My Floog

Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen | 5950 Santo Road, Suite P, San Diego, CA 92124 | 858.560.5805

I’ve seen all of the commercials for the delicious treats at DQ but never had the opportunity to try it for myself until today. My parents had owned a Foster’s Freeze many years ago and I was dying to see how it compared to the novelties that I grew up with.

My friend works for the Girl Scouts and recommended that we give their thin mint blizzard a try. The photo of the dessert advertises the green mintiness but it arrived as sort of a black and white shake. It wasn’t until we got to the bottom that we realized that the mint syrup had not been properly mixed into the sweet treat. However, it tasted pretty good and had a nice variety of textures with the chunks of thin mint cookies throughout.

While the treats were tastier when I was growing up, the offerings at DQ aren’t half bad. Smooth, rich, and creamy, the blizzard was a nice dessert to enjoy while getting out of the blazing three digit temperatures outside. While I wish that I could enjoy the cold sweetness every day, my body would never forgive me.

Food: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 5/10

Leave a Comment August 31, 2009

Island Style Café

Island Style Café | 5950 Santo Rd Ste K, San Diego, CA 92124 | 858.541.7002

It’s Sunday and there’s no better way to finish out the weekend than with a solid brunch. Looking for a new place to try, Island Style Cafe was tossed in as a choice and, after reading the outstanding reviews, was chosen as the location for some island-style grub.

I ordered the three egg omelet with spam, bacon, and cheese. Served with home-style potatoes and fresh cantaloupe, the savory combination really satisfied my hunger for a solid brunch. My friend went with the special combination breakfast with two eggs, ham, spam, fruit, toast, and a banana crepe. For only $7.95, it was an awesomely tasty and filling meal, an also a great bargain.

This busy little joint is a bit out of the way but definitely worth the trip. The portions may not be as big as some of these other gimmicky places, but make it all up on big variety, value, and flavors. The reviews don’t lie, this place is great!

Food: 8/10

Service: 7/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 7/10

Leave a Comment August 31, 2009

QQ Yogurt

QQ Yogurt | 501 W Garvey Ave #105, Monterey Park, CA 91754 | 626.289.2268

After a large meal, I like to end the evening with a little nightcap of milk tea and tapioca. Our little group searched around Monterey Park until we stumbled upon QQ Yogurt. This place serves it all. Whether you want boba, crepes, yogurt, gelato, or even shakes, the prices here can’t be beat. However, in my case, I seemed to have gotten what I paid for.

I went with their special milk tea with boba promotion which was being offered for the ridiculous price of only $1.00. At the price, I simply couldn’t resist. While the boba was decent enough, the tea itself was a little chalky and was pretty bland. Perhaps I’m just used to the extra sugar that is added with the flavorings, but I wasn’t that happy with my purchase. I just wasn’t willing to fork over another $2 for a pump of the almond-flavored syrup. This became a situation where the principle of contrast prevented the up-sell, and I left with an inferior drink.

I have a feeling that I would probably come here fairly often if I lived in the area simply because of the variety of novelty choices. It’s not a particularly pleasant place to hang out, but they probably have at least a few things here that I would enjoy. Unfortunately, I was defeated by QQ Yogurt’s own marketing and headed back to San Diego nursing my tasteless, budget boba.

Food: 4/10

Service: 6/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 5/10

Leave a Comment August 29, 2009

Empress Harbor Restaurant

Empress Harbor Restaurant | 111 N Atlantic Blvd Ste 350, Monterey Park, CA 91754 | 626.300.8833

It’s been a really long time since I have enjoyed proper Chinese food and I was hungry for some after enjoying my afternoon at the hilarious and incomparable Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien. Since we were in one of the great cities for Asian dining, the stage was set for a great meal to remind me of what I’m missing at home. Empress Harbor in Monterey Park was chosen as one of the favorites by our local guide and upon arrival were a little intimidated by its lavish decor and seemingly expensive menu. However, once we sat down and began ordering, none of that mattered anymore because we were starving.

While all of the menu items looked and sounded great, we decided to share the honey walnut prawns, beef chow fun, sweet and sour pork, and the deluxe braised vegetables. While all of the dishes were very good, the prawns definitely stood out. I’ve enjoyed the dish at many restaurants, but the version here was cooked perfectly. The prawns were huge, tender, succulent, and perfectly cooked and the walnuts were very fresh. Even the prices were very reasonable and we left paying only $15 per person, including tip, for our meal.

