Letter to Shakespeare Pub & Grille

Owner
Shakespeare Pub & Grille
3701 India Street
San Diego, California 92103

Phone: (619) 299-0230

Dear Sir or Madam:

We’ve spent many pleasant Saturday afternoons at Shakespeare having pints and pub food on your patio. There are few restaurants or bars in San Diego that have nicer outdoor seating areas than yours. The patio is a great place to get some fresh ocean breezes and sunshine while enjoying a proper Imperial Pint.

We’ve enjoyed your appetizers and lunch entrées although we have avoided the dinner menu because we’ve found it pricey for pub food. We have liked the fried Cod portion of your traditional Fish & Chips plate (served with peas on the side). The large piece of Cod is always tender and flaky and the batter is always light and crispy. The chips, however, have almost always been a little soft and soggy. We prefer drier chips with a crispy outside.

The Sausage Rolls (appetizer) are very good. The pastry roll itself is buttery, light and flaky while the pork sausage on the inside is plump, juicy and peppery. They go extremely well with HP Sauce and the Coleman’s hot English mustard served on the side. The Shepherd’s Pie (served with chips and peas) is a solid version of this classic English dish. The Great British Dip (“tender roast beef served on a freshly baked roll with tomatoes, thinly sliced red onion and a side of horseradish and brown gravy”) was quite good. The roast beef was in fact very tender and the brown gravy had a hearty, savory flavor that complemented the sandwich. Our only complaint was that the portion was slightly small. We also enjoyed the Crab Cake Sandwich (served open faced on a toasted bun with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise and choice of one topping, either mushrooms, grilled onions, blue or cheddar cheese).

There are few places we would rather have a pint than Shakespeare and the fact that your pub food is better than average allows us to enjoy a nice lunch or appetizer as well.

Yours Very Truly,

San Diego Restaurant Review

http://www.shakespearepub.com/

Letter to Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria

Brendan and Lauren Hodson
Lefty’s Chicago Pizzeria
3448 30th Street
San Diego, California 92104
Phone: (619) 295-1720

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Hodson:

We have been hunting good Deep Dish pizza in San Diego for years. Finally, we made a trip to North Park last week and had both your great Deep Dish and Thin Crust slices. As soon as we walked in and saw the Chicago memorabilia on the walls and the Chicago specialties on the menu, we knew that Lefty’s was the real deal, not some corporate knock-off. We ordered the Spinach and Mushroom Deep Dish Slice ($3), Sausage Deep Dish Slice ($3), Pepperoni and Sausage Thin Crust Slice ($2) and felt obligated to also order the Italian Beef Sandwich with Giardiniera ($7). We enjoyed everything we ordered and only regretted not having ordered a whole Deep Dish pie, fresh out of the oven.

The Spinach and Mushroom Deep Dish Slice was everything we expected: thick, buttery crust and a wall of cheese holding chunks of tomatoes and toppings. Our favorite part of this slice was the soft, almost candy-sweet tomatoes baked on top. The spinach and mushrooms were cooked into the cheese as well, but obviously were fresh when they went into the oven. The combination of the sweet tomatoes, mild, gooey cheese and crispy butter crust is everything we’ve missed about Chicago style pizza. The Sausage Deep Dish Slice, also with sweet tomatoes, was more traditional and just as good.

Surprisingly, the Pepperoni and Sausage Thin Crust Slice was our favorite. It was the best pizza we’ve had in a very long time and probably the best slice of pizza we’ve had in San Diego. The quality and flavor of your pepperoni and sausage was unusually good and the crust was crisp but not chewy and held the wonderfully greasy cheese, sauce and meat without becoming soggy. The beef on the Italian Beef Sandwich was abundant and tender and the Giardiniera was spicy, savory and gave the sandwich a nice crunch. We didn’t order the bread dipped in “da jus” but the jus flavor in the beef was great, so we will next time.

