AVANT Restaurant

I went to happy hour with girl friend at Avant … We sat at the bar the bartender Israel Mendoza was amazing. Great drinks. Great customer service. Great smile. I’m definitely coming back. Avant

Atreyu Hondo was my server he did a great job excellent customer service great place to spend a Sunday afternoon will definitely refer my friends great food
Thanks Trey

Great charcuterie (actually they care enough to ask what your likes/​dislikes are) and tap pour. Great value after a golf game! A gem in Rancho Bernardo!

Usually the service here is awesome. I guess because it’s really hot today and a Monday?

Enjoyed another lovely evening at Avant. Had to revisit Unilocal to share another 5-​star review. Super friendly service and general awesomeness from Holli, Israel, Ryan and Dalton made our evening extra special. Thank you!

The food here is great down to the dessert. We went here for my husband’s birthday. We started with the Dungeness Crab & Corn fritter and it was great with a lot of different flavors. I had the filet and it was so buttery and tender I could cut it with my fork. My husband had the halibut and that was delicious. The avocado crème fraîche they put on top was amazing. The fennel was a little on the spicy side but it gave it some great flavor. For dessert we had the Bittersweet Chocolate Custard Tart. It was amazing and light. The ambiance was great but, I did come here because they said it had a great view. Not what I was looking for. The outside patio was small and only two tables had the view. So we ate inside by the window and still couldn’t enjoy the view. A little disappointed on that but, the food and service was excellent.

Amazing food and outstanding service! We had the charcuterie– outstanding pairings suggested by our server (Jonah). Our appetizer was the calamari, a surprising blend of sweet and script that was perfectly crisp and abundant (we couldn’t finish). For our main dishes we had the lamb — so tender and succulent — and the scallops — cooked beautifully. For dessert, we had both the key lime cheesecake (the perfect amount of lime flavor and so smooth) and the semisweet chocolate tart (best hazelnut ice cream I’ve ever had). The perfect place to celebrate or treat yourself. Service was attentive, thoughtful, prompt, and a team effort lead by our server.

This place has service and ambiance down perfect! We dined here for a rehearsal dinner and I was blown away with the wait staff and follow through! It was on point! The drink selection was pretty amazing, lots of yummy beers on tap from local breweries which is always awesome!
As for the food, I guess the best way to put it is I expected better. We had an option of 4 dishes that included steak, scallops, chicken and a vegan option. The appetizer options were a wedge, a mixed green salad and another option no one got so I didn’t even pay attention to it.
My house salad was uncut, with HUGE pieces of lettuce and at first I hardly any dressing. I couldn’t tell if I was being crazy, but sure enough there was none on it at all. So I ordered some on the side.
As for the main course the steak was cooked to order but the way it was cut and presented made it look like carpaccio and it wasn’t very appealing at all. It hardly had any flavor and barely any gravy that was supposed to be on it for flavor. The potatoes and asparagus were done well, and added to complete the meal. I just expected better in the meat department.
My husband ordered the scallops. Honestly, I LOVE scallops and love them when they are cooked a little on the rare side. These were cold and lifeless and still had a very fishy taste to them. Such a huge let down here!
I know everyone pretty much cleared their plates and so did I, but I didn’t love the meal. I really honestly was so excited to dine here because the reviews are so excellent! Sorry to say it was just A-​OK for me!

The company was good, but the food & experience were pretty ordinary. Elaboration ensues.
We stroll up for a date, dining tables are booked for another 2 hours. We are consoled with «You can sit at the bar or on the patio, it’s open seating.» We wander around to the outside and grab the only remaining table on the patio. Unfortunately, the weather had not favored us, and it was a bit chilly and windy, even on a spring evening. We were prepared with jackets, but that last table was not close to the heaters and in the breeziest corner.
+ Nice views of the golf course
+ Some patio heaters in the open-​seating area
+ Service was fine
— Not all seats are near heaters
— Calamari came with sauce already on it, so it got soggy quickly
— Lamb entrée was very small. It was basically 3 large bites of meat (I tried cutting it into tiny pieces so it would last longer). It doesn’t taste as good that way :(
— Blood Orange Margarita was pretty underwhelming. Especially for $ 13. I was expecting maybe something with more notable flavor? Should have stuck with beer/​wine.
— Wait staff seemed like they learned what was on the menu, but had trouble listing ingredients without help
— Waitress could work on her sales pitch skills. When I ask about an entrée, I want you to make me WANT it. Ambivalence doesn’t lend itself to a memorable experience

