Lightning Brewery

Apparently there a growing craft brewery network in North San Diego. So Tagen to J and I to a very small operation out of Powey called Lightning Brewery.

From San Diego Summer 2009

To say that it is a small operation is an understatement. First of all they only produce a tiny amount of beer annually, I don't remember the number but it wasn't much. Secondly, the physical operation is really tiny. Working out of a modest office building provides only the most limited space. The top photo here is really all there is aside from a couple of front offices.

From San Diego Summer 2009

But what they have to offer is good quality small scale beer (all though they don't get very high marks from the beer geeks on BA). I brought home a Thunderweizen Ale for our grill since I felt it would do well with the food and the weather. It got rave reviews from both mom and dad.

Tastings are free twice a week on Fridays and Saturdays and worth checking out. But the current set up was off putting for me. Without Tagen to march in and get things going I would have likely loitered around front for a while. There little indication of where the tasting took place compared to the small empty office.

From San Diego Summer 2009

The people were friendly, most of the people giving us samples weren't even employees, and I got the feeling that little separated Tagen in his company shirt from the guys helping us. The oddest part was trying to talk to one of the older guys; when I told him I was visiting from Boston he replied, "that's too bad, they don't have any good beer out there." ... joke. Right?

"This isn't a bbq, its a fancy grill"

Since I was home and showing J around and all that, I decided that my big brother and I should have a little shindig to mark the occasion. When it was all said and done J commented how she was used to "putting some [frozen] hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill, throwing a bag of chips and people and calling it a day."

But Mom just don't go out like that. Instead we got a Costco cornucopia: chicken breast, sausages a case of beer backed up by bean salad, coleslaw, home made hummus, bread, veggies and do-it-your-self ice cream cones. Boom.

We started off by marinating chicken breasts in a secret sauce (read: we didn't know what it was), added kosher salt, pepper, minced onion, garlic, olive oil, white whine and rosemary.

From San Diego Summer 2009

Meanwhile we parboiled Italian sausages in beer with a little bay leaf to ready them.

From San Diego Summer 2009

Aaah the rosemary; not only was it part on the chicken we also opted to smoke it on the food as well. Thanks to an abundance in my parents backyard we filled an empty tin can with fresh sprigs and placed the can in the coals to smoke during cooking.

From San Diego Summer 2009

If you look carefully you can just make out the green of the rosemary among the coals.

From San Diego Summer 2009

All in all, I think it was a smashing success. I recommend trying the fresh herbs in your grill if you have the means and the appropriate weather.

California Update: California Burrito

My goal was to get it, and get it I did. The California burrito with the works: carne asada, french fires, salsa, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. Say it in the Kool-Aid man voice: Oh yeah!

Take J into Pacific Beach, aka the den of vileness, we wandered into the northern edge of Mission Beach and spied a typical Mexican place: La Playa Taco Shop.

From San Diego Summer 2009

All thought "authentic" seem dubious to me - much like how a Londoner said to avoid anything with "ye olde" on it - the trappins were all correct. Small. Simple. Proper menu. Besides a small inside and a few table outside, like most taco stands, this was nominally a quick eat or take away location.

From San Diego Summer 2009

From San Diego Summer 2009

I was pleased to see that they had red and green sauces on hand in plentiful squeeze bottles.

From San Diego Summer 2009

When the coveted item arrived it was just as I wanted it: warm and just a little crunchy on the outside.

From San Diego Summer 2009

I don't care how hideous this looks to you, it is heaven wrapped in a grilled tortilla.

From San Diego Summer 2009

The meat was lean and juicy, the fries crispy on the outside but soft and tender within. The cheese was melted but not coming apart. Enough juices flowed through to keep the whole thing supple without becoming a total mess. High marks.

The only negative for me was that I loved it so much I could have eaten about 30%-40% more.

New Season

And with my first pint of Sam Octoberfest last night, it is officially fall in New England. Plus, you know, the weather's changed too.

Nostalgia

I'm not going to lie, one of the things that I'm particularly looking forward to when I go home to San Diego next week is this:

From Global Food

Mmmm... That's a carne asada burrito with french fries. I get mine with all the fixings: salsa fresca, cheese, sour cream and salsa verde on the side. Plus, its got the coveted Wet Coast style tortilla wrapping.

