I love Poke Festival May 29!

It's back! On May 29th, the 4th annual I Love Poke Festival returns to Bali Hai to celebrate Hawaiian culture and cuisine.

For the first time in the event's history, the chefs that compete for the title of "Best Poke," will be required to use sustainable seafood in their dish. Festival founder, Nino Camilo, has partnered with Chef Rob Ruiz of Harney Sushi, San Diego's first sustainable sushi restaurant, to make this possible.

Tickets may be purchased online at http://ilovemusubi.com/poke.

DJ Jazzy Jeff at Barleymash tomorrow!

Ermahgerd! I'm so excited to announce that DJ Jazzy Jeff will be playing FOR FREE tomorrow night downtown! Details below!!!

What do you get when you add four million ounces of beer to four thousand bottles of whiskey? The answer to that math problem isn’t a problem at all. In fact, it’s cause for celebration. The folks at popular Gaslamp District establishment, barleymash are thrilled to report that it equals one heck of a year.

Part of the Verant Group of restaurants, barleymash is thriving this May as it celebrates one year in business. Over the past 365 days, barleymash delighted diners by serving up more than 16,000 barleypies and tapping nearly two thousand kegs of beer. Both the restaurant philosophy and menu offerings draw heavily from two barroom staples: beer and bourbon. Menu items, like the popular barleypie and more, are made with barley flour, barley syrup and fine ingredients from Ballast Point Brewery. The restaurant’s name refers to the typical grain mixture used in the brewing and distillation process of both beer and bourbon.

Celebrating with a cause is right up their alley at barleymash. Over the last year, the restaurant supported programming from 12 different charities on a local and national level. The Liver Foundation, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation have each received financial support from this 5^th Avenue favorite.

Join the one year anniversary celebration this month at barleymash on May 21 from 9 p.m. until closing. Entertainment for the evening is free of charge and features legendary DJ Jazzy Jeff. Best known for his role on a popular sitcom, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” DJ Jazzy Jeff went on to become a prominent R&B, soul, and neo soul record producer and deejay.

Sandbar Sports Grill

When I go to the beach, I'm always looking for a new place to eat. Let's face it, the majority of the beach places are called tourist traps for a good reason. The food is mediocre at best, the drink selection ho-hum, and the drinks and food alike are overpiced. In fact, it's generally a rule that the closer to the beach, the more disappointing the place.

Sandbar Sports Grill, located right off the boardwalk of Mission Beach, however, is a welcome exception to this rule! 

The dining area includes an upstairs and outside dining, with a friendly sports bar atmosphere. On a nice day, which there are many in San Diego, it would be awesome to partake of the outdoor dining.

The appetizers offered all sounded appealing, but since I knew that their entree offerings were bound to be big, I didn't want anything too terribly filling. Upon recommendation from the manager, we ordered the homemade queso, salsa, and chips. The sauces were plentiful, and so good. The queso was made with a combination of cheddar cheese, jalapeno, and habanero, and boy, was it good! A tad more spicy that I've ever had, but so delicious! Somehow, we cleaned the entire container!

One of the best meals when you are at the beach is a classic burger and fries. This burger was huge! Over half a pound, so no one could walk away from this meal hungry. The burgers also come with a choice of fries or tater tots, for something a little different. The burger was not only a homemade, fresh beef patty, but also included a homemade bun. One of the best burgers I've ever tried!

Sandbar is even more famous for their fish tacos, and since one cannot come to San Diego and not eat fish tacos, this is the one I'd recommend to friends. It might be the best that I've ever eaten. Fresh mahi, grilled and seasoned to a perfect tender doneness, surrounded by crisp cabbage, chipotle aioli, and salsa fresca, this was such a winner.

I decided to make it a platter, and the fried avocado taco was my second taco. I've never thought of deep-frying an avocado, but wow! This taco was incredible! The taco was piled with sour cream, pico de gallo, and cheese, and would make a perfect decadent vegetarian entree.

Even though we were almost rolling from a food coma at this point (I couldn't stop eating!), we had a taste of the churros served with a warm agave nectar dipping sauce. However, the churros hardly needed the sauce, as they were plenty spicy and sweet on their own, and served as a perfect warm, sweet bite to end the meal.

Derby Darlings Trot Towards barleymash on Saturday, May 4

Giddy up! Join the party at the Gaslamp’s favorite hot spot, barleymash for the 139^th Annual Run for the Roses on May 4 from 11 am until 5pm. Check out the bluegrass band during brunch as barleymash rolls out the turf at this paddock-sized party for the Kentucky Derby.

Tickets are $35 at the door or $30 for presale tickets. The price includes Chef Kevin’s bluegrass brunch, featuring Derby favorites like the “Hot Brown,” an open-faced turkey sandwich and a specialty mint julep made with Woodford Reserve. Proceeds from ticket sales benefit the American Cancer Society.

