mmm-yoso!!!

Vienna - Paul Restaurant and a Quick Visit to Saint Stephen's Cathedral

When planning our last trip to Europe, we decided to fly into Budapest and end our vacation in Paris (of course). Instead of flying to Paris, I talked the Missus into doing the trip by rail....I love train travel. The Missus decided to humor me; with the only condition being no trip over four hours long. Which would make a slight difference a bit later on. I plotted out our course from Budapest and decided our next stop would be Vienna (2 hours 45 minutes by train). The Missus had always wanted to visit Vienna....the history, art, music....and of course, the coffee culture.

We walked the mile and a half from the Vienna Central Station to the Parkview Residences where we were staying. Since we travel light, we try to alternate hotels and apartments. It was a bit of a blustery walk....in fact, it always seemed windy in Vienna. It was also a bit drizzly, but thankfully not pouring.

I really liked our location, while not in the center of Vienna, it was just outside the Ringstrasse, the ring road that circles the inner city. It was also right across the street from the Stadtpark, the large and lush city park.

Since it was already late in the afternoon when we arrived; I decided on something fairly close to the apartment, though right inside the ring road. Right past the park is Paul Restaurant, serving smaller plates in the bar area, in the style of a modern brasserie of sorts.

And while the Missus really never took to Vienna; She enjoyed the Austrian wines, and Paul was a good start.

We ordered five dishes off the menu, which turned out to be a perfect dinner. Remember, all we hadn't had much during the day.

Things started with a very nice Grilled Lettuce Hearts with Langostines.

The Langostines were perfectly cooked, sweet, and tender. The grilled lettuce had some nice varying textures and the grilling brought out some smoky-sweetness as well. The bacon bits added another layer of flavor and those confit tomatoes were delicious.

Next up; the Porcini Soup. While very comforting, the Missus said this didn't measure up to what I make at home (I'll get to the recipe one of these days). The fact that I use 1 ounce of porcini, porcini cream (when I can get it), truffle oil, two types of mushrooms, etc.....makes it a fairly pricey proposition.

This was smooth and creamy, with a mild porcini flavor.

I really enjoyed the Beef Tartare.

Rich and yet refreshing; the texture was smooth and decadent. Wonderful with the toasts provided.

The only clunker of the evening were the fried dumplings, which we probably shouldn't have ordered. The wrappers were like cardboard and the filling lacked flavor.

The jus was too salty and really made this an odd dish.

The cheese plate was a nice dessert, but nothing really stood out.

This was a nice, not too fancy, solid meal. Not overly rich and quite satisfying. The service was relaxed and the folks were friendly. And the Missus enjoyed the wine. Check out the sitting area outside the restrooms downstairs!

It was just what we needed. We were saving our heftier meal for days when we'd be doing more walking.

Paul Restaurant
Johannesgasse 16
Vienna 1010, Austria

Speaking of walking, after dinner the Missus wanted to check out St Stephen's Cathedral.

Like many Cathedral's and Churches it's really difficult to get a complete and clear photo. It's just so impressive. There was quite a bit of work going on so we weren't able to see some things like the Turkish cannonball still stuck in a buttress dating back to the second Ottoman siege of Vienna in 1683.

I was later told that there's always preservation and restoration work going on at the Cathedral.

The doors were open when we arrived so we walked in. There was choir practice commencing when we entered. The darkness of the place gave it quite and eerie feel.

We noticed what seemed to be stones in netting above the center of the Cathedral. I later learned that this was a work by Austrian artist Peter Baldinger, named "Sky Full of Stones", you can read more about it here. We lingered for a few more moments, then headed out, taking one last "lap" around the exterior of the Cathedral.

We headed back to the apartment, walking through the park. There's quite a bit to see in the park, a wonderfully grand Historicist Music Hall, a children's playground, we'd use the U-Bahn Station when leaving Vienna, and of course, many monuments. On this evening, the Johann Strauss Monument shined brightly, piercing the darkness.

We got back to the apartment, did a load of laundry, checked emails and such, then headed off to sleep. According to our plans; the next day would be a full one.

Thanks for stopping by!

Fools and Kings

**** Fools and Kings has closed

One evening a few months back, I was looking for a place to grab an early dinner with the Missus. She wanted something different. I returned to the menu at Fools and Kings, a fairly eclectic collection of small plates....with dishes from some of our favorite places; Spain, Peru, and heck even North Africa. Over the next month or so we visited this quaint and rather discreet little eatery in Mission Hills.

Come to think of it; we've always had  a table on the little patio out front....I don't think we've stepped into the dining room!

