A San Diego Restaurant Review Blog

in which the author chronicles her efforts to indulge her foodie inclinations amidst her working-mom-of-a-toddler lifestyle



(with some reviews for with toddlers, others for date night, and others for a delicious solo lunch on the run, plus occasional quick-notes on SD theater!)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Taverna Blu Review (Carmel Valley)

The makeover of the Del Mar Highlands shopping continues. Lots of new restaurants....and less parking! It's a real winning combination.

But after fighting for a spot, I gave Taverna Blu a try today. Not bad! I'm not sure I'd say it's worth driving a distance for, but it seems to be a winning formula. Tasty Greek/Med food, at good price points (at least for them): $3, 4, 6, 7 or 11. Of course, the diner ends up ordering a little of this and a little of that, so it adds up, but at least you get to try different flavors if you're going to pay $10-$12 for your lunch and $15-20 for dinner.

Tried/shared:
--lentil soup (good deal for $4, tasty)
--"threesome" (spicy feta dip, humus, "mama ganush" - like Spanish eggplant with tomatoes); for $6, the portions of the dips were not that big, but there were tons of carbs on the plate (pita, pita chips)
--falafel sandwich ($7): respectable enough; not going to vie for best falafel in town

Atmosphere: Very cute patio, big hip space in side (wine and beer).

Service: There were a lot of complaints on yelp (they've only been open a few weeks). But maybe in response to that, servers were super-nice and attentive.

They're not advertising yet, so it's Counter spillover and walk-by traffic for them. I think this is going to be very, very popular in the food-starved DMH area. And it definitely would be toddler-friendly (esp. outside) even if they're going for a more happy hour vibe inside.

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