Wally Celebrates His Anniversary!

I know, it's been a long, long time since I have posted anything but stuff happens.  After being laid off from a company I've worked at for 10 years ("Hey Wally, could you wash that company car before you return it?") and being forced to dine like a college student (Top Ramen, Kraft MacNCheeze), I thought I needed a break.  Last year we were saving for a big trip to Paris for our anniversary, but that just didn't seem like that great of an idea 12 months later so we jumped into my Lexus that has a bent rim and bald tires (dammit!) and went out to dinner.

Last year we went all out at La Valencia's Sky Room and I'm still pissed!  It was outrageously expensive ($130 per person) and they did the "big plate/little bite" thing I hate.  Look, if you want to insult me by only giving me one scallop for my entree, don't put it on a plate the size of a New York Pizza!  Also, the Sky Room gave us the sh*ttiest table even though they knew it was a big (I mean, BIG) anniversary.  So I hate them.

Instead we went back to a place we used to go when we were oh so young - Piatti La Jolla.  I know it's corny but I dig it when restaurants do things like put "Happy Anniversary" on the menu.  Of course, 31 years is a long time - that has to be a typo.

That dang sauce for the bread is super good, a mix of garlic and olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some parsley and chili flakes tossed it.  The waiter was super cool and everyone wished us a H.A., which is nice.

We started with the Carpaccio, which is raw beef.  Sorry vegetarians, this is so tasty that even you might give up tofu forever after a bite.  I think Piatti does this best, better than many of the other restaurants in town.  Paper thin slices, zesty and lemony, dang it this is good!

We split a salad of grilled Romain lettuce wrapped in Proscuitto with a very acidic dressing.  At first bite it was too tangy but once you got a taste of the meat it all blended nicely.  They split the salad in the kitchen, which I loved.  At the Sky Room this one plate would have served the entire dining room.

My wife got the special, a oven baked Yellowtail with fingerling potatoes (no, those are not bananas) and lots of fresh veggies.  Delicious, perfect, wow!  The waiter was so cool that he asked if she wanted anything special, suggesting different sides and extra vegetables, and he added his touch by tossing some asparagus on top.  That's nice, really nice.  ($27)

I got the Paradelle, which is a wide noodle with shrimp and saffron and tomatoes.  It's one of my favorite dishes there and it was also fantastic.  The shrimp were perfectly cooked, the sauce had the right balance, this is a good dish.  ($20)

At the end the waiter came by and I asked, a bit embarrassed, if they happened to save the menu with the Happy Anniversary heading on it?  The waiter pulled it out of his apron with a bow tied to it and gave us a free dessert.  How cool is that?

So Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife, thanks for putting up with me for a long, long time, and thank you Piatti La Jolla for a wonderful meal!  If you've never been to Piatti, go this weekend.  Ask for a nice table on the patio and I guarantee you will have a great experience.

WHAT'S UP WEDNESDAY: A Day at Scripps

LOOK, UP IN THE SKY!  IT'S A BIRD, IT'S A PLANE, NO..... IT'S YOU!  That's right, if you have the guts, if you're tough enough (cluck cluck), you can actually strap on some wings and go for a tandem hang gliding ride at Torrey Pines Gliderport.  Ironically, their website has a BIG RED X on it from my Norton virus protection so maybe it's safer to jump off the cliffs than to visit them on the web!  Here's a safer link if you want more info.

Even if you don't want to risk your life the gliderport is a great place to just hang out and watch.  Check out this short video to see how cool this is.

As you can see, it's quite a sight to see and a perfect San Diego experience whether you fly or just watch.  Afterwards take the short drive up the hill to one of my favorite spots.

The Birch Aquarium is often overshadowed by SeaWord but it's still one of my favorite activities and I even have discount tickets for you.  It's the perfect way to spend a few hours with the kids and I'll guarantee you'll see some things you never have seen before....

.....like this seahorse.  See, told ya that there are some incredibly cool things to see.  Yes, this is real!

Stop staring at this guy.  You don't want to hurt his self esteem, do you?  That's a cuttlefish.  Wait, do people eat these things?

Lucky for you if cuttlefish isn't on your menu that Piatti La Jolla is nearby.  With their beautiful outdoor patio underneath the giant fig tree the setting is vacation romantic perfect!  And the food?  Seriously good stuff.

We split the lunch entree and the portion size was still very generous.  Good way to stretch the dollar without giving up the good life.  Oh waiter, more free bread to dip into the olive oil and balsamic vinegar, please!

And now for my table trick.  Can you balance a salt shaker on it's edge like I can?  I learned this in high school and still do it today much to the irritation of my wife.  Here's the trick - you put a tiny tiny bit of salt on the table and carefully scrunch the shaker up to the crystals.  You don't want to crush the salt - you want to find the one edge where the salt fits perfectly with the side of the shaker.  It takes lots of practice (and no fair pouring a tablespoon of salt on the table) but ultimately worth it to see the waitress roll her eyes and wonder if you'll ever grow up.  I guess I didn't.  Oh well....

NEXT FRIDAY - FOODIE FRIDAY!  Come with me to some of my favorite food adventures around San Diego!