Wall decor at La Salsa in the Trolley Station Shopping Center in Santee
4 January - La Salsa - No. 88 (*):
We've been meaning to check this place out for quite some time and finally got the chance last night when the wife stayed home with a cold.
We were supposed to have used those gift certificates for the Karl Strauss microbrewery (again) but...
La Salsa is near the turn-around for the trolley which connects East County to Downtown and also runs all the way to the Border at Tijuana.
We plan to take our bikes on the trolley into Downtown, take the ferry over to Coronado and ride down the Strand towards Imperial Beach, then have our lunch at the Miracle Mile 1949 (Kosher) Delicatessen in downtown Coronado before coming home, sometime this next Spring...
La Salsa is essentially a Chipotle (the chain owned by McDonalds) clone with expanded menu (Chipotle serves burritos for the most part).
There appear to be literally dozens of locations; everywhere between here and the San Francisco Bay Area, according to their web site.
Their slogan: "Every meal comes with chips and fresh salsa bar".
Our meal: The Boy ordered the Nachos (black beans, cheese, guacamole & sour cream over a bed of chips and then shoved under the broiler until the cheese melts and the chips brown slightly), and a Coke.
I had the 3 Pepper Fajita Burrito with grilled sirloin steak, sautéed red & green bell peppers, red onion, rice & guacamole and a Coke.
I do have to admit that the steak was good, instead of the hard little nuggets of meat that you find at a lot of the fast food places.
As usual, the nachos were a cheesy mess and the Boy liked the way they grilled the burrito shell after it was assembled (I'm largely indifferent).
Our total was slightly under $15.
The Salsa Bar: I brought several small containers of habanero salsa, stewed salsa, guacamole sauce and a couple of slices of lime to the table.
The salsa bar also has Pickled Carrots, a popular condiment I see virtually everywhere here but have yet to try, a version of Pico de Gallo with jalapeno peppers, Salsa Fresca and a Mango Salsa as well.
All of the other necessary items such as napkins, plastic knives, forks and spoons, salt & pepper, etc were available on the counter.
The soda machine was also a do it yourself thing.
The Decor: The interior was extremely austere, very minimalist, with industrial light panels, open overhead lighting, heating and A/C ducting, etc.
The signage also reflected this same frugality of design and although it wasn't unattractive, it wasn't attractive either.
Our conclusions: Service was right on top of things (can't fault it) and the place was clean and well lighted but the ambience was cold, sterile and it had all of the charm of an aircraft hanger.
I have no problem with that aspect of it (Chevys had rough hewn, recycled lumber for their ceiling, bare concrete for the floors and cases of empty Mexican beer bottles for the room divider, table bases and the bar when they first opened) but I'll probably never go back there again, not because of anything they did or didn't do but because there's just too much real, good and cheap Mexican food here...
Their web site: www.lasalsa.com
* Note: As you may have noticed in the last couple of issues, we seem to have forgotten that we were keeping count about how many new restaurants we've eaten at since we moved and then we remembered and had to go back through the previous issues to bring it up to date...
7 January - Tommy's Italian Restaurant & Deli (again):
This has to be at least our 10th visit to Tommy's, maybe even more.
The food has always been great but it's once again the service that we find less than adequate.
When we were seated last night, the young waitress who had made such a horrible mess out of my dinner the last time told us that our server would be right with us, meaning that it wasn't going to be her this time (almost anyone else would be a vast improvement as she seems to be incapable of listening when you talk to her).
What we got, however, was another waitress, a young Mexican girl who not only also can't listen but one who doesn't know Italian food either as she consistently mispronounced the various dishes. And she has no sense of proper decorum or hygiene as she handled my drink glass by the rim when she refilled it, which meant that I spent the rest of my meal waiting to get home to have some more iced tea from a clean glass.
I had my usual small pepperoni pizza, easy on the cheese and sauce, a side salad with extra bleu cheese dressing and iced tea, of course.
The Boy had the Fettuccine Alfredo, which seemed to be excellent as he ate it all (I didn't get a taste of it), which also came with some room temperature foccacia and a side salad (also with extra bleu cheese) and his normal Coke.
The waitress also seemed to want to correct the Boy about what he had ordered and then realized that he had indeed spoken correctly...
We had a coupon worth $3 off the pizza and with a minimal (10%) tip, it came out to $29 exactly.
8 January - Vaquero's Carne Asada:
We've eaten at Vaquero's literally several dozen times now but tonight we tried another new dish on the menu; the Shrimp Quesadilla ($6.75).
