American/New American Restaurants – Page 49

Bud’s Louisiana Food Shoppe

August 13, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Cajun, Southern, and Soul Food

*** Bud's has moved and is now Bud's Louisiana Cafe

Located on busy Kettner Boulevard, right next to that Little Italy landmark the Waterfront Bar(I'll save that for another day) resides Bud's Louisiana Food Shoppe.

I've been to Bud's several times in the past, but recently, it occurred to me that the Missus had never eaten at Bud's, so we had to make sure to correct that oversight.

Bud's is a tiny, well lit, and clean little restaurant, and serves up some really good Cajun and Creole food.

We arrived right at 5pm and were seated immediately. I knew exactly what I wanted to start out with. The Jalapeno Cornbread Muffin(.50/ea):

Don't know what it is, well…..that's incorrect, I know exactly what I enjoy about these muffins; they aren't too sweet, have a nice, but not too overpowering butter flavor with whole kernels of sweet corn in them. Also, I love the added "zing" provided by the minced pieces of Jalapeno, that give the muffins a bit of an "edge". The Missus thought that he muffins weren't "grainy" enough, and too "oily", but I bought four more to go.

We started out with what I usually order when I'm at Bud's; the Fried Oyster Po' Boy($8.95). We split the sandwich and thought of it as our appetizer. Here's my half:

In what was a very astute strategic move by the kitchen crew, the Missus's half had twice the amount of oysters than mine. We both enjoyed the crunchy, gritty cornmeal coating, and the briney, oceany(fresh), oysters. The Jalapeno "Tartar" Sauce, was closer to a mildly spicy aioli, which balanced out the flavor of the Oysters instead of over-powering the Po' Boy.

The Missus ordered "A Taste of New Orleans"($15.95), which is a Catfish Filet over a bed of Crawfish Etoufee, and some rice:

One taste, and you'll know what makes this rich, velvety Etoufee work; it's the sweet Crawfish meat, nice balanced seasonings, neither too spicy, nor too meek, and most of all butta'! All started with a dark roux. Rich, yet so good. The Catfish was coated with a cornmeal batter, and was nice and moist, without a hint of muddiness.

The only thing that threw the Missus, was the "Converted" Rice, which I explained to Her is perfectly normal for the region.

I have always enjoyed the Gumbo at Bud's, and strangely enough, the Red Beans and Rice. I'm not a big fan of Red Beans and Rice, but the slightly smokey-sweet-rich flavor of Bud's version is my favorite. Since I had not had the Cajun Jambalaya at Bud's, but didn't want to give up my Gumbo, nor the Red Beans and Rice, I ordered the Cupa-Cupa-Cupa($11.95):

After tasting the Jambalaya, I told myself that I should have ordered the Fried Shrimp Po' Boy($7.95), with a cup of Red Beans and Rice($1.50) and a cup of Gumbo($4.95). The flavor of the Jambalaya was underwhelming, the rice dry, the bell peppers and celery undercooked. Even dumping several spoons of hot sauce on the Jambalaya really didn't help.

But as disappointed as I was with the Jambalaya, the rich smokey, and slightly spicy Gumbo, and the Red Beans and Rice came through to save the day.

In spite of the parking battleground that is Little Italy, Bud's is worth a try. The portions may seem on the small end, but the food is deceivingly rich. The food is also not overly spicy, but Hot sauce is provided should you need it; we believe you won't. Service has always been excellent and friendly, without being cloying. You can always get the food to go as well, but the fried stuff won't hold up for very long, so you might as well just have a seat, and have (More then) a few muffins.

Bud's Louisiana Food Shoppe
2034 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92101

Hours – Tues-Sat Lunch 11am-3pm
Dinner 5pm-9pm

Bay Park Fish Company

July 20, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Poke

I guess it's about time that I did a post on Bay Park Fish Company, since we live 2 miles from the place. BPFC, is a nice little neighborhood eatery that is a welcome addition to the area.

A portion of the area is utilized as a fish market, the rest as a Restaurant and Bar.

I would call the restaurant design as sort of "industrial-chic", with cinder block walls, corrugated metal siding, and high ceilings with an exposed duct system. Sportfishing photos, and "sea creatures" adorn the walls.

Recently, Bay Park Fish has started a Happy Hour, though the hours are quite early starting at 3pm, and ending at 5pm, the Happy Hour is offered 7 days a week. The Happy Hour covers menu starters(25% off), $2 Fish Tacos(mahi-mahi), and draft beer(5 types, quite pedestrian selection like Amstel Light, Widmer Hefeweizen).

The Missus was very happy to see Her favorite menu item the Smoked Fish Plate( $7 – $5.25 Happy Hour) being discounted for Happy Hour.

This fairly large portion of "fish salad" hits all the right notes for us. Lightly smoked fish, mixed with just tad of mayo, is neither fishy, nor gloppy. Minced jalapeno adds some heat and the kernals of corn add a bit of sweetness. Mix in the pico de gallo, and the avocado, scoop it with a tortilla chip, and it is delici-yoso!!!

