Review of Costco Hawaiian Poke in California

Hawaiian Poke at California Costcos

By now most of you in California (at least in the Bay Area, Orange County, or San Diego) have probably noticed Hawaiian Poke making appearances at your local Costco.  The list of stores seems has been growing since my initial sighting in April and it sounds like their test period has been successful - the poke bar may be here to stay.  A recent trip revealed that poke prices run around $16.99/lb to $17.99/lb for varieties of ahi tuna poke and $11.99/lb for shrimp poke.  The poke bar may or may not be a stable addition to your local Costco.  I've seen some places carry it consistently each week and other places carry it only occasionally whenever the blue seafood kiosk is in the store.

Poke in the Bay Area

So, how does the poke compare?

Pain de Sucre Bakery

It's hard to believe it's been nearly 3 months since we returned from our Paris vacation.  Time flies and I feel like there's still so many yummy spots I haven't shared!  Pain de Sucre was a bakery at the top of my list.  One day as we were meandering the streets, we had some extra time before our dinner plans and we pulled up Pain de Sucre on Google Maps.  Walking up and down the street that Google Maps led us to, the bakery was nowhere in sight.  Could Google Maps have led us astray?!  As my spirits dipped at the lost opportunity, my husband spotted the store:

Pain de Sucre...not the bakery one.

It was the right name, but not exactly what I had in mind.  What a sad realization!  Even more sad when my husband couldn't stop laughing at how disappointed I was.

Hawaiian Poke at More California Costcos!

Since my original sighting of Hawaiian ahi tuna poke at a Bay Area Costco last month, many more Costco locations have started selling poke.  Today I even saw it at my local Costco being sold alongside other fresh seafood like shrimp and crabs.  The employee said he wasn't sure how long they'd be there, but that it would make a regular appearance at least a couple times a month.  I'm guessing it'll be there whenever they have the fresh seafood counter.  Is there a set schedule for the seafood counter?  Friends and readers have also spotted poke at their local Costcos, though the exact schedule for the locations listed below is still unconfirmed.

Friends in Orange County have also sighted the poke at the District Costco in Tustin where it is being sold on the weekends.  

See the original list of Bay Area Costco warehouses carrying poke!

Newly spotted locations:

Costco Northeast San Jose (possibly twice a month)
1709 Automation Parkway
San Jose, CA 95131

Costco Danville
3150 Fostoria Way
Danville, CA 94526

Costco Sunnyvale
150 Lawrence Station Rd
Sunnyvale, CA 94086

Costco Mountain View
1000 N Rengstorff Ave
Mountain View, CA 94043

Costco Fremont
43621 Pacific Commons Blvd
Fremont, CA 94538

Costco Tustin (weekends only)
2700 Park Ave
Tustin, CA 92782-2708

Mille Feuille in Paris

As we were nearing our last days in Paris, I started making a list of items I still wanted to eat.  This probably would have been more helpful in the beginning, but with 9 days I thought I'd have plenty of time.  Oh, how naive and wrong I was!

Mille feuille dessert from Pain de Sucre

Near the top of the list was a mille feuille dessert.  Also known as a Napoleon, mille feuille means "1000 leaves" and is typically comprised of three layers of puff pastry filled with two layers of pastry cream.  The patisserie Pain de Sucre was already on my list and I was even more eager to go after I read this post about their mille feuille.  Sadly I didn't have time to try several mille feuille desserts to pick my favorite, so the next best thing was to take the word of someone else who's done all the research!

Bordier Butter

Bordier Butter with smoked salt

I never knew butter could be so rich and flavorful until I had Bordier butter in France.  Sure, butter always makes everything taste better, especially in the form of browned butter or caramel or buttered anything.  Take what you know about butter's flavor and fragrance and elevate it ten levels higher.  That's what Bordier butter is like.  It has an amazing flavor even when cold or at room temperature.  This butter is not a condiment, but the main attraction.  I would eat more bread just so I could eat more butter!

Le Beurre Bordier is made by Monsieur Jean-Yves Bordier in the Normandy region of France.   People say his butter is the best in France and possibly in the whole world. Good butter (and cheese) comes from happy cows, like the ones that feast on French pastures with rich soil. Bordier takes 3 days to slowly make his butter, including a 36-hour maturing process for the cream, hours of churning, and then beating the butter with wooden paddles to relax it into the proper texture. He supplies butter to many of the top restaurants in France, molding them into unique shapes for each restaurant. His butter is also available for purchase in small slabs from several shops around Paris.  A small slab approximately 4"x2.5"x1" costs roughly €2.30, about the price I'd pay in the US for a pound of butter. It's not cheap, but totally worth it.