The menu is a fairly tight one, not too many dishes, but the range, at least in geographic terms is vast. The menu is broken up into five sections; Salads, Bocaditos (appetizers), Crudo, Flat Breads, and A la Carte items. All items are meant to be shared.

Funny thing; I'm not much of a Sangria person, but I did enjoy the White Sangria, especially during the hot spell we had a few months back. While it edged toward the sweeter side; I think the lychee and cinnamon gave it a nice refreshing and "clean" taste.

On our three visits, we were basically the only people eating at Fools and Kings, of course it was early in the week and for dinner; like 430-5pm or so.

Each meal started with some Canchita, which always made us smile as it reminded us of our favorite little place in Miraflores.

Anyway, just like other posts of the same ilk. Here are our picks and pans.

Our favorite here is the Stuffed Piquillo Peppers ($10).

The peppers are stuffed with crab and goat cheese, a nice, rich combination....creamy, savory, sweet, milky, a tad of mild heat from the peppers. Served on a toasted and pressed, yeasty and light bread, it was very much a "Montedito". This was by far our favorite dish and we had it on every visit. The simply dressed greens added a nice bitterness and "green" flavor to temper things a bit. In fact, we thought the greens in most of the dishes were nice and simple.

We both also enjoyed the Lamb Sausage ($14).

This reminded us of Merguez, a bit more meatier, but it still had those nice spices that reminded us a bit of what we had during almost every meal in Tunisia.

The Missus enjoyed the Lentil and Burrata Salad ($8).

Of course, She loves puy lentils and corn...and Balsamic Vinegar. The burrata had a light milkiness, a mild acidity, and was very soft, but not runny. I actually enjoyed the yeasty bread, as I thought this salad was like something I make at home.

I really didn't care much for the Sauteed Wild Mushroom with Burrata ($10).

For some reason, I didn't care for the milky-acidity of the burrata, along with the texture of the cheese combined with the earth flavors of the mushrooms. It was a bit to much with the truffle oil; even for me a truffle oil lover. I mainly enjoyed the greens and the bread.

Sadly, our two "pans" were both of the Crudo we had.

We gladly waited the 20 minutes or so for the Cebiche ($14), you know how much the Missus loves Her cebiche. And this would have been pretty good; that leche de tigre was nice and bright in flavor, great acidity, I even asked for another spoon to eat my canchita in the leche de tigre.

The problem was that the fish was still partially frozen; we bit into ice crystals with every bite. It had also spent a bit too long in the leche de tigre. The camote, sweet potato had very little flavor was quite mushy.

On our next visit we tried the Tuna Carpaccio ($15). I dunno about combining Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Soy Sauce....like that Yellowtail with Olive Oil and Soy Sauce in in my previous post on Sushi Noguchi; I find the flavors really clash.

The fish was decent quality, but also on the mushy side....I believe they mix duck pate in with this? It was just a strange mish-mash of flavors and textures for us.

Overall the service was friendly and relaxed. Our dishes did take a while, but we were in no rush. Prices aren't bad....but this might sound a bit strange based on the wide geographic swath of the various dishes. But the menu just seems a bit limiting for us; there isn't that two or three dishes we want to return for. At least not for a while. Maybe when the weather turns warmer that White Sangria will call to me. Until then I might just "wander very far, Very far, over land and sea....." Yeah, go ahead and call me Nature Boy:

"And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"

Fools and Kings
4015 Goldfinch St
San Diego, CA 92103
Hours:
Tues - Fri 430pm - 10pm
Sat - Sun  10am - 2pm, 430pm - 10pm

Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe

Here's a little place on a rather odd corner in Talmage that I would never had found. It's a recommendation from my "FOY" JasonV. It's a favorite of his Missus, Jackie. The location is indeed interesting; being on the corner of Monoe and 47th Street. I'm sure most folks drive up the back way from Fairmount....but the place is basically a quarter mile from ECB and Nhu Y. The little wine bar is located right next to a dental office in the same strip mall. It's quite unassuming.

This is Romeo and Julieta a Polish Wine Bar of sorts. The humble exterior leads to a pretty nice and cozy interior.

We love the art and the ceiling.

Though when the weather is nice and not too hot; you can drink and dine al fresco as well.

The place is run by what I believe is a wonderful and friendly husband and wife team. The husband is the chef; though he's often helped out serving wine, and the super friendly woman runs the front of house; often on her own. In other words; this is a real mom-and-pop operation. You can't be in a rush here.