The Missus has been having this twice a week during the recent hot weather.

On this day, being very hungry we ordered the Deep Fried Calamari($6 – $4.50 Happy Hour).

A very generous basket of Deep Fried Calamari was dropped off on our table. We enjoyed the panko crust, though the calamari was slightly on the tough side. The aioli, with a layer of olive oil really didn't bring much to the calamari. Just a squeeze of lime was fine, strangely, I like malt vinegar on these as well. I'll have these again.

I also ordered a "small" side order of Fries($2):

Actually a not-so-small basket of shoestring fries. I really enjoy the slightly crisp, nicely salted fries. They take me back to childhood; I used to love those canned shoestring potato snacks, though these are miles ahead.

But we weren't done yet. The Missus's intention was to take home most of the smoked fish salad, and have some fish tacos. Which is just what she did.

A trio of a Grilled Halibut Taco($4), Fried Shrimp Taco($3), and a Grilled Mahi Mahi Taco (Happy Hour – $2).

The Mahi Mahi Taco:

Too much white sauce killed the fish taco for us. The fish, which was a bit on the over-cooked side still had a nice flavor. The corn tortillas were moist and had the distinctive corn taste that decent corn tortillas should have.

The Grilled Halibut Taco:

This was one killer piece of perfectly grilled, moist and flaky piece of fish. While a bit pricey at $4 a pop, it was very good.

The Fried Shrimp Taco:

The three little pieces of fried shrimp, no matter how good were totally lost in the sauce, pico de gallo, and shredded cabbage. Also, we really didn't care for the "hot sauce" provided with the tacos.

Compare those with this Grilled Halibut Taco we had on a later visit:

With a squeeze of lime; perfect simplicity.

The menu at Bay Park Fish features a limited, but varied menu, along with specials of the day. The Specials usually include several different tortas, and other items.

Here's the Yellowtail Torta($8.95):

A nice slice of grilled Yellowtail, avocado, tomato(very good tomato), and lettuce, in large Bollilo type roll. Though the Yellowtail was a bit on the over-cooked side, it tasted very fresh, with the flavor of black pepper coming through. The coleslaw was a forgettable ramekin of vinegary mixed cabbage, though a large order of shoestrings were also provided.

There was an item on the appetizer specials that caught my attention.

It was the Ahi Poke Appetizer($12). 12 bucks for Poke seemed to be a bit much, but I decided to try it anyway.

A large goblet filled with cubed Ahi, garnished with green onions, sesame seeds, and wakame, lay on a layer of mixed greens, and topped with WonTon Chips. The flavor of the Poke was not my cup of tea, the fish was marinated with a oyster sauce-shoyu-sugar(could be mirin) mixture, which is fine for stir-frying, but the overly salty, sweet, and assertive oyster sauce flavor over-powered everything.

During the meal, I mentioned the flavoring to one of the Servers, a really funny, and nice guy named Jeff, who told me that several variations of Poke had been tried, and this was the most popular with the "regulars". So, I guess it's different strokes….

In our opinion, Bay Park Fish is at it's best when the fish or the other seafood is presented front and center, and simply prepared.

Here's the Smoked Fish Sandwich ($8):

Shared with the Missus, along with a Fish Taco, and 2 Ice Teas, a very generous meal. And still under $20.

The service at Bay Park Fish is very nice and friendly, though like many neighborhood eateries, there are occasional hiccups, like sauces forgotten, or sometimes mistakes in preparation(we ordered our taco without white sauce). Still, we are very happy to have Bay Park Fish close by in our neighborhood.

Bay Park Fish Company
4121 Ashton St
San Diego, CA 92110

Huffman’s Bar-B-Que

July 6, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants

*** Huffman's has closed

Huffman's BBQ is a Logan Heights institution, established in 1967, Huffman's has been around for nearly forty years! So they must be doing something right.

Though I've been told by a few former and current residents of the area that the food at Huffman's is not quite as good as it used to be, we still decided to drop by.

On this day, the Missus had been craving some homestyle "soul food". Don't ask me to explain how a Girl from Qingdao can crave Fried Okra and Hush puppies, after all this Guy from Hawaii loves good collard greens…..

The interior of Huffman's is always clean, though very spare. Drive-In style furniture is placed around the dining area, along with signed photos of various celebrities.

The Missus, in a state of full soul food frenzy, walked up to the counter and started ordering: "Can I get the Gumbo, a half dozen hush puppies, an order of fried okra, a Red Snapper sandwich, and 1 dozen chicken gizzards….and a Diet Coke!"

The Lady behind the counter: "This'll be to go?"

The Missus: "No I'LL be eating this here"

The Lady: "Okay your total will be…"

Me: "Oh, ummm, excuse me, but that's just for Her…..I'll take a Center Cut Pork Rib Dinner, for here, and 3 pieces of Fried Chicken to go"

The Lady: "I see……." I guess she did understand; you never mess with someone in the midst of a soul food frenzy.

