Bistro Sixty - Rolando

When researching bakeries for our office dinner, my assistant came across San Diego Desserts on 60th and El Cajon Boulevard. What intrigued us even more was that Bistro Sixty is an extension of San Diego Desserts. The food photography on Bistro Sixty's website is amazing so I knew I had to visit. 

I met my good friend/college roomie, P, here for lunch on a Thursday. Bistro Sixty opens at 11:00am for lunch. I arrived before P did at 11:30am and I was the only guest there.  Parking was convenient; right on the street in front of the restaurant/bakery.  I had the option to sit anywhere so I picked the outside patio, which clearly was the new addition to the bakery.  

This was my view from the table... looking at the inside of the bakery. 

To the left of where I was sitting was a stage. My server told me that it gets pretty packed in the evenings, especially when they have live music. 

I browsed through the menu as I waited for P.  The prices are very, very reasonable. The entrees are all $10 or less and they come with either french fries or a side salad.  For lunch, sandwiches, pasta, salads and quiche are served.. very simple.

Because the bistro is also a dessert place, I wanted to try the chicken pot pie for a good, flaky, buttery crust.  I had a feeling that it would be awesome because of that fact.  I love quiche too, but it wasn't speaking to me that day.

I ordered the chicken pot pie ($8.00) with a side salad. The pie was petite and very cute. The outside was perfectly baked.  The salad consisted of romaine hearts, chopped tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, and dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette. It was simple and fresh. 

The crust of the pie was perfect. It was buttery and flaky.  The pie filling had chicken, tomatoes, celery, and spices -- it was so delicious!  

My friend ordered the turkey burger ($9.00) with a side salad. The turkey burger is a mixture of ground turkey and mushroom duxelle -- genius!  Seriously, we all know that ground turkey can be dry and if it is not seasoned correctly, can be flavorless... but this patty was SO GOOD.  I was a bit jealous of her dish. The addition of the sun dried tomato pesto made it even more flavorful. 

I could not leave the place without ordering a dessert so I browsed through the dessert case inside the restaurant and chose my favorite.... carrot cake ($5.25).  Our server put it in a plastic container, like so, and the entire cake was protected by a plastic rim since there were three lovely layers of cake here.  I was excited to share it with the office.

The cake moved around in the car so by the time I opened it in the office, it moved to the corner of the plastic container.  Haha.  This is a view of the cake with the plastic rim removed.

The cake was very sweet in flavor because of decadent cream cheese frosting.  It was heavenly.  I absolutely love carrot cake and I always want to try it anywhere that serves it.  This version did not have nuts or raisins.  It was cute and a perfect finish to a nice lunch at a new place.  Thumbs up for me!

All in all, I am happy to have found a new lunch spot.  I really, REALLY want to go back for the turkey burger.  An older gentleman inside ordered french fries with his sandwich and they looked crispy and delicious too.  Yeah, definitely... I will be back!

Bistro Sixty

5987 El Cajon Boulevard

San Diego, CA 92115

619-287-8186

Carnitas' Snack Shack - North Park

FINALLY.  I *finally* physically made it to Carnitas' Snack Shack.  After having their wonderfully braised pork belly app that I received as a to-go treat from my friend, I just had to visit the land of 'everything pork.' I visited with my good friends, J and J, for an early dinner on a Saturday evening. 

We arrived and there was only a few people in line at the window.   Here is the menu for that evening...

When deciding what I should order, I had an inner debate with myself whether to order the pork belly app again (because it's SO delicious), trying something on their regular menu, OR trying one of their menu specials (something they do not serve every day).  I ordered my dinner with a bottled soda.

Carnitas Snack Shack does not have fountain sodas; instead they carry cool bottles of soda, like the Sprecher Gourmet Soda I ordered (root beer), Coca-Cola bottles, and bottled beers.  They do offer fresh brewed iced tea (you can see one in the background) and complimentary water in the seating area.  I have loved root beer every since I can remember.  The taste was bold, frosty and sweet.  I loved every sip of it.

I ordered one of the menu specials.... BBQ brisket sandwich ($8.00).  Here are my reasons: #1) I love BBQ brisket and since I don't see it in enough menus here in San Diego, I order it.  #2) I love beef. The hubby doesn't eat beef anymore so we don't have it at home... so, beef is pretty much what I order at restaurants.  And, lastly... #3) it's a menu special.  I can come back to Carnitas and try their pork sandwich anytime but it may be rare to see their brisket on the menu again.

The brisket was moist and amazing.  It had enough spice but it was not "spicy".  The brioche bun was nice and soft, and it still held the sandwich very well.  The coleslaw was primary made up of shredded carrots, but I loved the crunch and how the slaw toned down the overall robust flavor of the meat.

