mcgrath's Profile
Gaslamp bound
It's been open about 3-4 months. The Chef is Jason Maitland (Arterra, Flavor Del Mar) and he has a creative menu (www.rldsd.com) of well-executed dishes stressing (as does seemingly everyone else these days) local, sustainable products.
When you walk in what you see is the large, sleek bar area that dominates the room. They're proud of their cocktail list. I'm not much into the bar scene, but for those who are, and who also know and appreciate really good food, this spot hits both notes.
While I love the food, the dining experience is compromised by the noisy bar area unless you get seated in one of the partially enclosed booths.
Gaslamp bound
Red Light District Social House at 4th and F. You can do both quite well in the same place.
san diego--business/client dinner
Keeping your criteria in mind (nearby and upscale):
FISH: Top of the Market
STEAK: Cowboy star
ITALIAN: Primavera (right there in coronado)
Best Steak in SD
Hate to overstate the case for CS, especially to someone who has been to Lugers etc., but Star is really the best steak in our town.
Takeaway in Gaslamp
Much-better-than-average pizza is available to go from both Berkeley Pizza (Chicago style), which now has a storefront at 539 Island; and Basic Pizza on 10th at J.
Gaslamp downtown ethnic restaurant in May?
First off, the Westgate Hotel is not in the Gaslamp. It's just north of Broadway and about a 5 minute walk to the heart of the Gaslamp. I'd recommend against walking on Broadway to get to the Gaslamp. Much better to head down to Market, turn left and approach it that way if the Gaslam p is where anyone is headed.
Jsix is a good choice, but is a bit of a walk from your hotel--maybe 12-15 minutes. I like Jsix but can't recall if they can comfortably accommodate 12 people at one table.
I'm going to suggest a few places that are rarely if ever mentioned on CH. Saltbox is a very new restaurant close to your hotel. It's also north of Broadway on 5th Ave in the Hotel Palomar. Part of the same hotel group as Jsix and with the same farm-to-table theme. Check out the menu and see if it appeals. www.saltboxrestaurant.com
Currant at the Hotel Sofia is also very close to your hotel, no more than a block or two. They try hard there, would have something for everyone in your group, and 12 people on a Sunday night could actually converse there. www.currantrestaurant.com
Finally, Bice for modern Italian cuisine. Wonderful Northern Italian style dishes and a sleek space. 10 minute walk from your hotel. It's the kind of place where the vegetarian in your group could just ask that the Chef create something wonderful for him/her and they'd be happy to oblige. www.bicesandiego.com
Hope this helps a little.
Great news re: old Police station
Look, from a business / public trust standpoint, I think we all realize the Port has to go with the best financial deal. That doesn't mean we have to like it as CHers. So Jeez, lighten up FN; work in a little decaf. And it's "geiger" counter, not Gieger.
Great news re: old Police station
Yes, Cheesecake Factory is to fine dining as The Kiss statue is to fine art. All about the $$$ of course.
Great news re: old Police station
You got me. I quickly opened the thread hoping to at least see something about Pizza Mozza or similar. Given the location near two huge hotels, the lines will be out the door. So sad.
Flying solo in San Diego for 2 days
The long thread you mentioned from last year was by "pegmeister" and can be located by just searching that name above. An excellent thread for OP.
Flying solo in San Diego for 2 days
If you key in the words "manchester hyatt" in the top right search space of this page, you will be directed to several threads with requests similar to yours. The hotel right next door to yours is the Marriott Marquis/Marina, and keying that in will produce similar results. I'd respectfully suggest you do a little research first, come up with some possibilities, then ask for rec's for your particular situation from that list. Just seems a more efficient way to do things.
Old Town is not walking distance from your hotel. East Village is about a 15 minute walk. I'm not aware of any recommendable Mexican places that are walking distance other than maybe El Vitral.
Please comment on my dining list for my 5-day trip to SD
First off, kudos for doing your research before posting for feedback.
