Review of The Smoking Goat Restaurant + Swoon Dessert Bar

One of the things I look forward to the most whenever my in-laws are in town are date nights with Tuan. On Wednesday we decided to try something new and went to The Smoking Goat in North Park. The restaurant takes reservations but we didn't bother to make any since it was a Wednesday night. We arrived around 6:00 PM to take advantage of their Happy Hour menu and were seated promptly by the host. 

We sat on the patio since it was a nice day out and the dining room seemed really dark. It was nice to soak up the summer sun while enjoying a $4 glass of Malbec and an order of the baked brie. The artichoke and leeks really elevated the brie and made it special. I tried to be good about my carb intake but I couldn't stop myself from eating two slices of the toasted ciabatta.

[Baked Brie - artichoke and leeks cooked in wine with ciabatta $6 on the Happy Hour Menu]

A few minutes after we finished the brie, our waiter brought out my pork chop and Tuan's ribeye. What a feast for the eyes! Both dishes were beautifully seared and I snapped a couple of photos before we dove in. My pork chop was good not mind blowing. Maybe I don't really like pork chops? While looking the menu over, I was drawn to the chicken but hello it's date night. I eat chicken almost every single day. I wanted to eat something I normally don't eat. Result? I should have ordered the chicken. I will say that the tomato sauce the pork chop came with was delicious and really complimented the meal.

[Brined Pork Chop - 

fingerlings, Suzie's bush beans, smoky tomato sauce, preserved lemon chipotle butter $24]

Tuan's ribeye was very good but the duckfat fries were the star of the plate. The fries were extra crispy, topped with pecorino romano and served with a mustard aoili. So good. We are both french fry addicts and these were some of the most addicting fries we've had. Next time, we will probably just get a large order of the fries. I can eat those all day.

[Ribeye - duckfat truffle fries, little salad, herb butter, red wine sauce $30]

[My hot date. He's so patient about my picture taking. Haha]

After we finished our meals, we snuck a peek at the dessert menu but decided to skip on it since we were so close to Swoon. If you are near Swoon, you have Swoon. Sorry, Smoking Goat. I'm sure your desserts are just as good as your food but Swoon was calling us.

The Smoking Goat

3408 30th Street

San Diego, CA 92104

619-995-5295

Swoon is hands down my favorite dessert place in San Diego. The flavor combinations of their desserts are exciting and the portions are generous without being overwhelming (ahem Extraordinary Desserts). Tuan and I like have chef surprise us with the Chef's Choice 3-Course for $18. It's always a fun experience and we don't have to have the "So, what do you want to get?" discussion. Chef creates each dessert on the spot behind the dessert bar and they are delivered one at a time by the hostess. Each dessert we tried was delicious but my favorite this time around was the melon gazpacho. So refreshing! I can't wait to go back again.

[Galia Melon Gazpacho with plums, pickled grapes and carrot sorbet]

[Strawberry Ice Cream with charred strawberries, marshmallow fluff, fudge and graham cracker crumbs]

[Oven roasted Peach Ice Cream with summer berries, corn bread and black pepper honey]

Swoon Dessert Bar

3139 University Ave.

San Diego, CA

619-528-0875

Swoon needs a real website. Why does their website link point to a Facebook page?

Review of Station Tavern & Burgers

This weekend was the first in a while that we didn't have anything planned. No weddings, no birthdays, no holidays. Parker let us "sleep in" until 8 AM and we spent some time cleaning the house and doing chores. It felt really good not to have to be anywhere in particular. 

After a quick bang trim at Clip Art Salon in Kensington, we headed to South Park to have lunch at Station Tavern & Burgers. Ever been to a place that was so kid friendly that you felt weird being there without a kid? This is one of those places. The food is simple, kid friendly, reasonably priced and satisfying. They have an extensive bar menu. Almost everyone there has at least one child under the age of 5 at their table. There is a little play area with chalk boards and a little wooden train for the kids to play in. The outdoor dining area is shady and filled with long picnic tables (perfect for large groups). I failed to take good photos of the space but there are some good photos in the gallery on their website. But let's be real. We came for the tater tots. They are so crunchy and perfect with the chipotle mayo sauce. 

For those who are not familiar with the area, there are a few nice boutique shops to check out in the neighborhood after you've filled your bellies. 

Station Tavern & Burgers

2204 Fern St. 

San Diego, CA 92104

619-255-0657

http://stationtavern.com/

[Parker was hesitant at first about playing with the other kids. After a few minutes he was trailing behind a cute little girl trying to make friends.]

[My Yard Bird and Tuan's Sloppy Joe. That's right. When's the last time you had a sloppy joe?]

[Giant mound of delicious tater tots]

[After lunch we went home for naps and tickle time. I LOVE this photo.]

[Parker playing with Tuan's Beats by Dre headphones. What a cutie!]