There's a regular menu of items; sort of a Polish fusion; the usual suspects, Peirogi's, Polish Sausage, and such, served with purple cabbage, sauerkraut, and cucumber salad, hearty stuff. And other items like Crab Cakes and Barbecued Pork.

The wine list is quite good and you're always served light and crusty baguette; the texture of a nice banh mi; with an addictive garlic aioli.

Don't forget the specials on the Chalk Board; where we found our favorite dish; the Pork Rouladen. Again, knowing what the "base" cuisine is of the place helps...we were looking for Polish - German - Eastern European type dishes.

A classic German - Polish dish of pork rolled around pickle spears. This version features sliced pork cutlets, pounded flat, wrapped around pickle spears and cheese. Smothered in a tasty gravy and served with a nice, rustic mashed potatoes; this is totally comfort food. The Missus enjoys the sauerkraut and sautéed cabbage and onions. The red cabbage is fine, but doesn't compare to what She really enjoyed in Prague. The cucumber salad is a bit bland for our taste; it could use more salt and bit more acidity to help cut the richness of the food.

As you can tell; the portions here are no joke.

Another favorite from the specials board was a version of the Polish Classic Bigos Stew - Hunter's Stew.

This version features the classic base of sauerkraut with Polish Kielbasa, bacon, and chopped pork. A hearty sour-meaty-smokey-porky combination. And that tomato salad was really good as well.

Of course these aren't always featured on the specials board; so the Missus will order the Polish Sausage Plate ($17.95).

 

While I enjoyed the nice snap of the sausage; I didn't think it was anything really special; but the Missus really enjoyed this....for a while. After two or three times, we've gotten a bit tired of this and the Missus tired of the left-overs. Yes, there are always left-overs.

You see; our drill is to arrive during Happy Hour; the Missus doesn't mind the House Chardonnay here; though they've recently changed it; and I'd just get a glass of the Italian Grillo, six bucks during Happy Hour.

Then we'd order the Polish Schnitzel Sliders from the Happy Hour menu ($9.50). I'm usually not a big fan of these fusion slider things; but this is pretty good.

The crunchy beef schnitzel, combined with the slightly sweet, but pungent, beet colored horseradish, the almost always sweet and slightly acidic tomato, and that pickle, don't forget that pickle, just goes quite well in a bun. There are four of these to an order......combined with the Missus's weak spot; sweet potato fries, enough for the both of us.

We usually end up taking most of the other entrée home as left-overs.

We also tried some of the other items over time, not all of which we enjoyed.

The Stuffed Cabbage was a menu board special. These were huge and we loved the mashed potatoes.

But we thought it on the bland and somewhat mealy side. Even with that wonderful horse radish.

The Happy Hour Wings and Fries; was priced right at $9.50.

The Missus of course, enjoyed those fries, but those wings weren't deep fried. I know this place serves flatbread/pizzas, so I'm thinking this was cooked on a conveyor oven? Not sauced enough and rubbery skin, not good eats.

My good friend's Mom back in Hawaii used come and visit with her rolling pin. She made awesome pierogi's. So during one of our first visits I decided to try the Pierogi's; the Happy Hour version. Unfortunately; they were out of the two versions that featured sauerkraut. So I ordered the Potato and Cheese; "bacon style" ($9.50).

Man, these were really stuffed. I found the wrapper to be  bit on the brittle side and there was too much mushy potatoes as filling. The bacon and bacon fat topping was lovely, but I really didn't care for this version. I'll probably try one of the other versions one of these days.

There's a lot to like about Romeo & Julieta. We think the food is quite hearty and you do get your money's worth; especially those Happy Hour items. The owners are really friendly, gracious, and just really nice folks. There's often only two to three people working; which is fine during the time we eat; early on in the evening.

Happy Hour is from 4pm to 6pm Tuesdays thru Saturdays and 3pm to 6pm on Sundays.

And make sure to check out the specials board. JasonV told me he enjoyed the Watermelon Salad.

I'm sure if you choose well from the menu; you'll have a nice and hearty meal.

Romeo & Julieta Wine Cafe
4715 Monroe Ave
San Diego, CA 92115
Hours:
Tues - Sat 4pm - 10pm
Sunday     3pm - 10pm

Thanks for the recommendation Jason! Maybe one of these days we'll run into you here!

And share some Bigos.

The Village House Kalina -Ukrainian and Russian (La Mesa)

mmm-yoso!!! is where Kirk and Cathy write about food.  Today, Cathy is writing while Kirk finishes up some important things at his job.

