The Red Door Restaurant and Wine Bar.

On my last visit to San Diego, Morgan arranged a dinner for a group of BlogHer attendees. Somehow, I lucked out and made it into the group.


We took a couple of cabs from the downtown Marriot and about ten minutes later we arrived at The Red Door Restaurant and Wine Bar. When the first half of our 11-person reservation arrived, the waitstaff was a little confused. When the second half of our reservation arrived, the waitstaff was a little frantic. From what I could tell, it seemed like maybe someone forgot to make a note in the RSVP book about our group.

Fortunately, the manager came straight out and got to work. She apologized to every one of us and offered us complimentary drinks. Thankfully, the wait wasn't very long and we ended up getting the whole bar-room area to ourselves.

The exterior, and even interior, of Red Door looks like a house. It's broken up into three separate rooms- the first is the bar/ dining and the other two are just dining. The overall decor is very cozy, lots of natural lighting, and has a feel like you're sitting in someone's living room. It's on the small side- I would say maybe 10 or 12 tables max. This would be a great place for a quaint, intimate meal and also possibly if you're looking for a small venue to rent out for a cocktail party (or something like that).

Because our reservation was a prearranged event to showcase Red Door's new happy hour menu, our food consisted of appetizers and cocktails. -Which totally worked for me.

Appetizer #1: Red Door Sliders

"char grilled meyer natural ground beef on ciabatta buns, american cheese
lettuce, tomato, carmelized onions, house burger sauce with shoestring fries - $8"

This burger was good, but I think it may have been too toasty for me. Most of the buns were blackened and I'm not really a fan of char-grilled flavor, in general. Keep in mind, this all comes down to personal taste. I'm sure this burger would be perfect for many people, but I don't think I'm really a "fancy burger" kind of person.


Appetizer #2: Steak Skewers

teriyaki glazed charolais ny steak - $5

Again, these weren't really my thing. They seemed a little... overcooked, in my opinion. The teriyaki glaze was flavorful and sweet, but I just wasn't a big fan of how the steak was cooked. Too tough and chewy.


Appetizer #3: BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadilla

"mozzarella, parmesean and romano cheeses housemade bbq sauce
and onion straws - $5"

Now this.... THIS is where the money's at. These quesadillas were by far my favorite item that night, and to this day I cannot stop thinking about them. The craziest part is, I don't really eat pork very often (unless you count my bacon addiction) and I can't believe I almost passed on this appetizer all together.

The cheese combination creates this great, salty-yet-mellow flavor. The pulled pork is moist and not overpowering. They use corn tortillas, which is less commonly seen than its cousin, the flour tortilla. -But definitely much better, in this case. And it's fried perfectly so the edges are crisp, while the center still has a bready texture. Finally, the bbq sauce is sweet and tangy- a great topper for this delicious plate. I would strongly recommend ordering the BBQ Pulled Pork Quesadilla if you try this place out.

Appetizer #4: Shrimp Creole

"mexican white shrimp sautéed with onion, celery, green bell pepper, garlic.
cajun spices, white wine & cream served over crispy polenta - $8"

I don't have too much to say about these guys because I'm pretty weak when it comes to spicy food. I only had one bite, just to get a feel for what I was missing out on. Based on my one taste, I can tell you the shrimp was perfectly cooked, not gummy at all. The shrimp itself tasted great... but those creole spices were a bit too spicy for my fragile palate. But for people who like spicy food, I would recommend these.


The Red Door Restaurant and Wine Bar is located at 741 West Washington St., San Diego.

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Make a Hot Dog, Dummy.

Are you starving?

Yes!

Want something easy and fast because if it takes longer than 5 minutes to make you'll probably roid rage out and flip a table over?

Yes!!

Want to avoid going to the store because you have Charlie Manson hair and you're still in your pajamas even though it's 2:48pm, and also because Judge Judy is about to start in 12 minutes?

YeSsSsSs!!!

Well. Make a hot dog, dummy.

INGREDIENTS

-weenie

-bun

-Heinz baked beans

-cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

Heat weenie. Heat beans. Put it all together.

