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Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: South Park, Golden Hill
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I think this place has a lot of potential, but they may still be working out some kinks. Tried it last night, which was a Tuesday, and the place was packed shortly after we arrived. Clearly the two servers who were faced with working the whole restaurant were slammed--ours was trying hard, and she was so friendly and welcoming, but we often felt lost in the shuffle and waited for long periods of time for everything.
The kitchen may also have been struggling to keep up, though our food was delicious. My chicken was perfectly cooked: moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. The mushroom "dumplings" (gyoza) were good, the bok choy was uninspired. My partner ordered the arctic char, and her dish was superior to mine. Very tasty overall, though she was disappointed with the grilled endive. Price point may have been a little high for what it was, but the plates offer a lot of food, and we used the uptown community magazine coupon, so we saved a lot. On the way home, I realized that my meal left this delicious thyme-lavender taste in my mouth--made me appreciate it even more.
Most of our critiques were directed toward the space. Adorable, perfect location, but it was FREEZING inside, and the sterile, semi-barren atmosphere didn't help things feel welcoming. It needs some tweaks to add warmth to the place and help quiet noise.
Overall, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt--hence the 4 stars. We will definitely be back: their farm-to-table vegetarian tasting menu on Wednesday nights sounds delicious.
Been here twice now and the food has been great both times. Found that we got much better service when we were sitting at the bar, but either way, I have enjoyed both experiences here! I like that they have a creative spin on a lot of different dishes. They've always has good recommendations for wine/food pairings and everyone that I've met on the staff has always been very pleasant and nice! I like that I now have a good food choice next to Hamilton's when I don't want pub grub (it's good pub grub, but sometimes I want a sit down meal brought to me on a clean/non-bar table)!
I've heard quite a few rave reviews for their Sunday brunch and hope that I'm able to try it soon! Welcome to the neighboorhood Alchemy, you are a welcome addition to the corner of Beech and 30th!
3.5 stars. I really wanted to like this place because I like restaurants that serve small plates/tapas. I came for SD beer week and they had a "tapa del dia" paired with a beer. The particular day we went, it was short ribs ($8) paired with Stone's Smoked Porter beer. It was a nice combination and I enjoyed it a lot! We also had the pork piquillo relleno ($4) which was AMAZING, and the parmesan frites ($5). The order of fries was a large portion and very delicious with lots of cheese and garlic (I think).
Bf and I split an entree, the sirloin ($17).. and our friends split the arctic char ($17). Our sirloin arrived and I was disappointed. I'm not sure what exactly "sirloin" means, but we received a small hunk of meat. Although it was cooked perfectly, medium, I think because of its "hunk" shape it ended up being really tough/chewy. I tried the arctic char which was really good.. very smooth and cooked well. We definitely made a mistake going with the sirloin.
For dessert, the four of us split the cranberry bread pudding which was pretty good--a little dense, not as moist as normal bread pudding, and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Although it didn't have the right texture/consistency of normal bread pudding, it was still tasty.
Honestly, I think if I had enjoyed the entree more, I would have given this place 4 stars.. but because of the cut of beef and the bill total, I had to knock off half a star. I'd definitely be willing to come back and try something different. I enjoyed the small plates so I think those alone are worth a return visit. Until then.. 3.5 stars.
What a lovely little spot in South Park's south end. This charming corner location is perfectly lit with beautiful art and a great overall ambiance. They have a simple, sophisticated menu that includes delicious small plates like marinated olives and pork relleno as well as full entrees. We had the grass fed burgers, a +10 and also the braised wahoo, wonderful.
The cocktail presentation lacked with the glassware and the designer seemed to overlook the sound issue (you may need ear plugs if it gets packed) and the service was a bit average, but overall we would definitely return. Nice job.
Stylish space. Friendly staff. Perfectly cooked steak. If you want huge portions of overly complicated slop, stick to the chain restaurants in Mission Valley. If you want flavorful local real food, don't miss out. Great addition to South Park.
