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Another exciting year at the San Diego Bay Wine & Food Festival!
http://www.worldofwineevents.com/

Lynn and I attempted to cover over 50 restaurants in 4 hours this year!

Concept Catering by CK (left). Smoked Salmon Potstickers with Mango Relish infused with truffles. Arterra Restaurant & Bar (right). Duck confit with marinated cucumber and tangerine chile glaze.
We really liked the salmon potstickers with their unique fishy filling, but unfortunately the skin was soggier than normal due to the portable stove and a rush to quickly serve the growing crowd. The relish added a bit of sweet yet healthy touch to the dumpling but we thought it was a slight out of place for this appetizer. -L
The duck confit immediately became one of our favorites after we popped the succulent sandwich-like sample into our mouths. The flavor of the duck had the perfect sweetness and the fresh cucumbers around it balanced it out by working as a compliment. -L

Two Peas in a Pod. A sweat pea hummus with a little bit of yogurt pancetta and fresh mint on a crostini.

The hummus definitely had a nice slightly creamy feel in the mouth with a decent sprinkle of the pancetta bits and green. All in all, it wasn’t too bad of an appetizer but the ratio of bread to topping led to a slightly drier mouth after consuming the samples. -L
Sage Cafe. Butterscotch creme brulee.

This was a fabulous dessert! After piercing the crystalized sugar top layer, we dug out the creamy sweet insides and it melted in our mouths! -L

Rice Restaurant (left). Butternut squash lobster crepe with amaretto cherry and grand marnier orange reduction sauce. Romesco Baja Med Bistro (right). Taco.

The crepe sounded interesting enough and it tasted pretty good too. The Romesco taco was surprisingly good. The meat was extra tender and the sauce had just the right amount of spice to it. -D

ChileCo. Moroccan “scotch” quail egg, quail consomme-cider sip. Wild sage n’ elderberry smoked quail breast, quail confit n’ coconut shu-mai.

These items were presented on flat bamboo stalk with a slight concave dip in center. The shu-mai and smoked quail breast had some great flavor to it. Thats all I remember about it. -D

Jade Theater (left). Spicy tuna crab, stuffed shiitaki tempura style with a sugar spice with a thai vinaigrette and a sate sauce with a daikon salad. Harbor’s Edge (right) at Sheridan Hotel in Marina. Asian braised short ribs.

Jade’s spicy tuna crab was one of my favorites at the festival. I had to go back for seconds later in the day! The braised ribs were just so-so. -D

Terra Restaurant and Catering. Kabocha squash and dungeness crab flan with chai tea smoked arctic char.

I didn’t like this one at all. Besides smelling like it just came out of the sea, it even tasted like it too! There was this strong saltiness to it and a strange tangy flavor that reminded me of ham… -D

The Guild Restaurant and Lounge (left). Thai inspired ceviche with seared hamachi carpachio. The Shores Restaurant (right). Braised kobe beef short ribs. Maple sweet potatoes. Micro chive sprouts and old vine Zinfandel sauce, chile oil.

I can’t remember how the ceviche tasted. Instead of chewing and savoring the flavor, I downed the whole thing like a shot. Probably not the correct method of eating it… but it was fun! As for the braised kobe beef, it was tender enough but was lacking flavor. -D

Sammy’s Woodfire Pizza. Beets and lettuce?

I wish they had served pizza instead! -D

Roppongi (left). Maine diver’s sea scallop. Daikon dashi tempura green beans. Dynamite aioli, green tea salt. Pacific Del Mar (right). Maine lobster cocktail. Layers of napa cabbage poached maine lobster meat topped with kimchi foam garnished with micro cilantro sprouts and sesame cracker.

Roppongi’s sea scallop was super tiny. That photo above is about the actual size of it! Luckily the tempura was good enough to make up for it. It wasn’t soggy as we expected it to be. Pacific Del Mar had a tasty lobster but that was it. The cabbage tasted plain and the cracker was average. -D

Oasis Bar & Grill. Grilled stripe bass with grilled finnel. Tomatoes and picholine olives with aged cherry vinaigrette.

Lynn and I couldn’t agree on this one. I liked it because of the vinaigrette flavor but Lynn didn’t like it because of it. But the one thing we did agree on was the awesome little trays the stripe bass was presented on! -D

Sweet Cheeks. Carrot Cake.

The carrot cake was a good snack between tasting the other foods. -L

Blanca Restaurant (left). Day boat diver scallop with vidalia onion-potato rosti, butter braised smoked onions nueske’s bacon beurre blanc. Bernard’s Restaurant (right). Orange zest sea ursin flan, center cut ahi tuna, lobster consomme, califlower mousse and orange tuile.

The scallop was good but we didn’t care much for the potato underneath. The bacon flavor was an interesting element. I just wish it was a bit more subtle in flavor. The orange zest sea ursin flan was weird. Weird bad. I thought it was supposed to be traditional flan but it was some kind of soup with ahi bits in it. -D

Horn Blower’s. Sweet Potato carrot confection.

JRDN Restaurant (left). Braised lamb with eggplant caponata plus shaved manchego cheese. Dussini Mediterranean Bistro (right). Grillle and marinated red deer with swiss charred and roasted Montreal mushrooms.

Braised lamb was somewhat boring. The shaved manchego cheese didn’t help. I thought the marinated red deer was interesting though. I can’t really judge the quality of it because I’ve never had red deer before but I liked it. -D

http://burgerlounge.com

1101 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037. (858) 456-0196
4116 Adams Ave, San Diego, CA 92116. (619) 584-2929

I bought a gift card at Costco which I can use at over 100 restaurants in San Diego. Burger Lounge was one of the restaurants listed and it caught my eye. Unfortunately, when I went, I did not have my camera. These pictures are from a cell phone.

Grilled Lounge Burger with American Cheese ($6.95). “All natural beef, crisp iceberg lettuce, tomato, and house-made 1000 island.”

1/2 and 1/2 Onion Rings and Hand Cut Fries ($4.95) and Grilled Turkey Burger with Fresh Basil and Cheddar Cheese ($6.95). I did not like the traditionally made French fries. They are extra crispy on the outside which makes it seem like they’re hollow inside. The portion was small. I’m not a fan of onion rings, but these did look larger than others. Both burgers were plentiful. My turkey burger was dripping with juices. It was delicious, but I’ve had others which were just as good and less expensive.

We also had a Chocolate Shake ($4.95). It wasn’t a thick shake. It was a little watered down. Chili’s has a thick and frosty chocolate shake with chocolate sprinkles for under $4.

I’m sorry, but I do not expect to pay $25 for burgers for two at a place where I walk up to the counter to order. Also, the menu is limited. They offer 3 burgers, chicken tenders, fries, onion rings, and 3 salads. For about $7, you can go to Carl’s Jr and get a Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger with large fries and a large drink. The service will be faster and you’ll save some money.

Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 3/5
Service/Atmosphere: 3/5
Total: 13/20

http://bleuboheme.com/

4090 Adams Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116. (619) 255-4167

Ever since the Taste of Adams, I have been waiting for Bleu Boheme to open.  The sign said mid-July.  Well, it was a busy summer and you know how it goes…  Here we are in October and I finally made it to their French Restaurant.

Cabernet Sauvignon/Syrah, JP Chenet 2004 ($6.50) - “spicy deep and flavorful with a great body and a lingering finish.”

Carre d’Agneau Provencal, Ratatouille et Pommes de Terre au Gratin ($21.50) - “roasted Rack of Lamb served with Nicoise Ratatouille and Gratin Potatoes finished with a Rosemary Jus.” Edmund says it was cooked just right, but he’s dying to go back and try the mussels. Someone at another table ordered the mussels and as it came out, we could see a mountain of steaming hot mussels. I tried some of the potatoes and they were great.

