No. 122 - Nugent's Fishgrille & Market - Poway:
This was our third trip over there in pursuit of the elusive fiberglass weenie man.
This time we scored a matched pair - please see "The Frankfurter Chronicles"(The Newsletter with Relish) for details.
It was lunch time, it was raining out, I was out of gas and looking for a station when we saw the Wendy's next to the Fishgrille.
The wife didn't want to spend the money but I was buying and I generally don't do fish at lunch (she could eat it 3 meals a day) so...
I had the fish, shrimp and chips basket and a Coke (they were out of iced tea). The wife pointed out that she could make iced tea with a couple of tea bags and some ice yet they somehow ended up telling everyone that asked for it that they were out - no mention of making more soon...
The wife had the fried snapper, slaw, rice pilaf and hot tea.
We were impressed, service was almost lightning quick (it helped that we beat the lunch rush by a matter of minutes and the place was full by the time our order arrived at the table), the food was pretty good and what got me was the fact that they refrigerate the Heinz catsup until they bring it to your table. They also whip up some good tartar sauce (with fresh dill) and the cocktail sauce was good too, with just the right bite.
The fries were almost hot when they hit the table although the wife said her rice was cool and fairly generic.
Our total was $25 plus, make it an even $30 and we'd go back again.
Finally, they're just a few hundred yards off the freeway, well located for the traveler coming down I-15, which runs through LA to Las Vegas.
See their web site here: http://www.fishgrille.com/
You can download the menu in PDF format.
No. 123 - Tioli's Crazy Burger in North Park - Please see "The Frankfurter Chronicles" (The Newsletter with Relish)
The Darla, Robbin & VI (left to right) at Bully's East
No. 124 - Bully's East (Mission Valley):
Bully's is approximately half the way from here to the ocean and it was chosen as a convenient-to-all destination for Darla to have lunch with a couple of friends from her time at La Jolla Country Club, Robbin and Vi. Robbin suggested it as it isn't far from her house, an added bonus...
We've heard conflicting reports about the place, everything from "...it's great..." to "...it's only so-so and way too expensive..." so it would also give us a chance to see for ourselves. It's a handsome place in the old dark wood and dim lighting kind of way (the great carved wooden bar is absolutely beautiful) and evidently there's another Bully's somewhere over on the coast (Del Mar, I think).
We got there fairly early but the hostess wouldn't seat us until everyone in our party was there. The entry way is drafty and fairly narrow so people coming in and out of the place virtually stand on top of you. I had first sat in a seat that got banged by the door to the side room every time someone went in or out of there. The place was fairly large and never did fill up at lunch so there was no real reason why we could not have taken a seat in the dining room to wait for Robbin and Vi as far as we could tell, except for the hostess possibly exercising her authority....
The Darla went for the calamari sandwich, soup (French onion, hold the cheese), rice pilaf and tea. Robbin had the almond encrusted halibut, steamed vegetables, baked potato and a Margarita (see photo above). Vi had calamari strips and drank water with her meal (she's almost a vegetarian and doesn't eat red meat). I ordered the open face steak sandwich, well done, with French onion soup, steak fries and iced tea.
What I got was a monstrously thick slice of underdone prime rib which I immediately sent back, despite my reservations (we all know what happens when you send something back). It was done enough when it finally came back from the kitchen but it still wasn't what I had ordered.
When the bill came, it confirmed that the waitress doesn't listen carefully as it says "prime rib sandwich" right on it (I don't do prime rib)...
Also, my garlic toast wasn't toasted at all (Darla's was done nicely) and I should also point out that the thick, rubbery layer of Gruyere on top of the soup hadn't been properly heated, a sore point with me (it's a peculiar cheese that requires long, low and slow heat to properly melt).
You may have seen that French Onion Soup recipe from the CIA we sent recently and they do it in a hot water bath surrounding the bowls and let it sit in the oven for as long as 45 minutes or so, enough time to do the job properly. Needless to say, this must be done well in advance.
On the positive side, service was fairly professional and my iced tea glass was almost always filled promptly, a very important factor as far as I'm concerned and especially since they were using 12 ounce water glasses (I just don't understand that decision at all)...
The total was $72 and change and the waitress apparently rounded it up to $73 as she only gave me $27 back (no coin) from a $100 bill (at least she didn't ask me if I wanted my change back, which recently happened elsewhere when I gave a waitress a $100 bill for a $45 check)...
Robbin and Vi left a very generous tip (double what I would have tipped out).
See Bully's web site here: http://www.bullyseastsd.com/
