Restaurants

[Ellen]

. . . I have a place on Ash and State St downtown in Little Italy. . .

Lucky!!!

. . . Also lots of good restaurants around there. There is an Italian (surprise!) restaurant called Buon Appetito . . .

I think that's the best of the Italian restaurants in Little Italy. But my favorite is the place next door, Sogno di Vino: it's owned by the same people who own Buon Appetito, but it's a wine and small plates place. Whenever possible, instead of a table, we like to sit in the area that looks like a little living room with a comfy sofa, cushiony chairs, and cocktail table. We've met some really fun people that way. And just this summer, the owners opened a new place -- a cool little market with fresh fruit, organic stuff, and fun imported stuff -- right between Sogno di Vino and It's a Grind. (I don't live in LI, but I meet my morning students there just about every day.)

. . . Sunday Tea thing at the Hotel Del Coronado . . . Last time I was in San Diego I called to make a reservation and they said, "sorry, we don't do afteroon tea anymore" WHAT?!?!? NOOOOOOOO!!!! I am still not over that. . .

I'm pretty sure that the Del still does afternoon tea with all the decadent yummies at Christmas time.

[Critical]

The best breakfast here is Fox and Goose Public House, an English-style pub and restaurant that's an institution in this city. Everyone eats there on Sundays, including our governor! (I've seen him there) If you've lived in this city for any length of time, you will see someone you know at Sunday breakfast! They offer everything from traditional bangers and marsh or Welsh rarebit to a tofu scramble with pesto and tempeh strips. Plus, they have the best scones in town. The ollalieberry scones are a must.

Another place - Cafe Vinoteca - is a bit more upscale. They squeeze their own fresh grape juice every day

This city has so many great - and non-chain - restaurants. You could eat at a new place every day of the year. It's a bit overwhelming at times, actually. We have several pretty well-known food people who own restaurants in town. For instance Biba Caggiano has a restaurant here called (naturally) Biba, which is really great. Also, Guy Fieri from the Food Network co-owns a restaurant here called Tex Wasabi's. Another restaurant - Paragarry's - boasts a former Top Chef contestant (Michael from season 2) as a part of the kitchen staff.

My favorite place to take people who are new to town is Tapa the World, which is second only to Cha Cha Cha in the Haight for tapas. They also have an insanely good paella.

Damn! I'm making myself hungry!

[onei0091]

Lucky!!!

I think that's the best of the Italian restaurants in Little Italy. But my favorite is the place next door, Sogno di Vino: it's owned by the same people who own Buon Appetito, but it's a wine and small plates place. Whenever possible, instead of a table, we like to sit in the area that looks like a little living room with a comfy sofa, cushiony chairs, and cocktail table. We've met some really fun people that way. And just this summer, the owners opened a new place -- a cool little market with fresh fruit, organic stuff, and fun imported stuff -- right between Sogno di Vino and It's a Grind. (I don't live in LI, but I meet my morning students there just about every day.)

I'm pretty sure that the Del still does afternoon tea with all the decadent yummies at Christmas time.

Oh, you are making me SO homesick for San Diego! It's A Grind! And that cute place across the st that serves waffles in the mornings on weekends!
I will definitely have to check out the new place you are talking about in LI when I get back there next month. And if they still serve afternoon tea at the Del during xmastime I will *seriously* make the treck back there for that. That's how big of a pig I am.

Have you been to the restaurant in LI with the blue awning on it? I can't remember the name, it's on the corner, further north down the road from Buon Appetito. They have really good food, too. And that cash and carry place (my memory is full of holes) has the best spaghetti and meatballs. My husband always liked Indigo Grill but I wasn't as big of a fan.

I really like Little Italy. The only sucky thing about it was taking my dog out for a walk and to do his business. There aren't any dog parks around and he is terrified of skateboards, and there were always plenty of skateboarders around. When I'd take him for his nightly pee, I'd have to step over sleeping homeless people and the occasional cockroach. That I don't miss one bit, but everything else, I do.
Do you ever go to Village Pizzeria in Coronado? I love their pizza!

[onei0091]

Ellen - is that International Market store still in LI? They have the BEST cheeses. They had a chocolate cheese that was SO delicious. And I think I remember that wine place next to Buon Appetito. We'd have a drink in there while waiting for a table. It was very cozy.

