Octaveman

Godiva

Rib Eye steak with plain old salt and pepper. Grilled flank steak** Grilled portobello basted with lemon and soy sauce (remove the gills). Grill some red bell peppers for the sandwiches too. Melt cheese on the shrooms before taking off the grill. Makes great sandwiches. Sausage with sauted onions, sourkraut (or not) Shish ka bob's - chicken, bell pepper (various), red onion, cherry tomatoes, crimini shrooms. Baste with melted butter, salt/pepper, Garam Masala, garlic, herb of choice. Fat and juicy burgers with grilled sliced red onion, sauteed shrooms (wine, butter, garlic, herb of choice). Chicken wings basted with hoisan or bbq sauce or terriyaki glaze. **The flank can be quickly marinated if you use a strong marinade. My all-time favorite marinade to date is... 2 Tbl Fish sauce 1 Tbl concentrated Tamarind Juice of 2 limes 4 cloves garlic crushed Thai chili peppers minced or Tbl Srirachi hot sauce Combine all with meat in zip lock bag, suck out the air and let it sit on the counter. I have found out through experiementing that If you take that zip lock bag with the goodies in it and you rub the meat between your hands several times during the 30 minute time frame that it helps with absorption. It may be my imagination, it may not. You do want the meat to be room temp before grilling. I also read somewhere that marinades get absorbed better if meat is at room temp. Grill on hot grill to med or med-rare, slice against the grain, serve on salad greens or as is with grilled veggie combo and side of rice or gorgonzola gnocchi (sold at Trader-Joes...yummm) Also try: Raspberry-chipotle or Raspberry-jalepeno bottled marinade Maple syrup or honey Worcestershire sauce (lot's) Salt/pepper (on meat directly before combining with marinade) Let sit for 30 minutes in zip lock bag and baste steak with marinade as you grill. Use lower heat than you would in above recipe because of the sugar content of this marinade. A flank steak is thin so it still won't take long to cook. 20 minutes as opposed to 10. In either case, let grill heat up and cook with lid open as it would be an oven if you closed the lid. Baste and turn every 2-3 minutes just to get a good crust going. If you find it starting to get TOO crusty and starting to blacken (as it does from time to time), feel free to finish in oven. The taste is well worth it. Nice sweet/hot crust with tender/juicy med-rare beef in the middle. Oh, it's good all right. Cheers, Bob

Last night I grilled up 6 lamb chops marinated in a what I kinda threw together: dijon mustard, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, savory, garam masala, white pepper, salt. Grilled them on super hot cast iron griddle and they came out wonderful. Served with gorgonzola gnocchi and grilled veggies. The other day I grilled flank steak in what has turned out to be my favorite marinade: fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind concentrate and minced thai chili peppers. Slice it up real thin and serve eaither by itself or in a salad. Awesome. Cheers, Bob

Well, I just got this slicer a few days ago and I thought I'd bbq a small tri-tip to break it in. I marinated and basted the slab with a concoction I put together consisting of bottled raspberrry jalepeno marinade (sometimes raspberry/chipotle), maple syrup, fish sauce, worchestershire, garlic, s&p and sometimes sriracha and mustard. The roast had a real nice crust on it and a wonderful flavor. I walked away from the bbq to work on the sides and forgot about the meat outside. I ran and got it off the heat but it was cooked a bit beyond where I like it...medium to medium rare. It was still really good and tender. Coupled this with a small baby green salad, braised artichokes and a side of sauteed wild mushrooms. (I keep on forgetting to take pics of the sides) Bob

OMG

yeah, and when one was broken I found them to be quite tasty frozen too!

Many people have put in a vote for the fried apple pie...well, what about the fried CHERRY pie? I loved them and would have one every time I went to Mickey D's. They got rid of them many years ago for some reason. I grew up in San Jose (CA) and worked at one of the last remaining original design restaurants with the high arches on the sides and outside only seating. There were no inside seating because the inside only had some floor space to stand in front of the counter. I still vividly remember as a kid (late 60's) meeting Batman with the Batmobile and also Herman Munster with the Munster's car at this very same restaurant. I don't remember if it was Adam West I saw in person but I think I have a signed photo of AW as Batman back home in my mom's attick. Good times. Anyway, they too used to make their fries fresh cut and I would frequently make a meal out of them alone. They were awesome. Way better than In-N-Out's fries. Bob p.s. May favorite perk for working at MD? Big Mac with quarter pounder meat.