You'll get as many opinions as there are posters, but I see no weaknesses in your first six with the dashes.
If you wanted to walk from your hotel some day or night rather than drive, there are 3 chow worthy places to consider: Cafe Chloe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner; Cowboy Star serves among the best steaks in the region and has a comfortable and camp ambiance. And a brand new restaurant called Red Light District at 4th and F serves upscale and creative cuisine in a lounge-like setting.
good eats near Sheraton/airport?
You're probably not going to want to walk anywhere worth going to from that Hotel. It's not what I'd call a walk-friendly area due variously to long distances, poor lighting, lack of sidewalks.
I would hop in a cab and ask to be taken to Little Italy, which is probably the closest food-friendly neighborhood to your Sheraton. If the cabbie needs something more specific than Little Italy, ask him to drop you off at India and Grape, then stroll down India St. sounthward and check out the restaurants along the way and on the side streets. It's a safe and fun little area.
Business dinner near Convention Center?
Go to the top right of this page, type in "convention center", and you'll find 5 or 6 threads with the same general inquiry. All the best choices are mentioned in those threads.
Best Corned Beef buy in East County?
This one is easy. Valley Farm Market in Spring Valley off the 94 at Bancroft. They do their own corning as well, and like all meat sold there, including their prime beef, it is as good as any in town, but always at a lower price. Very helpful and accommodating butchers.
Balboa Park: Good, Cheap, Fast?
While not IN the Park per se, Barrio Star is very close to the western boundary of it at 2706 Fifth Avenue. Pretty easy street parking, fairly quick in and out, and a comfortable spot for what I call handmade Mexican dishes.
Sunday Brunch In Gaslamp?
I think Cafe Chloe and Searsucker have order-off-the-menu Brunch as does Jsix at the Hotel Solamar. All three of these are excellent and an easy walk from anywhere in the Gaslamp.
If you're thinking of a Buffet Style Brunch, they're serving an upscale version at the Westgate Hotel's Fountainbleu Room (10 minute walk from heart of Gaslamp) for $42. Also, a quick cab ride across the bridge to Coronado and you can indulge in the Crown Room Brunch at the Hotel del Coronado. Quite an experience if you've got $76.00 laying around.
Looking for Chowhound fare in Downtown San Diego
Nobu is very close, very expensive, very good and very much a chain. Apart from that, the Asian fare downtown is probably on a par with that of Nashville.
Red Light District / Gaslamp
Wife and I had an early Friday night dinner. Quick summary: cuisine spot on and really tasty and creative. Comfort level of the room, not so much. Service very professional. Prices for food and wine quite fair.
The whole concept is an anomaly in my mind and very confusing. Walking in, you're not sure if this is strictly a bar/lounge or if there's fine dining to be had. The smallish room is dominated by the sleek bar in the middle with mostly four-tops crowded around it on two sides and a few booths on another side. Not sure if the booths are for dining or bottle service; we weren't offered one as the first guests of the evening. Some red lighting and music too loud for dining contribute to the bordello motif. Just not a comfortable room for fine dining.
There's no mistaking the quality of the food. Jason Maitland (Arterra, Flavor Del Mar) is in charge and this young man knows what he's doing. We started with terrines of pork and duck garnished nicely with frisee, some flavored oil and plenty of toast. Delish, and a great starter for two to share. I had the grapefruit and avocado salad drizzled with blue cheese dressing and she had the shaved Julian apple salad with arugula, goat cheese and candied nuts. Both were perfectly executed, pretty and delicious, especially the latter, which was also huge.
Entrees: she tried an off-the-menu special of risotto with shaved black truflles. Jason himself presented this and did the shaving while the entire waitstaff watched intently from a distance. I got the lamb belly and rabbit cassoulet. The risotto had bold flavors, too bold for my taste but my wife loved it, noting only that the rice was undercooked by maybe two minutes. With the cassoulet I was expecting a single, integrated dish, but it was presented with the lamb belly apart from little black cast iron pot that housed the white beans with the duck. Jason countered the fattiness of the lamb belly (a cut of lamb I'd never had before) with a clever gremolata and some lemon oil. The rabbit/white bean mixture was heaven in a pot.
