Doug G.
5 Recs
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Hamilton's Tavern, South Park
03/29/07Green Flash. Ballast Point. Stone. Pizza Port. AleSmith. If you look at this and already know what I'm talking about, make a mental note to visit Hamilton's the next time you have the chance and stop reading now. You're good.
Now, for the rest of you dainty wine sippers, here's the story. Our modest city is becoming increasingly recognized for some outstanding homegrown microbrews, like those listed above, and they're on tap at Hamilton's. There's also a refrigerator full of exotic bottled beer from around the world. Those of you dragged to Hamilton's by a beer-loving friend will be happy to find that they serve wine and other drinks, but with a beer list like this, you'll be doing yourself a disservice with a Chardonnay here.
Opened on a residential block of South Park in November of 2006, this bar already has the "been here a long time" feel, in part because they inherited the premises from Sparky's, a venerated dive bar. Hamilton's now has an inviting vibe-- it's the kind of place you can go with a group of friends to play pool, table hockey, shuffleboard, or foosball as you listen to one of the jukeboxes with attitude in San Diego. The tunes slant heavily toward grungy, heartfelt blues. It can get crowded and very loud on the busy nights.
For an interesting time, go to Hamilton's during their slower hours, and go with the purpose of learning about beer. The staff is usually happy to help you navigate the extensive beer list, and they take some pride in educating their customers. Since the San Diego region is becoming known especially for our extra hoppy beers, at least give it a go. Hops are the dried blossoms of the hop plant, and they give beer a perfumed, floral note. In this town, brewmasters use more than their share of these blossoms to producing aromatic beers that you can smell as you lift the glass to your lips. For the uninitiated, the blast of flavor can take some getting used to. In any case, if they're not slammed with work, the staff at Hamiltons will help you find something you'll enjoy, hoppy or not.
If he's there, introduce yourself to Mr. Herman Hamilton who lives in the neighborhood and lent his name to the establishment. He's the older black gentleman sitting at the bar with a glass of water-- strange to have a bar named after you if you don't drink, right? Or, find the bar's owner, Blair. He's the friendly, bearded Scot pouring drinks and chatting up the customers.
I do not have any connections with this business. I've been here three to five times.
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Pete's Quality Meats, Little Italy
02/02/07There's something comfortable about a short menu. To me, it says, "We do these things well." Pete's Quality Meats, a Little Italy institution, does hot meat sandwiches very well.
Not counting their fridge full of drinks, you can buy six things at Pete's, all sandwiches: Italian sausage, meatball, steak, chicken, spitini, and eggplant. Usually I go for the comfort of the meatball sandwich. The meatballs are pulled out of a large pot on the stove, put onto the roll, slathered in tomato sauce, and served with a coating of parmesan cheese. No surprises there. Pete's does a particularly good job with each of these parts, and the result is a sandwich that I keep coming back to.
If you're looking for something less pedestrian than a meatball sandwich, you can go gourmet with their spitini. Spitini is veal, rolled around a combination of cheese, vegetables, herbs and spices, and it's definitely worth trying.
A quick word about their rolls: they're really good. Having spent fourteen years living in and near Philadelphia, I appreciate a good sandwich and I know that the trick always starts with the right rolls--they need a resilient chewiness, a mild but present flavor, and just enough crust to at least put up a fight when you sink your teeth in. The rolls at Pete's, fresh from a local bakery every day, satisfy even my snobbish East coast sandwich tastes.
Their customers are usually male-- there's something about a menu of meat and a decor about one step up from that of a gas station that appeals to our inner caveman.
While you're there, you might catch Pete himself, methodically grinding meat and stuffing sausages with equipment that appears to have been manufactured a century ago. And yes, those guys sitting out front are speaking Italian. Welcome to the neighborhood.
I do not have any connections with this business. I've been here more than ten times.
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Extraordinary Desserts, Hillcrest
01/25/07I know people who moved to San Diego for this cake. Seriously.
If you ever want to see a woman melt, ask one of the many, many fans of Karen Krasne's Extraordinary Desserts to describe this restaurant. She will lose coherence as she starts gushing about cake, chocolate, sauces, and flower petals. There's little on the menu here other than sweet, sinful decadence.