I love corn on the cob. I usually hold the stem end in my right hand and move right to left. I'll eat about three rows at a time in true typewriter fashion. No holders. Don't see the point. The only problem I have with eating COTC is competing with one of my cats for it. Rocky, an ebony ticked oriental shorthair, absolutely LOVES corn on the cob and munches on one end while I munch on the other. He always knows when we're having it and will do anything in his power to get to it. I have some pics of us sharing an ear of corn...funny as hell. His style is about chewing on the small end for a bit to soften then he goes straight for the kernals all around it. He doesn't care about being systematic...he just goes for it. If I try to pull it away, he sometimes growls at me. Most of the time though he's purring all through his feast. Bob

Of course you still go back to your Wusthofs for everyday cooking and chopping. A 6 inch petty knife is not the right knife for that. A Gyuto is the Japanese equivalent to the Chef's knife. I do 90% of my work with a 270mm (10.75") Gyuto. Yes, 90%. I can break down big cuts of meat and I can easily and quickly mince a clove of garlic with this knife. So big or little, I use a Gyuto. I have a 270mm Hattori Gyuto (among others) and it's not flimsy at all. Matter of fact, it's currently the go-to knife in my block. I don't have the same petty knife you have so I can't comment on it except that you shouldn't judge a whole line of knives based on a petty that was made for delicate work. Small knife, smaller handle. My Hattori Gyuto has a good sized handle that's extremely comfortable. Other brands like the Misono UX10 line has pretty beefy handles. Japanese blades are forged to a higher HRC (60-64) than Euro(55-59) knives making them harder, thinner and lighter. Because of the higher HRC, they are more brittle than Euro knives making them a bit more prone to chipping if you cut bone or try to cut frozen food. So, don't do that with a Gyuto. Use something else like a Western Deba: a double beveled thick/heavy knife with Gyuto profile. If I need to break down a chicken, I use a Honesuki: a Japanese boning knife. I have a 3" paring knife, my wife uses a Watanabe Santoku and sometimes one of my 240mm Gyuto's if she needs the length. My point is that there's a Japanese knife for every job. Also, Japanese knives don't need to be sharpened as often because they hold their edge better and longer than softer Euro knives. I used to have a couple of henckles and Wusthof's that I used for a long time because I was told they were the shit. Then I bought my first Gyuto last September...a Kikuichi Stainless. I promptly gave those used POS knives away to a friend of my wifes (whom I don't like that much because I would never give them to someone I did like) and I've never looked back. I've converted several friends one who was a diehard Henckles user. It didn't have to say much either. I just had them cut up some veggies. Japanese knives need to be tried out before one can make a sound decision. Making a decision based on what you're heard and not seen is irresponsible. Shun's, while good knives, they do not represent what Japanese knives are all about. Kershaw Shun knives are good knives with VG-10 blades. They have nice handles but they are different than standard western handles. Most Japanese knives use the same western style handles that are on Euro knives. They have knives with traditional handles on western style knives but it's not common. Traditional handles are most prevelent on traditional knives. Take a look at THIS site. They have a huge selection of western style knives at the cheapest prices you will find. The best brands IMHO are Hattori HD, Tojiro Powdered Steel and DP, Misono UX10, Ryusen, Hiromoto and Masamoto VG10. I hope this is helpful in understanding a little bit of what Japanese knives are. Cheers, Bob

I only one word to say with regard to that knife: Ebay. Use the money to buy a Tojiro DP Gyuto (chef) for $60 for the 240mm size. Best bang for the buck with Japanese knives. I guarantee you will not be sorry. Koki, the owner, has the best customer service. You can get your knife shipped for $7 and get it in about a week from Japan. I can't say enough about this place. Bob

Uh yeah, never needs sharpening. Red flag right there. Doesn't Cutco say that? There is no metal used in cutlery that I'm aware of that never needs sharpening. Some lasts longer than others but they will eventually need to be sharpened. If it were me, I'd work the bastard on the stone and make as sharp as I could. Either that or sell it on ebay and buy a real knife. Bob