We knew there would be a short wait for our food, since Huffman's is a real Mom-and-Pop type operation. Soon enough our order was ready(except for the Fried Chicken which takes 20 minutes). The "Creole Gumbo" ($8.55):

A generous portion of gumbo, with lots of shrimp, and a good amount of crab, real crab! I thought the flavoring was a bit on the mild side, and the gumbo was slightly watery, but the Missus enjoyed it.

1/2 Dozen Hush Puppies($1.95):

For some reason I thought the Hush Puppies looked like Falafel. These were on the small side, and not as moist as I would have enjoyed them to be. But again, the Missus loved them, so they must be pretty good.

An order of Fried Okra($2.15):

The Fried Okra was excellent, nicely breaded, and perfectly fried. Great texture, good okra flavor, not over seasoned…..good Okra!

The Red Snapper portion of the Red Snapper Sandwich(with 4 slices white bread and stuff – $5.95:

We both agreed that the snapper was borderline terrible; dry and fishy. I'm thinking the fish was on the old side. The Missus, bless Her heart tried everything to make it edible. She even used some Tartar Sauce, which She hates. Nothing worked.

Worth the trip! Some of the best Chicken Gizzards(1 dozen – $5.25):

The chicken gizzards were worth the trip to Huffman's. Battered and fried, chewy but not hard, these were delici-yoso!!! Not only did the batter taste great, but the large sized gizzards had a good amount of flavor as well. (Do they marinate them?)

The BBQ Pork Ribs Dinner (Center Cut – $11.55):

The ribs were a bit of a disappointment, a bit on the tough side, not a hint of any smokey flavor, and a very uninspired tasting ketchup based sauce.

I did enjoy the Collard Greens which had just the right amount of bitter, along with a slight spicy "kick".

The Candied Yams, were not so candied, they were blander than orange colored mashed potatoes.

We also ordered 3 pieces of Fried Chicken($4.90 – chicken only) while we ate(yes, this was one meal), because there's a 20 minute wait.

I enjoyed the Fried Chicken, which had what seemed to be a corn meal based coating. It is worth the wait. And it never did see the next morning, as we had them as a snack.

I had thought about a Hot Link Sandwich as well, but we needed to show some restraint…..

We'll be returning to Huffman's in the near future; the Missus is already craving for those Gizzards, and looking forward to possibly some fried oysters. I feel another soul food frenzy coming on…….

Some Notes: Like I mentioned, there is the very strong possibility that you will have a bit of a wait. So if you're in a rush, I think it'll be wise to phone in your order. Remember, the Fried Chicken takes 20 minutes.(whaddaya mean Huffman's isn't on speed-dial???) Parking is very limited as well. We've always experienced pretty good service, and the other customers always crack up to see 2 Asians chowing down all this food. The menu is not large, but we're certain that you will find something you enjoy.

Huffman's Barbeque
5039 Imperial Ave
San Diego, CA 92113

Portland: Park Kitchen

June 21, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Portland, Oregon, Travel

*** Park Kitchen has closed

I really didn't do much "research" for my trip to Portland. I usually have my face in guides, and read my eyes red looking over various websites. This time, I decided to minimize my anal retentive research. But that doesn't mean that I just decided to forgo any planning whatsoever. I did purchase a book; Best Places Portland, just so I could have some points of reference. And I also read through two Food Blogs; ExtraMsg.com and Portland Food and Drink, along with the requisite checks on Chowhound and eGullet. There was one entry on Portland Food and Drink that jumped out at me; the review of Park Kitchen. I read through the menu sampling, with dishes such as:

Pork belly mole with pumpkin seeds and oranges
Batter fried green beans with tarragon and bacon
Prosciutto of duck breast with fromage blanc and figs
Duck with root beer spices and cornbread pudding

And I was very intrigued. But still, I put off calling in reservations until the very last minute, which was the Thursday I arrived in Portland. So Thursday night, I decided to call and make reservations for Friday. And when I called I mentioned that I'd like to make reservations for Friday, there was a pause……a breath, and a "what time are you looking at?" When I said I could be there right at first service at 5pm, I could hear Her smiling when the very nice Gal said: "Just come on down, if it's for one, and around opening, we'll find room for you!"

When I entered Park Kitchen, the first thing I noticed was how very tiny this little restaurant was. There were just a few tables squeezed together, along with a bar area in the restaurant. Later I discovered a few more tables to the rear of restaurant near the kitchen.

This makes for a quite "intimate" seating situation, one that my Asian sensibilities sometimes feels uncomfortable with. But that all ended with my Server, Kevin. He made me feel so very welcome, and had such an intimate knowledge of the dishes on the menu, that just having Him to explain and guide me heightened the entire dining experience. If you ever read this; "thanks Kevin, I wish I had someone like you at every restaurant I eat at!" I had decided to order several small plates, and Kevin explained that 4 small plates are equal to an app and an entree. As I perused dishes such as Crisp Duck Blini, Peas, and Lavender; Kevin poured me a pint of Roots Organic IPA. This IPA, was very "hoppy", on the bitter side, and woke me up!!!

