Biersal goes well with Beer!

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN:

Biersal Food Truck, Friday, April 28th, White Labs Tasting Room, Kearny Mesa.

THE BETTER BITES SAMPLED:

Broziet Plate (the pate` is shockingly good!)

Chicken Schnitzel Sandwich (1 of 2 best sellers)

Potato Salad

Giant Baked Pretzel (1 of 2 best sellers)

IPA Spiced Carrot Cake (super moist and uses a real cream cheese frosting)

THE $$ SHOTS:

Pictures!

NOTEWORTHY & INTERESTING FACTS

• Been in business for 2 months now. Matt and his wife own and run the food truck.
• The Biersal name stems from a popular mythical German gnome who lives in people's beer cellars and keeps them organized, clean well kept, in exchange for getting free beer. 
• Matt and his wife traveled all through Germany, Belgium, England, France and Ireland in summer 2016 to learn/experience the local cuisine and norms. This is seen clearly in the menu items they offer.
• Matt has 22 years in the restaurant business. His last position was as an event chef in La Jolla for a private school.
• They use local foods whenever possible
• They find unique ways to match and pair their menu with beer types of the brewery they partner with at their truck locations.
• Biersal food truck is always looking for larger brewery events in San Diego to partner wish to offer the best possible food to go with local craft beers. Based on my experience they have exactly what pairs well with a solid pint of suds.

THE OWNERS INSIGHTS: (Matt Schooner)

What is it about your menu that makes it so Good? What's the key or secret to making these items so much different than anywhere else?

Paraphrased: "We are keen on knowing what pairs very well with particular craft beer. I brew my own beer as well so I am well aware of what foods lend themselves well to complementing the beer someone may drink and vice versa." 

HOW TO REACH THEM:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Chill'n with the Chilatruck

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN:

Chilatruck, Wednesday, April 26th, Las Americas Premium Outlets Lot

THE BETTER BITES SAMPLED:

Chilaquiles Torta w/ green salsa and chicken

Torta Cubana w/grilled beef

THE $$ SHOTS:

Pictures!

NOTEWORTHY & INTERESTING FACTS

• Both owners, Brian and Paco are both industrial engineers by trade/training
• "Paco" Francisco Perez is the life long, well-known celebrity chef of Aqui Es Texcoco who's been featured on numerous major food and chef themed TV shows.
• They have been running the food truck since late Dec 2016
• All ingredients from the bread, meat, salsa, chips etc. are made fresh daily or delivered daily.
• The grilled beef is a mix of NY strip and sirloin marinated with spices and olive oil to lock in the full flavor.
• The tortas served here are kept identical to the traditional way they are found in Mexico City.
• They have one of the best green salsa's you will ever find. 
• Their corn chips used in their chilaquiles plates and tortas are specially made to have an optimal crunch/softness.

THE OWNERS INSIGHTS: (Brian Henderson)

What is it about your menu that makes it so Good? What's the key or secret to making these items so much different than anywhere else?

"We intend to stay with original means of serving our menu just as they always have and continue to do in Mexico City where such items have always been hugely popular. Our traditional methods are what make them so unique and so good. We strive to make a food revolution with the foods we serve to San Diego and eventually everyone."

HOW TO REACH THEM:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Kicking it with some Kabobs!

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN:

Kabob Village, 3145 Rosecrans St. Point Loma, CA, 330PM, Friday, April 21st

THE BETTER BITES SAMPLED:

Lamb Kabob Plate

Chicken Kabob Plate

Greek Salad

Sabzi

Tabuli Salad

Avgolomeno Soup

THE $$ SHOTS:

Pictures!

NOTEWORTHY & INTERESTING FACTS

• Kabobs are the obvious best seller here. Lamb, salmon, chicken, beef, and sirloin options.
• They have been a family owned business for 10 years.
• The owner, Rafee Zakir has owned and run 12 prior restaurants in NY and San Diego.
• Nastrin and Nazir are the two mastermind chefs in the kitchen who whip up all this Medeteranian/Persian cuisine goodness. 
• They have IMO, some of the best baklava you will find anywhere!