[Critical]

I used to LOVE NYPD - New York Pizza Department - in Pacific Beach. The last time I went to San Diego, which was quite some time ago, they had closed. They had the best calzones and their pizza delivery cars were refurbished 1950's NYPD squad cars.

[onei0091]

I used to LOVE NYPD - New York Pizza Department - in Pacific Beach. The last time I went to San Diego, which was quite some time ago, they had closed. They had the best calzones and their pizza delivery cars were refurbished 1950's NYPD squad cars.

I wonder if this was the place my dad always talked about. My parents lived in San Diego in the 60s and 70s, and he always raved about some pizza place that was in PB or near PB. By the time I moved there (2003) my dad had just passed away and my mom couldn't remember the name of the pizza place, so I never found out where or what it was.

That's such a cute idea for delivery cars!

[Ellen]

Do you ever go to Village Pizzeria in Coronado? I love their pizza!

Not yet, but I'll have to try it. My Thursday "classroom" is Coronado.

Ellen - is that International Market store still in LI? They have the BEST cheeses. They had a chocolate cheese that was SO delicious.

No, unfortunately they went out of business sometime last year. I, too, was/am addicted to the cocoa cardona cheese. There are a couple of cheese shops, though, in Hillcrest and Mission Hills, and I'm hoping to find it there.

I used to LOVE NYPD - New York Pizza Department - in Pacific Beach. The last time I went to San Diego, which was quite some time ago, they had closed.

It's now in the Mission Valley area -- on Friars Road, around a mile or so west of Fashion Valley.

[onei0091]

Oh, that sucks about the international food market closing. Memorie-eees, doo doo doo! LOL! Remembering all of these places is like a walk down memory lane! We used to walk to the theater in Horton Plaza, see a movie, and then eat at this Tiki restaurant in the gaslamp all of the time. They had good drinks and good sushi. And I used to like going to that restaurant that sits out over the water in Seaport Village. We'd jog from home to Seaport Village and back every morning - go past the Midway, sometimes we'd see seals swimming in the water in the early morning.

Before we lived in Little Italy, we lived in La Mesa on Mt. Helix. If you are ever over that way there is a delicious mexican restaurant called Mario's in downtown La Mesa. Mmmm. Before that, we lived in Oceanside briefly. I don't remember anything great there as far as restaurants were concerned. I just remember the very long drive to and from San Diego. Took forever with traffic.

My dream is to have a place in Coronado. I just love that place. Someone told me it has a serious rat problem, though. Then I remember we were going to try a mexican restaurant somewhere off of Orange Ave and while we were waiting for a table I noticed rat poop - EVERYWHERE. We left, that was too much for me. If I found a rat in my house I'd probably faint. EEW.

[MRD]

Greenville has so many resturants you could eat a different one every night.

We ate at Cornbread to Caviar on Sat. and I had the best shrimp and andouille sausage pasta and their to DIE for white chocolate bread pudding.

We have some good breakfast places here. Tommy's Ham house has a great breakfast. My husband loves it because it has ham in the name.

However, I don't mind getting the pecan waffles at Waffle House of all places. I know there are better breakfast places, but I can have a waffle and coffee and be in and out the door in 15-20 min. and with tip it's under $10.

I ate a new place for breakfast a couple weeks ago and it was DIVINE. had a basil and goat cheese omelet, but before I got home, I had horrible upset stomach. That's what happens to me at Applebee's. Something they put in the food and I can't figure out what. So will not be back to the cute breakfast place again darnit.

I am now hooked. HOOKED on the Cafe con Leche at the new Cuban restaurant. But dang, I don't ever drink much caffiene and one cup of that and I could move mountains, literally.
They laugh at me at the museum if I've had coffee there first because I am speedy gonzalez zooming around the place and talking 90 mph.

[Marleybone]

I attended a dinner lecture last night at Fleming's. The food was fabulous, and the upside was that dinner was paid for by the sponsors of the lecture. I ate there last year when I was in California and it cost around $50 for one person, so not a place I would go to except maybe once a year for a special occasion. It's well worth it if you can afford the occasional splurge though.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar