Category: Dog Friendly

Revisits – Nate’s Garden Grill and Village Kitchen

American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Chinese Restaurants, Dog Friendly

Nate’s Garden Grill Revisited:

Well, the Missus has the “gardening bug” going really strong! We’ve been hitting up Walter Andersen Nursery at least once a week these days! Yeesh….

Anyway, She mentioned wanting to check out City Farmer’s Nursery on Euclid…..well now; opportunity knocks! Since Nate’s Garden Grill is right next to the nursery and my goodness, we hadn’t been to Nate’s since right before Covid! So, with JJ anxious to do some more exploring we headed out for breakfast.

Man, the place was pumping on this Sunday morning!

We got what was an old favorite of ours; the Pulled Pork Hash and an Avocado Toast on Pretzel Bun. The Missus went in to order while I got us a table on the patio.

Where JJ made himself right at home. There was some live music, so I made sure we sat on the other side of the patio out of the way of folks.

The Pulled Pork Hash was a bit of a disappointment.

Other than the crisp, perfectly buttered, and tasty sourdough toast. The pork lacked smokiness and was really chewy, the eggs overdone, and the dish was on the bland side. In a rare move, we had to grab some salt from the condiment table…and then went back for more hot sauce. Too bad, because this was one of our favorites from previous visits.

I’ve always enjoyed the Pretzel Buns at Nate’s and which didn’t disappoint with the Avocado Toast.

Slightly chewy, mildly salty-nutty, and crisp crust. The avocado was really creamily mashed, wish there was more of it. Didn’t care for the bacon which was really thick cut and chewy, rather than crisp like I enjoy.

Overall, not an especially pleasing breakfast. Though the two young ladies loved JJ and asked us if he could have some steak! Good lord……we got bland pulled pork and chewy bacon…..he got steak? What is this world coming to? So, I guess if JJ had his way; we’d be here often…..

Nate’s Garden Grill
3120 Euclid Ave.
San Diego, CA 92105
Current Hours:
Tuesday 11am – 730pm
Wed – Thurs 11am – 9pm
Friday 11am – 9pm
Saturday 8am – 9pm
Sunday 8am – 5pm

Dining In at Village Kitchen:

It’s become a standard routine that when we return from one of many road trips that the first thing the Missus wants is…….well, Chinese food of course! And after returning from one of our road trips, the Missus was thinking of visiting Village Kitchen. I had thought we had just done take out recently….but no, that was from all the way back in November of last year! Man, time has flown by!

Another interesting tidbit is that She wanted to dine in…..looking at all my posts on Village Kitchen it seems that my last seven posts on the place were takeout visits! And the last time we’ve actually eaten in the restaurant was….yes, you guessed it, before Covid!

Over time we’ve noticed that several of our favorite dishes are no longer on the menu. We stuck with one old favorite, one that has been +/- over the years, and one new item from the menu.

Our old favorite, the La Rou with Bamboo Shoots Skin was quite good. We actually wanted the version with radish skin, but they were out.

Though not as spicy as we’d like; the smoked pork was more tender than usual; the bamboo shoots slightly crunchy and earthy. Not overly salty, nice savory tones.

I consider the Eggplant and Green Chili with Preserved Egg to be the “signature dish” at Village Kitchen, though we’ve had mixed results ordering over the years.

These days it seems to have a lot less chilies, thus making it less spicy…but oh my; so much pidan! Which the Missus enjoyed…She loves that savory-complex umami flavor, with the ammonia like finish! Well, there was a ton of it here! The eggplant was very creamy and smoky, there was a hint of sweetness as well. This was a huge portion.

The one new item on the menu we tried was the Smoked Bamboo Shoots with Pork Belly.

Not enough black bean to really add much flavor to the dish; which was really salty. The pork belly was tough and chewy as was the bamboo shoots. This one is a “one-and-done”. Lacking in spice.

Overall, not a bad dinner….we’ll stick with our old favorites. We’ve noticed that the portion sizes here sure have gotten bigger over the last couple of years. It was good to actually dine in rather than do take-out for a change.

