Valentine's Day

To be honest, it's been a stressful week. One that needed to end with a cheesy chick flick and some quality girl time. Needless to say, I was happy when it did. (Thanks, L&A!)

As one who likes to bankroll New Line (and my friend's fiancé), I pretty much see everything that comes out of this film studio. And I pretty much pay to see them several times over, only to own them several months later. (And yes, I'm a fan of consumerism.) Valentine's Day may not necessarily be the exception, but I'll admit that it wasn't quite as good as Sex and the City and He's Just Not That Into You. (Sorry, Mark!)

Valentine's Day attempts to be an American version of Love Actually -- or at least has been referenced as such, opening on a holiday and being all about love and stuff. By comparison, I'd have to say that Love Actually does a much better job of plot and character development, creating more surprises through its subtle interweaving of story lines. With that said, however, Valentine's Day did offer one major surprise, which left me teary-eyed at the end.

As a whole, Valentine's Day is a perfect movie for Valentine's Day. On a day that celebrates cheese and sap, you WANT the best friends to end up together, you WANT the cute kids to end up together, you WANT the old couple to end up together, and you WANT the random singletons to end up together. To say you don't is pretty much blasphemy.

Ultimately, this movie offers little in the way of depth, but more than enough in terms of red, pink, and good-looking actors. All I have to say is this: McDreamy, McSteamy, and Bradley Cooper? What more could a girl want for Valentine's Day? OK, maybe some roses would be nice. No worries. Ashton has those covered.

http://www.valentinesdaymovie.com/

Up in the Air

For those who watch movies for their visual appeal, Up in the Air offers more than its fair share of lookers. As a man who continues to age like a fine wine, George Clooney has a Cary Grant style about him -- casual, warm, sexy, with just the right amount of self-effacement to make him that much more desirable. Vera Farmiga has a more formal air about her, evoking the glamor of yesteryear yet oozing sex appeal without even trying. As for the rest of the cast, Jason Bateman and Anna Kendrick are both quite adorable, offsetting Clooney and Farmiga's old school movie star qualities with their quirky cuteness. Looks aside, these actors show off some impressive acting chops.

For those who watch movies for plot, Up in the Air presents some nice arcs and some great surprises over the course of two hours, making the time fly by (no pun intended, really). The movie starts off with Clooney and no doubt ends off with Clooney, focusing on his mile high club status (ahem) and his dreams of being the superelite of supereilte travelers. Along the way, his relationship with Farmiga, which develops out of a feisty competition over who has more travel status cache, is totally captivating, in all its sweet, daring, and hilarious glory. Clooney's work life and the potential elimination of 90% of his travel are made that much more dramatic by Bateman's cavalier attitude and Kendrick's naive presence. Finally, his interactions with his sisters, which involves getting a cardboard cutout through customs, adds an endearing bent to a movie with more somber qualities.

Finally, for those who watch movies for those deeper messages, Up in the Air is a humdinger. Based on how you interpret the characters and the outcomes of the story lines, this movie is either depressing or hopeful. The fact that you can take things either way may ultimately be the goal of the movie -- which is really quite ingenious if you think about it. Depending on your mood and personality, this movie can either reach into your inner sense of doom and gloom, or your inner sense of promise and resilience. Either way, what you come away with may be more a reflection of you than the movie itself. When Clooney stands beneath that flight board at the end of the movie, he has a choice. The message, however, isn't in what he chooses, but in the the fact that he has a choice.

http://www.theupintheairmovie.com/

Indigo Grill

I have to admit that I *love* being taken out to eat -- especially when I have free reign to pick where we go, and especially when my dinner date has yet to fully experience my lavish dining habits! So when Dave suggested coming down to SD for a nice meal out, I was more than a little bit excited. :)

After perusing many many many menus, and offering Dave several options to choose from, we decided to go with Indigo Grill down in Little Italy. When I discovered that J&T had gone several times, and tried almost everything off their menu, I was confident that we chose well.

