California - Opinions on these 6 San Diego restaurants?

Hi- just finalizing our arrangements before our 5 day mini-vac in SD next week.
Looking at these restaurants- anyone care to give any of them a "skip it" or "do not miss"?

Thanks

1) Firenze Trattoria
2) Island Prime
3) George's La Jolla
4) Indigo grill
5) Trulucks
6) Donovans

Thanks for any help!

We take out of town guests to Island Prime. It has a wonderful view of the San Diego skyline as well as a decent menu. There is a more casual sister restaurant in the same structure with outdoor seating that is good for lunch.

Wow, that's a pretty random list.

I don't know where you are staying or if that is a factor so I will leave that part out of my critique.

Of all on the list, by far the only "Don't miss" would be George's Modern for dinner or George's rooftop for lunch. The rooftop views are wonderful.

Firenze has it's fans. I am not one of them as I feel there are better Italian places but they are all downtown. Firenze is in Encinitas on the way to Rancho Santa Fe and if you are not already in North County, I sure wouldn't drive there from even La Jolla just for a meal.

Island Prime is part of the Cohen Restaurant Group and their restaurants are consistent but not exceptional. Usually the venue is part of the appeal (as in the views from IP).

Indigo Grill has unusual Mex/American/Native American Fare and Deborah Scott has a great following. Another Cohen Restaurant.

Trulucks is OK but there are so many better places. Japango in the same complex is so much better and more interesting.

Donovan's also has a following but it is a Steakhouse. There are so many better and more unique places in San Diego. Can't you get a good steak in every city?

Have you considered Bice for Italian, Market for California Cuisine, on a Monday night Mille Fleurs has no corkage and their bistro menu is the best food value anywhere. They always have a prix fix menu @ $40 and you can have a conversation and hear what your table mates are saying. Mille Fleurs and Bertrands they are two of San Diego's best.

Other "special" favorites would be the Marine Room, Quero in Encinitas and worth the drive, The Top of the Market downtown for fish, Seersucker (if you can get a table).

You didn't give a budget but Addison is probably the best restaurant we have and has prices to match.

A really good online resource is San Diego Magazine.

I also really like the Prado (another Cohen restaurant) and also Bo Beau (also a Cohen restaurant).

I would eat at any on my list and only two on yours!

+1 for Qero in Encinitas. My absolute favorite. If you like steak try bistek a la trujillana.

FrAAmer, that's a great list. I just printed it out for some fresh ideas.

We ate at Flavor at the Del Mar Plaza this past weekend. The ambience is amazing with the wonderful ocean view. I just read the very mixed Yelp reviews. All I can say is go for lunch so that you get the view with the food. Our dishes were a bit pricey but interesting and superbly prepared. My lobster roll was excellent.

We also had an amazing meal at Nobu in the Gaslamp Quarter. You pay dearly for the chef's special, but it's worth it for a splurge meal.

We had an FT dinner years ago at Prado. It's a lovely location inside Balboa Park, within the complex of buildings built for the Pan American Exposition to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal.

The Marine Room is on the water in a quiet area of La Jolla. It has a spectacular view of the beach and ocean.

Oddly enough, Quero doesn't click for me, despite it being the fave for several of my friends. Perhaps Peruvian isn't my thing.

Thankyou all for your great suggestions.
Look forward to visiting your fine city next week!

:cool:

We ate at Flavor at the Del Mar Plaza this past weekend. The ambience is amazing with the wonderful ocean view. Our dishes were a bit pricey but interesting and superbly prepared. My lobster roll was excellent.

Chef has a great pedigree, great venue but the food (especially for dinner) is stupidly expensive :).

1K - Have you dined at Mille Fleurs recently? It used to be the place all the "rich people went to" and I could never afford it. Now the menu is more reasonable than Flavor, Market, Georges, and even Addison - with old school service that is hard to find. If you go on a Monday with no corkage, it has to be the best value and most under-appreciated food experience in town. If you go on any other day - it is still a great deal food wise and they have a great wine list too.

Have you dined at Mille Fleurs recently?

We haven't been there for years. Our last name is the same as one of those San Diegan mega wealthy folks. They gave us his "fave" table, thinking we were his kids - and then panicked on realizing we weren't. I printed out your post; that is one of the restaurants I've marked. I plan to get there soon.

Also, I booked George's Rooftop for an upcoming lunch we need to host. So thank you for your suggestions. We have our little circuit of restaurants, and it's good to try some different ones.

Got to give these restaurants their "propers" - though I am sure that some of the "winners" had a good PR engine - :)

Truluck's won for this year's San Diego Magazine's Best of the Best in their annual Best Restaurant Awards Reader's Poll......They also won: Best Wine List (a total crock since Jesse Rodriguez won as best Sommelier (from Addison), Best Happy Hour, Best Service (HA!) and best Seafood and runner up for Most Romantic and Best Desserts. As my grandfather always said, that's what makes horseraces.......