Village Kitchen
4720 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Hope everyone is having a nice post-Xmas weekend!

Road Trip – Morimoto Napa and The Fink

Asian Fusion/Pacific Rim/Hawaii Style Fusion, Cocktails, Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Road Trip, Sushi and Sashimi, Travel

There was a restaurant I wanted to check out just a half block from where we were staying in Napa. Several decades back, I recall the Missus and I being glued to our television watching the original Iron Chef. And when I was in Philly for a conference, I remember being so excited having the chance to check out Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto’s restaurant there. Sadly, it was quite disappointing. But now, over two decades later, a few steps away from us was the Napa location of Morimoto. I thought it would be interesting to check out all these years after having dinner at the Philadelphia location.

And they had a patio! So I made reservations.

Upon walking over, we were greeted and seated on the patio. The service here was super friendly, the staff so warm and sweet. Folks came out just to meet and greet JJ! He was brought water….totally the definition of dog friendly. In fact, the next day while I was walking JJ, some of the folks working saw him and called out “hi JJ, hi JJ, how are you???”

The place wasn’t overly busy. Looking at the menu…well, it was obviously not going to be cheap!

I saw Sawara (Mantis Shrimp) on the menu; one of my favorite things, but they were out! Bummer….

Anyway, we placed our order and soon enough our food started to arrive.

First, the Toro Tartare ($32). This was kind of weird as it was so finely minced that it was more like Nakaochi (Tuna Scrape) making it really mushy.

The ponzu sauce was overkill; since it came with wasabi, nori paste, and other seasonings on the side along with sturgeon caviar. The sauce just basically nullified everything but the wasabi.

We got some Sushi….here they charge you by the piece.

Man, the quality of the seafood was top notch, though I would have preferred not having my o-toro ($16/ea) slightly torched, but it was still quite buttery, and don’t get me started on Hokkaido Uni ($20/ea) ok? Good lord, so melt-in-your mouth, buttery, and sweet-oceany tones…it took me back to Otaru! The Aji ($8) was a bit on the overly chewy-slightly metallic side and the Madai ($8) had too much wasabi. Still, this would have been really great, but the rice was hard and under-cooked and the sushi meshi was too strong. Sorry, but if I’m paying $88 for six pieces of nigiri…..

We ordered the Braised Black Cod ($43).

This was a non-starter as it was overcooked; even the sauce, which was overly salty could not save it. Such a waste of a nice piece of fish.

The actual “best” dish of the night was the Duck Confit Fried Rice ($20)

The Jasmine Rice was a bit on the dry side; the rice itself decently coated with a soy sauce – basil type sauce. You could make out the flavor of the duck in the rice; I’m thinking they use the confit duck fat for this as well. Loved that perfectly cooked egg, with the crisp edges and gooey yolk.

Overall, we loved the folks working here, but the food just fell short. The products seemed top notch, but the execution did not do it justice. And at this price point, well…. It’s kinda like what my experience was at Morimoto in Philadelphia.

Morimoto Napa
610 Main St.
Napa, CA 94559

We took a short stroll after our meal. Right around the corner from Morimoto Napa is a location of Morimoto Asia. I know they have one in Waikiki as well. I took a looks at the menu; with stuff like XLB, Peking Duck, Sisig (!?!?), Pad Thai (double !?!?), Tonkotsu Ramen, etc, etc….

And then the faux Terracotta Statues…can you say PF Chang’s, in the image of Masaharu Morimoto???

What the heck???? Yikes!!!

Anyway, we walked along the walkway and promenade, enjoying the artwork.

We returned to our room….JJ was pooped, so I decided to walk a couple of doors over and check out the Cocktail Bar named The Fink.

I liked the somewhat nautical theme of the place. It was really quiet on this evening. I found it interesting to note that all the other folks at the bar were regulars.

The bartender was really friendly as was the gentleman talking to everyone. He introduced himself and I came to find out that he’s the owner of the place; Judd Finkelstein! Really friendly guy! I got to meet the “Fink” himself.

I got a favorite of mine; a Penicillin, which was nice and stiff!

Chatting with the bartender; I mentioned JJ and she asked me why didn’t I bring him in! So nice!

So guess who was coming with me to The Fink the next evening!

The Fink
530 Main St.
Napa, CA 94559

Road Trip – Bouchon Bakery (Yountville) and The Napa River Inn

Bakery, Croissants, Dog Friendly, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Road Trip, Travel

**** Just a croissant in this one, in case you just want to come back tomorrow!

Our next destination after leaving Mendocino was the actual city of Napa. But first, I wanted to stop at a bakery that folks I know have been raving about in Yountville. Back in 2003, the one and only Thomas Keller opened Bouchon Bakery in Yountville, to reside along his restaurant Bouchon…all of which has become part of the kingdom that includes among others, the French Laundry, which I’ve had the pleasure of dining at a bajillion years ago and Per Se.

So, after a three hour drive, we made a stop in Yountville, which is quite a lovely and artsy town.

We found some parking up the street from the bakery and had a lovely little stroll down Washington Street. Van De Leur Park is a small, but quaint park…..and the flowers were in bloom, which JJ enjoyed.

We arrived at Bouchon Bakery and the Missus and JJ had a seat at the bench outside; while I went in.

Yes, of course I got the butter croissant, which looked fairly good.

Not overly laminated and while the ridges didn’t fall off, it lacked a nice crispness. The interior was on the doughy side and definitely needed more butter for my taste.

Overall….meh. And the funny thing is; we’d actually get a better croissant aux buerre later on this road trip, in Santa Cruz of all places!

Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington St.
Yountville, CA 94599

We took a short walk after having the croissant.

Yountville seems nice to visit; though all the folks we saw seemed like tourists. I’m fairly certain it’s pretty expensive to live here as well.

From Yountville, it was about a twenty-five minute drive into the city of Napa and our accommodation, the Napa River Inn. Located in the Hatt Building, once the location of the Napa Mill, the hotel is located right on the riverfront.

It’s a historic property…..just look at the lobby.

The rooms are spread thru three different buildings on the property. The entrance to where our room was on Fifth Street.

And it actually had a view of the riverwalk from the patio, though it was discreetly bordered by plants for privacy. But, one of the main reasons we stayed here was how dog friendly the place is.

Look at how JJ was greeted!

I guess there were three pups staying here on this day!

And they had the room nicely set-up for him as well.

There’s a bakery; with free pastries delivered to your room each morning; 2 restaurants, a cocktail bar, and a sweet shop located on the property.

And lots of artwork everywhere.

Napa River Inn
500 Main St.
Napa, CA 94559

After settling in, we headed on out to explore a bit. We crossed the Napa River on the Third Street Bridge.

And went to explore the Oxbow Public Market.

There wasn’t anything at the market or along the walk that caught the Missus’s attention. So we headed back to the room.

It was kind of strange as this would basically be the main theme of our stay for the Missus as She seemed kinda bored with Napa…..

But at least JJ was a VIP!

Road Trip – Trillium Cafe (Mendocino)

American/New American Restaurants, Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly, Mendocino, CA, Road Trip, Travel

After having a nice afternoon nap and relaxing for a bit, we headed out to dinner.

Our destination for dinner was basically a half block away at the place much like MacCallum House Inn where we were staying. Trillium Cafe & Inn did double duty as well; both accommodations and a restaurant.

Like MacCallum House, the menu featured local produce; but seemed a bit more “hipster” to us and we seemed to enjoy the more eclectic menu as well.

And it’s always nice to be able to start with a Kir Royale, right?

As is the “norm” for us; we ordered a couple of appetizers and shared a main.

Things started off with some perfectly seared scallops in the Sauteed Wild Scallops ($22). So very oceany-sweet and tender.

I thought the balsamic glaze might be overkill; but it actually paired well with the earthy-slightly smoky asparagus puree.

The one item we found quite interesting was the Vegetable Galette ($13).

Here’s a better view.

Loved the texture of the pastry, sturdy enough to hold the veggies, but crisp really crisp layers of puff pastry. Nice combo of vegetables. And that lemon pesto was rich, but had a nice crisp-acidity as well.

The Broccolini ($12) was straight-forward, sort of like how I make at home…..though we prefer it a bit more “charred”.

The Vegetable Gnocchi ($37), had a nice array of veggies, but overall was the weakest dish of the meal.

The potato gnocchi was a bit tougher than we prefer but not bad. The pepito pesto had a mild nuttiness, but this dish needed a bit more flavor overall….though perhaps the objective was to enjoy the veggies in their true state?

I had a nice Tawny Port as my digestif.

While the Missus had the “Dubai Bar” ($14) for dessert.

Which She really enjoyed.

Overall, a very nice dinner under a lovely tent. The place was quite busy; but the service was quite friendly and they treated JJ well. We’d gladly return!

Trillium Cafe & Inn
10390 Kasten St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

After dinner we took a short walk to the bluffs and on the way back we saw this little one having a “bath”, just staring us down…..and an old phrase from “back home” came to mind as the raccoon seemed to be saying “wot, boddah you“?

We got back to our lovely accommodations and just hung out…..

The next morning we got up early…..

And took a walk up Lansing Street.

Past the very nice Harvest Market, then up the hill past the cemetery.

Past the lovely St Anthony’s Catholic Church.

That wooden sculpture above is of a woman and child looking toward the sea. It was created in the memory of two fishermen lost at sea.

We strolled on back to MacCallum House to have our breakfast, past some wonderful structures.

We had our breakfast on the patio again…..

Before packing up…resting for a bit….then heading out to our next stop!

Thanks for stopping by!

Lunch at JJ’s Island Grindz (Bonita) with JJ of course

Dog Friendly, Guamanian/Chamorro, Plate Lunch

Back at the end of September, I had the pleasure of sharing a wonderful lunch with two of my favorite people; those who’ve been reading our little blog for a while know Cathy, along with our long time friend CC, who while she doesn’t update her Pink Candles at Ridgemont High blog anymore, has quite a presence on Instagram these days. The place chosen was JJ’s Island Grindz in Bonita. I was kind of excited since there’s not much Chamorro/Guamanian available these days since Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed, as well as the Midway location of Guahan. I’m thinking that other than JJ’s, Chamorro Grill might be the only other place serving this style of food South of the 56?

Anyway, we had a wonderful time…though so much of it was catching up on things, so I decided not to do a post.

The food was plentiful and the conversations wonderful! Of course, both CC and Cathy asked me why I didn’t bring JJ…..I should have, right?

Anyway, I brought the leftovers home and told the Missus She might enjoy those pork ribs; which were chewy, but nicely flavored with touches of smokiness and soy. Of course She didn’t believe me; but I removed all the meat from the bones and chopped it up and She ended up enjoying it. And we both thought that taking JJ to a place named “JJ’s” would be kinda fun. So, about a month later we ended up heading over to Bonita and the strip mall where JJ’s is located….with JJ in tow. Man, I remember when this place was Ono’s Cafe!

The nice young lady directed us to a table on the patio. She was so nice to JJ and when we told Her his name she could not stop laughing!

Of course we weren’t going to order the sushi rolls or sushi burritos and that kine’ stuff from the huge menu. We got the Chamorro Combo and I was curious, based on how smoky the ribs were, to try the Kalua Pig.

The portions here are fairly sizeable.

The Missus wasn’t fond of the potato salad, though She really enjoyed the red rice, which I did as well. Great texture, savory tones, a hint of smokiness, and to us, even a mild acidity. She was not a big fan of the kelaguen, it was chopped too coarse, without a nice sour-spicy kick, and lacking in the hint of coconut She loves in the version I make. The finadene was too mild for Her taste, but the young lady brought over some of the spicy finadene which helped things out.

