San Diego Highlights - May 2019

Last month, I took a semi-spontaneous trip to San Diego to visit friends (hiked up Black Mountain in the morning, board gaming in the afternoon/evening) and see Jenny Lewis perform at the House of Blues (absolutely loving her "On The Line" album, btw).

Of course, I managed squeezed in a bit of sightseeing and some tasty stops as well. Some of the highlights from the trip include:

Menya Ultra's Negi Miso Ramen w "Braized" Chashu - this has been on my to-try for a while after hearing about its numerous regional, national & global accolades. And sure enough, it did not disappoint. Their housemade noodles were toothsome yet tender, the broth was incredibly complex and rich without becoming greasy or heavy, and the thick-cut slices of braised-then-grilled chashu (limited to first 10 orders of lunch & dinner service) were a wonderful meaty addition to an already solid bowl of noodles. I only wish I was able to order fewer slices of the limited edition chashu or just upgrade the regular chashu for this one... just adding three extra thick chashu was a bit of a pork overload!

Speaking of porky, I also indulged in the porchetta tacos at Porchetta Shack (evolution of the former Carnitas Shake Shack spot in North Park); despite a little skepticism, the herb-flavored pork works well in a taco and holds it own against the creamy guacamole & guajillo chile salsa. Definitely a consideration for future SD visits if I'm looking for something a little different than California burritos & seafood tacos.

Having recently read Liz Thorpe's "The Book of Cheese"; I was eager for any opportunity to explore & sample more cheeses to broaden my palate - and Venissimo Cheese was a wonderful spot to make that happen. Besides the picture perfect cheese plate, I loved that its North Park location is co-housed with Bottlecraft Beer Shop - which made for some interesting cheese-beer pairing possibilities. (My favorite of this quartet was Noce del Piave, an Italian cow's milk cheese that's wrapped in walnut leaves and oak barrel aged for two months, giving it intense umami & nutty notes blends beautifully with Enegren's Maple Baltic Porter)

Wicked Maine Lobster's lobster roll is one of my favorites in the West Coast, so a re-visit is almost always in order when I dive down to SD. (And I'm beyond ecstatic that they're planning a LA shop soon!!!)

You&Yours Distilling for their Chai Maple Old Fashioned using their barrel aged gin, which tastes remarkably close to the whiskey original with a delightfully subtle boost of florals & spices. I absolutely adore You & Yours' gins (which I encountered on the regular at SD cocktail bars) and can't wait to add their Winter or Sunday Gins to my collection soon.

For my sweet jaws tooth, I return to the reliable Le Parfait Paris for their Parfait Signature, with crispy almond praline topped with dark chocolate mousse & glaze. Though you really can't go wrong with any of their patisserie creations.

The only downer of the trip, foodwise, was missing Kettner Exchange's dinner service (like most upscale-ish sitdown places, kitchen closes approx. an hour before the bar/restaurant does), but at least I got to enjoy their KPK, their painkiller variation using a blend of 7 rums + passionfruit juice. Fingers crossed that I come back to enjoy this alongside some food next time!

Menya Ultra Mira Mesa

8141 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92126

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Porchetta Shack

2632 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104

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Venissimo Cheese North Park

3007 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104

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Wicked Maine Lobster @ Liberty Public Market

2820 Historic Decatur Rd, San Diego, CA 92106

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You&Yours Distilling Co

1495 G St, San Diego, CA 92101

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Le Parfait Paris

555 G St, San Diego, CA 92101

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Kettner Exchange

2001 Kettner Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101

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Seven favorite bites & sips in San Diego

Even though SD is only two hours away (less... if you drive like a speed demon), with so many going ons in the rest of SoCal I'm lucky to make it down there twice a year. So when I do have the occasion to go, I try to make every moment, bite and sip worthwhile.

This most recent expedition (where I was helping out at a friend's wedding, then took a few extra days to explore on my own) was no exception. 

Of course, this made the task of narrowing down my favorites even harder, but I manage to eke out a top seven from the area . . .

7) Rye So Serious from Groundswell Brewing (Grantville)

While I'm no stranger to the burgeoning craft beer scene down here (and I did visit my longtime favorites of Ballast Point & Lost Abbey this time around), I'm always on the lookout for new and interesting breweries to try. Thanks to @VisitSanDiego's pointer to check out Grantville area breweries, including recently opened Groundswell Brewery.

Although the tasting room is pretty bare bones, they more than make for it with their whimsically named, creatively-flavored beers. My favorite of the four I tasted is definitely the pumpkin-infused Rye So Serious, where the typical spicy-bitterness of the rye ale is nicely balanced with the earthy-sweetness of the pumpkin. Alas, since this is a seasonal beer I don't expect it to stay on the menu long, but at least my runner-up (the Ginger Saison) is in their standard year-round lineup!

6) "Garden & Grains" from Juniper and Ivy (Little Italy)

From a quick search for popular SD restaurants, this seems to be the *it* spot of the moment so I made a timely reservation to check it out (and it wasn't until later that I learned it was headed by Top Chef All Stars winner Richard Blais.)

Given my overindulgence earlier that day, I opted for a lighter meal . . . and super thankful that I did. Their simply named "Garden & Grains" was a vegetarian (perhaps even vegan) delight that even omnivores could enjoy. Crisp, fresh vegetables played nicely with the toothsome mix of ancient grains (incl. amaranth, wheatberries & quinoa) and sweet swirls of red and golden beet purees. As an added bonus, this dish saves fantastically well, from the half I boxed up and chowed down on the morning after.

Another practically a must try (from all the orders I've seen sent out from the kitchen), the decadently beefy and tender carne cruda asada with quail egg on toast.

Dr. Chocolate Appointment: Chuao's Firecracker Bar

I make no excuses for my daily Dr. Chocolate ritual (cheaper than actual therapy - I'd say!) or for my eccentric tastes in chocolate. One of my recurring unusual obsessions are chili-infused dark chocolate bars; I absolutely love the way that intense bittersweet chocolate gives way to chili's heat. Depending on the bar, sometimes it's a warming tingle, other times - a flash of fire. Either way, I love it!

And while I do enjoy many kinds of dark chocolate-chili bars—my regular rotation include Vosges' Red Fire, Moonstruck's Chile Variado and Cost Plus World Market's Chili Lime—my current favorite definitely has to be Chuao's Firecracker Bar (though their Spicy Maya is really good too!) Actually, 'current' makes it sound like some flighty fling when it's really been a years-long affair, ever since I discovered them in truffle form at one of their stores.

What really elevates this one above the other chocolate-chili bars is the inclusion of sea salt and, more notably, mini pop rock candies embedded right in the bar. You can let the bar melt on your tongue for a gentle fizzle, or chew it down for a loud ringing pop (I half-expect to see actual fireworks in my mouth, as if I'm biting into a wintergreen candy). Either way, that release of CO2 is not only fun, but briefly amps up the spice factor of the chipotle chili.

I've since moved onto to try other Chuao bars and flavors, and as tasty as they were (particularly Maple Bacon, Honey Comb and Pop Corn Pop - the last of which also features popping candy) the Firecracker Bar's uniquely delightful & delicious experience definitely has a special place on my tastebuds. Likewise for its more luxurious truffle, which I always make room for when I pick out a bonbon box during my San Diego excursions.

Other reviews of Chuao's Firecracker Bar:

LA Times

YumSugar

Junk Food Guy

Candy Addict

District Chocoholic

Scott Roberts

Photo courtesy of Chuao Chocolatier