Food

My best description of this restaurant can be contained in one word: masculine. Tractor Room, located on 5th Avenue and Pennsylvania in Hillcrest, has long been one of my very favorite San Diego restaurants. Driving past it, you can’t help but notice the actual tractor sitting out front, and the byline ‘Honest Cocktails and Meats.’ If that doesn’t immediately sell you, you probably shouldn’t eat here.

The décor is like that of an old hunting lodge, with animal antler chandeliers and cowhide covered bar chairs. Most meals arrive in heavy black skillets, taking one back to the days of log cabins and self sustaining lifestyles.

The initial purview of the menu reveals what the byline promises: almost every kind of meat you can think of. From crispy elk sausage ravioli to braised buffalo over waffles fries (with a thick layer of smoked Wisconsin cheddar cheese adorning the top, of course), to sage duck breast skewer or boar stew, there is something for every meat eating enthusiast. Prefer fish or vegetables? Worry not; they have a few of those options too.

The appetizer list is extensive, but my favorite choices are the braised buffalo fries mentioned above, and the black skillet cornbread. The braised buffalo is tender and pulled, and for those inexperienced with ‘other’ meats, in my opinion, it tastes very similar to a brisket. The buffalo is strewn over crispy waffle cut fries, and a thick layer of smoked cheddar cheese is draped over the top. Served in a black skillet, of course, it looks like a beast to tackle. But just grab a fork, pierce through the cheese and enjoy one of the most amazing appetizers I’ve ever dreamed of. The cornbread, served in a skillet as well, is always done right. A bit of a crispy layer on top, buttery and sprinkled with kernels of corn throughout, you can’t help but sneak bites of it throughout your meal.

The entrees continue the theme of ‘meat based amazing.’ There are four different burger options: beef, lamb, braised buffalo and free range buffalo. I’ve always opted for the traditional beef burger, but there is nothing boring about this meal. With a thick layer of smoked mozzarella cheese and crispy smoked bacon atop, and more waffles fries than you can usually get through, it is everything you want and more. Other succulent menu options include spicy chipotle chicken breasts, and chipotle charred tomato pork ribs. A lot of the entrees do include the ‘Tractor Room Style’ demi-glace and charred tomato accompaniment, and it is heavenly.

But there is always room for more food, especially if it involves cheese or potatoes! Last but certainly not least, are the entrée accompanying sides. The entrees are a generous serving size in themselves, but I’ll warn against skipping the decadent sides! If you love the theme of smoked cheddar cheese, order the smoked Wisconsin cheddar mac and cheese or the au gratin potatoes; both are made in the same manner (one with macaroni and one with potatoes) and both are packed full of flavor. My second favorite would be the heavy cream mashed potatoes with batch gravy. They’re creamy, full of butter and the gravy is just right—not too heavy, not too thin.

I know you’re probably full just thinking about what a satisfying meal is to be had at Tractor Room, but don’t neglect the cocktails! The cocktail menu includes a sampling of specialty cocktails along one side, with the rest of the cocktails divided by your liquor of choice. Is rum your preferred libation? Try the Prohibition Punch, a tropical tasting cocktail with a floater of Sailor Jerry. Gin more your style? Try the Punch in the Eye, a light and refreshing option with a dash of Cointreau, grapefruit and lime juice. Looking for something even more indulgent? Try the chocolate themed cocktail pictured for dessert. Believe me, there’s something for everyone- including beer and wine options as well.

If you are hungry and dying for a drink just reading this, you’ve got to try this restaurant immediately. While not expensive, Tractor Room isn’t a super cheap eat either. Entrees range around $15 and $35, and appetizers between $5 and $15. It is a busy joint on the weekends, so I suggest making reservations a few days ahead of time. But if you dine early (at 5 or 6pm) and on a weeknight, you may just be in luck to grab a table. Enjoy!

If I tell you this, you have to promise not to tell my mother. Do you promise? Okay. Here it is. I may have had the best brisket of my life last night. To be more specific: perhaps better than my mother’s homemade brisket that I’ve been raving about since childhood. This amazing brisket was had last night at Ritual Tavern on 30th and Polk in North Park (just two blocks north of University Ave). From the outside, it looks more like a house than a restaurant; small and warm, with a large front porch. The inside is definitely cozy, with a bar to your left and an intimate dining room to the right. The most accurate and succinct description I can provide is an upscale European pub.

The fare follows the decorative trend, providing traditional pub eats like fish and chips and shepherd’s pie, but also other home-style dishes like fried chicken, burgers and my beloved brisket. The list of libations was surprisingly thorough, and included some of my personal favorites like Speedway Stout and Young’s Double Chocolate Stout. The list is broken down by each type of beer (or wine), but also goes into further detail with a few descriptive words for the possible beer novice. For example, ‘Porter/Stout: very dark, chocolatey, coffee-ish, carmelized, hoppy’. Both thirst-inducing, and helpful! But, given that our food was likely to be salty and heavy, I shied away from my usual stout and opted for a light and sweet Fox Barrel Black Currant cider.

The first course fulfilled my prediction. An order of house onion rings, battered in ale of course, is definitely not for those wishing to eat light. They were a delicious heap of very crunchy and golden brown rings. The next course, the delicious dry rubbed brisket, arrived soon after. My dining companions- my usual accompanying gentleman caller and our favorite date night couple- ordered the fried chicken with cheddar jalapeno cornbread and the mussels, respectively. The fried chicken with cheddar jalapeno cornbread, which both the gentleman ordered, begged for me to ask to try a taste. Two boneless fried chicken pieces, plus a slice of cheddar jalapeno cornbread, and assorted sautéed vegetables, proved to be the best fried chicken I have had in a restaurant to date (my gentleman rated it up there next to the fried chicken of Craft & Commerce). The chicken was juicy, but the breading may have been my favorite part! It had a great flavor, and was crunchy throughout. The cornbread was curious; it had the flavor of jalapeno without actually being spicy, and had the texture of a regular piece of bread, rather than cornmeal. It was tasty, but not what I expect cornbread to be.

But I digress, back to my brisket. It arrived in the center of my plate, sitting triumphantly atop a pile of mashed potatoes and assorted sautéed vegetables. It looked more like a hunk of steak than the delicately sliced brisket I’ve normally encountered. I grabbed my fork and prepared for my personal test of good brisket. Could I stick the fork in the corner of the brisket, and would the meat just fall away gracefully? Ah, yes, it most certainly could. The subsequent test of taste was immediately passed with flying colors. The meat was truly succulent and flavorful- I believe the absolute worst experience you can have is a dry brisket. Brisket should also be able to stand alone, without a strong barbeque sauce to mask the lack of natural flavor. Ritual’s brisket did just that. The dry rub gave the meat just the right amount of flavor; perhaps just a hint of salt. The accompanying mashed potatoes were a bit lumpy, which I never mind, but had a good creamy homemade taste. We spent those first few minutes with our food in front of us, raving about each of our meals, and asking to try the others. The meal ended with all members of our dining party satisfied, and looking forward to our next dining adventure!