9170 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 271-8341
www.phocowcali.com
WHAT. THE. PHO.
I have found you, my perfect pho place. The one pho place which I have been wandering aimlessly in the dark for, the one I thought I would never exist -- a cheap (allow me to emphasize again - CHEAP! Especially among the hoards of greedy restaurant-owners who coexist in San Diego...on how I loathe thee), generous, and consistent. Consistent in the sense that they give an abundant amount of noodles, savory broth, and juicy meat EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. Unlike many pho places, it's not a hit or miss.
Might I mention the egg rolls? I usually don't like shelling out dough for egg rolls, but these egg rolls leave me speechless. How do they get them out to the table so fast, yet they are still piping hot? Wrap those babies up in a lettuce wrap, some mint, dip it in fish sauce, and you've got yourself a party in your mouth.
One con: I love this place so much, I find myself going here 2-3 times a week. The MSG levels in my body must be off the charts.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Morning Appetite Satisfied at Huge Tree Pastry (Monterey Park, CA)
423 N Atlantic Blvd
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 458-8689
For a peculiar reason I am unable to fathom, I have never in my 21 years of life had Chinese breakfast. And yes, I am Chinese, grew up with Chinese parents, even spent a good portion of my childhood growing up in Oakland Chinatown.
Or perhaps this is Taiwanese breakfast? I'm pretty sure it is, but the owner also spoke Cantonese, which I am fluent in.
I stumbled upon these place on Yelp after scrounging around for a good breakfast place Sunday morning. The pictures and excellent reviews sold me!
I'll cut to the chase; this is what I ordered:
1 - Chinese donut in sweet soy milk - I got a "small" soy milk, which was pretty darn big. Ahhh...if you've never had fresh, crispy Chinese donut soaked in hot sweet soy milk...you're missing out! And I have indeed been missing out my entire life until this moment.
2 - Pan fried egg - Thin tortilla wrapped around egg. I expected the egg to be extremely greasy/oily, as all Chinese foods go, but to my delight it wasn't. Tasted like steamed egg.
3 - Salted pork in sticky rice - delicious! Again - WHY HAVEN'T I HAD THIS BEFORE? By this time, I was so stuffed with everything else I saved half of it to be eaten later.
4 - Beef noodle soup - the boyfriend ordered this, claiming he needed his "meat" fix. Excellent noodle soup, broth wasn't as greasy or oily as others as I have eaten.
The whole breakfast/brunch cost me ~$15. When I ordered, I awkwardly pointed at the menu items since I didn't know Mandarin, but it turns out the cashier was Cantonese too! I read previous reviews commenting on the language barrier, but I had no problem ordering. There are also very helpful and friendly staff who speak fluent English if you don't know either dialect.
I would definitely come back, and highly recommend anyone looking for a hot, delicious, and affordable Taiwanese breakfast!
Monterey Park, CA 91754
(626) 458-8689
For a peculiar reason I am unable to fathom, I have never in my 21 years of life had Chinese breakfast. And yes, I am Chinese, grew up with Chinese parents, even spent a good portion of my childhood growing up in Oakland Chinatown.
Or perhaps this is Taiwanese breakfast? I'm pretty sure it is, but the owner also spoke Cantonese, which I am fluent in.
I stumbled upon these place on Yelp after scrounging around for a good breakfast place Sunday morning. The pictures and excellent reviews sold me!
I'll cut to the chase; this is what I ordered:
1 - Chinese donut in sweet soy milk - I got a "small" soy milk, which was pretty darn big. Ahhh...if you've never had fresh, crispy Chinese donut soaked in hot sweet soy milk...you're missing out! And I have indeed been missing out my entire life until this moment.
2 - Pan fried egg - Thin tortilla wrapped around egg. I expected the egg to be extremely greasy/oily, as all Chinese foods go, but to my delight it wasn't. Tasted like steamed egg.
3 - Salted pork in sticky rice - delicious! Again - WHY HAVEN'T I HAD THIS BEFORE? By this time, I was so stuffed with everything else I saved half of it to be eaten later.
