Derby Day in La Jolla- May 4!

Ralph Steadman's "Kentucky Derby 1970"  

Who's heard of Derby Pie? For some reason I assumed it would have apples in it. Maybe because its name reminds me of a popular term from my horseback riding days: Road Apples. 

Derby Pie, in case you were wondering, is a chocolate walnut tart whose common substitution is pecans. Now chocolate pecan pie is the bee's knees, but Derby Pie has one up on it, and that's the addition of Kentucky Bourbon.

Derby Day is for decadence; pie, juleps and glamor, at least two of which will be the scene at the Junior League's 13th annual Food and Wine Festival. This year's theme is "Derby Day Affair."

My friends over at the Junior League of San Diego know I have a big mouth and asked for my help in promoting their event. I said yes because it sounds fun and benefits the kids. This is the Junior League's big-time fundraising event with proceeds going to support "transitional age foster youth and improving the health and nutrition of San Diego's children." So brush off your khaki, dudes, and chicks, get your derby dresses ready for a frolic in Ellen Scripps Browning Park at the La Jolla Cove from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.

Why go?

A) See above. B-Z) Raffle prizes; a live viewing of the Run for the Roses; and best hat and best dressed couple competition; unlimited tastings and gulps from over 50 local restaurants including Oceanaire, Whisknladle, Herringbone, Truluck’s, Donovan’s, Stone Brewing Company and Green Flash. 

Purchase tickets here:
www.jlsdfoodandwine.com

Haagen-Dazs does gelato?

Looks like I have something to look forward to after the stracciatella!

My obsession with Haagen-Dazs ice cream started at a young age. My father would eat a pint of coffee ice cream every night before we went to bed; sitting there in his chair with the carton that had sat on the counter for at least 20 minutes to thaw out, he wasn't much for sharing. The perfect conditions under which Haagen-Dazs was consumed in my house did not involve me begging at my father's chair for bites. Sometimes, he'd oblige, but there are a lot of times when you just can't fuck with a person's ice cream. My Dad is one of those people.

In a heated discussion about the limited edition Coconut Macaron Haagen-Dazs flavor (that he reserves through the grocery store), my father revealed to me that he has ice cream aggression. That is, like a dog having its toy taken away, my dad can literally bite heads off when it comes to sharing his ice cream. He told me that sometimes when my step-mom expresses that she wants some, he feels himself getting upset- then, like the good Jew he is, beats himself up for it afterward. "What is wrong with me??" he huffed into the phone.

I'm not gonna lie; it was hilarious. At the same time, it was a little horrifying because I can see hints of ice cream aggression in me.

Seeing as Dad really left this mark of ice cream snob on me, I've spent my life eating the best. And still, I come back to Haagen-Dazs and realize that no one can make as good a product. All of the flavors are delicious and its creamy consistency is like no other, period. These folks know their ice cream.

But do they know their gelato?

In a preliminary test- that is, I prematurely gauged a spoonful of hard-frozen stracciatella- the experience was groovy. I let the lower in fat, higher in calorie sweet cream gelato melt in mouth, and as it did, bitter shards of chocolate melted into the divine slurry. Unintentional rhyme. I cannot wait to let this sit out tonight and come to a proper temperature. It will be the true test of how Haagen-Dazs does gelato.

On the second day, a roulette junkie was born

I was 10 years late getting to Las Vegas. At 31, the opportunity finally presented itself and was followed by four smokey days fueled by Seven and Sevens, flashing lights, and expensive food. On the second day, a roulette junkie was born.

Everything is within arm's reach in Las Vegas, making it a true degenerate's town. You don't have to venture far to get any number of vices, which makes being lazy a breeze.

Staying at the new City Center was dope, but I quickly found out that LEED certified hotels have very few electrical outlets- a big problem when I need to charge my MacBook and phone, iron and make Pop-Tarts at once. At Aria, the lights and curtains were controlled by these buttons with no indication of what was what. Being toasted most of the trip, this led to many outbursts "how the fuck do I turn on the lights!?" followed by opening and closing window curtains- totally essential energy usage, I might add. Vegas problems.

The options for food seemed endless. I could have easily made this a total foodie trip, but to limit yourself in Las Vegas (I quickly realized) is just plain stupid. So is the serotonin crash that happens upon your return home to sucky San Diego. 

Unfortunately, I didn't take pics of all the food we ate- namely, Julian Serrano for tapas, which was excellent, and Allegro at the Wynn. Besides a 3 a.m. BLT/Ribeye combo at Aria, here's some Sin City grub highlights.

Our first night, we were in the mood for something filling and inexpensive, so we ventured off the stop to Ichiza for yakitori.

I'm a big fan of egg custards. And chicken wings (see boneyard directly behind).

After dinner, we got "honey toasted." This dessert (called honey toast) was seemingly ordered by every table in the place. It's a partial loaf of sweet Japanese bread that's partially hollowed out and toasted with scoops of vanilla ice cream doused in honey. 