The ribs were flavored as She remembered, though strangely, the Missus preferred them the next day as leftovers. Removed from the bone and chopped!

As for the Kalua Pig.

Well, I do like the red rice here. The pork was nice and smokey, but strangely….very strangely, wasn’t salty and porky enough for me. I mean, I don’t ever recall wanting to add salt to my kalua pig! But for me; it’s the mushy, almost watery texture of the pork I didn’t enjoy. Again, strangely, the pork was better the next day after it firmed up a bit and I added some Alaea to it. It’s still not my favorite though.

As for JJ’s, I think we’ll return, so the Missus can get those ribs and perhaps I’ll something else from the menu. The service was warm and welcoming.

And JJ had what Cathy called his “hakuna matata” moment!

JJ’s Island Grindz
4154 Bonita Rd.
Bonita, CA 91902
Current Hours:
Sun – Thurs 11am – 8pm
Fri – Sat 11am – 9pm

Road Trip – Breakfast at MacCallum House, the Mendocino Bluff Trail, Mendocino Market

Breakfast/Brunch, Dog Friendly, Mendocino, CA, Road Trip, Sandwiches, Travel

The Missus woke on our first full day in Mendocino ready to go. Breakfast was included in our stay at MacCallum House which was nice.

The Missus had a nicely made latte; I had an Americano.

The Missus chose some poached eggs and bacon.

While I got the standard two eggs breakfast – easy over with bacon, which was a $20 value.

Meanwhile, JJ got a nice stick to chew on…..

After a short break we decided to do the entire Mendocino Headlands Trail, which we had done a part of the previous day.

We headed back down Church Street and headed off until the trail ended with a view of Big River Beach.

We then walked along the bluffs; where the scenery was quite beautiful.

We then took the trail into Headlands State Park.

Even more lovely views….the coastline here is beautiful.

And as I mentioned before, it’s hard to believe the town is but a few steps away.

JJ was enjoying the scenery as well.

As you head toward the rocky end of the bluffs, things get a bit more dramatic.

It’s an easy 5 mile walk.

Did you know that Miasa (Omachi) in Nagano is Mendocino’s Sister City?

After our morning walk, the Missus wanted to drive up to Fort Bragg, which we did. Though once we got there; the Missus didn’t feel like stopping anywhere, though I think the next time up there we’ll take JJ on the Skunk Train. Anyway, I turned and headed back to Mendocino.

Once back, the Missus wanted to do some shopping, so we headed on out. We came across this honor system farm stand.

Pretty cool, huh?

We zig zagged our way around, in and out of shops. This was the Missus’s favorite.

Where She actually did “Spend-o-cino” if you know what I mean.

Even though they must have to deal with many tourists; folks here were very laid back, relaxed, and friendly.

Circling around Ukiah Street we came across and honor system pottery shop.

The town was giving off major quaint small town vibes!

We decided to grab a sandwich from Mendocino Market, a small shop that sells sandwiches, deli items, snacks, and even wine.

It’s one of those places where you check off your order on one of the handy-dandy forms, pay, then pick up your order at the counter.

After our breakfast we just wanted something light; so I got the Hummus Avocado ($9) on Sourdough.

I’ve come to enjoy pesto on my avocado toast, but never thought of having hummus with it! The nutty-earthy – slightly tangy hummus actually went quite well with the creamy-rich avocado.

The lovely alfalfa sprouts and tomatoes made the sandwich complete. Not haute cuisine, but just a nice, light sandwich for lunch.

Mendocino Market
45051 Ukiah St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

After which it was time for…..you know what, right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Road Trip – MacCallum House Inn and Exploring Mendocino

American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Mendocino, CA, Road Trip, Salads, Travel

After lunch we set about walking around Mendocino. From what I was told; the history of the area starts with the Pomo People, who lived here for over a millennium. The redwoods brought the lumber industry in the 1850’s and Mendocino Village was established in 1852. Many of the workers were from New England, which explains the Victorian stylings and Saltbox Cottages we saw. The town itself is quite charming, though folks I know warned me of how expensive they though things were…..they called the place “Spendocino”…..to us, it wasn’t as pricy as the Bay area.