4 - Beef noodle soup - the boyfriend ordered this, claiming he needed his "meat" fix. Excellent noodle soup, broth wasn't as greasy or oily as others as I have eaten.
The whole breakfast/brunch cost me ~$15. When I ordered, I awkwardly pointed at the menu items since I didn't know Mandarin, but it turns out the cashier was Cantonese too! I read previous reviews commenting on the language barrier, but I had no problem ordering. There are also very helpful and friendly staff who speak fluent English if you don't know either dialect.
I would definitely come back, and highly recommend anyone looking for a hot, delicious, and affordable Taiwanese breakfast!
Wine and Dine - Wine Vault & Bistro
3731-A India St
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 295-3939
www.winevaultbistro.com
A highly recommended place to try for Restaurant Week!
I love Restaurant Week, I really do. It gives me an opportunity to try restaurants I otherwise, due to the constraints in my budget, would not be willing to try. But $20 for a pre-fixe meal is quite reasonable, considering the amount restaurants charge nowadays for a single entree.
With that said, the boyfriend and I chose the best bang for our buck when seeking restaurants that fit the $20/meal criteria: steakhouses. And among one of these results was Wine Vault and Bistro. After some intensive research (read: Yelping and comparing the other choices), we settled for Wine Valut because of its high reviews and the fact that we knew it would not be a restaurant we would regularly eat at, due to its small portions (we are big eaters).
I made the reservation for 7:15 pm several days in advance, and on the day of, I even received a courtesy call reminding me of my reservation! I haven't been to a lot of fancy restaurants, per se, but even when I ate at Donovan's/Ruth Chris, they never called to remind me.
Dinner night: we parked and walked to our destination. The restaurant can be easy to miss if you're driving past at night, since there is no lit up sign and it is tucked away behind some walls (it appears to be one of those adorable restaurants where it was made from a house). Luckily, we found it and made it in time for our reservation.
We were seated promptly by the firepit -- they had no other tables left when I called to make the reservation, and I actually had no idea what the firepit was so I agreed. It was simply a smaller, lower table, where my boyfriend and I leaned over to eat. It wasn't a problem for me, but others may have found the position a little disconcerning.
Our server introduced himself as Alex (I believe), and was extremely informative about the menu, gratuity, etc. As it was Restaurant Week, an automatic 20% gratuity was added to our bill. I normally detest this policy because many, MANY, restaurants find it as an excuse to give despicable service since they knew their tip was already in the bag. I was happy to know that this was not the case. All our servers were extremely attentive -- our water cups never ran empty, our bread basket was constantly refilled, and for every course, someone would come out and inquire how we liked it. I especially like how they explained what was exactly in each dish. Among the best service I have ever received in a restaurant.
As for the food - impeccable. As previous reviews have noted, the servings are not large as it is one of those "fancy pants" small serving type places. Not a problem for us, though, as we gorged ourselves through three baskets of bread -- what can I say, we love our carbs!
Appetizer: crispy duck confit and the ravioli. I've never had duck confit, but it was absolutely delicious. Ravioli -- easily the best ravioli I ever had, since for once it didn't taste like it was out of the frozen section at Costco.
Entree: my boyfriend and I both got the prime hanger steak (3 oz). And let me say - WOW! The steak was so tender, so flavorful...one of the best steaks I've ever had. I only wish there was more of it. It was accompanied by a potato ... thing (my apologies for my lack of culinary expertise and laziness to look up the menu), avocado mousse (??), and a ...vegetable. Anyway, moving on!
Dessert: my favorite meal of the day! I had the 3-apple-smith, and it was crisp and refreshing. Definitely felt my palatte cleansed! My boyfriend had the dessert which included the butterscotch pudding - I highly recommend this! In fact, I wanted his dessert instead of mine. I was extremely tempted to ask the waiter if he could smuggle us another one under his shirt.
Wine pairings are available for $15, but we opted out of this option.
