Local Wally's Famous Asian Style Dungeness Crab Recipe

When you cook crab, especially Dungeness Crab, you don't want to mess it up.  Keep it simple, right? And Dungeness is the best.  Forget the tough and often dry Alaskan legs, forget the salty Snow crab, when it's in season you have to go Dungeness with it's sweet and delicate meat.  Now I love a basic steamed crab as much as the next guy but as a kid my mom would cook a killer Chinese styled crab with lots of flavors.  I thought I would give it a shot.  Let's jump ahead - here's the money shot.

So if you think this looks good, read on.  If not, well, I'm not a professional chef so I'm not insulted - well, not too much anyway.  Here's the simple recipe.

LOCAL WALLY'S CHINESE STYLE DUNGENESS CRAB RECIPE

1.  Buy crab - in SoCal it's hard to get fresh crabs but during season you can get pre-cooked ones already cut up into "clusters".  I know that Anthony Bourdain says that the guts are the best part but he's wrong, the meat is.  So buy a couple of crab clusters and smell them before you buy them to make sure they have no off smells.  Any ammonia smell, any strong fish smell, anything that doesn't make you want to eat it now means you should go make tacos or something instead.  My supermarket puts these on sale for $7.99 a pound and two clusters is about a pound.

If you are buying live crabs, it's your job to figure out how to kill them.  Don't email me, I don't know.

Cut the clusters into leg pieces and using a cleaver or a small hammer crack the shell without totally smashing it to pieces.  You want the juices from the sauce to get into the meat.

2.  Chop up a ton of ginger into matchsticks (about 2" of ginger) and about a quarter of a garlic (3 to 4 big cloves or more, it's not critical) and one jalapeno pepper.

3.  Heat wok or frying pan with oil (enough to cover the bottom maybe 1/8th of an inch) and then toss in the crab.  Stir to coat with the oil and then toss in the ginger, garlic and pepper and stir it up.  Toss in a bit of chicken broth (not too much, maybe 1/4 cup, maybe less) and add a touch of light soy sauce (be careful, too much and it gets salty so just a tiny bit, like a teaspoon or so).  Cover and let steam.  If the crab was raw, cook till done.  If it was precooked, just cook enough to get it hot.

If you really want to do this Chinese style, mix a teaspoon of corn starch with a small amount of water, stir, then add to the sauce at the bottom of the pan and stir vigorously until it cooks and turns the watery sauce into a thicker gravy.  Don't overdo this step as you can make the sauce gloopy.  I skip it, to tell you the truth, but just thought you would like to have this option.

4.  Finish with some green onions or cilantro to add color.  Eat!

Hope you like it,

Local Wally

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Getting the Flavor of Del Mar

THE PLACE:  FLAVOR DEL MAR

THE VIBE:  Vacation perfect ocean view wonderful, hip and trendy

THE COST:  Lunch is moderate, dinner entrees around $30

I was stumbling around Del Mar the other weekend looking for a new place to eat.  I love going out to lunch but have to fight the urge to go to the same old places.  A while back there was a place called Epizote in the Del Mar Plaza. It had a spectacular ocean view but that was about it.  Gone.  In it's place is the new Flavor Del Mar, a hip new place that's been getting a lot of buzz. I checked out their menu and saw these magic words:  HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY SUNDAY!  Beers on tap for $3, small plates for $6, a sunny table for two in front, I'm in!

So check this one out.  It's a steamed Chinese bun typically used for Peking Duck but topped with a crispy pork piece and a zesty hoisin sauce and Asian slaw.  Man oh man, was this good and at only $6, a steal!

Next up was the lunch entree lobster roll ($14), served on a hot dog bun and with house made chips.  This was so good I almost cried.  Let's go in for a closer look.

Look, it's not smothered in mayonaise or surrounded by fillers.  This lobster was fresh and delicious, pour a bit of that drawn butter on top and it's pure heaven.  The house made chips were good, too, though a touch overdone for me.  But who cares, that lobster, that lobster!!  Look, you want one of these.  Don't even look at the rest of the menu, get this!

So the next day I was thinking about how good the food was at Flavor and had a bright idea - let's go there for dinner!  No argument on that one.

