FrogPrincesse

Also Bird Rock Coffee Roasters in La Jolla

Elzoe, I’ve been on a couple of trips to French Polynesia in the past 10 years (the last one about 5 or 6 years ago). My favorite restaurant was Coco’s near Papeete (no relationship to the US chain restaurant). First class French cuisine with local ingredients, beautiful setting near the water with a view of Moorea. Go before sunset, have drink in the garden, then have dinner in the cabana. I still remember the geckos perched on the roof of the cabana and serenading us the whole time. We selected the chef’s tasting menu and had a fantastic meal which included sea urchin ravioli, ecrevisses (crayfish) with vanilla sauce, squab, and many other delicacies. It was not cheap so may not fit your “won’t break the bank” criteria, but it was really truly memorable. In Papeete we also liked “Les 3 brasseurs”. There is nothing Tahitian about this place but it has beer that is brewed on the premises and delicious flammenkuche, the flatbread-type pizza that is typical of Alsace. The typical topping is crème fraiche, bacon and onion. We found it quite funny to be having Alsatian food in Tahiti. Price-wise it’s very reasonable and convenient as it’s located on one of the main streets in Papeete, facing the water. In general, we’ve had good meals in French Polynesia when we ordered anything simple/typical based on local ingredients – we had grilled fish or poisson cru (raw fish from the lagoon marinated in lime juice and coconut) most days, and it was always great. Other food-related highlights for us included visiting a vanilla plantation (and bringing home the freshest, most pungent beans I had ever seen), trying a pineapple drink that was naturally fermented at a juice factory in Moorea, eating the local fruit jams at breakfast, and spending time at the farmer's market in Papeete.

Franci, Rest assured - there is no shortage of farmers markets in San Diego. I frequent the markets in Hillcrest, La Jolla, Little Italy, and Solana Beach, and they all have a great selection of local produce. Some of these markets also have fish, meat, cheese, etc. Little Italy has a very diverse selection which includes fish, meat, cured meats and even live urchins! I don’t think that you should be scared. For fish there are also a few specialized stores such as Point Loma Seafood and Catalina Offshore Products. I think that you will be happy with the food options in San Diego if you decide to relocate.

I really enjoyed reading this. This was a very evocative read and I never realized until I read this piece how white sauce is at the basis of many my favorite comfort foods. White sauce is one of my favorite things in the world. My mom makes a delicious cauliflower gratin with white sauce. Croque-monsieur sandwiches would lose their raison d’etre without the white sauce. And then there is Blanquette de Veau, which is basically a veal stew finished with a white cream sauce. My version is the standard butter/flour base, salt& pepper, with the addition of veal broth (the cooking liquid) that thickens it almost instantly, crème fraiche, lemon juice, an egg yolk, button mushrooms and pearl onions. Now I just realized what makes it so special.

Sounds great, and very similar in concept & atmosphere to Cafe W. I've made a reservation for this weekend. Thanks for posting this review, kalypso!

No experience with Bite. I see that they are located on University Avenue. We used to be regulars at Café W, Chris Walsh’s first restaurant in Hillcrest. I had not realized he had opened a new place (in 2007!). It looks great on paper – maybe someone can report? If not, I will likely try it in the near future.

I ended up spending a few days in Paris two weeks ago and had lunch at l'Avant Gout. I was actually incorrect in my previous post; they have one large table that can accommodate 12 people. My meal there was excellent. I started off with an artichoke and crab soup (accompanied by a house cocktail, a sparkling wine-based concoction with bitter orange and spices, "Cointreau aux épices et Vouvray pétillant"). I followed with their specialty, which is a delicious pork pot au feu that is cooked with a variety of spices (pot au feu de cochon aux epices). It was a very large entree but I did manage to eat it all in no time. In person it looks better than the picture that I've linked. It's served with sweet potatoes, fennel, and a glass of broth on the side. Now I want to try to replicate it at home (I included a link to the recipe). The service was perfect and I really enjoyed my meal. So if you end up giving this restaurant a try, I don't think that you will be disappointed!

I second l'Avant Gout, although they may not be able to accomodate a group of 12 people (it's a fairly small restaurant). Also, make sure you book well in advance. A few additional suggestions in the 13th: L'Ourcine (another bistro which is also small, but excellent). And Le Petit Marguery which is more on the traditional side.

I did some more reading and it appears that Jean-Marie Josselin's restaurant 808 at Caesar Palace has closed! I did not find a formal announcement, but his restaurant is no longer listed on the Caesar Palace website and is listed as closed on the Gayot website. So it looks like he is permanently relocating to Hawaii.

