Revisiting Urban Solace (North Park)

Date night here....

We first hit Urban Solace in Jan. 2009 or so. It had tons of buzz and I remember being super impressed. It felt "urban", way more than other places in San Diego, and the food was delicious and very reasonable. I still remember what I had: those famous biscuits; a salad that was to die for; and a grilled portabello sandwich that came with a little soup ($9, I think). Reasonable, yummy.

Then I saw Matt Gordon speak at a food panel and thought he was menschy, smart and cute (not as cute as Cute Husband, of course, but young and menschy for a chef). And recently he's in the news a lot for throwing high fructose corn syrup off the menu, even for cocktails, and pushing for sustainability in all his products. All around a nice guy.

The only reason we haven't been back sooner: the food seemed a little heavy every time I looked at the menu. The current menu had some lighter choices for me, so back we went.

Verdict: Very good, but not as nirvana-y as I remembered.

Decor: yes, it's loud and urban, but I am kind of suprised that I was so impressed by this 18 mos. ago. San Diego has really come a long way. Searsucker is way more exciting, but I think there are also other places with buzz and a coolor atmosphere.

Cocktail: WOWZA! One of the best I have ever had. Better than Eden's Apple: could it be any yummier? Very intense and delicious: Gala Apple Vodka, Roasted Orange-Infused Syrup, Orange Bitters, St-Germain Elderflower Liqueur, Fresh Citrus Juices, Fresh Apple Slice. Need I say more?

Appetizer: Liked my albacore chop-chop. Wasn't nearly as good as any ceviche that Ricardo Heredia makes at Alchemy. CH liked his wedge salad. The biscuits were as good as we remembered.

Entree: This was the other highlight of my meal. L-O-V-E-D my salmon. Great fish, perfectly cooked, yummy farro with veggies underneath. CH thought his mac n'cheese was ok, not spectacular.

Dessert: "not so red" velvet cake. Pretty disappointing. Liked the cream cheese frosting but not really the cake. No taste compared to the cake I had at Kitchen 1540.

CH's verdict when I pressed him: Nowhere near as good as Alchemy. I certainly wouldn't argue with that. We probably won't rush back again, but I did really enjoy my cocktail and entree, and I still think Matt Gordon is an all-around awesome guy.