EscoGelato – A Restaurant Review

By Simran Jayasinghe

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Eating Yummy Gelato. (Image by the Jayasinghe family)

Have you ever slurped Pumpkin Spice Gelato on a blazing hot day? That’s exactly what I did a couple of weeks ago at EscoGelato . EscoGelato is a small dessert shop that is on the corner of Kalmia Street and Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido. It is open from 8am-9pm 7 days a week. The restaurant serves about eighteen different types of Gelato. They make their Gelato fresh daily using fresh fruits that come from local farms. EscoGelato changes their flavors of gelato from time to time so there may be new flavors to try each time you visit! They have baked goods and cookies made from scratch every day! We will have to try those next time. They also have Gelato Cakes, Coffee, Salads and Panini. The sizes of Gelato offered are: Kids, Small, Medium, Large, or Pint.

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Gelato oozing onto the table. (Image by the Jayasinghe family)

My family all got Small orders. My sister Kiran got Salted Caramel. Svara, my little sister, got Chocolate. My mother got half hazelnut and half strawberry. My father got strawberry, and I of course had to try pumpkin Spice! My sisters and I ate our Gelato so fast you wouldn’t believe it! If we hadn’t the gelato would’ve been Salted Caramel and Chocolate milk even before we got halfway through! It was such a hot day! The Gelato was delicious although it was a bit messy. I think the cups that they served the Gelato in were too small for the amount of Gelato that was put in. The Gelato started oozing out and dripping onto the counter before we even paid for it!

That Gelato was so delicious and apparently it is also healthier than ice cream! There is a big poster on their wall listing all the differences between ice cream and gelato. Did you know that gelato has less 10% fat than ice cream?

It was a bit expensive, a small cup cost $ 3.50, but the Gelato was so delicious that I think it made up for the cost. It is a bit cramped in the shop, they only have 3-4 small tables and one long table inside, they also have 2 tables on the outside, but don’t let that hold you back from getting delectable Gelato at EscoGelato!

For more information, go to their website.

The Grand Tea Room – A Restaurant Review

By Simran Jayasinghe

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Tea at the English Countryside (image by Jayasinghe family).

The “Grand Tea Room” located on Grand Avenue in downtown Escondido, is a unique eatery. The “Grand Tea Room” serves traditional English teas. This means that they serve many different types of teas, as well as tea sandwiches, salads, and scones in the tradition of a meal known as English tea.
When you enter “The Grand Tea Room”, you find yourself in a little gift shop that has little mini handbags, small jewelry boxes, teapots, china tea sets, tablecloths, and many different kinds of teas (43 different kinds according to their website). The seating area of the tea room is behind the gift shop. All of us admired the ambiance of the tea room. The walls had beautifully framed pictures, and one of the walls was decorated in the scene of a English countryside. Each table had a beautiful tablecloth, ours was made of white lace. The table was also set with two charming white teapots, cups and saucers with pink flowers on them. The side plates were shaped like a flower and were made of glass.
The website suggests that you dress up in appropriate attire, and you should check the website before you visit. If you want to wear a hat you can, but if you don’t have a hat of your own, you can borrow one of the hats they have. Reservations are needed.

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On our best behavior (image by the Jayasinghe family).

We ordered a pot of Ceylon tea with five orders of the “Assorted Tea Sandwiches and Savory” menu item, one for each of us in the family. In one “Assorted Tea Sandwiches and Savory” order, we were served a chicken tea sandwich, a cucumber tea sandwich, an egg tea sandwich, and a Shepherds Pie. The sandwiches were not like a usual dinner, or lunch restaurant sandwich, they were much smaller.The sandwiches and the Shepherds Pie were delicious! We also had four orders of scones to share. Each order comes with two scones, one blueberry, and one plain. The scones came with cream, preserves, and a lemon curd which was delicious! We liked the Ceylon tea so much that we ordered two more pots of tea! My sisters and I drank six cups of tea each!
We were on our best behavior, and exercising our British accents! The visit to the tea room was the highlight of our week, which I will never forget. Although the price was a little expensive, I am most definitely going there again. You must try the “Grand Tea Room”, I am sure it will be a memorable experience.

For more information visit the Grand Tea Room Website.

Extraordinary Desserts- A Restaurant Review

By Kiran Jayasinghe

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Three delectable cakes and a scrumptious cookie! (image by the Jayasinghe family).

“Extraordinary Desserts” is a restaurant that serves delicious and truly beautiful desserts. You might be thinking, “The word ‘Extraordinary’ is probably just to attract attention.” The name does attract attention, but the desserts ARE truly extraordinary! The “Extraordinary Desserts” my family visited is located in downtown San Diego, near Balboa Park. There is also a location in San Diego’s Little Italy.