I started with the Chickpea Fries with Pumpkin Ketchup($8.50):

Served in the manner of pomme frites, these were wonderful. What was explained to me was that chickpeas are mashed, spread on a tray and baked. They are then formed, breaded and deep fried. Yum! At the beginning of my meal, I asked Kevin what the food at Park Kitchen was all about. I was told that the combinations are innovative, but always pull in the flavor of the "familiar". Chickpea Fries? Yeah, right! But as I ate them, there it was, the familiar, falafel like flavor, the caraway seeds adding character; the pumpkin ketchup acting as a fine tahini. So good, I really didn't need the ketchup….Good stuff!!!

At this point, I needed another brew. I asked Kevin what he recommended to go with the meal, and he got me a Siletz Spruce Ale:

Spruce Ale!!! Never had it. But it did work, the ale did have the scent of spruce(just like Christmas…), but was quite light and refreshing. In fact, the Spruce Ale did a fine job of palate cleansing between bites of food. I now understand that Spruce cuttings and other flavorings are added instead of Hops to offset the sweetness of the malt.

Being the big time lamb lover, I ordered the Lamb Tartar, spiced chickpeas, and mint($10.50):

My favorite of the night. Minced lamb and mint, served with a chickpea puree, topped with a quail egg. The lamb was moist, and though I could have done with the lamb being a bit wilder in flavor, this was good. The flavor of the mint reeled you back into the realm of the familiar, and cut the richness. The pseudo-hummus did the same.

Duck Ham, Preserved Strawberries, and Goat Cheese Fondue($9.50):

The preserved strawberries were fabulous with a nice anise flavor to balance out the sweetness, the mild goat cheese added a creamy texture. The weakness of the dish was the very tame duck ham, which I thought was quite flavorless. Still those strawberries……..

I asked Kevin for a recommendation for my last small plate. He recommended the Sherry Soused Spinach, 8 Minute Eggs, and Hazelnuts($9.50):

This earthy dish, had so many components(the Spruce Ale didn't help), the slight bitter tastes aided by nutty flavors. I do think that some "salty" component would have made the rich dish shine more, but it's very hard to complain about perfectly boiled eggs.

I even ordered dessert! Strawberry Panna Cotta with Verbena and Pistachio Amaretti($7.00):

Other then the over chewy Amaretti(macaroons), I enjoyed this dessert. I'm not a fan of the overly sweet and rich, so this filled the bill.

The damage? $57. Not bad for a splurge dinner. I'd recommend Park Kitchen for the adventurous eater, who is willing to take chances, just as Park Kitchen does, with the realization that not everything will be a "hit". But when it's good, it's very good! I'd also advise to go early for Dinner, and hopefully you'll find someone as knowledgeable and professional as Kevin to help guide you. Sometimes it's good to trust your Chef!

Park Kitchen
422 Nw 8th Ave
Portland, OR 97209

(503) 223-7275

Lunch: Mon-Fri 1130am-230pm
Dinner: Mon-Sat 500pm-"Close"

Still not quite adjusted to the efficiency of mass transit(when trimet says 4 minutes, it won't go past 8 minutes), and how small the blocks are; I arrived at my destination very early. Like 1 hour early! Fine with me. I was able to walk around the "North Park Blocks", and even got some shopping done for Da' Boyz here:

A combination Pet Boutique, Doggie Daycare, and Groomer; Urban Fauna had a nice selection of toys and treats for Sammy and Frankie. I also had the chance to relax and take a walk around the park blocks and admire the artwork:

Oh, and by the way, Powell's Technical Books is located here as well.

While I was reading, waiting for Park Kitchen to open, the most interesting thing happened:

A Fire Engine drove on up, and the Ladder Truck proceeded to extend it's ladder to one of the Lofts.

And two Firefighters scurried up the ladder.

I don't know if someone was locked in, or locked out….but it sure beats a Locksmith. Can you imagine this happening in San Diego, or Los Angeles?

After dinner I took a walk around the Pearl District. Once a Warehouse and Industrial area, it has now become Portland's SoHo. Antique Shops, Furniture Stores, and Trendy Restaurants abound. Upscale Lofts and Townhouses now share the block with auto-repair and bearing shops. Here's some really interesting street art from Jamison Square Park:

It's called Tikitotmoniki, looks sort of like a cross between Tiki and Totems.

Funny thing happened to me in The Pearl. By this time, I had assimilated to Pedestrian and other rules in Portland. I had also gotten a bit too complacent…..after all pedestrians were looked after and cared for in Portland. So while being a total bozo and entering the street to take that photo, a sportscar drove up, horn blaring, the two male passengers yelling at me and giving me the "finger", and then driving off……..sorry to say, the car had California plates. Sigh………

Portland: Breakfast at Mother’s Bistro & Bar

June 20, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Portland, Oregon, Travel

It started drizzling off and on during my first morning in Portland. This put my plans for a trip to Washington Park on the back-burner. So I decided to walk a few blocks and have breakfast at Mother's Bistro & Bar.

