Making Pigs of Ourselves in Oceanside

 Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen

509 Mission Ave. 

Oceanside, CA 92054

Yes, it was that time again. Katie has turned another year older, which means that we made the trek down the 5 Freeway to the Carlsbad Outlets to get her a new Coach purse. It also means I get to choose a restaurant in the surrounding area. This year I disregarded my restaurant wishlist and instead went to Yelp to see what was one of the most loved restaurants in the area. I barely had to scroll before I found exactly what I was looking for, Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen. 

Flying Pig checked all of my boxes when judging a restaurant's popularity on Yelp. They have over 2000 reviews and possess a four-and-a-half-star rating. I could not make a reservation because I was unsure when Katie would be done shopping, so we chanced it that we'd be able to snag a table on a recent Saturday night at 7pm. We had luck as we were seated right away at the table closest to the front door. 

Opened for business in 2011, Flying Pig moved to their current location on Mission Avenue two years ago. Things must be going good for them because they are in the process of taking over the neighboring storefront, turning it into a wine shop and tasting room. This current location features a ten-seat L-shaped bar to the right of the entrance, exposed redwood beams add height to the ceiling, and even though the dining space is long and narrow, the tables are spaced just enough so you do not appear to be right on top of other tables. 

The compact one-page dinner menu will not overwhelm you with too many choices. It's broken up into starters and salads, of which there were fourteen options when we visited in late April. There were eight entrees to go along with the four sides. From what I can gather online, their menu changes with the season, but some items are mainstays. Starters hover around the $15 price point, while entrees range between $25 to $35, with only the steak listed as market-priced. Now that you have the lay of the land, let's see what we pigged out on here. 

Brussels sprouts have gone from being a vegetable that most people despised as kids to gracing almost every trendy menu in southern California. Most restaurants add a balsamic reduction, some parmesan cheese, and maybe a pecan or two and call it a day. The Brussels starter ($16) at Flying Pig was a breath of fresh air. This visually appealing dish came with chunks of blue cheese, cranberries, and tasso ham tossed in a garlic dressing. The blue cheese woke up what has become a very predictable dish. I also was a big fan of the contrast between the garlic dressing and the tartness of the cranberries. I expected more from the ham, but this was still a solid start to our meal. 

The Mac N Cheese ($17) also looked beautiful on our table. The menu lists this as made up of mornay sauce, bacon, and provolone as the lone cheese listed. The skillet was scalding hot, and I enjoyed that they used orecchiette pasta, which has a better surface area for the cheese to cling to, rather than macaroni. The mornay sauce was good, while the provolone was too mellow. I hoped the promised bacon would help, but our skillet seemed devoid of bacon, or maybe Katie had it all on the side she was eating from. Rude.  

Katie had her eye on two items at Flying Pig, the salmon and what she eventually went with, the House Bolognese ($26). From what I can gather, this is prepared differently daily based on the chef's whim. This evening, the handmade pappardelle included a tinge of lemon, giving this a unique twist. The bolognese was meaty and flavorful, and adding the Fried Egg ($2) tied everything together wonderfully. Katie has called this one of her top meals of the year so far. 

I have been in the mood for a steak for some time now, and after enduring the outlets for an hour and a half, I felt I deserved to pamper myself with The Steak ($49) at Flying Pig. This is another of the chef's whims based on the day. On this Saturday evening, it was a 14-ounce ribeye that was offered. The steak was topped with what I assumed to be enoki mushrooms, and I felt pretty neutral about the dark brown sauce topping the meat. The steak was cooked to my preferred preference of medium rare and was just tender enough. It was not as good as what you'd get in a high-end steak house, but if you are in the mood for a steak when eating here, you will be satisfied with the ribeye if it's available when you visit. The mashed potatoes were buttery, but I wish they were a little more solid in texture. The spring veggies rounded out the plate nicely. 

