Whirlstrom Studio

We are lucky to have three local yarn stores in Encinitas/Solana Beach. Black Sheep, Common Threads and Knitting by the Beach.

            This is my favorite bakery/bistro in Encinitas. I lived in Santa Cruz for 7 years and I was spoiled there with high quality bakeries…Gail’s, Rebecca’s, Kelly’s, Beckmans, The Buttery and Emily’s. Ok, I digress, back to St Tropez. The have excellent croissants ($2.10), flaky not dry and not too buttery. The almond croissants ($2.45) are just above average and sometimes way too dry. Other tasty treats are the Custard Brioche and strawberry éclair (these tend to sell out early in the day).  Hungrier for something more substantial? For breakfast they have egg and omelet dishes (~$7). Since I’m not an egg eater I can’t comment on those dishes but I do know that my husband has ordered the ratatouille omelet more than once and that the rosemary roasted potatoes are excellent. Sometimes I get a grilled panini. I like the Monaco or the St Tropez panini. These are big enough to share and come with a small salad. They have a full menu of salads. I particularly like the goat cheese salad. Finally the best thing about St Tropez is the large patio for people watching, paper reading and or course knitting. St Tropez does not serve espresso due to limitations in their lease by Starbucks. If you like Starbucks though, it's is next door.

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Restaurant Review Friday: Ok, the last two restaurants were on the pricey side. Normally we eat at much more affordable places. One of them is Teri Cafe, a hawaiian japanese place. Everything is excellent, well I guess I didn't like the mackerel. My favorites are Chicken Curry Fried Rice ($5.95), Chicken Yakisoba ($5.95), Teriyaki chicken mini bowl ($3.75). My husband usually orders a plate meal ($6.95-$8.95). These are huge. For example the katsu don plate has a huge breaded pork cutlet on a bed of rice. On the side is a simple salad with ginger dressing and a scoop of potato mac salad. Ok I'm not a big fan of an iceberg salad and anything with mayonaise on it, but I like the dishes I usually order and the salad is refreshing. This is the kind of place that you walk up to order, get a number and the server brings your food to the table. Very Casual. There are three locations in the San Diego Area. The newest one is in Vista by Performance Bicycles and TJMaxx and for us makes a good destination for lunch if we need something for the bikes. Lastly, Teri Cafe makes all its own Japanese noodles ranging from ramen, soba, somen, and udon. That alone is a reason just to go and try out this restaurant.

Posted by wstudio at 08:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Last year I went on a business trip to visit a contract lab in Berkely, CA and I was able to eat at my dream restaurant, Chez Panisse Cafe...on my own dime, but still I was able to go. Chez Pannise opened in 1971 by Alice Waters and a large group of others. I have wanted to go here for about 15 years, but never had the cash to spend. I shouldn't have waited so long. I was so close to eating there earlier in the year when we went up to Berkeley for a wedding. We would have had to wait a little over an hour to get a table for lunch and we had just drove up from So Cal and wanted to get to the hotel. We should have tried the Cheese Board across the street.

The meal was delicious. The menu changes daily I think. I went for lunch, skipped a starter and ordered local albacore tuna roasted in the wood oven with long-cooked romano beans and cherry tomatoes $18  and a glass of house red wine and at the same time before I could back out I ordered dessert, peach, nectarine and blackberry crisp with nayau ice cream $9.50. If I had picked a starter I would have picked Baked Sonoma goat cheese with garden lettuces $9.50 or Cannard Farm pepper bisque $7.50. The day that I went the fixed menu for lunch was garden lettuce salad, spaghetti with shellbeans, hot tomato and ricotta salata and figs, grapes and pear for dessert. $27.00

Physical Space ++, wood floors, mirrors, second floor open windows with a tree outside made it feel like a tree house.

Comfort - Bench seat not too comfy

Main Dish + the tuna was good plus but not excellent. seasoned lightly but I can't remember with what.

Wine +

Dessert++++ the best flavor I've ever tasted. I ate all of it. Devine.

I would eat here again and go out of my way to do so.

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