Main Street Waffle, Huntington Beach, CA UPDATE (Now Closed)

So what's the first thing you eat after getting out of the dentist?  When I was a kid I remember my mom would take my sister and I to a little bakery around the corner from the dentist where she would buy us each a cookie.  Of course this was back when you had to wait a good 30 minutes after leaving the dentist to eat anything.  In addition to that  the cookies weren't all that great.  Dry, and bit overly sugary if I remember correctly.  I always got a chocolate chip cookie, but it tasted a bit more like a sugar cookie someone had put food coloring in to look like a chocolate chip cookie.  Still to this day I always feel the need for something sweet after I get out of the dentist's office.

Fast forward many years later and I still am lucky enough to have the same amazing dentist that works Saturdays, only he's moved locations.  "Hurray" was my first thought, as that meant I would no longer have to eat disgusting overly sugary chocolate chip cookies, but what would I have after sitting in a chair and having my teeth worked on for a good half hour to an hour.  Taking a little walk while my wife was getting her teeth cleaned I crossed the street and found myself wandering through a strip mall.  It was there that I found what I was looking for, something sweet but filling, and bit more grown up tasting.  That is how I found myself over at Main Street Waffle in Huntington Beach.

Now the idea isn't new.  Waffles are the new bread, and can put a nice twist on quite a few traditional sandwich combinations.  I'd had one or two before coming here.  The last time being a bit over the top in my opinion (giant chunk of chicken on top of egg on top of ham on top...).  I wasn't expecting anything amazing, but I was hoping for good, just a good waffle sandwich.  So my wife joins me and after taking a quick look at the menu I grab the special, your basic chicken and waffle sandwich, and my wife got the breakfast waffle sandwich.

After ordering at the counter my wife and I take a look around the place.  It's nice, clean, and the atmosphere is relaxed.  The servers are quick to grab me some ice so I don't have to wait for the archaic drink dispenser to deliver it.  My wife and I grab a seat in the middle of the room and chat while we wait.  I don't think ten minutes passed before our food was served.

I was delighted to see a more normal sized piece of chicken between the waffles.  The chicken wasn't anything to write home about but it was definitely good, not over-seasoned, and cooked perfectly.  On top of the chicken was a medley of pinkish cabbage that went well with the chicken.  On the side was a small container of chipotle mayo, and it was the best thing, better than syrup, that you could put in my sandwich.  The waffles weren't anything special but they were cooked just long enough to be sturdy but not rigid.  By themselves the ingredients to my waffle sandwich were not all that great, but together, with dash of chipotle mayo, everything worked.

I, of course, stole a bite of my wife's breakfast waffle sandwich and it was exactly what I was expecting, breakfast you can eat with your hands.  Unlike my sandwich it needed a bit of syrup to bring out its full potential, but again it seemed spot on as far as waffle sandwiches go.

While it won't win any awards Main Street Waffle has a decent staff with good, filling food.  I'd go there again if only to try a few of the other sandwiches.

Fig Tree Cafe, Hillcrest, San Diego, CA

I've visited the Fig Tree Cafe in Pacific Beach a few times, and providing I get there early enough, have found it to provide a wonderfully pleasant breakfast in a beautiful surrounding with an attentive and interesting wait staff, but one of it's downfalls is that it does not provide dinner. Then along came their new location in Hillcrest. Despite Hillcrest and their reputation for going through restaurants like the mother of the bride at a wedding through tissues I waited a few weeks to check out the new Fig Tree. Finally, one quiet Saturday night I made my way back to my old stomping grounds and sat down with my fiancé for what seemed like a much hipper, trendier version of what I grown used to in Pacific Beach.

First off I should note that there is no comparing the two. They are like apples and oranges, at least in appearance. Where the Fig Tree in Pacific Beach is a laid back hippy commune filled with free spirits, the Fig Tree feels more like a well dressed if laid back hangout for hip and happy folk to chill. Where the PB Fig Tree is open and green, the Hillcrest Fig Tree is a bit darker and heavier. Strangely enough I like both atmospheres. It is all dependent on my mood, but as always the most important thing is the food.

My fiancé and I walked into what appeared to be a cross between a wine bar and the innards of a oak barrel and were seated within seconds. The host was perhaps one of the most professional yet likable people I'll ever come across, but more on that later. Our waitress took a few minutes to get to us but after she did she fell into the rhythm of all professional waitresses seeming to know the exact moments to stop and check up on us, and when to leave us to our conversation. The drinks were good, my fiance got a glass of pear cider, and I stuck with iced tea, as I didn't want anything distracting me from the food before me.