Dress in your derby day best for a chance to win prizes for the best outfit, best hat and more. Stay tuned for the announcement of local celebrity judges. Come pick your pony and see if these fashion-forward judges pick you to win prizes from barleymash. Watch the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” at barleymash on Saturday, May 4 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

For tickets, please visit: https://www.ezevent.com/Live/TheSanDiegoDerbyParty/05042013/669.

For additional information, please visit:

http://www.barleymash.com/.

Miguel's at Petco Park this Friday!

Petco Park, home of the San Diego Padres, and Miguel’s Cocina have teamed up and on Friday, May 3^rd Miguel’s Cocina will have their own food stand behind home plate. Open during all home games Miguel’s Cocina will offer baseball fans and visitors popular items from their every popular restaurants. Now fans can start to experience their 2 favorite San Diego things all at once….fish tacos and the Padres!!

Miguel’s Cocina Petco Menu to Serve:

-Fish Taco

-Carne Asada taco

- Surf n' Turf Burrito

-Miguel’s Chip Basket- Fried Chips, Jalapeño White Sauce & Fresh Salsa

-Not to mention additional items such as an ice cold shaker margarita, peanuts and pistachios

Brazen Barbeque

Last week, I had the immense pleasure of paying a visit to Brazen BBQ! Located right in the heart of Hillcrest, Brazen is a welcome addition to the culinary mecca of this lively neighborhood.  The atmosphere is an open air bar serving delicious roasted meats!!! 

The relaxed atmosphere is very inviting to sit down and sip one of their signature cocktails, and seriously, who doesn't like meat? I know it's typically "guy food," but I eat like a guy, so it's perfect for me!

The menu contains all sorts of delicious dishes made over a grill -- roasted chicken, beef, ribs, pulled pork, and all the yummy sides to match. After much deliberation, we decided to go with Bolt's Platter for Two, which includes a choice of three meats, three sides, and cornbread or toast. For the three meats, we chose the beef brisket (yum!!!!), pulled pork, and the babyback ribs. For the sides, a caesar salad, and the Brazen fries. 

Check out that spread!!! I can't say what was my favorite, because each thing was so delicious. I'm usually a huge fan of brisket and always get that at barbeque places, but the babyback ribs were so tender and flavorful, that I think they made me a believer. The pulled pork was so tender and sweet, that I couldn't stop eating it!!!

The sides definitely held their own. The mac and cheese was incredibly creamy with a nice crust on the top. The caesar salad was a perfect specimen of crisp romaine lettuce, creamy dressing, and black pepper. The fries were crispy and mealy on the inside, and the seasoning was an almost sweet blend of paprika and pepper. 

Brazen also supplies a selection of extra sauces on the side for experimenting, but the meat was so good on its own, I didn't need it!!!

To finish out an excellent meal, we shared the bread pudding. Bread pudding seems to be appearing on every restaurant menu lately, with tons of modifications like espresso sauces and pistachio nuts. This bread pudding, however, was a classic with raisins and pecan, smothered in the classic bourbon cream sauce. Sometimes, they are classics for a reason. 

I can't wait to go back!!!

Islands Burgers

This week, I really, really wanted a burger. I know, so surprising from someone who loves burgers. I've tried all of the San Diego classics, and wanted to try a new place. Islands Burgers is a local Southern California chain of burger restaurants. I know that a lot of foodies are averse to chains, but a chain just means that the company did something right and expanded. 

The decor of Islands is totally Hawaiian kitschy cool. Surfboards, bicycles, and palm trees give the place a laid back, enjoyable feeling. It's definitely a good vibe to sit, drink a beer, and  have a good time. 

It was happy hour when we arrived, so we decided to indulge in a couple of their specialty drinks, the Moscow Mule and the Big Island iced tea. The mule seems to be the drink of the times, and this was an excellent specimen of vodka, ginger, and lime.  The Big Island iced tea was fragrant with pineapple juice, and so sweet and delicious it could get me in trouble very quickly!

We started out with a plate of the cheese fries (a happy hour special!), served with barbeque sauce or ranch dressing. I love, love cheese fries, and these were such a treat!!!

For dinner, we had the Big Wave burger on a wheat bun, and a Caesar salad on the side, and the turkey burger with steamed vegetables. I love that there are options for healthy sides here (although I would have missed having fries with my burger -- it's just not right to eat a burger without a few fries!)

The Big Wave is a beef burger, basic with lettuce, tomato, and cheese. So juicy and good, and the wheat bun was a bit more healthy and amazing!

The turkey burger was the jam! I love a good turkey burger, and this was one of the best I've ever had! So juicy and yum! Definitely didn't feel like I missed out by ordering a turkey burger, and saved a little fat and calories. The steamed vegetables were yummy, and helped assauge my guilt over the decadent cheesy fries!

With locations all over San Diego, I'm sure to return soon!