Saturday Stuff: Perry's reopens, a walk around Hillcrest - Cali Deli, Pho Fifth Avenue, and other stuff....

Just some odds and ends for Saturday.....

Perry's has reopened:

I noticed this a day ago, and snapped a photo:

I know of a bunch of folks who have been waiting for Perry's to reopen. 

Cali Cafe - not quite ready:

A few days ago, I just needed to get out of the office.... you know, one of those days. I decided to take a walk, and after reading that Cali Cafe had opened on SD Urban, I figured that a Banh Mi would be just the perfect lunch.  

I recall receiving some marketing stuff in my in-box about a year ago, telling me how Cali Deli was going to revolutionize Banh Mi, etc.... So I was excited to see just what this was all about.

Unfortunately, even though the place has been open for a couple of weeks, the young man working told me that they just had coffee drinks..... no sandwiches. He called it a "soft opening". To be open, say three weeks with no sandwiches.... I think I'd call this a "soft" opening.....

I asked the young man a couple of questions, and was told that getting the bread "right" is the current problem. I dunno about you, but if I'm opening a sandwich shop, getting my "bread right" would be one of those things you try to do before opening. But hey, I'm no expert, so perhaps they will come up with something great, I hope so. Other than that, the very pleasant young man really didn't know much about Banh Mi, rice flour, what the term "Dac Biet" meant. But he did give me a handy-dandy menu..... I think the sandwiches and the prices speak louder than words.

Disappointed, I noticed that a Pho shop is opening across the street:

Unfortunately, they weren't open yet as well. I did get a look at the posted menu, which had the usual suspects; Pho, Bun, and Com (rice dishes). The Pho will run $6.25 for a regular, and $7.25 for a large. Even with the "Hillcrest surcharge", this ain't that bad.

I ended up getting a Gyro Sandwich at an old, and inexpensive standby Alexis..... $4.25.....

While eating I overheard talking about sushi........ one of the women exclaimed loudly, "oh, oh... I looove Kinky Sushi!" The other exclaimed even louder, "yes, yes, kinky sushi is the bomb!" Choking on my tzatziki was not a pleasant experience.... let me tell you that much. This is what came immediately to mind. But I think.... or hope this is what they were talking about:

I think.....

I noticed one last thing. Chow Noodlehouse is now something called Bangkok Bistro....

That's it for now.......

Have a great weekend!

Comments

[Lynnea]

Love Alexis because it's dirt cheap and you always know exactly what you're gonna get.

Too bad about the pho place and the banh mi place. Matthew and I have watched their opening with skepticism and still haven't even tried going to either of them.

[caninecologne]

ha ha kirk - i actually posted a photo of 'kiki sushi' awhile ago myself. did you know that 'KIKI' is a Filipino slang term for the vadge? other variations include 'keke' and 'pookie', the latter which is also the nickname of garfield's teddy bear.

i find the name of that restaurant a bit amusing. O _ o

[Dennis]

Hi Kirk, I realized it's been forever since I walked around Hillcrest.. Is that Pho place near where Tofu House used to be?

[stephen]

Hi Kirk. Thanks for the post. I hope Perry's is cleaner and fresher looking when it reopens. It was looking down at heels about 2 years ago when I was there. I love Alexis. Good food, good prices, and he's always happy to see you. I haven't tried Kiki, but Ichiban further down University is decent and well priced. Cali Cafe doesn't sound ready yet, like you said. 3 weeks, and they haven't figured out the bread. Sounds dicey to me.

[Masa Assassin]

Kinky sushi too funny. Love the photo I get 1 week free tanning with my sushi. I'm with you why open a sandwich shop when you don't have your the bread dialed in, that would be like opening a taco joint with no tortillas :P

[Kirk]

Hi Lynnea - Yeah, Alexis is consistent, and you get what you pay for.

Hi CC - I think I remember that!

Hi Dennis - I think it's the same spot.

Hi Stephen - I'm not a big fan of Ichiban.... it's a bit too Americanized-Teriyaki for me. But many folks I know love the place. From what I heard, the dining area sustained only some smoke damage.... so I'm thinking it's going to be pretty much the same looking....

Hi MA - I agree...... I would think that you'd have your bread ready by the time you open....

[Sandy]

Pho restaurants are popping up everywhere - like daisies! Banh mi places, too.

For awhile, we assumed "kiki" was Kinko's. Guess we weren't looking at the sign too carefully.

[Kirk]

Like daisy's Sandy.... we did have an especially rainy year this year! ;o)

[Dalrene]

Hi Kirk--
I took a walk around Hillcrest and noticed that Pho on Fifth is now open. Cali Deli still looks dead empty.

[Kirk]

Hi Darlene - That's great, hopefully, I'll be able to check them out before it gets too hot. What can I say about Cali Deli.... it's Cali Deli, not Cali Coffee Shop.

[Susan]

I went to Cali Deli for lunch last week and I was surprised how good their sandwich was. Pretty tasty treats! It's different than what I'm used to but I like it better. The bread wasn't hard like what I expected. It was crispy and hot. They were busy during lunch and it seems like they are getting busier now that they are selling sandwiches.