By Frank Sabatini Jr.
Surprise food bags for cheap
The global app “Too Good to Go” is gaining steam in a number of U.S. cities and counties, including San Diego. The system connects businesses that have surpluses of food with everyday consumers who are willing to show up at the businesses shortly before they close for the day to pick up the sweet or savory goods they ordered. What awaits are packages of food, often listed on the app as “surprise bags,” that are sold at around one-third of their average retail prices – if not cheaper.
Too Good To Go’s mission is to reduce food waste while helping restaurants, cafes and bakeries make a little pocket money on their day’s leftover foods that would otherwise get tossed into the garbage. Only foods that haven’t passed their use by date can be sold over the app.
Since the concept was introduced to San Diego last year, a number of well-known kitchens have jumped on board. They include Mr. Moto Pizza, The Cravory, Manolo Farmers Market in National City, Hob Nob Hill, California Fish Grill, the lesbian-owned Sugalab Sweets, and many more. Most of the surprise bags we perused on the app start as low as $3.99.
Alan Skla of De Lux Farms in Clairemont is among the growing list of sellers taking part. The company is a distributor of international coffee, hot sauces and snack foods.
“When we import products in abundance, we now sell them off through the app,” he said. “Italian coffee, for example, which is priced at Whole Foods for $14.95 per tin, might go for only $5.99 for two tins through Too Good To Go.”
All transactions are made over the app, which continually updates the businesses that are selling their overstock on the current and following days. toogoodtogo.com.
Tapas heaven
Not since the closing of Tapas Picasso in Hillcrest some years ago, have we gotten this excited about a similar Spanish-style concept that just hit the San Diego food scene.
Finca Tapas & Bottle Shop in North Park is the brainchild of Juniper & Ivy alums Dan Valerino and Joe Bower. The duo, along with restaurateur Ricardo Dondisch, present a tapas-centric menu sprinkled with modern California twists — but without veering too far off the classic art of crafting a wide variety of delectable small plates.
Spanish and California wines set the stage for such tapas as smoked trout with egg, avocado, bacon and English muffin; roasted cauliflower with miso cream; bone marrow on sourdough with red pepper jelly; and a jazzy version of patatas bravo with jalapeno crema and roasted garlic.
The 90-seat restaurant greets with a warm industrial feel. It lends to an open kitchen, a curvy bar, well-spaced table seating, and a bottle shop where customers will find organic and biodynamic wines.
The restaurant is open seven days a week for dinner only. 3066 North Park Way, 619-202-3564, finca.wine.
Did you know …
… that it has been nearly 40 years since Special Delivery founder, Ruth Henricks, took over The Huddle in Mission Hills? That kind of staying power equates to a century in restaurant mortality.
Today, the modest family-run restaurant is still going strong with popular dishes such as Denver omelets, pork chops with eggs, and “Del Mar Fair” cinnamon rolls, in case you can’t wait for the early-summer event.
“Our menu has hardly changed over the years,” said Henricks’ son Daniel, who works at the restaurant.
His parents purchased the business in 1986 from his aunt. Although the building operated as a diner under various owners since the late 1950s, it dates back to the 1920s when it was a small ice cream shop.
In 1991, Henricks launched Special Delivery in The Huddle’s adjoining space. The nonprofit food pantry and meal-delivery service started as a way to feed AIDS patients and continues functioning to help nourish those living with severe illnesses. Few may know that Henricks has established lasting partnerships with generous food donors such as Trader Joe’s in Hillcrest and Lazy Acres in Mission Hills. 4023 Goldfinch St., 619-291-5950.
Late-night cookies
San Diego’s third location of Insomniac Cookies is coming soon to the North Park address that formerly housed Delifruits.
Locally, the Philadelphia-based bakery chain has kitchens in The Gaslamp Quarter (542 Fifth Ave.) and Pacific Beach (1007 Garnet Ave.).
The company is known for delivering warm cookies and house-made ice cream sandwiches to households as late as 3 a.m. on certain days of the week. It also accommodates walk-in customers starting at around noon.
Popular sellers from the cookie menu include chocolate chunk, oatmeal raisin, vegan birthday cake, and gluten-free chocolate chip. There are also “cookie cakes” made in six and 10-inch sizes and crafted for various occasions. 3066 University Ave., 619-816-1232, insomniacookies.com.
The Shawarma Guys land in La Mesa
What started out as a wildly successful food truck in South Park that was featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, has materialized into a La Mesa brick-and-mortar eatery where Australian Wagyu beef rules the day.
The top-rated Shawarma Guys uses the luxurious meat in plates, wraps and atop fries. It is the only Middle Eastern-style kitchen in San Diego that features Wagyu in all of its beef dishes. The menu also extends to chicken and vegan shawarma, plus falafel, dolma, Iraqi salad and more.
Since its expansion into East County, the “guys” plan on opening yet another location later this year in Mira Mesa at 9690 Reagan Rd, #103. Their La Mesa shop is located at 5525 Jackson Drive, #B. 619-825-5150, theshawarmaguys.com.
Fast food oddity
The Colonel is pushing the envelope again. First it was KFC’s cholesterol bad boy called the “double down,” which featured bacon, cheese and special sauce tucked between two fried chicken filets. That creation has since flown the coop after enjoying sporadic success around the world.
Now it’s the “chizza,” a hybrid of pizza and chicken Parmesan that debuted at most U.S. outlets on Feb. 26. The creation uses a pair of KFC’s extra-crispy filets and slathers them with marinara sauce, melted mozzarella cheese and sliced pepperoni. It was first introduced in the Philippines in 2015 and has appeared semi-regularly on KFC menus in Mexico, Germany, Thailand and India.
Served in a miniature, insulated pizza box, the “chizza” sells for $9.99, or $12.99 with fries and a drink. The company says it will be available for a limited time only, at least through the month of March. kfc.com.
–Frank Sabatini Jr. has been writing about food in San Diego for over 35 years. He launched his own food blog during the pandemic, called, “The Hash Star,” which you can follow at thehashstar.com. He can be reached at [email protected].
Something that resembles pizza at KFC (Instagram)
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