.  It was easily the best that I’ve ever had.  The saganaki was amazing, having both a sweet and savory flavor and the perfect “crust” on the flamed cheese.  The meatball was moist on the inside but had a nice firm outside and the dips were thick, creamy and exactly what you would expect at a traditional Greek restaurant.  I found the dips at the Greek at the Harbor to be just as good, but with slightly better pita.  Everything else on the plate had to be called an advantage to Tony’s.

I was part of a group of 5 people.  Two of them ordered the salmon, two ordered the lamb tenderloin and I ordered the vegetarian plate of spanakopita and tiropita.

Everyone got the same sides.  Each dish came with roasted potatoes and carrots and a rice pilaf.  The roasted potato had a very tasty herb crust and the carrots were soft and succulent.  My only complaint, if I had one, was that the rice was a little al dente for my taste.  The tiropita was buttery and crisp and the spanakopita was stuffed to the brim with spinach.  My taste of my friend’s lamb revealed a filet mignon-like tenderness and flavor.  Honestly, if I didn’t know it was lamb, I never would have guessed.

The quantity of food was more than adequate, and I ended up taking home two full slices of my spanakopita and leaving the majority of my sides behind.  One of the main reasons for this was the fact that I wanted to try their baklava.  Tony was also kind enough to bring out some rice pudding, ice cream and fresh watermelon for us to share.  We also got the chance to sample their after-dinner drinks, including greek coffee with turkish delight, ouzo and sambuca.  The baklava was gigantic and rich.  After about two bites, I gave up trying to eat anymore and quickly had the waitress load the leftovers into a container for me, before anyone else had the chance to steal it.

Overall, it was a fantastic meal with great company and amazing food.  I left Taverna Tony fat and happy and grateful for all the hard work and passion that one man has devoted to the restaurant which bears his name.

Last weekend, Mikey and I had the opportunity to pay a visit to the Ventura County Fair.  It was my first time at the fair and I had no idea how big it was going to be.  Even more importantly, I had no idea how much food they would have to offer.  As it turns out, Mikey and I barely scratched the surface of what they had, before reaching our agreed upon calorie limit of 5000.

2009 Ventura County Fair – Seaside Park off California St., Ventura

The fair is right down by the beach, at Seaside Park.  It’s gorgeous, right up until the time when you have to walk back to your car, downwind from that horrid sewage smell that sometimes wafts its way along the beach.  Other than that, it’s the perfect location.  Parking isn’t too bad and if you’re willing to park in the nearby structure and walk, you’ll get a little exercise before gorging yourself on all the great food.

Obviously there is more to the fair than food.  But food was our main reason for attending.  They have tons of rides and carnival games, along with local vendors selling their wares.  There are also several exhibition halls with everything from local flora to collections of Harry Potter memorabilia.  Mikey and I spent 20 bucks each at the carnival and walked away with 3 stuffed animals and a sense of manly pride that only comes from showing a carny what’s what.

But first and foremost we were there to eat.  We didn’t really do too much sharing, instead opting to go head to head with our food choices.  Round 1 was Mikey’s Tri-tip sandwich vs. my Cajun corndog.

Mikey’s $9 sandwich was kinda disappointing.  He confided that the tri-tip was too thin and fatty and wasn’t worth the price he paid.  My $6 cajun corndog, on the other hand, was pretty damned good.  It was about a foot long and the breading was awesome.  The only minor complaint was that there was nothing cajun about the outside.  The dog, itself, had a nice spice to it, but was overwhelmed at times by the outer shell.  Overall, my corndog still took round one, besting Mike’s tri-tip by a mile.

Next up was Mikey’s stuffed mushrooms vs. my Pink’s chili cheese dog with bacon.

This battle was a lot closer than you might think.  Not because of the taste of the food necessarily, but because the people at the shack selling the $4.50 stuffed mushrooms gave me the mother of all “that’s what she said” moments, when advising Mikey on how to carefully eat his mushrooms.  Since we like to keep it clean here on EatMeCalifornia, I won’t go any further, other than to say that those Mushroom folks have an awesome sense of humor.  My $8 chili-cheese dog, with bacon, was pretty legit, even if the bacon was way overdone.  Pink’s is an L.A. institution for good reason and their dogs are the stuff of legend, only falling to Nathan’s in terms of overall quality and history.  Still, I had to give this round to Mikey and his magical mushrooms.  We were now tied 1-1 going to the final round.

But first, a snackbreak…

Our “snack” came in the form of a dozen mini donuts from a group of older ladies in the commercial expo building.  These little delights are fried up on a little oil conveyer system which cooks them for just the right amount of time before depositing them into a sugar/cinnamon mixture and then bagged for your eating pleasure.  At $4.50 per dozen, they were a great bargain.  They melted in your mouth in a way that would make a Krispy Kreme donut blush.

In that same building is where Mikey and I made our dessert stand.  We chose to do battle with deep fried delecacies.  I selected the venerable twinkie, while Mike selected a four-pack of nutter-butter bars.  There could be only one winner and that winner was…

My fried twinkie, of course!  I mean, nutter-butters are great and all, but Mike’s left him wanting a glass of milk like the guy from the commercial trying to spit out Aaron Burr for 10 grand.  My twinkie, although heart-attack enducing, contained sufficient lubrication in the form of the marshmellow cream filling.  The savory outer layer of batter perfectly complimented the sweet cake of the twinkie’s exterior, making it the ultimate fair dessert and proving once and for all that my fair food choices are way awesomer than Mikey’s.  (at least this time around)

The Ventura County Fair runs through August 16th, so you still have plenty of time to get down there and share in the fun.  Despite the fact that you’ve already missed Huey Lewis and the News (which has got to be heartbreaking), there are still plenty of great acts scheduled to play this week.  Click here for the complete entertainment schedule.

Hopefully you’ll get the chance to go to the fair and endanger your health like Mikey and I did.  If you’ve already been, tell us about what you ate in the comments and if you still plan on going, hit us up after your visit.  We’re sure that you’ll find some hidden gems that we missed, or at the very least, you can eat the funnel cake that we were too stuffed to cram into our bellies.  Goodluck and godspeed.