2008 San Diego Restaurant Week Success

Enlarge Photo

Another successful San Diego Restaurant Week satisfied local dining enthusiasts this year.

One sure thing winter is good for is encouraging San Diegans to save money and stay warm. While January is typically a slow month for business, following the holiday's monetary peak, this January ended on a surprisingly high note with the advent of San Diego Restaurant Week, starting January 27 and ending February 1, 2008.

The first of the 2008 dual dining events, Restaurant Week made locals forget fret of dropping temperatures, outdoor drizzle, and stagnant checkbooks, eager to seek warmth in culinary delights and chic interiors - on the cheap.

Restaurant Week is a leading local dining event that gathers together the best San Diego restaurants county-wide, and offers three-course dinners for only $30 or $40 a person - depending upon the restaurant. With hundreds of fine dining and creative cuisine restaurants from the North County coast to the new edge of East Village, it's about time locals put down the pots and pans and dine out.

The San Diego Restaurant Week website makes it easier than ever for new diners to scope out the restaurant scene, while also enabling local pros to peruse for a new restaurant to try. From the Beaches to Coronado, Hillcrest, Gaslamp, North County and beyond - it was quite a busy week discovering the best culinary corners of San Diego. All participating San Diego restaurants offered three options for each course, catering to the diverse palate of each guest.

Gourmet tradition: Spotlight on Kemo Sabe

Executive Chef and local celebrity, Deborah Scott, prepared an elegantly displayed and generous portioned menu for Restaurant Week diners. Always adding a touch of personal flair to the unique Kemo Sabe Pacific Rim fusion menu, each item radiates with talent and creativity.

Here are our picks from the Kemo Sabe three-optioned three-course menu:

First course: Roasted nut crusted fried brie with jalepano jelly, grilled squaw bread and honey roasted garlic
Second course: Black and white sesame salmon, wok seared, bbq rice and picked cucumber salad
Third course: Potted brownie with hot caramel and kahlua ice cream

New to the scene: Spotlight on Blanca
Despite the Spanish name, Blanca embodies a fusion of cultural concepts. The ethnically diverse Blanca menu means American, French, and Japanese influences can figure simultaneously in the preparation of a single dish.

Here are our picks from the Blanca two-optioned three-course menu:

First course: Roasted chestnut soup foie gras flan, chive essence molinari pancetta, brunoise of fall vegetables
Second course: Merlot braised short rib fresh horseradish-potato puree, hydroponic watercress bermuda onion marmalade
Third course: Tahitian vanilla bean cheesecake meyer lemon glaze, candied lemon zest oregon wild huckleberry compote

Curiosity fulfilled: Spotlight on Soleil @ K
If not for the vibrant glow of the yellow, red, and white vertical sign pressed into the side of the Marriott and its rampantly rave-worthy reputation, you just might miss it. Soleil @ K is where contemporary meets classic and casual elegance is redefined in a boldly fresh new style of dining.

Here are our picks from the Soleil @ K three-optioned three-course menu:

First course: Lobster ravioli with wild mushroom chardonnay cream sauce
Second course: Free range jadori chicken with wild mushroom risotto, asparagus, smoked bacon, mustard glaze
Third course: Chocolate baby cake

Seaside elegance: Spotlight on JRDN
The airy outdoor patio, only several feet of pavement away from the beach, is surrounded by rectangular sheets of glass, the long panes reaching above the metal umbrellas of the heaters. Simplicity is the driving concept behind each dish at JRDN. A clean, deep flavor achieved by only the quality of the ingredients and the extraordinary intuition to pair them is the objective of Executive Chef David Warner.

Here are our picks from the JRDN K three-optioned three-course menu:

First course: Seared scallop with chanterelles, country ham, sweet pea puree
Second course: Grilled flat-iron steak with green onion creamers, brussel sprouts, bordelaise
Third course: Deep dish apple pie, apple fritter, butterscotch, cider reduction, vanilla ice cream

With an increasingly larger following, San Diego Restaurant Week is becoming a staple event within the restaurant scene in San Diego. Spreading a sense of community, rather than competition, among restaurants - this bi-annual event promotes local business and encourages locals to take the night off and enjoy a taste of San Diego. With thankful restaurants and happy diners, San Diego is off to a great start in 2008.