Restaurant

Garcia’s Mexican Cuisine’s New Face

by The Editors on November 18, 2008

State St1Carlsbadistan’s State Street got a little upgrade last week as Garcia’s Mexican Cuisine put up a new sign as part of their total face lift. At first we didn’t recognize the place.

The new look was designed by Alan Gelbman and built by Ford Signs in Oceanside. The front of the restaurant has been painted, fauxed, and muraled. A “canopy” has been added that protrudes out over the sidewalk and features inset lighting.

Looking at all the upgrades made us so hungry we had a hard time leaving without grabbing a bite. We just hope these exterior changes don’t effect the menu. Garcia’s is one of our favorite spots for consistent, hearty, no-frills Mexican food. And we like it just the way it is.

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Vigilucci’s Gourmet Market Coming Soon

by The Editors on November 4, 2008

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The Village of Carlsbadistan is getting a great new market and wine shop in early 2009 when Vigilucci’s Gourmet Market & Catering opens at 2943 State Street. H. Gladstone For Men And Women has apparently downsized their clothing store to make room for the new market.

We’re getting hungry already.

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The Original Broken Yolk Cafe Moves North

by The Editors on October 16, 2008

Broken 2Looking for a new breakfast spot this weekend in Carlsbadistan? The Original Broken Yolk is becoming a fast favorite for suburbanites on the Eastern Front.

Normally we don’t go much east of the 5 for breakfast, but when we heard that Pacific Beach’s world famous The Original Broken Yolk Cafe had opened a new restaurant in Carlsbad we had to check it out.

When we arrived there was a line out the door and a 15 minute wait for a table. Having opened on September 2, 2008 it seems word of this new breakfast spot is traveling quickly.

The menu is loaded with breakfast and lunch goodness, and the space is perfect for restaurant. When they say “We’ve got Huevos” they’re not fronting. With more than twenty omelets, it’s a difficult selection process but we opted for The Mom (one of only a handful of vegetarian options): a four-egg omelet featured avocado, mushrooms, bell peppers, onion, and alfalfa sprouts served with a choice of homefries, hash browns, fresh fruit, rice pilaf, or beans and either a biscuit, blueberry muffin, flour tortillas, or toast.

Mom LetteThe biscuits were large and dense but still flakey, while the homefries compared well to standard diner fare. Topped with real sour cream and salsa, the Mom was a tasty traditional-style omelette with the sauteed veggies and cheese folded into the center. It was good, but next time we’ll go with the Cisco Kid (Ortega chile and jack cheese) because in our opinion less is more if you’re folding the eggs around the filling rather than cooking them in the eggs.

We also tried the California Breakfast Burrito (pictured left) with two eggs scrambled with bacon, cheddar cheese, home fries, beans and avocado. Served with rice and beans the burrito was a nice alternative to the grease-laden ones at drive-through joints around the county.

In the weeks since opening day, however, The Broken Yolk still had a few things to work out. After waiting more than 25 minutes for our food to arrive, it showed up pretty cool. The side of beans on our breakfast burrito was cold to the touch. From others we spoke to, ours was not the only cool meal to be delivered that morning.

Broke BurrThe service personnel were friendly and helpful. Our waiter was quick to get General Manager Cathy Morse when we mentioned our food was cold and she offered to send it back to be re-heated. When we told her that unfortunately we did not have the time to wait she took care of us graciously and politely.

With 29 years in the San Diego breakfast business we’re betting that in the weeks since we visited The Broken Yolk Cafe they’ve sorted out some of their food service issues and are running much more smoothly and if not, we wouldn’t mind, because the food is that good.

The Original Broken Yolk Cafe
www.wevegothuevos.com
7670 El Camino Real (click for map),
Carlsbad, CA
92009
760-943-8182

Price: $$ (Entrees $12-$14)
Breakfast & Lunch: Daily 6am – 3pm
Broken Yolk on Urbanspoon

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Pizza Port Medals Up At Denver Beer Fest

by The Editors on October 15, 2008

Carlsbadistan’s Pizza Port Brewery came home from the Great American Beer Festival last weekend loaded down with medals, according to a story in the San Diego Union-Tribune .

The Port won five total: silver medals for their Night Rider Imperial Stout and Party Pants Pilsener, and bronzes for Cow Stout, Port Truck Stout and State Beach Blonde.

That’s more medals than any other brewery in San Diego. Nice work.