Mother's specializes in "Comfort Food", just like Mom used to make….well not my Mom, no Miso Soup, Sukiyaki, or Nishime here, but someones Mom. The menu features such comfort items as Matzo Ball Soup, Chopped Liver, House-Cured Lox, Chicken & Dumplings, Pot Roast, and Meatloaf & Gravy. Mother's also seems to have cornered the market on "shabby chic" furniture. I arrived at about 10 after 7 on a Friday morning, and several tables were already going strong.

I found that there are two items that Oregonians are really passionate about; beer and coffee. I ordered a cup of coffee, and went through the same drill several times; brewed or French Press, Organic, Dark roast……….and I thought those Vietnamese Restaurant menus were confusing!

To be perfectly honest, I loved the coffee(Holler Mountain Organic Blend – French Press – $2.95), provided by Stumptown Coffee Roasters. The very friendly and helpful Server; I believe Her name was Michelle, gave me directions to Stumptown.

As for the food; I decided to order "Mike's Special Scramble"($8.95):

A scramble of Prosciutto Ham, roasted garlic, fresh tomatoes, basil, and provolone cheese. Nothing wrong with the scramble, though I thought that perhaps a bit more tomato would help cut the richness of the scramble a bit, I'm really not used to such a "heavy" breakfast. The honey whole wheat toast was fine, but the breakfast potatoes were lousy. Some of the potatoes were cold, some molten hot, some pieces over slated, some not salted at all. The edges of several pieces of potato were dry and hard as rock.

The prices at Mother's are fairly reasonable, with breakfast running from Two Eggs any style at $5.95 to $10.95 for Wild Salmon Hash. Mother's also flies in H&H Bagels from New York. Most Lunch entrees run from $8.95 to $10.95, so prices for lunch seem to be fairly reasonable as well.

Mother's Bistro & Bar
409 Sw 2nd Ave

Is now at – 121 SW 3rd Ave, Portland, OR 97204
Portland, OR 97204

Breakfast: Tues-Fri 7am-230pm
Sat-Sun 9am-230pm
Lunch: Tues-Sun 1130am-230pm
Dinner: Tues-Thurs 530pm-9pm
Fri-Sat 5pm-10pm

After eating this, I was ready to go right back to my room. But since I was armed with my umbrella, I decided to take a walk up to Chinatown(5 Portland-sized blocks North). Here's a photo of the Chinatown Gateway:

In contrast to Chinatowns in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Boston, and Honolulu, Portland Chinatown was very quite and sedate at this time of the morning. I later read that for a 30 year period between 1880 and 1910, Portland had the second largest Chinese community in the West.

This building for this restaurant; the House of Louie was built in 1922.

As with several "Chinatowns" in the US, like the Chinatown in Washington DC, there's not really much that is truly Chinese about "Chinatown". There was one destination, that I really did want to visit in the area…..

The Classical Chinese Garden.

This garden was completed in September of 2000, by workmen from Portland's Sister city of Suzhou.

According to what I read, from between 1000AD, and through the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644AD), Suzhou was the city where Imperial Court Officials retired to. In retirement, these officials built housing compounds that featured beautiful and opulent gardens.

These gardens take up a whole city block.

A nice relaxing break.

Portland Classical Chinese Garden
239 Northwest Everett St
Portland, OR 97209
November 1 – March 31: 10:00am – 5:00pm
April 1 – October 31: 9:00am – 6:00pm

Admission: $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, $5.50 for students

Brians’ American Eatery

March 2, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Diner

*** Brian's has closed

The Missus isn't really a "breakfast person" in the conventional sense. That is, She sometimes craves breakfast for dinner. And on a recent evening She had a craving for Wheat Germ Pancakes from Brians'. And Brians' serves breakfast all day.

Yes, it's called Brians', not Brian's, after the two Owners, who are both named Brian. I did a quick "handbag check", the Missus had rotated out the "Dior" and replaced it with a Fendi, so hopefully the Dior curse hadn't followed us. We drove up to Brians' which is located on busy Washington Street in Hillcrest, and is one of those popular and sometimes very crowded neighborhood diners.

We have always had very friendly service at Brians', and today was no exception. Since it was still fairly early for dinner, and the sun was out, we decided to sit on the patio.

The Missus ordered Her Wheat Germ Pancakes, but they were out, so She had the Whole Wheat Pancakes instead($5.99).

The full stack of whole wheat pancakes consist of 3 plate sized ground wheat pancakes. The pancakes were slightly nutty, and not overly sweet. The texture was slightly dense, but not as "chewy" as regular pancakes tend to be. With whipped butter, and maple syrup, the Missus stated that these were delici-yoso!!!

I've had a few dishes at Brians', and have found that the portions are always generous, but it's been hit and miss. Though today I decided to pull out all the stops, and order something interesting from the menu.