Galettes & Crêpes in Paris

Little Breizh: Sea chic galette, butter galette, & side salad

I researched beforehand and knew I wanted to try traditional Breton galettes and crêpes in Paris.  Galettes are made out of buckwheat flour while crêpes are made of white flour .  Galettes, such as this plum one, are also freeform pies that make for an easy, rustic dessert.  The two can be quite different though equally delicious.

Breton galettes, which hone from the Brittany region of France, consist of just buckwheat flour, water, and salt.  The galettes come out browned and crispy with a nutty flavor from the toasted buckwheat flour.  Fillings are simple, often consisting of emmental cheese, ham, and a sunny-side up egg.  I wasn't used to seeing savory crêpes/galettes like these.  The ones in the US are often folded into cones and stuffed with a variety of ingredients and sauces.  I loved the simplicity of these galettes and especially how crispy, buttery, and flavorful they were.

Sunday in Paris, Part 2

This is the continued recap of our first Sunday in Paris, a day when most shops and restaurants are closed but some neighborhoods, like Le Marais, remain open.  Catch up on Part 1 of our day to read about the other stops we made along our foodie afternoon walk.    

Pierre Hermé: Yogurt & Lime Macaron

We continued our walk around Le Marais and found ourselves at Pierre Hermé. They were celebrating Macaron Day (March 20) and customers got a free macaron with a donation of spare change. We selected 4 macarons to try out: yogurt/lime, chocolate/fig/foie gras, fresh mint/red berries, and pistachio/strawberry. I first tried Pierre Hermé macarons in Tokyo and then again when my parents brought a box back from their Paris trip. I loved how among the typical flavors (pistachio, lemon, chocolate, salted caramel, etc.) there were also very unique flavors with atypical ingredients (foie gras, yogurt, truffle, etc.) that seemed to change throughout the years. People often say there are two camps of Parisian macaron eaters: Pierre Hermé or Ladurée. I will expound further on this in a future post, but for now I'll say that of all the macarons I tried in Paris, the ones from Pierre Hermé are my favorite.

Our next stop at Rose Bakery was our original late lunch spot, but by the time we got there we were still full from our previous snacks. Rose Bakery is a British-themed cafe opened by a Franco-British couple. They're known for their quiches, salads, and baked goods, all of which are sourced from local and organic farms. We picked up an aubergine (aka eggplant) quiche and lemon polenta cake to save for dinner.

Sunday in Paris, Part 1

Comme à Lisbonne: Freshly baked pasteis de nata

I've been wanting to recap and share some of our Paris highlights but I've been stuck on how to best organize all the information and eats we had. Do I share our daily walking tours or compare similar food items we had throughout the trip? I may end up doing a bit of both, but for now I will share about what we did our first Sunday in Paris.

On Sunday, the majority of shops, grocery markets, and restaurants are closed in Paris. This may be unwelcome news for those visiting Paris for only a few days. Thankfully, a few neighborhoods remain open including the lively Le Marais district, which spreads across the 3rd and 4th arrondissements on the Right Bank of the Seine River. You'll still find some shops closed here, but the majority of them will be open catering to the crowds of locals and tourists. It was neat walking around the narrow streets, seeing locals walking their dogs or pushing baby strollers.

A quick disclaimer before we start: my main interests when I travel are eating and walking. I don't mind walking instead of taking the metro and I often walk so I can eat more. It's a happy balance.

Poke bar @ Bay Area Costco

Poke spotted at Costco in California!!

Imagine my surprise as I walked into a Bay Area Costco this week and saw a poke bar!  Usually found only in Hawaii, they carried all the same varieties of wasabi, shoyu, and spicy ahi poke - albeit at slightly higher prices.  The Costco employee didn't know if it would be a permanent counter but said it was there for at least this week.  Maybe they are doing a test run to see if it's popular enough to keep around.  I had to try it, even if just for the novelty of seeing the poke bar in California.  I got the Wasabi Poke at $17.99/lb and it was good but could have had a stronger wasabi flavor.  There was a 1/2 lb minimum purchase so I ended up eating all of it for lunch since I had other errands afterwards.  Given the warm weather lately it wouldn't have made it home anyway, right? ;)

As an avid Costco lover, one of the highlights of my trip to Hawaii a few years ago was visiting Costco.  We love visiting Costco when we travel, even within California, just to see the different, local products they may carry.  We've found beer from local breweries, new snacks, and even different food court items.  In Hawaii, one locally made product we tried was a tray of fresh mochi with different flavors ranging from green tea to blueberry to peanut better and jelly.  The mochi was so soft and pillowy!

