We began our journey with Taste of College Area just after 11 a.m. on Sept. 29, outside of Citibank on El Cajon Blvd, where volunteers handed us our badges and lanyards under a big green tent. There, we awaited one of four participating Old Town Trolleys. We were picked up and taken to our first stop accompanied by music and cute bench-style seats.

All opinions expressed in the review reflect not on the overall views of The Daily Aztec but rather on what the two writers experienced.

It starts with coffee

We felt good, though a little nervous, upon looking at the large number of stops, predicting how full we were going to become. Still, we were confident we could take on the challenge in the name of journalism. Our adventure began with Scrimshaw Coffee. Scrimshaw offered four different beverages to showcase its fall menu: a brown butter latte, rose black tea, Ethiopian iced coffee and a fig cardamom latte. As a team, we drank all four flavors and agreed that the rose black tea was the standout team favorite.

Scrimshaw. A nice way to start a long day.

Sushi for breakfast? Yes!

We were a little hesitant walking into Kuro Sushi. As our second stop, we were not quite ready for a sushi breakfast. The welcoming owner, Nick Tran, quickly changed our perspective and made us excited for his bento box, which featured a variety of menu items. We sampled gyoza, edamame, and three rolls: salmon, fried California and spicy tuna. The restaurant generously offered us mini water bottles, something that set them apart from other stops. Tran also provided us with some insight into his reasoning for joining the event.

“We got a flier and we thought it would be a good idea,” Tran said. “It’s a diverse area, and we wanted to get our name out there.”

Kuro Sushi was delicious and kind, giving each diner not only a sample of what they offer, but also offering their guests coupon flyers to encourage them to return.

Sala Thai

We have nothing to say but bland.

Jersey Mike’s: forever a classic, or not all that special?

The full feeling was already settling in as we walked into Jersey Mike’s. What we didn’t expect was to be met with four classic subs that we had already tried prior to the challenge. While generous, we were a little disappointed in the offerings. 

We were already feeling the weight of how much we had eaten, so we were a little disappointed to spend valuable stomach space on chain restaurant subs. The taste was the same as any other Jersey Mike’s sub we have had, which was expected, but still disappointing on a day when we were looking forward to trying new things and pushing ourselves out of the box.

Woodstock’s Pizza

Walking into Woodstock’s, we were anticipating a classic slice of pizza. To our pleasure, we were served a slice with carnitas, cilantro and red onions. This non-traditional slice was a nice flavorful change of pace that showed us the creativity featured on Woodstock’s menu.

The homey feel of Woodstock’s gave us the vibe of a hangout spot for cool teenagers in the 80s, with arcade games, pizza by the slice and names carved into wooden booths. It’s a hidden but accessible gem for San Diego State University students who could easily pop in after shopping at Vons or grabbing some YogurtLand. 

Penelope’s Mexican Food

On our way to Penelope’s, we found ourselves questioning the trolley driver’s abilities as he swung around side streets riddled with cars. We made it to our destination, though, and that’s all that mattered to us. 

Who doesn’t love birria and ceviche? Well, if that person exists, they won’t be found here. These reviewers were feeling rejuvenated at the prospect of eating the comforting flavors of birria, and boy, Penelope’s did not disappoint. 

The flavorful marinade made the birria one of the best Arianna has tasted. For someone who is part-Mexican, this is high praise, given her experience with plenty of bad takes on the classic dish she’s had in her life. Penelope’s earns our approval and appreciation for their rich flavors and easy-on-the-wallet prices.

Ben and Esther’s Vegan Jewish Deli

As the trolley dropped us off, announcing that our next stop was “Boxing Crab,” we felt a bit confused. A seafood boil joint in a strip mall, not on the menu map? As listed, we began our search for Ben and Esther’s Deli. As it turned out, it was just around the bend. The employees were very welcoming upon entry and asked us if we would like their bagel sandwich and matzah ball soup. We tried The Bensonhurst Egg Sandwich, which made us forget that it wasn’t a real egg! We believe they could’ve chosen a bagel sandwich to showcase for the more diverse  audience the event brought in, as the flavors were a little off-putting to us. However, the matzah ball soup was delightful and totally accessible.

The Daily Grind Cafe; a love for choice

Walking into The Daily Grind Cafe, we were intimidated by the thought of more food. In our minds, how could anything they had to offer beat the flavorful, aromatic drinks of Scrimshaw?

The Daily Grind Cafe couldn’t let Scrimshaw overshadow them and decided to stand out by being the only place on the menu that allowed us to choose our own drinks. Through this technique, The Daily Grind Cafe was able to give us a taste of what a true experience would be for us if we were to eat there in our free time. We are totally pro-choice.

Every other location had a preset menu for participants to choose from, so it was nice to have the freedom to explore. We kept it pretty basic with an iced latte and a macchiato, but The Daily Grind Cafe has a place in our hearts for the freedom they gave us in this challenge.

Even with simple options for both of us, we enjoyed the coffee blends used in the beverages offered by The Daily Grind Cafe. The coffee flavor was present in each drink but not overpowering, making it pleasant and easy to enjoy.

Arianna and Vivian’s favorite

Reflecting on the restaurants we tried, Himalayan Yak & Yeti stood out as having the best food. Despite being one of the last stops, the rich curries offered by the stop were by far the most flavorful. We were able to try the lamb curry, mushroom tikka masala, butter chicken, garlic butter naan and rice.  

Throughout our taste testing, we noticed that many spots tried to be safe with the flavors they were featuring. Himalayan Yak & Yeti, on the other hand, offered bold flavors with a standout palette that caught the attention of these reviewers and pleased them immensely. An added bonus: the restaurant next door, not associated with the event, decided to add to the fun by offering pineapple and watermelon agua frescas.

Ending on a bad note

On a high from our delicious Himalayan food adventure, we walked into The Cravory, ready for a dessert break, only to be disappointed by the dry, almost inedible cookies offered. We tried both Tiki Coconut and peanut butter options, only to be unable to distinguish between the two. This would have been fine if the taste could back up the indistinguishable flavors, but sadly it could not be redeemed for us. This was a major disappointment for both of us, as we were deprived of our sweet treat.

We were not ready to write off the end of our adventure quite yet. We walked into Ultreya Coffee and Tea ready to cheer ourselves up with their proverbial acai bowl samples. Much to our dismay, we were told that they had nothing to offer us, as there were only ten minutes left in the expedition. They had stopped participating for the day prior to our arrival. 

These last two stops for us are not a reflection of the event as a whole, but rather our personal, less-than-ideal experiences with the restaurants and staff featured in the event. 

What do we want to see next year?

Overall, Taste of College Area did an amazing job of representing a wide variety of restaurant options near SDSU. Looking toward next year, we have a couple of suggestions for how it could be even better.

Unfortunately, due to lack of clarity, participants who didn’t have VIP passes, us included, thought they couldn’t stop at the restaurants marked with an asterisk. However, we were later informed that this was a misconception and only meant there were special drinks for VIPs at the selected locations. 

The trolley system the event offered could also be improved. We spent 30 minutes at one trolley stop waiting to be picked up. This situation made us a little unhappy going into the next restaurant. In order to prevent occasions like this from occurring in the future, we would recommend more trolleys to be in use during the busy times of the event. The pickup points for the trolley were also a little unclear. Some points would be marked with a sign. Some pickup points were not marked. This lack of clarity left us a little confused at points as to where we were being picked up.