Thursday, May 11, 2006

5/11/06 - One more thing - on Sundays between 9a - 1p, the Hillcrest Farmer's Market has a shitload of fresh organic and conventional produce, nuts, plants, granola, beans, & flowers. They also have crafty people displaying their wares, AND a food area at the backside (near the DMV building). Within that food area are certain "must try" items: african samosas, flourless chocolate cake, chile relleno, and argentian sausage & empanadas to name a few items! It is one of my favorite things to do on the weekend. It's nice to walk around, people-watching, sampling foodstuffs, and then having some grub while sitting on the sidewalk. Our girl loves to rip into the fruits & veggies that I pass on to her (with her 2 little budding teeth) - and you get some sunshine & quality time w/family, friends, or even alone. The market is on Normal Street at the DMV. Parking is atrocious, so get there early because not only are you fighting for spots w/market-goers, but churches as well. Support our local farmers and give directly to them when you can.

5/11/06 - I can not BELIEVE that I haven't written about Dao Sun on El Cajon Blvd (near Texas St)...shame on me!

First off, this hole-in-the-wall doesn't have a parking lot, and sometimes street parking can be tricky. The guy who takes your order is normally this kooky kind of waiter/cashier who likes to make little snide jokes on the side, but he says them so fast that sometimes it's hard to catch :). If you engage in a little banter, then he'll give much better service.

Back to the star of the blog - the food. Try the garlic chicken that is like a lightly-battered & fried delight doused in a yummy sweetly-tangy garlic sauce served on white rice. It hits the spot just right. And then there's the pork w/lemongrass (oh my f**k - it's delish!)...they also have summer rolls, and spring rolls that you wrap w/lettuce and cilantro w/a nice sweet & spicy sauce. I haven't had one of those in years, and I love 'em!

However, stay away from the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) as it was too dry. This place is one of those joints that has multiple Asian items, but is really good at one type (in this case Vietnamese). Not that I have a problem w/those restaurants (once I find out which cuisine they're good at).

Prices here are $12 - $15 per person for dinner, and slightly less for lunch. You will like it, I'm sure.

Oh - and just 2 doors west of Dao Sun is Pomegranate. It's a eastern european eatery (I think Latvian or something like that). I ate there once w/a friend, and was very smitten with their salad sampler. Now, "salad" seems to be something much heartier in eastern Europer than lettuce-type stuff...think along the lines of potato salad or a bean salad. Anyhow, I'm going to have to revisit that place & get the names of the other stuff I ate - so more later on Pmegranate. But, this place wasn't too cheap so it's not going to be a common hangout.

5/11/06 - I can't believe that it's been over a YEAR since I last posted...well, I guess that's what getting knocked up & having a kid will do to one's free time. BUT my daughter is a gem, so I wouldn't have it any other way ;-).

Evening dining has become a thing of the past now (she sleeps early), so I'm all about the breakfast meal. Lately, I've been having a good run of luck with Cafe on Park (on Park Blvd. between University & Robinson). The cornmeal & honey pancakes are Yum-E, and the scrambles are pretty damn good as well (though I don't go for them as much as sometimes they have ludicrously large slices of onion in them). Prices run less than $15 for a meal + coffee, and sometimes the wait can take awhile. However, they have rotating artists on display, so it's a good place to get a meal and a dose of cultcha'.

Coffee there is fine, but for someting better just walk your feet south on Park about 1/2 block to a coffee house called....hmmm, the name escapes me. Anyhow, it's near a dog & cat wash store, so you can't miss it. The atmosphere is mellow, and there's free cards, chess, Life, etc etc to while away the time if you don't have a paper, book, or are attached to your damn cell phone speaking oh-so-loudly.