Costco Hawaii, 2010: Poke bar and fresh mochi

The other notable Costco item was the poke bar - different varieties of freshly made poke sold by weight. Poke is a raw seafood salad typically made with tuna sashimi marinated with things like soy sauce, sesame seeds, furikake, and wasabi.  It's a common appetizer found throughout Hawaii and something I wouldn't mind eating as a main meal mixed with some salad greens.

Has anyone else seen poke at their local Costco lately?
UPDATE:  Flown in from Oahu weekly. Available Tuesday-Sunday.
UPDATE 2: See more Costco locations where Hawaiian poke has been spotted!

Spotted at:
Costco Almaden
5301 Almaden Expy
San Jose, CA 95118

Reportedly at the following Bay Area locations as well:

Costco Redwood City

2300 Middlefield Rd

Redwood City, CA 94063

Costco Downtown San Francisco
450 10th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103

Costco Concord

2400 Monument Blvd
Concord, CA 94520

New York City Eats

Central Park in NYC (Spring 2010, I forgot to take a picture this time!)

Last fall we were in New York City for my good friend's wedding. We stayed a few extra days to see some sights eat and it was certainly worthwhile. We had all the old favorites: Levain Bakery cookies, Shake Shack burgers, Sugar Sweet Sunshine banana pudding, Halal cart chicken and rice, Joe's Shanghai dumplings, Del Posto lunch, and Momofuku pork buns. We also hit up some new spots we hadn't been to before: Marea, Tabata Ramen, Yuji Ramen, Motorino Pizza, wd-50, Mamoun's Falafel, A.B. Biagi gelato, and Domnique Ansel bakery.

Hello, again!

I've unintentionally taken a hiatus from this blog for nearly a year now.  A lot has happened in that past year, but in all honesty it has been pure laziness and distraction that has kept me from new posts.  Life distracts me somewhere between cooking, snapping pictures, transferring pictures to the computer, and coming up with something interesting to write.  Some highlights from the past year:

• Job searching.  Since moving to the Bay Area a little over a year ago I have been searching for a new job.  It's been quite an emotional and mental roller coaster, often overflowing into other areas of my life.
• Becoming a homeowner!  The process towards our new condo was horrendous but we are extremely grateful for our new place.
• Taking far too much time to paint our dining table and chairs.
• Discovering how much I love the Showtunes station on Pandora.
• Taking new food adventures around the Bay Area.
• Visiting NYC for a high school friend's wedding and food.
• Visiting SoCal over Christmas time and eating our fill in Las Vegas, LA, OC, and SD.
• Spending 9 glorious days in Paris!  Yes, it was all you'd expect it to be - simply amazing and full of deliciously baked breads and stinky cheeses. 

I'll elaborate on some of these highlights in future posts, but for now I leave you with some favorite memories from the past year. 

Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken @ Bouchon - Beverly Hills, CA

After hearing so many great things about Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc Buttermilk Fried Chicken, I was ecstatic to learn that the Beverly Hills Bouchon occasional served a Fried Chicken dinner.  With much planning and anticipation, we finally made it out there one 3-day weekend to try it.  The Fried Chicken dinner to-go even came in a white cardboard bucket, reminiscent of another common fried chicken joint.  

At $36/person, each order contained three pieces of fried chicken, a NY cheddar biscuit and gravy, mac and cheese, and fresh corn salad.  We picked up our bucket and ate at the tables in the adjacent park.  

The chicken was truly one of the best fried chickens I've ever had.  The buttermilk coating was crisp and flaky.  Both white and dark meat pieces were incredibly moist and full of flavor from brining.  The biscuits were buttery and soft, complete with a slightly crisp exterior shell.  There were salty cheddar bits sprinkled throughout the biscuit.  

I really enjoyed the fried strips of thyme mixed into our bucket contents.  The mashed potato and corn salad sides were also delicious and we gobbled it up before I was able to get a picture.  I would definitely come back again to have this as a treat.  The restaurant was nice but I think I preferred our method of getting a to-go bucket and enjoying it outdoors in the park.  Don't forget to visit the Bouchon bakery for some macarons for dessert! 

The special Ad Hoc Fried Chicken dinner is only available on select Monday nights.  Check Bouchon's events webpage for upcoming dates.

