Cozy Italian in La Jolla

Found cute little La Dolce Vita Italian restaurant in La Jolla because of a Travel Zoo coupon...I love coupons!  They have a special dinner menu that's $90 for 3 courses, for 2 people.  My coupon was for half of that, or $45 for 3 courses, for 2 people.  Even if you don't have a coupon, their regular menu is filled with all the classic Italian dishes for you to try, including pizza, ranging in price from $12 to $20, with lots of appetizers and salads you can add on.

La Dolce Vita is kind of a small place on the inside, with nice murals of Italy decorating the walls, and a small patio outside tucked away amongst some small touristy shops.  I was dining with my friend K, and we chose to sit outside on the patio, next to the fountain, and the large heater. We got a complementary basket of bread, along with a bowl of dipping sauce.  I believe the sauce was olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic, and it was very tasty!

I started with a Caprese salad, the usual tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil drizzled with olive oil, with an added bonus of roasted peppers.  It was great.  K had the tomato, basil and cream soup and she loved it.

Next course I was on to Chicken Marsala, served with veggies and pasta. All delicious. K had Butternut Squash Ravioli and she said it was quite good, and had enough to take home for another meal. The service was excellent and we loved our friendly waiter that spoke with an Italian accent.  We also thought it was great when another server brought our dinner and left us with an "Enjoy huh" in classic Italian style.

And finally, dessert.  I chose the warm Brownie ala mode, and K had the Cannoli Siciliani...perfection!

Nothing but good things to say about this restaurant, and I very highly recommend it to all!

Buon Appetito!


Have you tried La Dolce Vita?  Tell me what you thought!

Andres - Cuban and Puerto Rican Cuisine

Cuban Cuisine....not something I bet anyone would think I would like.  But guess what, I do!  I went here the first time a few years ago because I had a Restaurant.com coupon, and also it was close to my house.  I had no idea what kind of food to expect, or if I would find anything to eat.  What I found was food so good I keep coming back again and again!

On this visit, I tried the Chuletas de Puerco, which is marinated pork chops, served with steamed riceand Puerto Rican-style red beans, I also got the add on salad, and all entrees come with a basket of garlic bread for the table.  It was quite good...meat tender and juicy, rice flavorful.  To drink I had a pineapple soda, my usual when I come to Andres.  I don't think my pictures do the food justice...

On previous visits I have tried their other roast pork dishes, and they have all been delicious.  Other dishes have come with different kinds of rice, different kinds of beans and some with yuca and plantains. Just depends what you like.  My preference is for pork over beef, but Andres has many beef dishes to choose from,  and also chicken.  I always say I'm going to try something different, but the pork with garlic sauce keeps calling my name.

I have also been to Andres for lunch, and enjoyed a Cuban Sandwich which was really, REALLY good.   Accompanied by a Papaya shake, doesn't get much better than that!

Next to Andres is Andres Market.  A cute little store where they sell many international items such as spices, meats and desserts.  They also sell their pineapple (and coconut) soda there ;)

I said I was only going to eat at each of my restaurants once this year, but Andres is the one place that might tempt me to break my rule!

Have you eaten at Andres?  What did you order?  What did you think?

Restaurant Week at 94th Aero Squadron

A friend of mine was craving good creme brule, and from a previous dining experience, I knew where to get some!  It was Restaurant Week, and the 94th Aero Squadron on Balboa Ave was participating, but we didn't know that until we walked in.  We got a regular menu and a Restaurant Week Menu, 3 courses for $30.

We picked out appetizers, a main course and dessert on the Restaurant Week menu.  Soup for K, salad for me, and we both decided to have the Prime Rib.  I then decided just to take a glance at the regular menu...and was so happy I did!  There on the menu, under Early Bird Flights (4-6pm) was the exact same dinner.  Appetizer, entree and dessert for $15!  The only difference was that dessert was a scoop of ice cream, but you could pay $5 for any dessert you wanted...so still a savings at $20.

My salad was fresh and crisp, and K's french onion soup looked and tasted delicious.  Our prime rib was cooked to perfection and very tender.  Most nights you get creamed corn, "compliments of the chef", and tonight was no different.  I adore the creamed corn!

I got chocolate cheesecake for desert and it was great, and K's creme brule was all she had hoped for.

All in all,  a highly recommended dining experience.

Have you eaten at the 94th Aero Squadron?  Tell me what you thought!

Happy New Year at Nicky Rottens

I happened to be in Coronado on New Years Day, and what better way to start the year then with a big, yummy cheeseburger?  Enter Nicky Rottens Bar and Burger Joint.  I had never heard of this place, but it looked pretty nice from the outside.  There is also another location Downtown.

My dining companion, K, and I were seated in the bar area, and it was pretty noisy due to all the football games going on, but we were still able to carry on a conversation.  Lots of young people here, sort of a sports bar atmosphere.

It was Happy Hour, so we ordered 2 half price appetizers, Sweet Potato Fries and Tator Tots.  The Sweet Potato Fries were served with maple syrup.  I've always kinda wondered what you dip Sweet Potato Fries in...or do you just eat them plain?  Well, after dipping them in maple syrup, I now know what I will be doing from now on....yum!  The Tator Tots came one of two ways, pesto aioli or garlic.  I, of course, chose the garlic.  They tasted good, but were not garlicy enough for me.

Now, onto the burgers.  I got the Breakfast Burger:  Over easy egg, potato cake, cheddar cheese and smoked bacon.  This is only the second time I have eaten a burger with an egg on it.  I had heard a lot of people say how good they are, but it never sounded good to me.  The first time I decided to try one was at the Corvette Diner, and as a mini-review, I have to say it was one of the best burgers I have ever eaten!  So, I decided to try one again.  After getting my burger,  I immediately looked under the bun and took the potato cake off...it didn't look appealing.  The burger was tasty and I was only able to finish half.  Unfortunately, I was comparing it to the Corvette Diner burger, and it didn't measure up.  K got the Pastrami Burger:  Pastrami, Swiss cheese, onions and mustard.  She really liked it, and was not able to finish hers either.  We had wanted to try dessert, but neither of us had room.
 

At  $11.95 a burger, I wouldn't say this is the most economical place to eat...and that is partly due to the location in Coronado with a Bay view.  On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate my burger a 6 or 7, so along with the price, I will have to say I won't be rushing back any time soon.

Have you eaten at Nicky Rottens?  Let me know what you thought!

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to my Food Journey.  I will be posting reviews, pictures, tips and more of the many restaurants I visit.  My goal is to not visit the same restaurant twice in one year!  Hopefully my readers will get some helpful information about places they might like to try.  I will also occasionally feature Guest Reviewers,  and take suggestions of restaurants you would like me to visit.  I wish you happy dining!!