Desserts, like the pasta and steak we had earlier, are rotated based on what's available. We had three options this evening, but I was most intrigued by the Apple Fritters ($12). The sliced apples were fried in a batter and then dusted with powdered sugar and a small drizzle of maple syrup. This was a miss for me, as I expected more of what you'd find in your local donut shop. This was less sweet than I had wanted, as the apple underneath the fried batter was too tart, and there needed to be more sugar and syrup to balance things out. It was creative, but not something that I'd try again. 

We have come down this way to celebrate Katie's birthday for the last ten years, meaning we have eaten at least ten times in this area. I'd rank Flying Pig in the upper echelon of restaurants we've been to in Oceanside/Carlsbad. Only That Boy Good BBQ is better, but unfortunately, they closed last month, making this place number one in my book. We received warm and friendly service on this busy Saturday night, and everyone working here is very proud of what they got going here. Please be aware that Flying Pig appears to have a seasonal menu, so these items might not be available when you visit. It'll be hard to pass this spot by the next time we are down this way next year for Katie's birthday. 

Out of five frogs (because one of the most iconic pigs of all time is Miss Piggy from The Muppet Show, and she definitely had a thing for the head muppet Kermit the Frog), five being best to zero being worst, Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen gets 3.5 frogs. 

For more information, head to the Flying Pig website by clicking here: https://flyingpig.pub/

Hoping Felix’s Will Provide Some Righty-O BBQ

 Felix's BBQ With Soul

3613 Ocean Ranch Blvd. 

Oceanside, CA 92056

If you are new to the blog or just like to look at the pictures of the places we eat, you might not know I'm a bit of a reader. I should qualify that statement. I'm really into audiobooks, which is different from reading, but it makes me sound more intelligent than I actually am. Not wanting to add another subscription service, I decided to get all of my audiobooks from public libraries. 

I've obtained library cards from OC and LA, San Diego, and other local libraries to increase my ability to get books. I signed up online for a temporary card from the Carlsbad Library during the pandemic. Now that the pandemic is behind us, they wanted people to come in and apply for a permanent card. This would also be an excellent opportunity to try one of the restaurants on my restaurant wishlist in the area. That's how I came to visit Felix's BBQ with Soul. 

Felix's caught my attention because they have an inspiring four-and-a-half rating on Yelp with over 2,400 reviews. This firmly cements them in the upper echelon of places to eat in Oceanside, and now that fellow barbecue restaurant, That Boy Good has announced that they are closing at the end of this month, it just might make them the number one destination for barbecue in Oceanside. At least, I was hoping that would be the case. 

After getting my library card, I drove about ten minutes to Felix's in Oceanside. This was the first of their locations opened 15 years ago. Since then, Felix Berry has opened three more spots in Lake Elsinore, Carlsbad, and San Marcos. Felix worked in a bbq restaurant in his teen years in Alabama before college. After completing his schooling, he opened other businesses, but a barbecue restaurant was always on his mind. So he decided to move forward with his dream of providing quality barbecue with a dash of southern charm to the people of North San Diego County. 

Not merely just a barbecue restaurant, Felix's southern roots are well represented on his extensive menu. Along with bbq meats, fried green tomatoes, gumbo, hush puppies, fried okra, chitlins, oxtails, and catfish are featured prominently here. Stuff that you only see on a few menus in Southern California. I had studied the menu before I had left home, so when I arrived at Felix's, I quickly ordered at the counter. Within ten minutes, I was handed my bag and was on my way back home with the aroma of barbecue wafting from my backseat. 

As soon as I saw the first item on the menu, I knew what I'd be having. As is my custom when eating anywhere for the first time, and since I pay for almost all of my meals, I veer towards getting combo plates if they are available. This BBQ Sampler ($35) allows you to try 4 types of meat and four sides and is meant to feed 2 easily. There are 14 kinds of protein to choose from and 20 sides to narrow down to 4 selections. 

I went with Pulled Pork, Brisket, Baby Back Ribs, and Beef Ribs for my meats. It's between both of the ribs for my favorite of the four. The baby backs had a good amount of meat, and the pork underneath was tender and flavorful. The beef rib also had plenty of meat and pulled away nicely from the bone. The pulled pork, for the most part, was delicious, but I did have a bite or two that were a little on the dry side. The brisket was not for me. Not awful, but not something I'd order here again. It was very lean and tough. It would have been better if it had had a ribbon of fat running through it. Next time I'd substitute the catfish or tri-tip for the brisket. 