Right off Main Street in Mendocino are two really easy trails. While waiting for our room, we strolled along the Mendocino Headlands Trail. The views were lovely.

Quite peaceful and relaxing, not another soul in sight.

Hard to believe that right across the road is Main Street!

We walked to the area overlooking Big River Beach.

And then up to Church Street where there’s well, a church of course.

That’s the historic Mendocino Presbyterian Church, which was build between 1867 and 1868.

And made our way back to our accommodations in a roundabout way. When visiting this charming village one quickly notices how many water towers there are.

In fact, our accommodations even had a Water Tower Suite….good ol’ number 13. According to this post, the water table is the area is close to the surface, thus the area was lacking with regards to in ground water storage. Most of the water towers were built at the end of the 19th century. That water tower above also has a history, which you can read about here.

Walking on Albion Street we noticed this Chinese Temple.

This is the Temple of Kwan Tai a Taoist temple dedicated to Kwan Tai (Guan Yu).

The Missus and I were immediately interested in how this got to be built in Mendocino. Apparently, the Chinese came to the area in the 1850’s to work in logging camps. It is said the the temple either dates back to1854 or 1867, depending on the source. Interesting, huh?

A block down Albion was our accommodation; the MacCallum House Inn which dates back to 1882.

This lovely inn features a variety of accommodations. We stayed in one of the suites in the “North Barn” building.

Which was lovely and had a private patio and even a hot tub, which was nice, even though we never used it.

The main building features a rather popular restaurant with patio seating, which was perfect for JJ. This was where we had breakfast, which was included with our stay. We decided to have an early dinner on this evening. The friendly Server told us that most of the ingredients were locally sourced.

Things started out with some really delicious bread.

The butter was decently whipped and light.

The Missus had Her sights on getting Her veggie fixes, so that was the focus of the meal; starting with the Field Lettuces.

Nice variety of greens, great crisp texture, loved the beets. The avocado was under ripe, hard, and lacking in flavor. The vinaigrette was quite simple, like something I’d make at home. That avocado and sourdough was a $7 upcharge.

The Grilled Asparagus and Proscuitto was fine; though the asparagus was overcooked and mushy, not quite how the Missus enjoys it.

The proscuitto was super fatty, almost like lardo. The egg was perfectly cooked and the cheese was nice and sharp in flavor.

The Olive Oil Roasted Cauliflower was simple, which was actually a good thing. Though the price for this dish was $32!

The Missus loves Her cauliflower and this was lightly sweet – earth – nutty, She loved it. The Kale might have been better served in smaller pieces. The quinoa was fine. That sauce had an interesting sweetness to it. I later found out it was pea “jus”.

I did see something on the “side dishes” menu that interested me. The Collard Greens, Ham Hocks, and Black Eyed Peas.

While the ham hocks were on the crisp side like lardons; we both loved the flavors – so savory and smoky, the beans were cooked perfectly, slightly firm and tender. This was very good.

Overall, a nice meal, the service was very friendly and we appreciated that most of the produce was sourced locally. Not a cheap meal coming in at over $120 not including tip….but heck, we were in “Spendo-cino” right?

MacCallum House
45020 Albion St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

We took a nice stroll after dinner. There’s a Health Food Store; with the interesting name of Corners of the Mouth Health Food Store right next to the back entrance of MacCallum House. Looks like it could have possibly been a church in a previous life?

We got some snacks and I got a couple of beers for the next two nights.

Corners of the Mouth, Health Food Store
45015 Ukiah St.
Mendocino, CA 95460

It was obvious that we wouldn’t be starving in Mendocino…….