Our bill came to roughly $51 including tax and gratuity, extremely reasonable for the food and fast, friendly service we received. I highly recommend this place!
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 295-3939
www.winevaultbistro.com
A highly recommended place to try for Restaurant Week!
I love Restaurant Week, I really do. It gives me an opportunity to try restaurants I otherwise, due to the constraints in my budget, would not be willing to try. But $20 for a pre-fixe meal is quite reasonable, considering the amount restaurants charge nowadays for a single entree.
With that said, the boyfriend and I chose the best bang for our buck when seeking restaurants that fit the $20/meal criteria: steakhouses. And among one of these results was Wine Vault and Bistro. After some intensive research (read: Yelping and comparing the other choices), we settled for Wine Valut because of its high reviews and the fact that we knew it would not be a restaurant we would regularly eat at, due to its small portions (we are big eaters).
I made the reservation for 7:15 pm several days in advance, and on the day of, I even received a courtesy call reminding me of my reservation! I haven't been to a lot of fancy restaurants, per se, but even when I ate at Donovan's/Ruth Chris, they never called to remind me.
Dinner night: we parked and walked to our destination. The restaurant can be easy to miss if you're driving past at night, since there is no lit up sign and it is tucked away behind some walls (it appears to be one of those adorable restaurants where it was made from a house). Luckily, we found it and made it in time for our reservation.
We were seated promptly by the firepit -- they had no other tables left when I called to make the reservation, and I actually had no idea what the firepit was so I agreed. It was simply a smaller, lower table, where my boyfriend and I leaned over to eat. It wasn't a problem for me, but others may have found the position a little disconcerning.
Our server introduced himself as Alex (I believe), and was extremely informative about the menu, gratuity, etc. As it was Restaurant Week, an automatic 20% gratuity was added to our bill. I normally detest this policy because many, MANY, restaurants find it as an excuse to give despicable service since they knew their tip was already in the bag. I was happy to know that this was not the case. All our servers were extremely attentive -- our water cups never ran empty, our bread basket was constantly refilled, and for every course, someone would come out and inquire how we liked it. I especially like how they explained what was exactly in each dish. Among the best service I have ever received in a restaurant.
As for the food - impeccable. As previous reviews have noted, the servings are not large as it is one of those "fancy pants" small serving type places. Not a problem for us, though, as we gorged ourselves through three baskets of bread -- what can I say, we love our carbs!
Appetizer: crispy duck confit and the ravioli. I've never had duck confit, but it was absolutely delicious. Ravioli -- easily the best ravioli I ever had, since for once it didn't taste like it was out of the frozen section at Costco.
Entree: my boyfriend and I both got the prime hanger steak (3 oz). And let me say - WOW! The steak was so tender, so flavorful...one of the best steaks I've ever had. I only wish there was more of it. It was accompanied by a potato ... thing (my apologies for my lack of culinary expertise and laziness to look up the menu), avocado mousse (??), and a ...vegetable. Anyway, moving on!
Dessert: my favorite meal of the day! I had the 3-apple-smith, and it was crisp and refreshing. Definitely felt my palatte cleansed! My boyfriend had the dessert which included the butterscotch pudding - I highly recommend this! In fact, I wanted his dessert instead of mine. I was extremely tempted to ask the waiter if he could smuggle us another one under his shirt.
Wine pairings are available for $15, but we opted out of this option.
Our bill came to roughly $51 including tax and gratuity, extremely reasonable for the food and fast, friendly service we received. I highly recommend this place!
Trying Trulucks (San Diego, CA)
8990 University Center Ln
San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 278-3300
www.trulucks.com
A coworker of my boyfriend's recommended that we try this place for happy hour, and so we acquiesced. We always go to Fleming's next door for their happy hour, but after our experience at Truluck's, we decided it was a much better place.
A lot of restaurants use happy hour pricing at their restaurants as an excuse to serve smaller portions, but this definitely did not apply at Truluck's.
