Solace and great food.

I'd been hearing about Urban Solace for a while but hadn't made the time to dine there until a couple of nights ago.   I am so sorry I waited this long!

T and I had tickets to Lily Tomlin at the Balboa so we decided to sup here prior to the show.   Friends can attest that I was really excited that the Balboa reopened.    I was really excited that T got tickets to see Lily.    Neither one of us had seen her live.    She was great.   I hope I look as good at 70 as she does!

Now on to the dinner as after all this is a blog about food!

When we eat out, we share everything.    This way, we get to try lots of different items on a menu.   I wish we had 4 more people with us for this dinner as there were several other things I wanted to try.   

We started with the goat cheese and butternut squash dip and an arugla/endive/radicchio salad.   I could have left the restaurant happy after these two dishes.    The dip was warm pureed squash with goat cheese mixed in.   Sprinkled with pine nuts and served with toasted baguettes and cornmeal crisps.    The salad was one of the best I have ever had.    I love it when unexpected things are put in a salad - grapefruit wedges and grilled avocado slices.    The salad was huge and could have easily been a wonderful lunch.

For our entree we shared the portobello burger with sweet potato fries.    Not your everyday portobello burger, this one had goat cheese and arugula on it.   A messy delicious sandwich that I would gladly eat again.

I also ordered a side of the mac and cheese, vegetarian.   This is typically served with duck.    No, ducks don't get to eat it with you, they are *gulp* in it!     It was served in a Kerr jar.    Blue cheese is one of the main cheeses in it and this makes it wonderfully decadent.    Crispy bread crumbs with roasted cherry tomatoes top it off.    Get me a spoon and get out of my way.

Our server asked if we wanted dessert.    She must be new.   Oh wait, we were new!    Of course we wanted dessert!    She named off all of the items and we decided pretty quickly.    Warm pear bread pudding and a salted caramel pot de creme.    

I am a HUGE fan of bread pudding if it is done well.    This was one of the best I have ever had.   I think the bread was a brioche and it was clear that it had been a loaf not soon before.    I really dislike a bread pudding that is mush.     T typically isn't a fan of the bread pudding (I ain't hatin' just statin'!) and I could hardly get my spoon in over hers for this one!

I have to say though that the pot de creme was sublime.   Served in the same Kerr jar as the mac and cheese.  There were flecks of salt in the creme and every once in a while I would get one.   The salty along with the sweet was out of this world.    It had a chocolate cap on it that was semi sweet and dark and on top of that was unsweetened fresh whipped creme.    I feel safe in saying that this is the dessert I want with me on that desert island after the ship wreck.   Incredible.

 

3823 30th Street
San Diego, Ca 92104 

Cusine: New American Comfort Food.
Dollar Value: Good.
Service: Very attentive
Would I return here: Yes!   As soon as I possibly can!