The best type of family trips are the ones where both parent and child are off doing the things that they each like. So for my dad's Christmas present, I paid for his green fees at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, San Diego. While he played golf at the world famous course (and more importantly, brag to his friends about it), I got to catch a surf session at Scripps while my sister took her son to Sea World.I knew a bit about the dining scene in La Jolla and there were a few restaurants that I was leaning towards (Marine Room, George's) but unfortunately with a kid in tow, our options were limited. I was resigned to dinner at a diner of some sort. I let out a big sigh as we passed George's at The Cove and my sister suggested we just go in and ask them if they were a "kid-friendly" restaurant.
George's at the Cove is an oceanfront restaurant with three restaurants on each level. The bottom floor is the fine dining section, the middle houses the bar and the top restaurant is the Ocean Terrace, offering outdoor seating overlooking the ocean. Both George's Bar and Ocean Terrace offer the same casual bistro menu, while the first floor signature restaurant features a fine dining modern Californian menu. Naturally, I had my eye on the latter.
They were able to offer us a table without reservations. Upon our request, they tried to accommodate us with a table that was situated in the corner, in case my nephew acted up at dinner. Thankfully, he was very well behaved.
Not only are they kid friendly, but the hostess also provided Wikki Stix for my nephew to entertain himself with.
The menu offers many seasonal specialties and was surprisingly very reasonably priced.
Likewise, they had a good selection of wine by the glass which was not pricey.
Pipeline Porter from Kona Brewing Company had a deep rich chocolate essence.Pear Blossom Cocktail (Jasmine Pearl infused Vodka, lemongrass, ginger, candied orange zest, pear) was made with fresh ingredients.
Warm bread was served with butter, cayenne salt, pepper and ground sea salt
Side of fries for the boy, which everyone at the table helped themselves to. Apparently they could also offer their popular chicken strips and fries from the Terrace menu.
Braised Colorado Lamb Shank with butternut squash risotto, sweet onion raisin relish, feta salse verdeThe gorgeous and massive lamb shank was fork tender and flavorful. The accompaniments really took this dish to another level. I really appreciate the chef utilizing seasonal ingredients and offering a nice spin on a classic risotto side. The onion relish was sweet and played well with the saltiness of the sauce. I am not a feta fan but my sister insisted I had to try the dish with feta and I agreed that the sharpness of the cheese really enhanced the flavor of the dish.
Local Yellowtail, carrot-miso puree, bok choy, tangerine butterIn all honesty, I wasn't too excited about this dish. I was expecting slices of seared yellowtail, Japanese style. George's version utilized a thicker cut of fish, which was cooked perfectly. The fish was grilled on the exterior and seared. I was very impressed with how flaky and tender the fish was. I thought the plating was eye popping with all the bright and vibrant vegetable color combination. This dish was light yet it didn't leave you hungry, something that one expects from Californian cuisine.
Niman Pork Chop, soft polenta, bacon braised mustard greens, honey ginger glazed cippolini onions, persimmon saladThe worse thing that can happen to pork is if it's overcooked and dry. Despite being a thicker cut, the pork chop was juicy and tender. Food can tend to continue cooking even after it's served and I sometimes find that a tender piece can usually dry out by the last bite. Amazingly, even the last bite of the pork chop was moist. The meat was also very well seasoned and the creamy polenta and braised greens tasted just like home cooking.
The portions were rather filling but we managed to squeeze room for one dessert to share.
Vietnamese Affogato, espresso, condensed milk ice cream, vanilla bean mochi, cinnamon frittersAn affogato is an Italian dessert that comprises of hot espresso and gelato. I liked the Asian spin on the dessert. The condensed milk ice cream was rich but surprisingly silky and light in texture. The mochi added a texture to the affogato. I really enjoyed the freshly prepared churros which was very rich and oily, but in a good way.
I was really impressed with George's. The food was very well executed, and I appreciated the use of seasonal, fresh ingredients. I liked the sides that were served with the entrees as they weren't ordinary or generic. I was also very pleased with the service. The host and waiters were all very professional, yet warm and friendly. We were also grateful that the service was fast but didn't seem rushed. That last thing a restaurant or diner would want is a tired, grumpy three year old. George's is a perfect blend of sophisticated yet approachable dining. The dishes were very strong, yet the prices were not outrageous and the service was welcoming. And a restaurant that has toys on hand to entertain children is a winner in my books.