This is truly one of San Diego's great restaurants, even though you can not order a proper meal here. It's all desserts, all the time. Extravagantly rich desserts, colorfully plated with sauces and flower petals. For example, straight from the menu, I present two of my personal favorites:
* Ivoire Impérial. An exquisite torte made of fine layers of vanilla bean soaked pound cakes and creamy white chocolate mousse bursting with fresh raspberries and cranberries. This delicate mousse torte is hidden by white chocolate shavings dusted with powdered sugar.
* Gianduia. This exciting combination of bittersweet chocolate cake, touched with Meyer's rum, is layered with hazelnut buttercream, chocolate mousse, homemade boysenberry preserves and covered with crushed prailine.
If those sound good, there are about twenty other cakes, tortes and confections available on their menu. Don't read the descriptions and get your heart set on a particular dessert, as only a handful are available at any one time. Before waiting in a long line, savvy customers sneak in the side door, next to the water cooler, to check the selection in the case so they can mull their options as they wait. The lines are long at night, especially on weekends, so you could be mulling for 30 minutes. Apparently, there are many others like me who are willing to wait in a long line for the opportunity to pay $8 for a slice of cake.
The clientele is largely composed of petite females, choosing to make their one meal in the last 72 hours a sinfully decadent one, covered in berry coulis and decorated with flower petals. A girl's gotta eat, you know.
The success of the Hillcrest location allowed them to expand to a newer location at 1430 Union Street in Little Italy. As of late 2004, you can get your dessert on in this more spacious location with a wine bar. There's even a savory menu, for those willing to try grains, proteins, and vegetables.
I do not have any connections with this business. I've been here more than ten times.
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Bronx Pizza, Hillcrest
01/24/07If you are anywhere close to downtown and like your pizza with a thin crust, you already know about Bronx. Sold by the slice or by the pie, this pizza and the guys who make it will make you forget that you are fifteen miles from Mexico. Order in or take out. Bronx is usually crowded, but service is fast.
The place is unpretentious, the food is outstanding, and despite the name, it is truly a local San Diego experience. My advice to you: try a slice of plain cheese pizza. At most other pizza places, I adore the toppings. Toppings are good here (they take special New York pride in not having pineapple as an option), but for simple mouthwatering goodness, go with a slice of cheese. The tomato sauce is otherworldly, and the cheese is perfect.
Should you choose to eat there, order at the counter, fill your own drinks, and be listen for your name to be called by one of the guys. "Jimmy! One cheese, one pepperoni mushroom for JimMEE." Pictures of boxers, some famous, some not so famous, share wall space with the numerous awards Bronx has won over the years.
They don't deliver, but my periodic pilgrimage to Washington St. has become a pleasing ritual. I usually arrive home with a slice missing.
I do not have any connections with this business. I've been here dozens of times.
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Turf Supper Club, Golden Hill
01/24/07A grill-yer-own steak joint for the swinging hipster set, the Turf Club has an attitude that newer places strive for, and they consistently make the best cocktails I've found in San Diego.
Tucked into an unassuming neighborhood, the Turf Club is one of San Diego's unique restaurant experiences. The place feels like it was pulled from some long lost time in American history, when it was ok to use horseshoes as decoration, stiff cocktails were served with little umbrellas, the women wore dresses, the men wore hats, and everyone grilled their own meat.
The patrons and staff are a noisy, friendly bunch, smartly dressed and sporting more tattoos than necessary. On weekends, it is intimately crowded at night. Wait for your table at the bar, where the strong cocktails are prepared by experts.
The meat arrives raw, wrapped in plastic. You're in charge of cooking your beef and toasting your bread. The Turf Club provides a small grill, a pair of tongs, a spatula for everyone to share. Here's a grillwork hint: rub more salt than expected onto each side of your steak, apply black pepper, and grill away. Ignore the temptations of the communal bottles of ketchup, steak sauce, mustard, and worcestershire sauce.
The jukebox has a good mix of Hank Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and Devo. Sunday evenings, there's a guy playing the piano, and it's fascinating to hear him bridge from The Girl from Ipanema through The Smiths and into the theme from The Jeffersons.
Finally, do not wear anything you do not want to smell like sweet, delicious meat. The Turf Club stays with you long after you leave.
I do not have any connections with this business. I've been here more than ten times.
5 recs
4 toasts
11 fans
Great
Great
Here’s to !