The first paragraph of Kirk's "Back to the Routine" post was true for The Mister and myself in a lot of ways; the past half year has been filled with changes in schedules and habits and jobs.  The Mister and I have been wondering when we could get back to having a 'regular' day.  For us, this means driving and stopping when we see signage that looks interesting.  We dropped in to The Village House Kalina one afternoon a few weeks ago.  "Ukrainian and Russian Cuisine", reads the signage.  I had read about The Village House Kalina  in 2012, on cc's blog and am glad we finally got around to trying it.  (She wrote another post in 2012 also.)

A few tables, eclectic decor, friendly greeting when you walk in and lunch specials( Pick a soup, a salad and an entree for $10.99)
 Soft crusted fresh bread, heavy thin slices of rye and garlic butter is brought out. 
 There are three soups to choose from- this vegetarian borscht is wonderful with its beet/celery/cabbage/ carrot/onion/bell pepper/potato base flavored with fresh herbs.
 The Ukrainian borscht is has the same ingredients plus beef and is also wonderful.  The third soup, a sour cabbage vegetable based choice has smoked sausage and beef in it.  No photo, but I heard it was excellent.  
There are five salads to choose from and the Vesna is the 'plainest'.  Cabbage, carrots, onions, cranberries and apples with fresh dill make this a flavorful simple salad.
 Kavkaz salad: Beets, walnuts, garlic and mayonnaise.  This was my favorite.
The Olivier, a traditional Russian potato salad with chicken, potatoes, carrot and mayonnaise could be a meal...  it’s refreshing and a perfect blend of texture and flavors.
  For the main course, Ukrainian Vareniky (Pirogy) was chosen by our guest. Hand made dough filled with mashed potato  and cheese then boiled.  Just a topping of sour cream is needed; these were light, fluffy and delicious.  Chicken stroganoff: mushrooms, onions, creamy sauce, mashed potatoes.  Such comfort food. 
"Georgian Eagle" - skinless chicken cooked with onions and tomatoes, basil and mint and a few other herbs.  So much flavor.  The noodles went well with this. 

We want to go back to try the other salads and entrees.  This was a great stop I wish we had made sooner. 

The Village House Kalina 8302 Parkway Drive La Mesa, CA 91942 (619) 461-1100 Website Open Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Sat-Sun noon-10 p.m.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year!

Much like I've done every year since December 31st, 2005, I started my day with a visit to Nijiya, Marukai, and Mitsuwa.

I think I've noted that compared to those early years, the variety available has gone down significantly. Probably because of preordering and changing of tastes.

This year, Mitsuwa seemed to have the better "stuffs".

They definitely won out in the protein category......

I did enjoy the "instruction signs" Nijiya put out for items like kazunoko....just in case, you know....you get the urge to try it out.

We enjoyed going out for New Year dinner last year. So I made reservations for an early dinner at Et Voila. Man, we got in at 5pm and there were already folks eating! I'd never seen the place this busy this early......

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

We then decided to walk on down 30th street and had a nightcap at Toronado.

Toronado
4026 30th St
San Diego, CA 92104

Sorry to say I'm not one for top ten lists....when it comes to meals and such I guess I'm always looking to the "next one". I'm often, like I'm doing right now, starting to plan three trips ahead.

I am however, somewhat sentimental. And having lost both an amazing companion and a good friend and contributor to this blog this year has been hard. It's not something you easily turn the page on.

With that in mind, I'm hoping the upcoming year will help to repair out those torn pages pages....the creases will remain for sure, but I'll be able to read them, reflect, and smile at the memories.

As the year comes to a close, everyone here at mmm-yoso would like to thank you for dropping by and extend best wishes for 2017!

Where in the world are we - Part Twee

The Missus and I each had objectives for our next stop.

And we managed to do both.

We enjoyed our couple of days in the land of canals.....

Very friendly folks.....the scent of the “cash crop” in the air.

We had some decent meals as well.

Not to get overly cheesy, but we really had fun.....the city had an interesting vibe.

So, of course it was time to move on.

Next up, the Missus’s favorite city.

Red Card Cafe Revisited

** Red Café has closed

A few months back; Red Card Café brought on a new chef. Looking at the Chef's Bio we were intrigued at some of the places mentioned. We had enjoyed our New Year dinner at Red Card and was already happy to see things were looking up in our neighborhood. So with this news we decided it was time to head back to Red Card. Instead of making just one or two visits; we've been back almost ten times as we found the menu interesting, at times a bit strange, but with some really good dishes.

The current menu; which was fully implemented in August is much more grown up. It also seems more seasonally focused.