Like their great Carne Asada Burrito, this is huge too, with a whole lot of shrimp and 2 kinds of melted cheese, enough to fill a styrofoam to go container the size of a dinner plate. It was also very hot (I burnt myself), even after we got it home, approximately a mile and 3 stop lights away.
The Boy and I split the Quesadilla and a Carne Asada Burrito (we added our own sour cream when we got home) and there was more than enough left over of each for the dog's dinner as well (for a total of $10.78). Mr. Fuzzybutt wasn't too sure about the shrimp at first...
The Sausage Platter at the Karl Strauss Brewery in La Jolla
10 January - Karl Strauss Brewery in La Jolla:
This was our second visit as the Boy and I had checked this place out shortly after the wife started working at La Jolla Country Club.
For appetizers, the Boy ordered the Crispy Calamari with spicy tomato dipping sauce (they both liked it but I'm not a calamari kind of guy)....
For his dinner, it was Karl's Club Sandwich which consists of oven roasted turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce, avocado, and pesto mayonnaise on dark bread (Pumpernickel) with Cajun fries and a Coke.
Darla had the Lemon Chicken with a sauce including artichoke hearts, capers, garlic, fresh lemon, white wine, garlic mashed potatoes, and grilled zucchini. She doesn't drink with her meals, for the most part, and had a glass of water.
I had Karl's Favorite Sausage Platter with grilled bratwurst and andouille with spicy mustard sauce, generic fries, cole slaw and an iced tea.
Normally this meal comes with mashed potatoes and gravy and steamed veggies but...
I should also point out that the sauce on the plate seemed to be a sweet Dijon style mustard but the stuff in the small bowl was coarse and hot.
And I'm not exactly sure whose sausage they use (and didn't ask) but I've had them before and my best guess is that they are Tarantino's...
And as you may remember, they didn't have any sort of sausage dish on the menu when we first visited this place back in March of last year.
I made it a point to talk to the manager about it, I mean, after all, what kind of brewery doesn't have at least a sausage platter on their menu?
Service was hit or miss and the waitress never came back after she served the food and we had to ask the manager for more tea and the check
Besides the barely adequate service, my only regret is not being able to try another one of their excellent beers (I'm "on the wagon" at the moment, see the whole story at the bottom of this issue)
It was $65 total including tip, minus the $30 gift certificate Darla won (a door prize) at Steele Canyon Golf Club's employee Christmas party.
See the web site here: www.karlstrauss.com
18 January - Claim Jumpers III:
Sunday was the wife's birthday (her 51st) and the Boy and I had planned to take her out to Claim Jumpers for dinner when she got off work.
Coincidentally it was also Moon's buddy Eric's birthday (31) and Moon's friend Rob's girlfriend Dawn's birthday as well (24 we think) and they were also going out to Claim Jumpers, only in Sacramento.
Moon wanted to have a drink sent over to their table and called the manager there in Sacramento and although there is no mechanism in place for that sort of thing, the manager popped for the drinks and the Boy pulled it off...
The wife had managed to get the day off at La Jolla Country Club but she still had to do her day shift at Steele Canyon Golf Course
And, of course after several weeks of rain, it was a glorious day out there and they were very busy on the golf course so she got off late.
Then we realized that it was also it was MLK's birthday on Monday so it was a 3 day weekend for most people, they were lined up all the way to the sidewalk, a 45 minute plus wait and we ran smack into that, spoiling our plan to slide in right before the dinner rush, like we normally do.
We then tried S&M (our favorite Chinese place here) but it was closed so we ended up grabbing a quick and cheap Mexican dinner at our local favorite, Vaquero's Carne Asada and taking it home (the carne asada burrito was ice cold).
On our second attempt in 2 days, we were almost late again today, barely beating the dinner rush and walking in the door right at 4:57 PM...
Appetizers: Crispy Shrimp Taquitos ("Spicy Jumbo Shrimp Wrapped in Corn Tortillas and Fried Crisp with Two Dipping Sauces").
The shrimp were large, juicy and cooked just right and the sauces were a Honey Mustard dip and another with avocado and lime.
These were so good that the wife says we're going to try to repeat the formula here at La Casa Weenie.
Drinks: I had my usual iced tea (when it came time for a refill, they (accidentally?) substituted that horrendous raspberry iced tea so they had to start fresh with a new glass of just plain tea for me). And, of course, I had to ask for a separate glass of ice as many servers, mostly women in particular for some reason, just don't seem to get the fact that it is ICED tea, not tea with ice...
The wife ordered the lemonade (it was wonderful), while the Boy went for the strawberry lemonade (both with sugar around the rim, like the salt on a margarita glass and a delightful sprig of mint). I really liked it presented this way and will add this to the repertoire this summer.
