Road Trip (During Covid-19) – The Black Sheep (Santa Barbara)

I spent a good month planning our road trip….the dates; not only was the Missus and I burnt out from work, but also from all the toxic politics and hate being spewed. I knew it was going to boil over during election week. Since I had already voted by mail, we decided to leave on the Sunday right after Halloween. I had basically planned out all the dinners….we really don't eat lunch….just having croissants, fruits, nuts, and bars when travelling. We save our calories for dinner. I had decided to stop overnight in Santa Barbara, where we could pick-up wonderful looking bentos from our favorite restaurant on our previous visit to the city and eat on the patio of the motel we were staying in. Unfortunately, a week before our trip Yoichi's decided to stop take-out service and prepare to reopen for dining in and were going to be closed until further notice. I immediately did a bunch of research and picked out a couple of places and let the Missus decide. Which she did and I made reservations for an outdoor table at the earliest time available.

It was a wonderful morning when we left San Diego.

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We got to Santa Barbara in record time and arrived early. Our motel was on State Street, but not on the portion to the South that was now a pedestrian only zone. I basically chose the place because of the location and this was the only stop where I actually went in and wiped down the room before we settled in.

Getting to SB early meant that we had time to kill, so we headed down State Street. The Trinity Episcopal Church was having services (this was a Sunday) when we passed…..outdoors.

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And it was a pleasant walk as we passed very few people….everyone wearing a mask, along the way.

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And State Street was closed from Sola Street to Haley Street, creating a pedestrian zone with outdoor dining areas created.

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And with very few people, being able to walk in the street, really enabled one to distance.

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I got a kick from the Earth without Art is just "EH" sign and also took note of the business below that sign.

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After checking to see where we'd be eating that evening…..to also scope out the outdoor situation we headed back to the motel; we always include a medium sized ice chest when we do road trips and I grabbed some sparkling water, almonds, and an energy bar. We ate on the empty elevated patio of the motel and when we finished, our room was ready.

We freshened up and took a short nap.

We headed down to our dinner destination.

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The place the Missus chose for dinner was the Black Sheep….She was fascinated by the rather eclectic menu and the cocktail list.

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And got to chose our little table outside in the covered garage like area. Where we saw an amazing sunset……

IMG_7971 IMG_7145Our Server was wonderful, very warm, friendly, gracious. While there were several "hiccups" with our meal, we really enjoyed our experience as a whole.

The menu had quite a collection of dishes; from Potato Tacos to Ramen to Duck Confit….I was quite surprised that the Missus had chosen this place.

We decided on what we were going to order and then took a look at the cocktail list….which, unfortunately only had 4-5 drinks on it. A far cry from the online cocktail menu. When we asked what was going on with this we were told that they just lost their mixologist….sad, there's nothing to be done about that, so we went off that list.

I decided on the Yuzu Margarita.

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Which, while being a light on the Tequila and Triple-sec, was nice and refreshing. The Missus got the Black Sheep Manhattan which was passable, but could have used a large sized cocktail ice cube or two.

The first dish out was the Australian Wagyu Beef Carpaccio….we laughed when we were told it was "A7 Wagyu" and instantly knew it wasn't Japanese Wagyu.

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The dish supposedly had uni and dashi; but we didn't see any on the plate. The beef was very good however; clean tasting, no hints of metallic-off flavors, the basil oil was wonderful and the Missus loved the potato puree

The Missus also really enjoyed the Bone Marrow Bruschetta.

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This was wonderful play of textures, from the buttery, very beefy bone marrow, the panko, perfectly toasted baguette. The port sauce wasn't overly sweet….it was closer to a veal jus, the mustard greens added a pleasant bitterness, and the pear a pleasant tart-sweetness.

The potato tacos weren't bad either.

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This version used a wonderfully dense, slightly sweeter-nutty purple potatoes, which was really highlited when combined with the pickled onions and tangy crema. Call it hipster tacos if you will; but this wasn't too bad.

While munching on the tacos and bruschetta, we asked the Server about the Uni and Dashi on the carpaccio…..he kindly asked us to hold on for a second while he checked with the kitchen.  About ten minutes later he came back out with the chef who had a bowl in hand. Apparently, they'd forgotten the uni and dashi on our carpaccio and decided to give us a special dish using the wagyu beef, uni, and dashi.

