San Diego Restaurant Week is an event I look forward to each time it rolls around. Nearly two hundred restaurants participate, showing off their menus to both regulars and newcomers alike. When my GPS indicated the last turn was onto “alley”, I got excited. I had a feeling Waterbar was going to be my kind of place. I was right.
Chelsea
Waterbar offers a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean and we chose a table overlooking the beach. Chelsea welcomed us and had us take a look at the menu and decide what we wanted to order. It wasn’t a simple task. Waterbar opened in December, 2017 and she has been with them since the beginning. She was friendly and attentive and very helpful when it came to choosing what to order.
We decided to try something for the share section of the menu, the surf & turf fries. Crisp and tender fries are surrounded by chopped steak, bay shrimp, chipotle mayo, avocado, pico de gallo and Monterey Jack cheese. The portion was easily enough for four.
Surf & Turf Fries
Clam Chowder
The SDRW lunch menu offers a two course lunch for $20. You select a first and second course. We both went with the clam chowder, featuring roasted fingerling potatoes, bacon, Quahog clams and celery with a side of sourdough. The chowder is topped with parsley and mustard seeds.
Rockfish
For the second course, I went straight for the Rockfish. Served atop coconut rice, it’s crusted with almonds and includes lemongrass, shiitake mushrooms, basil and bay shrimp. It smelled, looked and tasted heavenly. My companion opted for the crab grilled cheese sandwich with lump blue crab, chipotle mayo, cheddar and jack on rye, which she loved. Again, the portions are plentiful and we both took home sizable leftovers. Dinner runs $40 and you select first and second courses and dessert. Upgrades including selections from the raw bar are available as are beverage pairings.
San Diego Restaurant Week begins Sunday, January 19 and runs through January 26. It’s a great opportunity to discover outstanding places to dine throughout San Diego County.