For the Boy's main course, he opted for their beautifully laid out Salad Bar (that's what I'm going to have on my next visit there) and a cup of their thick, rich New England Chowder ("Thick and Creamy Chowder Loaded with Potatoes, Premium Clams, Onions and Celery").
He had mixed veggies with a nice chunk of crab meat for his first round at the salad bar then a serious plate of fruit for his second trip there.
He says the chowder was excellent but that's one thing I didn't taste.
I had the Bleu Cheese Wedge ("Crisp iceberg lettuce, Danish bleu cheese, crisp bacon, tomato,and chopped red onion") and it was huge!
For my main course, it was the Original Tri Tip Dip ("Hand Sliced Medium Rare Tri Tip, Mild Chilies, Caramelized Onions and Gouda Cheese on Pistolette with Au Jus"), hold the chilies, and their shoestring fries.
The fries were actually pretty hot when delivered but didn't hold their heat for long.
They seem to recognize this fact and bring the small bowl of catsup out well before the meal arrived.
And I didn't bring my reading glasses with me and the wife seems to have glossed over the fact that it said "medium rare"...
The wife had a cup of the French Onion Soup ("Caramelized Onion in a Hearty Beef Broth with Croutons and Melted Jack Cheese"), hold the cheese (she can't have dairy products) and the Chinese Chicken Salad ("Chicken Breast, Greens, Crispy Angel Hair Pasta, Almonds, Sesame Seeds, Scallions, Cilantro and Soy-Ginger Dressing") for her main dish.
I had a taste of the soup this time, as well as the last time (It's Souperb!) but of course, the Boy didn't as he thinks he doesn't like onions...
We all shared a taste of each others' meals and had to admit that we really like this place and that virtually everything they do is just right.
For dessert, we split a slice of that absolutely decadent 6 Layer Chocolate Chocolate Cake we showed you before and there was a large chunk to take home for the Boy's snack later
There was enough of the (rare) Tri-tip left over (I was stuffed!) for Hell-Boy's dinner (unfortunately, we forgot to save the au jus for him)
And the wife will be having the other half of her chicken salad for lunch today
The Grand Total was $82 including tip (since it was for the wife's Birthday, Boy tossed in $50 and I put in the rest).
If you haven't already checked it out from our two previous visits, see their web site here: www.claimjumper.com
22 January - Gaglione Brothers:
As part of my recent program to lose a few pounds, I've decided to limit my intake as well as adding to my exercise regimen (which mainly consists of walking Psycho Dog around the block when I'm the only one here, that, and an occasional bike ride, etc).
Since I weigh substantially more than I would like to weigh, I've also decided to reduce my portions appropriately so I saved approximately a quarter to a fifth of my usual (small mushroom cheesesteak, hold the onions & salt, add extra white American cheese) for Senor Fuzzybutt.
Of course, he loved it (meat and cheese are his personal favorites).
And as you know, I love my french fries as much as any other red-blooded American boy but I skipped them entirely and felt a lot better for it.
I wasn't bogged down after my meal and didn't have the usual overwhelming desire to catch a nap in the chair...
Over the last couple of years, I've began to suspect that I don't process potatoes (or carbohydrates in general) all that well and this tends to buttress that idea as certain buns and fries feel like a lump sitting in my gut and I don't like what it does to my energy curve either..
Consequently, I am probably going to quit eating fries anywhere other than at home as we make them better here than I can buy anyway...
Anyway, with a small (but refillable) Pepsi, it came to just under $9.
23 January - Fatburger in Pacific Beach:
There isn't much to report on this visit other than the onion ring batter seemed to be somewhat off (I couldn't put my finger on exactly what).
I had the regular Fatburger ($3.69), no cheese, hold the relish, and it was great, as usual.
The onion rings ($2.49) are generally excellent but this batch may have been mistreated in the freezer, my best guess.
I also had a small Coke and the total was $7.90 with tax.
I had just dropped the wife off at work in La Jolla and had intended to finally check out the Pacific Beach location of Di Filippi's Pizza Grotto but couldn't find a parking space within blocks of the place, even after 4:00 PM on a Sunday, long after most of the tourists should have left...
24 January - Olive Garden's All You Can Eat Soup, Salad & Breadsticks:
It was the wife's normal day of (as normal as it's been since we moved here and she had to start all over again at the bottom of the job heap).
It was also the Boy's day off as he spent the entire weekend at a paintball scenario camp (up near Lake Elsinore) and they literally played paintball war games all day Saturday until almost 9:00 PM that night and then again all day Sunday, so he needed a rest from his weekend...
