San Diego, California - Project Pie

At work today, a co-worker asked me if I wanted to go to Project Pie.  I'd never heard of it.  If you haven't heard of it, and you like pizza, read on...

Project Pie is located in the Hillcrest neighborhood.  There are no shortage of great places to eat in Hillcrest, so if you want to stay in business, you need to stand out.  As for what makes this place unique, think pizza at Chipotle.  Well, not exactly, but take the Chipotle model of personalizing your own item, and that's Project Pie.  It's essentially a (not-too-thin) thin-crust pizza that you design yourself.  But, before I get ahead of myself, here's a look inside:

 I didn't take a picture of the entire inside, but there are plenty of tables to sit at, and the walls are decorated with humorous and inspirational quotes.  Enough about the décor, let's talk about the food.

Project Pie offers 2 options:  1) ordering a pizza off the menu, or 2) building your own.  A basic cheese pizza is $6.00, and anything else is $7.50.  The pizza is 12".

So, you order your pizza, and fresh dough is stretched out.  Then the staff starts loading up on the toppings.  Extra pepperoni?  No problem.  Just a little pineapple?  You got it.  as much - or as little - of any topping(s) as you want for $7.50.  You could get mushrooms only, or one with every topping on the menu (and there are many), and the price is still $7.50...

After you've got everything you want on it, two minutes in the brick oven, and you're good to go.  Here's mine (pepperoni, meatball, and sausage - the #2):

 

 

I thought it was excellent!  The crust wasn't cracker-thin, and it was chewy on the inside.  It was also a little black on the bottom, since this is an actual pizza oven, fire and all.  It's cut into four giant slices.  I'd say depending on how hungry you are, you could probably split one with someone, and fill up.  If you're starving, be selfish, and order one for yourself...

 

I'm also happy to say the soda machine (with free refills) offered Boylan's natural cane sodas.  I haven't had Boylan's since I lived on the east coast.  It seems to be a regional favorite in the New York / New Jersey areas.  The cola, birch beer, and grape sodas are my recommendations.  Soda and pizza set me back $9.00.

Finally, I ordered a dessert pizza ($4.50) with nutella and banana to take back to the office.  I gave most of it away to co-workers, but the half-slice I had was good.  Basically, it was a chewy crepe.  My only complaint was that I wish they'd put a little more nutella on it.  I guess I could have asked for it, and would next time.  Peanut butter was also an option, as was cinnamon and sugar...   

In conclusion, I really enjoyed it, and the prices are great!  Try this place now!

San Diego, California - Hodad's and Hungry Lu's

For my first post, I thought I'd talk about a few places local to me.  I live in Ocean Beach, a funky hippie neighborhood right by the ocean (and beach) in San Diego.  If you're interested in getting here, just take 8 West all the way to end, and you'll come out at Sunset Cliffs Boulevard.  The main street is Newport, and it offers lots of shops, and restaurants, and people-watching that could easily keep you entertained all afternoon.  You might think you've traveled back in time to 1973, and, in a way, you have.  There's a very long pier where you don't need a permit to fish.  It offers spectacular views of sunsets almost every evening...

Okay, let's talk food: one of the better known places here is Hodad's.  Known for their burgers, plan to wait in line, especially if you come on a weekend. 

 

The décor is pure "surfer dude / stoner", with license plates covering the walls, and surfboards for tables.  If you're lucky, you can eat in the vintage VW Bus.  Prices are very reasonable, staff is friendly, and the portions are big.  

 

A "regular" burger is 1/3 lb.  It comes with ketchup, mustard, mayo, and lots of fresh pickle, tomatoes, onion and lettuce.  If I had to compare taste of the burger to something, I'd say it's a bigger, fatter version of In-N-Out (if you're not in the mood for a big burger, order a mini - it's the size of your typical fast food burger).  One of their specialties is the Guido burger, topped with pastrami, pickles, grilled onions, and brown mustard.  I like it.  The double bacon cheeseburger could easily kill two men and a boy...

