The last few days I’ve been out on the left coast, visiting a buddy of mine, using the UCSD Tritonman triathlon as an excuse to head out that way. I wanted to find a tri to help prepare myself for a half ironman in May, but there aren’t many triathlons this early in the season. The weather is always so gorgeous in San Diego, so though the water is fairly chilly, they are able to pull off an event in February. Also, call me sentimental, but I enjoy staying in touch with old friends, and when they live all over the country I have a fun reason to travel. We have a good time catching up, the change of scenery and weather is awesome, and my friend is into food so this inadvertently turned into a SoCal dining excursion.
California is a different kind of place, I’m not sure I really fit in. The bills of my hats are too curved, I don’t own any man capris (or man-bags for that matter), and I shop at this place they have never heard of called “Brooks Brothers”.
It’s definitely a cool place though. The weather is awesome. Everyone was friendly. There are lots of beautiful people. And there is a fondness for the environment, fitness, a healthy lifestyle, and food. The latter generally incorporating quality, local ingredients using modern techniques and fresh ideas. The cuisine I saw was often a balance on a line between complex preparation and simple ingredients.
OK, there are a lot of pictures in this post, so I am going to keep it short regarding each destination.
Before I get to California, there is one notable destination before you even leave Atlanta.
One Flew South is the relatively new fine dining destination in the E Terminal in the Atlanta airport. Helmed by experienced chef Todd Richards, the restaurant is the first of its kind in Atlanta. You have to make the trek all the way out to E, but it’s definitely worth a visit if you have some time before your flight. The space is very clean and cool, having a regular bar as well as a sushi bar where you quickly dine on some real grub.
The menu is varied, with a strong lean towards Asian/Japanese cuisine, but also having a Southern influence. I sat at the bar, ordered a nice Rogue stout, which was recommended by the awesomely nice bartender. Unsolicited, she then poured me a glass of Maker’s Mark and told me to try it because it balanced so well with the dark chocolate flavors of the beer. This is not your regular airport dining experience. Please give it a try next time you are in the ATL airport. It’s definitely pricier than most spots in the airport, but the food is definitely good and it’s nice to support local chefs who care about their food.
Miso soup with cod, potatoes, rice crackers, and clams.
Scallop with corn, sweet water beer foam, andouille sausage, served over a dark bbq sauce.
Our first notable meal in San Diego was breakfast at The Cottage in La Jolla. The weather was rockin’ and we scored a table on the front patio, and enjoyed their quality food and scenery. We had a great fruit plate with strawberry crème fraîche, then some various eggs benedict, and wrapped it up with french toast for dessert. We pretty much shared everything we ordered the whole trip, so “family style” was a common theme at these meals.
In La Jolla, checking out the seals. Overhead by a seal activist “They aren’t invading our territory, WE are invading theirs!”
Next up that day, the Pt Loma Seafood Market. We ordered ceviche, fish tacos, fried seafood mix plate, and some Fat Tire beers. Everything was great but the ceviche was outstanding.
A huge plate of fish tacos
Nine-Ten is where we went Friday night for our “nice” meal. Located in a hotel in La Jolla, we got to check out their menu that afternoon. There was a good mix of seafood/sushi and California cuisine. They also offer the “Mercy of the Chef”, a 5 course meal determined on the spot by the chef. We didn’t take them up on that offer, but we definitely ordered a lot of food. Each of us selected an appetizer, an entree, and we added a few more items to our order. The chef was also kind enough to bring us a few special treats.
Hawaiian Tuna Sashimi, with hearts of palm, orange, yuzu, compressed banana, jalapeno, micro mustard greens, and nori.
This was incredible. The compressed banana that it sat upon was new to me, and the complexity of this dish to accentuate the flavor of the tuna was impressive. There was almost too much going on, but I have to respect the thought.
Lobster risotto with basil oil and 4oz of shaved black truffle.
A whole large claw of lobster meat, with delicious creamy risotto and mouth watering lush truffles. Seriously.
Jamaican jerk pork – baby carrots, swiss chard, plantains, black eye peas, sweet potato puree, covered with a spicy jellie
This was incredible. The pork was so tender and flavorful, and each accompaniment went so well with it. The jellie was a nice, modern touch, and it actually added a fair amount of welcome heat to the dish. Very cool.
Slow roasted lamb loin – baby squash, zucchini, pine nuts
Looked how well this lamb is cooked. Enough said.
left: Olive oil semifreddo with powdered olive oil. Salt, savory, and incredible.
House made ricotta cheesecake. Foams on desserts, yup.
Panna cotta with rhubarb and pistachio wipe (I think)
Espresso with chocolate ganache on rim
This meal was easily in my top 10 ever. Dishes not pictured include: the halibut, the 24 hour+ braised short ribs, the shrimp/polenta amuse, the chilled white asparagus shot amuse, the chocolate dessert, the cheese plate, or any of the 12 wines ranging from late harvest Sauvignon Blanc to white Burgundy which were expertly paired with every dish by our waiter, Chris, who deserves a shout out. The food can only take you so far, and Chris carried the meal the rest of the way, turning this into an amazing 3.5 hour dining experience.
Oh crap, I have a triathlon in 6 hours.
The sun coming up, almost the start of the race.
A lot of kicking and flailing at the start of the race. I’m the one with the green cap.
Baywatch water emergence
The race went well, but the only thing I was eating that morning was humble pie. This was a collegiate race, with teams from UCLA, USC, and Stanford, and others in attendance. These people were fit and experienced, and I realize I have a long way to go.
My reward came at the Hash House a go go. We had to wait 45 minutes for a table, but it was worth it. I spotted a B.L.T. Mary and knew it had to be mine. There was a large piece of crispy bacon in it. Awesomeness.
Extra awesomeness – crushed bacon around the rim with the salt.
Entree # 1 – quesadilla stuffed with eggs, potatoes, jalapenos, and a tomato w chili cream
Entree #2 – Sage fried chicken w/ fresh spinach, hardwood smoked bacon, market tomato, griddled mozzarella, chipotle cream and scrambled eggs, served over mashed potatoes and a biscuit.
Entree # 3 – pizza sized pancake with caramelized banana + homemade caramel topping
OK, so this trip was a little out of control in the food department, but you have to blow it out every once in a while. Why travel thousands of miles to eat the same stuff you can get at home? I don’t regret one dime I spent, and I had a great time checking out the scenery and the cuisine. Thanks to Jeb and Jasmine for being fantastic hosts, and for sacrificing their bodies to the tune of 10,000 calories (estimated).
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