JRDN is Redefining PB Cuisine

  If dining in Pacific Beach makes you think of cheap tacos and sand-covered sandwiches, JRDN will make you think again. This posh restaurant sits on the first floor of the classy and uber-modern Tower23 hotel, just a few surfboard lengths from the sandy shores.

  JRDN accommodates both hotel guests and locals, all of who gawk at the amazing seascape just beyond the restaurant.  When you dine here, you can absorb the sunshine and breathe in the salty air at the outdoor patio or take a table indoors by the color-changing wave wall that dominates much of the restaurant. A sleek and illuminated wine wall, featuring carefully selected wines from countries bordering the Pacific Rim, will also demand your attention and test your willpower.

  During the morning hours, JRDN offers a spread of breakfasts on weekday mornings and a lingering brunch on Saturday and Sunday.  Whether you visit JRDN for breakfast or brunch, you'll be rewarded with an avant garde, succulent JRDN jumbo lump crabcake benedict with a citrus hollandaise sauce or the traditional JRDN breakfast of two eggs, breakfast potatoes, toast or pancakes, and bacon, ham, or sausage.

  Lunch is served Sunday through Thursday, when you can nibble on a seafood Cobb or feast on the Tower23 burger, served with French fries, coleslaw, or a small side salad.

  But it's JRDN's dinner menu that is the most impressive. Be careful not to drool over your menu.  Start with an assortment of artisan cheeses or a dozen Pacific oysters. For your entrée, choose a cut, be it strip steak or swordfish, then choose a rub, a sauce, and two sides to complete and personalize your meal. If you're craving sushi, simply visit Eight Sushi, an exclusive sushi restaurant within JRDN, where you can watch the sushi chefs create your dinner.

  With a commitment to quality, chef Victor Jimenez only serves naturally-fed, humanely-treated, and hand-selected beef. JRDN is kind to fish, too – all seafood is from environmentally friendly sources.

  You pay handsomely at JRDN, especially by PB standards. But it's worth it – the only drawback is that after a dinner like this, it will be hard to go back to Taco Tuesdays.

Insider's Tip:  Reservations are recommended, so ify ou're faced with a wait, wrangle a seat at Tower Bar and sip a white chocolate martini or start sampling one of those Pacific Rim wines.