I don’t usually give top marks to just any restaurant but my bar may have been lowered by the passage of time. The service was very good here and the food brought back ton of memories of my childhood. I should note that we were served water in a plastic cup which was a little bit annoying, but the good food was more than enough to overlook that little detail. Empress Harbor is easily better than any Chinese restaurant in San Diego and I would definitely come back again.

Food: 9/10

Service: 9/10

Price: $$

Atmosphere: 9/10

Leave a Comment August 29, 2009

McDonald’s

McDonald’s | 201 E Magnolia Blvd, Burbank, CA 91502 | 818.842.3039

I hadn’t gotten much sleep last night for the day’s trip to Los Angeles and desperately needed something to keep my eyes open for the events. Ever since McDonald’s launched their McCafé line I’ve been in love with the hazelnut iced coffee.

Rich and sweet, the flavors of the coffee, milk, and syrup make for a very tasty treat to power my body and mind through The Tonight Show and trip back home. It was exactly what I needed and I love that I can get it on nearly every street corner.

I’m not a coffee connoisseur by any means, but for the price the McDonald’s offerings simply cannot be beat by folks like Starbucks. You would easily need to spend at least twice as much for a similar product there and I simply don’t see the point. If you need an inexpensive pick-me-up, I highly recommend their iced coffees. They’re awesomé!

Food: 8/10

Service: 5/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 4/10

Leave a Comment August 29, 2009

Steak Escape

Steak Escape | 201 East Magnolia Boulevard, Space 379, Burbank, CA 91501 | 818.848.1097

Dropping into the Burbank Town Center for some lunch before heading to The Tonight Show, I was a little disappointed by the options offered. With little to choose from I ultimately settled on trying Steak Escape for the first time.

I wet with their 7 inch “Grand Escape” combo with fries, which was essentially a classic cheesesteak. The sandwich was tiny and there was barely anything in it. I guess it tasted alright but it wasn’t anything near special. Even the fries were disappointing.

It’s amazingly difficult to get a decent mall meal and the combination of words is probably an oxymoron in itself. I was hoping to try one of the local favorites instead of this chain stuff but the rest of the group preferred the familiar mall offerings to venturing into new territories. I hope our dinner choice is more adventurous!

Food: 5/10

Service: 7/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 4/10

Leave a Comment August 29, 2009

Vo’s Café

Vo’s Café | 2632 University Ave, San Diego, CA 92104 | 619.546.8777

My buddy had invited me to dinner to discuss his business and I happily obliged to join him at Vo’s Cafe. Certainly one of the more unique Vietnamese restaurants I’ve ever been to, this converted taco stand stood out like a sore thumb along the otherwise dilapidated main street through North Park. I was a bit intimidated by the atmosphere, but the raving reviews eased my anxiety as I ordered my meal.

I went with the L8 combo which came with BBQ beef and BBQ chicken, a spring roll, and fried rice. For only $5.25, it was a very tasty bargain with great variety. However, the rice was a little stale when I got it and the meat was very thinly sliced. I guess you do get what you pay for though.

While there wasn’t anything that extraordinary about the food, the dining experience was a different story. Since the restaurant used to be a taco stand, you ordered your meal at the front window and the food was served at the tiny rear dining room. With the decorations and lighting, I actually felt like I was eating at a pho shack in Vietnam. That alone made the experience memorable and worth trying at least once. However, even the price could not entice me away from my local Pho Ca Dao and I would personally much prefer the atmosphere of eating indoors.

Food: 6/10

Service: 6/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 6/10

Leave a Comment August 28, 2009

OB Noodle House & Sake Bar

OB Noodle House & Sake Bar | 2218 Cable St, San Diego, CA 92107 | 619.450.6868

I had never even heard of OB Noodle House before but it was selected as the location of a Meetup group’s dinner and I’m always eager for an excuse to check out a new restaurant. I was totally unsure of what to expect and the last thing I would have guessed they served was Vietnamese food. An interesting concept in a laid back beach town, I looked forward to sampling some of their more familiar dishes.

I went with the standard #1 pho dish that you can find at any Vietnamese restaurant, the extra large pho with mixed cuts of meat. The soup was really under seasoned for my tastes, and even after adding the obligatory sauces, didn’t help in adding the great flavor I’m used to from solid Vietnamese food. I can see why the food here would appeal to the OB demographic, especially when paired with the copious amounts of alcohol served here. However, I’m not fooled by the toned-down flavors of a westernized bowl of noodles.