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Along with the sweet-spice from the sliced chilies; this was really good. In fact, the Missus and I think that had the uni and dashi been used with the carpaccio; it might have just been too much, clashing flavors. Here there was a nice oceany-beefy cleanness to the dish. Kudos to the staff for making things right.

At this point the Server told us he'd bring us our check….but…..we had also ordered the Boqorones. Which they'd kind of let slip. A few minutes later; things were corrected.

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Perhaps we had pushed our luck a bit on this one….having had Boquerones in Spain and Portugal…this was a bit too "fishy" for the Missus and the crostini was too hard.

IMG_7160 IMG_7140Regardless, in spite of the hiccups, we really loved the service, and the folks here were very warm and kind…..perhaps it had been so long since we'd actually had a meal out (232 days)? But I think not. We really did enjoy our experience and the carpaccio (both ways!) and the bruschetta were delicious.

The Black Sheep
26 E Ortega St.
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
(805) 965-1113
Current Hours:
Wed – Sat 5pm – 10pm
Sunday 5pm – 9pm
Closed Mondays and Tuesdays

On an interesting note; this wouldn't be our last food (or drinks) on this evening.

Stay tuned for that one!

Road Trip (before Covid-19) – FLG Terroir and Annex Cocktail Lounge (Flagstaff)

After our wonderful tour of the Grand Canyon, we took a short rest, then decided to head out for an early evening. I had a place in mind, but as we wandered down North San Francisco Street (can't get the flaneur out of us, I guess); the Missus went into a shop called The Artists Gallery to do some shopping……..it seems that all of the folks who sell their art and crafts here  were also at the Art in the Park the previous day. As we were leaving, I took a look upward and saw the "FLG Terroir" sign in the window above.

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This was one of the places I had on "my list"; so we headed upstairs. Man, this place was quite large and the selection of wine was quite good.

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The Missus enjoyed Her two glasses of wine and I reacquainted myself with an "old friend" from Belgium.

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The seats with a view were taken; so we just sat at one of the tables. I went over to the counter and also ordered us some food.

Which arrived piping hot. First to arrive was the "Poutine" ($5) (after our time in Montreal, I needed to add the quotation marks).

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This version had thick mushroom gravy, which wasn't too bad, the fries were crisp; but the cheese curds were mushy. Decent seasoning though a bit on the salty side. To us, this was the better of the two dishes.

Next up was the Shrimp and Grits ($10).

IMG_2561 IMG_2563This version was made with red curry and coconut grits. Can't say I'm fond of this combination of flavors as it really overpowered the grits. The shrimp were fine, if a bit on the muddy side and the carrots and zucchini nicely prepared. 

Overall, I thought the prices were quite reasonable. The food is a bit "fusiony", but the Missus enjoyed the wine selection, the service was very friendly…..one of the bar staff was even from San Diego!

We'd be happy to return when we're back in Flagstaff.

FLG Terroir: Wine Bar & Bistro
17 N San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Currently only open for takeout

After heading back down to San Francisco Street, we headed south, crossing over Route 66 and arrived at our next destination. Alice, in her fine blog "Alice's Restaurants" lists Tinderbox Kitchen as one of her favorites. While we weren't quite in the mood for a full meal; the folks from Tinderbox Kitchen own three properties lined up right next to each other. One of them, called "the Annex", a cocktail lounge serving some basic eats seemed like just the thing to end our evening. 

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It was a beautiful evening so we headed to the area called "the yard", which was quite interesting….especially the wall in the back of the property. I later read that this was once a Basque Handball Court.

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We decided on something simple to munch on; the Annex Nachos with Chorizo ($12), which turned out to be quite good.

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The chorizo had a nice, mild smoky-spice. The chips were crisp, the avocado heavy, thick guacamole very nice.

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I had the Hip Stag – a Pineapple Infused Mezcal based cocktail. Loved the notes the cilantro-lime bitter added. This was slightly smoky and not overly sweet.

Meanwhile, the Missus was captivated by the smoked cocktail menu and started off with the "Coffee and Cigarettes" which featured Pipe Tobacco Smoke and Espresso Beans. I didn't think She'd like it; but the Missus really enjoyed this…..so much….that I didn't even get a taste!