And, it turns out that last Friday was the last day of the special advertised on TV ($4.99) so it cost us $6.25 each, no big deal either way...
Soup, Salad & Breadsticks: "Our garden-fresh salad, choice of homemade soup and warm garlic breadsticks (unlimited refills)"
Boy also ordered appetizers ("Create a Sampler Italiano: Choose from calamari, stuffed mushrooms, fried zucchini, chicken fingers, fried mozzarella or toasted meat ravioli. Three Choices $8.95").
I suggested the stuffed mushrooms, the Boy selected the toasted meat ravioli and the wife voted for the zucchini.
Soups du Jour:
Pasta e Fagioli: "White and red beans, ground beef, tomatoes and pasta in a savory broth".
Minestrone: "Fresh vegetables, beans and pasta in a light tomato broth – a vegetarian classic".
Boy and I had the Minestrone and the wife had the Pasta e Fagioli.
I had iced tea, the wife had a raspberry lemonade and the Boy had a Sprite.
Everything was good including the service and it turns out that this is my brother Jim's favorite at the Olive Garden.
With tip, it came out to $42.
29 January - CinCin City Chili - No. 89:
Their slogan is "Rock your taste buds", the owner is from Cincinnati and they aren't far from University of San Diego but this is easily the worst place we've checked out since we've been here.
The premise is very basic: Cincinnati style chili (which is served on spaghetti) a simple salad bar and attempted Coney Dogs.
The execution is another matter however, with Wonder style buns and a horrid, cheap, artificial smoke flavored, room temperature hot dog.
I took one bite, then a small second bite to be sure I hadn't gotten it horribly wrong, then tossed the rest.
The Boy did exactly the same thing.
You know those antique cast iron devices that you used to see at the front door of old houses, especially in the country, whose purpose was to scrape horse dung from the bottom of your boot? This place needs a similar device to scrape that foul taste off of my tongue as we left, approximately 20 seconds after first sitting down. And now I understand why some dogs sometime lick the concrete floor in their cages...
And surely the help would notice when we tossed the entire order in the trash but with today's oblivious, give-a-crap employees, I doubt it...
I should also mention that the 2 people there behind the counter were playing the stereo way too loud.
Finally, the Boy tells me that the chili itself was way too sweet for him and it may have been seasoned with paprika and / or cinnamon.
We had a two for one coupon so at least we didn't waste a lot of money, something over $6...
After we left, we stopped at the next nearest place, a Popeye's just down the street.
Service was also wretched there, the mashed potatoes & gravy were inedible and the green beans were pure mush but at least the after-taste of that chili and cheap dog is almost gone now...
My Annual Purification Ritual:
Shortly before I turned 39, The San Jose Mercury News ran a photo of a mountain of food, enough to feed a family of 4 for a year.
It's hard to believe that a family can eat almost a semi-trailer full of food in that time but...
And that got me to thinking so I started writing down everything I ate (and drank) for the year (starting on my 39th birthday).
It came out to almost 300 full pages from one of those little note pads that fit into your shirt pocket.
That was an eye-opening revelation, to say the least!
I lugged that large chunk of paper around for years, until the rubber bands holding it all together eventually disintegrated and it fell apart.
I had intended to do something with it but finally tossed it last year...
And when I turned 40, I went "on the wagon" for a year and gave up all of my bad habits for the entire time; no beer, wine, hard liquor or my occasional good cigar (generally, I don't have more than one or two per year anyway).
That year wasn't a lot of fun (I love my beer) but that was the beginning of my annual "purification" ritual every January, where I don't drink for the entire month and it sometimes last longer; once well into March.
I also noticed that I tended to forego snacks as well (the beer bone is connected to the snack bone, the snack bone is connected to the...).
This year was no different but I do have to admit that it gets easier every year.
It also makes you realize that it's more the taste and idea of beer as I really can't drink more than a couple at a time anyway (it's an age thing)...
And I am inclined to believe that much of it also has to do with the fact that I know these things will all be waiting for me any time I want them and have to admit that I really enjoy being one of the few people who don't have massive hangovers on New Year's Day.
I also find that my energy level rises noticeably (no big surprise there) but, more importantly, I don't tend to get as depressed about the lack of sunshine and an excess of rain in the worst part of the winter.
And as I'm now officially old, I really appreciate only having to get up once or twice in the middle of the night (instead of 5 or 6 times after having had a few beers earlier in the evening).
At my age, it's hard enough to get in 5 hours of sleep in a row, much less getting up once an hour, all night long...