THE OWNERS INSIGHTS: (Rafee Zakir)

What is it about your menu that makes it so Good? What's the key or secret to making these items so much different than anywhere else?

Paraphrased: "The use of only traditional recipes with traditional cooking methods, spices, and ingredients. We strive to be very consistent with our menu while offering great prices and value to our customers."

HOW TO REACH THEM:

Website: Link

Social: Facebook

Tandoori House: Using spice and tradition for real flavors

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN:

Tandoori House, 3146 Midway Dr. Point Loma, CA, 330PM, Thursday, April 20th

THE BETTER BITES SAMPLED:

Vegetable Samosa
Vegetable Korma
Alu Gobi
Chicken Tika Masala
Chicken Vindaloo
Tandoori Chicken
Cabbage and Cucumber Salads
Onion Naan
Alu Paratha

THE $$ SHOTS:

Pictures!

NOTEWORTHY & INTERESTING FACTS

• Been in business for 4 years at this location. Had prior location in La Jolla under a different business name, India Palace.
• Rishi and Bonnie (brother-sister) own and run the store with their father Amarjit
• They have all the classic Indian dishes such as curry, biryani, korma, jalfrezi, masala, vindaloo and an impressive list of naan/paratha breads. 
• All entrees can be made vegetarian. All entrees can be made with chicken, beef, shrimp, fish or lamb.

THE OWNERS INSIGHTS: (Bonnie)

What is it about your menu items that make your food so Good? What's the key or secret to making these it so uniquely delicious?

Paraphrased: "We stick to the most traditional Indian recipes and methods for making our dishes. We do not alter, change or try to get too fancy. What we have works and works well. We also only use the very best of ingredients and source our Indian spices very carefully for our dishes."

HOW TO REACH THEM:

Website: Link

Social: Facebook

Northside Shack: A better bite and better for you!

You will notice this blog post has a different format and flow to it than those before it. This is the new format I intend to use moving forward to make it easier for me to showcase the experiences I have at these venues and easier on you the food-centric blog reader to get the main points in a quick, clear and accurate way. Please comment on the format and give me feedback on the change. 

THE WHO, WHAT, WHERE & WHEN:

Northside Shack, 1255 Rosecrans St. Point Loma, CA, 330PM, Wednesday, April 19th

THE BETTER BITES SAMPLED:

Small sized 50/50 acai bowl

THE $$ SHOTS:

Pictures!

NOTEWORTHY & INTERESTING FACTS

• The bowls are always super fresh, packed with flavor and of course......really good for you as well. It's a small sized shop but it's a true grab n' go type of place. Couple tables outside to dine and dash if need be but if you're like me this is usually a pit-stop meal type deal and I like it that way. In, out, quick!
• They make ~600 bowls a week on the average. 
• Acai is the #1 seller they have and I can see why.....it's just plain really good!
• Pam the owner, a former paralegal, is at the helm of this Point Loma mainstay where she keeps the staff churning out some of the best and biggest bowls, blends and bites that one can get at a great value.

THE OWNERS INSIGHTS: (Pam Olvera)

What is it that drives you to do what you do at Northside shack?

"Passion. Passion and Passion. I love food, fruit, and veggies in particular.  I love being able to create that look on people's faces. The feeling of accomplishment.  My OCD lol."

How long have you been there and what is it that makes your place unique?

"Three years May 15th.  I do things completely different from anyone else.  I believe there are no rules in food. We shop, hand select and prepare our fruit and veggies daily.  I never buy what we won't use in a few days.  I am very precise about how the fruit is cut (texture) and what it looks like.  I am a fanatic about flavor.  It must taste good. I don't buy 'the customer is always right' hype.  I aim to please and take lots of pride in what I do.  I hire like-minded people. We like what we do.  We don't want to ever feel like we owe anyone anything, we want to do what we do.  In turn, people appreciate it and our product. 

What is it about your acai bowls that make them so Good? What's the key or secret to making these things so good?

Passion. Perfection.  Patience. 

