Osetra Water Grill and Her Wine Angels

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Imagine the most idyllic way to experience downtown San Diego: is it a window seat on a popular intersection at a table for two?

Or, perhaps a smooth martini with light overtones of smooth jazz and conversation with your coworkers after a long day at the office? A fantastic glass of red wine and aged beef tapas with out-of-towners?

A light meal and a round of drinks to celebrate a birthday before walking a few blocks to the club? Maybe it's just a place to comfortably catch the game with fellow financial district fans.

Call it cliché, but at the heart of the Gaslamp District, Osetra Water Grill's new E-5 Lounge is all that and more. The E-5 Lounge, named, quite literally, for its prime location at the corner of 5th and E Street downtown, has shifted the focus of the grill from chic downtown dining to a more casual, albeit still classy, atmosphere.

While more romantic lighting and formal seating can still be found tucked toward the back of the lounge, as well as on the beautiful second story, the grill's crescent bar and intriguing wine tower, surrounded by tall tapas tables, are the most inviting elements of this phenomenal find on 5th.

Buff colored leather and dark wood create a warm and inviting vibe when first entering the grill. Large windows line the walls along both 5th Avenue and E Street, allowing an abundance of soft evening light and a number of optimal spots for people watching, should you be on a first date. Small amber lights suspended from the ceiling bring a professional appeal to the room, creating a sweet sense of privacy over each of the tables.

While there is comfortable outdoor seating with unobtrusive ceiling heat lamps, sitting inside will give you better views of the metallic wine tower, straddled on both sides by two large flat screen TVs above the crescent bar. Three levels high and accessible on all sides, the wine tower employs the dexterity of Osetra's own "wine angels," agile members of the staff who are suspended from cables in the ceiling and flit among the various levels retrieving requested wines from the tower's temperature-controlled chambers.

The décor isn't the only thing that's been revamped at this classic San Diego restaurant. Sit yourself on a deliciously padded leather barstool and prepare to dive into the stunning assortment of tapas and seafare that Osetra has to offer. Start light with the roasted beets and blood orange salad, a zesty little kick in the taste buds that will be sure to get your attention. The balance between the beet and blood orange is extraordinary and adds some bite to the typical greens to make a lively starter.

Osetra's mini crab cakes aren't like the east coast cakes you're used to – they're better. Without the sweetness or spices of a typical east coast crab cake, the dish truly does the meat justice with a fresh mango salsa and Tabasco aioli. Pressed with diced red peppers and celery, each bite has its own bit of refreshing crunch. Both the tempura lobster tacos and the fried baby calamari and bay shrimp are grand slam choices off the tapas menu. Made with Russian remoulade and served with spicy marinara sauce, the bay shrimp is perfectly petite and delightfully tender. The remoulade adds some zest to this basket of bite-size goodness, perfect for sharing among friends.

For a more substantial array of dishes, try one of Osetra's acclaimed meat dishes like the Kobe beef sliders. All meats at the grill are aged for twenty-four days and the taste proves it. One of the favorites on the tapas menu (and great with a glass of wine), these mini burgers come with sweetly sautéed onions, blue cheese, arugula, and a delectable mustard aioli. Toasted buns topped with halved cherry tomatoes and skewered through, these sliders have attitude.

And the only thing to accompany mini burgers is an amazing basket of fresh herb beer fries. Flawlessly browned and perfectly flavored, these beer fries took us by surprise. Without losing the texture of the potato, Osetra has totally transformed the taste. Take it easy on the good stuff, though, because a slice of homemade heaven is what you'll be craving next and Osetra's own New York style strawberry cheesecake is simply divine.

As with most downtown eateries, Osetra Water Grill has realized the importance of doubling their appeal by offering elegant dining in addition to a more contemporary and stylish lounge atmosphere. While not an absolute necessity for an establishment with such an extraordinary location, the dual charm of the restaurant is what makes it such an amazing place to eat, drink, and socialize.

With more than forty vodkas on hand from Iceland, Sweden, Poland, and France (just to name a few), Osetra also carries nearly ten beers on tap, specialty and dessert wines, an extensive list of tequilas, liqueurs, cordials, scotch, and rum. Staff favorites include the ultra-smooth Ultimate Gaslamp Martini and the gregarious Flirtini, both made with top-notch vodkas. The staff is extremely knowledgeable about which wines are preferable with a variety of tapas, so don't be afraid to ask.

Perfect for an after-work getaway, a meeting with colleagues, personal celebrations and even romantic meals, the revamped Osetra Water Grill and E-5 Lounge is a true gem.