I *love* Grant Grill. I have always loved its:
--posh but friendly/unpretentious atmosphere
--incredibly knowledgeable and warm servers (esp. Natalie)
--the super duper cocktails and wine list by the genius manager/sommelier Jeff Josenhans
The food has always been....good.
But overall I have always had a top-notch experience even if I wouldn't give the food a 10.
Now, it is CRAZY delicious, and the new chef, Sam Burman, has just elevated the place far above, in my view, any other place in SD (at least for someone like me who would rather have a cool atmosphere but not one with loud pulsating music that is trying to hard to be hip and full of 20somethings).
Had a crazy delicious meal there.
--Jeff Josenhan's bottle-fermented cosmo: c-r-a-z-y (so subtle, with hints of keffir lime, a little fizzy, really inventive)
--crazy beet dish
--delicious mushroom bread pudding
And their old standby signature warm foccacia.
I love it even more now. It's not an every-day-hey-why-don't-we-grab-dinner place, but I love going there!
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Wednesday, June 25, 2014
Places I want to try this summer
Grant Grill: redesigned menu, new chef
JSix: Christian Graves let loose with Jack Fischer doing pastries
Hope to get to both soon! (not with SuperBoy, though!)
JSix: Christian Graves let loose with Jack Fischer doing pastries
Hope to get to both soon! (not with SuperBoy, though!)
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Some other recent favorites
Where else have we been in the last several months that is worth going?
Pizzeria Mozza: it gets mixed reviews on Yelp. I'm with the raves, amen. Best tomato sauce in San Diego. Delicious grilled bread. Fantastic pizzas (right, it's not NY style cheap pizza - but it's not supposed to be). Super friendly and kid friendly service. Not cheap, but worth it. Would like an excuse to go again.
Juniper and Ivy: had a great time, met Richard Blais, nice cocktails and food. Food not as crazy as expected but still was very nice, will look forward to returning. (I still liked Mozza even better).
Craftsman (Encinitas): lunch. Fantastic special: $9 = very generous Wade Hagemann salad + delicious margherita flatbread. Added $5 Wade Hagemann sweet corn soup cup. Delicious 3-course lunch for $14 - bargain!!!!
Sea 180: not excited by service. But food was much better than expected for a Cohn restaurant. Had a very good piece of salmon with a crazy delicious farro/corn risotto underneath. Very nice infused watermelon mojito (clear color). Very kid friendly - SuperBoy enjoyed his food very much. But 180 degree views are only on the patio and if you're lucky. We had an obstructed view (behind a big pillar). Kind of far to go to, given that other places have good food. But worth one try.
Waypoint Public: Loved the cool, loud bar vibe - packed early on a weekend. I did love my apple orchard alcoholic cider, and the nice staff. We enjoyed pretzel appetizer, ceviche (texture was unusual but it was refreshing), albacore with very delicious greens (needs a starch though), dill pickles, steak over pretzel dish. Would definitely return (but not before the Smoking Goat!).
Iberico in La Jolla: tasty enough, but very expensive - no need to return.
ENO at the Del: really delicious and nice atmosphere, will definitely return if in Coronado.
Croce's Park West: nice enough, it's not calling us back, though
Seasons 52: It won't get me out of bed in the morning, but it's enjoyable if dining with SuperBoy. The mushroom flatbread is pretty darn good and they have some nice cocktails, but you have to tell them not to make them so short or they are gone in 3 sips.
I still like Searsucker Del Mar for cocktails and dessert with a friend. The dessert chef is channeling Rachel King and still putting out badass desserts (l8yer cake and brown butter cake last time were both delish). They had a cocktail called waking up with Jorge with watermelon and gin that they might still make - they might have renamed it the El Guapo.
And just for the record, Ricardo Heredia at Alchemy is still the best chef in town....
(that's all I can remember of note since October!)
Pizzeria Mozza: it gets mixed reviews on Yelp. I'm with the raves, amen. Best tomato sauce in San Diego. Delicious grilled bread. Fantastic pizzas (right, it's not NY style cheap pizza - but it's not supposed to be). Super friendly and kid friendly service. Not cheap, but worth it. Would like an excuse to go again.
Juniper and Ivy: had a great time, met Richard Blais, nice cocktails and food. Food not as crazy as expected but still was very nice, will look forward to returning. (I still liked Mozza even better).
Craftsman (Encinitas): lunch. Fantastic special: $9 = very generous Wade Hagemann salad + delicious margherita flatbread. Added $5 Wade Hagemann sweet corn soup cup. Delicious 3-course lunch for $14 - bargain!!!!
Sea 180: not excited by service. But food was much better than expected for a Cohn restaurant. Had a very good piece of salmon with a crazy delicious farro/corn risotto underneath. Very nice infused watermelon mojito (clear color). Very kid friendly - SuperBoy enjoyed his food very much. But 180 degree views are only on the patio and if you're lucky. We had an obstructed view (behind a big pillar). Kind of far to go to, given that other places have good food. But worth one try.
Waypoint Public: Loved the cool, loud bar vibe - packed early on a weekend. I did love my apple orchard alcoholic cider, and the nice staff. We enjoyed pretzel appetizer, ceviche (texture was unusual but it was refreshing), albacore with very delicious greens (needs a starch though), dill pickles, steak over pretzel dish. Would definitely return (but not before the Smoking Goat!).
Iberico in La Jolla: tasty enough, but very expensive - no need to return.
ENO at the Del: really delicious and nice atmosphere, will definitely return if in Coronado.
Croce's Park West: nice enough, it's not calling us back, though
Seasons 52: It won't get me out of bed in the morning, but it's enjoyable if dining with SuperBoy. The mushroom flatbread is pretty darn good and they have some nice cocktails, but you have to tell them not to make them so short or they are gone in 3 sips.
I still like Searsucker Del Mar for cocktails and dessert with a friend. The dessert chef is channeling Rachel King and still putting out badass desserts (l8yer cake and brown butter cake last time were both delish). They had a cocktail called waking up with Jorge with watermelon and gin that they might still make - they might have renamed it the El Guapo.
And just for the record, Ricardo Heredia at Alchemy is still the best chef in town....
(that's all I can remember of note since October!)
Smoking Goat: Yum!
Haven't blogged in a long time, but I wanted to remember that I loved Smoking Goat so we go again!
Very casual atmosphere, great food, very efficient and knowledgeable servers who are not pretentious.
Enjoyed: Lillet Blanc with blood orange (tasty but very short)
--Provencal rose (was very food friendly)
--Burrata and tomato salad (awesome grilled bread)
--Tomato risotto: just a really lovely dish with great Suzie's farm veggies
CH enjoyed:
--Suzie's salad (he might get regular green next time)
--half a chicken; had delicious potatoes and green beans too
Food was not too heavy for CH, I said several times after the meal (according to CH) that I really liked it and wanted to return. Yum!
Very casual atmosphere, great food, very efficient and knowledgeable servers who are not pretentious.
Enjoyed: Lillet Blanc with blood orange (tasty but very short)
--Provencal rose (was very food friendly)
--Burrata and tomato salad (awesome grilled bread)
--Tomato risotto: just a really lovely dish with great Suzie's farm veggies
CH enjoyed:
--Suzie's salad (he might get regular green next time)
--half a chicken; had delicious potatoes and green beans too
Food was not too heavy for CH, I said several times after the meal (according to CH) that I really liked it and wanted to return. Yum!
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