Over the last five or six years, we've often found that appetizers and small plates are the way to go for us. Kitchens will often take a bit more chances and stretch out a bit. Our strategy at Red Card was no different.

So, what are our favorites?

The Missus's numero uno, to the point that She's had it probably four times is the Braised Spanish Octopus ($13).

The octopus has always been perfectly fork tender, though on one occasion it was too salty. The Missus is a big fan of puy lentils and these have always been cooked to a pleasing texture, holding their shape well, with a slight green-peppery flavor. The Romesco sauce is nicely balanced; not too much garlic, but very nice. The only thing we think is just okay are the toasts which have been really hard on several visits.

We enjoy the salads....pick one; we've enjoyed them all, though I think the Missus's favorite is the Arugula & Stone Fruit ($9).

Perfectly dressed; the white balsamic dressing had that hint of sweetness, the crisp arugula and the frisee balanced the scales with peppery bitterness. I'm not a big fan of fruit in my salad; but I thought the nectarines really added a bit of tart-sweetness to the salad. I'm also glad that feta was used with some restraint.

I realized that I said I'm not a big fan of fruit in my salad; but my favorite is the Prosciutto and Fig ($10).

Great salty and complex fruity-sweetness, along with the wonderful nuttiness of the pistachios made this very enjoyable. The cheddar wasn't too sharp and added a little milky-smokiness to the salad.

We also enjoyed the Beet Salad ($10).

Sweet beets, tart-sour-anise-crisp pickled fennel; frisee nicely dressed.

I mentioned how much we enjoy the salads here and was told the produce comes from Chino Farm.

An item on the menu that caught my attention was the Watermelon Poke ($10). I've seen it floating around on websites; a trendy take for vegetarians on the poke bowl. Frankly, I didn't expect much, but this was better than I thought it would be.

Kinda looks like fish, huh? The cubes of watermelon had been transformed and the flavor of sesame oil and a touch of sourness (ponzu sauce) had been infused into the watermelon. Seems like perhaps sous vide at work? The watermelon ends up being only slightly sweet with nice savory tones. The Missus didn't care much for this.......the texture and the flavor kind of threw her off. Hence, you know why there's not too much molecular gastronomy going on in the mmm-yoso household.

The Duck Liver Mousse ($8), seemed perfect for us.

There is however, the concept of "too much of a good thing". The mousse was very rich with a pronounced sweet-livery flavor.

A bite or two would have been perfect. A jar of it was way too much and it became a bit of a chore trying to finish it.

Also having only four crostini for a jar of this size was too little....you'd be basically having to eat one-fourth of a jar of the mousse on every slice of toast.

Fine at first......way too much at the end....even when trying to use the cornichons and cherry jam (the mousse was already sweet and the jam took it too far) to cut the richness.

 

The Umami Wings ($9) were a bit interesting.

Actually "strange" might be more apt since the "secret" seasoning really tasted like some versions of Guai Wei Can Dou (guai wei = "strange flavored") I've had.

The powder seemed to detract from the crispness of the wings. These were also a bit too salty.

As you can tell, these are smaller wings, which I don't mind since the skin to meat ratio is increased.

On one of my solo visits I ordered the Cauliflower Gratin ($10).

There was too much cheese for my liking in this and the overall dish came across as too salty. In fact, the overall milky saltiness reminded me of the Mousse tiede d'epoisse we had at Aupres du Clocher in Pommard.  Again, too much of a good thing. As luck would have it, I also ordered the Beef Tallow Fries ($6). Which when dipped or mixed into the gratin tasted really good. How ironic; my dish ended up being sort of a potato gratin in the end. This was so rich that I finished only about a third of the dish.

There's only been one item on the menu I totally didn't care for. The Spam Mususbi Arancini ($9). Now, coming from the islands, I was kind of interested to see how this would turn out.

First off, as you can tell, these were fried too "hard". To me arancini should be crisp with a certain lightness to it. The breading was hard as rock. Second, I couldn't taste the Spam....I really didn't like the salty-teriyaki flavor. The sriracha mayo just made things worse as it covered up all the other flavors.......pass.

Still, once we've found the items we like at Red Card, it's been smooth sailing.

  There's a nice neighborhood feel to the place. The owners and staff are very friendly. The food sure has risen to another level. It's great to see things in our neighborhood are looking up.

Now, I'm wondering if they're going to have New Year's dinner this year? I hope so.....

Red Card Café
4140 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92117

International Deli and Cafe-first look

mmm-yoso!!! a food blog.  Kirk has some interesting things going on at work right now; long hours, not enough time to write any posts.  Similarly, Ed (from Yuma) has things going on (in Yuma) and also is using his free time wisely and not posting.  Cathy is writing today, using this time as a break from the norm.   