While it was OK for what it was, I was generally not impressed by OB Noodle House’s food. I have to compare apples to apples and it just wasn’t up to par with most of the Vietnamese food in San Diego in terms of both taste and value. The food cost about 20% more than a standard Vietnamese restaurant and it’s difficult to ignore when I’m used to paying much less for a better version of the same thing, and with a much larger portion. While it’s clearly a popular restaurant with a large fan following, I don’t think I will be back. The opportunity cost of not going to a place like Pho Ca Dao is just too high.

Food: 5/10

Service: 5/10

Price: $

Atmosphere: 4/10

Leave a Comment August 26, 2009

Wings N Things

Wings N Things |  9174 Mira Mesa Blvd, San Diego, CA 92126  |  858.536.9293

My buddy called me up for lunch today and we decided to drop into the well-spoken Wings N Things for what else but some buffalo wings.  Unfortunately what we got were tiny, extremely dry, overpriced Costco or Cisco fast food.

We split the 16 piece combo meal which came with 6 bread sticks.  The bread sticks were actually pretty good and reminded me of the stuff that Pat & Oscar’s is famous for.  The wings however, were a major disappointment.  Seasoned with medium spicy sauce, the wings were very small and resembled what you might find in the Costco freezer section.  They did not taste fresh at all and seemed to be double fried for that extra dry texture.  At about a dollar per wing, I couldn’t help be feel just a little ripped off.  Even the carrot sticks were curling over with age and the celery seemed to have been pulled from a child’s brown bag lunch.

There are dozens of good wing joints in San Diego but Wings N Things is definitely not one of them.  I’m not sure how the place fills up during lunch because neither the food nor value is there.  With a basic meal of 5 tiny wings costing $5, it’s not exactly the deal of the century.  I would definitely opt for wings elsewhere, but I might come back for a bread sticks or two.

Food: 3/10

Service: 5/10

Price: $$

Atmosphere: 6/10

Leave a Comment August 19, 2009

Hob Nob Hill

Hob Nob Hill |  2271 1st Ave, San Diego, CA 92101  |  619.239.8176

A San Diego landmark since 1944, the regular clientele of the Hob Nob Hill restaurant seemed to all be born about that time.  Guy Fieri of the Food Network had a lot of great things to say when he graced the restaurant with a visit and my friend and I were sold into checking it out.  Armed with a coupon from the website, we head out for a classic and comforting spot of dinner.

There were a ton of different comfort favorites on the menu but I decided to go with the Tuesday special of braised short ribs of beef.  The meal was all inclusive of your choice of bread, a soup or salad, two sides, and dessert for only $15.95, or fifteen ninety five on their menu.

For my options, I decided to go with the fresh sourdough roll with whipped butter.  The roll was served warm and the butter melted as soon as it touched the soft loaf.

The cream of potato soup with bacon and green onions was served next.  This stuff was awesome and had great layers of flavor and texture.  I nearly licked my bowl clean!

My short ribs were served with mashed potatoes and vegetables.  The ribs were incredibly tender and fell right off the bone.  Well seasoned and full of flavor, the meat was excellent and I would definitely order it every Tuesday if I could.

The dessert selection of cakes and pie were huge, and it was difficult to narrow down the selections.  My friend and I immediately decided that we would get pie instead of cake.  While there’s nothing wrong with cake (and I’m sure Hob Nob Hill’s would be excellent), pie is simply better, always. You never have to hand out cake at a party, only to have it set on a counter or table uneaten.  On the other hand, you’ve always got to keep several pies around and people come to it instead of being handed out, but I digress.  Of the many selections, I chose the blueberry pie (served warm and with whipped cream) and my friend had the lemon and pecan pie.  Both were extremely delicious and had just the right amount of savory and sweetness.  Even the whipped cream tasted better than most.

The service was extraordinarily friendly and attentive, and likens to that which you would find in a neighborhood diner with a waitress named “Flo”, except our waitress was named Linda.  The customers may have been old, but the menu definitely wasn’t.  This is not your normal diner experience and it’s definitely not your normal diner food.  The menu prices can be kind of annoying to read since they are spelled out, but it doesn’t affect the food or experience and can even be viewed as quirky.  Drop by into this acclaimed San Diego restaurant, one of the best kept secrets in the neighborhood.

Food: 10/10

Service: 10/10

Price: $$

Atmosphere: 8/10

Leave a Comment August 19, 2009