Kaminski’s BBQ & Sports Lounge

There’s been some chatter recently about BBQ and Kaminski’s Sports Lounge in Poway. I haven’t been there since back in the day. Mid 90s to be exact. They had a fire back in 2007; they rebuilt and it’s no longer the dive it once was. I went this afternoon to sample their Q and was really pleased.I went all out and got a BBQ combo. Choice of two meats, I got baby back ribs and beef brisket. Comes with Texas toast and your choice of two sides. I got mac & cheese and fries. They also have beans, tater salad, chips, slaw and what not. $26 

Ribs were the best part. Tender, yet still some chew and bark. Brisket was a tad dry and tough, although still tasty. Mac was decent, fries were hot & fresh.

This place is really top shelf, modern, clean, etc. Outstanding, professional service too. Worth a visit, even a drive down the hill.

  
  
  

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Company Pub & Kitchen

Quite possibly the most hideous culinary presentation I’ve ever seen!  But it was darn good nonetheless.  Company Pub call this “Quack Mac & Cheeze”.  The sausage is made with duck and bacon.  The Mac is a Gouda, cheddar and shaved Parmesan.  One of the best pub grub spots around. 😭

  

Casa Sol y Mar

From back in April, celebrating our anniversary with one of our favorite cuisines!  Casa Sol y Mar is a great and festive Mexican restaurant near Del Mar with a lively cantina.  Here’s a combination plate with taco, enchilada and chile relleno.   I have to say, the food was not the standout here, even though it was decently presented.  This restaurant has a top shelf mariachi trio that sang our go-to song, Tu, Solo Tu.   They did a fantastic job and helped make for a memorable and romantic evening.  

  

TOGO’S Sandwiches

I’m not the biggest wrap fan, but Togo’s did a pretty good job here.  Even if the tortilla was green!  Chicken Caesar salad wrap made fresh in front of me.  The ends didn’t hold up too well though.  Wound up finishing the remnants with a fork.  

  

Cotija’s Taco Shop

So, I went in to Cotija wanting a simple carne asada quesadilla.  What I got was a flat, open ended carne asada burrito.  Typically, a traditional carne asada quesadilla is just that.  A big flour tortilla folded over, filled with a bunch of cheese and carne inside.  What I got had very little cheese, but included sour cream, pico de gallo, beans, etc.  I was shocked and appalled.  If I didn’t hate beans I would have just ate it and moved on.  So I had them remake it in the traditional fashion as you see in the bottom pic.  Much better!   I guess it pays to inquire how the food is prepared rather than assuming, but I’ve never seen a carne asada quesadilla prepared this way.  

  
  

Dunkin Donuts

Not long ago, DD opened up in our small town.  It was met with both great fanfare and an equal amount of derision.  I really didn’t care one way or the other.  After all the pomp and circumstance died down, I went in to try it all out.  Here I’ve sampled a couple different donuts, the crueller and the cronut (croissant donut).  I’m not gonna sugar coat it.  The donuts are not that good.  What keeps me coming back are the great iced coffee drinks and most importantly the inclusion of a Baskin Robbins!  My favorite ice cream 😊

  

 
  
  

Way Point Saloon

Back in April I had the Burger of the Month (BOM) at Molly’s/Up the Hill… They called it the “Flying Pig” Burger. It’s a 1/2 lb hot & juicy patty with brown sugar grilled ham, white and yellow American cheese, mater, and a fried egg. It was excellent! It’s quite a bit to handle though, be careful picking it up. I had to continuously alternate my angle of attack to keep everything together. Maybe cutting it in half would have helped. The fresh bakery brioche bun held it all in nicely. The beef patty was cooked perfectly with discernible pink in the middle. This bad boy weighed in at $12.95 with side. Service as always was fantastic

  

Chick-fil-A

I haven’t had too many chicken biscuits in my day.  In fact I can probably count the number of times on one hand.  Let’s see, there was Bojangles, Dunkin Donuts and now CFA.  Ok, two fingers left!  I can easily say CFA has been the best so far.  Right up there with Bojangles.  DD tasted like something I could have got from the freezer section at Smart & Final.  The biscuit was just how I like it.  Soft in the center with a nice, crispy and textured exterior.  And of course a liberal buttery sheen helps!  

I’m not the biggest fan of fried chicken for breakfast.  I’d much rather have a nice smoked sausage patty.  This was very good though.  Will certainly get it again, just not on a regular basis.  

  

Thai Time

I’ve had quite a bit of Pad Thai around SoCal, but our own Ramona Thai Time is probably the best I’ve had. By far the best presentation too.If you haven’t tried Pad Thai, it’s simply stir fried rice noodles with egg, green onion, bean sprouts and ground peanuts. A traditionally spicy dish, it reminds me of a Chinese Kung Pao in a way, although with noodles. Maybe it’s the peanuts, I don’t know.

At Thai Time you can get it made with a variety of proteins, or vegetarian, ranging from $8.95 to $13.95. This time I got it Combo style, which includes shrimp, chicken, pork and beef for $12.95. It was excellent.

All the folks working there are friendly and bubbly… Always enjoy visiting for a great meal.

  

Pete’s Taco Shop (and more)

I elected to defer the pomp and circumstance of visiting Dunkin Donuts until next week. Instead I went to Pete’s Taco Shop (and more) inside Ramona Liquor this afternoon.  For some time I’ve been wanting to try their Mediterranean specialties. I had the Chicken Curry Plate today. It looks like a hot mess but it was just excellent. For only $6.50 it’s a significant amount of food. Over a bed of rice is an extremely flavorful curry, consisting of taters, peppers and a ton of tender chicken chunks. The whole affair is garnished with diced maters, toasted coconut, cilantro and peanuts.  

I am by no means a curry connoisseur, but this was nothing short of outstanding. I would consider this a fine example of “comfort food” in fact. Now I feel like laying down…

All the staff there at the liquor store were very nice and accommodating.