Peohe's in Coronado - San Diego Restaurant Week preview

San Diego Restaurant Week is back between January 19 - 26, 2020! Participating restaurants throughout San Diego County offer prix fixe meals with lunches ranging from $10-25 and dinners at $20-60. Through a media pairing with Peohe's, we were able to visit majestic Coronado Island and dine within meters of the ocean!

Seriously, what could be grander than food with a view? From one side of the restaurant patio, you can see the San Diego downtown skyline and from the other side, you can see the Coronado bridge. Peohe's is next to the Coronado Ferry Landing, has free parking (yay), and presents an elegant atmosphere with family, friends or that special someone! 

It was our first time to Peohe's and the entrance draws your interest with the cavernous rock shapes.

It feels like an underwater trek with the blues, spherical accents, and flowing water accents throughout. This prestigeous restaurant has been around for over 35 years as  a longtime staple of the area. That evening, our waiter Thomas took care of us.

For the sips, a bourbon with chocolate caught Dennis's eye. That's a real piece of chocolate on the drink! Ordered on the rocks, it packed an alcoholic kick that was sweetened by the chocolate candy. Dennis also picked out a non-alcoholic blood orange drink for me. The sage leaves were nice but overall there was too much something which made it sugary tasting. I let the ice melt more before resuming the drink.

The first food to grace our table was the complimentary bread and butter. This was no ordinary butter though! It was sprinkled with Himalayan black salt which gave a fabulous salty contrast to the toasty, fresh out of the oven bread.

We briefly scanned the San Diego Restaurant menu, which is $30 for a 3-course dinner, with the option of upgrades or add-ons for an additional charge. A few items can be found on their regular menu. Executive Chef Chris Gardner spiced it up a bit with some new entrees just for this week. 

First Course: Appetizers

Clam Chowder Appetizer - New England Style

Lobster Bisque Appetizer - finished with whole butter sherry and lobster

After a cloudy morning that cleared up beautifully, we were still feeling the need for warm bowls. The clam chowder contained plenty of oyster bites interspersed among soup veggies. The chowder was thick and delicious, and reminded us of a comforting turkey gravy. If you wanted a seafood taste instead, the lobster bisque was it! Lobster meat was scooped out in spoonfuls to our awaiting mouths.

Second Course: Entree

Coconut Crunchy Shrimp (appetizer size) - coconut and panko tempura breaded shrimp

For restaurant week, this is one of the entree options but we were able to sample it in the smaller appetizer size. Coconut Crunchy Shrimp is a crowd favorite at food events that Peohe's participates in. Huge shrimp are butterflied then fried with a light crunchy coating. If the coconut flakes in the breading weren't enough, you could DIP it into the sweeter white coconut sauce, one of three side sauces. I preferred the Thai sweet chili dip which easily coated the shrimp. The third was a darker soy-based dip with the consistency of teriyaki sauce.

Seared Salmon and Duck Sausage Entree (upgrade to $40 entree) - tarragon butter, citrus beet salad, blood orange gastrique

My favorite of the night was the duck sausages from this plate! Moist? Flavorful? And DUCK? I could eat duck in this form forever! Salmon was cooked perfectly, flaked easily, and had easily spreadable herb butter on top. Minty! The Golden Beets and Red Beets were thick cut, wonderfully roasted, and had just enough oven time to round out the meal with freshness.

Lobster Ravioli Entree - shaved fennel salad, lobster cream sauce, kalamata olives, feta cheese

Another option was the lobster ravioli mellowing out in a creamy seafood sauce. I'm not sure how they made the dark stripes on the ravioli but it sure was striking. The pasta was al dente on the outside and lightly filled with lobster mixture on the inside. Fennel absorbs the sauce really well while the feta gives just enough saltiness but we felt the olives could be a little overpowering.

Add-Ons

Lobster Mac 'N Cheese ($7 add-on) - cavatappi pasta, cream sauce, fontina cheese

We couldn't resist ordering the lobster mac 'n cheese. It's a seafood kind of day, right? The cheese isn't oily or heavy here so you can actually taste the lobster underneath. The crunchies on top gave additional flavor and texture to the dish. Portionwise, this was ideal for sharing between two people.

Third Course: Dessert

Mini Hot Chocolate Lava Cake Dessert - rich godiva chocolate liqueur cake with molten chocolate center, served warm with chocolate sauce, Heath Bar Crunch and macadamia nut ice cream

We had to eat this one quickly due to the ice cream on top. Once you start, you can't stop though! Cold creaminess against a warm chocolate cake kept your mouth entertained. I loved the crunchy toffee bits on the outside all the while digging fiercely into the warm chocolate gooeyness of the center! Despite there being tons of chocolate sauce around it, I was delighted that it wasn't too sweet like hersheys and more like a deep fudge flavor. This dessert was absolute paradise on my tongue.

Creme Brulee Dessert - vanilla custard with a caramelized sugar crust topped with macadamia nuts

Dennis was a big fan of the macadamia nuts on top and the crystalized sugar topping in the creme brulee. Underneath, it was extremely rich and quite buttery in mouth-feel. I still felt like chocolate won the dessert battle today!

If you're still pondering where to go for San Diego Restaurant Week, Peohe's is definitely a place to consider for dinner. Any other time, day or night, you will also have a dedicated chef with attentive kitchen staff and servers, eye candy from the food and scenic view, and a relaxing environment away from home.

Disclaimer: We were invited to the restaurant for SDRW and the food was complimentary. We were not otherwise compensated and all opinions are our own.