I selected Mac and Cheese, Red Beans and Rice, Potato Salad, and Baked Beans for my four sides. Undoubtedly, the Mac and Cheese was the clear winner this afternoon. It's made with five cheeses and baked, so the cheese clings nicely to each piece of macaroni. An excellent flavor; I had a hard time saving some of this for Katie to try when she got home from work. Do not miss it. The red beans and rice were another hit. The kidney beans absorbed a great deal of flavor, and even though the rice got lost here, I enjoyed the slight spiciness included in each forkful. The potato salad tasted freshly made and reminded me of the version that my mom used to make. It had a mustard tinge to it, and the potatoes were tender. I also enjoyed that each bite had a different textural element to it. Nicely done. The clunker of the bunch was the baked beans. It was too watery, and even though the menu claims that these are made with real bacon, it was impossible to taste because of the abundance of liquid in our portion. 

Felix's offers Lunch Box Specials every day until 4pm. There are nine different ones to choose from, including french fries and coleslaw as sides, but you can substitute sides for anywhere between fifty cents to a dollar fifty. I went with the Hot Link Sandwich Lunch Box ($12 plus .50 cents for subbing the fries for Collard Greens). The sandwich did not look like much, but it was made much better when I added the provided barbecue sauce. The sausage had a lovely kick of spice, and the casing was very snappy. The coleslaw was fresh, and they added plenty of their sweet and tangy dressing to the shredded carrots and cabbage. The collard greens were traditional and tasted hearty, with some lovely bursts of garlic. I also received two individual-sized pieces of cornbread, which had a bit of sweetness to them, but I'm not the world's biggest cornbread fan, so I saved the other one for Katie. 

Based on this visit to Felix's, there were a few slight misses for me, but nothing that would prevent me from visiting again when in the area. I really enjoyed all the meat I had, except for the brisket. The sides were delicious, and I still can't get that fantastic mac and cheese out of my head. Overall the food here is better than most barbecue restaurants, and the value for the money is also better than other barbecue joints. With such an extensive and varied menu, I'd like to explore more of their southern specialties. Their customer service was good, as they had my food out to me in less than ten minutes, and it was wrapped up nicely for my 45-minute drive back home. It was a very good day off. I added another library card to my collection and had some delicious barbecue for lunch and dinner. 

Out of five bags of tricks (because when I was a little kid, I used to watch Felix the Cat, and he possessed a satchel that could be transformed into anything he wanted), five being best to zero being worst, Felix's BBQ With Soul gets 3.5 bags of tricks. 

For more information about Felix's BBQ with Soul, head to their website by clicking here: https://www.felixsbbq.com/

The Tradition Continues With a Visit to Local Tap House and Kitchen

 Local Tap House and Kitchen

308 South Coast Highway

Oceanside, CA 92054

It's nice getting back into the traditions that we missed in the last year. Katie and I have the custom of heading down to the outlets in Carlsbad so she can get a new purse at one of the high-end stores. No, I'm not partial to shopping, but it does give me a chance to pick a restaurant to eat at in an area that we normally would not get to. After some very careful research, I selected Local Tap House and Kitchen in Oceanside for our post-shopping meal.  

Local Tap House gets a lot of love online. Their Yelp rating is very impressive, with four and a half stars, and over 2000 reviews. There's also plenty of mentions in the local press. Their website touts their executive chef as Daniel Pundik, but he opened a new barbecue restaurant in Fallbrook last year, so I think he is transitioning out of Local Tap House. Nevertheless, when we arrived here at half-past five on a Saturday evening, we were faced with a forty-five-minute wait for a table underneath their heated tent located in their parking lot.  

As we waited for our table we cozied up to the bar, which seemed like a unique experience since we have not been able to sit and watch bartenders work for the last 14 months. It was quite a show watching our very friendly bartender making some pretty labor-intensive cocktails and pouring one of the 30 local beers available on a rotating basis. She deftly filled drink orders, all the while answering numerous questions from other patrons about the beers available on this evening. 