Boner'ppetite.

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Greek Festival.

If you live in the southern California area, you should head up to Camarillo for the Greek Festival this weekend. It's small, but the dancing is fun, the people are friendly, and the food is frighteningly good. And if you need some help deciding what to eat, well that's where I come in.

GYRO: Gyro is actually the name of the meat that is typically served in this pita delight. From what I know, it's a combination of lamb and beef that's been slowly cooked on a rotating spit for a long ass time. As it cooks, the outer layers are sliced off. Add some tomato, lettuce, onion, and tzatziki sauce, and you've got a fucking Greek treasure.

SAGANAKI: Saganaki is basically a flaming cheese. When you order it at a restaurant, the waiter will dazzle your balls off by dousing it with some unknown alcohol and lighting it on fire. Americans love this kind of stuff. When you order it at the Greek festival, it probably won't be on fire because they will be serving it up en masse. But I can guarantee it's still going to taste like the bomb shizzle. If you're a greasy-cheese connoisseur like me, this is right up your alley.

TZATZIKI SAUCE: Greeks use tzatziki sauce like Americans use ketchup. This shit goes with everything. The recipe usually consists of Greek yogurt (there's a difference, trust me), lemon, garlic, cucumber, olive oil, and dill, but it can probably vary depending on who's making it. This sauce really does go with everything, so don't be afraid to dip any of your favorite Greek savories into it.

BAKLAVA: This is the sticky sweet dessert that everyone is familiar with. If you happen to be reading this and you're actually NOT one of my family members, then there's a chance you don't receive a box of this every Christmas and have no idea what it is. Baklava is a dessert made up of crispy phyllo dough, chopped nuts, cinnamon, and lots of syrup. If you're not into ooey, gooey sweets, this might not be the thing for you. But if you're anything like me (lucky you), you're going to want a few for the road.

GALATABOUREKO: This dessert is similar to baklava, only it has custard instead of nuts. It uses phyllo dough and has syrup, but it's not crispy. If you have issues eating softer foods like cooked peaches or cooked mushrooms, you might want to skip this one. But if you like custards, give this lesser known treat a shot.



KOURAMBIETHES: This is the safest route if you're not feeling very adventurous. They're basically airy shortbread cookies, covered in powdered sugar. If you're bringing the kids, these are a surefire crowd pleaser. Just make sure not to inhale as your biting. I've made that mistake more than once.

Lastly, no Greek party would be complete without a beer tent. See? There's something for everyone.

Admission is only $3. And if you go the festival link above, you can even print out free admission vouchers so you can visit my friend, Manolis.

So don't forget this weekend: Drop that zero and get with a gyro.

DISCLAIMER: If any of this information was incorrect, I apologize. It was based on my extensive knowledge of hostessing in a Greek restaurant and eating my way through the entire menu.

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Mac N Cheese.

Has anyone purchased the Anyone Can Cook magazine yet??? I'm STILL enjoying meals from that one first magazine I bought and let me tell you, I have yet to be let down. For the most part, their recipes are pretty easy to follow. And more importantly, none of them require obscure-ass rare spices that I'd have to fly to Ho Chi Minh City to find.

My latest trial and error: Mac N Cheese.

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups dried elbow macaroni
3/4 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 oz American cheese, cut into half inch cubes
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese



Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to package. Drain and return to pan. Add milk, butter, pepper, and salt. Stir in all the cheeses till melty. Transfer to a greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Bake uncovered for 15 minutes; stir gently. Bake for another 5 minutes or until it's heated through (don't overheat or mixture will curdle (barf.)). Let stand for 10 minutes.



NOTES:
-I used black pepper because I didn't want to spend money on white pepper and never use it again.
-I also used Kraft American singles because I didn't want to spend $6 on a block of American cheese when I already had slices at home. I used 7 slices and ripped them up into pieces before adding to the mixture.
-AND, I also topped my mac with some Italian bread crumbs before putting it in the oven. I like my mac crunchy. (It didn't get crunchy.) (But it was still good.)
-I served it up right away (instead of waiting 10 minutes). I liked it that way.

