Complete2L

Thanks for the ideas so far. In response to your questions: Price is not that important (corporate expense account yippee! ), cuisine is open to suggestion as well. Probably the most import things are a good wine selection and a nice ambiance. This is for Thursday night next week.

I am planning a meeting in Orange County and am looking to provide dining and entertainment for a group of 12. I am looking for a casual place (i.e. not necessarily a formal dining setting) for good food and drinks with a nice ambiance. Any ideas?

Alcohol has been frozen (or at least been integrated successfully into a Popsicle.) I am still tweaking the recipe to determine what the specific variable(s) are that make it possible and hope to publish the results soon.

A friend of mine suggested this while making Jello shots last weekend. I am going to try it out and see what happens. (Probably this weekend.) If they can make Jellopops and Jello shots, I'm figuring it's worth a shot at combining them. Hopefully the gelatin will suspend the alcohol and let the rest freeze.

In all these discussions I am surprised not to see one of my favorites, Hash House A Go Go. (www.hashhouseagogo.com for a menu). While I am the first to admit that for the most part San Diego is lacking a bit in the culinary area, there are a few gems.

One of my favorite meals is the happy hour special at World Famous in Pacific Beach. Tuesday nights, shrimp tacos (Baja style) for $1 and Wednesday nights lobster tacos (also Baja style) for $1.50. Three or four of those with a couple of Pacificos watching the surf role in (and the scantily clad women walking the boardwalk) is one of my favorite meals. During the winter you can usually walk right into the bar and get a table, but the summer brings lines. Fortunately World Famous lets you drink in line as it runs along and through the restaurant side of the establishment. (The bar specials are not available in the main restaurant though where you will pay 5 times the price for the same food.) Living in a beach community I’ve made many a meal on happy hour specials and am always looking for new ones. What are your favorite happy hour meals? (And if anyone mentions ½ priced appetizers, please go to your nearest dive bar and self flagellate with a deep fried mozzarella stick.)

I almost forgot, Johnnie’s Pastrami (Culver City): The Hot Pastrami Sandwich – I have no idea what the rest of the food tastes like as anytime I am in the area I am not going to waste a visit on a hot dog or hamburger. Greasy, messy, but so damn good. It’s not like any other pastrami sandwich you have ever had.

Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza: Grilled Chicken Salad – Decent food, but this salad is an outstanding mix of walnuts, gorgonzola, chicken, and the best damn vinaigrette I’ve ever tasted. (I sometime just pick up bottles of the basil vinaigrette for my own salads at home.) Any ghetto looking Mexican food restaurant in San Diego (i.e. Roberto’s, Alberto’s, Reyburto’s, Aliburto’s, you get the idea): The hot sauce (which is free) – As someone said in another post on the topic of food in San Diego said, the more ghetto looking the Mexican restaurant, the better. Forget the rest of the extensive menus at these places and stick to the rolled tacos and carne asada burritos. Just remember to ask for hot sauce. (Often the deciding factor on which one you go to and everyone has an opinion.) As my neighbor once said disappointedly in her drunken wisdom after they forgot to put sauce in the bag, “The food is just a means of getting the hot sauce to the mouth.”

If you value a fun atmosphere with your sushi, I recommend Miyake Restaurant in Palo Alto. (On University right by Stanford) They don't take reservations and the wait can be up to two hours on some nights, but I guarantee that if you order sake bombs when you get seated and follow along with the crowd, you will have a good time and decent sushi. (They have a large sushi menu as well so if there is something you like that is hard to find, they probably have it.)

PBR is almost as bad as Miller High Life. (The worst beer I have ever tasted.) I'm sure they are giving you the Beam shot as a chaser for the PBR.

The WSJ ran an article on June 3rd on liquor popsicles. Being a big fan of both popsicles and liquor, I want to see if anyone has any ideas on how to construct such a concoction as the proprietors of the treats are extremely tight lipped. Please share your ideas on how to get alcohol to freeze as well as any recipes you may have.

Quick & Easy Salmon Thanks to a sale at Trader Joe's, my first foray into seafood. Starting simple turned out beautifully. Add some steamed green beans or broccoli and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to complete a nice light meal after going to the gym. Salmon Fillet 1/2 T Butter Dill Place the salmon in a glass-baking dish. Cover liberally in dill. Place the butter on top of the fillet. Cover the dish with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Keywords: Main Dish, Healthy Choices, Seafood, Fish, Easy ( RG1013 )

Quick & Easy Salmon Thanks to a sale at Trader Joe's, my first foray into seafood. Starting simple turned out beautifully. Add some steamed green beans or broccoli and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc to complete a nice light meal after going to the gym. Salmon Fillet 1/2 T Butter Dill Place the salmon in a glass-baking dish. Cover liberally in dill. Place the butter on top of the fillet. Cover the dish with tin foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Keywords: Main Dish, Healthy Choices, Seafood, Fish, Easy ( RG1013 )