Salt & Cleaver

Spring is in the air,

and flowers are not the only things blooming!

New restaurants are popping up all over San Diego,

and I am on a mission to visit as many of them as possible. 

Salt & Cleaver has been open for barely a week, 

but it's already gathering some great reviews from the locals. 

The concept is simple -

pick your wiener, and dress it up however you like. 

For those who have a hard time making choices,

there are some pre-picked favorites that are bound to tickle your fancy. 

I stopped by the sausage fest during lunch time, 

and was able to sample a few different combinations by ordering family style with my buddies.

(always the best route when dining out) 

The crowd favorite was definitely the Duck.Duck.Pig from the protected list,

with the IPA Bratwurst coming in close second.

The cucumber fries were not quite what I expected, but interesting nevertheless,

but the real money maker were the S&C fries.  

In my opinion, the options are already pretty good,

considering that the full menu hasn't even rolled out yet. 

Already planning a comeback during happy hour, to sample some beer from S&C's impressive list,

and I obviously wont be able to sleep until I get my hands on that Lobster Roulade.

Duck.Duck.Pig - duck & bacon sausage, crispy duck confit, bacon-aze, orange marmalade, house bun.

IPA Bratwurst - smoked pork sausage, malted sauerkraut, roasted peppers, smoked brown ale mustard, pretzel bun.
Cucumber FriesFresh - cold cucumber spears. Served with Tzatziki. 

Mild Italian - garlic and fennel pork sausage, blistered cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, toasted pine nuts.
S&C Fries - twice fried, skin on. Served with S&C sauce.

Salt & Cleaver

3805 Fifth Ave.

Hillcrest, San Diego, CA

Double Date Night

Date nights are fun,

but you know what's even more fun?

DOUBLE date nights.

Last weekend the husband and I decided to take a break from our kitchen renovation project from hell,

to go out for some dinner/movie action.

Our friends met up with us for some pre-dinner cocktails <reads: a couple of bottles of wine>,

and then we were off to the beatiful land of La Jolla.

Our dinner destination for the evening was Amaya,

the newest addition to the glitzy pavement of Prospect Street.

Little sister to her namesake at the Grand Del Mar,

Amaya Jr. had quite a reputation to live up to.

The theme?

Dressed up American without the dress code.

"Soooo.. what do I wear?", asked the husband.

In reality, the place is very nice -

a type of joint where you don't necessarily want to stumble into after a day of beach lounging at the adjacent La Jolla Cove.

But, to be fair, it's not stuffy..

Picture the scene from the restaurant where Jack Nicholson takes Helen Hunt in As Good as it Gets,

one of my all time favorite movies, right before he gives her the greatest compliment ever.

No, Amaya is not like that at all.

It's classy enough to impress a fancy-pants date, yet there are no table cloths, meaning - no jackets required.
Perfect.

One of the great benefits of doubling your party size, (besides great company, of course),
is the fact that you get to order twice as many dishes, which means you get to try more items from the menu!
Unless your friends don't like to share... in which case you may want to look into new friends.
Luckily, this scenario worked out in our favor,
and after ordering a few bottles of wine and a good range of items from the menu we were all happy and stuffed.
Some standouts?
The sweetbreads were very tender, and the duck with the cornbread puree? Spectacular!
I was a little dissapointed with the fried quail,
which I've heard people raving about on multiple occasions.
It wasn't bad by any means, but I wouldn't call it groundbreaking either.
Tasted... well.. just like chicken.

Sautéed Skate Wing and Veal Sweetbreads - Braised Romaine, Veal Jus 

My dress and clutch are both from ASOS.

Buttermilk Fried Quail - Smoked Mac and Cheese, Coleslaw

Angus Beef Carpaccio - Pickled Vegetables, Parmesan

Friday Special: Lightly Breaded Market Fish - Hush Puppies, Tartar Sauce 

Cheddar-Herb Biscuits, Jalapeño Cornbread and Deviled Eggs served with every order of the Daily Rustic Southern Specials

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast - Cornbread Purée, Butter Beans

After a well-fulfilled meal, and some excellent conversation,
we proceeded to the Arclight Cinemas in La Jolla.
It was our first time to this theater,
and although it's not as glamorous as Cinepolis Del Mar,
they still had a bar that offered up stiff cocktails and assigned seating which just takes the average movie-going experience to a whole other level.
Our movie of choice?
The Great Gatsby.
Can I just say that I am so sad to hear that it's been getting mixed reviews?
I thought it was amaaazing.
The glitz, the glam.. the hard contrast between the classes.. all there!
And Leo? In 3D?
Case closed.
Best movie of the year!

Breathe

 

The last 24 hours have been rough.. 

I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say I needed to escape my daily life and gain some perspective...

to breathe in some fresh air. 

So I called in sick, packed up by babe, and headed out to my favorite dog beach. 

The warm sun rays and the calming ocean breeze was just what I needed.

Thanks San Diego. I love you. 

Two for One Special

May Gray my butt. 

I'm happy to report that San Diego has been going through a little heat wave for the past two days,

and it's been 95 and GORGEOUS.

And who wants to be stuck inside when it's so nice out?

Not me! 

My bestie and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather, 

so we met up for cocktails right after work last night. 

Destination: Polite Provisions,

the shiny new product brought to us by Consortium Holdings,

the same peeps that spoil us with Craft & Commerce, Noble Experiment, Underbelly and Neighborhood. 

Love all those spots, and Polite Provisions is no exception. 

Packed with hipsters to the brim, this place is cool. 

As we made our way past the plaid shirts and suspenders, I was immediately smitten by the decor. 

