If you’re familiar with San Diego, you probably think of the Ocean Beach neighborhood as a hippie enclave that’s somewhat stuck in the era of peace signs and bellbottoms. In fact, Cameron Crowe used this tiny beach community as the backdrop for his 70s-styled movie Almost Famous.

More recently, the citizens of O.B. vehemently protested the addition of a new Starbucks in their ‘hood. They didn’t succeed, but locals are fond of pointing out that the O.B. Starbucks is the least profitable in the nation, a boast that may or not be true. Anyone know for sure?

Anyway, all this to say that you wouldn’t expect to find a hip wine bar with gourmet food in O.B. But that’s exactly what they offer at The Vine. Our friends Amanda and Kelsey suggested it a few weeks ago and I have to admit that at first I was hesitant. I just didn’t believe that a wine bar and restaurant in O.B. would be very good. But they’d been before and had a great experience, so we trusted them and I’m so glad we did!

The dining room scene at about 10 p.m. on a Friday night…

A Flight of California Whites:

I’m not a wine expert, by any means, but this flight of wine helped me learn about various whites that I might not have tried otherwise. I loved the Viognier and also the Marsanne. It’s great to have other white wine options besides the obvious Chardonnay.

All four of us were starving, so we ordered a ton of dishes to try and share. First off, we had an American cheese board ($6.95) that was nothing out of the ordinary, but a perfect accomaniment to our first round of wine. Honestly, I think the cheese plate at Just Fabulous has ruined me for all other cheese presentations.

Shannon’s Super Sexy Pate (chicken pate with fresh fruit) and Queso Fundido (topped with olives, raisins, and corn relish) are $7.95 each and both delicious:

I ordered the Wild Mushroom Sampler ($8.95 for a brandy cream reduction in a puff pastry) which was wildly rich and seductive:

My husband Daniel ordered the Coriander Crusted Ahi (with chipotle aioli and garlic cilantro vinaigrette for $11.95) and thoroughly enjoyed it:

We also ordered the Bacon-Wrapped Sea Scallops in a port reduction sauce ($11.95) , Crab Cakes ($8.95), and the Flat-Iron Steak topped with caramelized shallots, candied walnuts, and a Roquefort sauce ($11.95). I can honestly say that everything was delicious. We passed the plates back and forth and around and fought over last bites and tried new wines and… what more could you ask for in a double date?

The only disappointment came with dessert. We ordered a Flourless Chocolate Cake and it was just okay, nothing spectacular. I’m not that picky when it comes to chocolate. Dark and rich are my only requirements. But this cake just didn’t pack enough intense chocolate punch for me. I’d be interested in giving some of The Vine’s other desserts a chance the next time we dine there.

And there WILL be a next time!

Happy Chanukah to all of my Jew Crew out there!

Last night, we celebrated the first night of Chanukah (which happened to coincide with Christmas this year) with the family. The centerpiece of the party was the creation of a massive amount of latkes made according to a special recipe from a close family friend. Rabbi Weiss is in his 90s now and he knows his latkes! In case you’re unfamiliar with this classic Chanukah food, latkes are basically potato pancakes.

The trick to Rabbi’s Latkes is to put part of the mixture in the blender and mix it together. By blending half of the mixture, you make it the perfect consistency: not too piece-y and crumbly, but at the same time not too mushy.

Since Chanukah lasts 8 days, there’s plenty of time to try this recipe if you’re interested. Of course, you don’t have to be Jewish to enjoy latkes. Traditionally, you serve latkes with applesauce and/or sour cream.

Rabbi’s Famous Latkes

8 potatoes
7 eggs, beaten
1 onion, finely chopped
3 T matzoh meal (or flour)
1 T salt
1/2 T pepper
Vegetable Oil (1/4 cup or more for the batter and more for the frying)

• Wash and peel potatoes. Cut them into small pieces and grate them into a large bowl. You can also use a food processor but make sure not to puree the potatoes so that they are too fine or watery. They should be coarsely grated. If necessary, throw in a little egg to keep the potatoes from browning.
• Take half of the coarsely grated potatoes and put it into a blender with all of the other ingredients, including 1/4 cup of the oil. The more oil you add, the better your latkes will taste, of course! Blend well. If you find that the mixture is too watery, add a little flour or matzoh meal to solve the problem.
• Combine the blender-processed mixture with the other half of the coarsely grated potatoes. Mix together. Take about a generous 1/3 cup of batter and form it into a ball in your hand. Flatten it down into a round patty to make the latke.
• Pour oil into a large frying pan, enough to almost cover the latkes (maybe 1/2-inch of oil). The pan and oil should be sizzling hot. Fry latkes until golden brown on both sides. Serve with sour cream and/or applesauce. EAT and ENJOY!

Before I tell you about my favorite food blog content of the week, I’d like to request a moment of silence for the Chargers 2005 season. I love L.T. and the boys, but they just couldn’t pull it together. So which team should I pick up for now?

For San Diego Foodies

The results are in for Chowhound’s San Diego Ultimate Dining Poll 2005. Do you agree or disagree?

There’s a new San Diego food blog on the block! I’d like to personally welcome Kady of Gourmetish to the world of obsessing about food in your very own public forum! I can’t believe how the S.D. food blog population has exploded in the last half of 2005. It’s great! We’re gonna have to get together for dinner in 2006, you guys!

