I tried these spots on Wednesday at lunch. The first is on Geneva Dr off 426. Think around where the Townhouse is. Across from that is a pond. Across from that is them. They are doing road work there, so, I think I took Oviedo Dr to a roundabout and you can see their little white structure from there. The next two were down 426 (east) at Lockwood Blvd. Turn right. In a little strip mall on the right. Near each other. I saw them when I tried that ice cream place down 426 earlier last year. The last is on 434 in that strip mall before 17-92. East side. Think Chilangos. The other place I was seeking there has closed.
Briskets BBQ Shack - I read about them on that Orlando Weekly site. Some new guy listed his favorite bites of the year. I think it was a beef rib. That was the first I had heard of them. Open for a year though. I had a plate with brisket and a side (mac and cheese) for $15. The brisket was good. Thickly cut. I think they said 6 oz. Good balance of moist, oil, smoke and beef flavor. Not much middle muck or fat (though a point cut). Not a ton of bark. Pulled apart properly. I'm hoping no liquid smoke. They drizzled a little sauce over it. Two slices of white bread, sweet pickles and a grilled jalapeno on the side. The mac and cheese wasn't as great. Some kind of sweet blend over cavatappi pasta. The pasta was mushy. It worked best when you put some chopped up jalapeno in it. They cook Texas style. The guy is from South Florida though. They also sold sausage, pulled pork, beef ribs (out), ribs and turkey and chicken (quarters) too. The sides were cole slaw, potato salad (not homemade) and I forget what else. Brisket was $40 a pound. I think sausage was $20. The rest were in between. They do sandwiches (mostly in the mid-teens). I'm still a little confused on the pricing for plates with more than one meat and side. It seemed like if you order two and two, they just charge you for what each plate alone would be. They had a $10 taco special. You order inside. Tiny. You eat outside on picinic tables (4?). It will probably be on this year's Favorites List. I'll probably pop back in before that to make sure. Around eight people there. Nice service. Came out quickly.
Hinode Sushi - I just grabbed a $3 miso soup because they wanted +$7 for every roll or two piece nigiri (and it seemed like there would be a wait for anything more challenging). For comparison, Koy Wan is $12 for all you can eat (and I try to eat seventy pieces - no shit) and their quality is just as good as most of these non-high end places. Soup was the usual miso. The menu had usual offerings. Small place. Dull decor. Full. Open for five years.
Lemongrass Thai Kitchen - Menu was as cliche as the name. I had the Tom Kha Kai for $6 because I've had enough Thai lately and I didn't drive here for them but didn't want to ever make another trip here either. It was good. Way too small a portion though. Half of one of those medium sized plastic containers. Chicken was fresher than Neveyahs. Two pieces. Some lemongrass, ginger and onion. Coconut milk broth. Rectangular layout. Modern. Seats on the right side. Counter on the left. The usual menu.
Cuba Libre Camaguey - I figured I'd knock them off the list as well. I just grabbed some finger foods. A ham croquette ($1 but free for me). The usual mushy fishstick. Ham was awol. A ground beef empanada ($3). Good. Not oily. Tender beef. They said they make them. A pork tamale ($3). Looked homemade. Encased in a corn husk. Good. Nice size. Some evidence of pork. The place was pink. Kind of old furniture. Some posters of Cuba. Camaguey is a city in the middle of the island. They also sell potato balls, tostones, fried yuca, 4 salads, 7 sandwiches, Bandeja Criolla (variety plate), 11 entrees, 7 sides, 5 coffees, 5 desserts. Kids menu. Sandwiches were around $11. With fries. They serve breakfast too. Plus lunch and dinner. Closed Monday. Open for a year. They cater. You could probably do worse. I may go back and try a real meal.
