Rannoosh

Rannoosh - Hillcrest, San Diego

Searching for some good mid eastern cuisine one weekend night, we came upon Rannoosh. Its made up to give off an exotic feel, with rich vibrant fabrics decorating the walls, small artifacts and hookahs reminiscent of the arab world placed here and
there. They have a limited wine selection (try the Lebanese wine), and a exotic sounding drinks like Lebanese coffee and Mint tea. I liked the Rannoosh cocktail .. a mixture of milk, bananas and honey (3 of my favourite substances to eat).

The menu is similar to what you'd find in any other Lebanese / Mediterranean restaurant .. hummus, pita, baba ganoosh, kababs, falafel, shawarma and gyros. The food might take some time to arrive and all of it is worth the wait. The Chicken Shawarma plate and the Mjadara (rice mixed with lentils and sauteed onions) are worth a mention, so are the lamb kababs that come with some kind of garlic sauce. Rannoosh also offers a well sized selection for people preferring vegetarian stuff, and which it turns out is quite delicious too.

The prices are okayish .. not too expensive, but not on the cheap side either. Overall a very pleasing experience.

Food: **** Ambiance: *** Price: $$$

O'Brien's

O'Brien's - Convoy St, San Diego

Having heard a lot about O'Briens, I and a friend decided to check it out one night. Finding the place was a bit difficult .. who would have thought of looking for an Irish pub in the midst of a korean neighbourhood and car dealerships (and in a strip mall no less)?? But find it we did .. and once you step in .. its like entering a different world an Irish pub. The old-world furniture, the dim lighting, the constant soccer playing on the projection TV, the old leather seating .. it all somehow feels like an Irish pub. And I have never even been to Ireland.

O'Briens sort of grows on you. Firstly, they have a terrific beer selection with plenty of foreign AND domestic/local brews. Next the food is great .. though doesn't offer a large choice. And finally the unassuming atmosphere is conducive for lazing around - eating, drinking and discussing the world's problems (or yours - for that matter) with friends. Or you can just down a few beers and watch the latest soccer action.

O'Brien's has a bigg list of bottled beers and quite a good selection on tap. This choice keeps on changing as they juggle around with the local brewery selections. My only gripe is that they close early (10pm on weekdays, 10:30 on weekends).

Recommended: Garlic Fries, Chicken Pesto Wrap

Food: **** Ambiance: **** Price: $$
Last visited: mid-2006

Punjabi Tandoor

Punjabi Tandoor - Mira Mesa, San Diego

Punjabi Tandoor is a typical family-owned restaurant serving the desi working class of San Diego [read - Qualcomm employees]. Its located in a boring-kind-of office/industrial area .. where you wouldn’t imagine a restaurant existing at all. If I have to draw similarities - then its like a roadside dhaba in India. With similar cheap plastic chairs and tables.. which probably havent been cleaned ever since they were bought, the similar tiny kitchen, a fridge which houses the cold-drinks which you open and help yourselves, and amazing, lip-smacking food. The place is owned by a sardar and his family .. and everyone seems to help out. The sardar and this wife are the main cooks and their two children help with the order-taking and table-cleaning.

I have probably eaten at this place more than a hundred times. This place is open till 10pm .. whereas most desi restaurants close by 9 or 9:30. We would so often reach there by 9:55 which would piss of the owner a bit. He would always tell us to call in advance and order .. which we somehow never did. One of my friends in San diego used to insist on eating here and here alone. If we wanted to eat elsewhere he would insist on ordering something from Punjabi Tandoor for him first. And strangely he would also eat the very same thing day in and day out. The prawns-masala and 2 naans. It is undoubtedly very weird for a person to eat the same thing for dinner every day .. but I have to admit that the prawns-masala kicks ass. The gravy is to die for. And with the richness that I recall .. I wouldnt be surprised if the prawns coupled with the gravy would make it a literal reality some day.