["Eat that corn!" - quote from J]

Every dish comes with their corn relish.  It was creamy, crunchy and delicious.  J and J gave me theirs so I had three to eat.  I only made through two of them.  I am guessing that extra crunch is diced jicama they put in the corn salad.  Does anyone know?

Both J and J ordered the Snack Shack BLT ($8.00). What can I say? Bacon, bacon, BACON. They gave me some of their bacon. J told me, "You're never going back to turkey bacon after eating this."  I could have eaten a basket of that bacon. 

We split two orders of the seasoned fries ($2.50). The fries were really seasoned well. The homemade ketchup was sweet and good. 

For dessert, we shared the caramel chocolate cupcakes (2 for $5.00).  They were tiny in size but they satisfied the palate after a savory dinner. The cake was chocolately and moist, surprisingly not too sweet. The sweetness, of course, came from the gooey caramel and the vanilla frosting.

I could not wait to see what goodness was inside this paper bag o' yummy.

Ta-da! The bacon crunch bar ($5.00) was the finale. Bacon bits, chocolate, caramel layers on a rectangular cookie. It was really, really good. At the first bite, my palate said, "Wow, SWEET"... then as I kept eating, the savoriness of the bacon hit me at the end. This was awesome!

The Carnitas' Snack Shack experience definitely lives up to the hype. Their food is delicious and the menu is small and simple. I saw on Instagram that the Travel Channel was there with Troy Johnson recently. I predict longer lines in the future! 

Carnitas' Snack Shack

2632 University Avenue

San Diego, CA 92104

619-294-7675 (PORK)

Rokerij - Phoenix, Arizona

Date night in Phoenix means delicious food at a new restaurant. Phoenix is a city full of so many "non-chain" restaurants, like Rokerij. 

The hubby's parents had recently went to Rokerij and loved it. We followed in their footsteps and went there for an early dinner for date night.

Rokerij is one of three restaurants in the Richardson's of New Mexico restaurant group. The 'J' is silent in the restaurant name and it's pronounced "row-ker-ree," meaning 'smokehouse'.  Looking at all three menus, they all offer the same type of New Mexican type of cuisine -- a combination of Mexican, Tex-Mex, and "Cowboy Chuckwagon". 

We started off with the mushroom toast ($9.00) based off the rec from the in-laws. They were crostini topped with sauteed button mushrooms and French brie cheese. The tips of the crostini were burned, which was very disappointing. Boo on the kitchen! Once we got passed the burned part, the toast was really good - savory, creamy and delicious. 

We both ordered the Caesar salad ($10.00).  It was a standard Caesar - romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, and croutons - on a cool, chilled medieval looking plate. 

For my entree, I chose one of specials on written on the chalkboard: the Rokerij New York strip ($38.00). Are you ready for this combination? It is a grilled New York strip steak topped with dungeness crab, jalapeno hollandaise, and a spicy hot sauce.  Talk about rich and succulent!  The steak was cooked to perfection and the flavors of the sweet crab and rich hollandaise was such a treat for my tummy.  It was really delicious.  For my two side dishes, I chose the "lighter" sauteed brussel sprouts and the mashed potatoes. 

Again, the top of my mashed potatoes (in this cute cast iron skillet) was slightly burned.  And, again... once I got passed the burned portion, the mashed potatoes were okay.  Not as creamy, as I would have liked it, but it was good.

The hubby and I always joke around that we always order the same thing because we like the same flavors.  We really do; and we don't take the time to think of a plan of how we will share different items for more flavors.  We just want what we want!  Then, after we are full, we always laugh how we should have split the same item and get something else. 

With that said, the hubby ordered the Rokerij New York steak too, but with their signature mashed potatoes in a green chile and sauteed broccoli rabe. 

Between the mushroom toast, salad and our humongous entrees -- we definitely ordered way too much, but we left with our tummies happy AND a doggy bag.  

 

We are unsure if we will be back to Rokerij, but we are glad to have had the experience. 

 

Rokerij
6335 N. 16th Street

Phoenix, AZ 85016

602-287-8900





Sage Cafe at Barona Resort and Casino - Lakeside

 

I just love the Sage Cafe at the Barona Resort and Casino in Lakeside. I have written about the Sage before, but that was quite a while ago (2009). It was time for a new experience -- lunch!

Weeeell, the menu does not change from lunch to dinner with the exception of their yummy prime rib dinner being served starting at 4pm nightly oh, AND, the fact that they only serve hot, fresh complimentary Indian fry bread only after 4pm also. Booooo.

The Sage Cafe is Barona's 24-hour restaurant and it is lovely, I repeat, lovely. The outside patio overlooks the beautiful, green golf course. The wait staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable for what you get. I do think that the Asian cuisine on the menu is overpriced, given the authentic food we can get elsewhere. But, hey, no tax on food either.

