Kat's 9 Lives

As I rarely ever go down to San Diego to eat and play, I always make the most of it if I am down there.  We decided to go to Horton Plaza to kill some time between meals.  I decided to see what there was to offer nearby as a snack and found Spike Africa's Fresh Fish Grill & Bar.  It's walking distance from the mall.
Being that it was around late afternoon, the place was not packed and we were seated right away.  The interior was very clean and had a nice bar area.
Even though we were still pretty full from earlier in the day, I was tempted to order more because I may not come back.  I have always had a soft spot for delicious poke so I had to try their Tombo Tuna Poke.  It comes with seaweed salad, mango, soy ginger ponzu, and wonton to enjoy.  I liked that they had the sweet seaweed salad but the flavor was just so so to me.  The overall taste was sweet but not quite savory enough.
At that time they had a Yelp check in where you can get an order of their house made BBQ chips.  They were fresh and good but little did we know that it came with our meal so there was way too many chips to eat lol.  Right now the Yelp check in is a free butterscotch pudding.
I was craving lobster and decided to get their Pt. Loma Lobster Roll with roasted jalapeno tartar and avocado.  There was a decent amount of lobster inside.  The flavor was light and the brioche was good.  It wasn't anything that blew my mind away.
All in all the vibe was good but not anything that I would ever crave or drive far for.  There's plenty of food in the Gaslamp district to check out before I'd probably come back.

Spike Africa's Fresh Fish Grill & Bar
411 Broadway
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 795-3800

As I never trek down to San Diego, I had to make my one day trip count! So what does SD really have to offer?  I did various searches on good eats but I decided to look up a tasty BBQ place.  Apparently they have a highly rated place called Phil's BBQ that is growing in locations in SD area.  Unfortunately none up in Orange County yet.  Supposedly Phil's BBQ is rated as one of the top ten restaurants in the US by Yelp.  I actually only found that out when I arrived and was waiting in the semi-long line.
Smile, you are on camera and on the internet while you wait.  I read all the reviews that discuss about the long wait.  Luckily this was the last stop of the night for us and I wanted to just order take out.  As I have never been here before, I didn't know if there were two lines so we split up and had one person check out if there is a separate line for take out while the other one waited in line.
You can always call in the order or move to the front of the line as there are two lines, one for take out and for dining in.  Once you get to the front of the line, the cashiers will hold up cute animal paddles to let you know they are available.
I didn't read too much about the reviews and am normally a bigger fan of baby back ribs so I decided to get a rack of baby back ribs.  They were a bit on the drier side for my taste.  The sauce was very flavorful but I wished that the ribs were smothered in it or if I had an extra side of sauce.  As for the meat, the ribs were not too meaty and I think I have been spoiled by the ones at Costco or Bludso where the ribs are plump and full of meat.  The BBQ sauce used here is more tangy and reminiscent to the styles you would find in Memphis.
Normally I do not get the beef ribs as they are very big and fatty.  Fortunately I am greedy and wanted a bit of everything.  Here you can buy by the single rib so I decided to try one.  Unfortunately, I only got one! I wish I ordered a full rack or more and forgo the baby back ribs.  The beef ribs were very flavorful and tender.  It melted in my mouth and was loaded with flavor.  This was definitely the winner of the night.
Many people recommended the Broham sandwich.  At first I was hesitant because I was full from the day and I am normally not a sandwich person.  I am all about the meat! ^_- This sandwich is jam packed full of pulled pork, some coleslaw, and slathered with BBQ sauce.  The meat was flavorful and the buns were crisp to the bite.  I could see why many people enjoy this sandwich.
All in all the food was tasty and definitely counts as a good BBQ place.  I am still on the fence for it to be named one of the top ten restaurants in the US... I have never thought of San Diego to be the birth place of BBQ.  I would need to head back to Memphis or take a trip to Texas for comparison.  For Southern California, it is not bad.  The beef ribs are pretty darn good and I would definitely swing by if I was ever down in San Diego and order myself a rack or two!
Phil's BBQ 
3750 Sports Arena Blvd
San Diego, CA 92110
(619) 226-6333