Before we get to the food, I love fancy cocktails.  I had a Tangerine Jalapeño made with peligroso añejo tequila, cointreau, tangerine, lime, housemade jalapeño purée, and finished with a chili-lime salt rim.  So good, so dangerous, but so delicious with the peppery overtones mixing with the sweetness, a perfect balance.

The meal started with some rustic bread and various salts to top them with.  I know, I've been a skeptic on the idea of fancy salts but this was so good that guess who now has his own jars of fancy salts at home?  You know.  Anyway, each salt was different, one was Chinese Five Spiced, one was crunchy, you get the idea.

Next up was the Butternut Squash soup.  OK, I usually don't care for this but I was gushing all over this one.  No cream used, don't ask me how they got it so creamy but really a perfect start.  But wait, there's more!

Beef Carpaccio, aka raw beef, with a quail egg and capers and man more of that crunchy salt!  Super good delicious.  

Recently I ragged on Island Prime.  Not only was the food expensive and not that special but the waiter was a huge dufus, a college kid who when asked for a recommendation would refer back to the menu and read you the options.  At Flavor the waiter was actually knowledgeable!  He knew wines!  He knew foods!  He had opinions when asked "what do you think of this dish paired with this wine?" and unbelievably steered my wife away from the expensive scallops and towards what appeared to be the token pasta dish.  Crazy??

Homemade pasta with mushrooms and a hint of truffles, do I have to tell you that this dish blew me away?  The texture was perfect, the flavors perfect, and though it's the cheapest thing on the menu it might be one of the best pastas I've ever had.  

Before you go WHAT IS THAT, A SQUIRREL BRAIN? I have to remind you that this restaurant is really dark so taking food photos is really tough!  I had to turn on the flash and bother everyone around me (the things I do for you guys) and as every food photographer knows, flash is the kiss of death to good food shots.  So NO, that's not a squirrel brain or a goat liver but a veal cheek (see, that's better, right?) on top of pork belly and duck confit and gnocci and.... wow, just taste it and shut up!  And the waiter was right, it paired very nicely with the wine.

So there you go, a new place to go eat at!  Flavor Del Mar has to rank right up there with some of the best restaurants in San Diego.  If lately you've been going to the same old places, do yourself a favor and go to Flavor.  Hey, nice rhyme!

WALLY IS LOCAL SAN DIEGO:  www.LocalWally.com

One Man's Junk is Another Man's Junk at Kobey's Swap Meet

Every few years - OK, maybe every few decades - I get this wild urge to go to Kobey's Swap Meet at the Sports Arena parking lot.  The last time I went must have been 1987.  I remembered it as a giant parking lot of trash one step away from the actual city dump.  But fast forward to 2011 and now this junk is priceless Vintage finds!  Ahhh, put that word vintage on anything and people want it like it's gold.  Old records, the same ones I threw away, now vintage!  Mr. Coffee, vintage!  So I bought a shovels worth of peanuts in the shell and started wandering around, the smell of Phil's BBQ across the street wafting through the air, taunting me and mocking me at the same time.  Go away Phil, I'm on a mission.

Well, I don't know.  I was having some serious regrets over this.  I know it was only a buck to get in - Wait, even less with this 2 for 1 coupon - but that little man in my head started buzzing with "didn't I tell you never to go back?"  This is the same man who tells me to stop going to the Del Mar Fair that I ignore every year.  Let's dive a bit deeper.  Before I forget, these peanuts are really good!

So you need a car radio?  How about that cool one with the sliding equalizer?  Wait, is that a CB radio???  10-4, baby!  OMG, my car is going to be so rocking once I get one of these babies installed - where's my Supertramp tape?  Wait a second - isn't that push button radio the same one that got ripped off out of my Datsun B210 in 1981???  Hey, there's no return policy?  Really?

Holy cow, I really wanted that Carver cassette player back in college.  I couldn't afford it then but now I can!  Should I get it, should I?

Or should I go reel to reel?  I could really impress my friends with one of these.  I'm serious, these old relics are pretty cool.  I predict they will be the new rage in 2011.  Why not?  Did you ever think flared pants would come back? 

My wife had me digging through these jewels until my hands were as black as a coal miners, then decided she didn't want any of this junk anyway.  Such fun.  Listen, do you hear music?