 

The fries are thick wedges, covered in a seasoning.  They remind me of the wedges served at KFC, and honestly, I'm not a big fan.  However, if you like fat, greasy, breaded onion rings (like me!), this is the place!  You can try fries and onion rings by ordering "Frings".  A half-order is plenty for two (or three) people to share... 

 

But the real hidden gems here are the milkshakes.  All the usual suspects are available: Chocolate, Vanilla and Strawberry.  We're talking huge, overflowing milkshakes, served in the mixing tin, with a scoop (yes, a scoop!) of ice cream on the edge of the tin!  This is where good milkshakes go when they die.  Here's a little secret - if you ask your server all nice-like, you can get any combination of the three flavors.  I'm a Neapolitan kinda guy, myself...

So, for a great burger and milkshake (and contact high), check out Hodad's in Ocean Beach. 

Now, onto Hungry Lu's

Being from the Midwest, growing up in a predominantly Italian neighborhood, and spending a few years on the East Coast, I've grown up with an appreciation for a good sub sandwich.  Ham, turkey, and provolone on a french roll - with some mayo, onion, and lettuce?  Yes, please!  Or, maybe a classic Italian sub?  Requesting permission to come aboard, Captain!

Except...this is California.  Now, don't get me wrong, I love it out here.  Good weather, nice people, etc., etc.  But, finding a good sub sandwich is as easy as finding a winning Powerball ticket.  When I first moved here, I asked a neighbor where the best sub sandwich was.  His answer:  Subway.  Let me repeat that:  Sub. Way (ugh).  Just the name makes me shudder.  That doesn't even count as a sub shop.  It's more of a chemical factory.  I haven't eaten at a Subway (ugh) in years.  I gave up on it because, no matter what you order, every sandwich tastes the same.  Is this a meatball or a cold-cut combo?  Who knows?  Maybe neither...

Then, I found Hungry Lu's on Voltaire Street, not far from Lucy's Tavern.  This is a family-owned sub shop and bakery, with a great offering of Italian pastries and cookies. 

Sandwiches range from $5.00 to $6.50, and are the real deal. Fresh meats and cheeses are stuffed in a freshly-baked roll.  The club (ham and turkey and bacon) and meatball subs are my favorites so far.  Here's my mom enjoying one of their sandwiches; and mom wouldn't lie:

They also serve mini pizza's for $5.00.  I'm such a fan of the sandwiches, I haven't had the courage to try a pizza, but they look great.  Actually, I'm lying.  My girlfriend ordered an "O.B. Special" - ham and pineapple, with a spicy relish on top of the pizza sauce, with a side of ranch for dipping.  After one bite, I considered eating her meal and mine, but decided that would be a selfish decision.  Seriously though, I would definitely order it.

So, back to the cookies and pastries.  Let's say you hate sub sandwiches (meaning you're an un-American commie jerk).  No problem.  Come here and try the cookies.  Especially the handmade cannoli, and the half-dipped-in-chocolate-butter cookie thing.  They will figuratively change your life. 

The owner is a very friendly guy.  He'll often give you a cookie (or two) for free while you're waiting for your sandwich. You know what my favorite kind of cookie is?  A free cookie...

Anyways, that's it for my first blog.  Thanks for reading, and leave a comment! 

More to follow soon...

Welcome to Roadtrips and Restaurants!

Hi!  I'm Michael - just your average 34 year-old guy who enjoys traveling and trying new places to eat on the weekends.  I grew up in the Midwest (near Cleveland, Ohio), spent 7 years living in the Washington, D.C. area, and, as of 2 1/2 years ago, relocated to beautiful, sunny San Diego, California. 

Although I spend my week working at a desk, during the weekend, I travel to find fun, interesting sites, and unique, hole-in-the-wall places to eat.  If all goes as planned, the blog will be a combination of places I've visited - including photos, things I've done, and some of the places I've eaten.  I'm looking forward to your comments and feedback!  Thanks for reading...