SD Dish of the Month

[DiningDiva]

How many people on this board are interested in doing having a SD "dish of the month" feature. I've participated in the one going on over on the Home Cooking board (they're doing gratins this month) and I know the SF board does one (theirs is tamales this month).

It works like this...every month we nominate and then vote on dishes that we want to try at various restaurants around town and select one. Then we post back where we ate the dish of the month, how it was, and so forth. I'm proposing that we start with January 2013, and I'll even volunteer to be the OP putting up the thread and counting the responses. We've got threads on best place for soup, donuts and cinnamon rolls, so why not pick a dish and focus on it for a month and then move on.

Interested? Yea? Nay? Who care?

[koreansoup]

O

[koreansoup]

I'll play -)

[youareabunny]

Me too, but ill hafto do veggie versions. ;)

[Beach Chick]

Craving the shrimp with walnuts that they have a Chinese restaurants..can we have that as one of the dishes of the month?
Where does this home girl go to get some of that sublime heaven sent goodness?

[ipsedixit]

Are we talking honey walnut shrimp?

In SD, I would suggest China Max.

[Beach Chick]

Yes!!!
Did I leave out the honey...thanks sista!

Shouldn't you be monitoring the PHX board..hee hee

[ipsedixit]

Shouldn't you be monitoring the PHX board..hee hee
_______________________

I only have graveyard shift on weekends ...

[Beach Chick]

Guess I have the weekday shifts..
; )

Have a wonderful holiday with your family Ipsy!!

[ipsedixit]

Right back at ya!

[RhonelyInsanediego]

Best version I've had anywhere of the walnut shrimp was at Rendezvous. Ordered this entree as an app for a table of 5 and everyone loved it.

Had China Fun's version of it two nites ago and it was almost edible. Fair at best.

[RhonelyInsanediego]

I'm totally on board with DD for Jan next year!

Still, I really, really like Dave MP's choice for December, as Tamales are a Latin American traditional holiday food and this is the time of year when so many are available. I especially adore the Central American versions wrapped in banana leaves.

My current favorite is from Antojitos Colombianos Restaurant. But, alas they only have them 1 or 2 times a month (call to inquire). Even so, everything at this place is seriously good.

El Salvadoreno also has some seriously great tamales. My favorite are the Tamal en Hoja de Plantano (chick, beef, or pork tamal wrapped in a banana leaf), but the more typical Tamales al Gusto are wonderful as well.

Where are your favorite versions of the beloved tamal?

[lovesfood11]

Peking's honey walnut shrimp is succulent

[Beach Chick]

must have right now

[Rodzilla]

let's revive CGfans list of favorites as well, I've been having trouble locating it.

The thread that linked to the google document.

[Beach Chick]

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/880659

[Rodzilla]

Hmm, seems to have been deleted.

[Beach Chick]

My bad..asked mods to delete thinking I copy and pasted the link..
Here it is Rodzilla..

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?k...

[DiningDiva]

I, too, think Honkman's suggestion that we do an ingredient of the month, rather than just a dish, might be an ideal variation to fit this board. That would at least ensure that we avoid the all shortribs, all the time syndrome we seem to have locally. Plus it would give us the latitude to explore a multitude of different genres with on ingredient.

And, as DaveMP posted, this isn't necessarily about finding the "best of" but more an exercise in discovering the breadth and depth of what's out there. That might mean the dreaded East County or an expedition to the North County, and someone might even get brave and take a hit for the team and find out what the Gaslamp offers for the chosen ingredient.

Having participated in the dish of the month on the Home Cooking board - which is more about cooking it than eating it at a restaurant - I can tell you it's fun, interesting and educational, particularly to see how many different way the dish is interpreted. Here's a link to the current thread over there - http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/880021

We're a little insular here with a pretty narrow focus. There's got to be more to San Diego dining than Cafe Chloe, Point Loma Seafood, Cowboy Star or Super Sergios. The only way to find out is to eat out.

[Tcat619]

This is my first time on chowhound. I love the idea and me and my wife would participate. How do I follow?

[ipsedixit]

Welcome!