When our table was ready, we turned our attention to their food menu, which is broken down into starters, salads, sandwiches, more substantial plates, and a trio of desserts. Entrees go for $20 plus, while sandwiches hover around the $15 price point, which does not seem that bad for this neighborhood. Let's see what came out for Katie's birthday dinner. 

Katie and I were pretty hungry, so we both picked a starter, to begin with, to try to suppress our hunger. She went with the Mexican Street Corn Empanadas ($13). These golden pockets were filled with chicken,  roasted poblano peppers, kernels of corn, and served with a mixture of mayo queso Blanco, and lime. This was executed well, but these were too mellow for my tastes. I kept expecting a bigger burst of flavor that never came. Some extra sauce or a spicier salsa verde might have helped this out a bit. 

My pick was the WTF Short Rib Fries ($17.50) and they were more to my liking. The fries were placed on top of smoked gouda gravy and the shredded short rib, then this was topped with a fried egg, grated cheddar cheese, cotija cheese, and some green onions. This had plenty of short ribs on the bottom of the plate and was very good when I got everything in one forkful. The longer this stayed around though, the soggier that the fries got. I eventually found myself just picking around the fries to eat the tasty meat. 

The birthday girl was torn between a few items at Local Tap House but eventually went with the Beef Stroganoff ($20). This is one of the most unique versions of this comfort food classic that I've seen. No creamy sauce, instead, relying on a small drizzle of sour cream topping this. The plentiful short rib and pappardelle were joined on the plate by some tomatoes, mushrooms, a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, and a couple of handfuls of arugula. Katie loved this quirky version with its house-made pasta and the contrast between the bitter arugula and the rich meat and brown sauce. She could not finish this, as it had way more meat than she was expecting. 

I didn't realize it until we ordered, but three of our four items we got featured short rib. Sorry for the lack of diversity on this evening, I'll blame the cooler weather on this evening that necessitated the need for comfort food. Anyways, this Short Rib French Dip ($17 plus $3 upcharge for the Caesar Salad option) came with horseradish cream, swiss cheese, crispy onions, and au jus for dipping. This sandwich fell flat in my opinion. Some of the meat was dry in parts, and since they did not give me enough au jus, I was kind of stuck with muddling through some of the drier parts of the sandwich. A little more of the horseradish cream could have also helped to wake things up a bit here. The three-dollar upcharge for the Caesar was totally worth it. The greens were dressed perfectly with the nicely flavored Caesar dressing, and the parmesan and the crispy onions added even more flavor. 

When I left Local Tap House I was a little disappointed. The food was not terrible, it was definitely even a little better than average. It's just that I had it in my head that it was going to be spectacular, based on what I read about them online. In other words, it did not live up to the hype I had set in my mind before even walking in, which is on me, not them. I might have gotten the wrong entree, or we should have gotten a little more variety instead of just getting items with short ribs. With that being said the service was pretty stellar on this visit, from the bar staff while we were waiting for our table, to our sever who took great care of us throughout our stay. The vibe at Local Tap House was one of good times, which was exactly what we wanted as we restarted the tradition of heading south for Katie's birthday. 

Out of five volleyballs, (because some scenes from the 80's movie Top Gun were filmed in Oceanside, and one of the most iconic scenes in that movie is when they were playing beach volleyball), five being best to zero being worst, Local Tap House and Kitchen gets 3 volleyballs. 

For more information about Local Tap House and Kitchen, head to their website here: https://www.localtaphouse.com/

That Boy Not Only Good, He's Great - CLOSED

That Boy Good

326 Horne St. 

Oceanside, CA 92054

It's that time again when we go south to get Katie a new Coach purse for her birthday at the Outlets in Carlsbad. It's no secret that I do not like shopping at the outlets down here. I usually go into the jam-packed Coach store for about five minutes, soon grow bored, and wait outside for Katie to finish getting her discounted purse. So, my favorite part of the day is, of course, picking somewhere to eat. I narrowed our choices to six restaurants this year and finally decided on That Boy Good BBQ.

