Went to Terra last night for happy hour. We had our rehearsal dinner there all the way back in June, 2002. We've been back many times since and the menu has changed often but we still get the quality and atmosphere that we like. Happy hour starts at 5:00pm Monday thru Friday and although it offers a fairly decent menu we still order from the bar menu.

Last night we started with ginger chicken potstickers and garlic french fries. The potstickers were served on a bed of asian slaw which offered a great sweet and spicey crunch. The garlic french fries were loaded with chopped garlic and a spicy seasoning. We finished up with the seafood sliders for me and the pulled pork sliders for Alex. Everything was so good and I'm sure we'll be going back soon.

Rocky's Crown Pub is the most perfect neighborhood bar with the best burgers in San Diego. Unfortunately, it's not located in our neighborhood. Alex and I had to drive to Pacific Beach (PB) to meet Charlie and Danielle for burgers and beer on Monday night but we're glad we did.

Rocky's is a bar (not a restaurant) and really, really, small so getting a seat can be touch and go. The service can be a bit slow but if you're hanging out having a beer with friends it really isn't that big a deal. The menu is basic - burger or cheeseburger; 1/3lb or 1/2lb; onions (grilled if preferred), tomatoes, and green lettuce. Fries can be ordered on the side. A decent, but small, beer list. You need to be 21 to get in and they take only cash - no credit cards.

The burgers are amazing. Thick, and full of flavor, the juice dribbles down your chin when you take the first bite - Mmmmmm! One of the rumors going around is that the beef is mixed with butter before being cooked - way to go Rocky's. The only downside to Rocky's for me, is their fries. They are just very so, so.

More fabulous reviews and a few pictures can be found at http://www.yelp.com/biz/rockys-crown-pub-san-diego and
http://mmm-yoso.typepad.com/mmmyoso/2006/12/its_burger_week.html

Rocky's consistently ranks as # 1 or 2 for the best burgers in San Diego. At the moment they are my #1 choice. Will keep you updated as I burger-taste my way around town.

2805 Emerson Street
San Diego, CA 92106
(619) 223-1109

Point Loma Seafood is a fabulous place for lunch for all you seafood lovers. The place is located near Shelter Island close to the airport and set on the edge of the marina. You can eat in the indoor patio or outside at picnic tables. The service is quick and friendly but don’t stand in the way of those that know what they want if you are still undecided.
I’ll never forget the first time I had lunch there when I arrived a little early and joined about a dozen or so other people already there. While waiting for the doors to open several of us started chatting about where we were from and the best places to visit in San Diego. Meanwhile a group of locals were standing as close to the doors as possible and as soon as they opened it was pretty obvious why. There was a mad dash to the counter and all the locals started yelling their orders to the 5 or 6 servers behind it. We all got into the game and after hemming and hawing a bit over the menu started putting in our orders. The food arrived amazingly quickly and was so fresh they must have had someone out back with a fishing pole in the water.

You can also buy fresh seafood to take home including fish smoked on the premises. If you enjoy deep-sea fishing you can drop off your catch of the day and they will clean, fillet and smoke it all for you.

This is the type of place that makes you stop and wonder why you don’t live in San Diego – the sun, the views, and the food.

As many of you know Alex and I go out every Friday for Happy Hour. I leave work at 3:30pm on the dot and make a mad dash for home to pick him up. Last night we decided to stay at home because we had done Happy Hour the night before with Charlie. So I thought this would be a good opportunity to tell you about Jayne's Gastropub – the restaurant we visited last Friday. We hadn’t gone out with the intention of having a meal but unfortunately Jayne’s doesn’t offer a Happy Hour.

From the outside Jayne’s doesn’t look like a pub or restuarant.

It has a very plain, but clean looking exterior which gives no hint to the great eating experience within. Because we were out for Happy Hour we arrived soon after they opened (5pm) and as soon as we opened the door we were greeted with great enthusiasm. We took our seats of choice, which as usual is at the bar, and started going over the menu while looking around and taking it all in.