Hits: service, food, view
Misses: nothing
Rating: ***
George's at the Cove
1250 Prospect St.,
La Jolla, California 92037
(858) 454-4244
www.georgesatthecove.com
The dining room of Kitchen 1540 is stark white and elegant.
In contrast, the outside patio, where we were seated, seemed classy yet trendy with large trees, a fire pit and cabana seating that is reminiscent of a chic Miami hotel where Jay-Z would party at.
Chef McCabe presented a Tasting Menu tailored for Kevin and his guests.
Classic Mojito to start.
The bread selection included olive, french baguette and foccacia with grape and rosemary which is made in-house.
Lovely presentation. The creamy liver pate paired with an apple gelee and little bits of apple was an excellent first bite. That definitely engaged the palate and left me wanting more.
The yellowtail was fresh although could have been cut more precisely. The corn nuts added crunch and salt to the dish. I also liked the heat from the jalapeno.
I enjoyed this dish which was a nice combination of savory and sweet. The scallop was cooked well and was richen by the creamy popcorn sauce. The dish was plated with popcorn cooked in liquid nitrogen.
Another standout dish. This wasn't on the Tasting Menu so it was a pleasant surprise. The Bison was made from North Dakota loin and you could tell that it was fresh as it melt in your mouth. The tartare was also adequately seasoned. I love spreading anything on bread so I could have used a bit more brioche.
This was probably my least favorite dish because I’m don’t swoon over vegetables, let alone raw vegetables. But I did appreciate that this was probably the most labor intensive dish of the night as many components seemed to be cooked in liquid nitrogen. There were a lot of ingredients in this dish, of which I enjoyed the sun dried tomato puree, ground pumpernickel and asparagus most.
This next dish was a crowd favorite. The foie gras was seared on a 400 degree hot stone for 30 seconds. This is obviously quite a task for food bloggers attempting to take photos within that 30 second period.
The sizzling foie gras smelled amazing. It was rich and topped with cracking pop rocks. I've also mentioned numerous times before that financiers are one of my favorite baked goods, and this piece was moist and really added a nice sweetness. The dish was also paired with a lovely syrupy Reisling.
I thought this was fun and playful. The tart lemon ice was complimented with a light coating of sugar on the cone in the bowl.
Kevin correctly guessed the interpretation of this dish – a deconstructed clam chowder. Who knew? The dish included house made pancetta, crispy potatoes, clams and tabasco gelee. My piece of fish was a touch overcooked and the skin was a bit soggy. But overall, I enjoyed the flavor combination and the very spicy kick from Tabasco gelee.
The tenderloin was seared with three types of salt and served with a coffee chocolate reduction. The hash and mushrooms were like a taste of home. That is, if your mom cooked such refined side dishes.
You’ll have to refer to Kevin’s post for thoughts on this course because I don’t like cheese. In my defense, I did try a tiny bite of the 10 year aged goat cheese but it still didn't win me over. I did however finish every last piece of the sharp Gouda, as well as the salt crystals and apple slices on the plate.
The cheese course was served with additional bread.
To be honest, I wasn't too excited about this dessert when I first read it on the menu. I've never been a fan of caramel apple. But this is not your every day carnival fair. It’s smart and inventive. The dish resembled a lasagna with apple slices in between flexible caramel. I really liked the texture of the caramel. The apple lasagna was served with crushed caramel with prosciutto, and ice cream.
The Madeira, which was full bodied and sweet, was one of my favorite wines of the night.
Before we could even get to sample any beer, we had to jump out of a plane (don't worry, we had plenty of mimosas before hand). We decided to skydive at Skydive San Diego because it came recommended by a friend's friend who is a regular skydiver. It's not a fancy establishment by any means but it's very efficient (we were in and out in 1.5 hrs) even though we were told to plan to be there between 2-4hrs. Hey, that just meant more time for beers! BTW, skydiving wasn't scary. I was expecting my heart to drop a bit (like during the freefall ride at Magic Mountain) but it was actually quite peaceful and therapeutic to be cruising in the air. It was also a bit anti-climatic. We hopped off a plane, flew in the sky, landed, then jumped in our car and headed off to the first brewery.
Ballast had a bar area that was pretty cool, with a TV showing the football game where US lost to Ghana.
There was an option of two beer tastings. Our favorite was their wheat beer.
You order at the counter and the kitchen prepares your sandwich fresh. Prices are also affordable.
