The Lazy Dog is full of energy and fun

DINING OUT

If you have seen the reality TV program about the opening of Rocco’s,

a New York restaurant, you will appreciate what owners Tom Simms and

his son, Chris, have gone through to present the brick-red Lazy Dog

Cafe on Beach Boulevard, located just south of the San Diego Freeway

in the recently renovated Target/Pavilions shopping center.

The 250-seat restaurant has an energy and eagerness to please that

makes it a fun place to be.

The decor of well-spaced tables and booths is set off by a huge

paining of a terrier named “Maggie” and paw print tabs hold the

napkin-wrapped silverware.

There’s a gallery of pictures of owners’ dog and customers are

encouraged to bring pictures or even to bring their dog to eat at the

outside patio.

Executive chef and partner, Gabriel Caliendo, formerly sous chef

at the Dana Point Ritz Carlton, has created nearly 20 original

appetizers -- everything from fried calamari to tortilla squares

topped with raw ahi tuna and herbs ($6.95), to slow-cooked,

orange-flavored spicy ribs ($8.95). You must pick up an “inside-out”

quesadilla ($5.95) which is very thin and crisp with cheese baked on

the outside, as well as inside.

Salads are interesting, good and large enough for a light lunch

with a range of preparations form Tex-Mex to Greek or Chinese.

Maggie’s Snake River ($5.95 to $7.95) is my favorite: crisp, mixed

greens with big pieces and herb potatoes, crumbles of goat cheese,

bits of cranberry and candied walnuts.

The Cobb Salad ($6.95 to $8.95) is a meal unto itself: chicken

breast cubes, avocado and bacon -- so much, so good.

The choice of entrees goes from chicken ($8.95 to $11.95), to meat

($9.95 to $15.95 for a full rack of pork ribs), fish ($9.95 to

$11.95.)

The honey shrimp ($11.95) is tossed with snap peas and mushrooms

with fettuccine in a sneaky Thai coconut curry sauce that knocks your

taste buds for a loop. It’s absolutely great.

Again, it’s hard to choose, but the tender pieces of beef, with

bits of green onion and mushrooms, is excellent.

The Black and Blue pizza ($8.95) we shared is thin-crusted, topped

with chicken, bacon and caramelized onions sprinkled with bleu cheese

and diced tomato.

The menu caters to sharing, which is in the spirit of the Lazy Dog

Cafe.

The dessert that must be shared is the warm skillet brownie

($4.25). It’s served right out of the oven with brownie cake covering

the pan and topped with rich chocolate ice cream and hot chocolate

fudge sauce.

Another dessert is miniature Krispy Kreme doughnuts with a coffee

cup filled with espresso ice cream. It’s called, “Coffee and Donuts”

($3.95). I call it the best of two worlds.

The Lazy Dog has special menus for “big dogs” up to 12-year-old,

like, Build your own Pizza ($4.95), Mac N’ Cheese ($3.95) and another

for “puppy dogs” up to 8 years ($3.50), like peanut butter and jelly

and mini hot dogs.

Lazy Dog Cafe sounds like it should be a pub somewhere in England

but lucky us, it’s right here, a family restaurant friendly as a

puppy but with the sophistication of a French Poodle.

* MARY FURR is the Independent restaurant critic. If you have

comments or suggestions, call (562) 493-5062 or e-mail

[email protected]