Yep, I got a Frankie Burger($9.89)! A 1/2lb burger topped with bacon and jack and cheddar cheese. But most of all it's got peanut butter on it! The menu says; "Don't be afraid!"

I'd say that you'll either immediately like or hate this burger, there's no middle ground. Though I'm not a peanut butter lover, I enjoyed the burger. The not overly sweet peanut bitter added a nice creamy richness to the burger, which was pretty darn good on it's own; seared on the outside, moist and tender in the interior. The peanut butter balanced out the saltiness of the bacon and cheddar cheese. The acid from the tomato helped cut through the richness.

The burger came with two sides and I chose fries:

The "natural style" fries, were "bleh", okay, but they got real soggy very quickly and needed alot of ketchup.

I also got the potato salad.

Red potatoes with a light coat of mayo, the salad had a huge amount of "pickle juice" that would have been off-putting on it's own, but in this case, the vinegar helped cleanse my palate of the peanut butter-cheese-bacon richness. I don't think I'd enjoy these as much with anything else. After eating all this I was stuffed silly!

I have always enjoyed the service at Brians', I also like the no-nonsense stuff. For instance we ordered coffee, and of course had ice water. And instead of having to flag someone down for refills they always leave a pot and a pitcher for our refills.

There are items on the menu at Brians' that I do not enjoy, but overall I consider Brians' to be a pretty good neighborhood diner, and the Missus loves those pancakes.

Brians' American Eatery
1451 Washington St
San Diego, CA 92103

Postscript: In case you're wondering why I ordered a Frankie Burger, it's because of our own little "Frankie Burger" – meet Frankie(burger….):

Broken Yolk Cafe – And the Curse of Dior….

February 28, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Burgers, Diner

I’m not a a very superstitious person. Although, I wouldn’t do anything that would bring me "ba-chi", Local Kine Japanese slang for "bad luck" or "bad karma". I also will not remove lava rock(really bad luck), cut my toenails at night(Dey goin’ rob your house), and as a child wouldn’t touch a match ("you play wit match, you goin wet da’ bed, so I goin know you play wit matches!"). But other then that, I’m really not superstitious at all! Except, that I think the Missus’s Christian Dior Handbag is cursed. You see, we’ve never had a really good meal whenever she’s brought that darn bag along. And the curse seems to extend to anything related to food; once we went shopping together (pretty rare event in itself, the Missus hates grocery shopping), and the simple act of finding a dozen eggs took me like 15 minutes. I sorted through carton after carton of cracked and broken eggs, finally finding what seemed like the only carton of "intact" eggs in the market………

Broken Yolk Cafe, has always had an odd attraction to the Missus. I think it’s the long lines, and crowds of people crowding the sidewalk during weekends. After all; all these people must know something, right?

Broken Yolk Cafe, is a very popular Breakfast and Lunch destination open from 6am to 3pm daily. Crowds of people Young and Old feast on omelets and burgers, and sip mimosas. The numerous Omelets and Burgers have names like, The Cisco Kid (Four Egg Omelet with Ortega chilies and jack cheese topped with guacamole and sour cream), and Patty Melt Down (Ground beef, American cheese, and grilled onion on rye).

On this sunny, mild, weekday we arrived at about 1pm, after all of the breakfast chaos, and were seated upstairs.

We were served quickly and professionally, and our orders were taken, coffee and water quickly provided, and we were on our way.

The Missus decided on a Rosarito Beach Burger($7.19):

The slightly oblong burger(supposedly 1/2lb), was served on a French Roll, and topped with 2 slices of bacon and guacamole. The Missus, as is Her norm ordered the burger with no mayo, She wants to taste the "beef". This was a bit of a mistake; the burger was very dry. I took a bite and darn if I didn’t bite into a "toenail"…. that’s what I call a piece of bone or other inedible hard piece of "something". The burger came with a pretty large portion of crinkle cut fries:

I really felt like these had been "re-fried", the interior were cold and the fries were very dry.

I ordered the Omelet called the "Border Check"($8.29):

This was a 4 egg omelet with Beef Chorizo, Jack Cheese, Jalapeno Peppers, and topped with guacamole and salsa. I thought the omelet was decent, and enjoyed the heat of the jalapenos, though the Missus thought that the flavoring of the chorizo over-powered everything else. I ordered the "Home Fries", that was more like scalloped/gratin potatoes; pretty bland stuff. I’m taking the Blueberry Muffin home; to use as a paperweight.

Not all was bad about Broken Yolk; I thought the service was good. Our coffee and water was kept refreshed, and our Server was the epitome of efficiency and professionalism. I felt really quite guilty about Her having to walk all the food up the stairs. When I mentioned this to Her, she told me "It keeps me in shape". If you’re feeling especially ambitious, Broken Yolk serves something called the "Broken Yolk Café Special"($18.99). It’s a dozen-egg omelet served in a pizza pan, with mushrooms, onions, American cheese and smothered with chili and cheese. On the other half of the pan is homefries and two biscuits. Eat it all within an hour and it’s only $1.98 and receive a complimentary T-Shirt. Angioplasty not included….. Good Luck!