Saumon en Papillote sur lit de Ratatouille ($17.50) - “filet of Salmon, wrapped in Parchment Paper over a bed of Ratatouille.”  When my dinner was presented, I definitely thought it was interesting.  The parchment paper was twisted in a pretty fashion, but it hid my salmon.  There was intrigue…

The salmon was moist and delicious.  Part of the reason why I ordered this was because I’ve never had ratatouille before and having watched the movie, I felt like I needed to try it.  The potatoes were good and hearty, but I didn’t try the eggplant.

Plateau de Fromages, Miel en Cire d’Abeilles ($8.50) - “assorted French imported cheeses served with honey comb.” I was disappointed when the honey comb turned out to be just a little container of honey. I can’t remember the exact names of the five different cheeses, but one was a soft Brie and another was some sort of blue. There was a really strong cheese and I made the most horrific face as I tasted it.

Tarte aux Fraises ($6.50) - “Strawberry Tart.”  This isn’t normally on the menu.  For some reason, the souffle wasn’t available so they substituted with a strawberry tart.  I was looking forward to dessert, but there was nothing spectacular about the tart.  It was very ordinary from the crust to the custard and strawberries.

The staff was friendly. They wore white shirts with blue jeans. I’d recommend making reservations. When we showed up, the only available seating was outside and it started to get a little chilly. The decor inside seemed very rustic. It can be romantic with all of the candles that were lit. There’s a bar section that seemed quite popular. They have a pretty long wine list.

Try something different… Try some French cuisine… Try Bleu Boheme!

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 4/5
Service/Atmosphere: 4/5
Total: 16/20

http://www.venissimo.com/

2710 Via de la Valle #B138, Del Mar, CA 92014. (858) 847-9616

754 West Washington, San Diego, CA 92103. (619) 491-0708

Cheese, please! This little store is one of San Diego’s best kept secrets for cheese lovers. Upon entering the store, you are greeted with the most horrendous stench. The phrase “Who cut the cheese?” now makes sense. They offer numerous cheeses from around the world. They have cheeses made from the milk of cows, buffaloes, sheep, and goats.

The employee was very knowledgeable and offered me different samples. I’m not very adventurous and wanted to try a creamy cheese. She recommended Fromager D’Affinois from France ($14.50 per pound). It was definitely creamy. It’s made from cow’s milk and double cream. It’s like spreading soft butter on bread.

I also tried Ossau-Iraty from the French Pyrenees ($20 per pound). It is a hard cheese made from ewe’s milk. It tastes like a very strong Mozzarella.

Here are some of their refrigerated cheeses, including Cashel Blue from Ireland, Grayson from Virginia, and Tete de Moine from Switzerland.

They also offer a selection of hard cheeses, including Mona from Wisconsin, Serena from California, and Roncal from Spain.

The cheeses are sold by weight. Of the cheeses that I saw, the range was $14.50 to over $30 per pound, but according to their website, they also have cheeses that start from under $10 per half pound.

Give them your name when you buy a cheese and they’ll store the name of which cheese you bought in their database, which is a good thing if you go back to buy some more, but you can’t remember what the name of the cheese is.

They also offer a small selection of accoutrements, such as salami, crackers, baguettes, and chocolate. Visit one of their two locations if you want to sample a few cheeses or you need to order a party tray. You can also visit their online store and join the Cheese of the Month Club. They also offer classes and tastings.

Join them this Saturday, October 27, 2007 from 2 - 4 pm in the Flower Hill Mall for a Happy Halloween Cheese Tasting for only $8.

http://www.ccssd.org/

In honor of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Center for Community Solutions (CCS) held their third annual Chef Showdown on October 4, 2007 in Balboa Park’s Casa del Prado Courtyard. This year’s theme was “Taking a Stand Against Domestic Violence.” The event included food samplings, both a silent auction and a live auction, and an “Iron Chef” style competition to raise funds to support CCS’ sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and intervention programs throughout San Diego.