Bouchon

235 N Canon Drive

Beverly Hills, CA 90210

(310) 271-9910

Peter's Gourmade Grill - new location!

Many of you will remember this amazing burger I raved about in my first post on Peter's Gourmade Grill.  Since then, Peter's has grown in popularity and long ago graduated from their first location and moved up the street to a new establishment.  Although still small, the new place does have indoor seating and the food is still cooked to order and delicious.  I miss the charm and novelty of its original gas station location, but it's good to see them grow.  Orders sometimes take a while to prepare so I suggest texting in your order.  

Peter's Gourmade Grill
14311 Newport Ave, Suite A
Tustin, CA 92780

Mochi Egg Custard Tart @ 85C Bakery Cafe - Irvine, CA

Those from Southern California are probably well acquainted with 85C Bakery Cafe, a Taiwanese bakery chain known for its sea salt coffee, countless varieties of fresh bread, and unending long lines and crowds.  I live 5 minutes away from the bakery yet almost never go unless it's with out-of-town visitors.  The bread is indeed delicious, but the crowds keep me away.  This past weekend, some friends brought over a dozen mochi egg custard tarts fresh out of the oven.  They even called ahead to ensure they'd get a fresh tray.  I've had egg tarts from 85C plenty of times, but never had I had one that was so fresh that it was still warm when I received it.  The crust was flaky and crisp, its sweetness fully evident.  The egg custard was warm and the layer of mochi on the bottom of the tart was soft and chewy.  The ones I've had before always had limp crusts lacking that sweet crisp and a mochi layer that was more tough and stiff.  What a difference!  This certainly renewed my desire for 85C Bakery pastries.  :)

85C Bakery Cafe
Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center
2700 Alton Pkwy, Ste 123
Irvine, CA 92606

Snow Princess Dessert House - Hacienda Heights, CA

Shaved snow may just well be the next dessert craze to hit Southern California, following the spread of frozen yogurt a few years ago.  I first had it in Taiwan, where its unique texture captured my interests.  Fruit juice or other flavors are typically mixed with condensed milk and then frozen into a block of ice.  Upon ordering, the ice block is shaved by a special machine that produces ribbons of flavored milk ice.  It's light yet creamy, melting like snowflakes on your tongue.

The shaved snow at Snow Princess uses fresh fruit and no dairy.  It was certainly flavorful but I prefer the sweet creaminess from places that use condensed milk in their snow (like Class 302).    

--- Food/Drinks ---

The snow is probably the most unique part about this dessert house - it has a soft ribboned look that ends up creamy and melty in your mouth. All of the snow flavors I tried were good including lychee, green apple, strawberry and yogurt.  Portion size is a plus.  The orders were piled about 6-8 inches high with the toppings decorating the bottom edges.  Definitely enough to be shared between two people.

I didn't think the toppings were very good.  Fresh fruit would've been a big plus.  The popping boba is a little on the sweet side making chewing a little strange.  I think the primary purpose of the rainbow jelly is for adding color, I didn't think it added very much to the snow in terms of taste.

---  Service ---

Average service.  There is a $3 per person minimum when sitting down.  This means that if splitting a snow dish three ways, you'll be asked to order fries or something else.  Typically I would expect this minimum from a super busy place, but since the place was nearly empty, I would've liked them to be a little more lenient in this area.

--- Environment ---

I visited with friends on a Saturday night, it was very empty.  The tables, chairs and room decorations were appealing and colorful, typical of what you might expect from a shaved ice cafe.

--- Parking---

Located within a plaza, the nearby stores and restaurants can be very popular requiring a short walk from your car.  Parking spaces are on the smaller end but other no problems finding parking.

The Playground - Santa Ana, CA

The food truck craze has come a long way.  Being first a fan of The Lime Truck, we were excited to hear that chef Jason Quinn started his own B&M restaurant.  Complete with daily changing menus using fresh ingredients of the season, the restaurant has garnered many rave reviews and now we can finally contribute to that. 

-- Food ---

The Playground Burger - This burger was not on the menu but ask your server and he/she will know.  After the first bite I immediately knew - this is one of the best burgers I've ever had. The patty is medium to medium-rare, extremely tender with an incredibly rich and juicy meat flavor.  Mustard by itself is not something I have typically seen in my recent burger adventures, but in my opinion I thought the mustard sauce paired very well with the burger.   This burger is a must have if it's your first time.