What you're experiencing is normal and there's no way to stop it. This "Patina" is the reaction of the metal caused by acidity in the foods you cut. Washing and drying well keeps it from rusting. There are ways to remove this patina but it is a pain in the butt to do daily and really not worth the time. Someone once told me to leave the patina alone as it tells a story of where the knife has been and the meals it helped create. Kinda cool, I think. Wetstone or sandstone is the ideal method for sharpening Japanese blades whether it's carbon or stainless steel because of the acute angles of the bevels. If your knife is sharp at the beginning of the day it usually only takes a quick touch-up on the stone to bring it back to life. Idealy, you should have at least a 1000 grit and a 5000 or 6000 grit stone. A combo stone would be the cheapest route. Touch ups would be made on the 5000 grit stone and if your knife is REALLY dull, use the 1000 grit. You could get a 220 or 320 to repair chips if needed. Norton and King are good brands. Steeling your knife during the day is a good idea. Keep in mind that the purpose of steeling is to bring the edge back into alignment and not necessarily to sharpen it. I don't recommend any kind of ceramic or metal "sharpening" steel with grooves and the one I use is a smooth steel by Handamerican.com. If you have a sharpening steel use light (only the weight of the knife) pressure to minimize remove of metal by your steel. I'm sure there is but nobody that I know of has the selection and availability than Koki at Japanese Chef Knife.com. She is awesome with customer service and will bend over backwards to find or get whatever you want. I've purchased four knives from her with the most recent being delivered today as a matter of fact. My knife entered the EMS system on Tuesday and I got it today. Brands of knives I have are Hattori, Tojiro, Misono and want to get a Hiromoto and maybe a Ryusen. She can deliver a knife in less than a week from Japan for $7. Nobody can beat her prices and nobody can beat her shipping. Outstanding place to buy knives. Cheers, Bob

That is true for the Orange Line stopping at stop 33 at the south end of the Gaslamp but from Mission Valley you'll already be on the Blue Line. DO NOT get on the Orange line to get to the Gaslamp. Stay on the Blue Line which runs along C street, get off on stop 28 (5th Ave) and walk south for one block to Broadway which is the north end of the Gaslamp Quarter. The majority of places start at E street which is one more block south of Broadway. The main drag is 5th Avenue. 4th Avenue is plenty loaded with restaurants too. 6th Avenue is sparse. 4th Avenue is the east end of Horton Plaza, a really nice 4 level outdoor mall. Bob P.S. Depending on your schedule you may want to get the Day Tripper pass which is unlimited rides for any number of days. Note: edited to fix problems caused by my brain moving faster than my fingers.

I agree 100% with all you wrote, Russ...except for the "god" part. I'm doing my internship for a knife god. In my post, I was responding to what Spoon said about looking at the handle when they shop for a knife. I understood that to be do people choose a knife based on aesthetics. So I just talked about how the actual handle itself looks and feels in your hand. Balance was kept out of the picture because with just about all western style Japanese knives balance is where it should be. Balance is a factor in deciding between a traditional styled Gyuto versus a western styled Gyuto. Traditonal styled Gyuto's are extremely blade heavy so one has to make the decision regarding balance between similar Japanese knives. I guess I'm trying to say that balance relates more to the overall picture of a knife versus choosing a knife with a nice "looking" handle...but you are 100% correct about balance being very important when choosing a knife of any make. If the handle doesn't fit or feel good in your hand, balance is irrelevant though. For example I have a Kikuichi Gyuto that has a great blade, great balance and flawless fit and finish. It's not in my knife block because the handle is squared off and I don't like the way it feels. An expensive knife not being used because I don't like the way the handle feels. Some day, I will sand down those edges to make it more comfortable but this is an example of something as simple as that can cause you to choose another knife. So from my experience the handle itself is pretty high up there. Cheers, Bob

The handle itself is important but only with regards to how it feels in your hand. Some handles have ergonomic bumps on the underside and some don't. Some handles have more rounded edges than others and conversly some are quite squared off. Some handles are also bigger than others and some handles taper from wide to narrow as you get toward the blade. If you grip the knife using the pinch grip then many of these handles characteristics are not as important but ergonomics of the handle does come into play. Bottom line is you've got to hold the knife and see how it feels. If you don't like the way it feels, you won't use it no matter how good the blade is. I'm of the Japanese knife camp and a few of my knives have handle's where the fit and finish is not all that great. This is quickly is forgotten once I start using it. Sure it detracts somewhat from the overall aesthetics of the knife but you want a knife that performs more than you want a knife with a purdy handle. Blades IMHO are without a doubt the most important thing to consider in a knife with the handles ergonomics a close second. What the handle looks like is not as important. It's a special bonus to get a kick-ass blade and a handle with near perfect fit and finish. Cheers, Bob