And in related “news…” when I first stopped by Milk & Honey, I left a welcoming comment, but somehow missed that the author lives in San Diego. So I’d like to belatedly welcome Milk & Honey to the S.D. food blogging community. It looks like her food blog has taken off quickly thanks to her rich and practical recipes. Yum!

San Diego Restaurant Week is coming up in mid-January. I’ve never participated before, but it’s definitely getting penciled in for the coming month. $30 per person for a 3-course meal at the city’s best restaurants? Count me in!

Candice at the San Diego Gourmet Club blog lists what she’s grateful for (with specific details) in the local food scene.

For All Foodies (And Winos, too!)

Dr Vino offers an end-of-the-year Wine Quiz for 2005. Since I’m a total newbie to the world of wine, it’s a good place for me to start my quest for learning more and more about the grape and its products.

Check out The Armchair Cook’s 12 Days of Christmas, especially if you’re in need of a laugh!

And another giggle-worthy list can be found at Lick The Spoon where Chandra highlights some very strange cookbooks, starting with the Star Trek Cookbook. She calls them “Must-Have Cookbooks” and I call them just plain scary!

Recipes On My Radar

Heidi chooses her favorite holiday recipes over on 101 Cookbooks. Thanks, Heidi!

Holy Yum! Alicat’s Banana Coffee Cake!

Baking Sheet’s Pear Muffins sound so intriguing… especially because they use whole wheat flour which I always appreciate.

I just bought some pomegranate seeds at Costco and this idea for Pomegranate and Pistachio Yogurt sounds like a great way to use them up.

Happy Holidays!

Breakfast

• Cranberry Almond Oatmeal

Cocktails

• Pomegranate Martinis

Appetizers

• Oven-Fried Zucchini Sticks
• Puff Pastry Turnovers Stuffed with Mushrooms and Cheese
• Nordstrom’s Baked Artichoke Dip
• Roasted Bell Pepper Crostinis with Basil, Bruschetta, & Buffalo Mozzarella

Soups

• Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
• Letty’s Matzoh Ball Soup
• Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Walnuts
• Letty’s Famous Lentil Soup
• Lydia’s Lime Soup Yucatan

Salads

• Mixed Salad with Vanilla-Pear Vinaigrette and Toasted Walnuts
• Warm Quinoa, Spinach, and Shiitake Salad
• Letty’s Super-Versatile Delicious Salad Dressing
• Citrus Couscous Salad

Sides

• Corn Fritter Casserole
• “Brussel Sprouts That Don’t Suck”
• Middle Eastern Rice with Lentils

Main Dishes

• Polenta Lasagna
• Polenta with Homemade Marinara Sauce, Pine Nuts, and Parmesan
• Three-Meat Meatballs with Merlot Wine Sauce
• Easy Layered Beans and Rice
• Filet Mignon with Cabernet Wine Sauce and Grapes on Polenta
• Risotto with Soave Wine, Asparagus, and Shrimp

Desserts

• Aunt Diane’s Famous Pecan Balls
• Oatmeal Apple Crunch
• Award Winning Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Dark Chocolate Macadamia Nuggets
• Homemade Ice Cream (Basic and Premium)
• Sbrisolona – Cornmeal and Almond Giant Cookie
• Ina Garten’s Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies
• Bon Appetit’s Easy Chocolate Cake

As you may recall, the star of our Thanksgiving meal this year was a squash soup. At first, I didn’t have the recipe, but I have successfully tracked it down in the cookbook called The New Vegetarian Epicure by Anna Thomas. What I like most about this cookbook is that the recipes are organized by season which makes it really easy to vary your cooking by the seasons. When you live in an eternally gorgeous yet seasonless place like San Diego, it can feel like every month is the same, mild, beautiful weather. We southern California cooks need extra guidance when it comes to cooking in tune with the seasons!

I haven’t yet made this soup myself so I don’t have a photo. But a few people asked me for this recipe after I mentioned it. And I can tell you that every person at the Thanksgiving meal commented on how delicious and unique and complexly flavored this soup was. I’ll definitely be making it in my own kitchen soon.

Butternut Squash and Pear Soup
From The New Vegetarian Epicure
Serves 6-8

1 pound butternut squash (about 10 oz. trimmed and seeded)
1 large yam (about 10 oz.)
2 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 stick cinnamon
3/4 t salt
2 T butter
2 medium onions, sliced
3 large Anjou or Bartlett pears
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup half and half
white pepper to taste

optional garnishes: chopped chives, or sprigs of cilantro

Peel, seed, and dice the squash. Peel and dice the yam. Put them both in a pot with the vegetable broth, water, cinnamon stick, and salt, and simmer until tender, about 40 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick.

Melt the butter and gently cook the onions in it, stirring occasionally, until it begins to caramelize. Peel, core, and thinly slice the pears, and add them to the onions. Continue cooking for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the wine, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pear mixture to the soup and puree everthing in a blender in batches. [Or use an immersion blender.] Add the cream and some white pepper, and a bit more salt only if needed. Heat the soup again just to a simmer, but do not boil. Serve plain or garnished with chopped chives or sprigs of cilantro.