IMPORTANT: While I would still make this recipe again because it was easy and tasty, this is not a smooth, creamy, gooey Mac N Cheese. It's more like a lumpy, ricotta type, homestyle Mac N Cheese. It also reheats fine the next day.

Eat it with a hot dog.

Boner'Ppetite.

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El Compadre Restaurant.

Friday night, Boyfriend and I met up with my friend Danielle at one of her favorite Mexican hotspots: El Compadre. It didn't take much convincing on her part- I was sold at "mexican food" and then we sealed the deal at "flaming margarita".

Location: From the 101, exit Highland, go west on Sunset. El Compadre is located directly across from the giant Guitar Center store (which is why we accidentally drove right past it as we were busy staring at the giant Guitar Center store). Street parking. We lucked out and found a broken meter just around the corner on Sierra Bonita.



Decor: Lights are loooow and it will feel like you're walking into a cave. Give your eyeballs a good five minutes to adjust. The front door spits you right into the middle of the restaurant, so be prepared for all eyes to be on you when you make your grand entrance. According to Google images, celebs like Kendra Wilkinson, Amy Adams, and Blink-182 have all been photographed here. Unfortunately, the only people of interest I saw were the mariachis, and of course our waiter when he delivered my meal. The decor is lots of dark wood, big wrought iron chandeliers, and tiled faux roofs over the booth seating areas. It feels a little like you're on a Mexican pirate ship.

I pulled this picture from the internets. It's really not this bright in there.

Cocktails: We all started out the night with their signature drink, The Flaming Margarita ($9). The drinks are served up with a floating piece of orange peel that has some kind of flammable liquid in it, which they light on fire. There were several fruity flavors to choose from- I went with the mango. It was the shit and I would recommend it to anyone who likes mango. A word to the wise: Don't mess with the orange peel until that shit burns out. Danielle said she one made the mistake of tipping over her orange peel one time, which resulted in her drink tasting like lighter fluid.


I know. These pictures are shit. But it was verrrry dark in there and this is what you get when you combine candlelight and an iPhone.

Food: Since it was Good Friday, my menu options were limited (for all the non Catholics out there- no meat on the Fridays leading up to Easter). Since I was starving and nearly ate my own arm off on the drive to the restaurant, I went with a standard safe pick: Cheese Enchiladas. I don't remember what the price was because I was already a flaming margarita and a Negra Modelo deep, but I'm sure it was pretty inexpensive.

This picture does not do it justice. Trust me, it was really tasty.

The enchilada plate came with two CHEESY enchiladas, a generous serving of rice and beans, and a side of shredded lettuce (the way a true Mexican would eat it). I ended up ordering a small side of guacamole and sour cream (I think $.50/.75 each) because I like to maximize my fat intake at all times. I was very happy with my meal because it was delicious, not very spicy, and despite the tons of cheese, it never got rubbery or overwhelming. In fact, it was so good, I ended up eating every last scrap on my plate. Not an exagerration. Based on food, this place gets 4 out of 5 chins.

I was so happy with my food (and the complimentary chips and salsa) that I would definitely go back. And I would also recommend this place to anyone looking for a fun and relaxed atmosphere that doesn't charge an arm and a leg. Boyfriend and made it out on $37 and that included two meals and five drinks. Not bad for a Friday night in Hollywood.

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Everything's Better With Bacon. Especially Bacon.

Last night Boyfriend and I decided to make a full-on, sit-down, pig-out meal. The recipe below kind of formed out two other recipes I chopped up and combined: See Chunky Monkey and Rachel Ray if you want the originals. I can't guarantee everyone will like it (Vegetarians, I'm talking to you), but if you like cheese and meat, you'll probably eat the shit out of this.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken

Ingredients:

-Chicken breasts (2)

-Swiss cheese

-Ricotta cheese

-Italian seasoning

-Bacon

Directions: Fillet chicken breast.

