Phoebe's Kitchen Following my visit to Tuscon, I moved on to San Diego for a conference. Upon landing and checking into my hotel, I had plans to spend the afternoon at the San Diego Zoo. I was told that the weather in San Diego was always in the mid-70s and the dewpoint was around 50. However, on this particular day the temperature was 97 and the dewpoint was over 70, so no zoo.
That evening I decided to walk to Little Italy and decided to dine at Buon Appetito on India Street. I have to say it was one of the best meals I have ever had. I didn't see it on the menu, but I requested Veal Parmigiana and I have to said I have never had any better. First, they served me warm Italian bread with a dipping sauce they was made with olive oil, fresh chopped tomatoes, fresh chopped basil, minced garlic and a dash of red pepper. Soon after I was served a delicious plate of Veal Parmigiana. Most of the meals I have had of veal are served with a marinara sauce, but not this one. On top of the most tender slices of veal was a sauce made from all fresh vegetables and herbs. It was absolutely delicious.
The next nght I walked to the waterfront and dined at Anthony's Fish Grotto on the bay. This restaurant was recommended by the driver of the shuttle from the airport. He said make sure I tried the cole slaw with a creamy pineapple dressing. I decided to have the Pacific Ling Cod served over a bed of citrus pilaf. The roll was served with a butter mixture with garlic dried tomato paste.
On Thursday, I was in the last session of the day and the speaker from Microsoft was about to begin his presentation when the lights went out. Seems that a workman in Arizona cut a cable that turned off all the light from Phoenix to L.A. My friend from high school was on her way to have dinner with me. She called at 4:55 p.m. and said she was 2 miles out and would arrive in 20 minutes. She showed up at 7:00 p.m. Traffic was in gridlock and nothing was moving. Barb and I went off to fine something to eat but the health inspectors had shut down all the restaurants so we went back to the Hyatt. They were making sandwiches and for $9.00 we had two slices of turkey on dry (no mayo or mustard) bread. We sat on the curb of a planter. The next day we learned that other area hotels provided food free to their guests.
I wanted to see more of the town so on my final afternoon in town, I took the San Diego Trolley Tour. It was great! You can get off and on at whatever tops you want. In particular, I want to see the Del Coronado Hotel and this was the best way to get there. I started the tour at Seaport Village. The trolley then took us through the city and up over the Coronado Bay Bridge to the island of Coronado with the U.S. Navy's occupying the north end of the island. The tour took us through the town and along the beach which was listed as the second best beach in the World this year. Of course, not to gloat, the winner was Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota, FL.
I got off to tour the Hotel Del Coronado. Our tour guide said that the roof of the hotel has over two million red tiles. When it opened in 1888, it was the largest resort hotel in the world and the first to use electrical lighting. The lumber for the hotel was floated over on a barge. Over the last 120 years, the "Del" has hosted presidents, royalty, and celebrities throughout the years.
From the "Del," I got back on the trolley and continued the tour to Balboa Park and "Old Town." Old Town is known as the Birthplace of California. In 1821, when Mexico gained independence from Spain, a small group of Mexican settlers began building homes at the foot of the hillside below the first mission and Presidio. Because wood was scarce at the time, sun-dried adobe bricks were used.
For my last night in town, my friend and I went to the Prado Restaurant in Balboa Park. The Prado is located at the historic House of Hospitality in the center of San Diego’s famous Balboa Park. It is a beautiful setting with some of the most amazing blown glass structures situated around the restuarant. We both had a delicious seafood paella, but the piece de resistance was the
dessert "Tres Leches". It consists of a traditional "three milk" soaked sponge cake, baked pistachio meringue filled with caramel bananas, and vanilla bean ice cream.
Anthony's Cole Slaw with Creamy Pineapple Dressing
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup crushed pineapple
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds, optional
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 8 - 10 cups coleslaw mix
1. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, pineapple, milk, ketchup, sugar, poppy seeds if desired and Worcestershire sauce.
2. Place the coleslaw mix in a large bowl; add dressing and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Yield: 4-6 servings.
