Taste of Downtown San Diego

 

Florent had tender delicious beef.  Looked like it was perfect for adding to a beef stew dish.

Whiskey Girl had Thai wings which were tender and juicy with a little spicy kick.  Meatballs had a nice beefy flavor.

Casablanca Lounge had fried zucchini sticks.  Nice crunchy batter sized like big french fries.  I prefer big zucchini spears where you get more zucchini flavor and less of the batter.

10 Barrel Brewing had pork belly.  Delicious crunchy pork goodness.  Samples were the size of jelly beans.  Wish I could have gotten seconds of this dish.

Knotty Barrel had cornflake breaded chicken strips.  Crunchy and nice flavor.  Wish these were available back in the day when I was eating chicken nuggets 10 at a time at McDonalds.

East Village Tavern and Bowl had bbq meatballs.  Good beefy flavor with sweet and tangy sauce.

Rustic Root had braised venison which was really tender and juicy.  Blend of gamey and salty flavors very strong.

Jolt N Joe’s had cajun chicken fingers.  Crunchy batter and nice slightly spicy flavor.

Burger Lounge had beef sliders.  Nice char on the beef and delicious beefy flavor.

Havana 1920 had shredded braised beef which had a nice beefy flavor.

The Field had Guinness beef stew.  Loved the flavors from the beef and veggies.  This dish was my fav of the evening.  Great singer playing guitar.  Wish I had time to listen more.

Le Parfait Paris had macarons.  I chose the mango passionfruit one.  Nice mixture of tart and sweet flavors.  My fav dessert of the evening.

This event had a good variety of samples from a lot of restaurants.  We did a ton of walking and were exhausted at the end.

 

 

We only took the shuttle once as there was a 20 minute wait for it unless you got lucky.  It would have been awesome if there were 2 shuttles.

 

Taste of Downtown San Diego

Checking in at Florent we found out they offer shuttle service specially for this event provided by the orange trolley car. Such a welcome addition because this meant we could visit more participating restaurants. After all there was a whopping 40 restaurants this year!

A convenient map was provided depicting the shuttle route, restaurant locations and what each dish offered would be. That way you could strategically plan which places to go and in what order.

 

Riding the trolley we admired the setting sun showing itself between the buildings.

Asti Ristorante offered two types of pasta with a mixed salad. You could pick just one or all three, I picked all three. My favorite was the pasta with the green sauce. Lovely mixture of Italian spices. The hostess was super congenial with everyone and the server was very gracious.

Coyote Ugly Saloon offered four types of pizza with generous portions! You could pick all four but I was afraid if I did I’d be too full for everything else, so I picked two kinds. The crust was super fluffy with just a touch of sweetness, add the sauce cheese and toppings and pow you’ve got yourself a very distinctive, flawless pizza. Wish I could have had more!

Casablanca Lounge offered zucchini stick which was pretty good. My preference is for a thicker cut, this one was thinner. The ambiance inside is interesting complete with tobacco hooka pipes at a few tables.

 

10 Barrel Brewing offered Korean barbecue pork belly with watermelon, grapes, Serrano, arugula, lime, Thai basil with soy vinaigrette all offered in a small sample cup that sure packed a punch on the flavor scale, leaving you wanting a huge plate of it! Cucumber water was a welcome addition.

 

Knotty Barrel offered cornflake breaded chicken strips with either ranch or buffalo sauce. The breading was very crispy, spices super delectable paired with homemade ranch sauce. Definitely would come back here again.

Lotus Thai offered two well paired dishes, a tomato pasta dish and tofu lettuce wraps with mint, chili and lime juice. The ambiance and decor inside is impeccable, impressive and relaxing all at the same time.

Social Tap offered seared Ahi with several sauces on top, very interesting, spicy combination. Plenty of comfortable seating outside.

The Blind Burro offered a small chicken Tinga tostada with chipotle chicken and queso Fresca. These would make the ideal appetizer or just have a whole plate for dinner.

Rockin’ Baja Lobster offered ceviche with chips and an avocado sauce on top. Super fresh, flavorful makes a marvelous appetizer. Wish I could have taken some home!

Nason’s Beer Hall offered a small pretzel with salami and mustard sauce inside with a raisin on top. These little beauties were just glorious. Loved the collaborative games offered; large size checkers, large size jenga and bean bag toss.

Burger lounge offered their beef burger complete with sauce, cheese and pickles. Grass fed beef really does taste better and this burger was fabulous.

Last stop was Le Parfait Paris, their offering was your flavor choice of macaron, I chose lemon. Phenomenal flavor and texture. Exceptional presentation with all their creations showcased.
Above portion written by Maggie