Let me get to the negatives real quick. This may or may not be the fault of the restaurant but the server we had forgot about our table to put it charitably. Most of the people in the restaurant were in the back and we sat in the front and perhaps that 20 feet was too far, who knows. So I watched the people in the back being served and attended to promptly by our waitress. We, however, were left alone. Since I didn't want to have my mail forwarded to the restaurant we skipped desert.
Now, as for the food, it was outstanding. We started with the absinthe ritual just because they had it. The result of that is I could be absolutely happy if I never drink that again, though I did get an urge to chop off my ear, but that is another story. We then got several "snacks" which included berkshire pork piquillo relleno, grilled asparagus & romesco and melitzana salata / lavash bread. These "snacks" were light, small and had a complex flavor which stimulated our appetites. Next, for the main course, my friend had a cheeseburger and I had lasagna. The cheeseburger was medium-rare which is what we asked and the beef was excellent. The lasagna was small about 4 inches by 4 inches. The cheeses in it were fresh and milky. As it was, we were satisfied by the food. I don't mind French style dining where time is not an issue and the meal takes well over an hour. However, I would like to see our server on occasion to attend to our needs, otherwise, I would go to a buffet. So until I forget about the service, I don't plan to return to Alchemy.
Final Decision: Best Cranberry bread pudding I've ever had...
So we were deciding on a spot to eat for dinner, we were thinking of a french spot but decided to check this place out instead. Glad I did. I've seen several reviews for breakfast, but many people have raved about the sea bass and bread pudding. I have to admit looking at that sea bass coming out of the kitchen I should have ordered it.
Decor: lots of unique and independent artwork along the walls, really cool leather couches for the waiting area and along the back wall for booths. Awesome metallic tree in the center of the restaurant.
Service: Really nice waitress pretty astute and funny. At the end of the meal she saw my Red Sox debit card and said to me, "I really have a problem with your card, WTH is wrong with the Sox, all season they looked okay and now they are down 2-0, and the freaking Yankees are up too, WTH" She was so funny.
Food Ordered:
The Burger - pretty tasty. We cooked and put together burger. Came with some parmesan fries and two dipping sauces. I liked the burger and fries, but the aoili sauces seemed to be missing either some acid or a little bit more level of flavor. But very filling dish.
Estancia Farm Sirloin Florentine - good portioned steak cooked to the GF's delight and served up with half a lemon some streaks of pepper and salt and a nice spinach salad. The GF enjoyed every last bite of the steak.
Cranberry Bread Pudding - hands down highlight of the meal. Came out nice and warm with sprinkled streaks of pumpkin seeds some caramel sauce all topped with some buttermilk gelato. Its almost like thanksgiving wrapped up tightly in a small plate.
Very limited menu but nice atmosphere. I was really excited to try this place out but it was a bit overpriced and the food was just so-so. Maybe it was an off night.
I would give this place 0 stars for their efforts this day if Yelp allowed it.
I will say the place is pretty nice inside and has a decent atmosphere, the problems are with the food.
I ordered the "Croque" which I assume was the Croque Madame which has ham, bechamel, cheeze and brioche bread with sunny side egg on top. Now I'm no expert but what I got was a $10 grilled ham and cheese and not a great one at that. Seriously, do people order this and come back over and over? Nope!
The huevos rancheros, I don't even know where to start. I prefer beans on the side in mine so I ordered it that way.
To my surprise the dish came out and I thought it was a joke,
Here's the dish, Fried Tortilla, Fried Pork Belly (so little flavor it was sad, because I love the stuff) 2 eggs on top. Salsa and beans on the side. I looked like something that I could get at a bad Mexican street vendor in TJ. $10? Geez
Don't go there for brunch as I feel like someone punched me in the stomach, took $40 out of my wallet and ran away.
Maybe dinner is a different story but I will never know!
Delightful service. Delicious tastes. Creative menu. This restaurant was recommended by a friend and I agree. It was a completely satisfying culinary experience. The portions may be on the small side... but that's the point. Working backwards... the chocolate dessert was amazing especially the chocolate creme brulee with the perfect amount of spice to it. The Artic Char was juicy and had a delicious butternut squash sauce that accompanied it. The ceviche was the best I've had out in years. The chef obviously puts a lot of care and thought into the dishes.