Leaving Carlsbad, I punched That Boy Good into Google Maps, and it led us to this newer of the two T..B.G. locations, which was fine because I had heard that parking at their original location on PCH can be a little bit challenging, especially on weekends like this one. This location, situated on the corner of Horne and Civic Center, has an oversized lot and is closer to the freeway. This is their walk-up counter and catering center and space, which they share with Northern Pine Brewing Company.

That Boy Good is owned by a husband and wife team. Chef Mark Millwood is a Navy veteran who lived all over the world growing up, including Mississippi, where he acquired his love of southern cooking, which would later become the basis for this restaurant. In 2008, while both were working in Colorado, Mark met his future bride while they opened a five-star resort in Vail. Together, they finally settled in Oceanside, had a son, and opened their first spot nearly six years ago. This second location opened just over half a year ago. I've heard this spot is a great alternative when there's a long wait at the one on PCH.

We arrived just before 5 Sunday evening and walked to the register to order. The menu will not overwhelm you with choices. They offer six kinds of smoked meats, seven different sides, and then a couple of what I'd call hybrid specials that combine both their sides and meats. Prices are not extreme, and I've seen more wallet-draining prices at other barbecue restaurants. We quickly made our selections and sat at one of their unoccupied communal tables that filled the rather ample space. Let's see if this is indeed the best barbecue in these parts.

Here's a brief overview of what we got at That Boy Good. Yes, we went overboard, but I was still determining when I'd be back and wanted to try most of their menu. So mission accomplished. Let's take a look at all of this food in more detail.

Let's start things off with what Katie ordered this early evening. She's a big fan of deviled eggs, so the Deviled Egg of the Day ($3.50) was a must. On this day, the deviled egg was a barbecue chicken egg. It was topped with a jalapeno, some barbecue sauce, and a chicken and egg mousse pipped into the hollowed egg shell. Katie said they nailed this. There was definitely a barbecue chicken feel to these, and she would not hesitate to get them again. For her entree, she went with the Smoked Pulled Pork Sandwich ($9.25). The hefty pork on this sandwich was moist but not mushy, which is a tricky balance. The bun was structurally sound and nicely toasted. If you like extra meat, you can add it to the sandwich for an additional $3, but there was plenty on here for Katie's taste. One of the better-pulled pork sandwiches Katie has had in a while. With the sandwich, you get a choice of one small side item, and Katie selected the Corn on the Cob, which was grilled over the same wood they use to smoke their meats, and as a result, it infused a smokiness into the ear of the corn to elevate this side a bit. She was delighted with everything she had here on this visit.

When I saw that they offered a BBQ Combo Plate ($27), I knew I'd be having that. Whenever I'm eating at a new place for the first time, my strategy is to get the most variety on one plate, and this was definitely the best option at That Boy Good. It comes with Half a Rack of Pork Ribs, Pulled Pork, and Chopped Beef Brisket. They give you at least half a pound of meat for each, but that's a conservative guess. The portion sizes are enormous. The best of the meats was the brisket, which I will ask for sliced instead of chopped next time. This moist and tender brisket included a good meat mixture, a small fat, and crispy end pieces. It's one of the best I have had since a trip to Bludso's many years ago. The pulled pork was another winner. Just like Katie's sandwich, it was moist without being too mushy. The ribs completed the trifecta of excellent meats. Plenty of delicious pork on each bone. It pulled gently away from the bone with minimal effort. I liked that they did not mask the authentic flavor of the meat with lots of smoke flavoring, and they allowed each customer to add their desired sauce to each option, not that you even need sauce for barbecue this good. The sides were on point as well. The Collard Greens are the real deal here and do not need to be gussied up with bits of meat like many other places have to resort to. The Mac and Cheese is another subtle side item that works. Not over the top cheesy, it clings to the well-cooked noodles wonderfully and provides a nice mellow flavor, making this one of the lightest versions of this sometimes too heavy for its own good side dish. The only thing I was not so excited about was the Cornbread. It had a good texture, but I like a sweeter version. However, Katie loved this, and I was happy she took it off my hands.