Sage 

Sage calls its cuisine "artisanal American." The white asparagus salad was delicious. Perfectly blanched, chilled asparagus had a little crunch to it still. The salad itself was dressed with a light vinaigrette and had crunchy greens, arugala, peanuts and cured egg yolk. There could have been more cured yolk; it was rich and salty, balancing out the acid and tender, fresh-from-the-garden veggies. The decadence didn't stop there, but maybe it should have; a flavorless panna cotta (little white blob out front) and buttermilk pearls that also didn't taste like anything were well-crafted, nothing else. Still, I'd order this salad again.

This dish was smoked mashed potatoes, a poached egg, shaved black truffle and some kind of foam. The foam was another pointless touch for me; it didn't taste or even smell like anything. I liked this dish and thought the smoked mashers were quite the touch. The toast was excellent and just kept coming. 

This is one of Sage's most raved-about dishes: Wagyu tartar with a cured quail egg, radishes and these special chocolate flakes that had a dark, roasty flavor to them. The texture and flavor of the decadent, finely chopped meat made us feel high. Really- this dish released some kind of endorphines. It's a must-order, I'd say.   

We stuck with beef for a main and this time, the Wagyu came in NY strip-form with braised trumpet mushrooms on top. I think that might be celery root smeared near the front of the plate. I love when you're in a nice restaurant and ordering medium yields just that- a perfect, warm pink. The steak was delicious. 

Dessert was adventurous. There was olive oil ice cream, a hazelnut mousse, pomegranates and micro basil. Good flavors, a little hard to eat- I chased its elements around the plate. 

Another shot of the dessert. All in all, the service and atmosphere were excellent; it was dark throughout the restaurant but lights shone over individual tables, giving it a total Vegas-vibe. 

Joe's Stone Crab

If it weren't for all the bad directions and we didn't have to walk what seemed like 2 miles through Cesar's Palace (drunk), Joe's Stone Crab would have been up there with the perfect vegas meal. Given our condition, we ordered all fried food. I loved the light, almost salt-and-pepper-like batter covering the cod, scallops, shrimp and calamari. My Bean Town bud told me this is closer to the New England style fry he's used to. In the background is a heap of chunky hash browns that would have ruled if served hot. 

A thicker coating on the fried asparagus. Great dunked in a buttermilk dressing. Joe's is known for its key lime pie, which I ate later in bed, post-disco nap. 

Some over-priced (but delicious: spicy basil, tuna, yellowtail) sushi at the Wynn:

So long, for now.

Well, this sucks.

Last week I was given the unfortunate news that my position as Arts & Culture editor at CityBeat would be eliminated. I knew the risks of taking a print journalism job during at a time when the industry is hanging by a thread; still, I was too busy running around, interviewing rad people, and pigging out for  my food column Grubby Bitch, to anticipate this happening.

I was faced with a big decision when I was let go from my staff position: Stay and continue freelancing for the paper, or leave the paper all together. After a week of deliberating, I have decided to end my relationship with the paper. I hope this sadness fades soon, but as I think about all the thank-you emails and gratitude from business owners and starving artists who say that my words helped them, I can't help but cry my eyes out. And I'm no pussy.

Even though I had only been a staff member/editor at the paper for 8 months, I have been writing my Grubby Bitch column for a year and a half. Being a columnist was a dream come true. For those who don't know me well, I wrote for my junior high paper, was editor in chief of my high school paper for two years, and wrote for my college paper, just for one semester because I was busy working on my writing studies degree.

When I was in second grade, my Mom helped me write a letter to the editor of the Blade Citizen-- the previous name of the North County Times. I was so excited about our class whale watching trip that I couldn't stop talking about it, and I think to shut me up, Mom had me get it down on paper. When the letter was printed I can still remember holding it, seeing my name and reading my words... to say that morning left an impression on me is an understatement. We bought a bunch of copies and brought them to my class. I was so proud.

Having a vision and seeing it through has given me a sense of pride and accomplishment that no job, or lost job for that matter, can take away. My ego or sense of self has not been bruised in all of this. I know I will continue kicking ass, with or without my name on a masthead with some title attached to it.

I am happy with the final stories I wrote for the paper. Particularly as I lay my column to rest. Without knowing, I saved one of my all time favorite restaurants-- Harry's Coffee Shop in La Jolla-- for last. It was also a wonderful experience getting to hang out with the elusive Cliff Arnold of Stardust Donut Shop and write about it.

I'll sign off by saying that it has been incredible meeting so many talented San Diegans. I love this city and the people who make it great. My inspiration to continue this kind of work has not been extinguished, but for now, I'm taking a break. As always, thank you for reading.

Grubby Bitch for life,

Amy G.
Reach me at a.t.granite@gmail.com

Saffron

When I'm feeling toxic from too much junk food, I go to Saffron for some healthy but flavorful eats.

Wide spicy noodles and salad rolls with shrimp. I like dipping the salad rolls in sriracha, then peanut sauce for a hot-sweet effect.

I also dig the egg noodle soup with chicken from Saffron, but it was hotter than hell outside so it didn't sound that good.

Sum-sum-summertime!

Additional photos of Ashley modeling 1960s swimwear at The Pearl Hotel. Read my article on vintage swimwear / pool parties out now in San Diego CityBeat's summer guide.