We had read online that the restaurant tends to be crowded, and it certainly was very crowded when we visited. When you enter the restaurant, there is a display of assorted cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, and other baked goods. You make your selections as you stand in line and walk along the display, then you order your food from the cashier. We ordered four slices from different cakes for all of us to share. For a party, you can order whole cakes, or a batch of cupcakes. After ordering, you take a seat inside or outside, and, after a few minutes, a server will bring your food to the table.

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So delicious! Too good to eat! (image by the Jayasinghe family).
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My sisters choice. (image by the Jayasinghe family.)

When the food was brought to our table, at first, nobody ate. We just admired the cakes and took pictures. The cakes looked so beautiful! Some of the cakes even had real flower petals adorning them. But eventually we gave in and tasted a bit of each cake. My sisters and I had milk to go with our cake. The milk toned down the richness of the cake.
One slice of cake was sitting in a pool of chocolate and raspberry syrup, with red flower petals and raspberries on top of the cake. Also on top of the cake was some sort of chocolate frosting, made to look like a flower. It was my little sister’s choice. We also tasted a cake that was sitting in a pool of red, green, and orange syrup, all cleanly separated but joined together, as if there was an invisible, thin, separator in between the three colors. It was indescribably delicious! The name of the cake was so fancy, I unfortunately don’t remember it, but the photo on this post will show you exactly how it looked. The prices are expensive, but the taste and look of whatever you order will be worth your money. “Extraordinary Desserts” is a restaurant you will likely never forget!

For more information, go to the Extraordinary Desserts website.

Souplantation- A Restaurant Review

By Kiran Jayasinghe

vistasouplantationimageThe Souplantation is my favorite restaurant. If you’re unfamiliar with the name, you’re probably thinking, “Okay, she loves a place that sells soup.” True, it has some great-tasting soups, but it also has other food, from many different salads and pastas, to fruit. They also sell ice cream, my favorite part!

There are quite a few salads that you can choose from. They have permanent salads and seasonal salads. The Chinese Chicken Salad, and the Caesar Salad are two of the permeant salads I have seen. The seasonal salads change, and you may have to check out the menu online to see what they have. If you aren’t satisfied with these choices, you can make your own salad. The salad bar provides you with lettuce, spinach, shredded carrots, tomatoes, croutons, dressings, cranberries, and other salad items to make any kind of salad you wish.

When you walk in, you will see trays and dishes on either side of the entryway. Once you have taken a plate (or two) and tray, you can slide your tray down the counter along the salad bar and help yourself to anything you want. Other than salad items, there is Tuna Terragon, (My favorite!) which is a pasta, beans, cucumber, and broccoli salad that is quite famous. But the best part is…Souplantation is a buffet! Which means you can always go back for more.

There is also a small dessert bar, which includes chocolate muffins, chocolate mouse, fruit, and three different kinds of ice cream. To go with the ice cream, there is chocolate sauce, caramel syrup, chocolate and white chocolate chips, and sprinkles. And again, you can always go back for more!

On Sundays, between 9 a.m. and 12 noon, the Souplantation serves breakfast. In addition to the regular eatables, it includes scrambled eggs, French toast, waffles, oatmeal, cereal, blueberry muffins, apples, oranges, and much more. To drink, there is water, orange juice, milk, and coffee.

My family usually goes to the Souplantation in Vista. The restaurant has undergone a recent remodeling and it looks great!  It’s clean, and the staff members are very helpful.

For more information visit the Souplantation website.

Vista Souplantation.

North County Square Shopping Center, 1860 University Dr., Vista, CA 92083-7700.

Boudin S.F. – A Restaurant Review

By Simran Jayasinghe

BoudineSFSanMarcosWe have passed Boudin S.F. in San Marcos so many times in the past few years, and never even thought to try it! Last week we just decided to go and check it out. The restaurant is located in the Grand Plaza shopping center in San Marcos, which is on the corner of Las Posas Road and Grand Avenue.
Boudin S.F. has been around for 156 years! The restaurant is originally from San Fransisco. They sell sourdough in all types of shapes. Boudin S.F. bakes their bread daily. They had bread shaped like lobsters,crabs, fishes and even turtles! At Boudin S.F. you walk in the door and you order your food. Then you go and sit down and they bring the food out to your table. Our family ordered a turkey avocado sandwich, a Chicken Basil Bisque soup, a cob salad, and three grilled cheese sandwiches. My dad had the turkey avocado sandwich, and the chicken basil Bisque which he claimed to be very delicious! My mother had a Cobb salad which she said was great. My two sisters, and I ate the three kids grilled cheese sandwiches. The sandwiches came with applesauce, and apple juice. Kiran (my twin sister) and I thought the kids grilled cheese sandwich was a little too small for a hungry 9 (almost 10) year old! But that may be because we are swimmers, and we tend to eat a lot of food!
The Boudin S.F restaurant in San Marcos was clean and had a good atmosphere. The servers, and staff were very nice and friendly. I enjoyed eating at this restaurant and recommend it.

