Off the Map: A Good Meatloaf

Meatloaf - The 1770 House, East Hampton, NY

The 1770 House

If there is one person on Best Thing I Ever Ate who will rarely, if ever, steer you wrong, it is Ina Garten. Which is why, when you are among her stomping grounds in East Hampton, it is imperative that you spend as much time as possible frequenting her haunts.

Where Ina Goes, We Will Follow

Possibly her top haunt of all time is The 1770 House, which is both a historic inn and a restaurant - the latter featuring both a classic dining room and a basement tavern. After being advised that Ina herself prefers the atmosphere of the tavern, Vodka naturally chose the same ambience for her inaugural 1770 House meal.

Never Before Has Basement Dining Been So Chic

The tavern proves a bit treacherous to get to, due to a winding staircase that could most certainly take out anyone who's had a few too many martinis to her name. But once downstairs, it is all cozy charm - the perfect place to spend a snowy night while getting lit on cocktails which may or may cause you to be trapped in this basement until the end of time.

If "Comfort" Were a Restaurant, It Would Be the Tavern at 1770 House

Vodka orders the meatloaf, because that is what Ina instructed, even though never, in the history of her life, has she chosen meatloaf as her restaurant entree. 

Primarily Because the Staples of Her Dinners Are Booze, Cheese, and Carbohydrates

Prior to the arrival of our main dinners, we are greeted by freshly baked, warmed rolls (delectable) and our chosen appetizers - the spicy Montauk fluke tartare and the autumn salad. The fluke is especially delightful, featuring a subtle smattering of wasabi over the top which brings a pleasing kick to the entire enterprise.

Who Knew the Tavern Also Doubled as a Sushi Specialty Mart?

Onto the main event, the meatloaf itself, which Ina had featured on the THE CLASSICS episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate, is every good as Ina had promised. It's accompanied by potato puree, spinach, and a roasted garlic sauce which tastes undeniably like chicken broth (not a complaint). 

The Heel of the Loaf

While the meatloaf is indeed the best Vodka has ever had, it is, after all, still meatloaf, and while she would return to the 1770 House in a heartbeat, she would try one of the other staples of their menu.

Namely the Burger, and Even More Namely, the French Fries

After indulging in the chocolate brownie for dessert, Vodka tippy-toed carefully up the winding Tavern steps, clutching a wine glass in one hand and a rose bottle in the other, and all three emerged unscathed.

Brownie A La Lantern Light

As Ina herself would say, how easy is that?

The 1770's House Meatloaf: 4 stars

Off the Map: In a Hamptons Pickle

Salty Soured Pickled Rye Bread - Carissa's Bakery's, East Hampton, NY

Carissa's Bakery

For the first time in her life, Vodka has ventured to the wilds of the Hamptons to see and taste the East End institutions and cuisines which Ina Garten calls home. 

Can't You Just Picture Ina Sending Jeffrey Out to Fetch One of These Concoctions?

One such location is Carissa's Bakery, though Alex Guarnaschelli is the one who featured the place on Best Thing I Ever Ate for their KEY INGREDIENT episode.

Unfortunately, Ina's Mini-Cooper Was Not in the Parking Lot

The key ingredient in Carissa's case is pickle, as Alex's chosen dish is the salty soured pickled rye bread. Except when Vodka goes about actually ordering this concoction, she cannot come up with its name, and says to (the person she can only guess is Carissa herself), "Do you have that pickle loaf?"

This Kind of Classy Ordering Style is the Reason the Hamptons Don't Welcome Us

Along with the loaf, Vodka and her parents are at Carissa's for breakfast, so we order three bacon and egg sandwiches, three lattes, and said hunk of bread. The total for this breakfast comes to... wait for it....

$108.

$108!!!!!

Is Ina herself hand-curing these pickling liquids as a favor to Carissa?! Because we cannot for the life of us come up with why the total FOR BREAKFAST is so astronomical.

Do You Know How Many McDonald's Hashbrowns We Could Buy for $108?!

Price aside, the sandwiches in question are good, if not worth $57 a piece (give or take a few pennies). 

