Cohn

We've been dining at Cohn restaurants for years now (happy birthday babe!) and finally made it out to Sea180° Coastal Tavern. There's one main reason for the tardiness... it's a 40+ minute drive for us to Imperial Beach! Still, the allure of Cohn Anniversary week had us going the distance. A two-course meal was the price of the year which meant $20.17! Street parking was easy peasy in January too!

The restaurant is part of the Pier South Resort. Their patio was perfect for people watching along Imperial Beach shore though there was a bit of chill in the air.

I like the reflection of the waters and umbrella from this entrance. We cozied up on a patio table to browse the anniversary menu. First the appetizers...

Every year, we visit at least one Cohn Restaurant Group restaurant. They always have promos, such as their anniversary special where the price is the same as the year! Last year, we wrote about OB Warehouse and Indigo Grill and this year we picked a “new to us” place, BO-Beau Kitchen + Bar in Ocean Beach. There's another location in La Mesa (BO-Beau Kitchen + Garden) as well as a location in Long Beach (BO-Beau Kitchen + Rooftap).

I remember visiting this location years ago when it used to be Thee Bungalow and their parking lot is still horrible. There’s only a single entrance and it’s super rocky to drive over, plus the parking spots aren’t marked that well, if at all. Once you get past that, the entrance makes me feel like I’m about to enter a little cottage with the landscaping. Or maybe that’s my perspective when I view this picture!

There are two main dining areas inside plus an outdoor patio with heaters available. A nice bar is viewable immediately when you walk in and we were seated there temporarily while waiting a few minutes for our table.

The anniversary special is $20.16 for a two course meal which gives you a choice of an appetizer and a choice of an entrée. A menu is attached at the bottom of this post for reference.

Salmon Tartare / smoked salmon + fresh salmon + herbed crostini + chive cream cheese + lemon

Cheese fondue? Chocolate fondue? Sounds interesting but it's never struck me as something I 'must do'... Cue the entrance of The Melting Pot gift certificate. It was finally time to see what the fuss was about.

The Melting Pot is a national chain with a location in the UTC area, sharing a hotel plaza with a few other fine-dining establishments (Flemings, Trulucks, Cafe Japengo). You can valet directly in front of the restaurant or self park in the hotel parking lot down the hill. The restaurant will validate your parking stub for 3-hours. Self parking is somewhat of a mini-journey though, at least for your first time. Your choices are 1) finding your way to the parking entrance, then traversing the steep hill, or 2) take elevator to ground level, walk past a pool, into the hotel, up the grand staircase and out the hotel entrance to cross the plaza. I've done both. Do whichever you fancy!

The restaurant is always packed so there's usually a wait if you don't have a reservation. Outdoor seating seemed to be quicker for this visit, but it still took 30+ minutes.

Each table has one stovetop, or two for the larger tables, so generally the group must select the same cheese, broth, and chocolate bases. You can increment the serving size (set cost per serving) but it's not required. We decided to go for the 4-course meal to get the whole experience. You get to select each course as well as the cooking style from the menu.

We love participating in the Cohn Restaurant Group anniversary specials.

2015 Anniversary Promo: Join us at our participating restaurants Sunday, January 4th through Thursday, January 8th and enjoy a 2-course menu for the unbelievable price of $20.15.

This year did change a bit from the previous years; the 3 course meal is now only a 2 course meal, but it's still worth it in our opinion! We decided on Indigo Grill and OB Warehouse this year.

Indigo Grill

We visited Indigo Grill last year as well but there were different menu items this time so we came back.

We chose the Shrimp and Bay Scallop Ceviche for our first appetizer. I did notice jalapeno taste after my second bite so this does have a kick in it.

Last month we attended the Grand Opening celebration of OB Warehouse, one of the newest Cohn Group restaurants in San Diego. We're already long time fans of their restaurants, particularly The Prado and Indigo Grill so of course we were interested! The grand opening required an online reservation and was only $15 for 2 drinks plus appetizers from 6-9pm. We figured that drinks alone were well worth the price!

We found the entrance without too much trouble.

You wouldn't expect it but as soon as you stepped inside, BAM! Bright retro comics adorned the hostess area before you headed up the stairs to the main restaurant.

The bar is on the right and super easy to find. The lighted drink sign is a big hint.

We started out with two of the included cocktails. The Handtruck cocktail (left), was made with Hendrick's Gin, fresh grapefruit juice, and basil syrup. There was a strong mint taste with a tinge of the grapefruit bitters. We also got the Workbench cocktail (right), made with Sailor Jerry Rum, the King's Ginger, and Luxardo maraschino cherry. All I could say was WHOA because it was quite alcoholic in taste.

It was Cohn anniversary week so we couldn't help but take advantage of the super pricing! Dennis really wanted Indigo Grill so we made a reservation at this southwest fusion restaurant.

The special anniversay pricing is $20.14 for a 3 course meal with a shared dessert.

For one of the appetizers, we selected the Spinach Salad.

My friends and I went to Indigo Grill last night for their $20 three course menu special. It is a current anniversary special by the Cohn Restaurant Group for their participating restaurants until January 10th.