FrogPrincesse

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.

Thanks kalypso for posting this review of MODUS. Your meal sounds fantastic. Sounds like elegant bistro cuisine which is really my favorite (French comfort food!). We need to try this place soon. I had dinner at Zenbu in La Jolla last Saturday, with husband and friends, and had a fantastic meal. I love sushi and this place really has fantastic fish, with a modern twist (less traditional than Sushi Ota, which is our other favorite sushi restaurant). According to the restaurant’s website which of course explains why the fish is so exceptionally fresh. A lot of the fish they serve is local and that makes all the difference in the world.The restaurant is dark with a modern/Asian decor, red lanterns at the sushi bar, beautiful cymbidium orchid branches in large vases, and giant timber bamboo by the entrance. We used to frequent this place regularly until my pregnancy last year when I was not supposed to eat sushi… torture! (yeah, I know, there is cooked sushi, but that’s really not what I enjoy eating the most in a sushi bar). We usually sit at the bar and make sure that Johnny prepares everything for us (our friends know him and the staff quite well). We asked him to prepare whatever rolls he felt like and we got two versions of his “Johnny roll” and a couple of other rolls, then had some fantastic nigiri (toro, hotate, local uni, halibut). The highlight of the meal was lobster sashimi made with live lobster (decorated with fish roe and gold leaf! quite spectacular), followed by lobster dynamite (I am not usually a big fan of dynamite, due to mayo being somewhat overpowering, but this one made with lobster and crab was very delicate and tasted fantastic!) and then lobster miso soup. A real treat! Love that place, even though it is on the pricey side (over $80 a person this time including tax and tip). They have happy hour a few nights a week which includes drinks and a few specials. That’s what we usually do and it’s a lot more economical! Made reservations for restaurant week at Tapenade (old favorite, has a great $30 menu that includes a recipe from Les Halles that I’ve always wanted to try, “petatou”, a dish involving potatoes, fresh goat cheese and olives) and The Marine Room. Cavaillon was also on the list but the $40 menu was not such a great deal I thought, and also 3 restaurants in the same week seemed like a bit much, especially right after holiday season. So we will try Cavaillon another time. And MODUS too!

Hi wabi, Thank you for the information. Yes, it's very disappointing that he has not reopened. I guess I will have to visit 808 next time I am in Las Vegas. That's probably where he spends most of his time now that most (all?) of his other restaurants seem to have closed.

My Costco had them last Friday. I sautéed them in olive oil with a little bit of garlic, and garnished them with fresh parsley. They were served as an accompaniment to seared venison chops from d'Artagnan and white truffle mashed potatoes. I still have 1/2 pound left so thanks to all for posting all these great ideas!

I'm going to Kauai in a few weeks, and was wondering if anyone knew if A Pacific Cafe had reopened. I had a couple of wonderful meals there during my last visit about 3 years ago. I was also a bing fan of Jean-Marie Josselin restaurant in San Diego, 808. Thanks!

kalypso, Thee Bungalow was fine, actually we did not think that it had changed a lot since it had changed hands. We arrived a bit early (our reservations were at 8:30). The restaurant was full, lots of people that seemed to be having a good time. Our table was ready a bit late so I guess some people were having too much fun! We started with the escargot which were prepared with the traditional garlic butter. They were very nice and tender, we enjoyed them a lot. Their bread selection (indispensable to thoroughly enjoy the garlic butter) was just ok though. Some kind of olive focaccia and baguette, a little on the soggy side. I was somewhat disappointed that they no longer offered quenelles in their appetizer menu, since they used to be one of their specialties, and something you don’t often see being offered. It seems that they may have forgotten to update their website, because the main page still mentions the quenelles. Now that I read that description again, I realize that I did not see any game on their menu, which was also disappointing. I guess that duck qualifies, but that is the only thing that comes close on the current menu. We had pre-selected our wine by studying the very extensive wine list at home before coming to the restaurant. However, we found out that the online list was not current, as our selection was no longer available (no wonder, it was an excellent wine at a surprisingly low price). We still managed to find an excellent bottle of red Burgundy out of their 20+ page wine list (!). My husband noticed that the waiter did not pour it properly (he poured too much for the initial tasting, beside other little details) and that, in general, their wait staff, although friendly and attentive, did not seem to have been properly trained. For example, someone at another table requested a steak knife that the waiter brought in his hand, rather than on a platter. We found their entrée menu a little boring, with things like pepper steak/filet mignon/New York steak etc that are classics but not terribly exciting or original. They still had their signature roasted duck on the menu, which my husband ordered with a Cumberland sauce (black cherries with currant), and the lamb shank (called “osso bungalow”) that I selected. Both entrees were on the generous side, with a lot of sauce. The duck was as delicious as we remembered and went fantastically well with the wine we had chosen. The lamb was cooked to perfection and the sauce, enriched with beef demi-glace according to the menu, very thick and satisfying. The style of cooking is not as sophisticated as a place like Tapenade for example. They are clearly not in the same league. But I feel that Thee Bungalow has a lot to offer, with a very cozy setting (small bungalow, fireplace, etc) and a great wine list. For dessert, my husband thought we needed to have the chocolate soufflés after seeing a few of them being served with great ceremony at the other tables. They were very large and served with a side of chocolate cream that the waiter poured on top after breaking the top of the soufflé. I found them eggy and not very chocolatey, but of course I still managed to finish mine. So overall, we had a very nice time. A few things could be improved but I think the ambiance which makes this restaurant unique and worth frequenting is still intact. I would still recommend it because I feel it is still special, despite the changes and the few errors noted above.