HOW TO REACH THEM:

Website: Link

Social: Facebook

Maki Maki Sushi: Its how I "roll"

Most of you know by now I am a HUGE sushi fan! More so a San Diego/SoCal sushi fan. With joints placed on every corner in town (hello PB) it can be a challenge to pick the best place that really offers something different, above average, unique and consistent each and every time you come in. Now I like anyone have my go-to places which most the time are a small pool of three AYCE style joints which live up to the above requirements.....fresh, unique, above average quality, great service, good value, and consistency. I've been known to hammer down some serious sushi at those places......I dont mess around when it comes to my sushi! But when the need for 6+ sushi rolls is not what I crave but rather a more "normal" sushi style lunch/dinner, I have my few go-to places as well. And once again I am lucky enough to have a few of those right here in Point Loma. On this particular lunch visit, I bring you into Maki Maki Sushi . You can also find them on Instagram @MakiSushiSD and on Facebook.

This is a smaller joint in the corner strip mall of Midway and Rosecrans easy to miss if your not looking for it. Smack next to Rubios on the corner of Midway going towards the 5.

Maki Maki Sushi is a family owned and ran business. Vi is the head sushi chef, born in Vietnam but moved to Japan where her 3 daughters were born and raised. These 3 daughters now also help run the business. Maki is one of her daughters names fittingly so. This family has now been managing the business for 4 solid months and it seems to be doing well. Its got a good lunch crowd and a busy weekend crowd as well. (prior to Jan 1, this location was a sushi joint before as well but different name and owners). But even when busy I have never seen the speed of service suffer which I like about Maki Maki Sushi. Consistency!

With lunch combo deals, rolls of the day, combo specials and a daily happy hour, you can score a solid bargain here almost any time of day and day of the week. With 19 specialty rolls, 2 baked rolls, 3 deep fried rolls and 16 basic/traditional rolls to pick from.....there is something for everyone's sushi preferences. My picks from this visit are the rainbow roll (my fav), the protein roll and the ceviche roll. I also get 1-2 bowls of miso every time I have sushi and these guys do it better than most I have found. The reason being is that they use bonito broth adding a true Japanese flavor to it. The ceviche roll was new for me on this visit and I really liked it! I suggest trying this one for something really unique. See the slideshow of pictures to feast your eyes and see for yourself.

SO the next time you in the Point Loma area and need to find a solid lunch or dinner deal solo or with a small group, roll on into Maki Maki Sushi to find yourself A Better Bite!

The magic that comes from Meze!

OK so this being a place I have known about and been to at least 5-6 times in the past year or less makes this a staple downtown venue for me. It's my favorite downtown Greek place that's for sure. Consistent service, authentic menu, great value and a super cool vibe inside and out. Great for groups, great for dates, great for solo lunch or dinner stops. Can't really go wrong with this place. That place being none other than Meze Greek Fusion off 6th Ave in the Gaslamp District.

On this visit, I strolled in about 6:45pm on a Tuesday evening to grab some quell my fix for real deal Greek goods. I knew I would find it here and find it I did. See the picture storyline for an up and close look at how things went down.

Meze has been in business for five years this April now and still going strong. It's no surprise that Patrick Davoudi (GM) and his brother Raymond Davoudi whom own and operate the joint are doing so well. When two things are consistently offered each and every time to your customers, good things happen. The two things being, really great food at a great value and top notch customer service. Meze has this in spades in my many experiences including this one. This is in large large part due to the skills of one man working behind the scenes, head chef Aleko Achtipes. The venue itself is very eclectic and modern with nifty lighting, a chill vibe making it an ideal setting for small and large group dining, special occasions or business lunch/dinner events.

Items I highly suggest you try for a real Greek food experience (among many others) are the avgolemono soup, any of the slovakia meat dishes (or get a combo like I did if you can't decide) dolmas(vegan) or dolmathes (sirloin stuffed) and of course when dining Greek you have to grab either some hummus and pita bread or my favorite, baba ghanoush which they do very well here! I must mention any of the lamb dishes as well! All of them are on point!

Patrick even got me to expand my selection by convincing me to try one of their desserts with what little stomach space I had left. I have had traditional baklava many times before and really enjoyed it. I went rogue and opted for a spin on this classic, cheesecake baklava! The pictures make it clear that this did not disappoint at all!

After this experience, there is no question that I have found and experienced another Better Bite of the Greek Fusion kind. And to that I say OPA!!