Tribute Pizza Revisited

Dog Friendly, Italian Restaurants

After really enjoying the Oxtail Meatballs at Romanella, the Missus was wondering how they would compare to Her previous favorite at Tribute. It had been a while since we’d visited, though we had even tried at the 4pm opening times, there always seemed to be a line. The place has a dog friendly patio, so we thought we’d just roll the dice and arrived at 420 on a Sunday. And guess what, we got a small table on the patio!

So JJ had a place to hang while we ate.

We were really here so the Missus could have those meatballs and our lunch had been pretty substantial, so we went with a lighter meal.

Starting with the House Pickles ($9).

We really enjoyed the varied texture and each tasted different. The cauliflower pickled with beet juice was the Missus’s favorite as it also had a hint of sweetness to go with the acidic-sour. I liked the little mushrooms….there were only two tiny ones, but there’s a savory-earthiness and a wonderful meaty texture to go with the sourness.

Of course we had to get the Focaccia ($8) with ‘Nduja ($5).

Loved the texture of the bread, the mild yeastiness, the crisp crust. The ‘Nduja seems to have changed over the years. It’s less red these days, much denser and less spreadable. Lacking in the salumi like savory tones, though much more spicy. I think we’ll just go with the Foccacia the next time as it’s just fine with the butter and the olive oil-balsamic. The leftovers toasted up quite nicely as well.

And then of course, the Meatballs (3-$21). Yes, we’re in time where 3 meatballs go for over twenty bucks!

This came with more of the wonderful focaccia. The Missus thought the meatballs were ok; not as beefy or tender as the version at Romanella! Whoa…. We also preferred the days when there were actual pieces of roasted peppers and onions in the sauce. The root vegetable marinara also lacked the acidity that it used to have.

Service was fine and our food didn’t take very long, especially for how busy the place was. Of course we didn’t order any pizza though. The outdoor area is small, so things are kind of cramped. I think we’ll just go with some Focaccia and a pizza the next time we return.

Tribute Pizza
3077 North Park Way
San Diego, CA 92104

Road Trip – Doran Regional Park, Fishetarian Fish Market, and Dinner Again from Terrapin Creek Cafe

American/New American Restaurants, Dog Friendly, Marin, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, Road Trip, Seafood, Travel

After our caffeine fix at Roadhouse Coffee we headed off down Shoreline Highway a bit. The Missus wanted to do a bit of walking this morning, so I headed to Doran Regional Park. We got to the parking lot at the end of the road and had fun walking along the North Jetty and Doran Campground area.

We took the Doran Beach Trail, where JJ could find all sorts of “stuffs” to entertain himself.

After strolling along the beach area, we headed up the road a bit and found some parking on Doran Beach Road and did the Cheney Creek Trail and Bird Walk which was a lovely loop trail.

Walking the loop along the salt water marsh was beautiful and peaceful.

I’m sure my good friend “CC” would have really enjoyed the bird watching.

We actually did the loop counter clockwise from the south. Didn’t run into anyone until we got near to Highway 1.

Saw this interesting rock….but can’t really find anything about it online.

It was a nice way to start the day.

It was already getting pretty late for lunch so, we ended up stopping at Lucas Wharf at the Fishetarian Fish Market.

I wanted to give the Dungeness Crab Sandwich another try. Even though the Missus wasn’t really feeling it, She relented. The shop is a rather charming restaurant/fish market.

Where you order at the counter.

There’s ample outdoor seating….well, at least on this day there was. So, JJ could hang out while we ate.

To make the Missus happy, I got a side of Kale Slaw to go with the sandwich and sweet potato fries..

The sweet potato fries were tasty, but on the dry – soggy side. We enjoyed the crab filling more here, but it still had too much mayo for the Missus.

That ciabatta roll didn’t hold out for the entire meal.

At least you could make out the oceany-sweetness of the dungeness crab here. And it seemed like the amount of crab was generous. I requested the sandwich with no cheese which I believe helped things.

I did get a small side of the kale slaw which seemed to have an Asian touch as we tasted sesame oil?

All in all, a fine, somewhat touristy meal. But JJ enjoyed himself.

