My wife and I took a short trip to San Diego to celebrate a friend’s retirement from the Navy, so we spent a bunch of time walking around, eating and drinking our way through the city.
Here’s what we tried:
Donut Bar
This spot was pretty good. We liked the lemon pistachio better than the raspberry cheesecake.
Tacos El Gordo
Great spot for tacos, and reasonably priced considering that this place gets a lot of hype and crowds. The al pastor tacos was the winner for us, but we also tried cabeza (face), lengua (tongue) and tripe.
Mike Hess Brewery
The barrel aged Vietnamese coffee stout was our favorite.
San Diego Burger Co.
This wasn’t that good. Skip this joint. I had high hopes, but the patty was a little under seasoned and the bun was dry and crumbled.
Dinner at Greystone Prime Steakhouse is detailed HERE.
Senor Taquero
This spot was probably my favorite place to eat of the entire trip. I wish we had some regular tacos here too. They were so cheap (3 for $7.99)! The rolled chicken tacos and adobado burrito were killer. The churro had a nice vanilla pudding type of filling inside.
Ballast Point Brewery
We had a short pit stop here while we were waiting for Swagyu to open. Speedboat was like a corona with a lime in it. Refreshing.
Swagyu
This was great but pricey at $23. I’d much rather have gone back to Senor Taquero to try the tacos.
The World Famous I-Bar
This is where the retirement party was held. The bar was the inspiration for the scenes in the movie Maverick that take place in the Air Force bar on base. Very cool spot.
Not bad for a weekend trip! We hit a lot of spots.
My wife and I came here with another couple when we were in San Diego. We tried a bunch of shit, so let me get right into it…
Flavor: 8
We shared a porterhouse for two and a 20oz bone-in rib eye among three people.
The Porterhouse was a 7/10. The strip side had some grey-banding on the edges, and was definitely a bit toothsome in parts. The filet side, however, was magnificent. The only down side was that it lacked the flavor that the strip side had.
The rib eye ate almost like cured ham. It was cooked a bit under, but none of us minded. It was lean in the eye, but there was a ton of flavor in the cap. 8/10.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 9
There’s a good selection of cuts here; wet aged, dry aged, large format, single cuts, everything. Everything is also prime grade. The numerous selections available are why I chose this place over others in the area.
Portion Size & Plating: 8
The portions here were good, and measured up nicely with what I expect from a NYC steakhouse, only a bit cheaper on the budget by about five or ten bucks, which was a nice change of pace.
Price: 8
The total bill was $713 with tax and tip included. As I mentioned above, this would be up a bit if it were in NYC.
Bar: 6
The bar here is actually nice, but the bar tender sucked. He was ignoring my wife when she tried to order (three times), and the drinks were sloppily made. Two of our glasses had massive cracks in them too, and the one we had at the bar as just dumped hastily into a new glass, not re-made from scratch. Cocktails were meh too. Could use some work!
Specials and Other Meats: 9
I had to jump at this elk chop dish.
It turned out to be my favorite item of the meal. It was a nice lean but flavorful cross between lamb and venison. 9/10.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
We should have ordered our sides better, because the elk came with both mashed potatoes and spinach, and we ordered bot mashed potatoes and creamed spinach. They were all pretty good, but the versions on the composed elk chops dish were better.
For dessert, we tried a yuzu cheese cake and a delicious chocolate and peanut butter mousse pie that was perfect.
Seafood Selection: 9
Delicious tower for four, which included massive shrimp, a whole lobster, oysters, and tuna tartare.
Service: 8
Service was great at the table, but less than desirable at the bar. The bread came after our appetizers, which was odd, but we were glad it came. It was tasty with a whipped, soft garlic and herb butter.
Ambiance: 7
Ambiance could use a little kick in the balls, as the place glows neon red and purple at times. It feels sort of like a club. But over all it was a good vibe, and I’m glad we went. Here’s the other couple below – we were celebrating his retirement from the Navy.
GREYSTONE PRIME STEAKHOUSE
658 Fifth Ave.
San Diego, CA 92101
This spot is pretty good. I might go back for the fried chicken bites and perhaps to try the burger, which looked good when it came out to another person’s table.
This spot recently opened down by Two Bridges, and I’ve been psyched to try it out.
We got five items; three mains and two sides.
