I guess I don’t really need to tell you explicitly that I very much like Urban Solace in North Park due to the fact that I am headed there tonight for what will be the THIRD time in just TEN days.

Apparently, I’m not the only person enjoying what Urban Solace has to offer. Alice Q. Foodie wrote a great report on the place, as well as a nice summary of all the buzz it’s getting from local bloggers.

My husband says that this is currently his #1 favorite restaurant in town. He had the beef cheeks last time, the hangar steak the first time, and he’s currently grumpy with me for going there tonight with the girls, without him. Oh well! That’s what he gets for going to Vegas without me!

I had the most sumptuous, moist, tasty fish there last Saturday - it’s called Arctic Char which I had never had before. Have you? It has the pink flesh of salmon, but the waitress described it as having a less fishy taste than salmon. Personally, I’ve never been bothered by the alleged fishiness of salmon, so I just enjoyed the Arctic Char independent of its comparisons to salmon. I’m considering getting Arctic Char again tonight, if they still have it. But maybe I should venture out and try something different.

Just to finish up my report on Urban Solace, we’ve tried most of their appetizer and especially loved the Butternut Squash/Goat Cheese Dip and their most amazing biscuits! Melt in your mouth biscuits, baby! I got their burger on our first visit, definitely would get it again.

Oh, and the Sweet Potato Fries! Those are worth a visit all on their own. Great buttermilk dip for them, too!

Oh, oh! Urban Solace is a great value. Our first visit, we thought perhaps they left off 2 of our glasses of wine because the total was so much lower than we expected. But no… it was all there. Maybe that’s another reason why my husband enjoyed his meal so thoroughly!

OK, well. go to Urban Solace. But not tonight! They don’t take reservations and I hope it’s not crowded.

Cheers!
~Beth

Urban Solace is not only the name of the next restaurant in my “To Try” list. It’s also my most sincere wish for our dear city during this time of blazing sadness.

As a native San Diegan, I’m just so sad for our city and its people, all the loss and the displacement and the hardship. But I’m trying more to focus on the heroism of our firefighters and law enforcement, and the generosity of the common San Diegan. There hasn’t been any violence or misconduct and I think that says a lot about our character during tough times… which is when it really counts, of course.

As for us… we did pack up our car with cherished mementos, but somehow we didn’t have to evacuate. I only know a few people who didn’t have to evacuate. A friend lost her house, and I’m just so ridiculously sad for her and her family; it seems so pointless and surreal.

I’m sending strength and solace to our city. I love San Diego so much.

~Beth

We’ve eaten at a couple new (to us) restaurants lately. Both dinners were enjoyable and yummy, and we will likely return for more someday soon. So many restaurants in San Diego, so little time!

Alexander’s - If you’ve been to The Linkery, then you’ve certainly seen Alexander’s right across the street. We really enjoyed our Thursday night dinner at this North Park pizza place. Love the white decor, cozy candles, and friendly service. I’d highly recommend the Gourmet Special pizza - full of salty creaminess, herby heartiness, and a delicious crust. We freezed the leftover slices right away, and they made a great weeknight dinner a few days later.

Most fascinatingly, we had a celebrity sighting at Alexander’s. It was Uli from last season’s Project Runway! I love celebrities, but I’m not willing to live in Los Angeles, so the Uli Sighting was a nice little after-dinner treat for me.

We also got the mushrooms as an appetizer, and we could take or leave them. I make stuffed mushrooms a lot at home, and I felt like theirs need more kick and flavor.

But we got some interesting wines with honest suggestions from our fun and amiable waiter. You should stop by Alexander’s some time, if you haven’t yet given it a try.

The Ritual Tavern - My husband has found his new favorite restaurant. He’s notoriously choosy, and the only thing he could find wrong with The Ritual was the taste of the water. Oh yeah… the thing my husband is most picky about it water; he hates tap water. But that’s a story for another time..

The decor is really cool at Ritual. It feels like you’ve stepped into a European pub or beer hall. It’s a little bit Gothic and dark, but not overly so.

We loved the beer and wine list, the Beer Battered Vegetables (the carrots were the best!), and our entrees. I got their Signature Shepherd’s Pie made with Niman Ranch lamb and beef. The flavors were so homey and comforting. It made me want to run home and try making the dish myself so that I could have that feeling and taste those flavors all the time!

And my husband went nuts for his Lamb Sirloin with cherry port reduction sauce. He thinks this was the first time that he had the cut of lamb sirloin. This dish got two thumbs up and not a drop of food was left on his plate.

Gelato for dessert was the perfect creamy touch. And I thought it was really cool when we got leftovers, the waitress gave us the option of receiving a plastic bag or not. I appreciate that because I hate using unnecessary bags. I’m so glad that more restaurants are aware of ways that they can use fewer resources.

Next time, we are craving to try the Fish And Chips and their Burger at Ritual Tavern.

***

Hope you’re eating well around town, too!

~Beth

Last week, I pan-seared salmon for the first time. I’m a convert!

