There are 8 full days of dining deals taking place from Sunday, September 25 through Sunday, October 2 for the fall installment of the biannual San Diego Restaurant Week 2016, so we thought it best to pick one eatery for each day, based upon the location and ambiance of the restaurant, as well as the value and menu options. We’ve perused the seemingly unending list of over 180 options and narrowed them down to our top dinner picks (though lunch is also offered at many locations).
Get ready for price fixed, multi-course meals all over America's Finest City. Below is our breakdown of our ideal San Diego Restaurant Week 2016. Make your reservations and get out there to support our city's thriving culinary community.
Sunday, September 25 - Mister A's ($50) - We would kick-off Restaurant Week by going big and dining at one of the most iconic restaurants in San Diego - Mister A's. This year's 3 course menu is irresistible, with dishes like plancha grilled fresh Hawaiian shrimp, house made potato gnocchi, filet mignon carpaccio, 72-hour braised short rib, veal wienerzschnitzel, and more - all paired with one of the most amazing views in town.
Monday, September 26 - Ocean Pacific Grille ($30) - We have heard great things about the modern Filipino fare at this Gaslamp seafood spot and know from experience that Chef Charles Andres can cook up a delicious meal. Restaurant Week is all about trying out new restaurants, so we'd give Ocean Pacific a shot on night #2 and enjoy a dinner beginning with octopus and salmon poke, followed by crispy pork belly with sauteed vegetables, and finished with a strawberry Taho cheesecake.
Tuesday, September 27 - Galaxy Taco ($30) - Being that it's Taco Tuesday during Restaurant Week, we would dine at La Jolla Shores' Galaxy Taco. The michelada steamed mussels with tomato broth, cilantro, red onion and wood grilled bread sound like a delicious start. We would have to follow that with braised and wood grilled duck legs with pumpkin seed mole verde, baby turnips and apple salad. Heck, being it's only $30 per person for dinner, I would even add a taco or two! For dessert - churros, of course!
Wednesday, September 28 - One Door North ($30) - It's essentially Restaurant Week Humpday! Heading to North Park, we would dine at Smoking Goat's new sister concept One Door North, where we would begin with the shrimp and grits, followed by the campfire trout with chimichurri, coriander coleslaw and cornbread. Embracing the outdoorsy feel of the restaurant, one cannot help but finish with the toasted s'more bar.
Thursday, September 29 - The Marine Room ($50) - We did a little research and the high tide on this day is around 9pm (it's around dinner time all week), so an SDRW reservation at 8:30pm would come with quite a show at La Jolla's Marine Room. Watching the waves beating against the glass while enjoying a meal of fresh seafood prepared by one of the city's top French chefs sound like an unforgettable evening. The most difficult part would be picking what to order from the menu! See for yourself.
Friday, September 30 - Monello ($30) - Little Italy's naughty boy is a tried and true favorite, and how can you beat 3 courses for $30 at one of San Diego's top Italian eateries? For this dinner, I would refrain from any big meals all day and show up to Monello around 5pm for aperitivo, where all drinks come with snack-sized dishes. Then on to dinner where we would begin with the calamari fritti, followed by the delicious spaghetti neri with black squid ink spaghetti, lobster bisque sauce and sauteed octopus. We'd finish with tiramisu - no brainer. Molto buono!
Saturday, October 1 - Farmers Bottega ($40) - This Mission Hills hotspot has been calling our name, and we could not turn down the wine pairing offered for an added $15. We would begin with the hearts of artichokes with parsley buerre blanc and Manchego rosemary focaccia paired with Alexander Valley chardonnay. For our entree, first we would have to find out what the pasta and fish specials are, but that gnocchi with duck confit and vegetable ragu paired with Chateau Reccugne Bordeaux sounds too tasty to pass up. To finish, NY cheesecake paired with Moscato.
Sunday, October 2 - Nine-TEN ($50) - We've eaten Chef Jason Knibb's fantastic food a few times but never at his restaurant in La Jolla, so we would close out 2016 SDRW at Nine-TEN. The whole menu is mouth-watering, with starters like hamachi sashimi, fall squash agnolotti with braised oxtail, manila clams with parsley spaghettini, and Jamaican jerk pork belly. The entrees are just as enticing - seared bluefin tuna, Moroccan spice crusted lamb loin, braised prime beer short rib, and chino farms roasted sweet potato. Mmm-Mmm!
Honorable Mentions - Bali Hai, Bankers Hill, BIGA, Bencotto, Brooklyn Girl, Cafe Chloe, Catania, Circa, Cowboy Star, Cucina Sorella, Great Maple, George's, Oceana Coastal Kitchen, Pacific Standard, S&M Sausage and Meat, Solare, The Lion's Share, Tidal, Tom Ham's Lighthouse, Top of the Market, and Water Grill.
Wednesday, September 28 - One Door North ($30) - It's essentially Restaurant Week Humpday! Heading to North Park, we would dine at Smoking Goat's new sister concept One Door North, where we would begin with the shrimp and grits, followed by the campfire trout with chimichurri, coriander coleslaw and cornbread. Embracing the outdoorsy feel of the restaurant, one cannot help but finish with the toasted s'more bar.
Thursday, September 29 - The Marine Room ($50) - We did a little research and the high tide on this day is around 9pm (it's around dinner time all week), so an SDRW reservation at 8:30pm would come with quite a show at La Jolla's Marine Room. Watching the waves beating against the glass while enjoying a meal of fresh seafood prepared by one of the city's top French chefs sound like an unforgettable evening. The most difficult part would be picking what to order from the menu! See for yourself.
Friday, September 30 - Monello ($30) - Little Italy's naughty boy is a tried and true favorite, and how can you beat 3 courses for $30 at one of San Diego's top Italian eateries? For this dinner, I would refrain from any big meals all day and show up to Monello around 5pm for aperitivo, where all drinks come with snack-sized dishes. Then on to dinner where we would begin with the calamari fritti, followed by the delicious spaghetti neri with black squid ink spaghetti, lobster bisque sauce and sauteed octopus. We'd finish with tiramisu - no brainer. Molto buono!
Sunday, October 2 - Nine-TEN ($50) - We've eaten Chef Jason Knibb's fantastic food a few times but never at his restaurant in La Jolla, so we would close out 2016 SDRW at Nine-TEN. The whole menu is mouth-watering, with starters like hamachi sashimi, fall squash agnolotti with braised oxtail, manila clams with parsley spaghettini, and Jamaican jerk pork belly. The entrees are just as enticing - seared bluefin tuna, Moroccan spice crusted lamb loin, braised prime beer short rib, and chino farms roasted sweet potato. Mmm-Mmm!
Honorable Mentions - Bali Hai, Bankers Hill, BIGA, Bencotto, Brooklyn Girl, Cafe Chloe, Catania, Circa, Cowboy Star, Cucina Sorella, Great Maple, George's, Oceana Coastal Kitchen, Pacific Standard, S&M Sausage and Meat, Solare, The Lion's Share, Tidal, Tom Ham's Lighthouse, Top of the Market, and Water Grill.
It's probably best to make your reservations for San Diego Restaurant Week as soon as possible, because many places will fill up. It's extremely easy to secure your spots right from the SDRW website at sandiegorestaurantweek.com or on the App for Android or iPhone. Happy dining!!