I was browsing online for interesting festivals and happen to stumble upon the Avocado Festival in Fallbrook on April 19th. How could I not go!?! I have been wanting to check out the Avocado Festival for a while and this was the perfect time. The weather had been good for the past few weeks but little did I know that it would take a turn for the worse. It was around 110 degrees in Fallbrook that Sunday! Being so smart, I totally forgot to put on sunblock. Luckily I always have light sunblock on my face or I'd probably be a red tomato! lol MBA agreed to go with me so we took a little road trip together. It is far off the path from the 5 freeway and we hit some traffic on the way there since it thins out to a small passage for a while. There are a lot of areas that offer $10 parking, but don't fall for that. When you get closer you will see there are a lot of places for street parking and if you really really want to be lazy there is $10 parking right next to the festival. Don't fall for the far away parking that charge the same price. If you are willing to walk a little bit more you can get free parking. I did wish that I had paid the $10 after being beaten down by the heat and having to hike up a hill didn't seem too appealing.
The festival is held on Beech & Main. It extends for many blocks and many booths on the side streets. There wasn't actually a lot of food on the side we entered. We were hoping to see a lot more food booths and unique mixtures of avocado. Instead there are tons of shopping and local flavor. MBA kept walking to find some food stations. The first one we happened to come upon was the Holy Guaca-Moly. They had signs posted saying they were 2009's 1st place. MBA got some Guacamole and Chips. It was very refreshing in the heat and a good start of the food to come.
We kept walking in search of food and finally reached our destination towards the end of all the booths. There were tons of people and no seating area. MBA and I began to check out all the different types of food they were offering. There was some diversity in how they used avocados but not as much as we thought there would be. I saw there was Avocado Tamale with Ortega Chile and decided to take a bite. You couldn't really taste the avocado but the tamale was not too bad. The Ortega Chile gave it a nice kick. MBA decided to settle on Bacon wrapped Hot Dogs with Guacamole! ^_^ At first I was very tempted because it had two of the greatest components! Bacon and Avocado!! lol The hot dogs looked plump and juicy, but I saw some bratwursts being grilled earlier that had my name on it.
I left MBA to go find my meal, but got sidetracked and decided to go try the BBQ Chicken. The chicken was tender and light, so I decided to try this booth out. Then I saw that they offer Tri-Tip along with Fried Avocados. Since there didn't appear to be anywhere to sit and enjoy the food I decided against the BBQ Chicken since it was half a chicken. In the end I decided to try their Tri-Tip, which was light and tasty. Although it was extremely hard to cut through with a dinky plastic knife. They did cook it pretty tender but that just made it harder to cut through the tendons.
Since I didn't know if the Fried Avocados would be good, I bought 2 pieces for $1 each to try. They were deliciously battered and went wonderfully with the Ranch sauce. MBA and I both loved it and I decided to get a full order. Darn myself for being greedy! Even though it was good, it ended up being too much after a while. Also it seemed like a better deal to pay for $1 a piece since the whole order was $7 and you get less. I have to try to make this at home sometime. Delicious! ^_^On our way back on the other side we stumbled upon this stand that offered Avocado Tea Cakes that were moist and delicious. MBA and I both picked up a bag of Macaroons that were full of flavor. I noticed that they are based in Oxnard, so I hope to see this booth again at the Strawberry Festival! ^_^ One of the last stops for food was the Avocado Ice Cream that Cold Stone was offering. The flavor was very light and good. My only complaint was that the ice cream was frozen rock solid. It did help to cool us off from the heat. All in all it was fun and we got to try some different things. I will definitely be back next year if there isn't a sudden heat wave again! lol

