Later that night, I joined a couple of other writers and a source for dinner at Red Pearl. The fusion food at Red Pearl isn't anything to write home about, although the yuzu lemon drop is something worth straggling home drunk for. What made our meal special was that we sat at the table set inches away from the fire-breathing stove and sous chefs who were busily chopping vegetables. I concede that service was a little faster at the kitchen table in comparison to the pick-up joint-cum-dining room. But it was a little weird sitting between the cooks and the pedestrians peering through the large glass window. At least I had on a photogenic top made by Lemon Twist that I bought at least five years ago but will still be in vogue next spring when geometric prints become all the rage. My dinnermate also got the memo about wearing some colorful blocks on her shirt.
These other dinnermates decided to be more graphically laid back. Don't they remind you of dolphins waiting for their fishy snack at Sea World?
As I've noted previously on my blog, I always drop by Cafe Chloe whenever I'm in San Diego. On this trip, I went there twice. I had to return the second time because of the dessert. But I also wanted to try every single item on the menu. For a solo Sunday lunch, I had the croque madame with a glass of lavender lemonade at the bar.
The frisee salad was softened with a couple of roasted tomatoes. The gnarly leaves are usually too bitter. But Cafe Chloe picked a mellow bunch, which was perfect for sopping up the bechamel sauce that drenched the ham and fried egg on brioche toast.
But the real reason for my return was the creme fraiche ice cream. It was sour and sweet at the same time. On the previous day, I shared a rosemary-tinged pear galette with a scoop of creme fraiche ice cream. I loved the frozen dessert so much that on my second visit I asked for two scoops of the ice cream alone. Delish!
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