For one, the ambiance is much nicer. The bar area is slicker and more chic. There is an average-looking man sitting at the piano, but he is only average until he opens his mouth and starts to sing; my gawsh, that voice! The music was a pleasant addition to our meal.
We ordered (note: yes, we are fat asses. We are people who like to eat.):
1 - Shrimp and lobster wontons with cream cheese ($7) - so delicious! One of my favorite dishes.
2 - Crab sliders ($8) - Also one of my favorites! A must try.
3 - Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders ($6.50) - For some reason, my boyfriend ordered these without thinking; we did not mean to actually order it. It just slipped off his tongue when ordering, and we didn't notice until afterward. The patty was very juicy, but it was not the best thing on the menu. I recommend trying the other dishes, since this is something you can (kinda) get elsewhere.
4- Salt and Pepper Calamari - ($6.50) - not bad, not bad. Very crunchy and better than most places!
5- Lychee Martini ($6-$7) - strong and good! I love me some Lychee-infused alcoholic drinks whenever the chance. I bit into the lychee afterward and wow-weeeee~
6- Carrot cupcake ($2) - best carrot cupcake I've ever had. The frosting had these delectable glazed nuts, with sugar crystals in every bite. The cake itself was moist and smooth. I am drooling as I am writing this.
Portions were good-sized considering it's a nice restaurant.
I will definitely come back! Ashley (?) was friendly and an excellent server, and the food was delicious!
San Diego, CA 92122
(858) 278-3300
www.trulucks.com
A coworker of my boyfriend's recommended that we try this place for happy hour, and so we acquiesced. We always go to Fleming's next door for their happy hour, but after our experience at Truluck's, we decided it was a much better place.
A lot of restaurants use happy hour pricing at their restaurants as an excuse to serve smaller portions, but this definitely did not apply at Truluck's.
For one, the ambiance is much nicer. The bar area is slicker and more chic. There is an average-looking man sitting at the piano, but he is only average until he opens his mouth and starts to sing; my gawsh, that voice! The music was a pleasant addition to our meal.
We ordered (note: yes, we are fat asses. We are people who like to eat.):
1 - Shrimp and lobster wontons with cream cheese ($7) - so delicious! One of my favorite dishes.
2 - Crab sliders ($8) - Also one of my favorites! A must try.
3 - Bacon Cheeseburger Sliders ($6.50) - For some reason, my boyfriend ordered these without thinking; we did not mean to actually order it. It just slipped off his tongue when ordering, and we didn't notice until afterward. The patty was very juicy, but it was not the best thing on the menu. I recommend trying the other dishes, since this is something you can (kinda) get elsewhere.
4- Salt and Pepper Calamari - ($6.50) - not bad, not bad. Very crunchy and better than most places!
5- Lychee Martini ($6-$7) - strong and good! I love me some Lychee-infused alcoholic drinks whenever the chance. I bit into the lychee afterward and wow-weeeee~
6- Carrot cupcake ($2) - best carrot cupcake I've ever had. The frosting had these delectable glazed nuts, with sugar crystals in every bite. The cake itself was moist and smooth. I am drooling as I am writing this.
Portions were good-sized considering it's a nice restaurant.
I will definitely come back! Ashley (?) was friendly and an excellent server, and the food was delicious!
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Manna BBQ (San Diego, CA)
4428 Convoy St
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 278-3300
www.mannakoreanbbq.com
Now, I try to be healthy. I try to exercise everyday, and eat healthy. But occasionally, I allow myself to gorge out on buffets and fatty foods. OH WAIT WHO AM I KIDDING. I LOVE eating.
My family asked me where I wanted to go as a graduation dinner, and I suggested all you can eat korean BBQ. (I originally wanted sushi but it was closed). There was this korean bbq place I always pass by, "GRAND OPENING" sign adorning its canopy. I also heard from friends this place was pretty good.
We waited 30 minutes to be seated as it was prime dinner time on a Sunday. Luckily the NBA finals game was on (Go Mavs, woo hoo!) to keep us entertained while we ate.