I had a ton of fun taking these photos!

These swimsuits are all Fables by Barrie designs.

Food Lately & Upcoming Events

The past few weeks have seen some fantastic meals that are off my usual truck, shack, hole-in-the-wall beat. It's been a nice break, nibbling and sipping the finer things that San Diego has to offer. Ch-ch-ch-check it: 

The US Grant's regal lobby. 

When I told a friend of mine that I'd eaten at the Grant Grill, he laughed and asked why I'd go to such a stuffy place for lunchtime cocktails. While the scene isn't "poppin" per se (at least not at noon, anyway), the ambiance is classy and timeless, and reasonably priced, delicious food plus Jeff Josenhan's stellar cocktails lured me in.

If you've read any of my other cocktail posts, there's a noticeable trend in my drink choices: anything that has an egg! Even though I ordered the Grant's fried egg sandwich for lunch, I couldn't resist the lure of Josenhan's Dandelion Ramos Flip. 

This cocktail screams spring fling. It's floral, citrusy and perfectly frothy thanks to a proper shaking, and egg whites. Ballast Point rum is simply a pleasure to drink. I wanted to order another, and another... tart, light and refreshing, this is a drink for the ladies. Sexy ladies!

The fried egg sandwich didn't photograph well, but Erin Jackson snagged a hot pic for her SD Mag piece. Once you have this sandwich, you'll want another-- despite it's $12 price tag. I'm not cheap by any means, but when you're on a budget, a $12 sandwich better taste fucking incredible, and this was definitely up there.

It's like an Italian BLT with a fried egg. Soft, toasty rosemary bread is spread with mayo, then butter lettuce, heirloom tomatoes (remarkably sweet, like candy!), Guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon made from the jowls or cheeks), an egg fried to your liking (over medium for me), and nutty-sweet Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese finishes it off.

This sandwich is served till 11:30 p.m. every night, and Friday nights after 10 p.m. all signature cocktails are 1/2 off. Yes, a Dandelion Flip can be yours for the low price of $6!


...


I finally made it to Saltbox, and mixologist Erin Williams' cocktails were fantastic. My favorite was Off the Beet'en Path:

Saffron infused gin, yuzu, ginger, beet brine, oj,
elderflower syrup, angostura bitters,                            
dainzu hibiscus salt. Not too sweet, but tangy and delicious!

Omg... this sandwich is killer, and the pickles, I'd take to bed with me. Get the short rib grilled cheese when you go to
Saltbox!

Our table loved this dish. Burrata, pesto, spinach and lovely asparagus. An explosion of flavors! 

Tomorrow, Saltbox, or rather SummerSalt (the poolside version of the eatery and bar) is hosting a show-down between local chefs from Craft & Commerce, El Take it Easy, JSix, Quality Social and the Grant Grill. Chefs and mixologists will go head-to-head to create the best bite/cocktail duo. 

Ticket proceeds go to local charity Olivewood Gardens whose work is to teach youngsters the value of organic gardening. 

The competition is based on a single ingredient (that's in season, of course). Can't wait to see just what that is tomorrow! 

...

Evolve Cuisine's San Diego Dinner event at Caffe Calabria was a blast. The communal style dining really makes these events-- this is the kind of food you want to discuss, think about and enjoy together. Plus, drinking other people's wine is nice, too. They always offer!

Several bloggers took way better pictures than me, so check out Rodzilla Reviews and Gastro Bits write ups.

The fish taco course was my favorite. The broth tasted like a tortilla, and all the elements of your classic fish taco were there in flavor, just disguised. Fun. 

The bacon cheeseburger was also a hit. It was more like a bacon cheeseburger sausage, which was fine by our table.  

Jeff Bonilla's adorable bite-sized chocolate cupcake. The fluffer for the main event. 

The Evolve team plating. 

Which was the deconstructed version. Best raspberry sorbet I've ever had. 

Buy your tickets for Evolve Cuisine's next dinner, which takes place at Fixtures Living June 1-2. 

...

If you haven't been to Harney Sushi in the last year, get in there for omakase. The ambiance is the same-- loud-- but the menu is something else. Everything is sustainable, and quite simply some of the best seafood I've ever eaten.

Bring a skilled photographer with you like I did. These aren't my pictures!

Spanish Mackerel. 

When you're working with the best ingredients available, don't fuck with 'em. This dish didn't, and it was perfect.

Rice-less and missing nothing. It was cool, crisp and wonderful roll with added crunch from tempura asparagus. 

The tuna was clean and pure. 

Food coma! I believe this was albacore belly. Simply prepared with a vinaigrette drizzle and fresh grated ginger,  

We refused dessert and got this instead. 

Chef preparing our sashimi

Holy food porn. 

Seafood party! The New Zealand Salmon was the best I've EVER had.

Sexy little shrimp.

Delightful shrimp tempura roll, wrapped in soy paper. 

All the plates at Harney are beautifully presented. 

The best shrimp head I've ever had the joy of sucking. Never sucked the goodness out of a fried head? You haven't lived!