A friend pointed out that in Boston all burritos have been steamed, which gives them a softer shell. Back home they warm the tortillas on the flat grill which adds a bit of crunch and flake to the outside.

The Cali is a standard menu option at almost any of the innumerate Mexican places, but it isn't always commonly known. Case in point, back in the dark days of working at a high school in east county, my boss offered to pick me something up from a near by stand. When I requested a Cali burrito she squawked, "WHAT!? Are you trying to get award for being weird?"

Turns out she thought that such an eponymous food would have to feature some overly healthy concoction of bean sprouts, avocado, tofu and lettuce as a wrap. Not only was she dismayed that it was on the menu, but that the place didn't bat an eye at her ordering it.

As of late, I've been asking people what they think would be included and they are often stymied when they learn of its contents. I suspect I'll be tucking into one from either, Buenos Dias, the place near my parents' house or Colimas, on University.

Chocolate Bar

So a while back I took J to Cafe Fleuri, aka the Chocolate bar, for her birthday. Which, all in all, wasn't as easy as it should have been. First off, they book up fast and a week wasn't enough time to get a reservation. Second of all, its in the Langham in downtown Boston, meaning its in public transportation purgatory. Though, to be fair, it really wasn't all that hard to get to.

From Global Food

J had heard about the place and was really excited. I had my reservations. Namely, I don't think much of buffets. To me they are quintessentially quantity-over-quality: nothing is really great tasting, this look nice but just can't deliver flavor in the way that they might if they reduced from hundreds of items to simply dozens. Whatever. I'm picky and I'm not ashamed.

From Death By Chocolate

They describe the meal as an "all-you-can-enjoy buffet, which comprises a delicious assortment of more than 125 chocolate desserts, including chocolate mousses, specialty cakes, made-to-order chocolate crêpes, homemade ice cream, fresh baked cookies, milk chocolate passion fruit tarts, miniature s'more cups, cotton candy, delicate truffles, our signature chocolate break pudding and more." Well. Dessert is usually the best part of any meal, so it does have that going for it. But, my macro level focus *ahem* skipping of details, glazed over the indication that all that is served is dessert. Which for J was more than fine, but after all that chocolate, sugar and sweets I was dying for something savory. A couple of eggs, maybe some sausage. Not to be found.

From Death By Chocolate

While I was hardly starting, I was in no way full either. There really is a finite amount of desserts that I can eat on an empty stomach. And this was far too much. I can't say that I had ever been so done with chocolate until that moment. I'm reminded of the old trick to get a kid to stop smoking by forcing them to smoke a whole bunch and gross them out. That was kind of the effect on me. Just too much. There were other food options, like a rather tasty sounding lamb burger, but given I had already paid for my own meal and J's I didn't feel like shelling out another $20 just get a change up.

From Death By Chocolate

In the end, I think J was very happy with the meal: chocolate to one's own content. I felt that much of it filled my prediction. Most of it was good, but not great. Some was even boring and not worthy of finishing. I felt a bit guilty as I went back for my third or fourth plate. Kind of like eating bland birthday cake, I couldn't help wonder if it was worth the calories.

From Death By Chocolate

The themes and images were often well done with inventive plaiting and amusing plays on classics: see the "s'more in a spoon" in the first image. But it couldn't quite get beyond the fact that to meet the needs of such volume corners are cut. Plus, after all that type II inducement my tongue felt like it had been sandblasted. I shudder to think of my blood sugar level after that. The flavors became numbed in the blur of similarity.

From Death By Chocolate

For some, this would be an absolute ideal. Clearly, this is the place to bring a small group of tween girls. A birthday party of 5 showed up with someone's mom. You would have thought there were free Jonas Brother backstage passes hidden in the food the way these girl shoved their way through the throng of tourists. Beware the chocolate cravings of a gang of pre-teens. They have no remorse.

From Death By Chocolate

Bring Your Own

Found on Blanchards Twitter page:

GoBYO is a website that lists local restaurants by their corkage fees. Most impressively, you can search by no fee.