FrogPrincesse

The summer issue of Imbibe magazine includes a fairly detailed article on the San Diego beer scene and cocktail culture. San Diego is already well known for its local breweries, but maybe not so much for its cocktail bars. The article mentions El Dorado, Noble Experiment, Craft & Commerce, Salt Box, The Lion Share, Grant Grill and Snake Oil Cocktail Company. The online version of the article can be found here.

Got a few things from drinkupny.com that I had difficulties finding locally.

Another refreshing swizzle, the Barbadian Gin Punch Swizzle from Imbibe magazine, a recipe from David Wondrich which calls for genever, coconut water, lime juice, demerara syrup and Angostura bitters. There was something interesting about the sweet coconut water and the malt/smoke of the genever. It was somewhat of an unexpected pairing which really grew on me. Plus I am also on the lookout for good genever-based recipes.

Last week I made Jasper's Jamaican Planter's Punch (not to be confused with Jasper's rum punch, also in the book, which utilizes Wray & Nephew white overproof rum). I liked its simplicity: it's just dark Jamaican rum and Jasper's "secret mix", a mixture of lime juice, demerara syrup, Angostura bitters, and grated nutmeg. The books calls for Coruba but I substituted Appleton 12 because that's what I had on hand. I would love to try it again with the Coruba.

Toliver, There are a few houses and apartments there, but it's primarily light industrial/warehouses. The shipyards and commercial port are a few blocks away. It's near Las Cuatro Milpas.

Here is last night's Queen's Park Swizzle with white rum (Flor de Cana), lime juice, simple syrup, Angostura and Peychaud bitters, and mint.

It looks like I inadvertently deleted the picture of the menu at Julienne. Here we go:

I still really like the Brown Bomber, which is essentially a White Negroni with Tennessee whisky instead of gin, a creation by Jim Meehan. Now that Suze is finally available in the US, I am less nervous about using the bottle that I brought back from France last year.

The subject matter could have been interesting, but the book seems full of generalities. After reading the review in the New York times, I was not interested in reading it.

It's good in a sandwich to add a little extra kick. I had it recently in a pork belly sandwich with arugula and confit tomatoes... delicious.

The Donga Punch was wonderful but my husband wanted something with even more punch (pun unintended), so I made a Nui Nui last night. I had not had one in a while. It has cinnamon, pimento dram, Angostura bitters and vanilla. The recipes calls for "amber Virgin Islands rum" (code name for Cruzan?) - I used Flor de Cana gold. The juices are orange and lime. It was super flavorful indeed. It was interesting to read how Jeff Berry spent years trying to decrypt the Nui Nui recipe which called for "Donns' spices #2" (code for pimento + vanilla). Apparently the bartenders who worked for Don did not know what these mixes contained as they were delivered already prepared... It's a good thing that Jeff Berry was able to finally crack the code, otherwise some of these recipes would have been lost forever.

You are very welcome, Toliver. The address is listed as 1735 National Avenue (National avenue & Beardsley), so it's accessible with the trolley. Here is their brand new website for more information: http://sandiegopublicmarket.com/

Same here - I use the carcasses with whatever meat is left on them to make stock in my pressure cooker.

I always do - that way they can be eaten as is with no additional salt needed.

Yes - in France, scallops are typically sold live, i.e. in the shell with the roe still attached, and they are quite a treat! They are amazing carpaccio-style with a touch of olive oil & lime.

After the cornucopia of ingredients in Don's Beach Planter, I was looking for something a little more streamlined that would still feature Don's characteristic flavor profile. On paper, the Donga Punch seems to fit that purpose with just four ingredients: aged rhum agricole (I used St James), lime juice, grapefruit juice (Oro Blanco) and cinnamon syrup. A funky rum with the grapefruit + cinnamon combo that is seen in so many creations by Donn Beach. It was ready in a couple of minutes. I really enjoyed it. For me it evoked a spicy Mai Tai, a huge compliment as the Mai Tai is one of my favorite tiki drinks. My husband did not think it was quite in the same league as the 1934 Zombie, Don's masterpiece, but I feel that it is close - and a lot faster to make! I am adding it to my list of favorites. Here is the recipe as posted by bmdaniel a while back on this thread (it's from Sippin' Safari): Note that with the cinnamon syrup that I used (B.G. Reynolds), the cinnamon flavor was quite pronounced, the way I expected it to be, and I did not have to adjust the recipe.

The project has well exceeded its kickstarter funding goal of $ 92k, and therefore it looks like we will have a public market in San Diego in the very near future. More details about the project here, here and here (for updates). It's quite exciting. Founders Catt White and Dale Steele quote La Boqueria and Granville Island market as their inspiration, which sets the bar quite high!

It looks like Cavaillon has closed, very unfortunately. Philippe Verpiand (formerly of Tapenade), who first opened the restaurant as chef/owner, had left last year.