THIS is a good start. Mostly on Harbor which I beleive is where the main gate is located. HERE is a few more mostly on Katella. Have fun, Bob

No apology needed. Yeah, downtown is loaded with good places and the trolley stops not too far from it. The area is called the Gaslamp Quarter and is on 4th and 5th avenues between Broadway and K street. Fifth avenue is the main street of this area. You want to stay above 500 on the street address if possible since there's a lot of construction going on below that and the majority of the better stuff is above that. There is a place or two below that fall below the 500 mark but it's well worth the walk. But you'll end up coming back up to the 600-800 area on 5th. Places I've been to and liked were: Monsoon (Indian) Georges on 5th (steak) Greystone (steak) Rama (Thai...ask to sit in the back by the waterfall) Dakota (American with Southwestern infulence) Rei de Gado Brazilian Steakhouse (all you can eat, they bring the meat to you on skewers and you make your choice) Places I heard were good but have yet to go: Taka Sushi (sushi, duh) Star of India (Indian) La Strada Trattoria (Italian) Aqua Blue (fusion seafood) Croce's (fish, meat, pasta. They have a main restuarant, a small jazz bar and an R&B club that sometimes gets top names) Don't go to: Aqua Al 2 Sushi Itto The House of Blues just opened up and it looks big from the outside. There are plenty of places to check out for nightlife including bands from cover bands to blues to piano bars and jazz combo's. More exciting nightlife than Mission Valley. The official website Gaslamp.org Bob

P. F. Changs is not what you're invisioning or maybe it is I don't know. No coat checks or white table cloths. By upscale, I mean it's higher class and quality than the average Chinese restaurant. I've been eating at Changs for a very long time. I love their food but then again I'm white so what do I know. I'm sure they do cater to the masses but the food is good. They don't take reservations and on weekends you can expect 1-2 hour waits. Go to their website and look at their menu. P.F. Changs The Kearny Mesa area on Convoy between Clairemont Mesa drive down past Balboa is well known as having the most concentration of asian places for shopping and eating. I used to work in that area and frequented a few places for lunch quite often. Don't know what's all there now but it's still heavily asian. Jasmine or Emerald are places that are probably more on the authentic side compared to Changs and they're in this area. It's been a long time though. Go to that Signonsandeigo web site with all the restaurants and do a search by neighborhood. Select Kearny Mesa and most of that stuff will come up. This area is maybe 4-5 miles north of your hotel up hwy 163. Bob

Agreed, don't rely on those editor picks. I gave that listing as a comprehensive list of restaurants in your area not to be confused with order of quality. You can use that list to find places based on addresses and reference distance to your hotel, etc. Changs is about 50 yards NE of the East end of the mall or Robinson's May department store. It's in Fashion Valley's parking lot but not the actual mall itself. Also weird how the map for Changs puts it in the wrong place. The star should be in the upper right corner of that map. The Trolley stop is at the West end in front of JC Penny. If you look at the map Tolliver gave you to Gordon Beirsch I think your hotel is close to the corner of Hotel Circle South and Bachman (might have to move the map toward the west and zoom in). This may be hard to see but from your hotel, you will walk to the right underneath 8 to Hotel Circle North. As soon as you go under the freeway HCN goes to the left (to get to Fashion Valley and trolley stop) and Camino De La Riena goes to the right. This street takes you behind Mission Valley Center and toward the restaurants, Kings Fish House and Gordon Beirsch. Also noticed that Forever Fondue is not that far West of Fashion Valley on Friars on the right side if your interested in Fondue. Bob

I wasn't trying to personally attack anyone...the story, yes, egulleteers, no. Nor was I trying to say you all are wrong. I was trying to understand points people made and/or to comment on them. I responded to the article then to what a few said about the article. If being personally attacked is the only thing people got out of my comments or questions then I humbly apologize. That was not my intention. After reading what I wrote, I could see how people may get the same impression. Sorry. Sincerely, Bob

