Berlin Cafe

Having driven by Berlin Cafe place on numerous occasions, I finally got the chance to give them a try for lunch. 

We ordered in advance since we were crunched for time, and our food was ready when we arrived. We had a pretty large party and the, the staff was able to accommodate us nicely. I opted for the schnitzel sandwich and we all shared some large baskets of fries. 

The food was good. I have had German food on a number of occasions over the years, but I am far from experienced with the cuisine. The bread was good, although a little doughier than I prefer. I enjoyed the schnitzel quite a bit. It was juicy and moist, which is important. I wasn't crazy that it just came with lettuce and mayonnaise. I guess I was hoping for something a little more flavorful. The fries were disappointing and bland, so I don't see myself ordering these again. 

We also tried the apple strudel, which was tasty and had a great texture. 

Service was on point and I look forward to trying this place again for a little more of their more traditional dishes. Their dinners and other lunch options look promising.

Island Flavor

After a nice dinner out with my friend, we decided we wanted a little dessert to top off our evening. Thinking about all our options in the area, we finally decided to head to Island Flavor. I had never been before, but my friend kept raving about their cakes, so I was excited. I opted for the guava cake and my friend ordered the Haupia cake. I also ordered a kalbi plate to-go for my fella.

The guava was delicious, but the Haupia was my real favorite. Both were incredibly fluffy and light. Delicate flavors, I can't wait to come back for their desserts alone. Service was quick and refills were plentiful. 

Our takeout order was ready quickly and we were on our way. I couldn't resist taking a bite or two of my fella's kalbi plate as well. The meat was flavorful and cooked well. It had a nice smoky flavor and the mac salad was one of the better versions I've had. Not overly creamy and complemented the meat and rice perfectly.

The food was great and I look forward to coming back to try the rest of their menu.

Pot Tea Social House

Pot Tea opened recently and my friend and I decided to give them a try. We arrived around 7 on a Wednesday and the place was pretty packed. 

I went with the spicy beef hot pot and my fried ordered the lobster hot pot as well as a chicken wing appetizer. The wings came out first and they were tiny. They looked dry, but were surprisingly moist. They lacked any sort of flavor and definitely needed a little more seasoning or sauce. 

The hot pots came out and they were surprisingly large. I'm not well-versed in this cuisine but after my dining companion mentioned the lack of dipping sauces (they only offer two) it definitely felt lacking. More options would have helped quite a bit, I think. My spicy beef was actually quite spicy and flavorful. Opting for the vermicelli noodles over rice helped retain all the flavor from the broth. 

Despite the spiciness level being right on, nothing else about our meal was particularly memorable. Everything  was just ok. My friend seemed less than enthused with her lobster hot pot and said she regretted getting rice instead of vermicelli. 

The place is new, so I cut them some slack as far as service. They were busy and the severs seemed to be trying their best. Everyone was really nice, so I give them kudos for that.

Make sure you bring cash, since they are currently cash only.

Yonaka Modern Japanese

I'm jumping on the Yonaka bandwagon. I have been dying to try the place since before they even opened. Driving past the restaurant for months, I never got the chance to eat here. Finally, I dragged my mom along for Happy Hour and I'm absolutely sold. 

Every bite I had was absolute heaven. We started with a cucumber amuse that was very refreshing. Every description sounded great but we narrowed it down to a few choices that we shared. 

Beet Fries - Great flavor and texture. I'm not typically a fan of beets, but these were really delicious. 

Brussel Sprouts - An absolute must for me whenever they're offered on a menu and these did not disappoint. I see myself ordering these every time I come.

Avocado Nigiri - My mom's favorite of the evening. The flavors were amazing and all the sauces complemented and enhanced the flavor of the avocado superbly and it was beatifully presented with an edible flower. 

Kaki-age - Not a showstopper dish, but once you dip the tempura into the sauce they provide, it was quite flavorful.

Sake orenji - The salmon was great. The subtle flavor or orange and roe really made the dish sing. 

Watermelon salad - Absolutely amazing. The little bites of watermelon exploded with flavor and definitely pack a punch. One of my favorite flavors of the evening. I could eat this all day long. 

Karaage - Different than any other version I've had. Probably my least favorite dish. Just a little too sweet for me, but the chicken was perfectly cooked and had great flavor. 

Overall, I have to say this place surpassed my very high expectations. The menu is inventive and takes lots of risks and most of them pay off. Not to mention the prices are fantastic and service was attentive and friendly. We left full and satisfied for a very low price. I am already planning my return and expect to be a regular for Happy Hour.
 

Macayo's on Sahara

Don't come Macayo's expecting great food or even good food. I have only tried their happy hour which is until 6:30 on weekdays. On the few occasions I have come it has been with regulars and the service is always impeccable. The staff is very sweet and accommodating and they seem to know all the regulars by name. 

The food is lacking in pretty much every ways but if you stick to the happy hour menu and keep your expectations low, you'll have a great time. Margaritas are cheap and tasty and I've always had a good time when I'm there, for what it's worth.

Novecento on Rainbow

We came in to Novecento during the first few days after they opened, so the staff was still working out some of the kinks. I won't fault them for that. They were all extremely friendly and helpful and there is always a bit of a learning curve for a new spot.

