O’Sullivan’s Irish Pub
Outstanding order of hot, crispy and delicious fish & chips, albeit somewhat bland. O’Sullivan’s is a super neat place in downtown Esco with sketchy parking.
Food Observations
A blog for eaters
Archive for the month “January, 2019”
The Par Lounge
Outstanding ‘Maple Bacon Burger’ recently at The Par Lounge! Made with bacon, crispy fried onions, smoked cheddar, and a spiced maple bourbon sauce. $14 with side of fries (or sweet tater fries or o-rings).
This style of burger has been a favorite of mine for several years, especially from UTHG. When OG/Par added it to their menu I was excited to try it and finally did so. The maple bourbon sauce at Par has a remarkable depth of flavor, unlike anything I’ve had on a burger. It was excellent. I’m not quite sure where it was added in the cooking process, but it seemed to be at the end. And maybe too much of it. This contributed to more of a hot mess hand-feel when eating. At UTHG it’s basted in during the cooking process on the grill, leading to more of a glazed patty that I appreciate. Especially when it becomes somewhat candied along the edges.
The amount of crumbled bacon on the Par burger is second to none. Comes through with gusto in every bite. The beef patty I ordered med-well and it came out hot, juicy and with the perfect amount of light pink center. Overall, this was definitely among the few top shelf burgers I’ve eaten in Ramona. I’m looking forward to trying their Gorgonzola burger next time.
Rubicon Deli
Outstanding new lunch spot recently opened in 4S Ranch! Rubicon Deli is a local chain specializing in creative and delicious sandwiches and salads. Here is The Stallion, made with salami, ham, provolone, etc.
Kountry Kitchen
Outstanding Kountry Kasserole at the Kountry Kitchen, where the letter C is an endangered species. I seriously had to lay down twice after eating this one! Hash browns topped with two skrambled eggs and a hot biskuit smothered with Kountry gravy!
Yard House
I have a love/hate relationship with Yard House but this time was pretty good. Spicy Jambalaya was tasty but I prefer it cooked in a more traditional, homogeneous style with the rice cooked into everything. Wisconsin Fried Cheese Curds, outstanding! Just the right amount of tooth squeak and it’s served with two excellent dipping sauces. Also on the side are a bunch of sharp, pointed wooden skewers. If you order this, make sure you’re dining with nice friends or loved ones and not embroiled in some heated argument. This place also sports one of the most eye-watering draft beer selections I think I’ve ever seen!
Pei Wei Asian Diner
Outstanding order of Dan Dan Noodles at Pei Wei! A dish so good, they named it after me twice 😂
California Pizza Kitchen
Not sure what’s going on in the kitchen at CPK but they definitely underwhelmed me on this visit. Maybe I ordered the wrong things. First, the most unfortunate tasting fried mac & cheese I’ve ever put in my mouth! Incredibly dry, bland and institutional tasting. Secondly, I’ve never seen a more homely looking wedge salad. Finally, the pizza was tasty despite the circumference of excessively pillowy dough.
Homestyle Hawaiian
One of my new favorite restaurants just down the hill in Lakeside is Homestyle Hawaiian! I had an outstanding teriyaki chicken plate that included the traditional sides of steamed rice and mac salad. I also tried this thing called spam musubi that I’ve always been intrigued by. It was surprisingly tasty! Homestyle Hawaiian has five locations throughout San Diego County and is well worth visiting if you haven’t been.