AVANT is one of those rare restaurants that gets everything right. Food is definitely one of the best in San Diego, with a great ambiance and pleasant service.
Onto the food:
Charcuterie Board: While the meats aren’t super high end, they really nailed the execution. There are assorted accompaniments from house made mustard to assorted pickled vegetables. They give an extremely generous portion given the price, 5 items for $ 21!
Crispy Calamari: Supremely crispy yet light. Calamari itself was very tender and it was dressed in a nice pineapple glaze instead of the usual heavy mayo based dressing.
Tomato & Burrata Salad: I’m a huge fan of burrata cheese so if I see it on the menu, I’ll order it. This is a very simple dish but oh so delicious. Heirloom tomatoes and burrata are really a match made in heaven. Basil jelly was fun to eat too.
Seasonal Seafood Ceviche: Fresh seafood, lots of citrus and butter lettuce cups. This isn’t a special ceviche in any way, but still a refreshing appetizer. I most likely would not order this again.
Grass-​Fed Bone-​In Ribeye: Just order this. It may not be prime grade, nor dry-​aged, but this is some really good beef. It’s tender, juicy, and flavorful. While it lacks the nuttiness of dry-​aged, they do a nice crusty sear on it, and top it with high grade chimichurri butter.
All-​Natural Filet Mignon: Filet mignon by itself isn’t all that flavorful, but the oxtail consommé makes this dish fantastic. Again, a generous portion of filet here, somewhere in the neighborhood of 10−12oz
Rack of Lamb: Apparently this is Californian lamb, which I’ve never had before. It’s very similar in texture and taste to Colorado lamb which is not gamey and has a steak-​ier texture. Good stuff, though portion on this is on the smaller side with only 3 ribs.
Seared Local Sea Bass: They had grouper that night, and it was fantastic. It’s a meatier fish but still retained that delicate flakiness. The fennel and avocado crème fraîche were great pairings to go with it.
Coffee & Donuts: I loved the espresso dipping sauce, very aromatic and not too sweet. Favorite dessert on the menu.
There’s free valet, so no need to self park far away as it gets quite dark in the evening. Seating is spacious and comfortable, they have really high ceilings too so it doesn’t get too noisy.
Our waiter knew the menu inside out, and made excellent recommendations. Even though our table was pretty needy with extra requests he always had a smile on and was courteous.
AVANT easily scores 5 stars.

Of course it deserves a compliment as a very nice restaurant, the bar is also a great place to hang out. I normally don’t engage in reviews but in this case I just must! I was a club member for 4 years, love the place and hate the food!
Our two person $ 140 experience tonight was truly awful, the «culinary experience» as it is stated in the menu, was our choice (bad choice of course); the salmon lacked flavor and was totally undercooked, the dessert was just completely flawed.
On a positive note, service is always outstanding, so if you do decide Togo there, have some drinks and maybe appetizers but don’t waste your money on food, not worth it!

A hidden gem tucked away in Rancho Bernardo. Avant Is the perfect combination of quality food and quality service with a great price point. Keep in mind this was a weeknight, so I do not know how they fare with a weekend crowd.
I made reservations for dinner on a Tuesday night (7:30pm) to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday. From their appetizers to main dishes, we were not disappointed. I had a cream based soup and a delicious vegetarian pasta. My boyfriend had their wedge salad and filet mignon. He loved his dishes, but what stood out was the aioli in which the filet mignon was marinated in. Also, our server created a special birthday dessert on the house which was much appreciated.
**Almost forgot to mention their in-​house tequila!!! (Avant has an extensive craft cocktail, craft beer and wine list) I’ve never had a Cadillac margarita taste so deliciously fresh and refreshing. If we had access to this heavenly nectar of the Gods all the time, I might become an alcoholic!**
What I found truly spectacular was the ambiance and décor which was largely masculine (dark, almost like a lodge/​cabin). Cozy, upscale-​casual without the trendiness and overly priced «hot spot» status that I find obnoxiously unappealing and immature. If you appreciate dining in an intimate, upscale-​casual setting, quality service/​food priced appropriately, then give this place a try.
We will definitely be back!