Sandwiches in Photo May Feature More Collard Greens Than Originally Advertised

In truth, they are mostly filling spread heavily on two enormous slices of sourdough and topped with one fried egg and a few slices of bacon. The lattes, in contrast, are truly delectable, and wind up being the highlight of this morning excursion.

Perhaps Carissa's Should Rebrand as a Barista Training Ground

Onto the subject at hand, the pickle bread is delivered warmed out out of the oven, and, sans an available knife, Vodka begins hacking into it with her fingertips. 

A More Elegant Slice Which Survived Vodka Tearing the Loaf to Shreds

At first, it is fairly pleasing - after all, this blog has rarely met a pickle, or pickle-flavored item, it did not enjoy. The interior of the loaf is incredibly spongy and chewy, while the top, with a generous (some would say "too generous") helping of caraway seeds, has a firmer bite.

If Pickles Had Yeast

This bread may be just the ticket for making a sandwich when there is a dearth of pickles available, but other than that, Vodka can't quite figure out what it complements best. Back at home, she tried it alongside chicken noodle soup (it got lost) and morning eggs (it was just... odd), and it felt like too strong of a flavor to pair easily with other foods (after a day away from the warmth of Carissa's oven, it is the caraway seeds, and not the pickle, that prove to be the most potent).

You Know What Would Work Better than Caraway Seeds? Everything Bagel Seasoning.
You're Welcome, Carissa's

In sum, Carissa's Bakery served as a suitable introduction to the Hamptons, if mostly because every place Vodka ventured afterwards seemed downright cheap in comparison. Based on their display of sweets, it appears that, despite Alex Guarnaschelli's recommendation, it may be their pastries that are actually something to write home about.

A Real Toss-Up as to Which Is More Eye-Catching: This or... the Pickle Bread

And isn't that just the pickle.

Carissa's Bakery's Salty Soured Pickled Rye Bread: 3 stars

Off the Map: Right Cove, Wrong Fish Tacos

 Fish Tacos - George's at the Cove, San Diego, CA

George's at the Cove

First of all, turns out we ate the wrong dish. At the wrong restaurant. Nevertheless, we loved everything about it.

This Kind of Hard-Hitting Reporting Is Seemingly Why No One Reads Our Blog

So as it happens, when "George's at the Cove" was featured on Best Thing I Ever Ate way back in 2011, it was for their California Modern restaurant, which is on the lower level of their complex in La Jolla, CA.

In a Surprise Twist, This Is Not the Lower Level

We did not eat at California Modern. We did not even KNOW about California Modern. Instead, we ate on George's Ocean Terrace.

Bet You Can't See the Seals from the Basement!

Now at this elusive California Modern restaurant, they apparently serve something called "Reinvented Fish Tacos," which is presumably why they were featured by Aaron Sanchez on the REINVENTED CLASSICS episode of the program.  

Using Our Brains Left and Right Here in San Diego

On the Ocean Terrace, they serve plain old fish tacos, which is what Vodka and Vesper ordered.

Welp

Now, in our defense, California Modern is apparently temporarily closed. And in our additional defense, who would travel all the way to the La Jolla Cove and then sit in a basement, when the rooftop patio is there beckoning you, begging you to enjoy its scenic overlooks?

Take a Little Time to Enjoy the View

All that to say, we adored George's at the Cove, if that is in fact where we were eating.

A Packed Cove

Upon being seated at what other envious diners referred to as "the best table in the house," our exceedingly pleasant waiter welcomed us and apologized for the snafu on our reservation.

To which he received a completely blank stare from Vodka.

"We had to switch the day of your reservation...?" he prompts, and it finally dawns on Vodka that when she made the lunch plans over a month ago, they had initially been for the day before. Only George's was closed the day before for a private event, and it was a tech glitch that allowed Vodka to book on the blacked-out day.

Speaking of Blacked-Out Days

All to say, this snafu did not cause much heartache, or even so much as a tangible memory, on Vodka's part, which is why the fact that George's decided to compensate the issue with complimentary flutes of champagne was all the more lovely.

Raise a Toast to Extraordinary Customer Service

Since Vodka does not drink bubbles, she pawns her glass off on Vesper and opts for her go-to Grey Goose martini, along with a tuna crudo appetizer to share. 