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She definitely wanted another drink after this one and settled on the Irish Whiskey (and Pipe Tobacco Smoked) "Red Badge of Courage".

IMG_2573 IMG_2574Which She enjoyed even more.

And then it happened. A group of younger folks were having a competitive round of Jumbo Jenga. One of the young men was really "chirping" quite a bit….and he was backing things up by beating all his friends. He saw us watching and started trying to convince us to play……there's no way I'd play. But the Missus; bolstered by a couple cocktails decided to have a go before we left.

I was amazed to watch Her beat this guy in three moves! The young man was stunned and asked the Missus how often She played. Her response? "I've never played this before….but it's all math….geometry. Maybe you should spend more time in class and less time out drinking?" Oooooh snap!

As you can tell, we enjoyed the cocktails, the vibe, and the service was wonderful. The Missus really does want to return here.

Annex Cocktail Lounge
50 S San Francisco St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Current Hours:
Thursday  3pm – 9pm
Friday    3pm – 10pm
Saturday  9am – 10pm

We stopped at a couple of shops on the way back to our hotel. We talked about how much we enjoyed the friendly folks in Flagstaff.

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And look forward to returning again someday. The Missus will want Her smoked cocktail fix!

Thanks for stopping by!

mmm-yoso makes 15.

Mmm-yoso 02I was just organizing some photos this last weekend when I suddenly realized that our little blog was turning 15! And by coincidence; this is post 4,350 – we got more posts than Pete Rose has hits!

Sheesh….15……who'd have thought when I pressed "Publish" for that first post in 2005, that we'd still be doing this fifteen years later.

Granted, this is somewhat bittersweet for us. With Covid-19 changing the way we live, socialize, work, and eat. Also, there's a reason I haven't done a "bloggaversary" post since 2009. We're usually travelling during this time of the year. Except, you know….this year has been different.

So, anyway I'd like to propose a toast to all of you; who have read, emailed, taken the time to comment on our little blog over the years! We've been honored to have been given the privilege of sharing our meals and travels with all of you.

Thank you again from the bottom of our hungry little hearts. And who knows, maybe I will get to 5,000 posts?

And, I'm kinda wondering, when did you start reading?

Thanks again! Take Care!

Covid-19 Takeout – Kindred

C-19 Kindred 01 C-19 Kindred 02In my post on Et Voila during the time of Covid-19 "FOY" Lynnea (we love you Lynnea) mentioned that Kindred was doing takeout during this time. I was actually keeping track of what was being offered with what was called the "Greatest Hits" menu.

The other thing was that the cocktails that we wanted were being sold in portions of six (!!!!)……I mean, I had read that alcohol sales in San Francisco had increaed by 42 percent during the first month of Covid-19! I waited until there was something offered that we had enjoyed during our visits to the restaurant before making the special trip out of the way.

Finally, I saw that the "skewers" were on the menu…..and I had an excuse for heading out of the way……

C-19 Kindred 03 C-19 Kindred 04Which I ordered ($10) along with the Golden Axe ($45). Ordering was easy, on the phone, as was pick-up……I simply walked up to the table to the right of the door and grabbed the packages with my name on it.

The Missus went thru the skewers like a hot knife cutting thru butter.

As for the cocktails, it was provided in a really nice bottle.

I went ahead an measured out, and indeed it was a solid 6 portions of 2/3 a cup for each.

So, shaked with ice. it made a solid cocktail……for three days!

So, perhaps if Kindred offered "the dip", we may do this again…..but man, six cocktails….man, that's a bit more than we wanted.

Though I will say the Missus really enjoyed those Seitan Skewers.

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And the Golden Axe….well, was the Golden Axe.

Kindred
1503 30th St
San Diego, CA 92102

Viribus Civitas Salutem in South Park

Cheers!

Covid-19 Takeout – Luce Bar & Kitchen; which is now also open for dine-in

C-19 Luce 02I needed to head on down to Siesel's yesterday. The Missus was working until late and I decided to also grab something to eat while I was in the area. I had noticed the previous week that Luce had reopened for takeout. They had pretty much held out for a bit. While places like Bay Park Fish Company, Poseidon Project, and even Dan Diego's had started doing take-out. I decided to go ahead and do a takeout order and pick it up after shopping at Siesel's.