Prelims: a wonderfully designed interior greets you as you enter through the glass doors — the mood lighting is perfect, neither too bright nor too dim. All the rustic elements are clearly the result of a well-​thought out design, as it has a great feel, from the service to the décor. Servers are very knowledgeable and honest about their opinions — they are not afraid to let their opinions about the food be heard and it’s a genuinely refreshing chance to hear honest opinion about their food and what they think tastes the best on the menu for you. Parking is free and easy — grab any of the open spots available out front after you navigate the labyrinth of side streets it takes to get here. Interestingly, this restaurant is not the overly expensive that you would expect at a lot of other places for the same food — very reasonably priced.
I got my wife the $ 185 spa and dinner package — she liked the spa and the dinner was 2 courses. She ordered the calamari and the rib eye steak. I ordered the crab fritter and the Mediterranean sea bass. The calamari was pretty good — well– breaded and lots of calamari. My wife’s steak was massive — the size of her head. The steak was wonderful — since she was feeling sick, she ended up only eat the best bits and leaving me the rest (yay more for me!). It was a perfect medium rare; exquisitely pink with a fantastic sear of crusted peppercorns, salt, and meaty beef. I loved how tender it was, how meaty it was, how juicy and flavorful it was. Excellent choice, wife. The crab fritter was excellent as well — it was very crispy yet full of crab inside served on a wonderful sauce and a bed of something I don’t remember because the crab fritter was so good. The Mediterranean sea bass was actually referral from our wonderful server and it was excellently done — super crispy skin, not so fishy but more meaty flesh, and served with a wonderful pairing of the Franciscan Estate chardonnay which was sweet and light and very complementary to the fish. It felt like an exquisite journey of heaven for my taste buds. I love coming here and getting excited over all the different varieties of food that they have here.
I ended up dropping $ 300 for the spa, dinner, and drinks. Not bad for what I think is wonderful food.
TL;DR doesn’t get better than what they serve here. My go to fancy place

FINE DINING PRICE FOR MEDIOCRE VALUE
Valentine’s Day Pre-​fix Dinner with Wine pairing for $ 120/​person. I was very disappointed. I was expecting a fine dining experience from an upscale restaurant. I was excited about the 4 course menu and had even looked up their facebook websites for photos of exotic looking dishes. Disappointed! Each course was mediocre and did not seem like the chef put any effort on the preparation. The servers were nice and polite, but then again, I was expecting more of experienced servers familiar with the menu and wine pairing that could offer more insightful information. Overall, food and service was okay, but not worth the price of $ 240 +tip for 2 people.

***UPDATE: So we took home like ²⁄₃ of the steak as leftovers and I just opened the box and there is a huge wad of blonde hair on my leftover steak! I am Asian– I have black hair so it is not mine. I’m not sure what happened between our dinner and the server boxing our leftovers, but I am quite disappointed in this. I’m going to give them a 5-​star review anyway because their food is normally very good and their service is amazing normally. I just think it’s messed up that they probably dropped my steak when they boxed it up or something else happened…
Absolutely perfect dining experience in the middle of suburbia! The food is divine and the view and ambiance are superb!
My husband treated me to dinner here at Avant tonight for Valentine’s Day and we loved every second of it! Granted, I was feeling sick so I wasn’t able to eat like a normal person but the bites I had were so wonderfully delicious, I wish I wasn’t sick!
My husband had the sea bass and I had the giant rib eye steak. The steak was literally the size of my head! It was worth every penny and will be more than two meals for me as it was so big, my husband and I couldn’t finish it!
The service was great and our server was one of the best servers we have ever had!
Parking is easy to find because it’s the same lot as the inn and golf course.
I highly recommend you look at their specials– I used the spa and Avant special which was about $ 185 for a massage, spa day, and a 2-​course meal at Avant.
I highly recommend!

Expensive and noisy atmosphere. I much prefer the veranda restaurant. I will say the food was very good though.

Went here for a holiday party. Waiter couldn’t have been better. We held it in the El Biz room. Very nice. Our second time here. Hope to be back again!

We love Avant — especially for Happy Hour. Tonight we came in after Happy Hour and had a wonderful experience. Tom was our waiter and he was outstanding. We had so much fun, we invited friends to join us and stayed for hours. The food is always top notch and our service was truly excellent. Looking forward to our next visit.

Elly, our waitress has got that top notch customer service! Ordered ribeye steak, calamari and garden salad. All were good but I had tasted better before. Their portion is also huge and the mule I had was strong.