The hubby and I ventured out on a Thursday afternoon for lunch. We asked for a table out in the patio. It was such a beautiful day out.

 

There was even some sort of golf cart drama across the way. We chuckled because it appeared that every person on staff came to see what was going on with, what it looked like, a golf cart being stuck.

Like I mentioned, the bread basket arrived and to our surprise, there was not one piece of fresh Indian fry bread. The table didn't have cinnamon sugar or powdered sugar either. After 4pm, the server stated. Got it!

I craved fried chicken so what better combination? Chicken and waffles! With the nearest Roscoe's being in Long Beach... I thought I'd give this version a try. Why not?

Before my sweet and savory dish arrived, my cup of chicken tortilla soup was served. Each entree at the Sage (non-breakfast item) comes with a choice of a cup of soup or a wedge salad.

I love their chicken tortilla soup. The warm broth, cool avocado chunks and crunchy tortilla strips were great textures in every bite. The broth, this time around, wasn't as flavorful as my past visits, but overall it was still good.

 

Ta-da! My "all dark" meat chicken and waffles ($8.95) was served. The dish was pretty boring in presentation, but oh my, I was pleasantly surprised how crunchy and flavorful the spices were on the chicken. The meat was super juicy inside. The people sitting two tables away could have heard my crunch (if there wasn't any talking). It was that crunchy. I loved every sinful bite. I got a leg, thigh, and a small piece of bone-in breast. So much for all dark meat, but man, it was still juicy!  Seriously, this picture does NOT do justice of how the fried chicken tasted.

The waffles were just okay. They didn't have the crispiness and warm doughiness that I liked, but the sweet syrupy waffle and savory chicken still went well together. Cute square waffle, you still did your job.

 

The hubby ordered the turkey club BLT panini with a side of fresh fruit kabobs ($8.95).  Sandwiches and burgers have a choice of steak fries, cole slaw, onion rings or fruit.  I didn't have a taste of his dish because I certainly was enjoying all my delicious flavors on my palate.

No dessert for us, unless you count the square foiled chocolates they gave us with the check.

Other dishes worth ordering at the Sage Cafe are:

• Steak and eggs (New York strip) / hash browns / choice of toast ($9.95)
• Prime rib dinner / potato / veggie / soup/salad / ice cream ($14.95)
• Build your own burger (or chicken breast sandwich) / three toppings / fries, fruit, onion rings or cole slaw / soup/salad ($8.95)
• Gambler's short ribs / baked potato / green beans ($14.95)

The Sage Cafe is a definite gem because of the quality of their food, service and of course, their non-tax prices... and, who knows, you may get lucky on the slot machines or tables!

Sage Cafe at Barona Resort and Casino
1932 Wildcat Canyon Road
Lakeside, CA 92040
1-888-7-BARONA (1-888-722-7662)

University Club atop Symphony Towers [Anniversary Lunch] - Downtown

 

The hubby and I were fortunate (and really ecstatic) to receive another invitation to visit the University Club atop Symphony Towers to celebrate six years of wedding bliss. The last time we visited for our 4th anniversary dinner, they were undergoing renovations and in the process of expanding their space so it was great to see that they modernized the club, by adding more color.   The very first time we visited, my organization just got a membership to "San Diego's premiere private social and private club" and I was super duper excited to go.

Unfortunately, we did not have the chance to explore and take photos (no private tour this time) so hopefully the next time we visit, we'll be able to! We were right on time for our reservation so they took us down the hall immediately to one of the main dining rooms, with, of course, a breathtaking view of the city.

We went for lunch and sat amongst business people, we could tell. A lot of wining and dining, corporate conversation were around us.... and there's us, two people celebrating love (and talking fantasy football strategies... yeah, seriously). OK, food time.

The crunchy bread was served with soft butter and an orange infused marmalade. The cute little ceramic squares were also filled with salts from France.

The hubby started out with a crock of sweet onion soup ($6.25). Mmm, this soup is always a favorite for the both of us. Sweet, caramelized onions, beef broth, toasted baguette croutons and, non-traditional, melted provolone cheese were the ingredients for the Club's version.

I had to order the steak frites ($27.25) again, especially when they only serve it during lunch. I fell in love with this dish when I first had it and could not stop thinking about it since. I ordered my steak to be cooked to a medium temperature and this is what I got...

My steak was definitely overcooked, but... I was hungry and, seriously, I was okay with it. The steak had a nice charbroiled flavor, the frites were cheesy from the asiago and crispy, and the Bearnaise sauce was on point.  Even the greens were dressed nicely in a tangy vinaigrette.  Everything was yummy.

Our server checked up on us after more than a few bites of our meals.

Him: "How is everything?"
Us: "Good - thanks!"
Him (to me): "Your steak looks a bit over."
Me: "It is, but it's really okay."
Him: "Not okay."

