On Friday we went to  NorthPark to grab a drink.

I’m a huge Yardhouse fan, meaning very few beer selections impress me. I was however astounded by the goods Toronado was tapping. There really was an expansive collection of craft beers at this place, making it my favorite beer bar after Yard House, of course.

I had the De Koningshoeven-Trappist Quadrupel from the Netherlands. It was all right, just a bit heavy and syrupy all at once. If they weren’t out of stock, I would have loved a Delerium Tremens (My Favorite Beer).

Find out where your favorite beer is being served and where it has been discontinued by going here.

Bistro 101 (French 101's ugly twin)

We first tried French 101 in La Jolla, which was recently renamed Bistro 101. In addition to the name change, the menu now features buffalo wings instead of escargot. Bad move.

Whaling Bar & Grill

After googling “best tartare in San Diego” we stumbled upon a review of the tartare at The Whaling Bar & Grill at the Valencia Hotel in La Jolla. Disappointingly, the tartare had been removed from the menu. On top of that, everyone here was at least 50 years our senior. The mussels (for lack of better words) sucked.

Several French restaurants later, we finally found our tartare at Cavaillon in Rancho Santa Fe. This place was a little difficult to find (map here) considering it was way out in the countryside of Rancho Santa Fe, but it was well worth the trip. Tartare was actually not even on the menu, but the French chef agreed to make an exception and whipped up an amazing tartare dish for us. The Blend 24 wine here was very good, as was the scallop risotto.

Cavaillon

Val & Fi at Seaport Cookie Co.

Initially we were just going to name this blog entry “The Best Cookie in San Diego,” which is actually kind of pathetic.

I wanted a cookie, and Fi said that the best cookie place ever was in Seaport Village, so we decided to take a stroll on over to Seaport Cookie Co. After I got a cookie Fi decided she was hungry, so we went to Sally’s on the harbor.

About 15 minutes after we were seated three men walked in and immediately Fi identified them as Greeks, but she did not blow her cover of being a Greek herself.

After they sat down at a table next to ours (according to Fi) they began to joke in Greek about our running clothes and tennis shoes, and whether or not to invite us to join them. Finally Fi confessed she was Greek, and we made three new (just slightly older) Greek friends!

At Sally's with the Greeks

Fifi checking out a classic car

The Fifth Avenue Auto Showcase attracted a crowd of classic car lovers to the Gaslamp Sunday afternoon. The downtown showcase along Fifth Avenue was sectioned off to make way for an impressive variety of European Exotics, American Legends and Special Interest.

Click here to see the complete gallery of car pictures we took.

Last week we attended a special “Open haus” to promote the Downtown event spot, Wonderhaus (171 14th Street).

This venue, which is San Diego’s newest event center, is unique in that it is actually a historic hotspot. Wonderhaus used to be the stomping grounds for Wonderbread back in the day. The old factory has been stripped down to its original form, then infused with all the event necessities (lights, lounge furnishings, dj beats, gourmet catering, you name it).

Wonderhaus site here.

We have been hearing rave reviews about  Bandar for about three years now, so we decided to finally check out this Downtown located Persian eatery on Friday night. Our verdict: this place may have had it a few years ago, but not anymore.

The decor at Bandar was unimpressive, as was the staff and the service. The food was all right, and the wine was overpriced.

We ordered the Chicken Kabab. Had our expectations been lower, maybe we would have thought this dish was better. However, all the hype about Bandar pushed our satisfaction with the kabab down to just “all right.”

Cucina Urbana is one of our new favorites.

Cucina Urbana is located on Laurel Street near Balboa Park in the heart of Banker’s Hill. This place is dimly lit, yet highly energetic. We opted to sit at the bar, which seemed to be a popular choice. “Mature hipsters” would be the best term to describe the trendy, slightly older crowd at Cucina.

The menu here is simple, but nonetheless delicious. From the italian infused slection of appetizers and main courses we chose to order a Formaggi & Salumi Board (ask to try the delicious local salami from San Diego), Chopped House Insalate, and Chicken Pizza with ancho chile, goat cheese, corn, grilled red onion, and avocado. The apetizer and salad were delicious, but the pizza was a little disappointing. We tried the Rosebud Cocktail (a watermelon lover’s dream), Socialite Cocktail (too sweet for dinner, but perfect for a post-meal drink), and the Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon (excellent cab).

San Diego’s newest hotspot does not feature around-the-block lines, whiskey bottle toting waitresses, or even flashing lights. Retro cocktail waitresses, dim red lighting, and live jazz are what we recently discovered at San Diego’s latest nighttime secret, Prohibition. Modeled after the infamous speakeasy bars of the 1920s, Prohibition has all the hush-hush allure of the Roaring Twenties.

Like the original speakeasy bars, Prohibition is not easily accessible.  There are no signs outside to point you in the right direction, which means you won’t find this place unless you are looking for it. Unlike the original underground hangouts, where being in-the-know relied solely on word-of-mouth, you can get the 411 on Prohibition’s location and password (changes weekly) by joining the online guest list. Dress sharp, ring the doorbell, recite the password to the suit clad bouncer and hope that he grants you access to the Gaslamp’s most taboo lounge.

Music at Prohibition is live and jazzy, and is otherwise strikingly similar to cabarets of the Jazz Age. Watching the saxophonist serenade the crowd in the dim, red lighting may cause you to believe that the Golden Twenties never ended.

Prohibition takes the primitive cocktail to a whole other level. Although cocktails may have originated during the alcohol ban, Prohibition puts a new spin on the old bathtub liquor spiked concoctions. Ditch the bootleg gin and soda and try one of their Strawberry Brancas (pear infused vodka, rosemary, fresh strawberry, fresh lemon, fernet-branca float).

Prohibition is the perfect place to lower your inhibitions with a cocktail (or two) before hitting the major Gaslamp  clubs. Although the ban on alcohol has since been lifted and access to this modern day speakeasy is only slightly prohibited, Prohibition is the Real McCoy when it comes to cool, secretive joints in the Gaslamp District.

Prohibition website here.

The hole-in-the-wall exterior, funky chandelier-lit interior, social outdoor patio, and delicious menu are merely perks at India Street’s Starlite Lounge. The real kicker that makes Starlite one of the best lounges in San Diego is it’s signature drink: The Starlite Mule. Made with vodka, ginger beer, lime, and Angostura bitters, and served in a generous copper mug, this cocktial keeps us constantly coming back for more.