Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Whisknladle: San Diego Restaurant Review

I have been meaning to try out Fresh(er) in La Jolla for quite some time. So long, in fact that it has since closed and has been replaced by Whisknladle, a lovely restaurant with an even lovelier mantra printed on both their menus & above the entrance: "We believe food & wine should be cherished for their simplicity and treated with the most basic philosophy; you get out of the pot what you put into the pot. Our life's mission is to make you feel great, pure & simple." After being seated in their beautiful outdoor patio (perfect for people watching, might I add), Our friendly waiter explained the restaurant's use of local, farm grown organic ingredients and a commitment to serving and using homemade goods: breads, cheeses, cured meats, sorbets, and even ice cream. Well, I'm not sure who's manning the ovens at Whisknladle, but I'd like to thank him personally for the piping hot, crusty rosemary roll that immediately followed.

Outdoor patio at Whisknladle

Though I had to restrain myself from ordering nearly everything on the menu, we started with a Roasted Pear and Vanilla cocktail for myself and a Palm Belgian beer, both new beverages for us. I ended up forgoing my almost inevitable order of ahi tuna and instead chose the Simply Grilled Scallops and Shrimp, served with vegetables from local Chino Farms. Hubby ordered the Red Wine Braised Lamb with Scallion Mashed Potatoes. Though I'm not an overly picky eater, it's still rare that I'm blown away by an entree at a restaurant. Both of our dishes were absolutely excellent. The scallops were seared to perfection and accented by a light white wine sauce with a hint of citrus. Hubby's lamb was tender and flavorful - certainly a hearty, comfort food dish. We ended our amazing meal with the most delicious and light Mini Angel Food Cake topped with strawberries, cream and glazed almonds. Our server and the server assistants were gracious throughout our visit. Never intrusive, but always attentive and energetic about the great things that Whisknladle has to offer.

Bottom line: our service was excellent, the food was overwhelmingly delicious and the outdoor patio provided for some entertaining people watching & will be great this summer. We can't wait to return.

1044 Wall St
La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 551-7575
info@whisknladle.com

3 comments:

Lauren said...

Thanks for the tip you left on my blog about the potstickers. I just checked out your blog and it looks right up my alley, since I'm getting married in less than 2 months! :)

Mo said...

Thanks for the excellent restaurant review. We are definately putting this on our list for trip there this summer. (Yes, we are the "zoni's" that come to escape the brutal heat.) Can't wait to try it!

Melanie Lytle said...

I was just on Chowhound the other day trying to find out more about Whisknladle! This certainly sounds like a place I'd like to try. And I'm adding it my list of restaurants that support local, organic farmers - very cool!