It looks like the Coco Palms Resort project fell through. But I just read that Jean-Marie Josselin is opening a Tapas Bar in Poipu in May! I am really excited since this was by far my favorite restaurant in Kauai. Time to plan my next trip. Jean-Marie Josselin to open Kauai tapas bar

Honey madeleine with an espresso. Croissant or pain au chocolat with a bowl of cafe au lait.

I have quite a backlog of restaurant reviews I have been wanting to post. It looks like this thread has been inactive for a while, so I thought I should reactivate it. So here we go for part 1. Cavaillon We had a great dinner there. My brother and sister in law treated us to a gift certificate. We had not had dinner there in a long time so were not sure what to expect. We had the tasting menu which involved a fantastic foie gras au torchon (very similar to Tapenade’s) served with toasted brioche, delicious seared scallops with vanilla foam and corn risotto, duck breast sous vide (my favorite preparation for duck breast since I’ve tried it at Blanca – tender and pink, perfection), and their specialty for desert, chocolate pastilla. Overall a very enjoyable meal and attentive service. Only one area of improvement that I can suggest– the wine pairing could have been optimized (the white that was paired with the scallops really clashed with the dish as it was way too acidic), and our first glass came a bit late. We ended up spending less than $200 total for the two of us with wine, and I felt it was a great value for the quality of the meal. Café Chloe We had a pre-symphony lunch there with a couple of friends. Service was poor but they did apologize profusely, comped the drinks and gave us an appetizer to compensate for the wait - there had been a mix-up in the kitchen and our order was never fired, which resulted in a > 45 min wait for our meal. The food was great when it finally arrived. I had steak frites and the skirt steak was very tender and “rare” as requested. The fries had been cooked with scallions with gave a them a very nice & interesting taste. My husband had the moules frites – we love the curry sauce that they are served in and use it as a dip for the fries. Our friends loved their croque madame and omelette. The bill was reasonable and we will be back. [to be continued] As a side note, we need to hear about your dining experiences in San Diego! So many restaurants I used to frequent have closed down recently – La Vache, Better Half, Modus, Chive, and my new favorite Crescent Heights, etc. It would be great to have a few new recommendations.

I’ve been participating in the challenge for the past 10 days and we have been eating exceptionally well. My husband was skeptic at first but we are now enjoying the challenge and the associated savings. When we started the challenge, I was very lucky since I happened to have just bought a deboned leg of lamb. I made a big batch of lamb curry (Jamie Oliver’s recipe from Happy Days with the Naked Chef) with rice and some Trader Joe's naans from the freezer. This was enough for a couple of meals and I froze the rest for a third meal. In the freezer, I found some leftover pork belly (All About Braising recipe) which we ate over ice. I also had some leftover 7-hour leg of lamb in the freezer (this was the recipe of “Les Halles”, which, by the way, is fantastic!) that I converted into a ragu by just simmering for 60 minutes and adding some Trader Joe's marinara sauce from the pantry. We ate it over penne. I also had a couple of frozen chicken pot pies that I had made a while back and were just missing a crust. I made a double batch of crust and used the leftovers to make quiche the next day (see below). With a couple of onions, cheese (tomme de Savoie), bacon, cream, and some eggs, I made a quiche which was big enough for two meals (first night as a main dish, second night as an appetizer). I used Alton Brown’s “refrigerator pie” recipe. Another simple meal was lentil salad with bacon and parsley (unfortunately my husband hates lentils so he had another chicken pot pie that night that was not homemade this time). Yesterday we decided to go crazy with short ribs and sampled from 3 different bags of leftover short ribs that the spanned the October 2008 to October 2009 timeframe. Last year I was experimenting a lot with short ribs recipe to find the “ideal” recipe (I must have tried about ½ dozen recipes in that timeframe). That included Marlene’s recipe, Les Halles’ recipe, and a third unknown recipe (all containers were just labeled as “short ribs” so I guess I should be more specific in the future). I served the short ribs with some baby carrots that were at the end of their prime and quickly cooked in a pressure cooker. I should have recorded the source of the meat because there were some very distinct differences between the three batches but now I cannot tell for sure which one is my favorite source (I live in San Diego and have bought them at Whole Foods, Bristol Farms, 99 Ranch, and Siesel’s in the past). I guess another controlled experiment is in my future. The funny part with this challenge is that, past the first few days when the task seems really insurmountable and you start to panic as your stash of fresh fruit and vegetable is dwindling, you start getting into “the zone” and more and more ideas of meals that optimize what you have on hand come to mind. We are now about 10 days into the challenge and it would be easy to continue for at least another 3-4 days. Examples of possible future meals include risotto, and more items from my freezer (leftover coq au vin, frozen wild boar, a couple of frozen flammenkuchen, leftover lamb curry, pancakes, etc), pasta, etc. I did restock on a few some basic items during the week: bread, yoghurt, and milk. Other than that, our grocery shopping has been limited to a minimum. The fridge starts to look empty now but the freezer is still quite full. Thank you egullet for organizing this event! This is fun and I am looking forward to the next one.

