FOODIE FRIDAYS: How to Mess Up a Perfectly Good Burger

When I was a kid, Mom would slap some hamburger meat onto a hot skillet and fry it up, toss it on a bun with some condiments.  No one gave it a lot of thought - it was a hamburger, it was good, that's all there was to it!  Today, everyone is searching for the perfect hamburger.  But seriously, is that hard to make a good burger?

In N Out

Now I'm no food snob but I know what I like.  I like In-N-Out burgers a lot!  It's simple, it's savory, it's so good that I even eat that last bit of bun that has no meat in it.  Huge crunch from the iceberg lettuce, eye watering onion, thousand island sauce, it's simple and well executed.  And I'm not the only one who loves In-N-Out.  Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame claims it to be his favorite as well, so I'm in good company.

Notice the pickels?  Yes, I always add pickels to my In-N-Out burger.  I used to do Animal Style where they put grilled onions on it and burn the mustard on the patty, but lately I've gone purist.

Urban Solace burger

The other day I was at Urban Solace in Hillcrest area.  I have loved just about everything they make, actually comparing them to George's at the Cove (on a budget) for creating unique and creative food for the common guy.  Today I ordered a burger.  What's that?  Salad????  That's right, because they only have sweet potato fries, so they swapped it out.  The salad was good, but no substitute for good fries.  How could it be?

Sweet Potato Fries

As for those Sweet Potato Fries, my wife and daughter ordered them on the side.  OK, so they were not bad and actually better than I thought, but they were not "fries" by my definition, any more than a crabcake is a "cake", if you get what I mean.  Still confused?

In-N-Out fries

These are the In-N-Out fries.  These are real fries.  Salty, crispy, and lots of them. Now to be fair, my wife and daughter LOVED the sweet potato fries as did the table next to me, but I am a French Fry fanatic and when I want fries, I want fries!

Urban Solace burger was just too darn sweet for me.

As for the burger, it was pretty good but everything was a tad too sweet.  There was some sort of sweet sauce on it, this burger was screaming for some mustard and onions.  It was good, but it didn't hit the spot like a good burger does.  I wanted salty, savory, but got sweet instead.  It's like expecting bacon and getting a Honey Baked Ham, or a bagel and getting a donut.  They're both good, just different. I walked out with an urge for In-N-Out. 

Maybe a burger just needs to be a burger.  No messing with the formula, keep it simple and it'll turn out delicious.  I love Urban Solace, but the next time I want a burger, I'm going to In-N-Out.

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TACO TUESDAYS: I Heart Juanita

THE PLACE:  Juanita's Tepatitlan

290 North Coast Highway 101
Encinitas, California 92024
(760) 943-9612

THE VIBE:  Locals, surfers, young dudes, occasional bikers

THE COST:  Cheap

There seems to always be a line at Juanita's.

They have a giant bucket with Mexican carrots and jalapenos, take as much as you want.

I know, Juanita's has bars on its windows and there's news of occasional fights and mayhem now and then.  And yes, I know that in the past Juanita's hasn't always passed the health food grade (can't win them all), but when you want carnitas in North County, is there a better place? 

The $2.20 taco was packed full of succulent and tender carnitas. The flavor was exactly spot on, flavorful and seasoned well.  No boiling in a crock pot here .

The taco comes with some guacamole and salsa fresca.  I squirted some of the tomatillo green sauce on it, too.  Look, rolled tacos!  Let's see how these are.

The guacamole was a bit runny and not a big fan of cheddar cheese on top, but I do like that they put a scoop of salsa fresca with it.  These cost $2.60 with guac.

After the delicious carnitas, the rolled taco was a bit of a letdown.  They're not bad, just not as good as Roberto's.  So the carnitas is great, the rolled tacos, well, just OK.

FINAL REPORT CARD:  

Carnitas Taco:  A+

Rolled Tacos:  B

Final Grade:  A-

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FOODIE FRIDAYS: S#!% I Ate Yesterday

Have you seen that terrible TV show "S$#@ My Dad Says?"  And William Shatner wonders why they didn't let him act in the last Star Trek movie?  Holy cow, sometimes it's just not smart to turn a Twitter feed into a sitcom.  Anyway, yesterday at my real job - why yes, I have a real job! - I got to got to eat some good stuff. 

My lunch started with some really good tacos.  But not just any tacos.  These were from the Kogi Taco Truck. 

Because it was a catered event (even better!) the menu was more limited than normal.

Those Commies have it so lucky if they get to eat this stuff!  Want to see it?

These tacos were incredible!  Chicken, pork and beef combo, Korean flavorings with some Asian slaw on top, I'm a believer. 

Here's the guy who ran the truck.  FoodTV needs to do a reality show series where they just follow this truck around.  Hey, I'd watch it.  And they could get William Shatner to play this guy's part!  Maybe not.  How about Sulu?  He's not doing anything these days.  Can he cook tacos?

Here's a blatant plug for these guys.  You see them in OC driving around, you follow them until they stop!  Want to know where they are?  Check out http://kogibbq.com/.  

For dinner it felt like the 90's all over again when vendors took you out to nice dinners and said the magic words "get whatever you want!"  We were at Houston's and I pretty much got exactly what I wanted.

Grey Goose.

Menu looked good!

