RoundAbout San Diego

Tonight we went to Kensington Grill for Happy Hour. This restaurant offers fairly easy parking nearby especially if you get there early as we did. Kensington Grill is one of four restaurants owned by the same group. It's very stylish with muted lighting to make for a nice dining experience. It's not too cramped for eating with decent sized tables. Waiters were dressed in all black, contributing to the trendy atmosphere.

We sat at the bar and had beer, wine and appetizers from the happy-hour menu. The bartender was knowledgeable about the wine on the list but we were disappointed with the beer selection. The appetizers were well presented and substantial for the price (happy-hour prices). We started out with the ribs and mashed potatoes (which came with a very flavorful chipotle sauce), fish tacos (which were good, though not as good as the fish tacos at the Brigantine, which we consider to be the gold standard), and a quesadilla of the day which included mozzarella and proscuitto. It was all really great. We arrived at 5pm, and when we left at 6:45 the restaurant and bar were pretty full. We both thought as we were sitting there that it would be a great place to bring my east-coast in-laws the next time they visit, who enjoy fine dining. (We consider Alex's parent's choice in restaurants to be the gold standard for fine dining, but we usually don't have the money to go to the kind of places they like.) So we definitely plan to go back for dinner.

I made this last week as part of a brunch menu for a bunch of friends. I might have overcooked it because it was a bit dry but the flavor was really good so I would like to try again.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
A real American breakfast by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison via San Diego Union Tribune

Struesel
½ Cup pecan pieces
6 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Cake
2 Cups sour cream
2 large eggs
4 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp minced fresh orange zest
3 Cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamond
½ lb unsalted butter, softened
2 Cups granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch bundt pan. Scatter pecans evenly over the bottom of bundt pan. Combine brown sugar, 1½ tsp cinnamon and the nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle half of the streusel mixture evenly over the pecans, reserving the rest.

Whisk the sour cream, eggs, vanilla and orange zest together in a bowl. In another bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and ½ tsp cinnamon.

With an electric mixture on medium speed, cream the butter and granulated sugar together, beating until fluffy and light. Pour in the sour cream mixture about ½ cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in flour mixture about 1/3 at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl after each addition and beating only until combined. The batter will be thick. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 of the batter into the prepared pan. Leave its surface rather uneven. Sprinkle with remaining streusel mixture and then spoon in the remaining batter, smoothing the surface.

Bake on oven's middle rack for 55 to 60 minutes, just until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then run a knife around the edges, hold a plate over the bottom, invert pan and then remove pan. Cool for at least 10 minutes more before slicing.

Cake keeps well for several days tightly covered.

Serves 8