*Travel Notes - Southern California: I flew a split ticket (Jet Blue/UA) to LAX for $184. At good flight times. No issues. I rented a car for the week from Budget for $398. It was a cluster fuck at LAX. I got the last car they had (at 3pm) and it was a hassle getting that and it was beat up and they kept screwing up the pricing when they finally figured out how to swap the cars. I canceled the LV portion of the trip because I didn't trust the car. They ended up double billing me. Working that out. I stayed the first night again at the Wave Hotel (Booking 7.4) in Manhattan Beach on Sepulveda for $105 (it was $179 the last time). I grabbed tacos at El Pollo Loco. Drinks in Redondo Beach at Bluewater Grill, The Slip Bar and Tony's on the Pier (since 1952). Their specialty is called a Fire Chief. Drove down to Carlsbad the next day. McD's for lunch. Stayed at Carlsbad by the Sea (Expedia 7.6) for two nights at $99 plus $12 for parking. It was more by the highway and Legoland than the sea. There was a food hall (Windmill Food Hall) in front of it. I had yellow curry chicken with rice from Thai Style for dinner. They used whole pieces of chicken. The next day I went to the Farmer's Insurance Open at Torrey Pines for $80. $20 bribe for parking. All the parking locations they had on the website were wrong. Hot dog and chips at the event. Back to Windmill for dinner. A longaniza and a spam musubi at Rolled Up SD. Potato rolled tacos (flautas stuffed with mashed potatoes) at El Puerto Street Tacos. Beer at Windmill Bar. Finally tried a TB breakfast (egg burritos) the next morning. More filling than McDs. Cheaper too. A taco and chips at Tito's Tacos in Culver City (that's LA) off 405 at Washington. Hard shell. Beef was a consistency between pulled and ground. It is supposedly a legend. I never heard of it when I lived there. It took my alumni magazine to hip me to it. It was average. Took the 405 to 10 to PCH to the 101 to Buellton. Had two (red and white) tastings (they were running a special) at Hitching Post Wines. Tastings were $20-$35. Good. Down 246E a few miles to Solvang (Danish town). Checked into the Hamlet Inn (Expedia 8.8) for $135. Drove back to Buellton for a mixed tasting at Kaena Wine Company. Good. $20. They had one wine aged in a barrel that was 1/3rd Acacai wood. Nice dinner of pea soup with ham, crudite, bread and pork chop with baked potato and cherry tart at Hitching Post II (from Sideways). Fairly expensive. This was $30 something as the cheapest dish on some Restaurant Week special. Back to Solvang. A beer at Solvang Brewing Company. Walked the streets. Been there before. Breakfast custard danish at Mortensen's Danish Bakery. More walking. Old Mission Santa Ines. Was going to breakfast there, but, tons of people bum rushed it (Brekkies) while I was looking at the menu. I also note now that a friend told me to have uni at Ramen Kotori. They opened too late though. Drove to Buellton. Grabbed a bagel with cc at Enjoy Bagels & Sweets. They did a cute thing with mini cupcakes in an egg carton. Down 101 and PCH to Trancas area of Malibu. Had a smashburger with homemade waffle cut chips and beer at Malibu Brewing Company. They hadn't opened yet in the last SC post. Checked into the Mailbu Country Inn (Expedia 7.6) at Zuma Beach for $155. Walked down and to the left to Point Dume (many films like the end of Planet of the Apes and pre-cgi'd Tony Stark's house were filmed here). Walked up it and farther south and back. FYI - the Grease opening was filmed more north at Leo Carillo State Beach. Grabbed some cheese and wine at Pavillion's (tip - they let you enter your phone number at the register to become a member). Watched the sunset. Woke up and finally found (a few miles south) this motel I stayed at when I was moving to LA a while back. Now called Hotel June. Popped into Geoffrey's and finally got a table (without ressy). I've been trying forever. Had a filet mignon with scrambled eggs and roasted potatoes. One of the more expensive brunch options. Only $40. Valet was $15 (added to the bill) and I gave the guy $10. Great table by the ledge. Popped into town and walked to the pier and back. Took Sunset Blvd up past Beverly Hills and back on Santa Monica Blvd to SM. Down 1 to Marina del Rey. Stayed at the mold infested Foghorn Harbor Inn (Exedia 8.0) for $155. It was on the water/marina. Walked to the beach. On the pier. Down to Venice Beach and back. I think they shot White Men Can't Jump and American History X at the basketball hoops area. Muscle Beach of course. What a collection of human trash though. Grubbier than ever. Grabbed wine and cheese at Gelson's on Lincoln. Grabbed spam ramen from L&L Hawaiian near there. Also saw some bar with turtle racing (Brennan's). Wasn't open the next day. Drove to the marina access canal to the ocean. Didn't see Charlie Harper. Up 1 to Malibu again. Ate a too pricy breakfast of three basted eggs, roasted potatoes, avocado, salsa on tortillas at Patrick's Roadhouse (I saw it on S1 of 3D the night before). Schwarzenegger designed some "garbage" plate there. But, it was $30. This is on Entrada Dr (near Will Rogers Beach) off PCH. Probably Santa Monica. I felt queasy after this, so, I just walked the town and Bluffs in Malibu. I was going to get more food. Next time. Down PCH to Lincoln to Manhattan Beach again. I tried the sister hotel (next door) to the Wave for $101. Hotel Pacific (Expedia 7.0). Had salmon and spicy tuna poke and a kulua pork taco at Ali'i Fish Company near the hotel.
Weather was perfect. Only the second day (and only in SD) was gloomy. No traffic issues. Didn't see much homelessness. Couldn't do Musso & Frank's. Maude seems like a pain too. Both only do dinner. I chose hotels with free parking (mostly). Didn't get to Vegas. I already have remedied that though. No real deals on hotels there anyway. The only real hiccup was Budget.
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