Restaurant Review: C Level

 Located on the San Diego bay sits Island Prime and C Level restaurants.  C Level offers waterfront and outdoor dining during lunch and dinner. It is often packed so reservations are definitely recommended.  The lunch menu includes several offerings from land and sea and delicious cocktails that you won't want to miss. Starting with the Isle of Zen, Absolut citron, triple sec, ginger, lime, basil & mint. 

This drink is very refreshing. Try it with the Ahi, Crab and Avocado stack appetizer. 

Fresh crab, avocado, tomato, papaya-mango salsa on a sweet chili sauce and served with taro chips. Yummy! I prefer eating this sans taro chips while making sure I get a layer of each item on my fork. The flavors are so good together. 

The Pepita and Sesame Crusted Brie served with a jalapeno jelly, toasted bread and a green and apple salad. I was not a big fan of the crust on the brie but the brie was nice and oozing and tasted great on toast. 

The Lobster Mac & Cheese served with a green salad with candied walnuts left a little to be desired. While it was loaded with large chunks of Lobster I thought the sauce was a little on the runny side and not cheesy like a mac and cheese should be. It also lacked in flavor. A little salt & pepper would go a long way . 

The Lobster and Fontina BLT on a jalapeno cheddar sourdough and alongside some sherried lobster bisque for dipping.  I also thought the lobster in the sandwich could have used some seasoning. The lobster bisque was tasty, you can also order this in cup or bowl size. Something I would definitely do. 

If you are a salad eater my sister swears by the C Level Louie Salad, blue crab and rock shrimp on top butter lettuce, tomato, avocado, red onion, cucumber, egg and capers and a Thousand Island dressing. 

C Level is a nice place to enjoy the beautiful San Diego bay scenery. I would visit at night when the downtown lights light up the sky.  Remember if you visit in the evening it can get a little chilly next to the water so bring a coat. 

C Level

880 Harbor Island Dr. 

San Diego, CA 

Scallop Scampi

 

Was going to make Shrimp Scampi but located some bay scallops in my freezer...

Scallop Sampi

1 lb. Scallops

2 tbs. Butter

2 tbs. Olive oil

4 Garlic cloves, minced

1/2 C. White wine

3/4 tsp. Salt

Pepper, to taste

1 tsp. Dried parsley

Pinch of crushed red pepper

Juice from half a lemon

In a large skillet, melt butter with olive oil. Add garlic and cook for about a minute. Add wine, S&P, crushed red pepper and parsley and bring to a simmer. Let wine reduce for about 2 minutes. Add the scallops and sauté for about 4 minutes. Add lemon juice. Serve over white rice. 

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

 

Here is a breakfast casserole perfect for a lazy weekend. It would also make a nice brunch for guests served with some fresh fruit and a mimosa or two. 

Sausage Breakfast Casserole

1 16.oz pkg. of Jimmy Dead Hot Sausage

4 Green onions, sliced

2 cups of Half n Half

1 cup All purpose baking mix

4 Eggs

1 cup Mexican shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. While the oven is preheating crumble and cook sausage. Place cooked sausage in a greased casserole dish. Top with the onions and cheese. Beat eggs, half n half and baking mix together in a bowl with a whisk. Pour mixture over the sausage. Bake for 50 minutes until toothpick inserted in the middle of casserole comes out clean. 

Air Fried Salmon Belly

 I love my air fryer, I use it all the time. I purchased some salmon belly at a local Asian market the other day and decided to air fry it, because why not? It turned out delicious and not just because salmon belly is super yummy. The air fryer keeps the salmon moist on the inside and crisp on the outside, making for the perfect salmon. 

Air Fryer Salmon Belly

Marinade: 

1/4 Cup of soy sauce

2 Tbs. Honey

1 Tsp. Chili garlic sauce

2 Tbs. Rice Vinegar

I mixed all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and then placed the salmon belly in the bowl to marinate for about an hour. I preheat the air fryer at 390 degrees. Placed the salmon belly in a single layer and cooked for about 6 minutes. You may have to cook your salmon belly in batches since you don't want to crowd your fryer. I served these with rice, yum!