Upon entering, I was greeted by CCS’ friendly staff. Numerous tables were set up with food samplings from fine restaurants throughout San Diego County. In the middle, more tables were set up for the silent auction. Some of the items up for bid included spa treatments, cooking classes, and cookbooks.

I didn’t realize that there was more until it was announed that the cooking competition was about to begin in a second courtyard area. There were three secret ingredients: dragonfruit, a variety of spreads, and freshly flown in mahi mahi (which were probably 4 to 5 feet long!). Each of the two teams had 5 top chefs from some of San Diego’s best restaurants.

Here are some of the incredible food samplings:

While talking to a few of the chefs from Barona, I found out that they have their own culinary academy on site. Since I don’t eat beef or pork, I did not try this appetizer, but it did look well crafted with vibrant colors.

Viejas was also present. I enjoyed their jumbo shrimp very much, but the gazpacho “shooter” had too much cilantro for me.

Urban Solace’s Skillet Fried Shrimp was also good (but not as big as Viejas). I did not care for the Chili Grits (underneath). It tasted like bad corn bread. The Watermelon/Tomato/Cucumber Salad was drenched with a pomegranate vinaigrette and mixed with pine nuts and feta.

The Oceanaire provided a spicy Ahi Poke. I talked to their representative about Chef Brian Malarkey (from “Top Chef”) and without realizing that I had not seen the finale yet, she told me she couldn’t believe that _____ had won…

Pictured here is Hacienda de Vega’s crunchy flat beef taco. I sampled their lobster version. The shell added a nice crispy crunch to the lobster meat mixture.

Quarter Kitchen had cute little martini glasses of layers of guacamole, salsa, and creme fraiche topped with a peppery baguette (thinly sliced).

The Wild Thyme Company offered three different samples in martini glasses: Bangkok Thai (udon noodles, carrots, cucumber, peanuts, and thai peanut sauce), Strawberry Blue (spinach, maytag blue cheese, strawberries, candied walnuts, and balsamic vinaigrette), and not pictured is Miso Honey with Salmon (napa cabbage, watercress, sugar snap peas, wonton chips, and honey miso dressing). The Bangkok Thai has a spicy taste that is not overpowering. The udon noodles had a nice soft consistency to it. I only sampled the salmon (not the whole dish) and it was tender.

Croce’s provided large crispy wontons filled with an Ahi poke mixture.

The Shores

Chef Amy DiBiase of Baleen made Dungeness Crab Sopes with Strawberry Papaya and Smoked Chili Cream.

Avenue 5

Isabel’s Cantina offered samples of chicken and rice with a delicious lemony sauce.

One of Barona’s chefs carefully makes creme brulee. This was my favorite dessert. It was incredibly creamy with a sweet, crunchy top shell. It was so good that I came back for another one and when I did, the chef was eating one. You know the food has to be amazing if the chef can’t keep his mouth away from it!

San Diego Desserts had an assortment of sweet treats that I kept coming back for more. Their chocolate cake is heavenly.

If you’ve been to Hash House a go go, then you already know about their generous portions. This is a double portion of their Bread Pudding. You might not be able to tell from the picture, but the plate was larger than my head!

I’m sorry to say that Vincenzo’s Canoli only looked delicious. I’m not sure what it was, but I didn’t like the pastry shell. I enjoy Janoli from Sweet Lady Jane in LA and they use a shell made of what appears to be a cross between peanut brittle and a thin layer of rice crispy treats.

J. Taylor’s Restaurant had a unique display of test tubes filled with Fig Mousse with White Chocolate Soil and Candied Orange Zest. The soil was delicious. It was like finely crushed cookie crumbs. I’m not a fig person, so I didn’t enjoy the rest of the dessert as much, but I could definitely taste the orange zest.

Blanca’s Butterscotch Pot de Creme with Single Malt Chantilly and Salted Caramel Sauce. This was another delicious dessert. It looks like the new thing is having desserts in little shot glasses.

It was a great night of sophisticated food beautifully plated and CCS was able to raise thousands of dollars for their programs. =)