The big downtown Mardi Gras block party returns on Tuesday February 28, 2017! Grab a bite & pregame your night while ALSO getting a discounted Mardi Gras ticket with our Food & Beverage package! You will receive a $30 food and drink credit at 17 downtown hotspots along with a DISCOUNTED Mardi Gras ticket.
GA Package (Discounted $25 GA Ticket & $30 Food & Beverage Credit) $55.00 + fee
The dinner package must be purchased online. You choose your restaurant when you purchase your tickets. Redeem your food/drink on the night of the party and have fun!
Crudo by Pascal Lorange found its way to the top of my list for San Diego Restaurant Week. I have higher expectations when a restaurant brands itself with a chef, especially if their name appears in the name or tagline! Every aspect and little detail matters including the decor, ambiance, service, and of course the food and drinks. It didn't hurt that their SDRW lunch menu was being offered for only $20 including dessert! Can't. Resist. Crudo.
Dennis and I took a drive along the 56 freeway and arrived at The Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch. This plaza was brand spanking new (at least for us) and we found the restaurant on the northeast side next to Crunch Fitness gym. The easiest parking was the lot in front of the gym and luckily new years resolution gym bodies hadn't filled every spot. Our late lunch timing could have helped as well!
The space was elegant in white, silver and light wood tones. There was an open spread of seating both inside and out, plus a center bar area for drinks. We were sitting in these papasan chairs during the meal and thinking... if I relax too far back, I might bump my neighbor behind me! *excuse us*
Fig Tree Cafe has always been a brunch destination for us. We first sampled them during a Pacific Beach Restaurant Walk and have made several visits to the PB location. I recently found out they had dinner at their Liberty Station location and we were invited to give it a try!
We decided to sit in the open patio area which I can imagine is perfect for a daytime visit. I was amused by the two heat lamps near us because their curved shape reminded me of treadmills! Food first, workout next time?
I remember seeing Oscar Wilde Irish Pub on the San Diego Burger Week 2016 list. We didn't quite make it then (it was closed the night we were nearby) but dropped by a couple of months later. I had heard some positive things about their burgers plus it had been a while since we had Irish food!
For parking, there's a shared lot with Hillcrest Brewing Company (HBC) as well as street parking available.
The Haven Pizzeria is located right off the 15 freeway in the Kensington area. When I got the invitation to try out the restaurant, I realized we had sampled them during Taste of Adams Avenue in 2015! At long last, we would be returning for a full meal experience! There's a small parking lot to the right of the restaurant if you happen to get lucky, otherwise street parking is what you're left with. You order at the counter and then they will bring you your food. Of course we had plenty of yummy things to try!
Lately in San Diego, it's been raining a bit. This kind of weather temps me to morph into homebody mode, safe and dry from the rain, but a little drizzle couldn't stop us from a San Diego Restaurant Week preview at Parc Bistro Brasserie. This restaurant took over the Banker's Hill spot of the well known Croces (4+ decades of live music and dining between here and gaslamp). I'd been having good luck with picks in the Banker's Hill area (Azuki Sushi, Banker's Hill Bar & Restaurant) and hoped to keep the trend going!
We checked in at the front and were shown to our seats in the cozy back area. A huge wine rack display caught my eye and other guests seemed quite content, enjoying a glass or two with intimate company.
We felt like we were on a date night with the romantic French music filling the air plus we could read our menus (I prefer this over darker 'ambiance' lighting)! For the San Diego Restaurant Week $40 dinner menu, there were between 5-6 choices for the appetizers and entrees, making it hard to choose. Everything sounded so good! We were informed that their best dishes were available as part of San Diego Restaurant Week.
San Diego Restaurant Week is back for 2017 and runs from Sunday January 15 until Sunday January 22! Participating restaurants offer 2 course lunches for either $10, $15 or $20 and 3 course dinners for $20, $30, $40 or $50. It's always a great way to sample the menu at a discounted price!
This year, some participating restaurants's have incorporated Girl Scout Cookies into their SDRW menu to celebrate a century of these famous cookies being sold! Another perk of this partnership... local girl scouts were paired with fabulous female chefs around San Diego in a special "cookie-off" competition! I sure wish I had this kind of opportunity when I was in a troop!
Sous Chef Jennifer Chan from Sea180 with Girl Scouts Kayla and Roni.
Our last dining out in 2016 turned out to be quite fun AND satisfying. I've already been experimenting with beer over the past year but this time I could be my own bartender.
We were invited to Barrel Republic in Carlsbad, the newest of three freedom-to-pour locations. This business originally started in Pacific Beach, then expanded into Oceanside followed by Carlsbad.
After providing an employee at the ordering station with your ID and credit card, you'll receive an electronic wristband which will be used to activate whichever tap you desire! You choose when, where and how much to pour!
