46 San Diego Reader April 6, 2017


RESTAURANT


ing from east Texas, bordering Louisiana. The restaurant was recommended to them by an employee of the hotel at which they were staying. They were eager to judge the authenticity of the gumbo. The servers were friendly and


seemed bemused to discover us sitting inside (there must be an entrance we missed). While reading the menu, David lamented there were so many different dishes he wanted to try, but then there on the back was “Le Petit Menu.” Smaller, cheaper portions meant that we could taste around a bit. We ordered four small dishes, so the prices below reflect the smaller portions. Though David still pre-


fers the thinner-sauced BBQ Shrimp at Mr. B’s in New Orleans, his favorite item this night (and my second favorite) was the BBQ Shrimp with Rice


($12.50). The shrimp was heav- ily sauced, with a thick spicy- sweet sauce that was more sweet than spicy. Evens so, by the third bite, when the mild heat begins to catch up, it became even more mouthwatering. My favorite was the Maca-


roni and Cheese with Andouille sausage ($8). The Texan couple had warned me against order- ing this dish. The woman said, “Why would you go to a Creole restaurant and order mac and cheese?” Can’t tell you, lady. I guess I had a hankering for comfort, and I was curious. I wasn’t into the sausage,


so David ate those bits. But the macaroni was perfect, not overcooked or undercooked, and the cheese was so silky and creamy I could sip it like soup; it was packed with buttery, brothy flavor but magically lacked any sense of grease or oil. I only had a small bite of the


Dark Jambalaya with Beef Sau- sage ($8.75). Partly because I’m not into jambalaya, but mostly because I was, from that point,


only interested in my mac-n- cheese dish, to which I’d since added a few dashes of hot sauce and a dollop of the BBQ sauce from the shrimp for even more layers of flavor. As jambalayas go, David said this one was a lit- tle blander than he might have preferred, but he enjoyed it fine enough after adding some salt. Of course we had to try


something with the word “creole” in it, so the fourth dish was the Chicken Creole ($12.50). The sauce was bright and tomato-y, with no discern- ible pepper kick. It featured the classic creole trinity of onion, celery, and green pepper, all stewed together with the diced tomatoes and whatever herbs the chef prefers (usually at least a bay leaf and garlic, and of course a few kinds of pepper, including cayenne). This prob- ably would have been a better dish to start with, because after I’d blasted my taste buds with that rich, deep BBQ sauce and the cheese, it seemed almost one-dimensional.


We didn’t get more than a


few bites into the one dessert the restaurant offers, Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce ($5), but it was worth it. We were shocked at how huge the portion was. Meanwhile, across the restaurant, which had since filled up with two large parties and one other couple (with more people, mostly families, out on the patio), the East Texans were nodding approv- ingly. The man even held up his empty plate, where gumbo had once been, and mentioned he’d sopped up every bit of it with the bread.


by Barbarella Fokos


AUTHENTIC ARGENTINIAN CUISINE Open 7 days - Lunch & Dinner


Lunch Plates


Starting at $10.95 Mon-Sat until 3:30pm


Happy Hour Every day from 4:30-7:30 30% OFF appetizers & Drink Specials


2060 India Street • Little Italy 619-234-4900 • puertolaboca.com


Little Lion cubs The Little Lion Café, 1424 Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, Ocean Beach. The Little Lion Café inhabits a tiny building at the edge of Sunset Cliffs Boulevard, right at the point where the long straight street becomes a wind- ing road that hugs the coastline. The Little Lion Café is owned and operated by three grand- daughters of Don and Arlene Coulon, former owners of the Belgian Lion in Ocean Beach. Anne-Marie is chef; Jacqueline, beverage director and front of the house; and Dominique (marketing and branding). Their motto: Food is love, love is family. A friend who lives in the area


hosted a group dinner there a few months ago. I remembered enjoying every bite, but it was one dish in particular that I was eager to have David try — the Flash Fried Cauliflower with capers, jalapeño, and lemon sumac yogurt. When I finally brought


David back with me, it was a foggy Wednesday afternoon with a marine layer was so thick we couldn’t see the ocean. The cauliflower wasn’t on the day menu, but the silver lining


around this cloudy day was an entire new set of options to explore, including brunch (the day menu is in effect from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.). The drink choices were extensive, from elaborate smoothies (e.g., Chocolate Hemp, with hemp milk, agave, vanilla, cocoa, pea- nut butter, banana) to mimo- sas to house-made “tonics and elixirs.” I opted for a bottle of Lorina Sparkling Lemonade ($4).


We ordered the Local Avo-


cado Toast ($9), figuring it as an appetizer, but what arrived could have stood alone as an entrée. A long slice of La Brea Baguette was buried beneath the avocado and a salad of shaved vegetables and herbs tossed in Green Goddess dress- ing, all of which was accompa- nied by a medley of seasonal fruit. The vegetable mixture was a toothsome salad, and the tartness of the dressing contrasted nicely with the rich, creamy avocado. I ordered the Classic Cobb


Salad ($13) with mixed greens, poached chicken, bacon, gor- gonzola, egg, tomato, avocado, and champagne vinaigrette. I’ve been on a cobb salad kick lately, so I couldn’t help but compare this version to my recent favorite at Kensington Café. I lamented the lack of a creamy rich dressing such as ranch or blue cheese, as I’ve come to associate that as part of a “classic cobb.” The champagne vinaigrette was too tart for the bacon and avocado and seemed to clash rather than compliment the gorgonzola. The upside to this dish was the generosity of fresh garden ingredients, which I ended up enjoying without the dressing. David gushed over the


House-Smoked Salmon Plate ($14). The presentation was a designer’s delight, and the accoutrements were above and


beyond: shaved onion, capers, créme fraiche, herbed farmers cheese, sieved egg, and toasted La Brea baguette. The salmon was not too heavily smoked, wasn’t overcooked, and had a fresh, clean flavor. It reminded him of the typical bagel and lox show but with an inven- tive decision to use cooked salmon filet in place of lox. If there is one improvement to be made, David says it would be to add more sieved egg, which he enjoyed, though there was only a bite of it. I still want to bring him back


at night to try that cauliflower. Based on this meal, David says he can’t wait. by Barbarella Fokos


FOOD & DRINK


Tiki Happy Hour with Mixolo- gist Daniel Parks Break out the mini umbrellas and island attire because George’s Level2 is hosting a special Tiki inspired happy hour with guest mixologist Daniel Parks. Originally from San Diego, Parks worked at Trader Vic’s among other bartending gigs before help- ing open the uber-popular Pagan Idol in San Francisco last year. Now he’s bringing his Tiki know-how to Level2 for a night of specialty cocktails. Friday, April 7, 4pm; free. George’s at the Cove Ocean Ter- race, 1250 Prospect Street. (LA JOLLA)


VinDiego Wine and Food Festival Seventy wineries from Napa, Sonoma, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Lodi, Washington State, the Santa Lucia Highlands, and Temecula will pour 300 world-class wines at Liberty Station. Small- production and award-winning pinots, zinfandels, and syrahs can be paired with food samples from Chez Loma, Nobu, Solaré, and The Main Course Restaurant (25 participating restaurants in all). In between drinks you can bid on items at the VinDiego Silent Auc- tion, with all proceeds benefiting the San Diego Italian Film Festival and It’s All About the Kids Foun- dation. Saturday, April 8, 3pm; $115-$150. NTC Park at Liberty


Station, 2455 Cushing Road. (LIB- ERTY STATION)


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