In the end, I think I’ll blame it on the "bag". Not that I’m superstitious, right?

Broken Yolk Cafe
1851 Garnet Ave
San Diego, CA 92109

Bully’s East – Carnivore’s Feast

February 1, 2006 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Steakhouse

Every once in a while, maybe once or twice a year I get a major red meat craving. And for me, the best way to quench said craving is to get a nice piece of prime rib. If we’re having steak, unless it’s something along the lines of Fleming’s or Ruth’s Chris, I’d rather make it at home. But prime rib is another story. I just want one meal, so making a whole prime rib roast just doesn’t make sense. So last night we headed over to a real "old school" San Diego establishment; Bully’s.

Now Bully’s has been at this location, just South of the 8 Freeway for over 30 years, and the bar is a favorite with "locals" for Happy Hour. From the dark red leather booths to the wood paneling, to the dim lighting(please excuse the lousy photos); Bully’s screams "Old School". Even though the decor may scream staid and stuffy, the atmosphere is definitely casual. Though we thought there would be no problem getting a table without reservations at 5 pm on a Tuesday evening, we were lucky. The bar area was packed, and we snagged one of the last open tables.

Though the menu at Bully’s includes everything from King Crab and Lobster to Chicken and Ribs, there’s only one reason I come to Bully’s. It’s the prime rib.

Wanting to pay undivided attention to my red meat, we didn’t order any appetizers, or sides, and just got down to business.

The Missus ordered the Bully Burger with Bacon and Avocado($9.50). And of course I ordered a prime rib. But first came our salads.

A nice old fashioned green salad with ranch dressing on the side since we had to watch our calories….yeah, right! The salad was fine, fresh and crisp, and the croutons were very crunchy. There must have been something right about the salads, we both finished ours.

The Missus’s Burger:

The Missus enjoyed the thick cut bacon and avocado. The burger was formed into an oblong shape to fit the bun. The burger was under seasoned and lacked a beefy punch, but was so very moist and tender, and cooked to a perfect medium-well. The fries were mediocre and a bit soggy.

I had ordered a 22oz Prime Rib($28.95), the 32oz cut had tempted me, but I showed amazing restraint. My cut arrived on a platter, along with a light au jus and horseradish sauce.

Cooked to a perfect medium rare, this piece of bone-in prime rib was fork tender(I tested it), and nicely flavored. I didn’t need any of the condiments provided, and scarfed this baby down in about 10 minutes flat. I slowed down after the Missus threatened to call National Geographic. Need I say it? Very delici-yoso!!! The Garlic Mashed potatoes were slightly chunky, and very garlicky, and also under seasoned. I get the feeling that sides are pretty much an after thought at Bully’s.

The damage? Not bad $44 total. And a bone for the Boyz!

Bully’s provides decent quality, reasonably priced Steaks and Seafood, though some dishes(especially the "sides") may seem a bit dated and tired. And fills that niche, above the usual Neighborhood Steakhouse(i.e. Black Angus), and below the quality and the sometimes eye-popping prices at Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris. It’s not a bad niche to fill! Also if you’ve got a craving for a prime rib at 1130pm, Bully’s might be the place for you!

Bully’s East
2401 Camino Del Rio S
San Diego, CA 92108
Mon-Fri 11am-1215am
Sat-Sun 10am-1215am

Ch-ch-chain: Popeye’s

November 1, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Chains

I think most of you know my Mutts, Frankie and Sammy:

Now why the silly look on Sammy’s face? well, he’s just heard his favorite word in the world; "Bubbles". You see, Sammy lives for his "Bubble Buddy" flavored bubbles; just mention the word and he’ll stick his head up "huh?" And run to the backdoor, panting, with his tongue hanging out, sometimes barking with a desperate "rawr-rawr-rawrrrr", or sometimes he’ll do all his "tricks", in order; down, sit, beg, shake hands, roll-over, give me 10. If we’re on a walk, he’ll grab his own leash and run home. It’s gotten to the point that we have to spell out, B-U-B-B-L-E-S whenever we talk, god forbid he learn to spell!

Now what the heck does Sammy have to do with Popeye’s Fried Chicken you may ask? Well, not to long ago, a friend of mine told me; "You know, Kirk, there’s not much that differentiates us from animals. Just a few thin strands of DNA." Well I’ve found the truth in this when it comes to Popeye’s:

We’ll be watching television, and the Missus would say; "Popeye’s?", and I’d run to the front door keys in hand, panting, tongue half hanging from my mouth, saying; "Ok, ok, let’s go."(rawr-rawr-rawrrrr?) If she doesn’t think that we should go, I start doing all of my tricks; mostly hints like "Popeye’s would reaaallly be good", and such. (Maybe rollover might work?) It’s a darn good thing that I can spell P-O-P-E-Y-E-‘S, though if she said it in Mandarin, I may not understand.