We live close by and will be back, but I just can't reconcile the "red light" themes and dominating bar area with serious cuisine prepared by one of San Diego's top fine dining practitioners. Certainly gives Chloe a run for its money both in the quality of what's served AND the somewhat cramped and low comfort level of the room.
Dinner options near Hilton Bayfront at 1 Park Blvd near Petco Park
I was at Red Light a week ago for free small bites and cocktails as a promotion for downtown residents. Delicious apps. Going for dinner very soon and will report back.
Dinner options near Hilton Bayfront at 1 Park Blvd near Petco Park
Drinks at Cowboy Star, then decide if you want to stay for dinner or hit Cafe Chloe. Excellent food at both. C.S. much more comfortable.
Another brand new choice: Red Light District at 4th and F. Just opened two weeks ago or so. The chef is Jason Maitland (Arterra, Flavor Del Mar) a young man with tried and true skills. Interesting menu including one of my winter favorites, cassoulet. Sleek bar. Looks to have everything you want, except proximity. It would be around a 20 min. walk from your hotel, or a short cab ride. www.rldsd.com
Need recommendations for family-friendly but good steakhouse for special birthday
Pretty tall order due to the kids. I'll second Cowboy Star, whose steaks are NYC diner-worthy. They do have a back room that should work, but 7 kids wouldn't work in the main dining room.
If you are nearer North County than Downtown, you might consider Red Tracton's across from the racetrack. They are old school, a bit retro, and have some dining areas that are set apart from the main restuarant and would be semi-private and ok for kids.
Creamed spinach would have to be a special request at both places and may or may not be accomodated. They have creamed spinach at the Palm and Morton's; but you're probably not posting here to get rec's to chain joints like those.
Ensenada Olive Oil
I've heard identical praise from another trusted source about this bottling. Why buy o.o. from Italy or Spain when there are high quality local and near-local products available? I've been buying mine for years from boutique wineries in Napa who bottle super small quantities for their mailing list customers. Price is usually the same as Jay's. Olive oil doesn't improve with age. Might as well go local.
The Super Diners do East County
East County is generally a culinary wasteland. Agree that Antica Trattoria should have gotten a mention. There's a little Russian joint, Kalina, on Parkway Dr. in La Mesa at Jackson. Just a hole in the wall, but really tasty offerings. Three savory courses for Lunch for eight bucks is an absolute steal. And you get lots of choices.
Farmers Market Favorites
I'm not a granola aficionado but my wife, who is, says the product from Granola Girl at L.I. market is the best ever.
Blanca--Last Night Tonight
Chef Gavin: It's hard to believe nobody snapped him up locally as either an Exec Chef or Chef /Partner. The word I get is he's going to SF to help open two new restaurants but is not necessarily going to be in the kitchen cooking. This leaves at least a glimmer of hope that he'd be free to return to SD if he was so inclined, which I'm not sure he is.
SimpleSupper: I made inquiry as well, thinking with that name maybe the tarriff would be "simple" too. Not so much. While maybe worth it for Gavin's cooking, ($150 p.p.) I'm always a little wary of the quality of the wine being offered at such events. Probably a pass.
Skirt Steak
I realize the question has long since been answered, but the Cowboy Star Butcher Shop downtown on 10th Ave. always has wagyu skirt steak on hand. Consistently delicious and maybe a little more tender than others.
Eats in and around Julian?
A very rustic little restaurant on Mt. Laguna's Sunrise Hwy, formerly called The Eagle and the Bear, changed hands recently. The new name escapes me. Pine something I think. Open on weekends only for breakfast , lunch and dinner. Had a surprisingly good blackened burger there recently. Constantly changing menu with interesting selections.