1. The Blackened Chicken Sandwich
This was probably my favorite of all the items. It has a distinctly earthy Mexican flavor to it from the Oaxaca cheese and pickled jalapeños. Absolute banger.
2. Chili Quarter Chicken
I expected this to be wetter, spicier and saltier based on what I’ve seen on Instagram to date, but it was still goo. A bit expensive at $9 without a side, but I’d definitely get it again (perhaps the extra hot version though).
3. Salted Egg Wings
These were delicious. No dipping sauce needed! The batter from the salted yolk comes in nice and crisp, and with the wings being slightly smaller than your typical bar room Buffalo wings, you get a perfect ratio or meat to crisp with every bite.
4. Chicken Salt Fries
These could have used a bit more crisp on them, but they were tasty. Also – not too salty! Nicely seasoned, as a matter of fact.
5. Charred Cukes w/Ginger
These were unique! Charring the cucumber softens them a bit and adds a different flavor profile to them that I’ve never experienced before. The ginger sauce isn’t too pungent, so you still get all that fresh cucumber flavor to cool off from the spicy food between bites.
PECKING HOUSE CHICKEN
83 Henry Street
Shop 1
New York, NY 10002
I’ve been meaning to eat here for so long. After seeing the menu during a short visit with The Cake Dealer for a drink, I was even more convinced. So we finally made it happen.
We started with the lamb loin chops (two t-bones) and the beans.
The lamb was perfectly cooked to medium rare, and came as a composed dish with grilled escarole. I loved this. No game flavor, just really simply grilled with salt and pepper.
Next, we had the rabbit pot pie, which was on special. It was beautifully presented, but here’s a shot of the pie after we cracked it open.
…I should call her…
Anyway, lots of nicely cooked rabbit – which I love – totally under utilized protein – as well as assorted mushrooms, celery, carrots, and onions.
We also did a side of artichokes, which also came with onions, carrots and celery, served as a cold dish with a hint of curry flavor.
And finally, the rib eye.
This 18oz boneless cut was dry aged and grilled to perfection. The aged flavor was mild, but it was all so tender and delicious. Very nicely seasoned, and the fried onions and garlic that come with it are heavenly. 9/10. The only down side to this steak is that it cost $86. Crazy!
I can’t wait to come back here – already booked my next reservation.
I came back for the porterhouse! It was a solid 8/10. The rib eye is clearly the winner here.
This secretive omakase joint in the back of an ice cream shop serves up 14 or 18 course omakase meals with unlimited sake for just $96 or $126, respectively.
My favorite pieces were the snappers, scallop and tuna. But the real stars of the show were the appetizers: cod sperm sack and chawanmushi with uni and crab meat!
Snappers:
Scallop:
Tuna:
I can’t believe I ate cum. And I’ll definitely be back for more, especially the soft serve ice cream (not made from cum).
My wife and I came here twice. The first visit was just for a snack and a drink, so I never wrote it up. But now that we’ve had a full meal here, I figured I would put together a review from both experiences.
On the first visit, we had drinks, an Israeli scotch egg, and some cake. They have a nice selection of beer and wine. Saison Dupont is my favorite of all time.
The Israeli scotch egg is surrounded by falafel, which was unique and delicious.
On the second visit we did some entrees. My wife had the lamb burger, which comes with crunchy slaw and a harissa mayo. She added Gruyere cheese at the owner’s suggestion. It was absolutely delicious. Easily a top three lamb burger.
I had the chicken schnitzel plate, which came with fries and a salad. The schnitzel was unique in that it was breaded with a sesame seed batter!
I really liked it.
The cake we had on our first visit was a flourless chocolate birthday cake, which, I think, may have even been vegan. I liked it more than my wife did.
We will definitely be back to try more items from Eastwood. Super friendly staff, great prices, and great food!
This small burrito joint just opened up on Orchard Street in the lower east side. I had heard great things about it before learning that Golden Packing supplies their beef and chicken! Once I heard that, I was all in! I tried three different burritos: shrimp, chicken and beef.
Check out the grill marks!
The shimp burrito is the owner’s favorite, so I had to give it a try. It’s chock full of perfectly cooked, big, juicy shrimp. There’s a nice sauce in there too, along with the guacamole, beans and onions.
That’s right – NO RICE in these burritos. All substance. No filler.