What really surprised me was that Luce (as well as Bay Park Fish) had already started doing dine-in, since the approval was just given on the 21st, the day before! Talk about moving fast!

And there were indeed folks eating at both places.

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We ( the Missus and I) are not quite ready to take that step yet…….I ordered the Lamb Tacos to go, along with a "Serrano Rita". After completing my shopping at Siesel's I walked over and picked up my prepaid order.

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Here's a quick hint if you do order cocktails to go from Luce. Ask that they not put in on ice, as I was surprised to find my drink in a to-do plastic cup on ice. I quickly drove home and strained the drink removing the ice to ensure that it didn't get too watered down. And poured over fresh ice before consuming.

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Things came packed nicely…..the photo is deceptive as the tacos were fairly hefty. I removed the tacos, which was more than enough for a light dinner.

C-19 Luce 05 The lamb was tender, though the marinade was a bit too sweet for my taste which really blocked out that "flavor" of the pasture of the lamb, which I usually enjoy.

Still, This wasn't bad.

The portion size of the remaining salad was quite generous and the Missus had that when She got home from work.

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This was fine.

What was interesting were all the folks eating out……for the first time in probably almost ten weeks…..it seems like folks are just desperate for some kind of social normalcy.

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I think I'll wait a while though……

Luce Bar & Kitchen
1959 Morena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110

Covid-19 Takeout – Et Voila. Trying for Our Own Little “Happy Hour”

Welcome to March 73rd….or something like that. In a way I'm glad to be super busy with work, otherwise I'd just be out of sorts, I think the days would all just roll into one another…….of all the things I enjoy doing, going out and eat is a big one. and more than that; I think it's the fact that we "can't" do something that is driving us a bit crazy. The Missus and I have been looking for a bit of normalcy. We were chatting about just going out for Happy Hour. I quickly recalled that one of the Missus's favorite spots, Et Voila was doing Curbside and window pick-up. And even better, with the relaxing of ABC regulations, they had two of our favorite cocktails available for pick-up. Reminder; you still need to order food if ordering cocktails for pick-up, so don't go all crazy, ok?

Anyway, the drill was easy, you place an order on the Et Voila website, along with pick-up time, pay using Pay Pal (you don't need a Pay Pal account), and get to the window at pick-up time.

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To be perfectly honest; EV wasn't offering any of our favorites for takeout; but I managed to find a couple of items, which turned out to be pretty good.

And then of course, there was this.

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Man, these were really good…a bit too good! Much stiffer than what I recall having in the restaurant. And the Huckleberry Bourbon was much better than what we had during Happy Hour last time. And man, the Tequila Mockingbird…..I was getting over a sinus infection and that baby just cleared me up.

As for the food; well, I got the Gazpacho which was refreshing, especially with the hot weather.

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No sure what was up with the guacamole, it really didn't do much for the dish. The Missus drizzled on some nice olive oil……and then reminded me that I should plan on making some Salmorejo soon.

We both enjoyed the simple Baguette Pâté-Cornichons.

C-19 Et Voila 04 C-19 Et Voila 05The Missus isn't much of a mustard fan; but She loved the Dijon provided. It helped, along with the brightly flavored cornichons to cut the rustic flavor of the pate. This was a very nice sandwich for eight bucks.

In the end it was worth going a bit off course….I've been trying to consolidate trips to places along a certain route….but this, along with Sushi Tadokoro were well worth the detour. It helped us to escape from all the craziness going on right now…..we did have our own little Happy Hour sitting in the backyard….in fact the Missus, thinking out loud said, "do you think they'll keep selling the to-go cocktails when this is all over?"

Currently, Et Voila has pick-up times set for 12-2pm and 4-8pm daily. The online form is easy to fill out. They are currently doing orders for same day pick-up. C-19 Et Voila 06

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

A La Carte and 3 Course Menu – Cold or Ready to Eat on their website for Curbside Pick-up or To-go.

What have you been doing to add a bit of normalcy to your day?

Clearing Out (the) Memory Card, the It’s Warming Up Edition. Revisits to Thai Papaya and Et Voila

I know it's getting warm when the Missus starts requesting certain places……and it's been warming up the last few days.