So what do we need to try when we are down in San Diego? Well I am getting closer and closer to the border so I really need to try some of the Mexican restaurants in the Gas Lamp district. Ms. Lin looked up some rave reviews about La Puerta so since we couldn't really settle upon a decision, we decided to listen to the internet! ^_- We almost went past this place because there wasn't a clear sign for the restaurant's name. You just walk through a big door, hence La Puerta I guess. lol
We were starving and sore from walking so this was a great relief. They brought out water and I thought it tasted a little weird. Maybe I am not use to SD's filter, tap water? They brought out fresh Tortilla Chips and Salsas. We gobbled them down immediately. The chips were warm, thin, and crispy. Their salsa had a strong kick of spice and was really good.
One of my favorite things is Carne Asada Nachos and when we saw that they had Carne Asada Fries here, how could I resist! It's French Fries, Carne Asada, Cheese, Sour Cream, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo. Everything was perfect! The flavors were on point and the fries were so crispy despite everything piled on it. It was definitely one of the best Carne Asada Fries I have ever had. Am I drooling onto my keyboard? I will definitely be back to order this again!
Okay I have a secret to tell... I have never had Mole! So when I saw Chicken Mole Enchiladas on the menu I had to give it a whirl! It's Grilled Chicken Breast, Ancho, Pasilla, Mulato, Chipotle, Mexican Chocolate, Sesame Seeds, and Sour Cream. This was definitely different and I can't really compare it to since I haven't had this dish. Still the flavor was a little odd but it grew on me. It tasted like a thick smoky gravy with a kick. I think it's interesting enough that I would want to order it again.
I chose to try the 3 Street Tacos combo with Carne Asada, Carnitas, and Ranchero Shrimp. The flavors were decent but I don't think this was anything special. I really wished I had ordered another Carne Asada Fries instead because that was so good. Ms. Lin ordered the Carne Asada Burrito. It's Steak, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo. This was decent but for the same price, I would rather get the fries! The burrito was a little bit fat for my liking because it makes me think that it barely has any ingredients inside. I want my burritos brimming with ingredients like the fries were! Yum!
All in all it was not a bad place. Prices were around $9 and up. I will definitely come back for the Carne Asada Fries... if it weren't for that dish, the review would be lower.

La Puerta

560 4th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101

After I got back from Vegas, I barely had any time to breath and I headed down with my Mom to meet Ms. Lin in San Diego. I basically spent ALL DAY in a car. We didn't get there until late at night because I took my sweet time in getting back in a car to head down through the traffic. So what is there to do in the Gas Lamp district in San Diego late at night? Well Ms. Lin looked up Mangu, a Caribbean restaurant, to try. They are suppose to be known for their happy hour and late night dining.
Man was the service SLOW! I mean they were really nice and we were seated immediately but the server informed us that the kitchen was slow that night... boy were we in for a surprise! Everything really did come out slowly and my hunger was growing. We did order a cocktail for happy hour and sat there drinking it on an empty stomach... not the best idea. Eventually we got the Caribbean Wings that are Cinnamon Rum Spiced Chicken Wings with a Habañero Cilantro Lime Mayo. Ever since Breezes in Vegas we have been craving for some awesome wings but these were definitely not it. They were sweet and on the wet side. I was hoping for some dry rubbed wings that are cooked to perfection. The flavor was not too bad but it's not the jerked wings that I craved for.
My favorite item of the night was the Carne Frita (Tradicional). It's marinated Fried Pork Chunks topped with Red Onion. Be sure to squeeze the lime to add that extra kick. The only beef (or should I say pork) I had with this dish was that the meat was not cooked well. I think I was eating some raw pork, but I didn't really care enough to send it back as it might take 5 billion years for it to come back out! At first I really wanted to get another one because it was pretty flavorful and juicy, but the wait was just too excruciating and it was getting late. They were out of a few things on the happy hour menu when we arrived and that made me sad. I really wanted to try some of the ceviches that people rave about. Actually they might not have been discounted but I really wanted to try them and it didn't matter how much. Unfortunately, any of the ones that actually sounded tasty were all gone! =*(
We decided to get the Hamburger & Fries and an Empañada that was offered on the happy hour menu. Sadly, these dishes fell super short of execution. The meat in the hamburger was tiny and didn't taste anything special. I would rather get a Whopper than eat this. The fries were crispy and good to munch on but nothing impressive. I was not a big fan of the empañadas. The crust was decent but the ground meat on the inside wasn't anything memorable. These two really wasn't anything special. It definitely was not worth the wait.
All in all the place was nice but the food wasn't anything special. I would describe this place like an Americanized, hip, modern joint that wants to claim it has Caribbean influences. For a late night snack, it's fine and they offer some decent deals. I would probably go back one more time to try their ceviches but after this experience, I wouldn't expect much.