I’ll put up with alot for my Popeye’s; the ever shrinking pieces of chicken, the blase’ service, even the fact that they regularly run out of spicy pieces. But for us, Popeye’s is only for chicken nothing else. Frankly the sides, suck. The fries are usually soggy in a minute, the cole slaw tastes funny, the mash potatoes and gravy has bits of pan scum, and though the Missus likes the Red Beans and Rice. We once left them in the frig, and when opened the next morning a whole layer of white waxy saturated fat was revealed. The onion rings used to be good, until they changed them to something called "Onion Stix", that look like left over pieces of onions dipped in batter and fried.

Yes, it’s just chicken, nice and juicy, spicy, with a streak of spices running down the inside, crunchy on the outside, chicken:

It’s usually the Dark Meat(w/Tabasco) for me, and the Breast and Wings for the Missus and the Boyz. The next day, it’s the leftover pieces and some Musubi (onigiri). Prices? Well there’s always some deal going on; 13 pieces for $11.99, 9 pieces for $7.99, 15 pieces for your old used car or boat.

Oh, and don’t get on my case about making fried chicken. I do know how to make it. But after 10 hours of work, and a week of oncall, I ain’t going to get the kitchen all greasy!

Just give me Popeye’s. I guess, Sammy and I are alot "closer" then I thought, maybe he really is my son?

Popeye’s – They’re everywhere!

Hey, don’t forget about me…..

Ch-Ch-Chain: Fuddruckers – What the Fudd is this about?

September 8, 2005 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, Burgers, Chains

Yes, yes, I know it's a "Chain" but after Sarah's post on Wahoo's on The Delicious Life, I thought I'd work on my backlog of these chain type establishments. Seeing as I now take my camera almost everywhere! Ch-ch-chain, Chain of Fools……

I've passed a few locations of Fuddruckers, but have always been hesitant to stop and check it out. Probably because the name is really somewhat unsavory in my opinion. After all the first part 'Fudd' rhymes with Mudd, Dudd, and for some reason the word "Rug" keeps popping up. As for the "ruckers" part, um, well, let's just "pass" on that one……

This location in Mission Valley used to be a Koo Koo Roo (I believe they're owned by the same parent company). As a matter of fact a friend of mine used to be a regular customer, I'm guessing one of the few customers! This same friend has recently converted to a Vegetarian lifestyle, loss of her patronage is what probably put this location of Koo Koo Roo out of business. Well anyway, I decided to give ~~Fudgepa,~~ um, Fuddruckers a try. After all they modestly claim to serve "The World's Greatest Hamburgers", yeah, right!

I entered and walked up to the counter and the very "chipper" Gal greeted me with "Welcome to, blah, blah, blah…" the rest was a blur, she spoke so fast she should be reading the "fine print" for those car commercials. Somehow, I managed to order the 1/2lb Swiss Melt ($5.65), and even made it a combo ($3.45). I paid, and sudden a cheer of "YAY!!!" was exclaimed by all the Employees, had me somewhat befuddled. Did they all just get raises, did the restaurant change it's name, are they happy that I actually paid for my food? Well no; it seems that if they ask you if this is your first visit, and you're foolish enough to answer yes, they give you some kind of cheer. Could I please return to planet Earth now?

Along with the receipt, I was given was this:

Yes, it was some kind of Atomic Coaster, there was a flashing red light, and everything! I figured if you were a bad customer, they'd press a button, and POOF! Your name is Fudd…. About that time another "chipper" Young Lady wearing a Fuddruckers uniform came by and introduced herself; "Hi, I'm blah, blah ,blah…" guess what, another auctioneer in training. I moved to another table and she followed, I moved to another table and she followed again. I was starting to get really afraid. I was being followed by a Fuddrucker! A few moments later my "coaster" flew off the table, all lights flashing – I guess my burger had reached "DefCon 1".

I went and picked up my burger and headed of to the dressing and condiment bar. There were at least a dozen different dressings, with at least three types of mustard! The good; well you can really "have it your way". The bad; if this is the "World's Best Burger" why would you have to drench it in BBQ sauce? I did like the condiment bar, though. And every thing's marked with clear signage, except where the damned straws are!!! Even my own personal "Fuddrucker" couldn't find it!

So the burger? Well as mentioned, I ordered a 1/2lb burger, but can you find it? I guess it's the old "before cooking" fine print. I did enjoy the mushrooms, and grilled onions. The burger was juicy, though kinda tough, and pretty much tasteless – that's why you get all those dressings! Nothing worse than an under seasoned burger. The fries were the wedge type and well seasoned with salt, pepper, and what looked like paprika. These tasted pretty good.

World's Greatest Hamburger? Not even close. Though the prices really aren't that bad. Ostrich, and other "exotic" burgers are offered, though, if my burger was tough, can you imagine how Buffalo or Ostrich would be? Also, maybe it's a product of my cynical attitude, but I have a real problem with a place that needs to put you into a "good mood" to prepare you for the food……

Fuddruckers coming to a failed strip mall business near you……