I haven't had a chance to put together my review of Thee Bungalow yet, but I wanted to post an article from San Diego Magazine that I had read this week and found pretty accurate. The article is mostly addressed to the people who don't take the restaurant scene in San Diego seriously. I know that there are a few comments to that effect floating around on egullet or elsewhere, and that always bugs me a little (ok - a lot! it's probably what motivated me to join egullet in the first place). So I thought that this article was pretty much right on target. I am very familiar with the restaurants discussed in the review, and concur on the conclusion - yes, San Diego restaurants need more recognition overall! Compared to LA, I feel that we have nothing to be ashamed of. San Diego versus L.A. - A Los Angeles food maven compares some of our best local restaurants with those of LaLa Land Some excerpts

You are welcome kalypso. La Bastide was also on my list until I found out that they had just lost their executive chef, Patrick Ponsaty... See under San Diego http://www.jamesbeard.org/dateline/ Longtime San Diego favorite Patrick Ponsaty has left his executive chef post at Scripps Ranch's Bastide. Ponsaty, who opened the restaurant, had a huge following for his simple bistro-style cuisine. He has not yet announced what’s next but plans to stay in San Diego.

Hey guys, Time to revive this thread. I am dining at Thee Bungalow tonight and promise to post my impressions. I've dined there a few times in the past, but not since the restaurant changed hands and was acquired by the omnipresent Cohn group. Actually this is not the reason for my post. I just found out that the list of participants for Restaurant Week 2007 had been published. Last year, I heard about this event thanks to egullet (thank you kalypso for mentioning it and recommending Arterra!!!) and was able to secure a reservation at Arterra where I had a magnificent meal for a ridiculous $30 a person. Since then, their chef Carl Schroeder has left but that's another story. So here is the link to the participating restaurants and their menus for the third Restaurant Week, which runs from Sunday January 7 to Friday January 12 (hopefully this will work, I've never posted a link before). http://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/inde...&id=9&Itemid=11 I was a little disappointed to see that neither Vivace nor Asia-Vous were listed since there are still on my list of restaurants to try. I tentatively plan on dining at Cavaillon (their chef Philippe Verpiand used to work at Tapenade for Jean-Michel Diot), The Marine Room, and maybe Tapenade (my favorite - can you tell?).