Well, these guys were actually pretty damn good with their Bo Diddly beat.  And how cool is it that when it's time to move on that his guitar becomes his actual suitcase?  Yeah, these guys should go on American Idol or something. I'd vote for them.  I was starting to think that maybe I didn't waste that $.50 cents afterall. 

In the end we didn't buy anything and I got to check off Kobey's for another decade or so.  But I might go back sooner - if just for the peanuts.

COMING SOON - WALLY VISITS A NEW RESTAURANT IN DEL MAR.

PUZZLE:  Rearrange these letters to find a secret word:  AWYLL
Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

Paradise (Grill) in Del Mar?

THE PLACE:  PARADISE GRILL (Flower Hill Mall, Del Mar / web)

THE VIBE:  Feels like Maui

THE FOOD:  Island Influenced

THE PRICES:  Wide range from $15 burgers to $29 filets

Weird.

Ever get that strange feeling of deja vu?  Well, I got it the second I stepped into Paradise Grill in Del Mar's Flower Hill shopping mall.  It's taken me a long time to stop in because 1) I hate the parking at Flower Hill Mall, and 2) I hate wandering around Flower Hill Mall looking for any shop that is the least bit interesting.  But as fate would have it, there I was - impatiently waiting for a giant SUV to leave.  HURRY UP!!!

Back to that deja vu thing again.  Once inside Paradise Grill I was reminded of any number of restaurants on Maui.  Wow, am I at Kimo's?  Wait, no, this is David Paul's!  No wait, ahhh, Hula Grill, right?  Now look, I didn't say that's a bad thing.  In fact, I felt like I was on vacation and God knows I need a vacation.  But let's order up some food.  What's that?  Duck Confit tacos?  I love duck confit.  I love tacos.  How can it miss?

But miss it did.  The duck was uninspired, like generic meat and lacking any real duck confitiness.  And the fries, well you know I love fries.  But I HATE IT when they serve cold fries.  Really, if McDonalds can get it right then a real restaurant should too.  Let me try my Gordon Ramsy impression:  "WHAT THE HELL, THEY'RE ^%$#$ BLOODY COLD, SEND IT BACK!!!"  Overall, I'd have to give this dish a C-. 

Next up was the Firecracker Shrimp, deep fried crispy with a sweet and spicy sauce.  And guess what, it was scorching hot like they actually just cooked it when we ordered it.  And guess what again?  It was THE BOMB, delicious and well executed.  Nicely done!  

So the final verdict?  I love the atmosphere and setting, and the shrimp made up for the lousy tacos, so I have to give this one a solid B.  If you're stuck trying to think of a place to go for lunch or dinner that feels like vacation but doesn't cost like one, then Paradise Grill might be the ticket. Just don't get the tacos.

Oh yeah, almost forgot - here's a two for one coupon so you can get a double order of that shrimp and not worry if someone wants a taste.  That's my plan for next time.

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How to Visit Paris (without leaving San Diego)

An actual Paris Bistro in Paris.

French bistros are all the rage in Paris.  OK, that's sort of obvious but maybe not so obvious to most Americans is what a bistro is.   For example, PF Chang's calls it self a "bistro", but that's about as accurate as calling Applebee's "fine dining".  A bistro is a casual eatery, moderately priced, serving up rustic comfort foods.  In Paris they're on nearly every corner with the tiny tables (cleverly called bistro tables) facing the street for people watching.  Parisians spend hours in their bistros, slowly dining and enjoying the time.  Maybe we Americans have it wrong with our fast food and dining in the car while racing back to our cubicles.  

Cafe Chloe in San Diego.  Not Paris, but an incredible simulation!

THE PLACE:  CAFE CHLOE

THE VIBE:  Urban, lively, Very Paris-like

THE COST:  Moderately and fairly priced

THE LOCATION:  Near Gaslamp

The other weekend I was wandering around San Diego's East Village.  What?  Where?  Ahhh, long time locals might know this area better as the area of town where you prayed your car didn't break down.  Located east of the Gaslamp District, it was Bum City for a long time but has really turned itself around since the opening of Petco Park.  In fact, it's downright trendy these days.  And look, there on the corner is Cafe Chloe, looking a lot like a real French Bistro.  Let's go check it out.