A Rose-Colored Beauty

The fish dish, featuring tuna with watermelon, jalapeno ponzu, and basil, is so good - fresh and chilled and surprisingly delightful - that Vesper asks for the menu again so she can copy down the ingredients and attempt to recreate it at home (note: this will never happen).

One Perfect Bite

For our entrees, Vesper gets the designated fish tacos, and Vodka the sweet corn cacio (mostly because it's been a full two days since she's twirled pasta onto a fork and she is beginning to go into withdrawal). 

A Pasta a Day Keeps the Proteins Away

The fish tacos are relatively pleasing - not the best fish tacos Vodka has ever tasted, which may be why they were NOT actually featured on Best Thing I Ever Ate. 

Also Could've Used More Chips

The cacio is similarly decent, though nothing extraordinary (and actually a bit too sweet for Vodka's tastes, though this is her fault for ordering a dish that literally has "sweet" in the title).

Thankfully, By This Point We Were Also Tipsy, So We Still Licked Our Platters Clean

The creme brulee that we order for dessert heads back into the same extraordinary territory as the tuna crudo - a ramekin of perfection with an accompanying delectable cookie.

Now This Is a 5-Star Moment

And while George's had some decided "hits" on its menu (namely from the appetizer and dessert portions), the real appeal here is the location, which is nothing short of spectacular. In fact, we could have lazed away the entire rest of the day on that roof had we allowed ourselves to. 

George's Showing Off What Makes San Diego So Appealing

Instead, after a respectable three drinks each, we made our way off the patio, past the darkened basement of California Modern, and out into the La Jolla Cove itself, leaving San Diego with the most marvelous of a moment.

George's at the Cove's Fish Tacos: 4 stars

Off the Map: San Diego Takes Manhattan

 Smashing Pumpkin Martini - The Grant Grill, San Diego, CA

The Grant Grill

It bears repeating once again - if you are a restaurant, and you have an item featured on a NATIONAL TELEVISION PROGRAM, even if it is only known at the time as a seasonal offering, please, for everything that is good and scrumptious, add it to your menu full-time!

Take a Cue from These Bar Snacks and Be Featured ALL YEAR LONG

Hence is the quandary that faces Vodka and her friend Vesper upon entering The Grant Grill in San Diego, CA. Well, quandary number one is we can't figure out how to break into the joint, as all of the hotel's doors appear to be locked, and there are no doormen around to open them (in fact, upon waiting for our Uber to leave, we let in no less than three (alleged) new guests arriving at the hotel, who would have no way of making it to the front desk without our assistance? The whole policy seems illogical at best).

The Grant Hotel Was Clearly the Inspiration for the Hotel California

Back to the situation at hand, The Grant Grill was featured by Troy Johnson on the THAT I'M THANKFUL FOR episode of Best Thing I Ever Ate for its smashing pumpkin martini. Being that it's August, and not Thanksgiving, the drink is not currently being offered. However, being that Vodka and Vesper never met a martini bar they didn't want to saddle up to, we plow ahead with drinking here anyway.

Also We Needed a Place with Air Conditioning Because of San Diego's Unrelenting SUN

In place of the pumpkin martini, Vesper opts for the Old Fashioned, and Vodka for the Manhattan, because these are the two cocktails currently being advertised in the Grant Grill menu as the seasonal house specialties (something about brewing their own bourbon or Manhattan mix or something - Vodka was too annoyed by the lack of pumpkin to focus on details).

Here, Read It For Yourself

Now on the one hand, the ambiance of the Grant Grill can't be beat (that is, once you can figure out how to break into the joint). It's quiet and serene and beautiful in its decor - even when sullied by the image of a PDA-heavy couple distorting the vibe by continuously mauling each other smackdab in the middle of the bar.

Odd Photo Angle Due to the Love Birds Taking Up Most of the Bar's Real Estate

The cocktails, however, which are what the bar is known for, are not nearly as pleasing. 

Contrary to What Your Eyes Are Telling You, This Is Not Iced Apple Juice

While Vesper sucks down her Old Fashioned without a problem, Vodka is less taken by her Manhattan, which is not one of the best she's tasted, and may be closer to one of the worst (it just... doesn't seem to have much flavor - or liquor-based potency - at all?).

