50 San Diego Reader April 21, 2016
And Tastykakes
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Authentic doesn’t mean you have to eat Cheez Whiz Philadelphia Sandwich Co., 6904 Miramar Road, Miramar. In early 2015, the Philadelphia Sand- wich Co. — est. 1979 — moved from Kearny Mesa to an address on Miramar Road. That’s about a six-mile difference by car but a distinct change in market for the 37-year-old small business. It’s hard not to think the Philly cheesesteak specialist won’t seem less out of place abutting a military base than it has among the glorious surplus of Asian restaurants associated with its old Convoy Street location. A little smaller and a little lighter on Philly
sports fan flair, the newer spot nevertheless operates on the same principle: to replicate the owners’ home- town staples. There’s a rack of Tastyka- kes and Wise potato chips and birch beer on the menu. More importantly, there’s a choice of hoagies plus Cheez Whiz, Ameri- can, Swiss, and pro- volone cheesesteaks. The shop uses an
old family recipe and goes to great lengths to be authentic. It ships in the classic rolls from century-old Philadel- phia bakery Amaroso’s. It orders thinly sliced beef from B Meats, which has six decades in the cheesesteak supply game in greater Philly — aka Wilmington, Delaware. And I already mentioned the questionable linchpin of chees- esteak myth, Cheez Whiz. The Whiz probably only exists at this point thanks to cheesesteaks and nachos, and there
are people who’ll tell you it’s not a real chees- esteak if it’s not the phony cheez. Thankfully, the sandwich predates the invention of Whiz, so there’s no imperative of authenticity to try it. I opted for provolone, with bell peppers an extra 50 cents and grilled onions gratis. I added two bucks to upgrade from a six inch to ten for a total of $8.95.
FEAST! I don’t know which was
shorter, the time it took to make my sandwich or the time it took
me to eat it. I could have used a little more meat to chew on and some stronger seasoning overall. But it didn’t get greasy, and the texture was spot- on. If I was going to score it “three bears” style, it tasted right in the middle, everything you expect out of a cheesesteak. The new address makes it a safe bet for the Marines and brewery employees working in the area.
by Ian Anderson Philadelphia cheesesteak
Breaking the curse Cucina Basilico, 7200 Parkway Drive, La Mesa. There’s a strip mall near my home in La Mesa that seems to be a black hole for restaurants. They seem to disappear almost as soon as they open. Some of the places that have failed include the
Chicken Nest and a Mexican restaurant whose name I can’t remember that closed quicker than the time it takes to say, “Two beef tacos, rice, and beans por favor.” I’m optimistic that Cucina Basilico can break
the curse because already the locals are tell- ing each other about the excellent pasta dishes (many of them vegan or gluten-free) and rea- sonable prices. Take the lasagna ($14.95). The sauce is
One third of the Insalata di Barbabietola ($7.55) with beets and goat cheese
an authentic Italian bolognese. In America, bolognese is basically a meaty marinara, but the Cucina Basilico version is more of a meaty gravy. Both can be delicious, but the Italian version favored by Basilico has an outstand- ing mouth-feel. It practically melts in meaty juiciness. It matches well with the cheese and that homemade pasta. It reminded me of a bolognese I had in — where else? — Bologna on my honeymoon. The Insalata di Barbabietola ($7.55) is also
a treat. The greens are fresh, the goat cheese is tangy, and the beets add the right amount of earthy sweetness. The salad is served with either a balsamic dressing or a lemon dressing (I preferred the balsamic, but not by much). The salad was perfectly sized to feed my daughter, wife, and me. My wife was happy with the evening’s pasta
special, a Spinach Pappardelle ($11.95) that she topped with a garlic olive oil sauce that came with whole garlic cloves, which she appreci- ated. She was able to get the flavor without it being overwhelming. Me? I took those deli- cious roasted cloves and mashed them into the homemade rolls. She made me brush my teeth three times later. I was pleased with the arrabbiata sauce ($11.95), a garlicky tomato sauce with hot peppers. I like it hot and spicy. The owner
recommended I have it with fettuccine. So I did, as well as with the homemade sau- sage ($3 extra), which was served as chunks, not links, on top of the bowl. The sausage was mild in heat but full of flavor. For dessert, my wife
and daughter couldn’t decide between the $4.95 panna cotta with berry sauce ($4.95) or the tiramisu ($5.95), so we got both. I liked the smoothness of the panna cotta custard, and the coffee-kissed
tiramisu worked well. Cucina Basilico is the type of spot I can imag-
ine spending a Friday night with my family while imagining my return trip to Italy. by Patrick Henderson
How many ramen shops can San Diego sustain? Nishiki Ramen, 8055 Armour Street #201A, Kearny Mesa. How long does a restaurant have to stay open before a GRAND OPENING sign comes down? Nishiki Ramen, sharing a park- ing lot with Mitsuwa market, still proudly flies their big, red banner, six months after the fact, perhaps stretching the truth. But what’s in a sign, anyway? One way Nishiki tries to distinguish itself is
by offering an “all in one” ramen for $13.95. It contains everything, including a moderate helping of chashu pork, and an exactingly boiled egg. Broth neither too bold, nor too watery, kind of a neutral middle ground. Oddly, it’s hard to say anything specific about it. The black garlic ramen, most popular if the
menu is to be believed, tastes redolently of garlic, as could be expected, yet is similarly indeterminate from the standard soup. Ramen fandom has reached deep into local markets, with Nishiki drawing in ramen enthu-
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