Sorry for the butt crack shot.  Is that a tramp stamp?  Don't look!

The outside tables are hard to get but inside it's light and airy.  The bar might be a good spot on a busy day but we got the prime table next to the kitchen.  I know some of you might think I'm crazy but I love watching the food hit the pass and the waiters hustling to get it out to the tables. 

The view from my table.  Superb!

OK, so Cafe Chloe passes the bistro test with it's atmosphere, lively setting and urban vibe.  But how about the food?  Let's digress a bit and take a look at the real thing.

Actual food from a real Paris bistro.  Steak Frites and Duck Confit with duck fat fries.

French salad with a poached egg, lardons and croutons from an actual Paris bistro.

The real French bistro food was elegant and expertly prepared.  This isn't from some fancy restaurant but a random bistro we stopped in at when we got hungry.  Now let's see if Cafe Chloe can pass the test.

Cafe Chloe's steak frites.

I love a good steak.  As you read in my recent adventures, I was really bummed by the steak I got at Island Prime, the Cohn restaurant high end (and high priced) steakhouse.  I was craving a good steak and was blown away by the steak at Cafe Chloe.  It was some sort of hanger steak, more tender than a top sirloin and bursting with savory flavors.  Crave it.  Now.  Let me tell it to you straight - this is a damn good steak.  Don't waste your money at a fancy steakhouse, just get this steak!

Dipping sauces for the fries.  Delicious!

And here's a tip - ask for the dipping sauces for the fries.  Super delicious, you'll be licking the ramekins clean.   And if you happen to order something that doesn't come with fries (God forbid!), don't even think about not getting a side order.  They're that good.  Trust me, I love fries and these are great fries, even if they weren't fried in duck fat. 

Money shot for you carnivores.  Nice and rare, perfectly cooked.

The salad with the egg on top at Cafe Chloe.

The salad was nearly as successful, perhaps knocked down a notch due to the sloppy presentation of the egg, but trust me when I tell you that the flavor was spot on.  Hey, what are they eating at the table next to me?

That looks good!

Mussels!  Bread to dip into the juices!  Oh man, that looks really good!  In fact, everything here is good and the prices fair, making this one of my favorite San Diego restaurants.  So here's the verdict - Cafe Chloe is about as close as you're going to get to a real French bistro in San Diego.  The food is superb, the atmosphere fun and lively, the wait staff and owner friendly, the next time you find yourself wondering what to do on a weekend afternoon just head downtown and waste the day enjoying your time at Cafe Chloe. 

What are you doing this weekend?  Ahhh, going to Cafe Chloe.  Mmmmmm.

MORE WALLY!  Local Wally's Guide to San Diego

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Escalating Burger Wars

NEWS FLASH LA JOLLA:  A recent surge has caused major escalation in the Burger Wars in San Diego as hundreds of restaurants continue to offer their take on the humble hamburger.

"My mom could make a better burger than this and she can't cook worth sh&^t," said one local who asked to remain anonymous since his Mom was standing next to him.  Angry protesters on street corners shouting "End the War Now" has only increased the tension as chefs everywhere battle it out.  And right in the middle is Local Wally, the original San Diego local guy who just wants a bite to eat. And he's hungry.

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There I was.  La Jolla.  Lunchtime.  At the iconic George's at the Cove Ocean Terrace, the upstairs al fresco restaurant.  The dinner menu is a glorious collection of delights, but the lunch menu is as sparse as a Gordon Ramsey menu makeover.  There are salads (boring), a few pastas (been there, done that), and some ho-hum sandwich selections.  Oh, and fish tacos but can you really beat the $2.75 taco at The Brig?  No, no way.  So I had a drink.

George's makes a Bloody Mary that's so spicy that your eyeballs might pop out of their sockets.  See what looks like an olive in the glass?  That's actually my eyeball!  They infuse the vodka with peppers.  Maybe too much pepper.  But if you like your Mary's hotter than licking a piece of lit charcoal, this is your drink.  I'll give it an A for effort, a B for overall deliciousness, and a mental reminder to think twice before getting that one again.  

But George's main draw has always been the view, and today it didn't disappoint.  Want to see it?

