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

Raw as a rainbow…

I went to a raw food restaurant in Hillcrest today. It’s called Cilantro Live! Have you seen it? It’s right there in the heart of Hillcrest on 5th next to the Starbucks.

I was a raw restaurant virgin. I never would have gone there (in about a million years) if it weren’t for my deliciously healthy and in-the-know sister-in-law Anisa.

She runs. She detoxes. She wanted to have lunch with me there, so I’m glad it worked out for us on a post-heatwave Thursday.

Anisa told me that Cilantro Live is famous for their Heavenly Tacos, so that’s what I got. Heavenly tacos are: “Two tacos served with Mexican wild rice. Folded green tortillas filled with nut-meat, avocado, salsa fresca, lettuce and sour cream.”

And I also ordered their Cleansing Cocktail of beet, carrot, apple, celery and a hint of parsley. Next time I would have them add a little fresh lemon juice to brighten it up. The juice tasted really earthy and grassy, but I was willing to put up with it since I knew it was good for me.

Inside it is very green.

As for the tacos, I pretty much ate every bite. I liked the nuttiness of the “meat” and the dish overall had a zesty, full flavor. Again, if I got such a dish at a “regular” restaurant, I would have found it lackluster and odd. But since I knew that it was fitting into the raw, vegan concept, I ate it up heartily and counted it as my good healthy karma for the day. (Okay, month…)

(Anisa has tried a lot of the menu items at Cilantro Live. Besides the juice blends, she favors the Nopalitos, Thai Salad, and the Cilantro Live Guacamole.

It felt weird to eat so healthy. Quite unnatural, actually. And eating raw seems like a helluva lot of work. I’m not sure I’d go back to Cilantro Live! on my own, but not because they aren’t doing their particular thing well. I guess I just am not a raw girl (except when it comes to sashimi).

Anyway, it’s good to know that raw food can be done creatively and conveniently in central San Diego. I bet there’s a whole big group of people who are beyond thrilled about this addition to the SD food scene.

What do you think of raw food restaurants? If you’ve never been, are you totally opposed?

~Beth

Tart yogurt is a crazy craze right now. If you haven’t tried it or don’t even know about it, you really need to get out more.

No offense.

Pinkberry - I’ve tried it twice (the one in Temecula on the way back from Vegas trips). Why does Temecula get a Pinkberry before San Diego proper? I’m already having nightmares about the quiet little corner in Hillcrest where the Pinkberry is going to be - crowds, parking scarcities, etc. I like the simple formulaicness of Pinkberry - it’s very neat and tidy, easy to order, easy to eat, smooth, tasty, refreshing, and good. The taste is not very creamy, almost airy. It’s not surprising that Pinkberry is having some issues with explaining exactly what is in their yogurt.

Yogurt World - Daniel and I both prefer Yogurt World’s taste, toppings (especially the mochi balls!), and their serve-yourself system. But we don’t prefer being squished in wrap-around lines and driving in circles for parking. So we made a rule that we would no longer go to Yogurt World after sunset - it’s just too mobbed. So if we’re going to brave that parking lot after dark it will be for burger and beer at O’Brien’s. By the way, if Yogurt World is out of mochi balls, we don’t even bother to go. I’ve actually called ahead several times to make sure they have mochi in stock before we drive down there. Now that’s when you know you are food-obsessed! We like all of their tarts flavors (except Green Tea - too grassy/earthy) and we’ve finally figured out (through much caloric experimentation) the perfect mochi to yogurt ratio. I also add shredded coconut, but Daniel stays with just the mochis. Fruit is just way too healthy for us most of the time. Besides, the yogurt itself is fruity, right?

The Yog(art) Scene

Yog(art) - In Hillcrest, we visited Yog(art) on only its 3rd day in business. I first noticed it Friday night as I was picking up Mama Testa’s to bring home to the exhuasted husband. After dinner on Saturday night, we went to Yog(art) and tried it out.

My best explanation of it is that Yog(art)’s vibe and product are like a combination of Pinkberry and Yogurt World. It’s not self-serve. The toppings, cups, and pricings are almost identical to Pinkberry. But they are going to get mochi balls soon (yes, we asked!) which I don’t think Pinkberry will ever have. We got a mix of the Mango and Plain tart flavors with raspberry, mango, and coconut toppings. The mango flavor is complex and satisfying. I don’t think they offered granola, which is one of the toppings I actually really like to get at Pinkberry.

I’d say the best part about Yog(art) and what gives it the best chance of ka-ching success and longevity is that it’s a big, friendly, open, welcoming space with tons of seating and free wi-fi. There’s a fun, festive atmosphere with free board games to borrow while you hang out and black-and-white movie projected on the big space over the front door. The location is great - I can definitely see stopping by there after eating dinner at Ono Sushi or Mama Testa’s or anywhere in the area. The service was extremely friendly and I think they’re going to be able to capitalize on the tart yogurt craze in a way that everyone can enjoy.

***

And here’s a new feature to Zen Foodism - the Husband Cam. Like most women, I’m verbose and my communications are nuanced (which might be a friendly way to say “over-explained”). But my beloved engineer-minded husband Daniel is succinct and extremely confident in his opinions. He’s also even pickier about food than I am.

Here’s what he has to say about tart yogurt in San Diego, and Yog(art) in particular:

Husband Cam: “I think Yog(art) has a great location and good flavor, but I prefer the self-serve aspect of Yogurt World. And, for me, mochi is a must-ee.”

***

What’s your favorite tart yogurt joint?

~Beth