Rancho Bernardo Inn is this area’s quintessential gem. It is no surprise that their flagship restaurant sets a high bar. Avant is pretty well perfect from top to bottom. I may take off half a star for some minor imperfections — but luckily Unilocal doesn’t have those.
The atmosphere here is discreet, warmly lit, and full of a highly attentive staff. The bar stands proud on the main floor, as it should… and drips down into the gorgeous dining area. Lounge areas with more informal and fluffy couches flank both floors. No expense was spared in the décor of Avant.
My guy and I prefer the bar. The restaurant seating is lovely — but the bar is lively and in the center of it all. Avant’s drink list and starters are my favorites from the menu. I have had just about every starter on their menu depending on the season… and have never been disappointed. The crab and corn fritter may come out looking like a really long mozzarella stick, but I can assure you it is all delicious crab! The forest mushroom tartine is orgasm worthy and I could eat the beet spread in spoonfuls… the freshly warmed bread in a bag that comes after you order your meals is perfectly deserving of the course salt topped butter.
The most recent entrée I ordered was the scallops. My husband had the sea bass. I hate fish served with skin, so I was happy that he ordered the sea bass… I would have sent it back. I think it’s important to note that on the menu. The scallops were lovely and came with a sinful chunk of pork belly. Land sleeping with sea is an amazing thing. The night was busy and our entrees were not piping hot — but my Avant 75 cocktail kept my edges a bit softer.
The service at Avant is second to none. Our favorite bartenders are Israel and his right hand guy Maseek. These two know how to run a bar and know how to keep their patrons happy. Their warm and friendly demeanor, and well crafted drinks, will keep us coming back over and over again.
very pleased to call Avant our local spot. come to our little gem!

Disappointing, We went for restaurant week. Hostess greeted us with a lukewarm response, had to wait 5 min for a table we had a reservation for even though there were tons of tables open. Told them upon making the reservation that we were interested in the restaurant week menu, but we had to ask for that menu at the table. The AVANT Wedge Salad
dulce gorgonzola, heirloom tomatoes,
bacon, was OK but there were only about 3 little cherry tomatoes in it. Had the Seared Mary’s Duck Breast, it was more like microwaved duck breast. Way overcooked, like well done duck breast. Barely and pink anywhere. We ordered the salted caramel chocolate torte for dessert. That was really good! The waiter was very nice and brought over a buttermilk panna cotta for us to try. Way overcooked or had way too much gelatine in it. Very rubbery. Waiter was very generous, but not very attentive. Sorry Avant your restaurant week menu did not show off your best features and entice me to return. Why is the North county east area such a culinary desert?
Matt

Do you like a country club atmosphere? Then this place is for you.
We just went to the bar for some drinks. Our bartender was really great and attentive, and I would rate him 5 stars, no problem. However, the overall vibe here is not what I am into.

Highlights of our visit. Sit at Braun’s table. Order the charcuterie tray and the foie gras app. We brought in our own bottle of wine. Corkage fee $ 20. ENJOY!
Dinner was good but nothing special. Had the Mary’s chicken with the bean risotto. Others in our party had the scallops, gnocchi, and lamb shank.
Service and atmosphere excellent.
Appetizers excellent.
Wine selection ok.
Entrée ok.
Wish entrée selection was a bit more innovative.
May go back if we just crave drinks and apps.

Want the best roasted Brussels sprouts on the planet?
Avant has them. They are crack-​a-​licious and the pomegranate seeds are such a great touch.
We also had scallops, so amazing! Usually they are too salty for me but these were perfect, so sweet!
Spousal unit had the lamb chops. Huge and perfectly cooked.
Finally, the grapefruit Mojito. Moment of silence.

excellent Happy Hour, this place is a little hidden and tucked away but well worth the venture. the happy hour prices are so low I don’t even want to advertise them so I wont. you will just have to come check them out for yourself, you can thank me later.

A really cool place. I had the calamari and it was very good. Had a little bit of a zing to it which I really liked. Happy hour prices were really good and they had live piano music on Saturday night. Music was not too loud so it was still easy to have a conversation.