If you have never had salmon belly it is pretty unctuous as you would imagine. It is fatty and tender and tastes amazing. 

Restaurant Review: Be Good Restaurant & Experience

 Be Good Restaurant & Experience opened up in Temecula a little before the covid shutdown. When I first visited Be Good, they were not offering the "experiences" due to still following covid protocols. However, that was not stopping this restaurant from being one of the busier places in Old Town Temecula, mostly because of their word of mouth Margarita flights. 

The Margarita flight offers rotating flavors using house made sweet n sour, fruit purees and premium tequilas. I'm trying to remember what flavors were included in this flight but all I recall is the watermelon jalapeno one. They also offer an Old Fashion flight as well as a Michelada flight. The food is tasty but not anything amazing. It's good food to enjoy with a good cocktail, of which they also offer, Some of the food choices include:

their Roasted Brussel Sprouts served with a cilantro ranch, diablo sauce and Cotija mayo. Brussel sprouts are my favorite vegetable and these did not disappoint. 

They also offer a Rajas Fundido, melted mozzarella and Oaxaca cheese with roasted Poblano peppers and Chorizo crumble, served with garlic toast and tortilla chips. This was initially tasty, at least while the cheese was still hot and gooey. Once it started to cool off it became a congealed cheese mess. I wonder if the addition of cream to thin it down a bit would make the melty consistency last a little longer. Otherwise if you order this make sure to eat it quick! Yes, that is a different Margarita flight in the background, again the flavors have eluded me. 

You can also order the Diablo Cauliflower, roasted cauliflower florets tossed in a diablo sauce and served with celery and carrot sticks and your choice of blue cheese or ranch dressing. You know buffalo wings without the wings. These are actually pretty good. Or you can try their Grilled Caesar Salad with or without the addition of a protein. This one has carne asada on it. The salad has romaine lettuce that has been grilled to a slight char, Caesar dressing, Cotija cheese and and house made croutons. The grilled romaine was a little too warm and wilted for my liking but I did enjoy the char on it and the addition of the carne asada was a good choice. 

These are just a few examples of what you can find on the Be Good menu. They also offer a weekend brunch that I have yet to try. If you are looking for a fun place to socialize with friends this is your spot. They have also started offering their "experiences", which include things like  Bubble Dome Dining, Dine in the Dark and a Murder Mystery Dining Show to name a few. 

Be Good Restaurant and Experience 

28636 Old Town Front St. Unit #109

Temecula, CA

951-428-1537

Chacos!

 

I made tacos today. Cheesy delicious tacos! I call them Chacos...

These low carb tacos were so yummy and a big hit with everyone. If you are cutting back on carbs but are craving some crunchy tacos you have to make these. You will never miss another tortilla again.

So how do you make them? It takes a little patience but they are so worth the wait. Take a thin slice of sandwich sized cheddar cheese and place it in a non stick pan. Cook the cheese on medium low heat. It will start to bubble and turn brown along the edges. Make sure you monitor the temperature, you don't want it to get to high and burn your cheese. Once the cheese bubbling starts to slow down, about 3 to 5 minutes, take a spatula and attempt to pick it up. If it is ready it will slide easily onto your spatula. If it doesn't give it a minute or so. Next is the fun part...drape the semi firm cheese slice over a wooden rolling pan to harden and create a shell for your chaco toppings. Be sure and place the rolling pin on top of some paper towels or a plate to collect any oil from the melted cheese. We topped ours with ground beef, lettuce, olives, sour cream hot sauce and crispy jalapenos. Tell me these don't look good!

Loosemeat Cheeseburgers

 

Loosemeat Cheeseburgers

1 lb. Ground beef
1/4 Cup water
1 Package of dry onion soup mix
1/4 Cup Ketchup
1 tbs. Mustard
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Shredded Cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef, season with salt and pepper and then drain. Add water, onion soup mix, ketchup, mustard and garlic powder. Stir and simmer for a few minutes. Spoon loosemeat onto Kaiser rolls and top with cheese. If Chris were home he would also add a ton of pickles on it. Enjoy!