Grilled artichoke.  Nice wood flavor with aioli sauce.  I do these at home.  I'll show you sometime.

Sushi sampler, pretty good (though obviously would be tossed out in a real sushi restaurant but worked just fine in this setting).

Beautiful house salad!  Almost a chopped salad with the bacon and egg, mmmmm.

The person next to me got this and loved it.
And no one was complaining about the filet.

I went double cut pork chop and swapped out the mashed potatoes for fries.  I can't stand it if someone at my table has fries and I don't, so I learned.  Swap out.

Perfectly cooked, a tiny bit of pink, savory seasonings, delicious. Best pork chop I've had in a long, long time.  Moist and tender. I even went bad manners and picked up the bone.

And nice fries!  Dipped in mayo.  Don't be all weird, try it if you haven't done this and you'll thank me.  Of course, it'll kill you.  But it's good!

Anyone want dessert?  Well, if you insist!  I got the candied brains with ice cream.  Not really, but doesn't this look like a bowl of brains?  This was actually ome sort of apple tart thing, it tasted like gooey caramel bread pudding with nuts, OMG, so good and probably 3,000 calories alone.  Get it!

So thank God my buddy was my designated driver and cruised my Shatner ass back home, safe and sound.  It was a very foodie day.

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TACO TUESDAYS: This Isn't Your Parent's Taco Shop

THE PLACE:  Lucha Libre Taco Shop

1810 W. Washington Street
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 296-8226

THE VIBE:  Cool kids, lots of locals, people with cameras

THE COST:  Not too bad, not cheap but worth the price

"Can you pick me up at the airport"?  Most people hate that question and quickly come up with lame excuses like "Oh darn it, I can't because my cat is having his tonsils out that day".  Hmmm, really?  But lately I don't mind going to the airport because I discovered Lucha Libre Taco Shop, a strange place right down the street from El Indio Taco Shop and a short hop from the airport.

Don't be afraid.  The decor of Lucha Libre is odd, very odd, with the Mexican wrestling theme.  In fact, it's unlike any other taco shop I've ever been to. You can even reserve the gold booth, perfect for that special night out.  (Yes, honey, it IS romantic!) 

So the decor is weird, but how about the food?  Unlike El Indo which serves up fairly predictable (though very tasty) fare, Lucha Libre has taken the gourmet route.  Don't think of this so much as pure Mexican food as San Diego Mex.  This is the Queso taco, cheese with carne asada topped with more cheese, sauce, and avocado.  After eating so much crappy Mexican food from Old Town lately for this blog, this was heaven sent.  The meat succulent, the sauce creamy, the tang spicy, my taste buds were exploding with delight.

But no meal at Lucha Libre is complete without a TJ Hotdog, a dog wrapped in bacon and smothered in onions and peppers and topped with mayonaise.  Don't make that face, it might stay that way! You think you won't like it, well think again cause this is one of the best hot dogs in town and a steal at a buck and a half.  Delicious!

The salsa bar is complete with lots of options, all great, and I like how they add a little dish of chips with your order.  See that weird green salsa?  Well you have to try it, it's really good.

Next time you're forced to pick someone up at the airport, stop by here for a bite to eat on your way home.  Who knows, you might actually start offering to pick people up.

LOCAL WALLY REPORT CARD:  A

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FOODIE FRIDAYS: Best Sushi in Encinitas

THE PLACE:  Sushi House

214 N El Camino Real (next to BevMo)
Encinitas, CA 92024
(760) 633-1088

THE VIBE:  Low key, friendly, tables and sushi bar

THE COST:  Very reasonable (for sushi, that is!)

Remember the good old days when you would drop $150 on sushi and not even bat an eyelash?  Then the darn recession hit and going to Nobu is about as realistic as fixing that dent in your BMW.  Thankfully, there's Sushi House, an unassuming place in a strip mall serving up some great sushi at a more reasonable price.

Tuna Tataki Roll with browned garlic on top and ponzu sauce.

Here's a standard - a crunchy roll.

Every meal starts with this nice refreshing crab salad, complimentary.  With the crunchy cabbage and the sweet crab, a delicious way to start.

Pay attention to the specials on the whiteboard.  This spicy salmon roll was half off, a steal at $4.25, and incredibly fresh.  Not even a tiny bit of fishiness - and this is salmon, a fishy fish if there ever was one.  Let's see another shot.

 

Yeah, it was good.  Really good!!  Now, on to my favorite.

The Albacore Special Roll.  It starts with snow crab and crispy tempura shrimp inside, albacore and avocado on top, orange smelt eggs and sesame seeds, and splashed with tangy ponzu sauce.  The crunch of the tempura mixed with the creaminess of the avocado and the melt in your mouth freshness of the albacore, contrasting textures and beautiful flavors.  The best!  Other sushi bars might have something similar but no one, no one, can touch Sushi House's version.  At the end of the meal they give you Sushi Bucks to use on your next visit.  Does Nobu do that?  Didn't think so.

And here's a tip!  Next door is BevMo and on Saturdays they do wine tasting for a couple of bucks.  Grab some lunch at Sushi House and then go sip some wines afterwards.  Talk about a cheap date!  Nobu's is so last decade!

LOCAL WALLY REPORT CARD:  A

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