Vagawandering.com

Good scientists that we are, we taste tested the two most popular Balboa Bar purveyors on Balboa Island, Dad’s and Sugar and Spice. We encountered S&S on Friday night an hour before they closed. The lines were crazy but I loved the quiet, dark atmosphere of the island at night. I was also impressed by the Heath Bar Crunch topping....

I prefer drinking spirits straight. I don’t like sweet drinks or wasting empty calories on fillers. Same reason I like espresso, and also tequila. But it has to be Anejo – aged. Not that nasty Patron Silver which is the least aged “Blanco” type. In Mexico I adore drinking Tequila Bandera – a shot of Tequila (preferably Herradura Anejo) plus...

Glad we decided to try this place again. The Al Pastor is the standout. Crispy, spicy, not greasy, and a hint of cinnamon? Nutmeg? I also tried a carnitas taco and that too was very good – meaty and again, not greasy. Sliced pineapple was a bonus. So was the addictive Serrano green sauce. Mr A tried the Carne Asada...

Verdict: 3/5 stars. Not very thick, and the texture didn’t seem like real melted cheese had been involved. Flavor was decent. I’m not sure I would order it again as a side or even as a pour-over on my bowl.

A colleague at work recommended Ballast Point rum to me – which was conveniently located at my nearest Bevmo!  But could it stand up to Bacardi Ocho Anos? The Bacardi was very flavorful but a bit harsh. The Three Sheets however was sooooo smooth and drinkable. We’ve been reaching for it first ever since.

Mom is recouping this weekend from a cough turned into sinus infection. The doc said no work for the next four days! Now if only my boss would buy that. Early breakfast at Champagne Cafe in Carmel Mountain Ranch. I love this place. It’s a small Cafe with amazing french pastries and a full kitchen turning out eggs, sandwiches, and...

Don Pollo is a tiny hole in the wall taco shop in Poway near our favorite car repair shop, Hunda. The meats are fresh and, as typical at mom and pop shops, a little bit under salted but still very fresh and nice. Here are the Chipotle chicken tostadas: Plenty of chicken, not very Chipotle flavored, but the lettuce was...

We haven’t been to Mama Cellas in a coons age but we were looking for a friendly little Neighborhood Italian. This place was packed to the brim – on Saturday night don’t come at 7 p.m.! Or else you’ll have to wait 2 minutes like we did. I tried the spicy Shrimp Fradiavolo pasta. This was good but a little...

Another sunny Sunday morning in San Diego at our favorite farmers market. Ms S with her Jamón sandwich, only Jamón, no cheese or aioli. Mr A and I split a regular Jamón sandwich and the paella. Love their paella. Better than Jaleo in Vegas, and better than Costa Brava in Pacific Beach! The pit barbecue guys were not here today,...

I had to stabilize some of the pieces as they were either loose weave or pieced-together loose weaves. I ironed some lightweight interfacing onto the back, so the pieces wouldn’t separate during the quilt handling. I will need to do some more darning back and forth later. Laying out the backing, face down. The backing is 2 45″ widths sewn...

5 days of bland food at camp… Leads to cravings for chicken kabobs!

Day 1 – Pacific Poke Co With Miss S away at camp, our week of gluttony began with some true Japanese style Poke. See previous post. Day 2 – Davanti Enoteca (Del Mar) Tonight we tried the corn salad – a warm salad with a vinaigrette dressing – very satisfying. Not shown: the sausage pizza and the cacio de pepe...

Located In Namaste Plaza, Pacific Poke Co is a great addition to North County. In fact it might be best of the Poke places north of Convoy. I selected the Shoyu Ahi, House Ahi (with Kukui nut), and Spicy Ahi, with half Magic sauce and half Spicy Mayo.  The fish portion was disappointingly small (one tiny scoop of each flavor)...

We escaped with only a promise to buy her a Beta fish. Whew!

Superlative ramen soups with creamy broth. You have got to try this place! Tonkatsu Pork Ramen, noodles and broth only. You guessed it, Ms S style. Tan Tan chicken Ramen. This was very spicy, creamy, and delicious and I couldn’t stop eating it. The ground chicken clings to the tender handmade noodles so you get both in every bite. Ahi...

… Is the name of this kind of pattern. Proof: More complex than a simple 9 patch, each block is itself a miniature trip around the world, and each block is made up of totally different colors. I just can’t get enough of these scrap quilts. I love the energy of all the different scraps. Organized chaos. Much like my...

(most unoriginal name for a beach, ever) Nothing says summer like hamburgers, fries, and shakes.

Loser: Grilled cheese with avocado and stuffed Jalapenos. This was simply not mouth ready. The jalapeño should have been cut into slices or at least quartered lengthwise. Winner: 10 pound bun! Disappeared from the fair for 5 years, we finally found these guys near the O’Brian gate. Garlicky and salty, cheesy, plus pepperoni, on my favorite bread, sourdough.

It’s incredible how much meat there is on a turkey leg.

The freshest and tastiest Mexican food. I know, sounds like an ad but it’s true. Even the cheese shreds are moist and seem like they’re just grated, not dry and powdery pre-packaged cheese. Here, the Carne Asada nachos.