What really floors me is that this is a "new" study. Diet soda's have been out for what...30-40 years? Countless study's have been made on everything and a majority of them state some kind of new find. This is written as some kind of revelation...that people think they can lose weight drinking diet soda's. I'm an avid Diet Coke drinker and am overweight. Not because I drink Diet Coke but because I eat a lot of fast food, pizza, and other extremely fattening foods. The fact that I drink diet coke is not why I go to these places to eat their fattening foods. I've been on Weight Watchers since January and have lost almost 40 lbs with 15 more to go to hit my goal. I still drink as much DC as before but now I'm eating better so the weight is falling off. Trying to link diet sodas to obesity based on the the "belief" of individuals that it will make them lose weight is not a scientific connection as the title of the article would suggest and the tone of the article in general would suggest. Sure they're taking in less calories by not drinking regular soda's but they're still eating the same old shit. These people who conducted the study didn't study diet soda causing obesity, the study just confirmed that people are just stupid to think that diet sodas will help them lose weight. Well thank you Captian Obvious. I guess they have to do something to pay the rent. There are so many things said that were so incredibly stupid to me. "...people who see they are beginning to gain weight may be more likely to switch from regular to diet soda," Fowler suggests. "But despite their switching, their weight may continue to grow for other reasons. So diet soft-drink use is a marker for overweight and obesity." Diet soda is the marker for obesity? Didn't Fowler just say that despite switching, their weight continues to grow FOR OTHER REASONS? What if someone switched careers and continued to gain weight? What if someone stopped eating fruit and continued to gain weight? What if someone bought a new car and continued to gain weight? Wait a minute...new car, wants to drive more, excercises less, gains weight. NEW CARS CAUSE OBESITY. Now give me my $1.5 million dollar grant. "That may be just what happens when we offer our bodies the sweet taste of diet drinks, but give them no calories. Fowler points to a recent study in which feeding artificial sweeteners to rat pups made them crave more calories than animals fed real sugar. " That's because every living being needs calories to function. It's a no brainer that if you're being starved, you're going to be hungry. Did that study replace the calories with the rat pups that were given artificial sweeteners so that caloric intake of that group was the same as the others? My guess is no, so of course they were craving more calories...they were starving them. It's also well known that if you deprive yourself calories the body will reserve the energy and then when you do eat it will continue to reserve energy because it's now in starvation mode to protect itself. Thus you will gain weight. "If you offer your body something that tastes like a lot of calories, but it isn't there, your body is alerted to the possibility that there is something there and it will search for the calories promised but not delivered," Fowler says. Fowler is an idiot. Give me something that "tastes" like it has a lot of calories but doesn't deliver so my body will teach me a lesson and make me fat? So, if I only have a tiny TINY bite of cheesecake my body will react accordingly and make me fat? Shit, I'll just eat the whole pie then. Give me a @#$%@#$ break. This study is crap. I will continue to drink Diet Coke, eat well and lose weight. Good luck to all those people that think they'll lose weight having a Big Mac combo large sized with a Diet Coke. Yeah...good luck with that. The Food Tutor: The phenomenon of diet soda's does not promote gluttony. Drinking a lot of anything under your definition is gluttonous: "drink a lot of water if you're thirsty". If your thirsty, how can that be gluttony to drink a lot of water or diet coke for that matter? I drink a lot of diet coke because I am thirsty, because it tastes better than water, because it tastes better than regular soda, because I hate to pay $3 for one soda at a restaurant. Constantly overeating is a sign of gluttony, not drinking diet coke. Chrisamirault: I do agree that people think that if they drank diet coke, they can eat the junk food they've always had. But it didn't take this study to point that out. This is nothing new. I don't see though how or why drinking diet soda's makes you have more cravings? It still comes down to caloric intake...drink something with no calories, you're body will eventually crave calories to sustain it's energy. Drink something with lot's of calories, you're body will be partially satisfied because it's receiving energy. Pretty obvious to me. Did I miss your point? Tommy: Amen to that brother. You look at anything for 7-8 years and you can find just about anything you want to justify your cause. This study loosely reminds me of the caffiene study that first came out and said caffiene is bad for you. Then in the middle of the article way beyond the point that most people stop reading they say the level of caffiene tested in rats equals that of 150 cups of coffee a day for 20 years for it to adversly affect your body. I guess I just hate when I read crap studies like this. Bob edited to say Holy Crap! I'm long winded...sorry.