It’s been a while since first posted on this thread, and I had promised to report on my next restaurant adventures, so here we go. I went to Pamplemousse Grille for the first time a couple of weeks ago with my husband (first night out together since our daughter was born in June!), and we had a very nice evening. I started with the smoked seafood appetizer (one of the specials)– it was a beautiful plate with cold smoked lobster, scallop, shrimp and salmon. My favorite item on the plate was the scallop that was slightly grilled and was extremely tender and flavorful. A revelation. I love scallop in all its forms (seared, raw, carpaccio style, etc) and this preparation really brings out the subtle flavor of the scallop. The only disappointment was the potato tuile/pancake under the salmon that was not crispy enough. But overall, this was an excellent way to start the meal. My husband had seared foie gras which was also one of the specials for the night (it’s not on the regular menu anymore; I guess it’s been banned from most restaurants’ regular menus in San Diego after a lot of lobbying by animal-rights associations – long story which I’d rather not get into but almost had us cancel our reservation at P Grille). For the entrée, I had the mixed venison plate which was huge and included quail that was absolutely delicious and marinated with lemon and thyme, smoked duck breast (also delicious) and, my favorite, venison chop au poivre. The chop was cooked rare and was one of the best red meat entrees I’ve ever had. Each meat item on the plate had its own side dish of vegetables (wild mushrooms, green beans, etc), and its own sauce (separated by a little “wall” of mashed potatoes), so it was really like eating 3 separate entrees. Overall there was too much food on the plate, although I did manage to finish most of it. I think that I would go to P Grille again for this venison chop alone. My husband had the crispy half duck, which was prepared to perfection, but served with a ton of corn and gnocchi that was just ok and not so good-looking on the plate (more like a big mess). Desserts were a complete let down. I had pear tatin which just tasted like a ton of un-caramelized sugar (the pear was tasteless). The chocolate truffle cake was also way to sweet. Next time, we will just skip the desserts. Service was very good although we did get our first ½ bottle of wine late, well after the appetizers had been already served. Overall, we had a very nice dinner but ended up spending well over $300, which is a lot I think. We had wine with the meal but were very reasonable with our selection, price-wise. Fantastic wine selection at this restaurant by the way! I feel that this restaurant is slightly overpriced. Entrees are $30 - $40. I enjoyed the experience but don’t feel the cost was completely justified. Also, the restaurant décor is so-so – it’s a large dark room with no view (the restaurant is located in a small business mall in Solana Beach, across from the Del Mar tracks) with farm-themed paintings. There is a particularly hideous mural over the bar by the way (that one is not farm-themed but involves unattractive women wearing shorts if my memory is correct? - don't ask...). Probably a good place for business meals, but not ideal as a “romantic” restaurant. drfokos – I also like Chive a lot, very hip happening place, good food overall. It’s reasonably priced and we always have a good time when we go there (often before going to the opera). They have great cocktails too. My only complaints are that the restaurant is very noisy so it’s hard to have a real conversation, and also I feel that the food selection is somewhat limited. I last went before their menu changed from a traditional appetizer/entrée/dessert configuration to a “small plates” setup though. In the past, I’ve had their beet terrine but was not a big fan (I thought the yellow beets were tasteless). I used to like their duck confit dish a lot, and also the steamed clams that I can’t seem find on the online menu anymore. One last thing to add… Region is going to close! The chefs are relocating to Arizona. It’s sad, I really liked that place, their roasted chicken was fantastic!

I am a longtime fan of Phil's barbecue and am a little surprised by Toliver's review. My understanding is that the meat at Phil's is not pre-cooked in the kitchen, but rather prepped in the kitchen using a dry rub marinade and then grilled on the barbecue in the front. Phil is at the barbecue most nights so it would be easy to ask him.

I just went to Just Fabulous last Friday and sampled a few of the desserts (I had the chocolate sampler). Everything was good and the Gianduja Crunch Pyramide was really outstanding. Here is the description of this pastry from the website: a luscious hazelnut infused milk chocolate base (gianduja) flecked with crunchy bits of tuile cookie. Dark chocolate mousse center, chocolate glaze. I loved it even though I don't particularly like hazelnuts (but I do love chocolate!). The cake was very moist and the crunchy tuile bits gave it a great texture. I'll have to go back because the selection is huge. Thanks kalypso for recommending it.

kalypso, Thanks for the recommendation. I need to thank you twice because I already followed your advice a few months ago, and had a great evening as a result. When you posted about restaurant week, I had completely forgotten about it. I made a reservation at Arterra after reading your excellent review. My husband and I were not disappointed and had an excellent meal for only $30. We will definitely go there again. As for Extraordinary Desserts – I used to live just a few blocks away from its Fifth Avenue location, so I had quite a few occasions to try the various offerings there. I would say that, compared to most pastry shops in San Diego, it’s quite good, although a little bit on the “heavy” side. Karen Krasne was trained in France (Cordon Bleu/Lenotre) but I think that her style is more American than French in general. The portions are very large and the cakes that are on the regular menu are a little overwhelming, but the specials can be great. They often run out of the specials early in the evening so it’s better to come early. The tea pastries (scones, cookies, etc) are ok but can sometimes be dry and/or boring despite the beautiful presentations (flowers, gold leaf, etc). I’ve been disappointed a few times (a super salty chocolate cookie that I was served once comes to mind) and the service is always pretty poor (read – extremely slow, and definitely an “attitude”). It’s also expensive (I believe that specials run about $10). The tea selection is great and includes Mariage Freres. Champagne in Del Mar has good French pastries although they’ve slightly reduced their selection. I recommend it. I have not tried Just Desserts (is it the same place as “Just Fabulous”?) in Kensington so I am adding it to my list of places to try. Someone mentioned Venissimo on Washington Street – it’s a great cheese shop. It’s tiny but the selection is great, they’re super friendly and will let you try anything.