On a dreary and wet Saturday night, we made our way downtown. With the rain still coming down, and Dave a little more stressed than usual, the drive was a little dice-y. OK, not really, but I thought it'd be dramatic to write that. ;) What *was* dice-y, however, was the parking situation. It took many loops around (which I didn't mind since we were early for the reservation anyways) for Dave to concede that we'd have to settle for a lot. Thankfully, at that hour (around 8ish on a Saturday), the flat fee was about $5, which is better than the cost of parking before 7PM (about $8-$10).

As we made our way into the restaurant, I noticed that it was quite bustling, which is always nice to come into from the doom and gloom outside. We were seated pretty quickly at a great banquette table in the middle of the back wall. I scooted in on the banquette side and got a great view of the room -- a few twosomes, a small group to my right, a couple of large groups, a bar near the front entrance. The room had great decor, with a bit of safari-tropical flair, and lots of color and light. The whole space was lovely on the eyes, and felt simultaneously warm & comforting and hip & cool.

Our server Nika brought us menus fairly quickly, and was perfectly attentive all night. We were a bit starved, so we skipped drinks, and dove right into appetizers. Both J&T and Nika had warned us that the portions were ginormous, but Dave was splurging, so we decided to try everything and take stuff home at the end of the night. For appetizers, I went with the Pipian Crusted Brie, which came with jalapeno jelly, honey roasted garlic, grilled nopales, mole negro, and scallion flatbread. (Apparently, "pipian" is now the adjectivized form of pumpkin seed. Who knew?) Dave went with the Stacked Beet Salad, which came with orange segments, shaved fennel, lime-caraway dressing, and dried beet chips. When the apps came to the table, we were floored. They were simply ginormous, totally entree-sized, and absolutely beautiful. Total works of art on super-sized plates.

More importantly, the food tasted absolutely delicious. The melted brie literally oozed out of it's pipian crust, and the mole negro was nice and salty (perhaps a bit too salty?) with layers of flavor. The nopales were grilled perfectly, and the crispy flatbread was a great vehicle for the jalapeno jelly. I'm not a big fan of garlic, so I just had a bite. Dave's salad was quite substantial, with the beets being cooked to just the right consistency -- a good chew without being too mushy. The beet chips were nice and crispy, with a great beet-iness that I could totally taste.

I thought we'd both committed to not finishing our appetizers in preparation for our entrees, but I was clearly wrong. We were obviously starving, because when I looked down at our plates, we'd both pretty much cleared them. Eek! So when our equally ginormous entrees showed up at the table, there really wasn't much more we could do but stare. Yet again, we were met with towering works of art, even more substantial than before. The plates were completely covered in food, in an I've-already-been-dominated-so-let's-see-if-I-can-even-make-a-dent sort of way. At this point, there was a split second when I wished I hadn't ordered an appetizer. However, this thought vaporized quickly as soon as I thought about the yummy, ooey, gooey brie settling nicely in my tummy. :)

For my entree, I decided to go with the Mojo Bone-in Rib Eye, which came with honey-roasted garlic & spicy corn relish, a tamale with mole negro, pipian rojo, and butternut squash with bourbon-walnut butter. Dave had never tried chimichurri, so he went with the Flat Iron Chimichurri, which came with pico de gallo, black beans, a cilantro vinaigrette salad, and a chili honey-glazed quesadilla. I was more than amused with his look of shock when our massive dishes arrived at the table. I sensed that he also felt beaten before the game even started -- and he's quite competitive, shall we say.

I literally couldn't make it through more than a third of my steak, but what I did have was absolutely divine. I ordered it rare, and it came out just so! A rarity in itself. (No pun intended. OK, well, maybe, just a little.) The meat was well-salted, and I could taste the fat. Mmmm.... FAT.... The relish offered a great contrast in taste (tangy) and texture (poppy) to the steak. And the butternut squash was nice and rich and creamy with the bourbon-walnut butter. Unfortunately, all I could get down was a few bites of each. And I didn't even attempt to open the tamale.