In April, I was meeting a client in the dark hours of early morning at Rose Donuts and noticed that Ryan's Cafe had closed, replaced by 'International Cafe and Deli'.  A mental note was made and eventually there was time to return for a visit. 

 Stepping inside, I was greeted with a hearty 'Good Afternoon! Have you ever had Hungarian or Romanian food?" There was some small talk; this location of International Deli is a branch of a longtime (since 2007) Garden Grove Romanian-Hungarian Cafe/Deli. People were driving there from San Diego, asking the owners to please move closer.

I asked about the menu behind the counter and an offer of a sample of mititei (skinless  pork/beef sausage) to be cooked for me was made.  I began to peruse the small deli and grocery while waiting.   The deli area was intriguing. 
    As were the various shelf stable choices.   There are several seating arrangements in the center of the cafe.   The cooked piece of mititei, two cabanos sausages (dry texture, yet not tough; black pepper is in this smoked pork sausage) and three slices of head cheese(mild, not spicy)(excellent, with tongue and many other meat parts).   The mititei was juicy, plump and mild flavored; pleasant. I will be ordering a sandwich next time.    I also ordered eight slices of homemade smoked bacon ($6.99/lb) It cooked up almost too quickly since there wasn't much fat.  Very meaty and well flavored. Smoked meat here is done properly.  Langos, a Hungarian flatbread, is offered in both sweet and savory  versions.  This is the savory version ($6.25), topped with 'everything'- sour cream, garlic, Feta cheese and dill.  A fresh made, tasty snack.  It can be ordered topped with any deli meat for an additional $1.99- that will make it a meal.
   On the menu board is "Kurtos"- Chimney cake. The available cakes are to the left of the cash register. I had heard of this delicate dessert, but never saw it up close.  I had to purchase the walnut version ($6.99)(there are also plain, coconut and almond versions).

The raised dough is wrapped around a metal tube sort of device, rolled in granulated sugar then baked while being basted with butter.  So, yes' crisp, yet delicate with a combination of butter/sugar and walnuts; a perfect accompaniment to coffee.  

I'll be going back; there's a nice breakfast menu in addition to the sandwiches and flatbread...and deli meats...and desserts. 

International Deli and Cafe 5201 Linda Vista Road San Diego 92110 (619) 294-5755 Open Mon-Fri 7-7, Sat-Sun 8-5 website

The Missus's Favorite Date Night Spot - Et Voila!

Man, looking back over the last couple of weeks......I really haven't been "Little Miss Sunshine", huh? So let's turn things around a bit. Here's the Missus's current date night spot for us. We both have hectic schedules right now and are working like crazy. While my usual routine is to come home and cook multiple dishes of "quick" things and supplement with leftovers (La Rou is always welcomed). We try to save at least one night of the week for the both of us. The Missus was really missing France for a while and our good friend Candice suggested Et Voila! So we decided to check them out and have been going on a regular basis since then.

Located on Adam's Avenue next to Tajima and Hawthorne Coffee, we enjoy the early dinner times....yes, you can call us the "Blue Plate Special" folks these days....but my day at work usually starts around 6am and on recent evenings, I haven't gotten home until almost 6pm. So, on that evening where I can get home at 4, I'm usually already pretty hungry, and having dinner at say, 445pm doesn't sound bad at all. Plus, we don't have to worry about reservations.

We like the atmosphere, while the lighting on the dark side, it's nice and unpretentious and we usually get one of the more comfortable tables when we arrive early.

Recently, the Missus has been getting into cocktails......I do see danger ahead with this one. We enjoy the cocktails here, while not cheap at $12, they are $7 during Happy Hour. My favorite is the Huckleberry Bourbon.

For the Missus, it used to be the Celery Gimlet.

But now, She's starting to enjoy Bourbon, so it's the Blooming Manhattan.

The bread here is simple and par baked baguette which is surprisingly good. Still a bit light in the salt department....we'd gotten used to the yeasty-salty-savory French Baguettes.

The Missus enjoys some butter on Hers and enjoys it, though She'd really like it if there was some sea salt sprinkled on top.

Off to the food! The Missus had always told me She hated Escargot. Heck, if I knew this before we got married....nah, just kidding! But once in Burgundy, I told Her She just had to try them. And of course once She had 'em.....we had to order them during just about every meal in Dijon and Beaune.