Dragon Roasted Broccoli - A roasted broccoli dish that wasn't very interesting. I would pass on re-ordering this dish next time.

Roasted Sunchokes - Sliced sunchokes browned in olive oil and a unique blend of seasonings.  It's not bad. 

Modernist Fried "Brick" 1/2 Jidori Chicken with San Marzano Tomato & Peas - Although the dish is listed as a half chicken, it is not your typical rotisserie sized "half-chicken" - it's a lot smaller.  The plate holds about three pieces of chicken with a rolled blend of white and dark meats together.  The chicken is amazing and the skin is wonderfully crispy.  The chicken and the off-menu burger were the standout favorites for me. 

---  Service ---

The service was prompt and friendly.  Our server's recommendation for the half brick chicken was spot-on.  I also really like restaurants that leave the carafe water bottle at the table to serve ourselves.  When we emptied the bottle, another bottle was placed on our table - like.  

On the menu they list a "Fun Fact".  A 3% gratuity is added to all food orders to thank the chefs who work hard in cooking and preparing the food.  Not too bad, but also not really that "fun" for the customer.

--- Environment ---

The red painted walls, eccentric paintings and art pieces give a unique feel to the place.  The large board of beer and wide selection of beer taps behind the bar is also a plus.  No TV's for watching sports, just a pretty cool open seating area to hang out and enjoy your food.

--- Parking---

Metered parking wasn't a problem for Saturday dinner around 5pm.  One quarter will give you 20 minutes in the meter..  There seems to also be some free street parking in the back streets behind the restaurant.

The Iron Press - Costa Mesa, CA

Recently opened at the OC Mix Mart, we stopped by the Iron Press last weekend to check it out.  We really enjoy the waffle sandwiches at Bruxie and wondered how these measured up.  Overall, my wife prefers the waffles at Bruxie for their light, fluffy texture.  The waffles here didn't have any standout flavors on their own, but the meat choices were pretty good, especially the Bratwurst that's locally sourced from Mattern Sausages & Meats.  The Iron Press also has 30 local beers on tap and the counter-style seating makes for a casual and social setting.  

--- Food/Drinks ---

Fried Chicken Waffle - Not bad.  I haven't been a huge fan of fried chicken and waffles, but overall a tasty dish.  The jalapeno maple syrup tasted a little watered down - I would've liked it to be a little thicker.  

Bratwurst Waffle (Hot Link) - Wow, I liked this one a lot.  The Mattern brat had a nice little kick to it.  Paired with the onions and the mustard, this was my favorite compared to the fried chicken. 

Waffle Fries (garlic and parmesan tossed) - The texture and the crunch were very good.  The garlic and parmesan cheese were just okay - nothing special and not really worth the extra $1.50.

The waffles are okay, I wasn't able to spot anything particularly unique about it.  The condiments come in a very tiny metal sauce container.  Despite being served in such a small container, the sauces that came with the waffles and fries were only half full!  The small container also made dipping your food difficult.  It seems they might have been running short on sauce that day or they just didn't take the time to fill it up all the way - dislike. 

---  Service --- 

Came to eat with a few friends during lunch.  Apparently we had come at a very busy time.  It took over 30 minutes to get our food after ordering.  There was a couple nearby that sat down after us and got so angry about the wait time that they stormed out of the restaurant before the food was served. 

The waitress that took our order was pleasant and accommodating.  The owner came by and chatted with us afterwards - nice guy.  He apologized for the wait on our orders and made up for it before we left - extra star for the service. 

--- Environment --- 

Very cool layout.  Sitting at the bar and watching the staff cook the food is very fun to watch.  Although I'm sure working in the open kitchen must be pretty stressful knowing that almost everyone in the restaurant is watching you. 

--- Parking--- 

Located on the edge of the OC Mix Mart, parking is plentiful and very close to the restaurant.  No problems finding parking during lunch on the weekends.

Umami Burger - Costa Mesa, CA

This past weekend marked the beginning of Umami Burger's venture into Orange County. It's long-awaited arrival was met with mediocre opening day lines as a short 10 minute wait was enough to get us in at 1pm. The food did not disappoint!


Umami Burger - First bite caused the the whole burger to drip with a wonderful medium cooked beef juice. The unique parmesan cheese crisp added a textural crunch but its flavor remained subtle compared to the overall sweetness of the shitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, and roasted tomato Bun cam with a seared Umami logo across the top, buttered, and perfectly toasted. Definitely recommended.

Tempura Onion Rings - Salty with a good batter taste. A little on the oily side.



