San Diego

As we were driving through Mira Mesa last Monday, we noticed the familiar shape of food trucks by the Epicenter, a local youth center.  We immediately u-turned, found ourselves a parking spot nearby and headed toward the enticing scents.

I recently saw Mary's Donuts & Coffee at 3buckbites.com, so I decided to try them out while making a run to the Sonic in Santee.  Unless you know where to look, you may miss it.  It's sort of part of a gas station on the corner of Mission Gorge Rd and Fanita Dr.

After my less-than-perfect experience at Barona's Seafood Plaza, I am happy to say that their Italian Cucina was wonderful!  The atmosphere is much different than Seafood Plaza.  At the Italian Cucina, there is a warm, friendlier feeling.

To start us off, one of the servers brought out a few Complimentary Munchies: breadsticks (plain and sesame), bread, olives, and olive oil with balsamic vinegar.

One of Barona Resort & Casino's newest eateries is Seafood Plaza.  It is across from the food court and down the escalators.  This area has been remodeled.  It used to be a bingo hall.  There are two other restaurants: Italian Cucina and the soon-to-be new Barona Oaks Steakhouse.  I like this area because it was definitely more quiet than the rest of the casino.

After we ordered, one of the servers brought out a bowl of complimentary Edamame for us to munch on while we were waiting for our meal.

Corner Grill is one of the cheaper alternatives at Harrah's Rincon.  They offer burgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, pizzas, and salads as well as appetizers, pastries, and desserts.  They are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

The Buffalo Burger ($7.99) is a cheeseburger with buffalo sauce, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion with blue cheese dressing and Texas toothpicks.

The San Luis Rey Cafe used to be next to Fortunes, but it has been moved next to the pool, where Cabana Cove was.  It's a little bit nicer in the new location because there's a view, but the decor is still Cabana Cove.  It makes me think that they're remodeling and will be moving the Cafe back to the old spot.  I asked an employee about it, but he didn't know anything...

Harrah’s Rincon Casino has an Asian-themed restaurant called Fortunes. It’s decorated with bright red lanterns. It is very clean, but a little pricey for what they serve. Typically, a Vietnamese restaurant will serve a bowl of Pho for about $6, but at Fortunes, it’s double the price!

We ate here anyway, since we had already tried the other restaurants at the casino. We split a soup and an entrée.

Hot & Sour Soup ($4.99) – Good soup, but not very spicy.

Elijah's is a restaurant, deli, and bakery all-in-one!  They also offer catering.  They currently have a graduation fiesta special - $9.95 per person for a Greek or Mexican buffet.  Their food is good and hearty at reasonable prices.

It was a dark, cold, rainy Sunday night and yet, the parking lot was full.  I had read about the Riviera Supper Club in the Night and Day section in the San Diego Union Tribune.  The DIY concept reminded me of a fun restaurant in Hawaii, so I wanted to try it out.

Upon entering, I definitely got a 70's feel from the decor.  It was something about the lighting that was hanging from the ceiling.  The atmosphere was dark, sophisticated Brady...  from the carpet on the floor to the big comfy booth we were seated at.

This is a great new place to try out in Clairemont! It’s sort of like Japanese Shabu-Shabu, but without the dipping sauces. As soon as you are seated, your waiter will give you an ordering form and a pen. You just check what you want. There are about 100 items to choose from!

First, you need to decide on the soup base: House Original, House Spicy, Half and Half, or Vegetarian Mushroom.