{"id":253468,"date":"2018-07-27T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2018-07-27T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/escape-from-the-daily-grind\/"},"modified":"2018-07-27T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2018-07-27T07:00:00","slug":"escape-from-the-daily-grind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/escape-from-the-daily-grind\/","title":{"rendered":"Escape from the daily grind"},"content":{"rendered":"

By\u00a0Frank Sabatini Jr. | Restaurant Review<\/p>\n

You can mosey in wearing a hard hat or carrying a briefcase. Whatever your occupation and the apparel that goes with it, Working Class welcomes you with open arms \u2014 then sends you off with a bellyful of craft beer and hearty, affordable grub.<\/p>\n

The North Park restaurant and bar replaced The Ritual earlier this year with a catchy \u201cworking class\u201d theme that co-owner Jeffrey Kiyama noted doesn\u2019t only speak to blue-collar types.<\/p>\n

\"Escape
Working Class co-owner Jeffrey Kiyama (Foto por Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe relate to all people who work and need a place to hang out. It\u2019s a social space for everybody,\u201d Kiyama said earlier this year, after giving the building an extensive remodel.<\/p>\n

Inside and out, the structure is unrecognizable from when it was The Ritual. Gone are the exterior\u2019s quasi-Gothic details and the dim, Old-World feel of the dining room. The building is now clad in light wood and incorporates roll-up garage windows. In addition, skylights were installed, the bar was moved to a central area, and the once under-utilized back patio now greets visitors with picnic tables and AstroTurf \u2014 a faux urban park offering games and ample wiggle room.<\/p>\n

What I especially like about Working Class is that it isn\u2019t trying to be anything in particular; it\u2019s neither some goofy retro-style diner or uber-hipster beer bar, even though it slings classic American fare and has a lengthy tap system for craft brews.<\/p>\n

\"Escape
General Tso cauliflower (Foto por Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Nor is it a place claiming to make everything from scratch. So what if the bacon isn\u2019t cured in-house or the sweet-spicy sauce cloaking the popular General Tso cauliflower originates from a bottle? It\u2019s good enough for me that the meats are from a reputable wholesaler (Tarantino\u2019s) and that select items \u2014 including beef meatballs containing minced jalapenos and the sausage gravy draping outsourced buttermilk biscuits \u2014 are made onsite.<\/p>\n

The menu is fairly concise, which I find comforting in comparison to those attempting to gratify too many consumers with too many choices. Basically, you can score breakfast or lunch between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. and dinner from 2 p.m. until 10 p.m. Yet some breakfast items and most lunch dishes carry over into the later part of the day.<\/p>\n

\"Escape
The \u201cDay Off\u201d breakfast with biscuits and gravy (Foto por Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

We visited on the cusp of breakfast and lunch and ordered accordingly.<\/p>\n

The \u201cDay Off\u201d is what some might dream about when settling for a Denny\u2019s grand slam breakfast. Minus the pancakes, this combo features the aforementioned biscuits and gravy, plus two eggs, bacon or sausage, hash browns, and toast. The quality of everything was exceedingly better \u2014 and you\u2019ll pay only a buck more in comparison.<\/p>\n

We loved the General Tso cauliflower. For $8 you get a heaping of the florets coated in the sweet-and-spicy sauce and topped with sesame seeds firmly trapped in the sauce\u2019s unapologetic stickiness. Even at second glance, it looks like Chinese orange chicken. For this carnivorous twosome, it tasted just as good.<\/p>\n

\"Escape
Fried chicken sandwich with Buffalo sauce (Foto por Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The mother of all fried chicken sandwiches resides here. A pre-soaking in buttermilk resulted in miracle tenderness of a chicken breast this big and thick. Encasing it was superbly crispy batter, which became a best friend to the house slaw and sandwich pickles tucked between the bun. For us, the Buffalo-style sauce served alongside wasn\u2019t needed.<\/p>\n

Until now, I never had a Reuben made with sourdough. It\u2019s always been rye bread or nothing for this New York state native. I found it an acceptable, if not appealing, alternative to the slightly chewy pastrami layered inside.<\/p>\n

I would have preferred the meat sliced thinner. But the grilled, buttered bread and the finely minced sauerkraut bedding the chicken made it a hard-to-put-down sandwich.<\/p>\n

\"Escape
Pastrami Reuben\u00a0on sourdough (Foto por Frank Sabatini Jr.)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The portions at Working Class are generous without being obnoxious, and reasonably priced without forfeiting quality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m function versus fashion,\u201d Kiyama said, citing the menu\u2019s third-pound burgers, some of which are well stacked with veggie garnishes, eggs, bacon, O-rings \u2014 but \u201cnot too big to handle.\u201d\"Escape<\/p>\n

Other menu items include a fried bologna sandwich with egg and cheese; shrimp and cheddar grits; various salads of decent size; chili con carne; Salisbury steak; and cast-iron chicken pot pie \u2014 foods that us over-worked stiffs need every so often when our batteries run low.<\/p>\n

\u2014Frank Sabatini Jr. is the author of \u201cSecret San Diego\u201d (ECW Press), and began his local writing career more than two decades ago as a staffer for the former San Diego Tribune. Reach him at\u00a0\u00a0fsabatini@san.rr.com<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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