Kayaks, snorkelers, and water clarity that looked like the Bahamas.  This is why we love San Diego.  And look, there are seals!  I love the seals, but who doesn't?  Don't forget, email the Mayor

and tell him you support the seals before those crazy anti-seal people bulldoze the beach so their snot nosed kids can take over.  Really, the seals need your help.

So now I'm sauced up with vodka and peppers and my eyes are watering and the sun is so hot so I look at the menu one more time and see... can it be?  A Hamburger.  With Cheddar Cheese and Bacon.  Time for George's to battle it out as I continue my search for the Best Burger in San Diego.

 And here it is, a heavyweight of a burger.  What is that, a half pound?  Maybe more.  Disturbingly huge and way bigger than my mouth could open.  Oh, I forgot, the waitress asked if I wanted a salad or fries with that.  What?  Was that a serious question?

You can't have a salad with a burger.  And these fries were darn good.  Not as good as Bouchon in Napa Valley, nor as good as The Third Corner in Encinitas, but respectable.  Stay away from my fries.  Grrrrr. 

STEP ONE:  Look inside.  Looking good.

STEP TWO:  Pick it up.

STEP THREE:  Stop eating, people are staring.

So how was it?  Pretty good, though a bit under seasoned  Thankfully they actually had Salt and Pepper shakers on the table!  I hate it when you have to ask for salt and the waiter looks at you with scorn.  Pass the salt.  So the burger was slightly overcooked (I ordered medium) and it was packed a bit too dense, but it was still pretty delicious.  Best Burger in Town?  No, not ready to call this one.  I've got a lot more burgers to eat first.  Are you with me?

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When is a Sandwich Worth a 2 Hour Drive?

THE PLACE:  BUSY BEE MARKET

2413 S Walker Ave
San Pedro, CA 90731

(310) 832-8660

THE VIBE:  Neighborhood Market near the Beach

THE COST:  Cheap

Does good food have to cost a lot?  I mean, seriously, let's pretend that the entire US became this huge hippie commune and you could have a steak, or a lobster, or a sandwich for the same price.  I know, you're thinking the steak or lobster is the ticket, but here's where I prove you wrong.

Now before we get to the sandwich, the day before I was treated to a really expensive dinner at Island Prime in San Diego, one of the Cohn restaurants on Harbor Island.  A view to die for and a $40 a la carte steak, I was expecting a worthy competitor to Fleming's Steakhouse or Ruth's Chris but dammit if it wasn't even as good as a $6 steak from Stater Bros cooked by me on my BBQ.  It was tough, it was under-seasoned, and the waiter was a college kid who knew nothing about wine.

I know it looks delicious, but it was tough and underseasoned.  Meh.

After that disappointing meal, I was ready for something fantastic.  I was in San Pedro last week - don't ask - and a buddy started telling about this oddball of a place called The Busy Bee that used to be a neighborhood mom and pop market but now just sells sandwiches.  The rest of the store has chips.  That's it. Sandwiches and chips. Bars on the doors, a line when you walk in, this was definitely Anthony Bourdain territory.

We each ordered a sandwich for around $6.50 and headed out to the beach down the street.  Now I don't know nothing about San Pedro so was pleasantly surprised to see the view.  Want to see it?

OK, screw the view.  Where's the sandwich????

 The sandwich, I want to see the sandwich!!  You have to wait.  Subway Sandwiches is like Internet Porn, no substance, no style. This is like '70's porn where you have to wait a few minutes before you get to the action.   Hey, anyone have a VHS machine I can borrow?  Just kidding.  OK, you've waited long enough.  Let's unwrap this baby!

Man, this is a MESS!  It's the roasted pork sandwich, tasting a bit like Chinese pork smothered in sauce.  It was good, but not worth a 2 hour drive.  Let's move on to the next one.

Oh man, this is the real deal!  The pastrami was first drenched in a sauce to heat it up and then tossed like a wet porn star on the bun, making it a bit like a French dip.  Tons of meat, spiced perfectly, this the sort of sandwich you dream about.  Really, really good!  Ready for the money shot?

There you go.  And you should go to Busy Bee Market the next time you're around San Pedro or Long Beach.  They prove that good food doesn't have to cost a lot, the entire lunch costing less than the tip we left for the night before. Skip out early from that boring business meeting and go taste some real food.  Get the pastrami!