Tag Archives: San Diego

Expectations and Living Up to the Hype

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Hype…is it really all that? Is hype a product of a great PR team? Are “people in the know” really that knowledgeable? Who decides what is great, “on trend” and a “must have”? I have never claimed to be an expert on ANYTHING. I know a little bit about a lot of stuff and I know what I like and I will share that info with you. I try to keep this a positive space, because we have all been told, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”. But every now and then I just have to dish on stuff that isn’t great.

Was I Disappointed BECAUSE of the Hype?

Recently I went to a few places that were chattered about, recommended to me repeatedly or just had so much hype and press that I had to go and check them out to see if they lived up to the hype. Some did and some were disappointing. I have to wonder if I was disappointed BECAUSE of the hype. If these dishes hadn’t been SO talked about and swooned over, had there not been so much hype over them, would I have felt differently? Or am I right and they just aren’t that great?

Friend, and fellow food lover, Zack and I did some “food crawling” and day drinking while he was here last month and we checked out some places that I hadn’t been to yet and a few tried and true places that I knew he would love. When we got to the Cosmopolitan there was miraculously no line for Egg Slut. Moment of Truth – they have been open here in Vegas for quite a while and because I do not like to wait in line for anything, let alone food, I hadn’t been yet. So we bellied up and ordered the “iconic” Egg Slut. It is whipped potatoes with a coddled egg. You mix it all together and chow down. Yeah…I don’t need to eat that ever again. I found it bland, boring and tasteless. If you want a tastier version, go to Carnevino (Scroll to the bottom of the menu for the dinner side dishes) and get the Mascarpone & Guanciale Mashed Potatoes there. You’ll thank me later. Did I dislike it because I had Carnevino’s version first? Who knows?! All I know is that I am glad I never waited in line to eat it. I might go back and try their version of the egg sandWISH* if there is no line though.

The most underwhelming dish so far of 2017. The “iconic” Egg Slut.

In San Diego last weekend, three people in one night told me I HAD to go to Slater’s 50/50 and try the self-named burger. They all told me it was amazing and that there was nothing else like it. So I went to see if it would live up to the hype. Um…I can skip that in the future. It’s a burger that’s half beef and half ground bacon and topped with all the stuff I love – a runny egg, avocado and pepper jack cheese. It sounded like something I would dream up on my own; almost like they plucked it out of my id. My egg was only partially runny and the burger was really salty. If you know me at ALL, if I say it is salty…it’s fucking salty! What I did love about this place was the amazing draft beer menu that was chock full of fab local beers. I also loved the fried bacon mac & cheese balls. This was the best version of fried mac & cheese I have ever had. I felt guilty for wanting them and even guiltier for eating and loving them.

Studded with bacon and literally oozing with cheese, these were the best version I have ever had.

And Now for the Good Stuff!

With Zack, I went to Momofuku and not having heard anything other than “everything is awesome there” we tried the chilled spicy noodle dish on the lunch menu. YES! The noodles were cold; the sausage was hot, both in temp and spiciness. In fact, it is one of the best dishes I have eaten so far this year! I need to get back there and try more stuff!

Before we mixed it up, you can barely tell there are noodles in this dish. Cold noodles, candied cashews and warmed spicy sausage made this a winner!

While eating our way through the Venetian, Zack and I went to Chica to visit with pal Chef Mike Minor. New resto openings always get a lot of hype and this one was no exception. I’d have gone anyway just to visit with Mike, but now I need to go back. Nearly everything he sent our way was fantastic. Of particular note were the corn dishes. Their street corn was dirty, sexy, and over the top. And their twist on mac & cheese was inventive and toothsome and downright delish! And don’t even get me started on the chicken and avocado arepa. Sloppy and so packed with flavor that I need to eat it again.

Imagine the best chicken salad you have ever had, replace at least 1/2 the mayo with smooth guacamole and you’d be on the right track.

If you have read this far, thank you! Last week marked the 6th anniversary of this blog. If you haven’t subscribed, please do – there’s a convenient button for it at the top right of the page. You’ll hear from me on Tuesday evenings only when I post something. Yes, that’s right, just once a week regardless of how many posts I make in a week and NO, I won’t sell or share your email address.

 

*I always write sandWISH.

Lionfish – First Spoonful

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

Lionfish in San Diego, a partnership between Clique Hospitality Group and Andy Masi, is a place you will want to check out and visit often. The gorgeous dining room and bar are perfect settings for both dinner and happy hour with an eclectic menu. Handcrafted cocktails, small shareable plates, excellent entrée selections and thoughtfully prepared sides fill the menu.

You may indulge in caviar, the raw bar or a prime New York strip steak. What coastal California menu would be complete without fresh seafood selections? With a California twist on the preparations, Chef Jojo Ruiz has created unique dishes. Chef Ruiz is a homegrown San Diego chef, paying close attention to presentation and interesting flavor combinations to wow everyone. Expect to find locally caught sushi and sashimi and entrée fish dishes. The “on trend” use of seasonal ingredients is evident on the menu, so expect changes and surprises when you visit repeatedly. There are several vegetarian options to choose from on the small plates and sides menus. Gluten free items are indicated on the menu for those with a gluten concern.