Part 3 - Julienne It looks like I kept the best for last. We had an excellent dinner at Julienne. The space was on the casual side but the cuisine was very elegant. Just looking at the menu I knew we were going to have a good time - it's always a good sign when every dish on the menu is something that you are tempted to order... My husband started with the flatbread with arugula, heirloom tomato and prosciutto. Very nice, although I have to say that the prepkitchen version is superior. The crust could have been a little thinner and crispier. I had the duck gizzard salad as my first course which was wonderfully prepared. Delicious with little pops of fresh grapes, however the amount of duck gizzard was strangely small. This was a theme that night and our only complaint about the meal. Maybe it's because I grew up in France and was raised on salade de gesiers, but I was expecting a larger portion of gizzards (which are a "cheap" ingredient anyway). For the main courses, the duck breast was cooked perfectly (aka pink) and accompanied by a hearty shell bean and cabbage ragout. Excellent and comforting but... small. The sweetbreads were juicy and well paired with ricotta ravioli, plenty of sweet corn and a touch of jalapeno. I would have been happier with 1.5 times the amount, although I am a relatively small eater. Since we were still a bit hungry, we ordered dessert which was a HUGE chocolate mousse which was rich - the way it should be. It was served with a bunch of Cracker Jacks which I did not enjoy (too hard, with a few unpopped corn kernels). We had an excellent time at Julienne and were happy to find this level of dining experience in Santa Barbara. I had to mention that the wine pairings were great and that they offer a lot of local wines. Service was very attentive. We can't wait to go back.

Don's Beach Planter In typical tiki fashion, this elixir combines no fewer than 8 ingredients. The liquor mix is mostly aged rhum agricole (I used St James Hors d'Age) plus dark Jamaican (Appleton 12) and brandy (I used Remy Martin vsop cognac). For the fruit, we have pineapple juice, lime juice and passion fruit syrup. The spice is provided by the Angostura bitters and herbsaint (I used pastis). I thought that this was a robust drink which highlighted the rhum agricole. The passion fruit is in the background, not really identifiable, while the rhum and spices are more prominent. For some reason the St James tends to get lost in the Trader Vic Mai Tai, but it was very good in this drink. Looking up mentions of this drink online, I later found that Jeff Berry had described it as having a "piratical pleasing taste", which is quite an accurate description.

That looks good, Kerry. Can you share the ratios? I have a bottle of Bonal that has been languishing in the fridge.... Also, what would be good substitute for Dandelion & Burdock bitters - I have no idea what they taste like? Thanks! I used 2 oz gin, 1 ounce bonal, 3/4 ounce lime, 1/4 tsp bitters - top with tonic. Not sure what would sub for the bitters - a bit licorice flavoured according to some so perhaps a bit of pernod or absinthe . Next time will add 1/2 ounce honey syrup. Thanks. If licorice is the predominant flavor, then maybe Peychaud's would work as a substitute too.

Speaking of brunch, I think that Craft & Commerce does an excellent job in that area. At first glance, their brunch menu seems fairly limited but everything we have tried so far has been great: the smoked salmon - a generous portion served with soft boiled duck eggs and an herb salad, the chicken & waffle (a big stack of juicy fried chicken), and the duck leg cassoulet which was served with foie gras (!) before the ban. Prices are very reasonable too (around $10 - $12). And the best part - their cocktails are truly outstanding. If you go with a bunch of friends it's fun to share a bowl of punch. Phil Ward's touch on the cocktail program is obvious, and the two punches that I have had a chance to try, Mother's Ruin (gin, sweet vermouth, spiced tea, lemon, grapefruit, champagne) and the Guerilla Monsoon Punch (which is kind of a Mai Tai in punch form with dark Jamaican rum, white rum, lime, orgeat curacao, champagne) are a great value at $42 for the bowl. The punches are served in a vintage milk-glass punch bowl. Here are a couple of other cocktails that are also very brunch-appropriate: French 75 and the Early Riser (bourbon, lemon, honey maple syrup, bacon bitters).

Another visit to Prepkitchen (Little Italy) last month. The flatbread was, again, wonderful. The toppings change based on what is available at the local farmers' market. We had to get the excellent pork belly tacos again. We also tried the chilaquiles from the brunch menu. We had tried something similar at La Jolla's prepkitchen a while back and should have known better. They were a soggy & boring mess. The cocktails were good: this time we had London's Burning (their gin/avocado/lime/cilantro cocktail which was spicier than usual - actually a little too spicy), Two Cents In (a very tasteful concoction with bourbon, St Germain and Dubonnet) and Death in the Afternoon (Hemingway's classic with champagne and absinthe). I like this place a lot but will stay away from the brunch-type items next time, because there are many more interesting options on the menu.

That looks good, Kerry. Can you share the ratios? I have a bottle of Bonal that has been languishing in the fridge.... Also, what would be good substitute for Dandelion & Burdock bitters - I have no idea what they taste like? Thanks!

Sounds interesting. Is there an app version in the works as well? I find drinks apps to be very user-friendly thanks to their search features (I am also trying to limit my book acquisitions due to space). Thanks!