Happy Hour Happiness is what it’s all about here at AVANT!
Camille was one of the best servers I’ve had in a really long time while dining out in the San Diego area. I was here at this restaurant for a Unilocal Event about a month ago, and that night I made plans with a group of friends to come back and have happy hour here!
We order the shisito peppers, calamari, cheese plate, brussel sprouts, and the ceviche. The ceviche wasn’t on the happy hour menu, but all the flavors that is in there was happiness to my mouth and tastebuds!
The prices here are very reasonable and so are their drink prices. My friends were excited to see that they had beer for only $ 3! Also, on Wednesdays, the resturant downstairs has a great All You Can Eat prime rib deal for only $ 25. We asked our server Camille about this and she did mention to us that it was for the downstairs restaurant, but since it was slow, she kindly offered it to us and two people at my table had the prime rib deal.

I was lucky enough to attend an event here with Unilocal but this was my first time back since then. True test. I was incognito! Haha!
It was a girls night out with my mom, sister and aunt. So of course we started with drinks and our awesome server, Ellie. Sister had a Stone Pale Ale, mom had the tangerine margarita and aunt had a gin martini. I was smartest and ordered a 375 ml of Sauvignon Blanc on tap for $ 15. What a deal!
Appetizers were the AMAZING delicious Beet Spread which came with purple cauliflower, carrots, zucchini and flat bread for dipping. This is unlike anything you have ever had. It has goat cheese and hazelnuts creamed in to the beets. The other appetizer was the only thing I didn’t LOVE. The crab and corn fritter. It was a little too fishy but the corn salad was yummy. Made with charred corn.
I had tried the Mediterrenean Sea Bass before and recommended it to everyone at the table. Mom and Aunt both got it and said it was the most perfectly cooked pieceof fish ever. It is a beautiful dish and the fava bean purée is so delicous. Sister had the miso black cod which was also yummy. Just well cooked. She said her forbidden rice was a little salty but overall, delicious. Ellie said it was her favorite dish on the menu.
I had the diver scallops. Served with one tater tot and a slab of pork belly. Interesting. The scallops had a great flavor but were a TAD overcooked. I also felt that there was a little too much grapefruit zest on the plate. The flavor of grapefruit was a bit overwhelming at times.
Now, if you ever plan to go there and you need to order 2 dishes, order the beet spread and the «Coffee and Doughnuts.» It comes with 4 mini cake doughnuts and a mug of what looks like creamy coffee. What is in the mug will blow your mind, your top, your taste buds. It is the most delcious sweet Bailey’s laced coffee you have ever had. Perfect combination!
Great service. Great drinks. Great setting. Great food. I am lucky it is only 10 minutes away!

I was here for a private event and it started off with a cocktail reception featuring tangerine margaritas! The drink was bright and pretty and you can tell that the tangerines were freshly squeezed. We were enjoying ourselves in the lounge area, which has a fireplace and a gorgeous view overlooking their golf course. This place is huge and very spacious with multiple room settings! We were given a tour of the Inn and I got to see all the different dining options they have. Besides the main dining room, there is a wine cellar, two private dining rooms, and a patio. Down below is Veranda, Avant’s sister restaurant, which is more casual. I suggest getting a tour if it’s your first time here. I’m not sure how this place looked like before, but they did a fantastic job on the renovations! Everything is fancy and the décor is so beautiful! The parking lot is a bit small for a place like this, but luckily they have free valet parking!
It was time for our three course dinner, which was in the main dining room. We were offered shared plates of the fried brussel sprouts, beet spread, and the chef’s selection of two meats and two cheeses along with fresh bread and salted butter. For our entrée, I chose the pan roasted Branzino and got to sample my friend’s braised lamb shank and a little bit of the chicken dish. Everything was plated nicely and the service was impeccable! I couldn’t wait for dessert! We shared the peanut butter semifreddo and the cheesecake, both of which were delicious! The food was spectacular from beginning to end and the staff was friendly and wonderful. Our dining experience was accompanied with music by Kevin James O’Brien, who added to the fun ambiance. I loved the entertainment that evening– all his cover song choices were perfect! To top it off, we were given desserts to take home– sponge cake in a jar! I chose the chocolate one of course! I couldn’t have asked for anything more… I had such a wonderful evening– this restaurant truly is a hidden gem!