Lionfish Packs a Huge Flavor Punch

Do try the Spicy Grilled Octopus and the Lamb Tartare! Both were excellent, perfectly pitched in spice and seasoning and beautifully plated. The New York Steak Tataki was packed with a huge flavor punch. The service team and management staff all work together seamlessly with confidence, care and courtesy, making for a truly enjoyable dining experience.

This lamb tartare was so good that the beets were just gilding the lily.

New York Steak Tataki – with sour, sweet, and salty notes, this hit all the right buttons for me.

Spicy Grilled Octopus. Tender, delicious and just the right hit of spice.

Recently opened in the Gaslamp District of San Diego, Lionfish is located in the Pendry Hotel at 435 Fifth Avenue. Reservations are suggested – call 619.738.7200

David Leibner – It’s On Me & Gift Local

Posted on by LeAnne Notabartolo

David Leibner is one of those guys. You meet him and immediately want to get to know him better. You know the type, handsome and confident with a strong handshake and a salted caramel voice. He looks and acts like he knows what’s going on…and that’s because he does. He’s the mastermind and creative genius behind one of the coolest apps for your phone and it’s one of those ideas that once you realize the brilliance of it you smack your head and say, “Why didn’t I think of that!?”

ItsOnMeLogo

An 18 year resident of Las Vegas, via New York, Leibner works and lives downtown, participates in and supports downtown ventures and is the Founder and CEO of It’s On Me and Gift Local; a digital gifting app that interfaces with your desktop and smoothly performs on both Android and iPhone platforms. As of this writing there are three major cities with offerings – Las Vegas (75 locations), San Diego (30 locations) and newly launched New York City (6 locations) with more than 250 new locations to be added within 6 months across those cities. The participating merchants are a carefully curated group of locally owned restaurants and bars; no big box chains to weed through when looking to give a gift. Currently the app encompasses dining and cocktails, but they aim to bring personal services on board (like spas and hair salons) soon. The app literally takes gift “cards” to a whole new level and it’s a win-win-win for merchant, gift giver and gift recipient.

Let’s start with the merchants. Frequently, merchants will employ couponing services like Groupon to drive business in the doors. The downside is, “Once a customer has had your $20 [menu item] for $10 they aren’t going to come back and pay full retail for that same dish, no matter how much they liked it,” says Leibner. When someone uses a gift from It’s On Me it has been purchased at full retail value, no discounts. With the sign-up fee, a merchant is guaranteed a certain amount of sales. In the event that doesn’t happen, It’s On Me gives the merchant that specified dollar amount of gifts to use as they please. They can send them via email or text to clients who haven’t visited in a while. They can run a promo on Facebook to encourage participation. However they decide to use them. Sign up is available through the website and merchants can even add a free “affiliate button” to their website linking clients directly to the purchasing site of It’s On Me to purchase gifts for themselves or someone else. No cash spent on mailing or printing. Cost effective and genuinely effective marketing – go figure!

Bloggers like me, who write about food, can also be affiliates. Very soon you will see the affiliate button on my site – be on the lookout for it. When I write about someplace that is part of the It’s On Me network, I will be sure to point it out.

 

As a gift giver, how many times have you “forgotten” someone’s birthday? This app allows you to send a gift immediately to a recipient in any of your multiple contact lists (personal, Facebook, Twitter) and it will arrive via text, email, Twitter or Facebook message. Heard someone had a bad day? You can send shots of their favorite spirit at the neighborhood bar or coffee and a muffin, or a slice of pizza. The gift you choose will show up as a photo (like a gift card), but they can use the dollar amount to select anything they want. Of course you can choose a dollar amount instead of a specific item. And you can gift from your desktop or your phone.

When you receive a gift card, do you lose it, only to find it after it has expired? Yeah, me too. With It’s On Me, your gifts are in your phone. When was the last time you walked out the door without THAT? You don’t need the app to receive the gift, but you will need to download it to redeem your gift. Redemption is easy. Once you receive your check, open the app, find your gift and enter the receipt info from the check. The gift amount is automatically deducted and the server will charge you the balance if there is one. Don’t really like that bar or restaurant? No hassle re-gifting with ease!

Possible new logo for It's On Me

Possible new logo for It’s On Me – keep your eyes peeled for changes!

Leibner and his team have created a unique ecosystem (think economic system) that is totally interactive, symbiotic and easy to navigate. The logo is easy to recognize, but watch for changes once the aforementioned service options become available. All too often finding local merchants with quality products can be a crap shoot. By vetting these merchants for you, the guess work has been taken out of gift giving by providing you with a list of premium locally owned businesses. Gifting local will forever be changed.

David says, “We thought it would be great for you to see how good it feels to receive a gift so click here goo.gl/0fvrdH and your next round is on us”.