Maybe British pub food would be appropriate for Peter Grimes? Or you could still follow a Peter Grimes' theme by dining out in Escondido. We don't restrict our search to restaurants that are within walking distance of the opera - just any good restaurant that is open late (after 10 pm) would work for us!

I wanted to report on a few good dining experiences that I’ve had in the past 6 months or so. the better half. They have a $20 “stressed economy” menu that is a steal, although I had opted to order a la carte for my first meal there so I could explore the menu more fully. The "tower of beets" appetizer was delicious with its crunchy green beans and gold & red beets. The savory tart du jour was excellent (I forgot what it was that day, it changes daily). I had quail as the entrée, which was a bit on the dry side and was served with a mushroom risotto; my husband had a terrific lamb shank which I would order next time. We enjoyed our meal and the ambiance very much. The wine selection (half bottles, hence the restaurant’s name) is very good and service was attentive. We will be back. crescent heights - this place is fantastic. I started with their signature salad which was a delight (a chino farms beets and burrata salad, with prociutto and aged balsamic). Then I had an enormous lamb shank with north african flavors (couscous and preserved lemons), which managed to be both extremely hearty and quite delicate, the tart lemons balancing this extremely rich dish. The service was top notch and we will definitely be back. Too bad that they stop serving dinner at 10 pm. We are always on the lookout for good places to go after the opera (which typically ends around 10 pm). nobu - this was my first time there; my husband had been at nobu in New York City. The ambiance is very casual (to my disappointment – I was expecting something a little more refined); it's located inside the noisy hard rock hotel in downtown San Diego. I had their signature dishes which are served family style - yellowtail sashimi with jalapeno, and back cod with miso which I enjoyed a lot. We also tried the lobster roll which was very good. For dessert, the coconut haupia was overly sweet, so the bento box with valhrona chocolate cake and green tea ice cream is definitely the way to go. They are open late so it’s a good post-opera option. quarter kitchen at the ivy hotel – this is Nathan Coulon’s new place. He joined as a sous-chef after leaving modus, and recently took over the executive chef position. I had dinner there back in January, when they still had the “old” menu and he had not had a chance to change it much. We started with the raw oysters, and the steamed mussels that were prepared in a very delicate cream based broth. For the main course, the lobster risotto was very nicely prepared. Overall, we liked everything but thought that it was more expensive and slightly less refined than crescent heights. Service was average. We will have to come again to try the new menu. Jay (a wolfgang puck restaurant). I wanted to like this restaurant but overall it did not leave a memorable impression. Everything was well prepared and portions were big, but it lacked subtlety I thought. And the service was average. I had the duck with bing cherry sauce for the main course, and the hamashi sashimi (with jalapenos) as an appetizer, which was nice but not in the same league as nobu. Other places I’ve tried in the past year were blanca in Solana Beach and market in Del Mar. Of the two, I preferred market because they seemed to take themselves less seriously. The service at blanca was overly fussy in my opinion. Their concept seems to revolve around revisited American classics (shrimp cocktail, Rossini, etc) with the “latest” techniques (foams, sous-vide, “deconstructed” dishes, and the like). Regardless of the gimmicks, blanca has an excellent sous vide duck magret that I recommend – duck breast can be tough but cooked sous-vide, it was a revelation. My friends were less impressed with their Rossini steak (very skimpy on the foie gras which was just a terrine, not even a slice of lobe; truffle was only present in the béarnaise that was served on the side but did not seem to belong to the dish). We had a good shrimp appetizer. But overall, dinner was quite expensive for what we got. Market (Carl Schroeder formerly of Arterra) seems to have a more straightforward approach. The dishes I had were a little underwhelming but I did really appreciate the fact that everything seemed to be in season, with lots of well prepared vegetables. Also, service was very attentive and we felt at home. Regarding post-opera options / late dining, we have been dining at starlite quite a bit since it’s open late (starlite lounge on india street). The food is realty unpretentious and quite reasonable. It’s clearly not the same category as the various restaurants discussed above, however they are a few very nice options such as the steamed mussels, and their Jidori chicken which is cooked under a brick. I had an excellent grilled octopus and arugula appetizer there last weekend (not a dish that you often find on menus), which was very tender and well executed. The menu is seasonal and they make their own sausages. And their cocktails are excellent – I highly recommend their signature mule served in a copper mug. Last but not least, whisk and ladle in la jolla. This is a real “foodie” place. First, the cocktails. They put their own spin on classic cocktails and use homemade infusions/bitters/ etc. For example their version of the sidecar had grapefruit liqueur and honey as a sweetener. For appetizers, they have a new flatbread everyday which is almost like an Alsatian flammenkuche – very thin and crisp, delicious. Their charcuterie “cutting board” is full of homemade goodies – that night it was a delicious duck and pistachios terrine (really, really good), a foie gras mousse, and a delicious cured sausage with fennel. Next, I tried the bone marrow, a rarity on menus that I could not pass by. With this kind of restaurant, you are really tempted to mostly eat appetizers. I understand that they are opening a take out place/small market next door – I will keep lobbying until they offer their terrine for sale! Overall, there are quite a few nice restaurants that have opened in San Diego in the past few years (and I was very sad to see chive close last year). I’ve discussed nine ten and tapenade in previous posts; these are places that I’ve been frequenting regularly and always enjoy greatly. I am always disappointed that our city seems to have such a bad reputation in terms of fine dining. So I will continue to post to correct this (wrong) impression!