The open air ceilings may have been my favorite part, 

letting a nice breeze and great lighting into the place, while we pondered over which cocktail to indulge in. 

We let the crafty mixologists entertain us for a while, until we got hungry,

and that's where the second part of the story begins.

The Swine A La Carte - smoked pork with chipotle and pepperjack

Mac & Cheese and Asparagus

Right next door to Polite Provisions, is a tiny little meatball shop called Soda & Swine. 

No, you can't order food directly from the bar, because after all, they're two separate businesses,

and one of these things is not like the other as far as liquor licensing goes. 

BUT,

what you can do, is politely cover your cocktail with a napkin, 

cross your fingers that you won't get roofied,

and walk over next door to place your order. 

Grab your number and bring it right back to the bar. 

The nice thing is that they will bring your meal over and even allow you to take your time as you slowly shovel all this glorious food into your mouth. 

A few hours later, and you'll be as giddy as the two fools pictured below. 

Definitely recommend this place!

Polite Provisions

4696 30th Street

North Park, CA 92116

Soda & Swine

2943 Adams Avenue

North Park, CA 92116

Love a Hero

Ladies!

Get excited, because on May 10th, 

Block No. 16 will host a bachelor auction benefitting Love a Hero, 

a nonprofit charity organization honoring service people who risk their lives to save others, 

by providing assistance like scholarships, relief during grievance periods, grants, counseling, 

and other charitable programs for them and their families. 

Need more convincing?

Christopher Lynch, Cosmopolitan's Bachelor of the Year and Selma Alameri from this past season of ABC's The Bachelor will emcee the night. 

Guests will enjoy drink and food specials, live music, dancing and a chance to win a date with San Diego's hottest bachelors.

Do you need a better excuse to check out some eligible hotties?!

Didn't think so. 

I know you're as excited as I am. 

Plan your outfit, do your nails, and I'll see you at Block 16 next Friday!

The Baked Bear

I'll start this post off by saying that I'm not a sweets person. 

Say wha?

That's right.. given a choice between salty and sweet,

I'll choose something savory 98% of the time. 

That's just how I roll. 

But there is that 2%..

And once that rare craving comes over me, 

I now know where I'll be heading. 

The Baked Bear, 

an artisan cookie and ice cream sandwich parlor, 

is hitting San Diego on Saturday, May 4, 2013 with a grand opening celebration, 

bringing customizable desserts to beach-goers and locals all year long.

The brainchild of a lifelong ambition between San Diego natives and best friends Shane Stanger and Rob Robbins, 

 The Baked Bear offers a modern take on an old-fashioned ice cream sandwich with made-to-order combinations of baked in-house gourmet cookies and California-crafted ice cream flavors. 

 Waffle and brownie ice cream sandwiches, creamy milkshakes and chocolate dipped bananas are also on the menu. 

 I had an opportunity to try out a yummy combo for myself, 

when I dropped by the ice cream shop last week to chat with Rob and Shane. 

 I can tell you first hand that these sandwiches are delish! 

 I had the boys concoct me a combo from a tutti-frutti and snicker doodle cookies, 

held together with strawberry cheesecake ice-cream. 

 It was a perfect treat to take along for a walk on the boardwalk on a sunny San Diego day.

The grand opening celebration is Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 

the store will remain open for normal business hours, until 2 a.m. 

The event will allow guests to sample scrumptious confections as they benefit the Drew Kurtzman Foundation, 

 a nonprofit organization formed to help those suffering from Muscular Dystrophy. 

 This foundation was started in honor of Robbins and Stanger's close friend who suffered from this disease before passing away in 2010 at the age of 20. 

 A portion of the proceeds from the opening weekend will be donated to this organization that was founded in San Diego. 

 So mark your calendars boys and girls! 

 Hit the beach this Saturday and be sure to treat yourself for a good cause.

ArtWalk

Do you know the forecast for San Diego this weekend?

Well, in case you're not aware, it's bound to be perfect - seventies and sunny. 

So why not take advantage and head down to Little Italy for the 29th annual ArtWalk,

Southern California's largest fine arts festival. 

This is a free event that fills 17 blocks of San Diego's most charming neighborhood with more than 350 visual artists.
I had a chance to get a little preview of the festivities at the VIP reception this past Wednesday.
The event took place at the gorgeous Westgate Hotel in downtown,
and showcased pieces from just a few of the participating artists.
Attendees had a chance to hear from some key ArtWalk sponsors,
all whilst sipping on free wine and munching on tray-passed hors d'oeuvres.
I couldn't think of a better way to spend my hump day.

San Diego City Council President, Todd Gloria.

Gorgeous decor inside of the Westgate Hotel lobby.

Perhaps a few glasses of vino too many? Never!

ArtWalk will be going on April 27 & 28, 2013, from 11 a.m. - 6 p.m..
Admission is FREE.
Hope to see you there!

I Dream of Kitchen

All photos via, via, and via.

My life has been consumed lately,

with all things kitchen-related.

We officially started our remodel last week,

and it. is. exhausting!

To say the least.

These are a few images that have been sitting pretty in my pinspiration board for the past year...

We're going with neutral tones to achieve a clean and spacious effect.

I cook A LOT, so practicality and efficiency was a big part of our design.

And although this project is seriously testing my patience,

I'm also enjoying being actively involved in every step of the process.

The hubby and I personally picked out every single detail of this kitchen,

and I cannot WAIT to see the finished product!

I'll be sure to post some before and after photos as soon as it's all done,

but in the meantime,

I have to get back to the construction zone.