We started off with a bite, which is a bit of house baked bread and our choice of two spreads. My fiancé went with sun dried tomatoes and Gorgonzola mousse, which also comes with a sprinkling of walnut in it. I ordered the fresh chili roasted garlic spread. The bread came out in two types: flat bread, which left a little to be desired, and a few cuts from a small loaf, which I rather enjoyed. I knew that I had to try both of the spreads so I started with the sun dried tomatoes first, just to get it out of the way as I have no love for sun dried tomatoes in any venue from sandwich to appetizer. It had an odd taste that I couldn't quite place, but it wasn't bad. Then I tried the chili roasted garlic, and was stunned. I won't go so far to say it tasted bad, but there was almost no taste of garlic in it, not even an after taste, and when I hear the word chili I expect a bit of bite to something, in this nadda. I switched back to the sun dried tomatoes to finish off the rest of the bites, slowly growing to appreciate the taste of the spread, especially the balance of consistency between the smoothed moose and the bits of walnut. Bemused by first part of the meal I moved on to the next.

My fiancé and I decided to order the special, not because the rest of the menu didn't look good. I'm pretty positive the short ribs would have been amazing judging by the description alone, then again I though the same thing about the chili roasted garlic spread. The specials just sounded too good to pass up. I ordered salmon sauteed with mussels, and shrimp served in a light chipotle, cilantro-tomato sauce. My fiancé went with the grilled flat iron steak over roasted garlic mash and sauteed veggies finished in a Bordelaise sauce(a sauce made of red wine, bone marrow, shallots, butter).

My first bite had a hint of fish in it, which I know is what I ordered but I don't like to be reminded of that in the first bite. Moving forward though each piece of my meal was cooked perfectly. The fish was tender, the mussels showed no hint of rubber, and the shrimp brought a smile to my face. The sauce, which I will admit probably got me to buy it in the first place as I have a weakness for anything chipotle, was just incredible. After a few more bites the fishy taste disappeared to be overtaken by the amazing combination and a superior sauce. By the end of my meal I was beaming, my fiance not so much.

This was one of the few times that I'd chosen the better dish, mostly because she doesn't particularly like the taste of fish, but I'll take what I can get. Her steak was cooked medium, but was still succulent enough to satisfy me, but it tasted like steak. There was nothing to enrich the flavor, not even the Bordelaise sauce which sadly enough was not that great. Now I'm not saying I wanted to pour A-1 all over it, the steak by itself tasted good, but the sauce failed to carry it up to the level of greatness, which was a crime in this particular dish as the steak itself had no other flavors to enhance it. Thankfully the sauteed veggies and garlic mash were delicious. I am not usually such a food snob, ignore the self applied Foodie title, but I swear I could taste the healthy local and fresh taste in those vegetables. Almost good enough to be served on its own, almost.

We paid our bill, made our way out the front door, but not before the host from earlier first asked me how I liked the food, and actually seemed to want to hear my answer. A nice personal touch that improved the evening for both my fiancé and myself, then he was gracious enough to snap a picture of us in the restaurant. Yeah, I can definitely see myself coming back, if only to try the short ribs, and a real appetizer, and enjoy the hip atmosphere where even I felt welcomed.

The Fig Tree Cafe in Hillcrest
416 University Ave.
Hillcrest, CA 92103
619-298-2010

http://www.figtreecafehillcrest.com/

Gulf Coast Grill, San Diego, CA

The Place, Gulf Coast Grill. The time, Friday night, date night. It was go time. In an (continual) effort to keep my relationship fresh and fun, I grabbed the nearest Groupon for this little place off Park a mile or two north of Balboa. Despite getting out of work early, I was pretty much exhausted so I didn't quite dress to the nines, more around the sixes, seven and a half tops. My girlfriend, as usual looked much nicer than me, and with a nod and smile I went outside and knocked on the front door. Date night had begun.

I'm sure you're familiar with the idea of taking a lady out to a classy joint and wooing her back to your place. Well this was similar, only my place was her place, and the lady in question had already been wooed. Still sometimes it pays to liven up a relationship, so I'd thought I'd give it another go. After all, what's the worse that could happen? At this point I had already fallen asleep on the couch once or twice, and both times had been watching a movie.

