Thanx

Phew! I feel much better getting that off my chest. I still owe you an email, don’t I? Like they always say, “You can take the slacker out of San Diego, but you can’t take…” Shit. I forget how it goes now.

Talk soon.

1) lorna’s- definitely going to have to try it. tyler’s mom is living in that neck of the woods (UTC) so we’re gonna have to drag her down there when we do a weekend meal. i’ll even force tyler to eat some of mateo’s eggplant. (he doesn’t like eggplant but i’m still trying to work on that one.)

2) south beach bar and grill – we live about two blocks from this place (on narragansett) and they definitely are pretty much the best thing food-wise o.b. has going for it…. hmmm, other than Ortega’s, also on newport. heheeh btw, you described the ob scene to a T. smelly hippies and drunk bums! gotta love it… (seriously, it’s one of the reason’s we chose ob. i like to call it “laid back”.)

3)Doa Son #2 is on the top of my list of your list of places to check out. we haven’t done too much vietnamese exploring in SD and i’ve been having some serious cravings.

4)mama’s sounds right up my alley assuming that what you say is true: they have insanely garicky hummus. it’s really surprising i’m sure, but baton rouge has a huge greek and lebanese population with dozens of really good restaurants and we have just been unimpressed with what we’ve had out here… thus i’m definitely looking forward to trying this ditty out.

5) i like being the scapegoat… everything is my fault! (you are allowed to use this in any situation, the toilet is clogged, amanda it’s your fault!…. the family cat has feline aids – my fault; you stub your toe on an uneven sidewalk, my fault… you get the picture)

please do email when ever you get a chance. woo hoo! new friends!

Ok, so first off, 5 lbs. of pork shoulder, 9 diners (4 of whom are 7 and under, and NO, they’re not all mine!), no leftovers. None. Nope. Not a scrap. Suffice to say, the pork was a hit. Kudos to you, oh masterful culinary artiste. Next time I make it, I’m not inviting anyone over so that I’m not denied my day-after-tacos. Fuckin leeches.

Next stop, PLACES TO EAT IN SANDY EGGO:

Whenever we go back to visit, I always plan my social events around the places I need to eat. The various ‘Bertos always get the most love from me, but I tend to fit the visits in with some of the establishments that are not franchised and that I hold near and dear. Here are some of my faves:

1. Lorna’s Italian Kitchen (Clicky)
Full disclosure: I worked here for 9+ years, I managed the place, and I met my wife here. But you know what? The food helped keep me here as long as I did. Hole in the wall, strip mall, mom and pop Italian restaurant in University City (at Governor Drive and Genessee Ave.) HUGE portions, and hands-down the best Caesar salad I’ve ever had. The garlic will stay with you for a week, and you’ll savor every moment. There’s an appetizer on the menu called “Mateo’s Eggplant” named after yours truly. I rock.

2. South Beach Bar and Grille (Clicky)
I know you’re a fan of Hodad’s, so I gotta believe that you already know about South Beach, but in my mind, no other place embodies the San Diego experience like South Beach. Beer? Check. Amazingly fresh seafood cooked to order right before your eyes? Check. Smelly hippies playing hacky sack next to dirty bums drinking forties on the boardwalk with a backdrop of crashing waves and kelp-strewn beaches not more than a hundred yards from where you’re enjoying the previously two mentioned items? Check. Fuck, now I’m homesick again.

3. Dao Son #2 (Clicky)
Home of the Hot Chef. The place isn’t the easiest on the eyes, but damn, if they don’t make some good Vietnamese food. Their garlic chicken is breaded in a way that tastes like sweet pie crust, yet is evilly spicy. It confuses me, but in a good way. An old SD friend of mine that moved to New York named one of his bands after this place. This makes sense to me.

4. Mama’s Bakery and Lebanese Deli (Clicky)
I discovered this place because it was right next door to my good buddy’s bar (Livewire: cold beer, warm friends). It literally looks like a shack, but inside, magic happens. They make some of the best, and ridiculously cheap food that I’ve ever had. Spinach and cheese pies and chicken and garlic wraps (served on made-to-order flatbread) and insanely garlic-infused hummous. Pure love. I haven’t been there in ages, and I seem to have a memory that they may have closed. I hope that’s not the case, cause that place ruled.

5. I swear I had a fifth recommendation, but I can’t remember it. I have like 20 second-string places to mention, but I wish I could remember this one. I blame a belly full of beer and pulled pork. Which, in a roundabout way, means that it’s your fault.

I’d tell you all about Denver and the food here and the weather and the people and all that good stuff, but I’m beat. I’ll send you guys an email and not clog up your blog with all the mundane trivialities of my life.

Thanks again for the pork recipe. Big thumbs-up from your newest Mile High fans. Let’s be friends.

-matt

PS: Fuck. Shit. Ass. (HI TYLER!)