[Link: San Diego Union-Tribune]

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Carlsbad’s Shop Of The Rising Bagel

by The Editors on October 12, 2008

Mitsuhiro NumataWe’ve never visited Carlsbadistan’s Sun Flour Bagel Shop, but now thanks to a delicious review by Caron Golden on her blog San Diego Food Stuff, we feel like we’ve been missing out.

Owned by Mitsuhiro and Atsuko Numata and their two daughters, Mai and Megumi, Sun Flour Bagel is an unexpectedly marvelous suburban surprise. Cooking teacher and friend Mineko Moreno told me about it at lunch recently, describing the breads and pastries as deeply authentic and, for her, just like home back in Japan. That sounded irresistible, even if I was a little wary of what the bagels would be like.

That’s enough for us. We’re like already there. Click the link for the rest of the Numata bakery story. And if you’re hungry roll over to at 6955 El Camino Real, Suite 105 near Alga.

[Link: San Diego Food Stuff]

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Blue Fire Grill Sparks Up An Evening Out

by The Editors on September 12, 2008

BluefireWhen it comes to impressing a date with a big night out in Carlsbadistan, there are very few dining choices. While Vigiluccis Seafood & Steakhouse may be a clear favorite for many with its coastal location, our vote goes to the La Costa Resort & Spa’s Blue Fire Grill.

The spacious outdoor patio faces La Costa’s extensive main courtyard, a bar and two large interior dining rooms give Blue Fire Grill a modern and quintessential California feel. The outdoor patio, complete with the rustic Blue Fire pits, is often host to world music and live entertainment, but if you are interested in a festive meal it’s the choice place to sit and enjoy one of the resturant’s signature cocktails. Catch it on a quiet evening, however, and it’s the site of a beautiful romantic dinner under the stars. Inside, diners are wowed under Timber ceilings while facing a handblown glass fireplace wall.

Click the link below to read the rest of this review:

[click to continue…]

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Mariah’s Location Gets Grubby

by The Editors on June 27, 2008

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The sign on the roof at 377 Carlsbad Village Drive is all that’s left of Mariah’s Restaurant. Though the owners of the long-time Carlsbadistan breakfast spot tried fine dining and even went online last fall in hopes getting funding to give the business an upgrade, they just couldn’t pull it off and had to call it quits.

But it’s not all bad news for the old space. A new upscale “quick serve” tacos and beer restaurant (which may be called Grubby’s Tacos) is set to open within the next few weeks. The new restaurant is owned and operated by the same team responsible for Oceanside’s Los Tacos and Grubby’s Diner. They have completely renovated the space (it’s looking solid) and will be kicking down good food (including breakfast with a Mexican groove) and what just might be Carlsbadistan’s largest selection of Mexican beer on tap.

We’ll keep you posted.

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Free Wi-Fi At Carlsbadistan Starbucks

by The Editors on June 3, 2008

Wifi Cbad

Now you can read Carlsbadistan.com while loading up on caffeine at the Carlsbadistan Starbucks.

Starting today anyone who uses a Starbucks reward card at least once a month will get two free hours of Wi-Fi every day. But that’s not all. Card users also get free refills on brewed coffee and a free coffee drink each time they buy coffee beans. Not bad, actually.

So bring your laptop, grab a cup of coffee and then send us a news tip.

[Link: Starbucks via Gizmodo]

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Koko Beach Lightens Up

by The Editors on May 29, 2008

Koko Beach

Koko Beach has been one of our long-time favorite late-night Carlsbadistan dining spots. There is nothing better than a Teriyaki Chicken (or Top Sirloin) dinner with a bowl of French Onion Soup, salad, and warm bread at 11:45 PM when you just don’t feel like anything else. And the lounge is a legendary secret spot for professional imbibers. That’s why we’re wondering what is up with the new windows. We can’t think of anything we do at Koko Beach that will be enhanced by more light, but then we’re sure it’s going to be better once we get used to it.

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St. Patrick’s At Hensley’s Flying Elephant

by The Editors on March 17, 2008

Hensleys 31708

It’s cool of places like Hensley’s Flying Elephant to help people celebrate St. Patrick’s Day even if they can’t do it up on Monday. Hensley’s is throwing down the same party two days in a row so no one misses out, and other celebrate for 48. Today, beginning at 2 PM it’s The Bad Blokes (Traditional Irish “foot stomping” tunes are blended with covers from popular Irish rock groups like The Pogues, Waterboys, Young Dubliners and Gaelic Storm) and then from 5 to 10 PM it’s Skelpin.

[Link: Hensley’s Flying Elephant Pub & Grill]

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