Infinite Monkeys

Yeah, it's pretty certain it wasn't the water. San Diego water tastes terrible, but it's safe (and according to Jeffrey Steingarten, a leading food writer, it makes the best espresso outside of Italy).
A common mistake people make with food poisoning is to blame the last meal they had (the one they see exit); in this case, the meal at the Hotel Del. But it's usually the one 18-24 hours before. Chad doesn't record that meal--he just said they intended to go to "one of the seafood places." I hope he lets us know which one, so we can avoid it. I know I once had a rough time after some oysters in the Gaslamp district...of course, I also drank a whole scorpion bowl, so as James says, it's hard to pinpoint.

P.S. I'm sorry I was slow to realize Chad was coming to my town--we traded e-mails, but too late. I would have shown him some much better drinking (for example while Yardhouse is good, Karl Strauss is really a San Diego institution, and Mister Tiki is the best place for cocktails in the Gaslamp).

Mr. Tiki?

is that the famous Tiki Bar from the John Hiatt song?

Actually, it's a recent addition to the Cohn Restaurant group (I recommend all of them, especially Indigo Grill and Kemo Sabe). The web page is here. Be sure to check out the drinks menu.

Classic Mai Tai: "Ron Matusalem gran reserva, Cruzan estate white & Myers' rums with Mister Tiki's secret recipe." Sounds delicious. I might even order one next time I'm down there. But it is NOT a Mai Tai. Then again, even Trader Vic's Mai Tai isn't really a Mai Tai anymore...

Ahem...For your information we did hit the Karl Strauss Brewery. In fact that's where we ate the night before. Perhaps they're the culprit.

The reason we blamed the water was that my wife and I ate different meals at the Hotel. But we did share a late night sandwhich at KS. Hmmm...

By the way James, my wife drank nothing but non-alcholic smoothies and water during the trip, so your drinking theory is baseless. Besides this was ten times worse than any hangover I've ever had. And I've had a few nasty ones...

My advice when traveling is to avoid all food...period. Stick to Sapphire based beverages at all costs. That's a sickness I can deal with.

Damn Karl Strauss! This is how far they've fallen. I have a vague memory that Monkey Ben said he was at an event and saw the old man, and was tempted to tell him how sad the ribs are now (they boil them, for goodness sake). The old Karl Strauss probably never eats there anymore. The beer is still good, but the food is mediocre, and, it appears, poison.

I'd put money on that as the culprit. By the way, alcohol actually does protect against food poisoning, as does citrus. So margaritas in Mexico are a very good idea.

Hmmm...I believe David's claim about alcohol and citrus, but I had margs at both La Fiesta (formerly known as Las Fajitas) in the Gaslight Quarter and at Casa De Bandini in Old Town. Maybe I should have had the jumbo marg at Casa De Bandini. Those babies must be close to sixty ounces.

Now you guys know how Atomizer keeps his girlish figure. An all liquid diet.

I'll have to catch you next time around David.

I've been to the Yard House in Irvine. Not a bad place for drinks with business people, but I doubt I will go to the Phoenix location much, wherever it winds up being. Too many better options, the best being the two Four Peaks locations:

http://www.fourpeaks.com/

The Tempe location is right by ASU, where my eldest daughter takes piano, so it's become something of a Thursday afternoon ritual to have a couple of pints of Raj and plate of beer-battered fries, then sit with Eek during the "private" portion of her piano lesson. Afterwards: Pete's Fish & Chips. Thursdays are good.