Tapenade in La Jolla. I highly recommend it. The chef is French and created the brasserie "Les Halles" in New York City.

And there is also La Vache Chez Loma BernardO French Market Grille

That's easy... In addition to La Bastide I can think of: Tapenade Cavaillon La Bonne Bouffe Cafe Chloe

I guess not - I had no idea he had left. When did we leave? I last ate there a month ago and it was as delicious as usual.

I haven't posted in a while but wanted to report on a series of fantastic meals I had at MODUS. I went there for the first time a few months ago and since then, I've become a regular... Their cocktails are original and delicious and perfect to start a nice evening ("fresh start" is champagne and rose water-based, cool love with gin and rose water, cherry poppin - a Caipirinha type cocktail with fresh cherries; I have yet to try one that I don't love! ), the food is perfectly executed and they have a lot of my favorites on the menu (rack of lamb, short ribs, seared foie gras, foie gras brulee which is fantastic, homemade rillettes, to name a few). Just stay away from the desserts and you'll have a great evening. There is a DJ on weekends and the music is usually pretty good except last time in July. I've been to Cafe Chloe a couple of times for lunch and love that place as well. The restaurant is very nicely decorated, like a modern French bistro. The food is comfort/bistro food. Service is very friendly. There are toys for kids, and it's a really nice place to have lunch. I highly recommend it. Their mussels with saffron and frites have a nice kick and are great. I've also been to Chive that I had stopped frequenting a few years ago due to passable meals. I agree with everyone else's opinion - that restaurant is amazing now. I was really impressed and surprised. It was the best meal I've had in a while. The fact that you order small plates is great because you get to try a variety of things on the menu. My favorites were the hamachi crudo and the tea-glazed halibut with coconut froth. Lastly, an old favorite which has also apparently made some recent improvements. Nine Ten used to be great when it opened, and had become a bit disappointing. I've had a great meal there a couple of months ago. The braised short ribs were great, and the bittersweet chocolate "tart" was small but amazing. I have very high standards for dessert and this one was a winner. It consisted of a couple of squares of bittersweet soft chocolate "tart" served with a jasmine sorbet. I need to have this dessert again! I am very sad to read that Asia Vous has closed. I've always wanted to try it but never got a chance due to the location that was not convenient for me. The menu always intrigued me and I used to go to Rice at the W when he was the chef there. I've never like the name though... maybe it's because I'm French but it never seemed quite right! Hopefully I will get a chance to try his new place in Hawaii.

I went to Beard Papa in San Francisco last month and was unimpressed. I felt that the pastry was dry and the filling overly thick and rich. I've had cream puffs many times in France and I prefer mine on the moist, lighter side. I could not understand what the big deal was about, sorry!

Thanks for the suggestions, Kouign Aman. We are also thinking of going to Modus again since we liked it so much the first time (even though it's not within walking distance).

Dear egulleters - I am looking for a place to go pre-opera. Any ideas? Unfortunately I think that Cafe Cerise has closed. In the past, I've been to Chive or Dobson, but I am looking for something different. Ideally the restaurant should be within walking distance. Thanks!

I wanted to briefly report on a fantastic meal I had at MODUS about a month ago. The seared foie gras was to die for and the entrees (confit de canard for him, rack of lamb for me) outstanding as well. Perfectly executed bistro food. Portions are not huge but that was fine with me (quality, not quantity!). We loved the ambiance and the reasonable wine selection... Dessert was a disappointment though (I had the marjolaine cake which was a dry and super compact affair - maybe the cake was old??). Aside from dessert, the meal was great and I shall be back! Thanks kalypso for another great recommendation.

Cool. I hope that this project will soon become a reality. I drove by the Coco Palms Resort many times during my stay in Kauai last week, and it did not look like construction had started. But I did see their sales office at the Coconut Marketplace. We decided to have dinner at Roy's in Poipu and had a fantastic meal, except for the boring desserts.