This version uses Pastis, which adds an interesting, though not offensive amount of light anise flavor. Being the garlic lover, I'd love a bit more garlic. The Missus just wants more sauce, period. This is a very nice rendition overall, though it doesn't come close to what we had in Burgundy.

We got the Pork Belly, Poached Egg, and Frisee ($13).

This was very nice; the truffle vinaigrette really shined and we loved that the frisee wasn't over-dressed. The pork belly was crisp on the exterior, creamy inside, quite lovely. And the Missus loved the gooey egg yolk all over the greens. Not a big fan of the toasts as the flavors seemed to clash with the pork and salad. But this was a very nice dish.

Going with the "all apps" approach. Something that we really enjoy doing since we just can't away all that food anymore, we ended with, well, what else? Duo de Foie Gras ($26).

We've had so much Foie Gras, that perhaps I should have a category for it. We both adored the foie gras terrine; smooth, rich, perfectly funky, it was decadent and delicious. The regular sautéed version was dry and overcooked having an unpleasant dry-mealy texture. We decided to stick with the terrine on future visits.

Which came around quite quickly, as in the following week.

Starting this time with the Burrata and Beet Salad ($11).

Man, the plating was bit over-the-top for us. Sort of like they hired Jackson Pollack to design this dish. The burrata was delicious though, creamy, slightly milky, with just that hint of acid. Loved the beets, perfectly sweet. Again the greens were nicely dressed, though the balsamic dressing was a bit on the sweet side for us. Still, a nice dish.

And of course, the Foie Gras Terrine ($23).

While a bit "busy" in terms of presentation, that foie gras terrine is really good. I really don't need any of the garnishes, though the Missus likes what I believe is fig chutney. I just like eating the pears by themselves, ditto the brioche, as we almost prefer the baguette for the foie gras.

Man, two rich dishes and we were out.

Only to return a few weeks later. Of course we got the foie gras terrine, but also decided to try the Ravioli aux Champignons ($13). Which had us wondering why we hadn't tried this before.

My goodness, the deep earthy mushroom tones....think porcini, a touch of truffle oil, tempered with a hint of sweet flavors, with a shaving of Parmesan for saltiness. This has become something we order on every visit now. And though the composition seems to have changed, with more broth and cheese; I actually think this is an improvement. The Missus has been bugging me to make my Mushroom Risotto after this meal.

Because there was a special Perigord Black Truffle menu on this evening. Now, having been to Dordogne, how could we resist. In spite of my loathe of par cooked restaurant style risotto. So we got the Black Truffle Risotto ($25). It was actually a good sign that it took over 25 minutes to get to us. And what we got was delici-yoso!

Man, this was so good. The risotto perfect in texture, tender, with a slight chew, no hard granular core. The combination of truffle and mushroom flavors is one made in heaven. And we were definitely there on this evening. And of course we had the foie gras terrine....man, talk about a rich meal.

Next time around was kind of funny. I usually avoid places during Restaurant Week. No offense, but I enjoy visiting a restaurant when it's not totally slammed, or when they don't have a pared down menu, and many places aren't able to show their real capability because, well, they're trying to turn a profit too, right? And in spite of always being offered freebies during RW.....you know how we feel about that here. With all of that in mind, we ended up at Et Voila during RW! Go figure. The menu looked fascinating, so we went for it, along with the wine pairings, which were pretty good.

The Gravlax de Saumon D'Ecosse was superb, I mean really, really, good. I had misgivings because it seemed cut too thick.

But holy smokes, that texture was excellent, meaty, but still silky and sublime. Loved the understated brininess and the mustard was just enough to cut through everything else. You know how we feel about the greens here. We loved the simple perfectly dressed arugula.

Having just had some good Jambon de Bourgogne in Burgundy, I was interested in the Terrine de Champignon en Croute.

First off, the pickles were excellent, simple, but each had it's own unique personality. The pastry was a bit too mushy for my taste; but that mushroom pate was very good; earthy-mushroom tones, just a touch of richness, a bit of pungency to cut down the richness.

I chose the Pan Seared Duck Breast as my main.

There were some nice elements to this dish; the Swiss Chard Gratin was so good; rich, slightly buttery potatoes, but balanced by the light bitter-sweet flavor of the chard. The duck had been lightly smoked and the texture was outstanding; it was still tender and hadn't firmed up too much. Served medium was perfect for this. My only problem was that the sauce was way too salty. I gave up after a few bites and the Missus traded dishes with me. She plowed through this like there was no tomorrow.

What She got and I ended up with was the Braised Shortribs.