A couple of things. 1. There is a steak place called Albie's Beef Inn on the same side of the freeway you are on and not too far from your hotel. Ask someone which way to go but if you're on H.C. South, you will go left as you face out from your hotel looking at the freeway. They have pretty good food there. There is also Kelly's Steaks at the T&C but I've never eatin there so I can't comment. 2. Go to Fashion Valley mall which is behind or north of the Town & Country. Just walk down Fashion Valley Rd. until you hit it. 2a. While there, you can go to the food court, eat at Rubio's and have yourself a Rubio's Special: two fish taco's, chips and beans. Rubio's has the best fish taco's I've ever eatin. 2b. Also while at the mall take the Blue Line Trolley(a map) to Old Town for some sightseeing and some Mexican grub. There are several places to eat. My two favorites are Coyote Grill on San Diego Ave. and the restaurant in the middle of Bazarr Del Mundo. I think I prefer the outdoor restaurant in Del Mundo but very good eats at both places. Old town is not far from your hotel...down Hotel Circle to the left to Taylor street...not all that far away (3 miles?). The hotel may even have a shuttle service to the mall and also to Old Town. Time wise, it may be better just to go straight to Old Town from your hotel versus taking the trolley. The blue line also goes to down to the Tijuana border if you have the time. 2c. Also at the mall but not in the food court is P.F. Changs. Very good upscale Chinese food not over your budget. There's also a Cheesecake Factory but the few times I've eatin there it wasn't all that good. Both places are at the opposite end of the mall from the trolley station near Robinson's May on the outskirts of the mall. 3. Not too far from the mall is Forever Fondue on Friars. A short taxi ride from the hotel or even from the Fashion Valley mall but may be a little too far to walk there and back. Only a mile or two from the mall. 4. There's Gordon Biersch Brewery accross from Mission Valley Mall (not Fashion Valley mall). May be too far to walk though. Hotel shuttle to MV mall then walk over? Another short taxi ride? Haven't yet to eat there but heard was good. 5. A great fish house called Kings Fish House is in Mission Valley not too far from the other places or your hotel. Yummy food. 6. Right next door to Albie's is Adam's Steak and Eggs...very good breakfast. 7. For Japanese buffet, I recommend ONami over Todai. I suggest getting a map of the Mission Valley area with street names then check out THIS website for a whole list of restuarants in the MV area. This link is the most comprehensive list of area restaurants I've seen. Cheers, Bob

Since your son is Danish, you may want to make a stop at Solvang. It's "the danish capital of America" and it's off 101 north of Santa Barbara I believe. I've never been but want to some day. While in San Diego, I highly recommend Rubio's for their Fish Taco Especials (not the plain fish taco). Best fish taco's I've ever eaten. My favorite taco shop is Nacho's at 7589 University Ave. in La Mesa. Been there for over 20 years. Good stuff. For brewery's, there is the San Diego Brewing Co., Coronado Brewing Co., Stone Brewing Co. (originated in SD) and the Karl Strauss brewery which originated in San Diego. I think the downtown location is the original. I'll add my recommends to all the others for In-N-Out Burgers. To fully experience this place you've got to get the Double-Double. It's not as big as it sounds and it truely is hella good. Animal style is good and the pickles do tend to overpower. If you get it, just say no pickles and extra onions. The basic DD with raw onions though is the same burger they made when they opened up back in 1946 in L.A. (Calif's first drive-thru). There all over San Diego. Other places to try to hit include the Corvette Diner in Hillcrest area. Fun place. For BBQ, I recommend w/o reservation Phil's BBQ. When I moved to SD 20 years ago, I started a quest to find the best BBQ in town. This place was third on my list of spots to hit...I have yet to try #4. The ribless dinner is awesome if you want to keep your hands clean. Chunks of pork tenderloin cooked same as everything else smothered in sauce. Back ribs are the best. <gettin hungry over here>. For Pizza, I highly recommend Filippi's Pizza Grotto. There are other Filippi's around town but for some reason, they don't all make pizza the same way. I ate at the one in Little Italy and I thought it was aweful. I have found the one on Kearny Mesa Rd. to be the best and ALWAYS eat there when I want pizza. Thick crust french bread dough with lots of cheese and toppings. The best IMHO. If you visit Old Town, you've got to go to Rockin Baja Lobster. Fun place with unique food and presentation. You can get your beers in one bucket and your food in another bucket. Fun and different. Some place unique here in SD is Restaurant Row in San Marcos. Many really good restaurants including the San Marcos Brewery. My favorites are Bruno's Italian (walls have pics of celebs all over them)and Fish House Veracruz. Well, I'm drawing a blank on more suggestions because I can't stop thinking about Phil's. I'll add more if I can think of them. Cheers, Bob