Truffled Beet Salad - Strong truffle flavor and delicious. Beets were sweet, ricotta cheese added heft, and the arugula spiciness paired well with it all.  Comes on a small roughly 5x8 rectangular plate.

Truffle Cheese Skinny Fries - If you love truffle, this is a great side to order. Cheese melted on top and deliciously salty. Eat quickly as the melted cheese causes the fries to lose their crunchiness.

Service was attentive and prompt for opening day. Finding parking in the small parking lot of The Camp actually proved to be the greatest challenge of the day and I expect this to be the norm especially during peak hours.

Ramen Yamadaya - Costa Mesa, CA

Ramen Yamadaya, with their original stores in LA, recently opened their first Orange County shop in the Costa Mesa area.  Known for their 20-hour tonkotsu ramen, Yamadaya may prove to be some good competition for surrounding ramen spots like Santouka, Kohryu and Mentatsu.  Tonkotsu broth is made from boiling pork bones for many hours and then simmering for many more hours to draw out its deep, rich flavor.  Indeed, the broth itself has a milky color and you can see the small clusters of marrow that result from such a long cooking process.

 

I ordered the Tonkotsu Kotteri ramen, which comes with an extra "fatty" dose of the broth and fragrant black garlic oil.  The broth was incredibly flavorful and clusters of fatty goodness clung to the spoon after each sip.  The ramen included the typical soft-boiled egg, slices of chasu, bamboo strips, and green onions.  The black garlic oil was good but even better was asking for fresh garlic cloves.  Several peeled garlic cloves came on a small plate together with a garlic press for us to put directly into our soups.  We could put as much garlic as we liked to our hearts' content!  We ordered a combo meal to try out some of the sides.

The chicken karage was nicely seasoned and the dark meat was incredibly juicy and tender.  The croquette bowl came with two potato croquettes over white rice, topped with katsu sauce, Japanese mayo and bonito flakes.  The combination of flavors reminded me of okonomiyaki and we devoured it all.  This is definitely a spot to add into our ramen rotation.

Pistachio bread pudding @ Cafe Chloe, San Diego

Pistachio bread pudding

After our pre-lunch stop at Tacos El Gordo, we went to Cafe Chloe in downtown San Diego for a late lunch.  Cafe Chloe is a small French wine bar and cafe.  The European decor, wall-length windows and open doors leading to the sidewalk patio seating really reminded me of a cafe in Paris.  Even at 2pm this place was still bustling with patrons, some having a late lunch like us and others chatting it up with glasses of wine.  Cafe Chloe serves up an afternoon "urban tea" in addition to breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.  Menu items that caught my interest included the savory custard, dungeness crab cake tartine, brie and herb omelette, and croque madame.  Mimosas scattered the tables and certainly seemed like a hit item, especially since the cafe offers four varieties - pomegranate, orange, lavender-lemon and asian pear sorbet mimosas.  We ordered 3 dishes and a dessert to share family-style: steak and frites, poached eggs, whole wheat pancakes and pistachio bread pudding.  The bread pudding was definitely the star of the meal and it was actually the first item that we devoured when all the food came out.  Topped with espresso caramel and vanilla ice cream, the bread pudding was moist and dotted with texture from the pistachios.  We had a corner slice so the top edges were nicely caramelized with a slight crunch.  The caramel sauce had a hint of espresso and was not overly sweet.  The vanilla ice cream (possibly homemade?) paired well with the warm bread pudding in texture, temperature and taste.  

Steak and frites
Poached eggs
Whole wheat pancakes

The steak and frites came out with a good portion of medium-rare cooked flank steak atop a mound of frites with a small side salad.  The steak was very well-seasoned and seared, especially flavorful with the pat of port butter served on top.  The poached eggs came atop a slice of french bread with wild mushrooms and sage-truffle beurre blanc, served with a small salad and asparagus spears .  The eggs were poached perfectly and the wild mushrooms were fresh and delicious.  The whole wheat pancakes were covered with tart cherry syrup and served with applewood smoked bacon.  The bacon was cooked to a nice crispness.  The pancakes were tasty, but on the thinner side and we should have asked for the syrup on the side.  The pancakes in the middle of the plate were soaked in syrup yet there wasn't enough syrup to spread to the outer portions of the plate.  All of our orders were good but the pistachio bread pudding was the most memorable.  I'll be having more of that dessert to accompany some mimosas next time. :)

Cafe Chloe

721 Ninth Ave #1

San Diego, CA 92101