We all ordered the $19.99/person option. Side dishes magically came out, and we stuffed ourselves with that while waiting for our meats. I wish I could tell you exactly what the side dishes were, but it has been a while so I do not recall...there were, however, fishcakes, seaweed, kimchee, and the mashed potato things I love.
Service was not bad in the beginning -- the waitresses promptly brought out our meats, which were well marinated and juicy. Compared to other all-you-can-eat korean bbq places I have been, this place takes the cake. Very good quality meats, and an excellent array of choices even with the $19.99/person option. The short ribs were especially tasty. The meat kept flowing and flowing---until it was a-flowing-no-more.
If the service at Manna was illustrated on a chart, it would have been steadily increasing until an immediate drop.
For some reason, the waitresses simply stopped bringing out our food. We requested many times for our dishes, but the meat never came...we would remind them again and again, and STILL it would not come. We pressed the buzzer multiple times, and told them, "we ordered this, how come it hasn't come yet?" to no heed. What?? How can you just suddenly stop bringing us our orders?? (Or sometimes, we asked for one order and they would bring us four orders. Or something entirely different.)
It was obvious they wanted us to leave, and this was the most passive-aggressive way they could think of. But oh no, we were still hungry! So on our war waged, us, the customers who kept ordering and the waitresses who kept pretending to take our orders but never actually filling them. Eventually they caved and brought out maybe a quarter of what we ordered, to which were satisfied with.
Verdict: while the food is good, service is certainly something to be cautionary about. If you want a lot of meat, this is the place in SD to go to!
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 278-3300
www.mannakoreanbbq.com
Now, I try to be healthy. I try to exercise everyday, and eat healthy. But occasionally, I allow myself to gorge out on buffets and fatty foods. OH WAIT WHO AM I KIDDING. I LOVE eating.
My family asked me where I wanted to go as a graduation dinner, and I suggested all you can eat korean BBQ. (I originally wanted sushi but it was closed). There was this korean bbq place I always pass by, "GRAND OPENING" sign adorning its canopy. I also heard from friends this place was pretty good.
We waited 30 minutes to be seated as it was prime dinner time on a Sunday. Luckily the NBA finals game was on (Go Mavs, woo hoo!) to keep us entertained while we ate.
We all ordered the $19.99/person option. Side dishes magically came out, and we stuffed ourselves with that while waiting for our meats. I wish I could tell you exactly what the side dishes were, but it has been a while so I do not recall...there were, however, fishcakes, seaweed, kimchee, and the mashed potato things I love.
Service was not bad in the beginning -- the waitresses promptly brought out our meats, which were well marinated and juicy. Compared to other all-you-can-eat korean bbq places I have been, this place takes the cake. Very good quality meats, and an excellent array of choices even with the $19.99/person option. The short ribs were especially tasty. The meat kept flowing and flowing---until it was a-flowing-no-more.
If the service at Manna was illustrated on a chart, it would have been steadily increasing until an immediate drop.
For some reason, the waitresses simply stopped bringing out our food. We requested many times for our dishes, but the meat never came...we would remind them again and again, and STILL it would not come. We pressed the buzzer multiple times, and told them, "we ordered this, how come it hasn't come yet?" to no heed. What?? How can you just suddenly stop bringing us our orders?? (Or sometimes, we asked for one order and they would bring us four orders. Or something entirely different.)
It was obvious they wanted us to leave, and this was the most passive-aggressive way they could think of. But oh no, we were still hungry! So on our war waged, us, the customers who kept ordering and the waitresses who kept pretending to take our orders but never actually filling them. Eventually they caved and brought out maybe a quarter of what we ordered, to which were satisfied with.
Verdict: while the food is good, service is certainly something to be cautionary about. If you want a lot of meat, this is the place in SD to go to!
Pho Ca Dao (San Diego, CA)
8373 Mira Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 564-0917
www.phocadao.net
And here comes yet another review about yet another pho restaurant.