The Missus wanted this a bit more tender; but I enjoyed the beefy flavor and the slight toothsomeness of the beef. So I ended up with this. I enjoyed the Red Wine sauce and the charred broccoli. This was a nice dish.

Dessert is the Missus's department and She enjoyed them both.

The Missus enjoyed this so much that She made reservations to return the next night with a friend. Unfortunately, the friend cancelled at the last minute. The Missus was really looking forward to getting the duck again, so I decided on being "plan B" for the evening. This time though, I was going to go a bit easier. While the Missus got the duck, I got the ravioli and the Beef Tartare ($13).

Man, this was at least 6 ounces; quite large. There was a bit too much filler in this version, along with being a bit heavy handed on the mustard for my taste. There was something in this that gave it almost a fishiness that both the Missus and I didn't care for. I may try this again in the future, though I'm not so sure.....

We've been back a couple of times since then, mostly ordering the same old items. Though one night we went with both the foie gras terrine and the charcuterie and fromage plate ($22).

Man, this was a lot of food. Loved the pate as it was earthy and delicious. That camembert also hit the spot.

We enjoy the vibe here; a bit more grown up, unpretentious, the service genial and professional. That's perfect for us.

The price point is not cheap; we haven't spent less than $80 for a meal, even with just appetizers here....but of course, we love those cocktails. We've been to many of the more well known places in San Diego, but have never wanted to return (hence no posts)...Et Voila though...well it's on the rotation.

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

Bordeaux: Porte de la Grosse-Cloche and La Brasserie Bordelaise

Bordeaux just seemed to much more than what we expected, with wonderful churches, towers, gates, cheese, and of course wine. After a nice "indoor picnic" lunch and the requisite nap, we headed back out. The Missus decided She wanted to walk along the longest pedestrian shopping street in Europe, the 1.2 kilometer long Rue Sainte-Catherine. As whole, we weren't too impressed with the shops and such and some parts were rather seedy. The street ends at Place de la Victoire and the "gate into the city", the triumphial arch; Porte d’Aquitaine which was built in 1753.

The folks who managed our apartment had a dinner recommendation for us; so we turned around and headed back.

Along the way we crossed over to cours Victor-Hugo and came across the Missus's favorite gate in Bordeaux, the Porte de la Grosse Cloche, the "Great Bell Gate". Built in the 15th century, this beloved gateway is on the city's coat of arms. The clocks date back to 1592 and the bell was cast in 1775.

Along the way we took a short break on a lovely square; Place Saint-Projet...apparently, there was once a church at this location. The fountain is quite lovely and it's a nice spot to take a break and relax.

Rue Saint Remi is full of cafes, brasseries, and other eating establishments, so it's really hard choosing where to eat. La Brasserie Bordelaise was highly recommended, so we decided to have dinner there.

Though the exterior looks rather decent in size, this place is pretty large, there's even a downstairs dining area. As we sat at our table, we noticed all the customers were tourists, though it could be the early dinner time. We also saw that the portions were very large and that most people were getting meat....with a capital "M". After seeing the rather generous portion sizes, we spoke to our waiter, who was very nice and very accommodating, and placed our order. We also got a very nice red from St Emillon; which was probably the best item of the night. Also, we noticed a lot of folks getting the Jamon.....we had just arrived from Spain, there was no way we'd be getting jamon here.

We started with the Foie Gras with toast, 12 Euros, which was decent, not outstanding, but you have to remember, we ate a ton of foie gras on this trip.

We also ordered the Farmhouse Terrine (12€), which we didn't enjoy. First off, it was ice cold in the center, second it had a very gritty texture, I know, this is "rustic", right? It was also a bit too earthy for my palate.....which enjoys a whole host of earthy flavors. It just wasn't our thing I guess.

The Missus was in the mood for lamb. We asked the Server about the portion size of the Braised Lamb Shoulder with Beans (26€). He was a pretty funny guy....he told us, "I think it is enough for two, but you would not believe how any people finish this themselves!" So we asked if sharing would be appropriate. To which he replied, "of course.....it would be enough for two."

When it arrived, the Missus looked at me and I said, "of course.....it would be enough for two" and then some. The Flageolet beans, while a bit under-seasoned had a wonderful texture and beany flavor. The lamb was quite deliciously gamey, but was pretty tough and seemed like it could stand for a bit more time in the oven. It also didn't seem much different from anything I'd make at home. The price at 70 Euros wasn't bad, but seemed a bit high, the service was good, but I think there must be much better in Bordeaux at this price point.

La Brasserie Bordelaise
50 Rue St Remi
Bordeaux, France