Seriously. Beaten. Dave didn't fare much better with his steak, which was also well-seasoned and well-sauced, but remained barely touched. We both agreed that it was probably better to keep the meals fairly intact, so that we could enjoy the whole experience when we got home. OK, whatever, TOTAL LIE. We were simply intent on having dessert, which was the main reason that Dave picked this place out of the list that I sent over. Plus, how can one  truly splurge without having dessert?

Considering that we'd polished off our appetizers, Nika wasn't surprised when we asked her to box up our entrees, though she was probably a little shocked when we asked for dessert menus. We already knew we wanted the Roasted Plantain Cheesecake Flautas, which came with a firewater dipping sauce. But I upped the ante by adding the Rainforest Sorbet Assortment at the last minute. I've read that the sorbet assortment is always tacked on by the pastry chef as a safe choice for diners, but I love having my palate cleansed at the end of a meal. Nika wasn't quite sure of the three flavors for the night, but I wasn't partial either way, and we ended up with mango, raspberry, and guava.

The flautas had a lovely crisp exterior and a warm smooth interior, making for a great textural contrast. I'm not the biggest fan of cheesecake though, so I preferred the berries & cream that came on the side. Dave literally had to stop me before I ate them all off his plate! As for the sorbets, they were delicious in all their variety. The mango tasted just like my favorite Trader Joe's version. The raspberry had a nice tang to it, and I think it was Dave's fave. The guava was my fave because it wasn't too sweet and there was just a bit of bitterness to it. Like grapefruit without the acid. I seriously wish I'd considered the possibility of taking them home (which Dave totally suggested and which we ended up doing) before I started eating big spoonfuls of them all. I would've left more behind! *DEEP SIGH*

At any rate, this was the best meal I've had in a VERY long time. And I was honored and touched when Dave said it was his best meal EVER to date! Apparently now he knows how princesses eat. :) Let's hope he comes back to SD really soon -- with the same appetite in tow!

If you want great ambiance, food, and service, definitely make your way to Indigo Grill. It was a totally unforgettable experience.

Indigo Grill
1536 India Street
San Diego, CA
619.234.6802

http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/restaurants/indigogrill/

Zocalo

Considering how ragged and stressed I've been lately, it was an absolute delight when Teresa suggested a nice lunch out. After discussing a few options and perusing the menu, we decided to try Zocalo -- a restaurant with two locations, one in Old Town and one in 4S Ranch. I'd seen the Old Town location from the outside, but I hadn't gotten to try it yet, so this was the perfect opportunity. Since Teresa needed to stop by BBB, we made our way to the 4S Ranch location and wandered in around noon on a Friday. (I even made a quick reservation to get those lovely Open Table points!)

Now, I have no idea how early/late people eat lunch in SD suburbs, but I suppose noon is a bit early for some. When we walked in, the restaurant was fairly light, though I didn't mind too much, since I always think service should be even better under these circumstances. Either I was right or our server was simply awesome or possibly both, because we literally had some of the best service either of us have ever had. But before I go on, I'd just like to say that I thought the decor was magnificent. Seeing that it was a grey day, I was unbelievably happy to see all the colors -- reds, oranges, greens, blues -- on the walls, on the tables and chairs, everywhere. Plus, super high ceilings always do it for me. I love walking into big, airy, expansive spaces -- it makes me feel a little like royalty.

Soon after the hostess showed us to a half-moon booth, our lovely server Jeannie greeted us happily and offered us drink and lunch menus. The first memorable thing she did was ask us what kind of lunch we where having -- a quick power lunch or a more leisurely lunch? I don't remember ever being asked such a thing, but I thought it was quite brilliant. Isn't it annoying when food or checks come out too quickly or too slowly? Totally frustrating. By asking a quick question, Jeannie did away with all that nonsense and totally put us at ease. Major brownie points!