We prefer to support locally owned restaurants like yours because we get the sense that you really care about the food you are cooking. You have a genuine Midwestern friendliness that is entirely absent from a very popular “New York” style pizzeria not too far from you, whose slices aren’t as good as yours.

Yours Very Truly,

San Diego Restaurant Review

http://leftyspizza.com/

Letter to The Fishery

Paul Arias, Chef
The Fishery
5040 Cass Street
San Diego, California 92109

Phone: (858) 272-9985

Dear Mr. Arias:

We’ve been to The Fishery many times in the last several years and have always been served great, fresh seafood. Your dining room is simple but elegant, warm and comfortable. Your servers are among the most knowledgeable of any restaurant in San Diego. They are casual and friendly yet professional enough to make us feel like we are having a fine dining experience. The Fishery feels like a neighborhood restaurant even though you serve seafood that rivals any “fancy” seafood eatery in town.

On our last visit, we had an extraordinary meal. We ordered a cup of Clam Chowder ($4), the Steamed Mussels with Linguica, Fennel and Roasted Jalapeno Butter appetizer ($12) and your entrée special: Monkfish over Lobster Succotash ($26). For drinks, we had an Anchor Steam draft ($5) and a bottle of Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat beer ($3). Our drinks came out quickly with a basket of hot sourdough and wheat bread with whipped chive butter. Both breads were very good and we especially liked the whipped chive butter.

Our Clam Chowder came out first, sprinkled with paprika and parsley. The cup was a generous serving of hearty, New England Clam Chowder, with big chunks of tender potato and plenty of clams. The fragrance from the mussels, perfumed with the aromatic fennel and the faint smell of the ocean, foretold the beautiful flavors of the dish. The grilled garlic toast served with the mussels was perfect for dipping into their buttery broth. The plump mussels were tender and mild against the spicy, salty linguica and smoky jalapeno butter. We love mussels and this composition was delicious.

The Monkfish over Lobster Succotash Special was incredible. The Monkfish was so tender it didn’t even require chewing; it literally melted in our mouths. The crispness of the fresh corn and lima beans contrasted the tender Monkfish and Lobster. The heavily herbed cooking liquid of the succotash, combined with the buttery Lobster, created one of the best dishes we’ve ever had, seafood or otherwise.

Yours Very Truly,

San Diego Restaurant Review

http://www.pacshell.com/restaurant.html

Letter to Ranchos Cocina

Owner
Ranchos Cocina
1830 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Suite H
San Diego, California 92107

Phone: (619) 226-7619

Dear Sir or Madam:

On our recent visit to Ranchos Cocina (Ocean Beach location), we were disappointed that we stood at the counter for over 5 minutes waiting to be seated, even though over 75% of the tables in the restaurant were empty. In fact, no one even acknowledged us for several minutes. However, when we were finally seated, chips and salsa came quickly. We ordered the Chile Relleno and Vegetable Tamale Combination Plate, an order of Rolled Beef Taquitos and a Salmon Taco.

The Vegetable Tamale on the combination plate was very good. The masa was light and moist but still fluffy. The greens beans, corn, onions, zucchini, carrots, broccoli and peas inside the tamale were simply cooked and complemented the masa well. The Chile Relleno was, surprisingly, not too full of cheese and its breading was light, without being eggy. The house-made Ranchero Sauce was very herbaceous and fresh in flavor, unlike any Ranchero Sauce we’ve had. It had almost no heat but was still very flavorful. It tasted like an herbed tomato soup. It complemented both the Chile Relleno and Vegetable Tamale quite well. The lack of heat in the Ranchero Sauce seems to be consistent with other of your savory, mild sauces. We look forward to trying some spicier sauces.