Despite the fact that the entire staff was still in the training stages, the food came out tasting great. Chef Marc was there helping the staff out and giving them pointers as they prepared our food and chatted us up while we waited. You really see how passionate he is for his business, which was important.

Everyone in our party ordered the one topping pizza, salad and drink combo. My fella and I decided to share since we wanted to try out the dessert pizza. We opted for the spicy sauce and supprassota on top. It had a nice spicy kick and the crust was perfection. Even better than the one I had at their other location on Eastern. The salad was great as well. We opted for the Caesar and it had a nice subtle flavor and wasn't overly sauced, which I enjoyed. We ordered everything together and they offered to make our dessert pizza a little later so we could enjoy it when we were ready, so it was as fresh and warm as possible. The flavors were great and I really enjoyed this little treat. Not overly sweet and had a nice savory aspect that helped even out the powdered sugar and fruit topping.

As much as I liked it, I would probably stick to their savory items next time since they offer Art of Flavors gelato as well and it's very hard to me to resist that when it's available.

I'm very excited by the newest addition to this complex and I see myself coming pretty often to indulge my pizza and gelato cravings.

Hacienda De Vega

Great atmosphere, pretty good cocktails and very generic, bland food.

While visiting friends in Escondido, they recommended Hacienda de Vega for dinner. We arrived around 8 and were seated quickly in the large outdoor courtyard. It really is a cute, little restaurant. Dining outdoor, under the stars and there are plenty of outdoor heaters to keep you warm on cold evenings.

We started with margaritas all around. Portions were large and they were pretty good. Not strong, but tasty. The food took a while to come out. They let us know there was a snafu and our order got lost in the process and compensated us by comping our first round of drinks, which we appreciated.

Once our food arrived, it wasn't too exciting looking, but I didn't expect much to begin with. My enchiladas were a little bland and the tampiquena steak we ordered was slightly overcooked and also didn't have a lot of flavor. My friend found her veggie burrito to be extremely bland and even adding guacamole and salsa didn't salvage it for her. She said it was mostly just beans and rice and a few sad bits of tomato.

I would definitely recommend this place for a great place to sit with great friends and have drinks and maybe appetizers, but I can't recommend any of the food I tried.

Sporting Life

I've never heard of Sporting Life, but am always on the look out for hidden gems in town. Unfortunately, although this place may be hidden, it is not a gem.

My friend and I decided to order and share a few items from the menu. We got the duck confit tacos, which were a daily special, deviled eggs, duck confit pizza and potato skins with croquettes.

None of the food we ordered was amazing but I did enjoy aspects of each dish. The duck in the pizza and tacos was really good, but the other items in each dish left a lot to be desired. The tacos needed a little more flavor. The tortillas were a little dry and the tomato and creme fraiche were bland. The pizza, which was more of a flatbread, was good but overly sweet. My dining companion came across lots of chiles on her slices but none of mine had any of that. The goat cheese added a nice savory flavor, but the fruit definitely overpowered this dish.  The deviled eggs were good, but very basic. I would recommend these at 50 cents each. The potato skins, which was basically half a potato cut into there measly slices served with three sad little cheese croquettes. These were the least appetizing of everything we ordered. Drippy and watery cheese inside a fried ball. I would not recommend this dish in the least.

Service was ok at first but once it was time to settle our bill, it took forever for someone to pay any attention to us at all. It was even more annoying given the fact that we were sitting at the bar.

The menu is ambitious, but lacks in execution. This would be a great bar to enjoy watching a game or fight, but I don't think I would have much reason to return.

Pacifica Del Mar

It has taken me a while to figure out exactly how I wanted to review this place. We were in Del Mar for the day and my friend was craving pizza. Sadly, her favorite pizza place was undergoing a refurbishment, so we decided to give Pacifca Del Mar a shot.

I wasn't very hungry so figured I'd get a cocktail and something small to eat. I ordered a pineapple chipotle margarita and my fella ordered a beer. A few minutes later, our server arrived with two beers (we only ordered one) and as she was placing it on our table in front of me (I didn't order beer) she spilled it... ALL OVER ME! As it was still spilling out all over me she decided the best thing to say (instead of "I'm sorry" and continuing to help clean up the mess) was "at least I spilled on the person who wanted a shower." Um, excuse me, what?? My fella picked up the beer bottle that was still gushing beer all over me, since no one else seemed to think to do that. I was in utter shock from the whole incident. I get that our server was embarrassed (I was pretty mortified as well) or whatever, but what the heck was she thinking.

The manager rushed over and apologized and sent over some club soda to help clean up my clothes. He also told us he would cover our bill for the inconvenience. I said ok, and stuck around to finish our food and drinks.

Our server continued her awkward ways by continuing to make uncomfortable references to spilling the beer all over me without sounding apologetic in any way. Insult to injury...I'm really easygoing, but it was really starting to bug me after a while.

After all was said and done, the food wasn't very good, but I appreciate the effort, after the fact, that the manager and staff tried to make amends, but Great view, but there isn't much that would make me want to return here.