I would say that Jayne's is more bistro than pub but with a few pub accessories. The floors have those fabulous little octaganol white tiles with a colored tile dotted here and there. The kitchen is lined with white subway tiling - all very clean looking with minimal distractions. There are small hooks under the bar for the ladies to hang their bags which is such a great convenience (while you find these in most pubs in the UK they are not found very often in American bars). The bar at Jayne's is small and cozy and has a great view of the kitchen but after a delicious appetizer of White Bean Crostini, with Chimay White Triple (Alex) and EQ Sauvignon Blanc (Beverley) we decided to move to the outdoor patio for dinner.

The patio has a very European feel to it with the brick wall of the adjoining building on one side and potted plants and trellises everywhere. It's a very comfortable and romantic setting. For dinner Alex had the Linguine with Pancetta and Baby Wild Arugula which was excellent but it didn't have quite the WOW factor that my scallops had. I had the special of the day with Scallops from Washington, gnocchi, and a leek saute.

The scallops were huge, rich, and succulent. I have never had scallops like these before and for days I could close my eyes and imagine biting into one. My only complaint, and it's more of a personal preference than a complaint, is that I wish instead of the gnocci (which on it's own was very good) that they had served something with a bit of crunch. With the velvety soft feel of the scallops I would have preferred more of a contrast in the texture for the side dish. To top off the meal Alex and I had the Bittersweet Chocolate Brownie con Gelato which was incredibly rich and a fabulous end to our unexpected dinner.

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.

Yesterday was my birthday and we went to one of my favorite restaurants in the North Park area - Apertivo.It is a very loud and lively place to eat dinner. You are surrounded by groups of people having animated conversations, drinking wine, and sharing small plates of fabulous Mediterranean food. The food is reasonably priced and the wine list offers a great selection at lower than usual prices. There's a small bar in the back corner where, if you're lucky enough to grab a spot, you can sit and talk about wines and food with the owner. The idea is to relax and order a medley of small plates to share with everyone at the table. With the wine and conversation flowing, you'll find yourself sitting there for hours. Last night we started out with a Caesar salad and capelinni with gorgonzola cream sauce and pecans. We then went on to the osso bucco d'angnelli (lamb braised in red wine), the criimini mushrooms cooked in sherry, the oven roasted potatoes, and the broccoli sautéed in butter and garlic. We finished with the lemon cheesecake mousse and hazelnut port. Everything was really great and the lamb was spectacular. I'd like to say we walked out of there but I think it was more of a waddle. As a last note I started this post by saying Apertivo was loud and lively and it is. This is the one complaint that many people have after eating there. It is not a place to go for a nice meal with quiet conversation. Apertivo is a great restaurant and I really enjoy the vibrant atmosphere.

One last thing - I finally joined the masses last night by becoming the proud owner of a cell phone. It's not yet charged but I look forward to walking around with it glued to my ear.

We had heard great things about Ponce's Mexican Restaurant - and it came highly recommended. There were long lines when we were there, indicating that it's a very popular restaurant. We arrived at 5:30 and immediately got a table, but by the time we left at 6:45 a long line had formed. So it was very busy. The ambiance is casual with most people were wearing jeans and t-shirts and the service was quick and very friendly. The decor is an eclectic mix of spanish medieval gothic (two suits of armor in the corner - very cool) with a few sombreros also hanging on the wall, as well as old Mexican record covers. With all the recommendations we had been expecting extraordinary food, but we thought the quality of the food was simply good. We think this may have been a case of ordering the wrong thing. Beverley had the steak picato, and I had the chili verde. Beverley thought hers was a little watery, and all she could taste was the pepper - no other seasonings seemed to be involved. Mine was better than Beverley's (but it wasn't the best chili verde I've ever had). Looking at what other people were ordering, we thought some of their food looked better. So we're definitely planning on going back and trying other things on the menu. The margaritas were good. It's a great place for families: a cheap, casual night out at the local hangout. The cost of our meal here was $40 total. This included a cheese quesadilla as an appetizer, two entrees, two margaritas, and the tip.