The carne asada beef/steak burrito is made with high end middle meats and strip steak from Golden Packing, most of it being prime grade. The caramelized onions give you a steak sandwich vibe. Delicious.
My favorite, though, was the chicken burrito. They use thigh meat, which is the ultimate for retaining juiciness and flavor.
This place is absolutely incredible. Don’t be intimidated by the crowds in front. Most of them are just waiting for their order as opposed to lining up.
My wife and I came here almost immediately after discovering that the place existed. It’s relatively new, having just opened up, I think, in June or July.
Flavor: 7
We had the rib eye.
This had a nice crust despite being slightly undercooked. I didn’t mind the flesh being rare, but I prefer the fat to render out a bit more than it had, that way I can eat it all!
The menu didn’t note any steaks being dry aged. There was a hint of that aged flavor in some bites, but it was not pervasive by any stretch.
Choice of Cuts & Quality Available: 8
There’s a good selection of cuts here to cover all the basics that you should expect at any steak joint, along with some flourishes like a gorgonzola strip, or some special filets cooked in various ways. I think they could boost their special cuts section a bit with some dry aged selections.
Portion Size & Plating: 9
The rib eye was 20oz on the bone, which is just right for a single serving steakhouse cut of beef. The porterhouse is listed at 28oz, which I think it nice for sharing. The plating here is nice and simple, nothing too crazy!
Price: 7
The price is a bit hefty at $125 for a bone-in 20oz rib eye with no significant aged flavor. Same goes for a martini at $25, and the crab cocktail at $30. I imagine this is a really high rent location, and a mom and pop spot like this needs to cover their food costs, overhead, etc. You really can’t get too upset. But, sadly, we have seen several restaurants turn over recently on this stretch of Lafayette, and I hope there aren’t any more that fold.
Bar: 8
The bar here is really nice. They did a nice job on the decor, and I was almost wishing we sat at the bar rather than the small 2-top, as we may have had a little more elbow room. The wine pours are very generous, and their cocktails are also great, albeit pricey.
Specials and Other Meats: 8
We ordered the Long Island duck that was on special, and we were glad we did! The breast part was perfectly cooked; the fat was nicely rendered, and the skin was crisp. As for the confit portion, I wish they had left it on the bone and kept the skin intact for some crisp. It needed a bit of seasoning, too. I took two points for that.
Other than duck, they also had some nice looking lamb chops on the menu, some chicken, and other animals worthy of consumption.
Apps, Sides & Desserts: 8
We started with the Peekytoe crab cocktail. This scoop will run you $30, but it is indeed delicious. I loved it.
We also had the thick cut cajun bacon. This was nice, but again the fat needed to be rendered a bit more. Some parts were stringy, chewy and just unappetizing. I usually love eating fat, but some of this I just could not.
The creamed spinach and “potato skins” (similar to wedge fries) were both awesome. We coursed these out separately because of table space concerns (the potatoes came with the duck, then the spinach came with the steak). I think if you dipped the potatoes into the spinach you’d have a winning combo!
We decided to skip dessert, but I was definitely eyeballing the menu.
Seafood Selection: 9
There’s some nice looking seafood on the menu, and based on the quality of the Peekytoe crab, I would venture to say that these items would be similarly delicious.
Service: 10
Service was excellent, and every staff member we interacted with was really knowledgeable and helpful. Our waiter, Thomas, was awesome!
I think their table bread needs a little work though. The skillet brioche was a bit dry, as if it might have been baked earlier and reheated. It was still tasty though.
Ambiance: 8
For a small spot that almost looks more like a dedicated bar than a small restaurant, this place was really beautiful inside. The music was good and the place was packed at 6pm on a Sunday. That bodes well for Lucky’s!
I would definitely come back to try the porterhouse.
This little Sicilian shop has some pretty tasty shit! My friend and I tried their potato pizza, their tomato garlic and anchovy pizza, their meat arancini, and their orange olive oil cake.
Everything was awesome. For me, the favorite was probably the potato pizza with the tomato slice close behind. These were in the Roman style for pizza, which I love to see done right like this.
They also sell some nice looking sandwiches, and great, difficult to find groceries like Castelvetrano olive spread and pistachio cream.
BEST SICILY BOTTEGA
87 Beaver St.
New York, NY 10005