Keeping in the tradition of returning to old haunts I decided to go back to the Gulf Coast Grill, not our first date, technically I cooked for her on that on one, and technically not the most romantic, that would be Buon Appetito in Little Italy for her birthday. No, this was simply a place that we had gone to before, and that the food had been better than average, at least for me. The first time we'd gone there had been because she'd overheard me going on and on about how I loved Cajun food, and that had coincided with a conveniently advertised Groupon. Actually I loved any spicy, flavorful food that was often a concoction of seemingly random things thrown together for taste. As long as the gumbo is flavorful and the jambalaya has got a kick, I will probably enjoy it. Still I'd missed out on a family trip to New Orleans, and have never had the real thing. Hey, someone had to take care of the dog! So when reading this review keep in mind I am making no claim that this place is the best thing outside of the bayou. I can't say that, all I can say is that it is good, really good.

We showed up at the restaurant ten minutes later than I'd made the reservation for, but they still had a table waiting for me. A nice little wooden table, with very strait backed chairs in the corner, affording a decent view of Park street. The place was packed. Three or four people at the bar, watching "the game", and almost every table, inside and out had a couple or group at it. Everyone of them looking happy, which I took for a good omen. Our waiter showed up in almost no time, and my girlfriend ordered a cocktail, something with the words Cajun or Bayou. I ordered some ice tea and a water and perused the menu, even though I already knew what I was going to order, the Cajun Combo with jambalaya, seafood gumbo, and hushpuppies. My girlfriend pondered a couple of low priced choices until I reminded her that I had a Groupon for the place, then she ordered the second most expensive item on the menu, the Blackened New York Strip Steak. I made my order and passed the time asking first date questions that I already knew the answer to. Still she found it funny so I didn't feel like a complete idiot doing it.

Thankfully I also ordered some Gulf Coast Chowder, which came almost immediately. The Gulf Coast Chowder had clams, potatoes, bacon, tomatoes, and cream, so it was basically a New England Clam Chowder, but with more kick. I think it was that extra bit of Cajun spice that pushed it beyond your average chowder. Each bite had a hint of fire that not even the addition of hot sauce or "exciter" as my girlfriends father would say, could have added. Finally I wiped up the last bits of chowder with a bit of sourdough and leaned back contently. I wouldn't have long to wait though as our entrees came out soon after that.

I'd had the Cajun Combo before, but the hushpuppies had been a bit dry that time. This time everything was perfect. The jambalaya had shrimp, spicy andouille sausage (so andouille sausage), smoked chicken, and a crawfish on top. My first bite reminded me of why I'd liked it so much last time. The shrimp is cooked perfectly, something I am a bit particular about. The andouille sausage had just the right amount of kick. The smoked chicken, my God, it brought me back to the first time I'd eaten there and I remembered just how much a perfectly cooked and seasoned piece of chicken can taste. The rice was just right, not too mushy and not too dry. The crawfish, which daunts most eaters of Cajun cuisine, sat atop it, staring at me with its black soulless eyes. I paused half a second and then remembered my aunt teaching me to eat crawfish at a Mexican place (don't know why they had it there, but it wasn't bad). I separated the tail from the head with a twist and dined upon the somewhat spicy and salty meat within. Next I ate the gumbo, with more shrimp, scallops, fish (my guess was chunks of salmon), and a variety of other sea food, in a heavenly brownish fish broth. In between I would take a bite of the hushpuppies, with a somewhat spicy sauce, chipotle-related I'm guessing, dribbled on them. They were great, which was a surprise as I usually am not a big fan of said puppies, usually finding them too dry. This time they were perfectly cooked.

Not to be outdone I had a bite of my girlfriend's dish. The New York steak was cooked a little more than I usually like, but my girlfriend prefers her steaks medium. Despite that it was great. Especially the blue cheese chipotle cream sauce. Though I must admit it was a bit more chipotle than blue cheese, the combination brought out an amazing flavor in the meat. The veggies and mashed potatoes were a nice addition, but nothing to write home about.

Filled to the brim with great tasting Cajun food, we exited the Gulf Coast Grill. Dinner was followed by a movie, and... well the rest is none of your business.

Gulf Coast Grill
4130 Park Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 295-2244
http://www.gulfcoastgrill.com/