Mangu

I HAD to take a picture of the adorable Pikachu lording above the booth. As soon as Ms. Lin saw it, she insisted that I take a picture of it. Little did she know I had already done so many times, but of course it was so cute that I took more! ^_^
This year was the first time I have been to Comic-Con. Despite what everyone thinks, I am not buried in comic books or glued to the TV. Yes, I have been to Animexpo twice a long long time ago. In my defense it was free the 2nd time, as well as Comic-Con this time or I wouldn't be there. O=) Of course a BIG part was to see Ms. Lin ^_- **of course I am only saying this in fear of her wrath! lol j/k**
Oh the MADNESS! It is CRAZY down there! You can NOT imagine how many, how should I put it lightly, INTERESTING people attend this event. As I was walking towards the Convention Center there was this person dressed up in nice leather boots, decked out in revealing black clothing, made up with nice make-up, and holding an umbrella. I immediately knew it was a guy by instinct even though he looked exactly like a girl. He confirmed my notion when I heard him speaking. Of course this does not phase me, but it did make me giggle when I thought about what lied ahead.
There were tons of booths set up throughout. I went with my Mom in the afternoon Friday and we had a HORRIBLE time. We were both upset and annoyed by the whole ordeal. There really wasn't much to do and there was so much madness! I was furious about wasting my time coming down because I was dead tired from Vegas and my feet couldn't take anymore. We waited for Ms. Lin to finish her shift and then we accompanied her one more time to look through the convention. There really wasn't anything that interested her too.
It's serious MADNESS there! PURE INSANITY! Ms. Lin told me people were grabbing things as if their lives depended on it. It's as if the free goods were food and they hadn't eaten in decades! No wonder there was nothing to pillage that afternoon, which made it SUPER BORING. I was very disappointed at the vendors for not maintaining the consumer's interest!
In all fairness, I think I had a much better time with MBA and her family. She's gone every year for 4 years now I believe. We met up later that Friday and I decided to give Comic-Con one more time with a different group. They went for the last hour giveaway in the Marvel booth. We stood there for a very very long time and were teased/led on/played with/etc... Eventually they started the giveaway and the MC was very odd and annoying. He played his favorites and gave some people prizes continuously, which I thought was in poor taste. He shouldn't keep giving one person prizes when there were so many around. I stood in front and was being pushed by hundreds of people clawing & grabbing. The guy behind me was SO OBNOXIOUS! He kept SCREAMING to the MC, "You are the coolest, I LOVE You!" Luckily he was ignored and received nothing, but standing in front of him was a HUGE PAIN. He kept leaning on me and screaming almost right in my ear. I later complained about it to MBA and her family. They were all thinking the same thing. Well to get the free goods, I had to eventually prostrate myself publicly and work it to draw attention to myself... and it WORKED! Mwahaha! I got an Iron Man PSP game and I don't even have a PSP. =P I really wanted the special Iron Man flash drive, which I thought was at least 1 gig. A lady heard me say that and asked to exchange with me. I was a little torn because I know the game is worth more... but MBA gave a good reasoning that the flash drive is unique to Comic-Con and I don't even have a PSP. So I exchanged, but it was a lame 512mb. I should have just kept the PSP and sold it, then buy the flash drive online for cheaper. It's okay though, because I am lazy and just thinking about the process makes me tired. lol O=)
The last day was much better because I went near opening, although I was infuriated by some booths. Paramount had a horrible organization and the people at Disney were INCOMPETENT, RUDE, on a POWER TRIP, and so forth. They were the last straw that broke the camel's back that day for me, I couldn't stand being there anymore after an encounter with them. I met up with MBA and her Mom that day and we plowed through a bunch of booths pillaging the goods. It's much more fun when you go with people who are crazy about the convention. You just let everything go and go crazy. They were also much more experienced and guided me around. ^_^ Last but not least, I saw a crowd around the booth with Simpsons figurines and I was actually able to semi-recognize Matt Groening. So I tried to take a quick picture. I was amazed at myself for even knowing what he looks like. OH NO I am becoming like one of THEM!!!! **EEP**