First ever dining experience here at the AVANT Restaurant! It was a late seating (9:30pm) but the dining room still had quite a number of patrons still…
Our table was for 4 and we were served by probably our best server we’ve been waited on ever! His name was Jonas and he was OUTSTANDING, let me tell you. His knowledge of AVANT’s farm-​to-​table menu and as well as his knowledge of their wines, pairing recommendations to the chef’s menu were spot on!
We tried the following appetizers: 2 different types of charcuterie and cheese boards which were one of the best varieties of meats and cheeses we’ve sampled.
We also ordered their fried brussel sprouts (delicious), the AVANT wedge salad, the foraged mushroom tartine, arugula & watermelon salad, foie gras parfait, all natural filet mignon, Laura Chenel cheesecake.
ALL dishes listed above were delicious!!! This review should be a SIX-​star Unilocal review on Jonas’ service alone. He was very attentive to our table and it felt like we were the only table he had, even though he also was waiting on others. We will definitely be back to dine here as we have friends in the Rancho Bernardo area whom we could invite to join us the next time we return.
Kudos to the Executive Chef and the staff here at AVANT!!! Our dinner here was a perfect start to our weekend.

I’ve eaten here on numerous occasions during the 8 months I’ve lived in the neighborhood, too many to count. I’ve had a number of dinners and stop by frequently for happy hour after work. Overall, it’s a very good restaurant, but they need to do a few more things to make it 5-​star great, something I think is quite possible.
The wine list is a mixed bag, as I’ve enjoyed great and mediocre, but not really anything in the middle. They have a solid cocktail list, though I think they could improve it with a few more complex craft cocktails, especially non-​sweet drinks (i.e. whiskey based). They have a phenomenal wine maker’s dinner/​private dining room where you can have your own chef’s tasting menu, though it’s a bit strong on the price for what they have available.
The dinner selections are always good, but could use a bit more variety. I’ve never had a bad meal, and it’s typically good and at times great, and that’s why I’m a bit disappointed — they have all the makings to be consistently 5-​star great. I’m a loyal fan, but really hoping they kick it up a notch to excellence.

Amazing atmosphere and service. Open dining concept and we came here on a Saturday night with a live band. The food was amazing.
Beet Variations: Kumquants, artichokes, tangerine $ 13 was oh so good! Never knew that beets could be cooked in so many different ways. It was delicious and so mouth watering
Scallops: celery root, grapefruit, pork belly $ 32 was really good. The pork belly fats made the scallops super juicy. It was good.
Grass Fed Dry Aged Bone in Rib Eye $ 52 with marbled potatoes, foraged mushrooms, dolce gogonzola was delicious! My friend even mention this was the best steak he ever had cooked medium rare and better than Mastros! Now that impressive it was super good and something I would dream & drool for again.
Beer was tasty as I tried my friends, but they are known for their tequila so I had to get a Margarita, the BLOOD orange margarita $ 12 was good with it’s double barrel reposado tequila by herradura, fresh squeezed blood orange, solernno

I had such high hopes for this restaurant, but left disappointed.
The ambiance is upscale, yet comfortable. You can tell someone spent a lot of time planning and designing and picking out every single fork, glass and plate.
Our server was awesome, very pleasant and helpful!
The food really ruined my experience. The dishes looked more like artwork than actual food, which can only mean one thing. They won’t taste as good as they look. I really did not enjoy my meal and thought it was over seasoned and small for the price. It was a bummer to leave hungry, or should i say ‘hangry’.