He quickly took my plate and returned it to the kitchen. Ten minutes later, I have a whole *new* dish, with a perfectly cooked steak, which unfortunately, I did not finish.  In fact, it looked like I barely touched it because I already ate a good portion of my first steak dish.  Still, I appreciated that the server insisted to return the dish.

The hubby ordered the almond crusted halibut ($20.00).  His dish came with rock shrimp risotto, charred tomato, and a citrus butter sauce to tie everything all together.  It was rich and so delicious.

We just had to get a dessert to share for our anniversary.  We ordered the apple tart ($9.00) with vanilla bean ice cream, fresh berries, and a caramel sauce.  It was warm, sweet, buttery and a perfect end to our anniversary.  

Here are pictures of our dinner from 2010 for when we celebrated four years:

[palate cleanser: refreshing mango sorbet]

[grilled filet mignon with truffle risotto and a port wine reduction]

[perfectly cooked seared sea scallops]

The University Club really is a real treat for us.  We are lucky to have visited and dined amongst business executives.  The service is great, there is a guy who plays the grand piano while we ate, and the view.... wow, I cannot get enough of the view on the 34th floor of Symphony Towers, overlooking the Coronado Bridge, Point Loma, and Downtown San Diego. 

University Club Atop Symphony Towers
750 B Street, #3400
San Diego, CA 92101
619-234-5200

Station Tavern - South Park

South Park? I was aware the area existed given the ever-so-popular North Park, but I have never been to a restaurant there before.

We had the opportunity to venture out to South Park when our good friends, J and J, bought a cute house over there. A group of our friends met at their house for a tour of their home and of their neighborhood. We walked to the Station Tavern and Burgers, their family friendly suggestion, for lunch on a weekend afternoon.  I was curious to see a beer tavern that is family friendly.

The restaurant set up is similar to the Lei Lounge, where the bar and half of the seating is inside the restaurant and the other half is outside.

They also have a cool wooden train for toddlers and/or youngsters to play in. The train is enclosed in a gated area and instead of sand, there was gravel instead.

I love restaurants with a simple menu. The Station Tavern definitely has one. They serve burgers, fries, tots, and have a small kids menu (an all beef hot dog, grilled cheese sandwich, or a tofu dog for $3.00 each). Burgers are reasonably priced ($6 or $7), but do not come with fries or tots.  The menu shows that they have local beers on tap, wine and cocktail list.

J took the liberty and ordered one full order each of the regular french fries ($3.50), garlic fries ($4.00) and sweet potato fries ($4.00) for the entire table. They ran out of tots... WHAT?

The server brought out the fries before our burgers.  I would say that a full order can feed about three people (two really hungry people).

The french fries were simply what they were... french fries. Nothing special about them. They were crispy and salted nicely.

J warned us that the garlic fries are *really* garlicky. I absolutely love the taste of garlic, as long as the garlic is not raw. I helped myself to these first. The menu description describes that these are tossed in fried garlic but it was not. I was expecting the chunks of sauteed garlic and parsley fries similar to Gordon Biersch. These fries had sweet chunks of roasted garlic slathered on top, which was super delicious. Every bite of the sweet garlic made me want the taste even more.

The sweet potato fries were exactly what I expected, but I LOVE them so they were scrumptious. These fries were served with a bleu cheese sauce.

Our burgers arrived at the table and unfortunately, between our son running around the restaurant, me being really hungry, and trying to cut up our son's kids all beef hot dog ($3.00), I only took a picture of my burger. The hubby ordered the turkey burger ($7.00), everyone else ordered cheeseburgers, and J ordered a the Yardbird (grilled chicken sandwich - $7.00).

I'm a cheeseburger gal - simple dimple. The cheeseburger ($7.00) is made with 1/3 pound Angus beef chuck and comes with the usual lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and pickles on a toasted bun. We had a choice of cheddar, swiss, or pepperjack cheese. Burgers did not come with any sauce. There were condiments on the table or you can pay $0.50 for one of their many homemade sauces.

The patty was a tad smaller than the bun, but I did not mind because the bun was soft, fresh and perfect for my medium temperature cooked burger. The flavor of the meat was good. It was well seasoned and it made my tummy happy.

All in all, the Station Tavern is a great family place - there were tons of kids and babies - AND a great place to grab a burger and a brew with your buddies. I really want to go back to try the tater tots, garlic style.

South Park has all these hidden gems, like a cupcake/ice cream place, this popular mariscos food truck in the grocery store parking lot, Whistlestop Bar and MIHO gastrotruck every Friday evening, Big Kitchen (which I have never visited) and a cute French creperie. We are definitely visiting South Park again to explore!

The Station Tavern and Burgers
2204 Fern Street
San Diego, CA 92104
619-255-0657