Reviews
Juniper & Ivy
Written By Host: Nico, March 27, 2016
Hey, readers, the reviews are finally starting again. I took a break for a while because I had to catch up with a couple of other things. But over my break I went to a new restaurant. Obviously, because I am writing again. This time I went to a well-known restaurant named Juniper and Ivy.
The design of the restaurant is soothing and modern. It's a large restaurant with a bar and an open kitchen. As in open kitchen I mean you can see all the chefs as they cook. One cool thing I noticed is that they have several rooms that are behind curtains in case the restaurant gets too full. This makes it more soothing for the customer because then there is not that much open space. But it's also good to have some extra room too.
Now, as I sat down I was greeted by a very nice young man. A waiter obviously. He sat me down at a comfortable booth near the open kitchen. As I was looking at the menu the waiter brought me warm Bread Buns. They had a very distinct garlic taste to them which was a great start. I ordered their Wild Boar Ragu.
My food arrived shortly after I ordered which was nice because the Bread Buns after taste was making my mouth water. I took a small bite into the dish. I was expecting it to be hot, but it was perfectly warmed. The Pasta was very well cooked and the Sauce was amazing. It tasted almost like Bolognese Sauce with extra Vegetable Oil. It was very good, though. I loved the combination of the Pork and the Sauce. It was perfect!
To top that off, I ordered dessert. The name of the dessert is called Yodel. It is a Chocolate Cake filled with Hazelnut Brittle. As the waiter set it on my table he then pulled out a silver cup filled with melted Chocolate. He slowly poured it over the Cake which made the cake crumble. It was very well designed. Definitely one of my favorite Chocolate Cakes.
Overall, Juniper & Ivy is a large restaurant that has high-quality service and food. From the warm Bread Buns to the main dish and then straight to the Yodel dessert was an easy process. There were no problems with the waiter and environment of the restaurant. The extra rooms and the open kitchen adds to the greatness of the place.
Juniper & Ivy receives 4 FullBellies. Well done!
Mister A's
Written By Host: Nico, November 19, 2016
So I am at my house ready to leave to go to this very special restaurant. I am only saying special because they have a dress coat. You can only wear slacks. They will not allow shorts. Mister A’s is located on top of a 12 Story Building. A’s overlooks our beautiful Downtown San Diego all the way to the Airport and over the bay onto Coronado Island. It is the most amazing view ever.
I made a reservation at 4:30 pm, so I could enjoy the sunset before dinner gets served at 5:00 pm. The reserved table which was outside on the patio was either not ready or switched. I was very prodigious with the view but then got upset when they moved my reserved table inside and all the way at the back of the restaurant.
That was upsetting. I at least got a little view of the city but the airport was not in view anymore. By the way, the airplanes are not that loud inside and outside the restaurant so you won't get disturbed. Now to the food! I ordered Macaroni with Alfredo Sauce. For drinks, I ordered a Shirley Temple. They Temple was definitely Homemade it had a unique taste to it. It was a little sweet too.
As I was writing down some notes for the restaurant one of their waitresses came to the table and gave us an Amuse Bouche. It was a small Soup. When the real food came all I had to do was grab my Fork and Knife because they placed my Napkin on my lap for me. The first Napkin was white but, they gave me a black one so that if the fabric came off the Napkin it would be the same color as my pants.
The Macaroni Alfredo was very creamy and almost not edible. It gave me a weird stomach feeling. It made me very full and dizzy. I stopped eating after a while of pecking around the plate.
Mister A’s has an extraordinary view and great service but, the food was not good. Mister A's receives 3 FullBellies.
Barbusa
Written By Host: Nico, November 12, 2016
Another visit to Little Italy! This time we went to Barbusa Modern Sicilian. This restaurant has a smart design to it. The way they showcase the making of their Homemade Pasta is great. It is a pretty big restaurant. I was actually really hungry and just wanted a great dinner to give me a FullBelly.
They started us off with some bread which stopped my stomach from roaring like a lion. I ordered Bolognese Al Forno. The staff are very friendly and give you a relaxed feeling even though the place has a busy atmosphere. I was very excited when the food came.
The Bolognese Al Forno was presented in a large bowl. They give you a good portion that is finishable. The Pasta was also a good size, so you don’t have to worry about cutting it. Now the Taste! I took my first bite and almost burned my tongue into leather. I quickly grabbed my water to prevent that from happening. That was obviously my fault, not theirs.