I admit it -- my boyfriend has an addiction to pho. We'd have it one day, and the next day he would crave it. Heck, if we have it as lunch, he'd still want it for dinner. As a result, I have been dragged across San Diego in search of the perfect pho.
But no, I'm kidding; I like it too.
It was Thursday, after work. We both had suffered a particularly unpleasant work week (being a grown up sucks, might I add), and craving something warm, something brothy -- PHO?! We wanted to head to our regular spot, but rush hour traffic was determined to prevent us from going anywhere. So we went somewhere closer to our work places: Pho Ca Dao.
Sidenote: Why are all the pho places in San Diego devoid of the standard pho restaurant? You know, the dirty ones with the chopstick/spoon stand? Why are they all so...NICE?
Pho Ca Dao's employee greeted me with a smile and a "hello!" when I walked in. (Wow...good service at PHO? The world is a-changing. Or San Diego is just weird). The menu was very cheap as San Diego goes ($3.55 for spring rolls is considered a bargain). We got:
Meatball pho. I ALWAYS get meatball pho. I've gotten this since I was a small child, and everytime I try to deviate and try something new, I don't like it as much as the meatballs. I don't know why. And I always get a "regular" size, even though it's better value to get the "large". It was $5-$7.
My boyfriend got...what he usually got. It was $6-$7.
Verdict: (in Joey Tribbiani's voice in the episode where Rachel makes a "beef custard") service, GOOD. Noodles, GOOD. Broth, GOOD. Meat, GOOOOOD.
Watch out, Pho Fusion, this just might be my new pho spot!
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 564-0917
www.phocadao.net
And here comes yet another review about yet another pho restaurant.
I admit it -- my boyfriend has an addiction to pho. We'd have it one day, and the next day he would crave it. Heck, if we have it as lunch, he'd still want it for dinner. As a result, I have been dragged across San Diego in search of the perfect pho.
But no, I'm kidding; I like it too.
It was Thursday, after work. We both had suffered a particularly unpleasant work week (being a grown up sucks, might I add), and craving something warm, something brothy -- PHO?! We wanted to head to our regular spot, but rush hour traffic was determined to prevent us from going anywhere. So we went somewhere closer to our work places: Pho Ca Dao.
Sidenote: Why are all the pho places in San Diego devoid of the standard pho restaurant? You know, the dirty ones with the chopstick/spoon stand? Why are they all so...NICE?
Pho Ca Dao's employee greeted me with a smile and a "hello!" when I walked in. (Wow...good service at PHO? The world is a-changing. Or San Diego is just weird). The menu was very cheap as San Diego goes ($3.55 for spring rolls is considered a bargain). We got:
Meatball pho. I ALWAYS get meatball pho. I've gotten this since I was a small child, and everytime I try to deviate and try something new, I don't like it as much as the meatballs. I don't know why. And I always get a "regular" size, even though it's better value to get the "large". It was $5-$7.
My boyfriend got...what he usually got. It was $6-$7.
Verdict: (in Joey Tribbiani's voice in the episode where Rachel makes a "beef custard") service, GOOD. Noodles, GOOD. Broth, GOOD. Meat, GOOOOOD.
Watch out, Pho Fusion, this just might be my new pho spot!
The Golden Arches, Fancy Edition: McDonalds Gourmet Bistro (San Diego, CA)
3505 Del Mar Heights Rd
San Diego, CA 92130-2122
(858) 755-8588
*Update: this place has since closed. Only the regular-McDonald inside remains.
We all are familar with the symbolic golden arches. McDonalds, in all its Dollar-Menu, Chicken McNugget-strewn glory. We often correlate this with french fries, Big Mac, even Ronald McDonald. But quesadilla, paninis, pasta, and -- GELATO?? -- not so much.
Little did I know there was a McDonald's "Gourmet Bistro" waiting to be tried off Del Mar Heights in San Diego, CA. That's right folks, you heard me: a FANCY McDonalds! Two friends (one of them being the token boyfriend, of course) and myself decided to try it on a Tuesday night. We were already cracked out from the workweek and it wasn't even halfway over.