It is my deep-rooted religious belief that Sunday is the Lord's Day and should be celebrated accordingly. In my religion we worship The Beer, The Wine, and the Holy Spirits - aka the Holy Trinity. The only dilemma is finding the appropriate place of worship in a town filled with temples of libation. It's never been a question of if we were going to have Sunday drinks; it's always a question of where we're going to have Sunday drinks. Trying to decide on where to get started can be an exercise in futility, not to mention a terrible waste of time. Fortunately, this relatively new joint in South Park serves as the perfect place to exhibit stern reverence, while planning the rest of the day's activities.
Alchemy is a pretty sweet joint; thoughtfully decorated and attended to by a friendly and welcoming staff. The brunch cocktail menu is unique and, most importantly, reassuring. We ordered a couple bloody marys that were pretty goddamn good (excuse the blasphemy) and could probably stand up to those at Tractor Room (keep up the good work Troy). The champagne cocktails looked excellent but we had already decided not to dabble in child's play.
Their menu is along the same lines as many local haunts in the NP/SP area but they've managed to own up to their esotericism. I never got the feeling that menu items were created to be unique for the sake of being different (The Linkery) but that their chef had a solid grasp on flavors. Over all, this place is a great addition to the neighborhood and we'll most definitely be back for another Sunday Mass.
I went for brunch for two on a Sunday. They open at 11 which is great if your not such an early bird and hate waiting in a long "hey all citizens of SD let's all go have breakfast at the same time line". So hit it early as the door opens and your gold! To start out my day a coffee was in order so I ordered the french press coffee for two. Its about 4 cups and only $5 and change for great organic coffee from cafe moto. To eat I had shrimp and white cheddar grits.
Yum, it had four shrimp, a good size bowl filled with the cheddar grits and steamed green beans on top. Different and refreshing! My husband had the burger with the amazing truffle parmesan fries!! Say no more anyone sane can come here just to eat the fries alone. I'll be coming back and I'm curious to see what dinner and the wine is like...
went for breakfast with a friend, both had 2 different types omelette's. Probably one of the more disappointing breakfasts I've had a restaurant. $10 freaking bucks for a an omelet that may have been 2 eggs and was just sad looking on the plate. The side of fruit minuscule and there was nothing to write home about on the potatoes
I love this place! After years of eating in Seattle, Portland and SFO, I'm happy to say it's a relief to finally have great options to go to in San Diego. This is one of my favorite new finds.
AMBIANCE: casual and warm
SERVICE: friendly and prompt..even without reservations a group of four of us, on a Saturday at prime time was seated efficiently and taken care of while we waited.
FOOD: Yum. Have tried a large sampling so far and loved everything we had. One exception: the Pork belly was tasty, but the accompanying rind wasn't crispy even after a second attempt by the kitchen.
LOVED: Seared Prawn appetizer with garlic and paprika oil, fried chickpeas, Roasted Judori chicken. Lasagna and the traditionally served Absinthe cocktail!
PRICES: excellent price for great quality fresh food
Can't wait to go back!
Hello Dill Pickle Martini! Martinis are my drink of choice and I've never had you before - you're so delicious. I will be back for that little find for sure. Now about the restaurant.
My friend and I came in for drinks and dinner and we sat at the bar. The service was great and the food was delicious. We shared a small plate, a salad and an entree. It was perfect for the two of us. The prices were fair. My recommendations: the calamari, the dill pickle martini, and the Dona Paula Malbec.
The decor is interesting - there's a metal tree sculpture in the middle of the space - and the seating was comfortable, not too small.
It's interesting. I enjoyed this place and my meal but I don't feel a rush to come back - except for the martini of course.
