Midweek Meanderings - Buta Ramen Coming Soon, Spice & Soul Closes, and This Weeks Cheese Plate

Just a quick post this evening.

Ready for more ramen?

Buta Ramen Coming to Linda Vista:

You know we're hitting saturation point when a ramen shop is opening on Linda Vista near Morena. I was exiting the strip mall where Ballast Point is located and I saw this.

A quick search brought up two different Buta Ramen; one in Halifax and the other in Singapore. The Singapore sign looks similar, but the place recently closed. Couldn't find much else.

5201 Linda Vista Rd. Suite 103
San Diego, CA 92110

Spice & Soul is closed:

I was driving up Morena a few weeks back when I noticed that Spice & Soul looked closed. So I took a hard right and drove up Avati.

And yep, there's the eviction notice on the front door. Sad, but not unexpected. I know the place changed hands, I believe twice?

4033 Avati Dr
San Diego, CA 92117

And this week's cheese plate:

From the left to right; Montanera, a goat cheese from Spain, washed rind, fairly funky - barnyard - hay, went real well with the Muscat we had shipped back from Bott Frères in Ribeauvillé, when we visited Alsace earlier in the year. Sadly; it's our last bottle, the Missus is going to be sad to see this go. My favorite was the Amber Kunik from Nettle Meadow Farm in New York. Wonderful complex flavors, semi-soft. The rind is washed with whiskey, so we naturally had it a pour of Kavalon. Aaaahh. The Saltbush Chevre is quite unique; it's a soft goat cheese from Australia rubbed with Saltbush. Saltbush is an appropriate name; it's quite "salty", acidic, and vegetal in taste; but like Cheese.com says; it tastes amazing on bread drizzled with olive oil. The last one is a rather common goat cheese Le Pico by Germain, the Missus loved this on bread; it has a definite "goatiness" something the Missus has learned to love over the years; but also a nice buttery, richness that makes this easy to eat.

Thanks for indulging our cheese fetish!

Comments

[RedDevil]

I remember the chickpeas looked really good in your photos from Spice and Soul. Never made it there though. Seems like lots of restaurant closures recently.

[Kirk]

Hi RD - Yes, quite a bit of turnover. I noticed that UniBoil is gone and is now Old House hot pot.

[Junichi]

Whaaat!? Ramen in Linda Vista? Now we have reached saturation point.

[Kirk]

Totally Junichi! Totally.....

[Derek R]

That cheese board sounds/looks pretty epic. Also, who has a decent/good baguette around town?

[Kirk]

Hi DerekR - It's really hard to get a good baguette in San Diego. We will often go to Con Pane for a halfway decent baguette.

[Derek R]

Con Pane is also our favorite in SD (along with their turkey cobb's on sourdough). Have you tried the frozen baguette from Costco? They're made in France, cook in less than 10 minutes, and are solidly good.

[Kirk]

Yes, those are pretty good Derek!