Upon first stepping in, my first thoughts were, "wow, this is really not a normal McDonalds!" I rushed eagerly to the "fancy" counter. This McDonalds was divided into two -- the "regular" half, and the "gourmet" half. To my dismay, many customers ordered from the regular side. I wanted to shake them by the shoulders and yell - C'MON GUYS, this is a FANCY McDonalds! Why are you not getting FANCY FOOD!
But I digress.
There were many things on the menu, ranging from quesadillas, salads, pasta, paninis, ravioli...and even a gelato stand! Prices ranged from $5 (like sandwiches/paninis) to $8 (the salads, pasta, ravioli).
I tried the Rosemary Chicken Ravioli with cranberry in a fettucine sauce ($8).
Verdict: DELICIOUS! It beats even the ravioli I had at Fleming's (word of advice: don't get it folks). It came with delciously toasted bread, which went very well with the sauce. The raviolis were big and tasty...just the way I like it ("That's what she said!").
Peter had the Chicken Penne Sandwich. While it looked good in the stand, it was not too great in person. The chicken, however, was fried, which was a nice change up.
Will had the steak panini, which was accompanied with a side salad. Pretty good! Encased in bread that was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
The service was friendly, and excellent! I did not manage to catch the name of the guy manning the counter, but he recognized and greeted all his regular customers like old friends. He was very personable and conversational, joking around with us.
After our dinners, Peter and I got gelato. Me: pink grapefruit and hazelnut (tasted like Nuttela); Peter got pink grapefruit.
Gourmet McDonalds gets an A in my book! Good food, friendly service, and a switch-up from the norm.
San Diego, CA 92130-2122
(858) 755-8588
*Update: this place has since closed. Only the regular-McDonald inside remains.
We all are familar with the symbolic golden arches. McDonalds, in all its Dollar-Menu, Chicken McNugget-strewn glory. We often correlate this with french fries, Big Mac, even Ronald McDonald. But quesadilla, paninis, pasta, and -- GELATO?? -- not so much.
Little did I know there was a McDonald's "Gourmet Bistro" waiting to be tried off Del Mar Heights in San Diego, CA. That's right folks, you heard me: a FANCY McDonalds! Two friends (one of them being the token boyfriend, of course) and myself decided to try it on a Tuesday night. We were already cracked out from the workweek and it wasn't even halfway over.
Upon first stepping in, my first thoughts were, "wow, this is really not a normal McDonalds!" I rushed eagerly to the "fancy" counter. This McDonalds was divided into two -- the "regular" half, and the "gourmet" half. To my dismay, many customers ordered from the regular side. I wanted to shake them by the shoulders and yell - C'MON GUYS, this is a FANCY McDonalds! Why are you not getting FANCY FOOD!
But I digress.
There were many things on the menu, ranging from quesadillas, salads, pasta, paninis, ravioli...and even a gelato stand! Prices ranged from $5 (like sandwiches/paninis) to $8 (the salads, pasta, ravioli).
I tried the Rosemary Chicken Ravioli with cranberry in a fettucine sauce ($8).
Verdict: DELICIOUS! It beats even the ravioli I had at Fleming's (word of advice: don't get it folks). It came with delciously toasted bread, which went very well with the sauce. The raviolis were big and tasty...just the way I like it ("That's what she said!").
Peter had the Chicken Penne Sandwich. While it looked good in the stand, it was not too great in person. The chicken, however, was fried, which was a nice change up.
Will had the steak panini, which was accompanied with a side salad. Pretty good! Encased in bread that was crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
The service was friendly, and excellent! I did not manage to catch the name of the guy manning the counter, but he recognized and greeted all his regular customers like old friends. He was very personable and conversational, joking around with us.
After our dinners, Peter and I got gelato. Me: pink grapefruit and hazelnut (tasted like Nuttela); Peter got pink grapefruit.
Gourmet McDonalds gets an A in my book! Good food, friendly service, and a switch-up from the norm.
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