Moving on-

Best New restaurant - Searsucker with Brian Malarkey (of Top Chef Fame) as Best Chef. (On my list :))

Best View - Bertrand at Mr. A's with Island Prime as runner up (Good call 1-K)

Most Romantic -The Marine Room (on my list :))

Best Outdoor Dining - Georges at the Cove (on my list :))

Best Italian - Cucina Urbana

Best Steakhouse - Donovan's (yes they deserve it but they are a Steakhouse and I stand by my "you can get a good steak almost anywhere but we have so many more interesting places" statement)

From the Critics-

Best of the Best - Blanca (It wasn't on my list because of the revolving door of chefs and I have not tried it since the new chef arrived. It used to be stupid expensive but now has a more reasonable menu and they run coupons all the time. Got to put it on my radar.)

Best Chef - Jeff Jackson at AR Valentien (embarassed that I left that restaurant off my list.) Truly worthy and a great Farm to Table restaurant.

Best Wine List -Addison (on my list :))

Best American - Market (on my list :))


Lots more in this month's issue of San Diego Magazine. I'm getting hungry......

I'll also be printing sd1k's and FrAAmer's lists. All great suggestions. I've been wanting to try market.
I usually stay away from Cohn restaurants because I thought they did just have a good pr machine but will give island prime a try based on your suggestions.
Btw, I thought mr A's closed?

I usually stay away from Cohn restaurants because I thought they did just have a good pr machine but will give island prime a try based on your suggestions.
Btw, I thought mr A's closed?

Don't leave out Bo Beau- Our new favorite Cohen restaurant, especially if you sit outside.

Mr. A's was taken over by Bertrand Hug - (of Mille Fleur fame) and it is also wonderful. If you sign up with them on Facebook they send you the most delicious descriptions and photos of what is on for the day. I call food porn......:).

..by far the only "Don't miss" would be George's Modern for dinner or George's rooftop for lunch. The rooftop views are wonderful.

George's Ocean Terrace made it onto Travel and Leisure's World's Hottest Rooftop Restaurants (http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/worlds-hottest-rooftop-restaurants/9) in the May 2011 issue.

Hey 1K and others - Have I got a GREAT suggestion for you.

Ate last night at The Shores Restaurant in the La Jolla Shores Hotel - smack on the water at La Jolla Shores. Free 3 hour validated underground parking and every table has an ocean view. We were at an ocean view window table at sunset with views to downtown La Jolla looking South and all the way up the coast past the Scripps Pier looking North.

The menu is downloadable at www.theshoresrestaurant.com

The menu is overseen by the chef from the Marine Room and the food is fabulous and very well priced given the quality and presentation! Fantastic, well priced wine list (by the bottle and by the glass) and also excellent draft beers.

During May there is a three course Maine Lobster tasting menu for $30 (which Mrs. FrAAmer enjoyed.) I had Scallops and Prawns with a Roasted Beet Salad. Our guests had Mussels and the Scallops and also the Butterfish. We were all thrilled - especially as the restaurant was not very full, we weren't rushed, and we could have a conversation and did not have to shout.

The dining room is not fussy (dress of all sorts - the food is more upscale than many of the diner's dress :)) - but the tableware and glassware are all top notch.

Highly recommended.

That sounds awesome. I need to get there before the busy summer season starts.

We went to Mille Fleur for the $40 prix fixe dinner you had mentioned. It was fortunate that you mentioned it, as we were not proactively offered it. We learned it is available not just Monday, but Sunday thru Thursday. The menu changes daily. Still, we were disappointed. The three of us dining together didn't feel that any of our choices were particularly inspired.

The three of us dining together didn't feel that any of our choices were particularly inspired.

Bummer- The only reason I mentioned Mondays is there is no corkage for up to two bottles. I agree that some of the prix fixe choices are as wonderful as the regular menu. I am not big on desserts so I usually order off the Bistro Menu.

How was the service overall?

How was the service overall?

Excellent, very polished.

I agree that some of the prix fixe choices are as wonderful as the regular menu.

I meant NOT as wonderful........

Restaurant moves along the North County coast:


Solana Beach - CRUSH (http://solanabeachcrush.com/) has gone into the space used by Pacific Coast Grill. Early Yelp and friends' reports are very positive.
Solana Beach - Blanca (http://www.dineblanca.com/serving/up/flash/) has closed. I think they wanted to be too high end, and never found a comfortable balance between beach, good food and ambience. Folks like flip flops and shorts here.
Cardiff - Pacific Coast Grill (http://www.pacificcoastgrill.com/) website says they are going into the ocean front space that Charlies left a couple years back. Facebook shows some shots of a great deck that has been built, but I've seen no construction efforts this summer. We need another restaurant that serves good food while taking advantage of being right on the water.


I've just heard about Burlap (http://www.burlapeats.com/) in Del Mar, Brian Malarkey's new restaurant. Asian cowboy? Intriguing. The website isn't up to date, because the restaurant is indeed open. It's very busy on its Facebook page. Malarkey of Top Chef fame has Seersucker in the Gaslamp Quarter.