Killer

As I search for a parking spot on campus, I realized that there really isn't a universal sign to tell someone you're not leaving. While looking for a parking space, people who are leaving normally signal for someone to follow them. But the inverse is not true - there is not such an easy symbol. I normally do the quick hand across throat - kind of a throat slitting but with my fingers instead of my thumb - to let them know that I am not leaving. Perhaps if we start using the same sign, it will become the universal symbol. 

Last night Al invited me to tag along for the Taste of La Jolla. The admission ticket got us a 'taste' of a bunch of the venues in the La Jolla area. As I have never been to any venue in La Jolla, I was eager to see them all in one sitting (or walking) I understand that there are similar events in Little Italy as well as downtown. If those are as enjoyable as this one, then I recommend attending. My only complaint was that the time (2.5 hours) was really not long enough to get to over 20 venues. 

Review

The Cottage: This is where it started. Simple appetizers and wine for purchase. 

Extreme Pizza: Had several pizzas out for sampling. Pretty much what I expected from a pizza place. 

Zenbu: I have heard that their sushi is very good, but unfortunately when we arrived all they had was tuna - which I do not care for. 

Tapenade: My apologies to Jordon, but I was very disappointed in his place of employment. The venue looked beautiful but there was no one there. And we were quickly shuffled to a single employee scooping cups of soup. While the soup was good, I felt shafted on any authentic experience. 

Ja Jolla Brew House: They were greedy. They tried to participate in the Taste of La Jolla and still have the venue open for Cleveland Browns fans. While I could tell the Brew House would be enjoyable, I thought they overreached. 

Bull & Bear: This tiny bar and grille had appetizers and pasta ready for 'tasters.' The football game was on but the set up still provided for an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately the bar did not have much as far as draft beer. 

Azul La Jolla: I thought this set up felt a little forced - kind of like a food court. The mini-burgers looked gourmet and tasty, but of course they forgot to prepare any sans cheese. 

La Valencia: Winner of the night. Set-up, atmosphere and food were amazing. The line to get the amazing seafood paella was short while a nearby refreshment line was readily available. The atmosphere felt warm and the staff was friendly. This is what I would expect of such an event.

Gelateria Frizzante: The rumors had been that the owner was reminiscent of the soup Nazi on Seinfeld. And indeed he seemed to be concerned mostly with customers not touching the glass. Unfortunately the options of gelato were limited to six, and the staff seemed to only be interested in getting us in and out. 

Sushi on the Rocks: No one was even out to manage the samplings. 

Sweet Shoppe: Very friendly staff and let us sample all of the gelato. The gelato was much better than the Gelateria - or maybe because we had a choice in what flavor we wanted. The grab bag they handed out was mediocre, but I realize that they couldn't give out their best candy. 

Nine-Ten: With five minutes left, we were denied entrance to Nine-Ten, a previous employer of Jordon. Poor form. If you agree to participate in a fundraiser, don't cut the already short time even shorter. 

Cold Stone: Although not unique to La Jolla (or even California) I wanted to point out the exceptional service I received. The options of ice cream were limited to only one - oatmeal cookie batter. However, the single employee's hard work and attitude were a huge plus. I presume that someone probably called in sick because they knew they wouldn't receive many tips for all the work. 

Links of the Day:

The Future

Star Trek