To be honest it took me a couple of bites to actually taste the Bolognese Al Forno. I was surprised because with Italian Food you can really taste the flavors. This was a bit disappointing because for me to give them a good rating the food has to be good and eatable. Here you can’t even taste the dish, so I did not know how to react to that.
I was really surprised with the outcome of the Bolognese Al Forno at Barbusa. Barbusa Modern Sicilian receives 2 FullBellies.
Dunedin
Written By Host: Nico, October 16, 2016
You can’t miss this restaurant while driving down 30th St, San Diego. The design is ridiculously amazing. The way they placed the wood and used lava rocks as a wall is nothing but genius. Just look at the pictures. This is one of the reasons I wanted to try this newly opened restaurant. When I arrived I took like a thousand pictures because I could not get every detail into one.
I was sat down at one of their bench tables. It was very comfortable and pleasant. I ordered the Hogs and Heffers Burger and a side of Matchstick Fries. The waiters were very friendly and the service was very good. We actually had a conversation with a waitress and made some connections. I was very excited to try the food.
The food came quickly. The Burger was the perfect size. The Fries were a perfect size as well. I took a big bite out of the Burger and instantly noticed how juicy and flavorful it was. It was a perfect texture. They meat was very well cooked. Not overcooked and burnt.
The Fries were crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. I was so excited about Dessert. I order a Chocolate Chip Cookie. I was surprised that it was not just a Chocolate Chip Cookie. It came in a hot pan. The Cookie was warm and at the bottom of the pan. There was Vanilla Ice Cream on top of the Cookie that melted with the heat. This was the best Dessert ever. It was so amazing how the Ice Cream and the Cookie fit together taste wise. I loved it.
While I was finishing up one of the waiters came up to me and said he needs to step up on the bench to put down the blind. This is where I was the Design was a little too much. I had to get out of my chair and wait until the blinds were down that kind of changed my mood.
Dunedin is a very amazing restaurant. I was just a little upset that I had to get out of a comfortable chair so that the blinds could be rolled down. Dunedin gets 4 FullBellies. Well done.
Madison
Written By Host: Nico, September 25, 2016
As I walked into this restaurant we noticed the modernness and cleanness of the place. It was like I walked into a tree. Everything was made out of wood. The roof has a dome kind of shape. You are inside and outside at the same time. I have to say I was amazed by how much design this restaurant has. I was greeted by a very friendly waitress who sat me down at a booth.
I ordered some appetizers and drinks to start off the warm summer evening. One appetizer I ordered was their Tuna Tartare. I am not really into Fish but I still tried it for you, my readers so that you can have the best experience at this restaurant. I have to say, best appetizer I have ever had in my entire life. I was expecting the not so pleasant Fish taste but no. You can't taste the fish at all. All the flavors that they put into this one appetizer are just outstanding. The way that they display the food is insane. I couldn't wait to try my actual dinner.
I read thru the menu earlier on and got my eyes stuck on the name Mac and Cheese. Since last time I had a very bad experience with Mac and Cheese, I decided to try the dish at Madison. Like before when the Mac and Cheese came I straight away noticed the display of the dish. The Mac and Cheese is definitely superior to other recipes I have had but, I absolutely loved it. This place for sure was on my good side.
As you know after a great dinner comes dessert. I ordered a Cheesecake. When it came new exactly that I would love it. It was the perfect texture. They added an amazing sauce that just exploded with amazing flavors in your mouth.
Without a doubt, Madison on Park receives 5 FullBellies.
Encontro
Written By Host: Nico, April 22, 2016
We were going to go to a different restaurant until we found out that it was closed. We then drove a little further down the street and found this eye-catching modern looking restaurant. When we walked in we were greeted by a friendly waiter.
I looked at the menu. They have a variety of different dishes. I ordered a Burger with Fries. The food came 8 minutes later. I took a big bite out of my Burger. It was one of the juiciest Burgers ever. It was just amazing. The Fries were a little hard but they were not that bad.
The restaurant is a combination of outdoor and indoor seating. It is modern and clean. The atmosphere inside the restaurant was what is expected. They also have a bar inside the restaurant.
Overall Encontro is a pretty decent restaurant. That's why the receive 4 FullBellies.