The Salmon Taco (on a soft corn tortilla) was substantial. The pieces of salmon were tender and had a nice chile-rubbed flavor. The heaping pile of fresh cabbage and salsa fresca on top gave the taco a good crunch but didn’t mask the flavor of the fish. The taquitos were fried well, without incinerating the meat inside them or turning the tortilla into a jaw breaker, as is so often the case with rolled tacos. The massive portions of sour cream, guacamole and lettuce covered the taquitos and most of the plate but did not render the taquitos soggy, as is also often the case with rolled tacos.

With so many choices of Mexican food in San Diego, it is hard to stand out. Ranchos Cocina stands out because of its selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes, fresh organic produce and freshly pressed juices and smoothies. We hope to see the attention to detail in your food carry over to your customer service.

Yours Very Truly,

San Diego Restaurant Review

Letter to Tajima Sushi and Japanese Tapas Restaurant

Manager
Tajima Sushi and Japanese Tapas Restaurant
4411 Mercury Street
San Diego, California 92111

Phone: (858) 278-5367

Dear Sir or Madam:

Over the course of several visits to Tajima, we have enjoyed many dishes from your eclectic Japanese menu. Our first impression of your restaurant was that it was warm and homey, not what we have come to expect of “sushi bars” in San Diego. Our large, high-backed dark wood booth made us feel like we had the restaurant to ourselves, even though it was busy.

Your Tapas style menu has allowed us to affordably order several different dishes at each meal. We originally visited your restaurant in search of good local sushi, which we found. We also found many unexpected non-sushi dishes, including Breaded Deep Fried Japanese Meatloaf (Menchi Katsu ($4.50)). The meatloaf itself was similar to a classic American meatloaf but smoother. The crispy breading took the meatloaf to an unexpected zenith of indulgent greasiness. Conversely, the Deep Fried Black Pork Cutlet on Skewer ($2.00 per skewer) was a little too greasy and the pork was slightly overcooked. However, the spicy mustard served on the side had a great flavor with plenty of punch.

The heaping plate of Yaki Soba (Stir Fried Egg Noodles with Mixed Vegetables and Pork ($8.95)) was aromatic and richly flavored. The noodles had a savory flavor complemented by the salty bonito flakes on top. The sliced pork mixed in with the noodles was extremely tender and the vegetables were still crisp but not undercooked.

Our experiences with your sushi and sashimi have been excellent. We recommend to anyone who likes sashimi the Sashimi Combination ($18.95). When we ordered it, we were served Ahi Tuna, Halibut, Yellow Tail and Octopus, all of which was extremely fresh. The knife work on the sashimi was very good. The thinness of the sashimi made it tender and delicate so that it almost melted in our mouths. However, the portions were not small. The Salmon Sashimi ($8.95) was some of the best we’ve had. It was very fresh, flavorful and tender and its smooth texture was uninterrupted by its significant marbling. We were excited to try the Baby Abalone Sashimi ($12.00) as well, which was fresh but its texture would be too tough for most Westerners.

We have been impressed with the creativeness of your unique Special Sushi Rolls Menu and Daily Specials Menu. The Special Sushi Rolls Menu normally contains several special rolls, which are consistently good. However, our favorite roll in recent memory was on your Daily Specials Menu. The roll had cucumber, avocado, and Spicy Tuna on the inside with seared Hamachi (Yellow Tail) on the outside and a spicy Sriracha-based sauce on top. The miso, citrus dipping sauce gave it a wonderful brightness and a perfect balance of flavors.

The Monk Fish Liver Pate (Daily Specials Menu) had a beautiful, mild and delicate flavor, although the texture was not like any other pate we’ve had. We spread some of the pate over our rolls and really enjoyed it. We would love to see the pate incorporated into a roll.

We were impressed by your selection of Sake, Soju and Soju cocktails, though we usually order the 22 ounce Kirin Ichiban draft ($5.95). The atmosphere in Tajima is relaxed and cozy and the service is friendly and unhurried. When we visit, we always feel like we are having an authentic Japanese dining experience.

Yours Very Truly,

San Diego Restaurant Review


http://www.tajimasandiego.com/