To round out our meal at That Boy Good, we got these Dirty Fries with Beef Hot Links ($11). These are basically cheese fries with your choice of meat on top of them. I was surprised that they put four hot links on top of these, but they do not skimp on the serving sizes at That Boy Good. The fries were fried nicely, and I'm not usually a big fan of cheese sauce, but it was good here. The beef links were excellent, with a nice snap to the casings, but it would have been easier to eat if they were sliced in more manageable bite-sized pieces. Next time, I'm getting these fries with brisket on them.

As I walked out of That Boy Good with my three to-go containers filled with food I would cherish eating for the next two days, I had a sense of dread spread over me, thinking about next year's visit to the Carlsbad Outlets. Part of the only reason I like coming down here is the chance to pick and try a restaurant we usually would not get a chance to try, and it will now be hard to pass by here and not come to That Boy Good. But, of course, the other reason I like coming down here is to make Katie happy with a gift she deserves for putting up with me. Just had to make sure I got that in. Back to this visit, though. That Boy Good is one of the best barbecue restaurants in Southern California and one of the best we have been to recently. The value for the money is excellent as the servings are good-sized, and you will have leftovers for the next day. Service at this casual counter restaurant was cordial, and the vibe was very mellow. 

Out of five bicycles (because Oceanside is the starting point for the 3,000-mile bike race, Race Across America), five being best to zero being worst, That Boy Good BBQ gets 4 bicycles.

For more information about That Boy Good, head over to their website here: https://www.thatboygoodbbq.com/

Meeting an Old Friend at 333 Pacific

333 Pacific

333 North Pacific Street

Oceanside, CA 92054

Katie and I have a tradition of going down to the Carlsbad Outlets around her birthday and getting her a new purse at Coach. I like this tradition for two reasons. One is that they give you a coupon when you walk in the store for half off your entire purchase, and that saves us a bunch of money. The second reason I like coming down here is because it gives us a chance to try a new restaurant, in an area we don't make to that often. Since my parents were going to be joining us, I knew exactly where I wanted to eat down here, 333 Pacific.

It was not just because I have heard good things about this restaurant, which I have, but because I had the chance to surprise my parents with someone from their past. When we were growing up in Yorba Linda, we were very close to the neighbors down the street, but they moved in the late 80's. I reconnected with Andrea, the youngest member of their household on Facebook a few years ago, and knew that she worked at 333 as a bartender. I also knew that she worked on Sunday afternoons, which just so happened to be when we were going to be in the area.

My surprise worked like a charm. After the initial shock, the long overdue hugs, and the catching up, I knew we could finally get down to the business of eating, which I was pretty excited to do after an hour and a half of shopping. 333 Pacific is part of the Cohn Restaurant Group which has quite the presence in the San Diego area. They operate 19 different restaurants in San Diego County, along with one in Long Beach and another in picturesque Maui.

333 Pacific was pretty picturesque itself. Located steps away from the famous Oceanside Pier, this was our first visit to Oceanside, and with the beautiful weather, and all the restaurants around, it probably won't be our last. Parking was a little tricky on this beautiful spring day, but persistence paid off, and we found a spot not far from 333 Pacific, which takes up residence on the bottom floor of the Wyndham Oceanside Pier Resort.

Being this close to the coastline, of course, the menu here is seafood driven, but there are other things for people who are not into fish. We never ventured farther inside the restaurant than the small bar area at the front of the restaurant, but checking out the pictures from online, 333 has a great patio, with an awesome view of the pier and the passing traffic on Pacific Street. Let's see how everything turned out for us on this afternoon of surprises.

Since I was with my parents a drink was definitely in order. Kidding of course, maybe. The bar at 333 Pacific is kind of a vodka-centric bar. Okay, this is an understatement. They have a massive amount of vodkas to choose from. A quick, unofficial count online gave me the tally of 110 different varieties of vodka to choose from. Most impressive. Also impressive is that it's always vodka happy hour in the lounge, with $8 vodka drinks all the time. I took advantage of this by getting the 333 Mule ($8). I really liked this mule, which utilizes Svedka vodka, ginger beer, and a fresh squeeze of lime. Very refreshing, but on my next visit I might ask for a variation on the type of vodka used. Maybe the Hanson Habanero vodka for a bit of spice.