Thai Papaya:

**** Thai Papaya has closed

So, it goes like this. I get a text from the Missus, "can you pick up Thai on your way home tonight." It can only mean one place and She doesn't even have to tell me what to order. It's the Som Tom Khai Kem (papaya salad with salted egg), Duck Larb, and Issan Sausage.

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As it always is and has been.

Thai Papaya by Sab E Lee
2405 Ulric St
San Diego, CA 92111 

Et Voila!:

Another favorite of the Missus is Happy Hour at Et Voila! So, with things warming up and both of us getting a home a bit earlier than usual we headed over.

And got our usual.

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Sadly, that Huckleberry Bourbon, which used to be a HH favorite and used to be $7, is now $11, and tasted watered down….looking nothing like what it used to back in 2018.

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Everything else seemed a bit different and we didn't enjoy it as much as we used to.

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The Beignets de Champignons was nicely fried, but very salty.

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And the Raviolis de Champignons way too sweet.

Et Voila HH 05 Et Voila HH 06After not enjoying that Huckleberry Bourbon (my good FOY "YummyYummy" had warned me that the drink seemed a bit watered down over her last couple of visits), I ordered the Tequila Mockingbird, which I enjoyed; especially since it wasn't too sweet and there was a nice bit of savory heat from the Habanero Bitters.

It was quite telling as we walked to our car….the Missus told me, "I think we're done with Et Voila for a while".

Et Voilà!
3015 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

Versailles and a Late Lunch at Canard Street (Paris)

By November of 2018, we were on our third trip to Paris (can you believe it's now up to five?). And even though one could fill a lifetime exploring, and enjoying the city, the Missus thought we should start exploring places around the city. Starting with the Palace of Versailles. So, I got purchased advance tickets online and we headed out on the RER "C" line making it to Versailles-Rive Gauche in 40 minutes or so. From there it was a short walk to the Palace.

It was a misty – foggy day in Versailles.

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But there's no denying the grandness of the Chateau.

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It is indeed quite impressive and opulent. Hard to believe that this was once a "small country hunting lodge and residence" built by Louis XIII. Eventually, under Louis XIV, the property underwent four "campaigns", huge renovations. The King actually made Versailles his permanent residence and the center of political power, until the French Revolution. It has quite a history and a lot of rooms (over 2,000) and even had zoo (the "Menagerie"). Marie Antoinette had a "farm" ("Hameau de la Reine") created on the property, where she could escape….and where she could have a "faux country life"…..milking cows and sheep; which were carefully cleaned and groomed. The book Marie Antoinette: The Portrait of an Average Woman; has this quote:

"Sheep were led to pasture by ribbons of blue silk tied round their necks"

All this decadence, all that taxpayer money, all the social inequality…….just a few of a the many factors that lead to the French Revolution.

It's all on display in the various rooms in the Chateau.

Feast in the house of simon - Hercules Room  Versailles
Feast in the house of simon - Hercules Room  Versailles
Feast in the house of simon - Hercules Room  Versailles
Feast in the house of simon - Hercules Room  Versailles

Don't forget to look up at the ceilings!

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The most well known room in the Chateau is probably the Hall of Mirrors.

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Which is where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, which ended World War I.

We walked out onto the gardens……still quite grand; even on a misty day like this was.

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And of course; all the fountains.

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From here we decided to check out the Grand Trianon.

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Which Louis XIV built as his escape from the Chateau.

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We also explored the Petit Trianon as well.

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By this time; the Missus and I were "palaced-out" and we decided to head back to Paris.

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The lines were growing ever longer as we left. We caught the train back to Paris and the Missus decided to do (even more) shopping. We made a return trip to Repetto (which I've posted on before).

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Sadly….at least for the Missus; She discovered that She had all the styles and colors that She wanted.

We decided to head back to the hotel for a break, but decided to grab lunch. We wanted something quick and decided to head back to Canard Street. We got the Demi Magret and the Sandwich de Foie Gras.

The duck breast was surprisingly good….especially for what I consider "fast-casual" food. It was just a tad over-cooked, but still juicy, tender, and full of flavor.

Demi Magret de Canard - Canard Street

We didn't care for the baguette used for the sandwich; it was dry and much too hard and chewy. Hardly any foie gras torchon as well.

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Still, this came out to around 20 Euroes which ain't bad for duck breast and foie gras, right?