Even though for a split second I was tempted by the chicken salad sandwich, I had to go for the spicy chicken sandwich. We all did. OMG what an amazing sandwich. I am a super picky sandwich eater (I only eat turkey and wheat with no condiments or sides) but this was perfect. I had it sans cheese and tomatoes of course. I ordered the chicken regular spicy but my daring friends went for the extra spicy which apparently numbed the tongue for minutes after. The men ordered double serving of chicken. The chicken was surprisingly tender and juicy even though it was white meat. You could tell that it was good quality chicken. The lean chicken was mixed with a sort of sriracha sauce that seemed to be mixed with yogurt that gave it a mild creaminess. The chicken was sandwiched between thick, buttered jalapeno cheese toast. The sandwich was simple yet every bite was perfection. We were all still talking about it for the rest of the day. We also recommended it to some of our friends that we met up with later, who decided to go off to get themselves some.
You'll walk into an unassuming office building to the back tasting room, surrounded by boxes, crates, kegs and barrels. It was an intimate scene and surprisingly rather packed. I liked that the brewers were present so you could chat up with them and get good recommendations. The Nautical Nut Brown was our favorite. BTW, tastings for $1? Awesome!
The venue was much larger than the other two breweries that we had visited previously. Even though I liked the ample seating and beer-keg-tables, I do appreciate the smaller tasting rooms more.
Similar to Ale Smith, tastings here were also $1. It's on an honor system, you come back when you're done and let them know how many you've had. Only in San Diego will this work. Their seasonal Carnivale saison ale was excellent and refreshing, perfect for a warm SoCal afternoon. Their Red Barn Ale was also tasty.
The tasting room was located on their bottling floor.. and boy did it smell like beer and yeast over there.
We got the 9 tastings for $6. Another great deal - so different from wine tasting in Napa which is sometimes a bit snobby and will cost you much more. Unfortunately my favorite Green Flash beer (Summer Saison) wasn't available.
The restaurant is gorgeous with huge doors opening out to the luscious garden.
They offer a vast selection of beer as well as wine.
Their cuisine is not your typical brewery fare. It's priced on the higher end and utilizes fresh, seasonal and sustainable products. The menu is kind of eclectic and includes classic California dishes of salmon and steak, but also a tempeh shepherd's pie, yakisoba and bouillabaisse.
Because we were beered out at this point, some of us opted for wine.
Spud buds - Stone IPA organic garlicky mashed potatoes, deep fried in Arrogant Bastard Ale batter, served with Stone Smoked Porter BBQ sauce.
Stone-style Soft Pretzels- seasoned with sea salt and served with Stone Pale Ale open seed spicy brown mustard sauce from Carlsbad Gourmet and cheddar cheese sauce.
Mac and Beer cheese - Mike's Stone Smoked Porter & garlic beer cheese with sun dried tomatoes, basil, Stone smoked porter sausage
Artisanal sausage with four sausages- Arrogant Bastard smoked cheddar bratwurst, spicy polish, chicken florentine, and hot italian with provolone, served with braised cabbage with spicy brown mustard
Pan roasted scallops - Mano de leon scallops with white truffle pomme puree, Mushroom meadows wild mushroom ragout and cabernet demi
Chicken Schnitzel - Jidori chicken pan fried to golden brown and served with garlic mash potatoes, local organic vegetables and lemon caper cream sauce
Wild King Salmon -herb panko crusted fresh Wild King Salmon topped with a horseradish creme and Carlsbad Gourmet's Stone Brewing Cal-Belgique Spicy Brown Mustard sauce, served over poached asparagus and a citrus and apple cous cous.
Yakisoba - Japanese stir fried noodles with tofu, carrots, snap peas, red onions, mushrooms in a savory dark sesame oil, soy and pepper flakes, cashews
Chicken Tikka Marsala - spiced Jidori chicken breast skewers sauteed with onion, peppers and summer squash, topped with marsala sauce and served with basmati rice.
Rack of lamb - All natural California lamb rack, pan-roasted to medium rare, with grilled Mediterranean polenta, sauteed organic broccolini and olive vinaigrette
Buffalo Ribeye steak -All natural 13 oz Buffalo ribeye grilled medium-rare, chipotle butter, served with Cheswick aged white cheddar organic mashed sweet potatoes and la Milpa Organic's fresh, local and organic seasonal greens
Arrogant Bastard brownie sundae with vanilla bean ice cream, Callebaut dark chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream and walnuts