Usually, I use the oven for salmon, using my mother-in-law’s famous salmon cooking method. (Oh my god, I’ve never posted that before?!? I have to tell you about that sometime soon!)

Well, my new passion is pan-searing. I love how the top of the salmon gets crispy and the fish stays moist and tender.

I used a recipe from the America’s Test Kitchen “Fast & Fresh” 2007 recipe magazine. It’s called Seared Salmon with Balsamic Glaze. My husband is now obsessed with the sauce. It’s super-easy to make for a weeknight, and the hint fresh rosemary goes beautifully with the citrus-honey mix that crystallizes and makes a perfect sauce. I bet it would be great on other fish and with certain meats, as well.

Be sure to use a nonstick pan if you sear your salmon. I made a mistake the first time and accidentally used a regular pan. It was not pretty to clean up afterwards. When I created this dish again tonight, I made sure to use a nonstick pan and that made all the difference!

See, I used the wrong pan the first time…

Oops, I just now realized that I didn’t add the butter (or the extra salt and pepper) at the end tonight, and it was still very delicious and rich and flavorful. In fact, my butter-obsessed husband didn’t even notice it was missing. So, feel free to omit the butter if you like.

This recipe is a new classic in my repertoire and I think you’ll love it, too, for an easy and luxurious weeknight meal.

Seared Salmon With Balsamic Glaze
From America’s Test Kitchen/Cook’s Country
Serves 4

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 T honey
1/8 t red pepper flakes
1 (5-inch) sprig of rosemary
2 t vegetable oil
4 skin-on salmon fillets (about 1 and 1/2 lbs)
salt and pepper
2 T unsalted butter

1. Whisk together the first 4 ingredients in a small bowl, then add rosemary. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Season salmon with salt and pepper and cook skin side up without moving, until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip fish skin side down and cook until all but very center of fish is opaque, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to platter and tent with foil.

2. Wipe out pan with paper towels and lower heat to medium. Carefully pour balsamic mixture into pan (it will splatter). Simmer until thick and syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove rosemary sprig. Whisk in butter, season sauce with salt and pepper, and pour over salmon. Serve.

Enjoy!
~ Beth

This weekend, we and everyone we love traveled to Vegas to celebrate my sister Amy’s 30th birthday in grand style. My husband and I felt so happy that our siblings were all together to party and live a carefree weekend together.

For us, Vegas is always about the food. Before each Vegas trip (we go about 4 times per year), I discuss and decipher and research and suggest and decide and make reservations. I can’t really comprehend going to Vegas without planning each meal and having reservations, but I’m sure some people do it.

Coordinating a large group (~20 people) can be intense, but we all went with the flow and did what we wanted to do. We stayed at the Palms. I love that hotel because it’s so small. You don’t have to walk miles just to get to the elevators.

The main bday party was at a MAJOR suite at the Wynn. From the windows we could see the lake show on the ground. I didn’t realize it was so elaborate and whimsical.

Now on to the food…! I only took a few photos because I’m kind of over taking multiple flashy photos in restaurants nowadays. But you will get the gist.

First, our standby - Olives at the Bellagio. My husband is obsessed with their Maytag Martini made with Junipero gin. Handstuffed olives and a twig of rosemary add to the indulgence.

For the first time, we were seated on the patio adjacent to the fountains with an extensive view of the strip. This was wonderful until the wind changed and we had to duck and cover our food from the fountain water. It was so intense that they even had to bring out one of those “Piso Mojado” yellow signs for the floor. That is definitely a bad hazard of eating on the patio, as lovely as it was.

We also ordered a starter of Foie Gras and Duck Tenderloin, as well as the Tuna Tartare ($17) with cucumber, julienne, ginger glazed rock shrimp. Here they are:

At Amy’s suite party, her BFF Alex provided a delicious cake from a local Vegas bakery called Freed’s that apparently the New York Times said is the 3rd best bakery in the country. Everyone loved the cake! And it was so cute and Vegas-themed. Rumor has it that if you fill the plastic slot machine with water, it sprays when you pull the handle. Nice touch!

The next night we got a lovely private room at Prime at the Bellagio (yes, we might as well just start staying there since we end up there every night for their restaurants!). We sat at a gorgeous round table for 7 and an exquisite Lichtenstein tapestry adorned the wall behind us.

The starters were phenomenal - to this snacky girl, they were the most memorable part of the meal. This is the Steak Tartar and Carpaccio Plate which we also enjoyed when we ate at Prime last December.

I ordered the most amazing short ribs with a “spring roll” of grits. The portion was about 4 times what I would have expected it to be and I felt horrible about not being able to finish all my food. But I did the best I could!

Everyone in our party ordered red meat. Most people got the filet special which came with blue cheese truffled mac n’ cheese. Wow.

And here’s how we marked Amy’s birthday at Prime:

Mmmmm! I love chocolate!

So that is Amy’s amazing 30th birthday weekend as seen through the eyes of our meals. Viva Las Vegas and many more healthy, happy years to my little sister!

~Beth