Ono Grinds Island Grill

We started our first full day in San Diego driving around and battling in some gyms in Pokemon Go. After getting our gym coins and an iced coffee for A, we were really hungry. We had initially thought about getting some ceviche for lunch but we were way too hungry for that. After doing some research, we came across Ono Grinds Island Grill, which seemed like the perfect choice since we were on vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary and we got married in Hawaii.

M got the volcano bowl (spicy teriyaki chicken, pineapple salsa, shredded cheddar, sliced jalapeños, ginger-garlic aioli, and lava sauce). With a name like lava sauce, we were initially concerned that it might be really, really spicy, but after trying it, it wasn't too bad. There was a nice heat to it, but it was bearable. Overall, the bowl was good but felt a little heavy. It could have used some more vegetables to it, as there wasn't that much salsa (especially compared to A's).

A got the guava BBQ bowl (kalua pork, bacon, pineapple salsa, shredded cheese, guava BBQ sauce, and ginger garlic aioli). The pork wasn't as flavorful as the options we'd had in Hawaii previously, but the flavors were, on the whole, spot on. It was rich and seasoned really well. The pineapple salsa added sweetness and freshness to the dish as well as a small touch of heat, and the guava BBQ sauce added an interesting sweetness as well. Overall we liked both mains, but we thought the pork was better.

All the plates were served with white rice and a choice of mac salad, coleslaw, sweet potato medallions, chips, or soup on the side. We both, of course, went with the mac salad for a traditional Hawaiian plate lunch. The mac salad was creamy but not too laden with mayonnaise. The carrots and celery added crunch to the dish, and it felt and tasted like so many of the mac salads we had on the islands.

This lunch reminded us a lot of being in Hawaii and going out for a plate lunch. It brought back a lot of happy memories, a good way to start a new vacation.

Hello San Diego

Our San Diego vacation from last October feels like it was just yesterday, and we wish we were back there instead of in New York's cold winter (even if today felt like spring for a day). We normally do separate posts for every place we visit on our trip, but since the first day was mostly spent traveling and we hit up lots of places that are repeats from other recent trips, I'm going to combine them all here to move things along faster.

We flew out on JetBlue from JFK, so there weren't a ton of fast options for lunch. A chose to go with Famous Famiglia's pizza, getting one slice of plain pizza and one slice with sausage and pepperoni, the first of which he found bland and the second a bit too salty. They both could have used more time in the oven, and generally he didn't particularly think too highly of them.

I went to the Boar's Head Deli which had a fancy tablet ordering system, and got a chipotle chicken sandwich with lettuce, avocado, and provolone. I remember the menu saying something about a mango mayo but didn't taste anything like that. This sandwich was supposed to be a panini, but it wasn't very pressed. The provolone cheese was melted, but the sandwich just seemed to come out like it would if I put a sandwich in the toaster for a few minutes, not a panini press. I had thought the chipotle chicken would be chunks of chicken, not slices, but that was not the most logical expectation considering where I went to get the sandwich. It was nice having some avocado, but since that was in chunks, it kind of fell out and made the sandwich harder to eat. The sandwich wasn't cheap, but at least the flavors were good.

In-flight, we got our usual free snacks - lots of water and (for A) some ginger ale, plus some chocolate chip cookies and Cheez-It crackers. We've mentioned JetBlue's free snacks plenty on this blog, and we hope they never stop doing that.

Once we finally arrived in San Diego and got our bags, our first stop was the Ryan Bros coffee stand near baggage claim. Ryan Bros was a local micro roaster, but A had no idea of that when he opted to get coffee. Unfortunately, he didn't think it was that good. He's not judging the whole brand by this offering though, because it was really late and this was just a small kiosk with coffee sitting in those silver cylinder dispensers and not freshly brewed. It really wasn't a very good cup of coffee.

To close out the day, we went for pretty much the same meal we always do when we first get to California, In-N-Out Burger. Is that what most people from the East Coast do when they go out west? We were pretty hungry, so we got three double-doubles, animal style of course, and two orders of animal style fries. It had been so long since we had In-N-Out that we forgot our usual order also added raw onions to the burgers, but it was fine without them. Everything was so, so, so, so good, and we were thankful that we got there at the exact time we did because that branch was packed. It was so crowded that the drive-thru line went out of the parking lot and circled down the street, and at one point after we ordered, we saw the restaurant line go out the door. Can't think of any fast food out here that would inspire that type of line other than Shake Shack (but you definitely couldn't get out of Shake Shack with all this food for $20).

It was a good first day of our trip, mostly traveling, with the San Diego portion kicked off by a delicious visit to In-N-Out. We were pretty excited for the upcoming week of relaxation and good food, and couldn't wait to get started.

San Diego

If you're wondering where we've been for the past week (probably no one), we just returned from a wonderful week out in San Diego, which is one of our favorite places in the US. The weather is great, the food is delicious, there is an abundance of good craft beer, and the vibe of the entire city is so relaxed. It's a great place for a getaway.

We've been to San Diego a few times before, but since we always spent a lot of our time at the zoo (after all, we are called panda bytes for a reason), we never really explored as much of the city as we could have. We made up for it this time, driving around, exploring new places, and eating a lot of good food. Can't wait to share more soon!