The prices are cheap but the quantity is less too.. so its kind of deceptive. A dish is enough for one person as opposed to it usually serving 2 people in normal Indian restaurants. The ambience is nurturing for bachelors who want to laze around just enjoying their meals and having a good time. The food is served on disposable plates and the trash can is always full .. so you have to skillfully balance your dirty plate without upsetting the whole mountain and not getting your hands dirty in the process.

Recommended: Prawns-masala, Chicken tikka masala, Baingan Bharta, plain paratha.

Food: **** Price: $$
Last visited: mid-2006

Sunrise Cafe

Sunrise Cafe - Mira Mesa, San Diego

Sunrise Cafe is a small cafe located in a strip mall very near the Qualcomm offices in Mira Mesa. They serve coffee, bagels, sandwiches etc. The main draw is without doubt their Gyro. I kept dreaming about having Gyros from Sunrise cafe months after I had left San Diego. They are that good. The meat - even though I am sure they order it and don’t prepare it themselves - is amazing, the pita is darn good and the cucumber sauce that comes with it is among the best.

The cafe has limited seating .. probably just enough for 10-12 people, but theres additional seating outside - and being San Diego you can sit out all year through. The coffees are good and they offer some good flavourful concoctions. Among pizza - theres a limited variety but somehow it appears healthy (though pizza and healthy don’t really go together). There are other items available but I used to have the Gyros every time I would visit the place .. so I have no idea how they taste. But other patrons always seemed happy so I guess they must be good too. I have spent a few long lunches there .. chatting with friends or reading the magazines which are surprisingly current and also include Time and Newsweek.

Go on Tuesdays - thats when the Gyros are for 5 bucks in the lunch special.

Food: **** Ambiance: * (its a cafe after all) Price: $
Last visited: mid-2006

Cafe Zia

Cafe Zia - San Diego

Cafe Zia is a small cafe on El Cajon Blvd, very near SDSU. And I’ll be damned if they don’t serve the best wraps ever!! The food is great tasting and healthy, the waitresses and the owner are friendly and on top of it the prices are very reasonable. Zia is located at the intersection of Montezuma and El Cajon .. almost opposite The Daily Grind Cafe.

Like i said .. they have the best wraps .. which are served with a combination of chutneys. The owner is from Afganistan and thus the ‘chutney’ part. The wraps are either chicken or tofu in combination with potatoes/peppers. The chicken is terrific. The filling is stuffed straight off the grill so its real hot and tastes delicious in combination with the cooling pineapple/papaya/yoghurt chutneys.

I have eaten at this place quite a few times and have always left satisfied.
Recommended: The Big Kahuna

Food: ***** Ambiance: ** Price: $$
Last visited: mid-2006

The Daily Grind Cafe

Daily Grind Cafe - San Diego

The Daily Grind Cafe is a nice family-owned, inexpensive place located on El Cajon Blvd, in San Diego close to the SDSU campus - almost at the intersection of Montezuma and El Cajon. It was one of my favourite places to eat when I was staying in the area. Even after I moved a bit north, I used to frequent the Daily Grind on lazy Sunday mornings afternoons for a hearty breakfast brunch. Quite a few times I have spent hours at the cafe chatting with friends and gorging on waffles, omelettes and fresh fruit. This was probably the time when a visit to the Daily Grind would be the only occasion I would have any fruit!

They have very good combos offering a variety of omelettes, toast, coffee and sides (especially the home-style potatoes and fresh fruit). Do try the spinach-mushroom omelette or the Eggs Benedict. Even the coffees and smoothies are pretty good. All in all you wont be spending anything over $10 for a nice meal at this place.

The only problem is that - it closes at 4pm!! (opens at 4am apparently). I asked the owner why this ridiculous 4pm closing time and she said that otherwise SDSU students take up all the tables in the evenings and sit for hours .. thus the turnover for the evenings is very low. Oh and they only take cash. (an ATM is on the premises).

Food: **** Ambiance: ** Price: $
Last Visited: Mid-2006