Even the Color Is... Odd?

Our waitress eventually talks us into ordering a side of warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven (how they were marketed) chocolate chip cookies, which unfortunately come with an accompanying smattering of berries. 

Vodka Saved This One from the Fruit for Photo Shoot Purposes

Unfortunately because, while we taste one of the cookies on site (it's fine), we haul the to-go container back to our room, not to be broken into again until we are on a plane back to NYC, only to find that the entire enterprise now TASTES LIKE FRUIT.

Which Is At Least More Flavor Than Vodka's Manhattan Had

Does Grant Grill deserve another chance in the future when they deign to add the smashing pumpkin martini back to the menu? Yes. But in the meantime, survey says there's only one place where Manhattans are universally "seasonal," and that is in Manhattan alone.

The Grant Grill's Smashing Pumpkin Martini: 3 stars

Off the Map: With a Side of French Toast, Please

Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast - Cafe 222, San Diego, CA

Cafe 222

After a bumpy start involving an odd restaurant, a rogue oyster, and entirely too much sun, Vodka and her friend, Vesper, start day 2 of their San Diego jaunt at Bobby Flay's favorite place for a WAKE UP CALL, Cafe 222, home of the peanut butter and banana stuffed French toast.

Elvis Could Never!

We arrive approximately 90 seconds after the restaurant opens, because you can ship New Yorkers to California, but you can't make them believe that they'll have to wait in line if they are not the first on the scene when the doors open.

The Early Bird Gets the French Toast

Thankfully, only two parties have beaten us to our "late arrival," and we are seated inside the miniscule dining room. While the number of outdoor tables and chairs are deceptively robust, the same cannot be said for the innards of Cafe 222, which feature approximately six tables total.

And Also This Dainty Chandelier

Undeterred by the small surface area on which we have to work (read: eat), and after sheepishly inquiring if it's possible to get a "half order" of the chosen French toast, we choose the breakfast burrito (Vodka), the two by two by two (Vesper, holding her own with two eggs, two pancakes, and two slices of turkey bacon), and a "side of French toast to share."

Needless to Say, We're Not Here to Work on Our Beach Bodies

After a smirk from our very genial waiter, which should have given us a clue as to what we were in for, our meal, if we can even call it that, soon arrives.

Vodka, Saving Calories by Drinking Her Coffee Black

Only it's not so much a "meal" as a "buffet," more in line with what is offered at the finest Vegas breakfast establishments than at a small corner cafe.

Not the Type of Bar We're Used To

First things first, the French toast - which neither of us would commit to as a full meal because a) a girl needs ample protein in the morning, and the peanut butter wasn't going to cut it, and b) we don't particularly care for French toast - is, in a word, divine. It may very well be the best French toast Vodka has ever tasted, and again, not just because she doesn't generally order such things.

Bobby Flay, You Did Good With This One

Crisp on the crusts but soft in the middle, lathered with peanut butter and a thinly-sliced layer of bananas, the French toast is addictive. 

Stuffed to the Gills

We coat it with the provided perfectly-spreadable butter and dip it into an ample amount of maple syrup, and it serves as a sort of palate cleanser in between bites of our "real" breakfasts.

A Proper Serving of Butter

Both of our actual choices are similarly delectable, albeit absolutely enormous. 

A Burrito Suitable for Three Meals

After confirming that our hotel room is in possession of a working refrigerator, Vodka suggests carting our leftover wares back to our room, for which our waiter cheerily stocks us with approximately seven to-go boxes for packing purposes. 

The Bacon Is of the Turkey Variety So It's Practically Fat Free

This decision proves to be a fruitful one later this evening, when Vodka could be found mainlining cold burrito into her mouth after an evening where the cocktails overpopulated the dinner consumption by a margin of three to one. Even soggy, chilled, and decidedly worse for wear, the burrito remained delicious.

Leftovers Which Are More Appetizing Than They Look

Though it tasted even better with an accompanying slab of French toast.

Cafe 222's Peanut Butter and Banana Stuffed French Toast: 5 stars*

*Certifiable Best Thing We Ever Ate