Use a meat tenderizer to smash your chicken to a flat pulp. Tip: If you don't have a meat tenderizer (like me), put your chicken in a plastic bag and use a a rolling pin to beat it up.

In a bowl, combine ricotta cheese and Italian seasoning. I didn't measure anything, but I'm guessing it was about 1 tspn of seasoning to 3 heaping tbsp of ricotta. Place a thin slice of swiss cheese, along with half of the ricotta mixture along one side of the chicken.

Roll up chicken, starting with cheese side first. Wrap uncooked bacon around the outside. Use toothpicks to keep bacon in place, if needed.

Cook for roughly 20 minutes at 400 degrees. Or until juices run clear. Or until you're starving and can't wait any longer.

This feast for the eyes and palate was followed up by a dessert I found in my new favorite magazine, Anyone Can Cook.

Lemon Cream Cheese Phyllo Cups

Ingredients:

-Frozen phyllo sheets

-Spray oil

-1 stick melted butter

-1/3 cup Sugar

-8 oz package Cream cheese

-3 tbsp Lemon curd

-Sugar for sprinkling

Directions: Separate one sheet of phyllo dough, brushing with melted butter, and sprinkle with sugar.

Repeat with three more sheets, stacking each on top of the previous sheet, until you have 4 sheets buttered, sugared, and stacked. Cut stack into even squares. (I cut mine into 4 even squares, but they came out too big for the cups. Sue me.) Stuff each square into the cup of a muffin tin that's been sprayed with oil.

Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until crisp.

While the cups are in the oven, combine cream cheese, sugar, and lemon curd.

Once cups have cooled, fill with cream cheese mixture. I didnt want to crush my precious phyllo cups and make a mess with the filling and then cry all over the place, so I created a piping bag out of a Ziplock baggie to avoid any spillage.

Decorate with berries or mint leaves or lemon zest or whatever's laying around the house.

Try these recipes the next time someone fancy comes over. They're sure to be dazzled.

Boner'ppetite.

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Fondue.

Last night, handsome boyfriend (that's right, I said boyfriend) came up with the wicked idea of having cheese for dinner. :::Match.Made.in.Heaven::: He researched some recipes and even stopped at the store ALL ON HIS OWN to pick up the goods for a fancyass fondue.

Ingredients:
8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
8 ounces shredded emmental cheese (we subbed Swiss)
1 clove garlic
1 (12-ounce) can beer
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch pepper
French bread, cubed, for serving

Directions:
-Combine all ingredients except bread in a fondue pot; heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
-Serve warm with French bread. (We also ate it with apple slices. Delicious in my mouth AND totally healthy too. Fuck yeah.)


Ingredients you will need. -Minus the flour. Why? Because I forgot it. Sue me.

Quality pix taken with a REAL camera and NOT taken with an iPhone camera.

Attempting the iPhone. (So sad to my eyeballs...)

Cheese is starting to melt. Along with my heart.

I know what you're thinking. Yes, I'm growing my bangs out. No, I am not Joyce DeWitt.

(Joyce DeWitt. NOT TILTE.)

MmmMmmMmMmmm... Dinner is served. (It's important to note that your fondue will cool the millisecond you unplug it from its heat source. This results in knuckle-deep, trowling of your bread as the cheese instantly hardens. Lesson learned: Eat fast, fools.)

Strapping on the old feedbag. (I'd like to clarify- that yellow thing I'm wearing is a tank top, and not my bra. It's cold and I like to wear layers, ok.)

Since this was a fanciest of fancy dinner that would have made Robin Leach foam at the mouth with jealousy, we decided to serve it up with a Framboise Lambic. If you're never tried it before, Lambic basically tastes like Martinelli's flavored apple cider. Only it's a beer. It's sold at World Market and I expect all of you to be getting Lambic shitfaced this weekend.

Try this dinner out at your next rendez-vous and your friends will think you are a time-traveling master chef from the 70's. (PS: This was the only close up of me where I didn't look like a prime fucking candidate for a LifeStyle Lift. And if you don't know what that shit is, google it and then cry for me.)

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