Since I decided to be cheap, I won’t be upset by the negative comments some woman might throw at me. This is a little long and I apologize, I’m just in story mode right now!
I just got out of the Navy this week after 5 and ½ «awesome» years of my life and decided to fly home to Washington for a couple of weeks to see the family. Whilst picking my plane ticket, the cheapest one happened to be on Feb, 13^th. the day before Valentine’s Day… I can hear the haters screaming at me already! First listen to my story ladies, because I know you men understand that it’s ridonkulous that they can be upset about a made up holiday.
I bought my valentine, Indira, chocolate, but not just any chocolate, nothing other than Z chocolate from France, which I suggest to all the men out here. It will blow their women’s (or men if they are that swing that way) minds! Best chocolate on this planet! Even comes with a personally engraved jewelry box. Than I went to the first 5 star florist shop I could Unilocal and bought her a giant bouquet and an amazing card. It was all about $ 250, so me being cheap was kind of pointless in the end, but i like making my baby happy.
Now to the restaurant, the main point of this review. Our waiter was Robert and he was magnificent! I don’t use the word magnificent often, not nearly as much as I use plethora or phenomenal, but he deserves it. We started off with our wine, we each chose a different one since she’s into sweet and I’m not, but wait! Since it was our first time there, we received our first drink free. It was the Prosecco, bubbly and sweet but just right! After that, she decided to ask Robert what he recommended, something sweet, like a blend but not too sweet. Robert said he knew just the thing, and it wound up being perfect for her! The Quivera. I chose the White Hall Lane, «Tre Leoni» which went perfect with my meal.
To eat, we started with the mussels, under the share portion of the menu. The mussels come in a curry sauce that is incredible and we used it to dip our bread in, about 45 seconds after we speedily demolished our mussel appetizer.
While skimming through our dinner options, Indira has never tried duck and asked Robert about it. He explained it perfectly and than actually brought us a sample for her to try. She liked it (while I happen to love duck!) but not enough to make it a meal, since it was a bit greasy for her taste. She than picked the Filet Mignon, while I chose the Lamb Shank. Both were beyond amazing.
To explain «amazing»: The best Filet Mignon I’ve had in my life was in Vegas at one of The Emeril’s actual restaurants in Vegas and ($ 78 for a couple medallions) it changed my life, for the best. The best lamb I’ve ever had was at Francis Ford Coppola’s Winery above SF in Sonoma valley. Both meals at this restaurant were so close, that I need to go back to Vegas and San Francisco and have a taste testing competition to be sure!
After it all, our meal ended up being $ 131.00. My 4 glasses of wine, mussels, 4 star filet Mignon, 5 star lamb shank, her 2 Glasses of wine and two more free glasses of Prosecco. It was a wonderful night, amazing service, spectacular vide, A++ in my book.

I shouldn’t be surprised that the tony country club ambiance of the Rancho Bernardo Inn would yield a high-​end restaurant to accommodate their well-​moneyed clientele. That wouldn’t be me as I was staying there strictly for a three-​day conference. Hoity-​toity I am not, believe me, but dining options are limited unless I was willing to cab it since I was deep into the suburbs. Lucky for me that the restaurant turned out to be quite a culinary find. I had heard it was a much stodgier place up until a year ago when there was a chef shakedown and the menu became more locavore than classic French. Prices came down accordingly as the menu did not make my eyeballs bug out in Looney Tunes fashion (photo:
).
Dining alone meant I was relegated to the bar area though tables were quite large and foot traffic not too excessive. I started with one of their house libations, the $ 13 Barrel Aged Negroni, a pleasing and subtly pungent mix of Nolet’s Silver Dry Gin, Aperol, sweet vermouth, all of it aged for thirty days in an oak barrel on the premises (photo:
). Fancy cocktail indeed. The chewy French bread came in a paper bag and was laid on a folded towel as if we were in a brasserie in Normandy (photo:
). My appetizer soon followed, the $ 14 Roasted Squash & Pear Salad, a beautiful presentation where the squash, pear and robiola cheese were artfully sectioned and layered on the plate with a light sprinkling of frisee.
All of it was accompanied by a quickly dissipating coffee foam and a canela of walnut buttercream for a measure of added sweetness (photo:
). It was tasty in a meltable way and not overly cloying. It was designed to be eaten slowly at which I failed miserably. My entrée was the $ 32 Pan Seared Diver Scallops, three of them grilled to complete and utter succulence and then alternated with chunks of crispy pork belly. All of that sat on top of celery root shaved into extra-​thin slices. Little sections of grapefruit were placed on top of the scallops for a bit of sweetness (photo:
). This was the perfect portion for me since I was not looking to go heavy that evening.
The play of savory flavors between the scallops and pork belly was surprisingly compatible. The dessert menu was teasingly presented to me (photo:
), and I couldn’t help but order the $ 10 Coffee and Donuts since it immediately brought back memories of the same-​named dessert at French Laundry. It wasn’t the same since it consisted of a quartet of donut holes laced with bailey’s Irish cream, covered in sugar and accompanied by a cup of espresso foam (photo:
). Delicious and gain, just the right amount to satisfy rather than bloat. It was a lovely solitary meal that really didn’t make me feel like Woody Alen’s opening joke in Annie Hall — «I’d never join a club that would allow a person like me to become a member.»
FOOD — 4 stars… creative morsels, well portioned and quite tasty in unique combinations
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… the bar area is more pleasant than expected
SERVICE — 4 stars… quite attentive and always informed on the nuances of the menu
TOTAL — 4 stars… for a hotel restaurant, this one excels beyond the country club into something genuinely special