Canard Street Paris
16 rue des Petits Champs
75002 Paris, France

We had a well deserved nap; then took an early evening stroll. We then headed off in the direction of dinner. This was to be our first visit to Le Pont de Sichuan, you can read that post here. We were still a bit too early for dinner and noticed this spot right around the corner of our destination.

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And stopped for an aperitif.

IMG_6098 IMG_6096It seemed like a popular after work destination…..lot's of folks having whatever the version of happy hour is in Paris.

And we had a seat at the bar and had a couple of Kir before dinner.

Le Trader's
3 Rue de la Bourse
75002 Paris, France

A nice little aperitif!

Thanks for stopping by!

Kindred

I think it was my good friend Candice who first mentioned Kindred to me. And even though the Missus is now eating a fairly vegetable heavy diet at home, I wasn't sure about Kindred…..I mean not just vegan food, but a Death Metal themed vegan restaurant? Though the cocktail menu did entice us a bit and then I recommended the place to my coworker "AA" who is a tried and true vegetarian….she absolutely loves the place; it's now her "date night" stop.

So, of course we had to stop by.

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We loved the setting and most of all our favorite Server; Tracy!

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Kindred 04
Kindred 04 Kindred 05And now kindred has become a fun stop for us.

We'd tried a host of cocktails; anything with Bourbon, Rye or Mezcal….with names like Psychic Venom.

Most were decent; though some on the sweet side.

All of this came to a stop when one day; I ordered what I thought was a great sounding cocktail and it arrived looking flowery pink!

At this point I enlisted the help of Tracy, who having served us at least three times before already had a bullseye drawn on our tastes and recommended something called the "Golden Axe". I'm usually not a fan of too much saffron or turmeric, but man, this cocktail with Bourbon and Rye is now my favorite.

The turmeric rice nectar adds a touch of bitterness, the ginger, spice, the booze some good smokiness.

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The Missus will still order something like the "Horrorchata" or the "River Styx"…but I'm styx-ing with my Golden Axe.

As for the food, over our half dozen or so visits to Kindred; we've only ordered four items……two are winners, one is good, and the last meh….. I will say; we stayed away from items like salads and typical fare. So maybe that's the way to go here.

Both the Missus and I love mushroom; so when Tracy mentioned "the Dip" being something that used to be on the secret menu….and so we should try it; we did.

Kindred 09 Kindred 10It's the earthy-salty mushroom jus that makes this for us. Heck, we'd just take bread slathered with the horseradish aioli and we'd be good to go. As it is; the peppered satan seitan, does no damage, and the sautéed pepprs and onions add a touch of sweetness and light pungency. There's also a nice spicy component to this as well. And as strange as it sounds; the tapioca mozzarella has a non-descript, but not terrible flavor or texture. The chips have usually been on the soggy side when we order this. But we're not here for the spuds.

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Our other go-to are the Skewers.

Kindred 07 Kindred 08Like the Dip, it's the flavors that make this dish for us; garlicky chimichurri, punchy harissa, which kind of leaves the horseradish sauce in the cold here.

The seitan is nicely charred, crisp around the edges, not mushy like other versions I've had. The flavoring of the seitan is covered up pretty well; which I think is the M.O. here a Kindred.

The "Hearts of Palm" is basically a farinata (garbanzo bean flour) flatbread.

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The texture is somewhat "mushy – doughy", though it's moist, there's a bit of an earthy flavor to it. Again, it's the Aji Amarillo Aioli and lime that really gives this dish some "umph". It's a decent dish; though perhaps a bit too sour at times.

We've tried the Herb Puffs twice and it really didn't make an impression on us.

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While light, on both occasions it was served rather cold and had lost any pleasing crispness. Kindred 14

As a whole, we enjoy Kindred, the staff are great, we've found some favorites, the music……well, maybe I'm too old? Though I get a kick thinking about Bee-Oh-Bee who loves Death Metal….I keep reminding him to bring his lovely Missus here. The food is unique and they don't hold back on flavor either. And that Golden Axe…….

Kindred
1503 30th St
San Diego, CA 92102
Hours:
Mon – Thurs 4pm – Midnight
Friday      4pm – 1am
Saturday    10am – 1am
Sunday      10am – Midnight