Tony's Jacal

Whether Tony's Jacal (or Tony's as it is affectionately called by locals) serves some of the best Mexican food in North San Diego county is beside the point. Eating here mysteriously transports you to a time in the past.

Tony's is as much about the story as it is about the food.

Located in barrio La Colonia Eden Gardens in Solana Beach, just north of the Del Mar Fair Grounds and race track, off Stevens Street, in between Via de la Valle and Lomas Santa Fe Drive. You are welcomed to La Colonia Eden Gardens (one of the areas oldest neighborhoods in Solana Beach) by two rustic pilons telling you that you are entering the historic neighborhood where Mexican migrant workers settled in the 1920s to work the farms of their wealthy neighbors in Rancho Santa Fe. The side streets of La Colonia are named after the families who settled there like Castro, Hernandez, and Gonzalez.

Tony and Catalina Gonzalez opened Tony's Jacal in 1946, after World War II. There's a wall of portraits opposite the cashier illustrating generations of Gonzalezes, telling a story of family pride, while also showing how the close knit clan has worked together to keep the family business thriving, even though the Tony and Catalina are gone.

The ambiance at Tony's is a combination of Mexican nationalism and race track tributary, throwing in some historical elements about the hey days of Solana Beach tying the two together. It makes you imagine what it must have been like when Tony and Catalina were still around and the place was humming with betters, racing forms in hand, before heading off to the track liquored up on Mexican beer and tequila on a hot July afternoon. Because the family has kept things pretty much the same, your imagination doesn't have to work too hard. Tony's is still a pre-race track favorite spot.  

Tip: Don't miss the parakeets! The cages of birds twittering surrounding the bar add to the campy, tropical feel.

While Chili Rellenos are a house favorite, the turkey tacos are another very popular dish. Turkey is an available option in almost everything from tacos to tamales. Most platos (plates) and platillos (little plates) are prepared in the traditional manner served with traditional refried beans, rice, and tangy Mexican cabbage salad.

Menudo is on the menu everyday with a sauce so rich that it's more like a stew rather than a soup. With a side of Fresh tortillas, which are a key ingredient to any Mexican cooking (and Tony's tortillas taste like they've just come off the comal), and you've got the perfect Mexican meal to eat in a charming nostalgic  setting. An ice cold beer is the perfect compliment.

There are other Mexican restaurants on Valley Avenue that might say they serve better Mexican food, but in terms of atmosphere, historical significance, and family pride, no one can beat Tony's.
 
Tony's Jacal
621 Valley Ave.
Solana Beach, CA
858-755-2274
Closed Tuesdays
Open daily during racing season

Phil's BBQ

Question: Why do people stand in line to eat at Phil's BBQ?
Answer: Tasty BBQ.

The one thing you need to have in order to eat tasty BBQ at Phil's is patience. Unless you get there before they open, and even then, chances are high that you'll have to wait in line. So relax, get to know the person next to you, and enjoy this part of the Phil's experience.

Tip: If you can find a seat in the bar, you can order off the full menu and bypass the line.

Phil has been successfully cooking tasty BBQ in San Diego since 1998. His restaurant was originally located on Goldfinch Avenue in Mission Hills, where Lefty's Pizzeria (yes, the Lefty's from my previous blog post)second location is now. Due to overwhelming popularity, Phil needed more space. So he moved to his current location on Sports Arena Blvd. And the people came in droves, filling up the new, larger space, and still forming lines out the door from before the restaurant opens each day until it closes for award winning mesquite grilled ribs, chicken, and beef served with Phil's secret BBQ sauce.

While the sides Phil serves with his BBQ range from cole slaw and macaroni salad, baked beans, to batter dipped onion rings and french fries, some of his southern diners are asking for more traditional southern BBQ sides such as macaroni and cheese, corn bread, and mustard greens. But Phil comes from Ohio, not from the south. While his BBQ is very good, it is anything but traditional.

For example, Phil grills his meats rather than using a smoker. He's still able to impart that fall-off-the-bone tenderness by starting the cooking process in an oven and creating a high moisture environment that makes the meat super tender. He finishes the meat off on a grill with mesquite wood charcoal.

But don't look for that pink smoke ring around the meat because you won't find it at Phil's. His BBQ method is more like the backyard grill method. And maybe that's what makes him so popular with San Diegans. As home cooks, every backyard BBQer is trying to figure out Phil's secret and how they can replicate it because that is where Phil learned his BBQing skills: on a Weber Grill just like you have.

Whether you are from Ohio, Texas, or right here in San Diego, you won't argue that Phil's BBQ is damn tasty. Knowing that you're getting Yankee BBQ helps you understand his point of view. And knowing going in that you're going to have to wait makes the line out front not seem so bad.

Phil's BBQ
3750 Sports Arena Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92110

Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria

There's a sign on the window of Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria that warns you not to eat here if you're looking for chain pizza taste. "Lefty's in an independent, family owned and operated pizzeria". They strive to give you a little bit of Windy City, here, in America's Finest City. Do they deliver? Well, even if they don't literally deliver pizza, they come pretty close to replicating a deep dish Chicago style pizza that tastes pretty darn good. Their sauce is tomatoey fresh and their crust works very well for their thick crust pizzas. However, they also make a thin crust pizza and the crust comes out more like a cracker on this style of pizza. My recommendation is if you have to have a thin crust slice, run around the corner to Bronx Pizza which does a much better job with that style of crust.

Lefty's unusual pizza toppings selections set them apart from their competitors and run above the norm. They offer grilled chicken, grilled eggplant, fresh chopped tomato, pesto, giardiniera, and elephant garlic, just to name a few.

In addition to a deep dish pizza, Lefty's makes a stuffed pizza that they call "The mother of all pizzas". Requiring an hour to make, this two crusted monstrosity is a double crusted pie encased with any number of their delicious toppings from grilled chicken to giardiniera to more traditional toppings such as pepperoni baked within two pizza crusts with cheese and sauce, sort of like a giant calzone.

While pizza is Lefty's signature dish, they also offer other Windy City favorites such as the classic Chicago style hot dog served with all the traditional toppings you would expect like mustard, relish, chopped tomato, peppers, and onions, and celery salt. They serve it on the traditional poppy seed bun.  They have a Classic Italian Beef sandwich with roasted peppers that is tender, moist, served on a good roll that is perfectly crusty on the outside and tender on the inside making a delicious sandwich. They also serve a respectable meatball sandwich. Their fresh cut fries at $2 for a small a bag are a bargain. They come in a basket, rather than a bag. But hey, who cares!

Lefty's lives up to their claim that you won't get pizza chain taste when you dine at one of there restaurants. While it's not gourmet dining, their food is fresh and it shows that someone in the family is paying attention and cares about the quality of ingredients. While they don't do home delivery, you can phone ahead and order take-out.

 

There are two Lefty's locations to choose from.

 Mission Hills-4030 Goldfinch Street 619-299-4030

 North Park 3448 30th Street. 619-295-1720

Both locations are closed on Monday.

www.leftyspizza.com