In a nut shell.....of the three brands you listed Nenox wins hands down. The S1 series is highly coveted by many who own Japanese blades and those who own Nenox swear by them over any other Japanese brand. But they are expensive. The minimally basic "four" that you'd need IMO is a Gyuto (Chef), Yo-Deba (heavy duty chef), Paring and slicer or bread knife. Gyuto for just about everything. Yo-Deba for boning chickens or heavy duty work since a Gyuto is to fragile for this type of cutting. An argument can be made for using a yo-deba instead of a qyuto as the profile is almost the same but a typical gyuto is 8 ounces and a typical yo-deba is 12-14 ounces plus a gyuto is much thinner and more precise. Paring and bread knives are self explanitory. All knives are double beveled. I would suggest a few brands: Best bang for the buck: Tojiro DP series Best workhorse: Tojiro Powder Steel series Best looking with high quality blade: Hattori HD series Best hand made at reasonable cost: Watanabe (recommended without reservation!!) Best fit/finish in production knife with high quality blade: Misono UX10 (HRC not as high as some others) Best stainless benefits with high carbon edge (sandwich): Hiromoto Tenmi-Jyuraku Series (comes with cool saya) Best new kid on the block: Ryusen Blazen series (powdered steel) Other brands such as Shun and the Meridian Elite aslo deserve mention. I've heard good things about the Meridian Elite but have never handled one. I use to own a Shun which was very sharp out of the box and very good looking but I replaced it as I felt the damascus on this brand was rough causing drag as it cut(imagined?) and the handle was a tad uncomfortable for me. The decision has to be made on stainless versus high carbon. Stainless will not get nor retain the same sharpness as high carbon. VG-10 comes very close to the proerties of carbon but does fall slightly short. I've read peoples comments to this effect and they prefer the high carbon over stainless. I own a Tojiro Powder, Hattori HD, Misono UX10 and several of Watanabe's knives and love them all. Hattori has the most comfortable handle for me. The others are also comfortable. The Misono's handles are slightly beefier and feel good in the hand. My next purchases will all be high carbon knives. The other consideration is size of knives you want. The standard that most people get is a 240mm Gyuto. I personally prefer the 270mm and at three ounces heavier than the 240mm, it handles the same as the balance is just about the same place. There may be a time where you'd need that extra inch or so. The Deba should be 180 or 210. I have a 180 and it's fine. The size of the paring is up to you. Many people prefer 3" but some like 4". Since most Japanese "petty's" or paring knives don't come shorter than 120mm or 4.5". There are some 105's out there. Dojo Blue Steel petty comes highly recommended. Blue steel core surrounded by stainless steel at 120mm. Also keep in mind that it would be highly advisable to buy wetstones to sharpen your own knives. DO NOT take them to the knife shop at the mall to sharpen...they will ruin it. Many people have Norton and King stones and love them. I have Shapton Pro and Norton and love them. Get the sharpening video at Korin. There is a learning curve but not at all complicated. You can get combo stones or individual stones. Combo is cheapest route but won't last as long. I recommend 1000, 4000 and 8000 grit. You'll need a lower grit like 220 to fix chips, etc but 1000 is the lowest grit you'll need for touch ups. Here's a few places to look at: Japanese Chef Knife (Outstanding service, best prices and extrememly fast shipping from Japan) Korin Epicurean Edge Watanabe Blade The Japan Woodworker As I said, in a nut shell Cheers, Bob

Also... Peohe's mentioned above is next to the water at the ferry landing. Il Fornaio is also on the water by the ferry landing. I found this website that lists a majority if not all of the Coronado restaurants HERE I heard Crown Bistro for breakfast is really good.