As she was going over the menus, water, chips, salsa, and warm gooey cheese appeared magically in front of us by way of another server. Teresa quickly dipped into the cheese -- a total novelty -- and delighted in its warm gooey-ness. We were left for a bit so that we could peruse the menus on our own. After contemplating the drink menu, we decided to go with the Carmen Miranda -- a non-alcoholic drink blending coconut, pineapple juice, and cream. Teresa wasn't quite sure whether the flavors would go well together, but I sensed a willing accomplice, so I ordered it to share.

The second memorable thing that happened was that the bartender automatically split the drink into two glasses for us. Normally, I'd suppose that bartenders would be annoyed that we didn't order two drinks, but instead, this one was nice enough to make sharing easy. Totally unexpected, definitely more brownie points. More importantly, the drink was absolutely delicious. Just enough sweetness, not too much tang, not too heavy. It would've been a lot for me to drink both glasses, but split into two, it was just perfect. Mmmm.... And with the indoor palms overhead, we totally felt like we were in a tropical paradise. All we needed were some umbrellas in our glasses!

Because I hadn't been out in a few weeks, I decided that we needed to start with an appetizer. After Jeannie assured us that the seafood was only lightly dusted, we went with the crispy harina masa fried shrimp and calamari. The dish came with an assortment of squid rings, squid tentacles, and shrimp, as well as a spicy tomato mojo and a lime crema. With a nice big squeeze of lemon and a quick dip in one or both sauces, the shrimp and calamari were delicious. Not too fried, really great flavors.

For our main dishes, I went with the large masa-crusted soft shell crab and shrimp salad, which came with crisp watercress, snap peas, tomatoes, and roasted wild onions.  I ordered the dressing on the side, so my plate showed up with a small cup of cilantro dressing, and two smaller cups of ancho chile cream and more lime crema (which are normally drizzled on top apparently). The dish was very pretty, with my single small crab sitting atop the watercress, and my two pieces of shrimp leaning on the side. At first, I thought, "Wow, that's all the crab and shrimp I get?" But after I started eating, I realized that that was more than enough, especially after the appetizer. All in all, I thought the dish was quite good, though the crab could've been slightly crispier. The sauces went well with the calamari and shrimp from the appetizer, so it was fun to dip dip dip away!

Teresa went with the crispy soft shell crab sandwich, which came with oven roasted serrano ham, jalapeño tartar sauce, lettuce, and tomato. The sandwich was quite large, and she wasn't sure how to go at it. After some careful layering and maneuvering, however, she was able to get a good grip on it. The serrano looked quite crispy, but she admitted later that she thought the crab was a bit too fried and not meaty enough for her tastes. I was a little sad to hear that, especially since mine was so good, but we both thought she might've met her *fried* quota with the appetizer. Regardless, we both enjoyed her crispy sweet potato fries, which she thought went better with my ancho chile cream than her ketchup.

By this point, we were stuffed. There was no way that dessert could fit into our tummies, but of course I had to check out the menu anyways. Every item looked pretty good, though Teresa was particularly drawn to the coconut flan, and I was wondering about the sorbet trio. Again, there was no way anything else would fit, so we "resigned" ourselves to coming back again. Needless to say, we'll have to, simply because Jeannie (easily) cajoled us into signing up for email offers and updates, which include a free appetizer sampler on our next visit AND an alcoholic treat on our one-year anniversary. Who's going to say no to that? Seriously.

At the end of the meal, she quickly grabbed us some boxes to pack up our leftovers, and was nice enough to honor my request for some extra ancho chile cream and lime crema. For serving us a delicious meal with a lovely disposition, we tipped her well. And we'll definitely be repeat customers.

If you haven't made it to Zocalo, it's time.

Zocalo
10514 Craftsman Way
San Diego, CA 92127
858.924.9200

http://www.brigantine.com/locations_zocalo.html

P.S. I *totally* regretted forgetting my camera!! :(