I guess my parents were not as hungry as Katie and me, as they decided to split this Big Kid's Grilled Cheese ($15). For this one, they use local bread purveyor Bread and Cie's, bacon bread, and sandwich it with fontina, PointReyess blue cheese, white cheddar, a basil aioli, bacon, and tomato.  I was a little surprised that my mom wanted to try this, as she's not really a fan of blue cheese, but she liked it well enough to have a few bites, and then turn the rest of the sandwich over to my dad, who really enjoyed this upscale grilled cheese. I snagged a bite and really loved the contrast between the crunchy bread and the creamy inside. This also came with a charred tomato bisque which I did not get a chance to try.

When Katie inquired about what kind of fish was the fresh catch of the day, and Andrea replied that it was salmon, that's all it took for Katie to order it. This Griddled Fresh Catch ($31) came with a nice piece of perfectly cooked salmon perched on top of a chilled quinoa salad and a muted lemon vinaigrette dressing, marinated tomatoes, and arugula. Katie devoured this in record time. She felt this was cooked well and the salmon was very fresh, without a fishy taste. The flavor of the salmon and the quinoa salad worked well together here. I thought the serving size of this was a little sparse for a dish over $30, but Katie loved the quality of it.

Even though we were steps from the sand, I didn't get any fish. After reading the description of this Bacon Wagyu Baja Burger ($19) I did not really want to try anything else. This burger had my name written all over it. It starts with a half pound of beef and is then joined on the very solid Bread and Cie brioche bun with an ancho aioli, crispy onions, guacamole, bacon, and is then finished off with a sunny side up egg. I might have had too high of hopes for this burger. It was fine but did not knock my socks off. The beef was overcooked, and the rest of the items on this burger kind of got overshadowed by the very runny egg. The bacon and guacamole did not really stand out and that's a shame because those are two of my favorite things to have on a burger. The house cut fries that came with this were very solid, and the crispy ones were among some of the best I have had recently.

Dessert would close us out at 333 Pacific, and we decided to splurge and try two of their seven dessert selections. I picked the Sweet Corn Brulee ($10) just for the novelty of it. This Brulee had a different flavor profile than the usual vanilla creme brulee that can be found on menus all over. The sweetness was muted a bit, and the smoked salt added a depth to this dessert. The candied jalapenos topping this were a little out of place here, and not really needed. Since I'm a big Reese's fan, I also had to try the Peanut Butter Bombe ($10). This bombe used a chocolate cookie crust and was filled with a peanut butter mousse that was served with slices of bruleed bananas. The peanut butter mousse was too dense in this, and the peanut butter flavor really needed to be heightened here. Not bad, but I'd probably not get this one again.

The food on this trip to 333 Pacific was good, but most items did not wow us. Yes, the fish dish was the exception, and since this is more a seafood-focused restaurant, fish might be the thing to get here, instead of the burger. Listening to locals at the bar, they were pretty keen on the happy hour here, which goes from 4 to 7 pm on most days, and offers $8 items which is great news for those of you wanting to avoid paying entree prices here, which hover around the $40 and up mark. A little steep, but understandable being this close to the beach. Service was, of course, superb, even though Andrea had a full bar at most times during our stay. She kept on top of everything, like the pro that she is. Glad my little surprise worked out so well, and I hope that it doesn't take us close to 30 years to see our great friend Andrea again. In fact, I know we will be seeing here sooner, rather than later.

Out of five floppy discs, (because State Route 333 in New York runs through the town Campbell, which happens to be the birthplace of IBM founder Thomas Watson, which was my first computer growing up), five being best to zero being worst, 333 Pacific gets 3 floppy discs.

For more information about 333 Pacific, head to their website here: https://www.cohnrestaurants.com/333pacific