Fishetarian Fish Market
599 Highway 1
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

After this, we did a couple of stops along the way, and then headed back to our accommodations for some R&R. After our nap, since Bodega Bay really isn’t great for walking, we just decided to get take out again at Terrapin Creek Cafe. While the Missus hung out in the Bodega Bay Inn “wine shack” to finish the wine we’d bought there the night before; I walked over to get our takeout.

We got the  Charred Octopus and Cauliflower Salad again which was better this time around.

You can’t really see it here; but much more octopus which was fairly tender.

The Roasted Asparagus and Maitake Salad didn’t have a whole lot of maitake….but a load of grated Manchego.

This was fine for a salad, the Missus enjoyed the chopped boiled eggs.

I also got the Pan Roasted Hokkaido Scallops….three scallops for $23.

Pan seared….not sure about “roasted”. Did not enjoy the overwhelming flavor of fennel, but the scallops were fine.

Overall, this was fine. I’m sure eating in the restaurant would have been better; though we enjoyed having the “wine shack” all to ourselves.

Terrapin Creek Cafe
1580 Eastshore Rd.
Bodega Bay, CA 94923

We had enjoyed our visit to Bodega Bay; though I’m not sure we’d return as we prefer towns where we can walk and explore.

Lunch with JJ – Silverlake Ramen (Fashion Valley)

Dog Friendly, Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

Recently, I had to head on over to Fashion Valley….which I usually try to avoid. But since I going there, I was wondering if I should take JJ along and looked to see if there were any dog friendly places to eat. And there were quite a few. I was pleasantly surprised to see that Silverlake Ramen allowed dogs. It had been on the cooler side…..which I kind of look forward to since I can get all my noodle soup fixes in. So, we headed on over.

I’d actually been to the UTC location of Silverlake, but since it was a lunch with a group of people, I didn’t take any photos. And to be perfectly honest, I really wasn’t impressed with the ramen. So, this was going to be interesting……

Silverlake’s location at Fashion Valley is located right along the south side parking lots and driveway, so it’s pretty discreet. The young man working was super friendly and even though I was seated outside was on top of things. He even got JJ a bowl of water!

Which JJ appreciated…..

During my previous visit to the UTC location of Silverlake….which BTW was founded in the Silver Lake (duh) neighborhood in LA back in 2012. Anyway, I probably erred and ordered the Garlic Truffle Ramen, which was way too sweet….and the noodles were overcooked.

I was kinda hungry from having to keep up with the squirt, so I got the Combo ($20.50). Since I’d be having karaage for dinner; I went with the Pork Bun as my appetizer to go with the Classic Tonkotsu. The efficient young man brought out the pork bun soon after I placed my order.

The pickled onions were indispensable as this was really sweet and over-sauced for my taste. There was just too much of the sesame aioli. All of which combined to nullify any porkiness. That bun and the pork were on the chewy side as well.

Hmmm…..now this made me somewhat concerned about my ramen.

Which wasn’t bad. Not a fan of the overly sweet black garlic oil and I think the broth, which was on the thinner side in terms of tonkotsu has quite a bit of msg in it as I soon got the “ms-heebee-gee-bees” and actually gulped down two cups of water during my meal…..thank goodness for the great Server and another bottle in the car!

The tamago had a decently tender yolk…but sigh…..you know my pet peeve right? It was ice cold. Bummer!

The noodles were decently cooked. Nice and slippery, with a good “Q-Q” springiness them.

The pork was milder in terms of the marinade, but quite tender and you could actually make out some rich savoriness. I do enjoy some of that sweet-savory-soy sauce flavor that a good marinade provides for my chashu.

All in all, more of a “B” level ramen to me. This was definitely better than what I’d had at the UTC location and that young man provided very good service. Though I’m not in a rush to return as I’m going to have to revisit those ramen shops I consider San Diego “A” level…..hope the cool weather holds steady.

Silverlake Ramen (In Fashion Valley Mall)
7007 Friars Rd. Suite 357B
San Diego, CA 92108
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 9pm
Sunday 11am – 8pm