You "follow" by reading the SD board (like you've already done) and by participating in the thread .. if one is every started for a dish / ingredient of the month.

[wrldtrvl]

+1--great idea. Ingredient of the month, as mentioned earlier, also is a good one.

[phee]

Count me in.

[Dave MP]

Glad to see that there is interest in this, and I think it's definitely worth a try. Thanks DiningDiva for volunteering to help organize...I can coordinate with you about this (and will email you about that in the next few days)

The main point of Dish of the Month is to go out and try the dish....not just report on past experiences. And I agree with DiningDiva that the point of this shouldn't necessarily be going for the tried and true....but rather, doing a sampling of never-tried versions of dishes.

There's a taqueria around the corner from my house that I often go to....I usually get tacos or burritos. This month, tamales are the Dish of the Month in SF, so I think I'll probably try a tamal there this month, and see how it is! Depending on what dish is chosen, people might not really need to change their habits to participate. But that said, the point of the project is to inspire people to go out and try something new...which will hopefully uncover some great new finds. I'm very excited about this expanding to San Diego, or anywhere else where people are game!

Dave MP

[master815k]

Im in!!

[melee]

Great idea! Might be good motivation to try new places or new dishes at old standbys.

[bizzwriter]

I'm in.

[Lynnester]

Count me in

[Dagney]

I am DEFINITELY in. I got a 5 dollar bill says Fake Name nominates CAB at Super Sergios for the first go around.

[eatemup]

+1....worth a try.

[ipsedixit]

In theory I think it's a good idea.

But more often than not, at least on the LA board, the dish of the month thread degenerates into a rehash of places that people have already been -- instead of a current, blow-by-blow account of dishes that people are sampling, real-time.

[DiningDiva]

I agree with your assessment. Comparatively speaking, this is really a fairly small board with a small number of regular posters. I was kind of hoping this kind of topic might generate some participation from some less frequent posters.

It not about find the "best of" genre, but of the places we're eating that have the dish of the month on the menu. It doesn't have to be the "best" rendition of it, in fact, I would kind of hope that it wouldn't be.

I don't know about the rest of you but I'm getting tired of reading the same litney of places over and over, and yes, I'm just as guilty of it as anyone else. I thought this idea might be a way to generate some discussion of new, or less frequently posted about places.

[ipsedixit]

I think a dish of the month topic is innately hard to do.

People, whether they admit it or not, are sort of creatures of habit. They have their regular routines, which includes places or things that they eat.

It takes quite a bit to get someone to break their routine just to try a Chowhound "Dish of the Month" topic, especially between work, family, kids, etc.

And this doesn't even include all the people who are "trying to eat out less".

Which is why most of these posts degenerate into a "Restaurant X has great [dish of the month]. It's really good every time that I've been ..."

But who knows.

[cstr]

I agree, it's quite a task to go beyond your 'bubble of comfort'. That being said, if it included a 'hood and a cuisine, i.e. trying several places on Convoy for a particular dish might be interesting.

[honkman]

Since we are relative small board perhaps instead of having the best dish of the month we could broaden at a bit by having an ingredient of the month, e.g. interesting dishes with pork belly, brussel sprouts or rutabaga etc. It would give us a more "space" to discuss.

[Beach Chick]

I like Honkman's idea...gives more flexibility.

[cstr]

That would be good, expecially in your case where you problably wouldn't be tasting pork belly and meats etc. You might get shut out from most of the action.

[Beach Chick]

Exactly brother sledge...
'You might get shut out from most of the action.' Maybe that's the goal..
I could do the Soy/Tofu variety.
; )

[Fake Name]

Oh.

I can hardly wait for that soy/tofu.

Whee.

[Beach Chick]

That is why we love you Fakey!
; )

[TeeBeeinSD]

Speaking as a longtime lurked, very infrequent poster, I think this would be a great way to participate more. Not to mention that it helps gives me better focus for my "go explore SD food" crawls.

[karaethon]

+1

[foodiechick]

+1

[Beach Chick]

+1 that foodiechica is posting before 9am!!

; )

[Fake Name]

Sounds like fun.