For more information about the restaurant visit the Boudin S.F. website.

San Marcos
Boudin SF

113 S. Las Posas, Suite 112
San Marcos, CA 92078.

760-761-1150

The Egypt Game – A Book Review

By Kiran Jayasinghe

TheEGyptGameBookCoverThe book “The Egypt Game” is an amazing book. The author, Zilpha Keately Snyder, creates 6 main characters, three boys and three girls, who become friends,create, and play the Egypt Game. The characters are: April, Melanie, Marshall, Elizabeth, Toby, and Ken. There is also a mysterious supporting character, called the Professor.

April lives with her grandmother at the Casa Rosada, a old apartment building. Her mother is an actor, and travels all over the country. Melanie, April’s best friend, also lives at the Casa Rosada. She is dark skinned, and can understand April’s homesickness. Melanie’s brother, Marshall, is four and cannot let go of his stuffed octopus, Security. Marshall is smart and is the only child who notices the strange Professor watching the children play their game. Elizabeth Chung is in fourth grade, and just moved in to the apartment building. April and Melanie have no intention of inviting Elizabeth to their game, but one day they see Elizabeth sitting on the bench, and realize that she looks just like the Egyptian goddess Nefertiti, and readily tell her all about the game. April and Melanie clean out the old storage yard behind the professor’s junk shop. The yard becomes the land of Egypt. The friends hold ceremonies, make sacrifices, and write sacred records in hieroglyphs. Toby and Ken are best friends and are famous for their jokes at their school. They learn about the Egypt Game when they follow April and Melanie to “Egypt” on Halloween.

The game ends when a child is murdered. After about a week, the children are allowed to play outside again. But after a few days, when April and Marshall return to retrieve April’s books from “Egypt”, April is almost murdered herself. The professor rescues her. In the end, the murderer is found. I really enjoyed this book and, on a scale of 1 to 10, give this wonderful story a 10. “The Egypt Game” is and exciting, and terrifying tale that will capture your eyes for hours!

If you would like to buy the book, check it out on Amazon.

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – A Book Review

By Simran Jayasinghe

RollOfThunderBookCoverThe book “Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry” is written by Mildred D. Taylor. This book is a wonderful story written in 1977. The book is mainly about the Logan family, an African American family of seven who live in a town called Strawberry, Mississippi, during the Great Depression. The narrator of the story is Cassie Logan, a nine year old fourth grader. Cassie’s siblings are an older brother named Stacey, and two younger brothers, Christopher-John and Clayton-Chester. Cassie is just beginning to realize the dangers of being a different color. For example, there is a school bus driver who would always swerve on purpose just to try and hit the kids with the bus while the kids were waiting at the bus stop. The book describes many other examples of how life is dangerous for african americans in those days. Cassie doesn’t like how she has to treat some white children. Cassie has to address some white children very formally. For example, she had to call Lillian and Jeremy, two white children in the book, Ms. Lilian Simms or Mr. Jeremy Simms as if they were grownups. Her mother says that there isn’t anything she can do about it.

In the story the Wallaces live in the same town as the Logan’s. The Wallaces are ruthless. The leader of the Wallace family is a terrible man called Kaleb Wallace. One day they hurt T.J. Avery, another African American character in the book, and broke a few of his ribs. The Wallaces hurt innocent people in brutal ways that are really terrifying. They bother the Logans and the other african american families. When the Wallaces hurt Stacey, Cassie’s father has to start a wildfire as a distraction. The book describes how people like the Wallaces hurt african american people like the Logan family. Cassie’s family goes through a lot of suffering but they stick together.

The author expresses the feeling the Logans must have had in a very exciting way through Cassie and her family. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would rate this book a 10. The story is sad because it describes how people get hurt, exciting because it talks about what the Logan family had to go through and how they survived, and terrifying because it talks about how people hurt the Logan family. You will be stuck to this book for days and will not want to put it down.

If you want to buy the book, check it out on Amazon.