we thought we would give the newly opened Encontro a try...
But first, THIS. It's some sort of vehicle called Social Cycle, a "16 passenger bicycle powered party on wheels". The riders are seated at the "bar" and can drink while they are pedaling the vehicle.
It was parked near a bar but we saw it later "in action".
So here is a photo from this past summer that depicts (in the distance), the old Heaven Sent Desserts, located on the southeast corner of University and 30th. At the time of this photo, they were in the process of taking down the signage and relocating to a smaller space a few doors down.
(photo from "Return to North Park Nursery and City Farmer's" August 2015)
Heaven Sent Desserts had a good ten year run at this location. I remember going here when they first opened. Since last summer, the space has been worked over and was reborn as a new eatery called Encontro (from the Spanish verb, 'encontrar', which means "to meet, find or discover").
(photo from "Anniversary Foodcrawl..." July 2014)
Here's what it looks like now. We wanted to check it out but were not planning on having a full dinner.
There is seating outside and inside, lots of booths and bar seating. You order at the counter and they bring the food and drinks out to you.
Aaaaand there it goes, that Social Cycle thing, off to their next destination, most likely another bar.
Menu
Our three items served in a cool tray with a panel for condiments.
Thai Sausage sandwich - Shrimp and Duroc pork on a French bread roll with sweet peppers, grilled onions and banana peppers; sweet potato fries for TC and crisp fried Portabello fries with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Sriracha and basil aioli.
What I liked best of all were the Portabello fries. They had such a nice and crisp coating which was not greasy at all. The seasoning was also good but a tad bit salty. I guess it would have been better if we had beer with it but we didn't plan on eating heavy.
The pork and shrimp sausage sandwich was pretty damn good. Bert said it wasn't as heavy as he thought it would be. The sausage was so flavorful and there were lots of peppers and onions as well, making it pretty hearty.
I'm glad we stopped by here for a "first look".
The sign later as we walked back for coffee.
As seen at uber hipster overpriced tchotke store, Pigment (TC ended up getting a small airplant here). I thought this was cool but not something I would actually get for myself.
Now THIS was hilarious. A perfect gift for all new parents.
The succulent wall near Pigment.
Articles (both from SD Eater):
"Fast casual craft food late night eats..." Nov 2, 2015
"Encontro opens where 30th meets University in North Park Jan 7, 2016
Encontro
3001 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92104
(619) 291-1220
encontronorthpark.com + reviews from >you know where
I was pleasantly surprised by the food here. The quality was good (the prices on the higher side as well) and the service was friendly. During our visit, the cashier told us they'd been open since the second of January. It can get pretty loud in here though and I can imagine this being a popular place once things start getting settled in.
2 comments:
I was laughing so hard about your Social Cycle comments! I've seen them on groupon and other discount sites I think. Saw the 'vehicle' in Little Italy (?) (or was it Hillcrest?) some months ago and was floored by the whole concept. Does the pedaling actually power the vehicle? It just seems like a horrible idea to 'work out' and drink at the same time.
I saw Encontro in the works when we visited Tostada. The pictures you took of the restaurant and food look great. I haven't had portebello fries before - for some reason I thought the fried mushrooms would be soggy.
Hi Faye - I saw it once before last year and found it amusing. Yes, you DO have to pedal the darn thing, ha ha. There's room for 13 or 14 pedalers and a bench seat for 2 or 3 people who just want to sit there. It is completely man (or woman) powered. No motor. Imagine all these drunken people trying to navigate their way through the streets of North Park, downtown and Little Italy.
Thanks re: pix of Encontro. I was wondering what would finally take over the old desserts place. These mushroom fries were good and definitely not soggy.
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