Last Thursday, local sandwich shop Sandwich Emporium (Peter, John and I run the shops) held a grilled cheese pop up at neighborhood tasting lounge The Poseidon Project. Our friend, Kirk suggested the collaboration and we had a blast.

After days of tasting different cheeses, experimenting with new combinations and passionate arguments over recipes, four grilled cheeses (and a create your own) were put on the menu.

Scenes from the pop up.....

 My friend Candice invited me to "Feast With Friends" collaboration dinner last Monday with Chef DJ Tangalin (JRDN) & Chef Phil Esteban (Cork & Craft) and Fallbrook Winery at JRDN at the Tower23 Hotel in Pacific Beach.  It is a joy eating with her. She goes to interesting  events, knows a lot about the food and beer industry, and has a great sense of humor which makes her a fantastic dining companion for 3 hour meals. We met through our friend Kirk, super world traveler foodie extraordinaire.  

Since the chefs are Filipino American, I was curious if any dishes would be Filipino inspired.
I was in Manila last year and had a Filipino inspired degustation dinner at Vask Modern Tapas and Gastronomic Cuisine and it was exciting seeing Filipino dishes prepared and presented as innovative high cuisine. 

Seeing the pretty and intricate dishes reaffirmed the saying that cooking is an art and after seeing the "horseradish styrofoam" also a science. 

I always associated Fallbrook with avocado groves and never knew that there were vineyards. After tasting the wines from the Fallbrook Winery, I want to visit. 

JRDN / Tower 23
723 Felspar St.
​San Diego, CA 

"Be Bold, Be Creative, Have Fun"
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Last week, on January 25, was a night of creative feasting and joie de vivre at Common Theory's "Theory No 1" featuring AleSmith Brewing Co collaboration dinner. Nine chefs from top restaurants served creative and elegant (not your typical  pub fare) dishes using meat, poultry, fish and even blood paired with AleSmith Brewing Company beers.  I attended with four friends and we had a blast.
Tasting menus and degustation dinners can be serious and formal but this was gregarious, communal and fun. I felt like I was at a party. 

Date night at Fogo De Chao Brazilian rodizio style churrascaria steakhouse in Downtown San Diego. The only reservation that we could book on Friday was at 9:30pm because of Restaurant Week (we ordered from the regular menu which has the filet mignon and ribeye). The place was packed and according to our server it was the busiest that she had ever seen the place. Despite the crowds, the service was impeccable, the energy was fun and the gauchos brought the skewers quickly to our table. We had an excellent time.

When I heard that Baja Med pioneer Chef Javier Plascencia was opening a restaurant in Little Italy, I was intrigued by the menu and excited because it is just a few minutes walk from my place. We had very good meals at the Plascencia Group owned Caesar's and Erizo Cebicheria in Tijuana and Romesco in Bonita (their bone marrow sope is a bite of nirvana).

When a friend booked us a table for our girl's night out dinner, I was thrilled. 

Upon entering, I felt like I was in the Polanco, the upscale cosmopolitan neighborhood in Mexico City where we visited last June. The decor is rustic understated casual refined, the upscale dishes are modern and creative, the clientele look polished and the place has a relaxed laid back vibe despite the fact that it was very busy. 

On May 5, Sandwich Emporium participated in the Bacon & Barrels "the Coachella of Bacon" and entered our Pork Saigon Grinder into their competition. We won the Jefe de Porko and the golden ticket to the World Food Championships in Florida in November. 

​Scenes from Bacon & Barrels....

Craft beer and tacos in Barrio Logan which reminds me of New York's East Village in the 90's. Gritty, artsy and in the midst of a major revitalization. 

Girl's night dinner at the Smoking Goat in North Park. The husbands were home and we enjoyed a good bottle of wine, a rich indulgent dish (not eating healthy tonight) and a decadent dessert. Very good food, excellent service, casual mellow vibe...the perfect place to catch up, chat and relax.