Finally got the chance to check Alchemy out the other night. The crowd was lively and the knocks about the sound in the space are very well-founded. We started at the bar and had a couple of drinks first. The signature cocktails are inventive - was very impressed that they fresh squeeze the juices they use in their concoctions. The Keeps Pleasure II (Skyy vodka, strawberry, basil. lemon) was awesome as was the Rosemary Negroni (Tanqueray 10 gin, Rosemary, Campari, Cinzano sweet vermouth, blood orange).
We migrated to a table when there was one available. We weren't starving because we had previously had some tapas at happy hour, so we went with the charcuterie plate, the calamari and the albacore poke. The charcuterie was served with lavash, which I normally love, but it really didn't lend itself as a vessel for the meat and cheese. I wanted to make little rollup sandwiches with it - not really my idea of fine dining. We split on the calamari - it was cut up and marinated cerviche style and accented with hunks of spanish ham. I don't think the flavors went well at all but my friend dug it. The standout for me was definitely the ahi poke - I loved that they had taro chips on the side - perfectly hawaiian.
We're definitely coming back here to try more of the menu - Alchemy has the potential to be on our regular rotation.
I like Alchemy quite a bit. The food is tasty, the prices aren't unreasonable, it's a good atmosphere, the service is good, and all in all, it's a nice place to get dinner.
However, I'm not exactly a big eater, and thought the lasagna portion was on the teeny side. In general, I'm all in favor of more reasonable restaurant portions and often feel overwhelmed, but this was insufficient as a dinner entree. It was, however, delish. I ended up getting the fruit & cheese plate to split with my dining companion, which was fairly good, but too much cheese, too little fruit.
While my friend was still eating, the waitress brought the check. To avoid putting it down in front of him mid-bite, she awkwardly gave it to me. He spent the rest of the evening jokingly debating why the waitress assumed I (the woman) was paying. I was just somewhat irked with how fast we were getting shoved out of there. Granted, it was on the night of the South Park Walkabout, but they weren't slammed, and it's not like we were lingering.
Yet, all in all, I like Alchemy and will be back. It helps that it's right by Hamiltons, one of my preferred bars.
A couple weeks ago I went to Alchemy for the second time and was once again happy with the dining experience.
My family and I discovered Alchemy after a review had been written in Night and Day from the local UT. The service that night was amazing. Our server was very friendly and had good recommendations. We started off with some cocktails and the fries which were delicious. A few of us ordered the Dirty Pickle, however, my husband ordered his a little less dirty then the regular version, and I have to say it was a better choice. As for the fries, they were perfectly seasoned and crispy and came with a perfect aioli for our dipping pleasure.
When my husband and I went a couple weeks ago, we once again had a perfect evening. We started the night off with the fries and I tried Keeps Pleasure. This cocktail was very refreshing and reminded me of the summer that just passed too quickly. For dinner, I had the local seabass and my husband had the sirloin. Both dishes were delicious and something we would both order again. Last, we ended the night with the bread pudding. I love bread pudding and this was the perfect way to end a delicious meal. I especially loved the sprinkling of toasted pumpkin seeds that added the salty to the sweet.
Alchemy is a perfect date spot. The ambiance, food, and service make it a place worth visiting over and over again.
There are only a handful of places that I consider too good to fail. Alchemy is one. A sort of lounge, restaurant, and bar, alchemy offers a variety of well-mixed drinks, assorted small plate munchies, and a seasonal menu wrapped up in cool, modern packaging.
The music is quirky and just my style, and whoever mixes their cocktails took some major risks but produced incredible reward. Try the Japanese 75 mixed with the Tomillio Negro, roughly 3:1 respectively.
One major selling point. Alchemy is one of a select, few places that offer traditional Absinthe service. This alone makes it worth the visit.
Get out of the house and go to Alchemy. You won't be disappointed.
Who is this chef and where did he come from? Everything we had was amazing. Standouts were the lasagna, frites and the tuna appetizer. I had Belgian beer but cocktails looked very innovative. Manager wants to please... Waitstaff is friendly and so is the crowd. Decor is not as great as the food but it's pretty good. Just do yourself a favor and go for the food and the people.
Great Ambiance, very delicious food, nice wine, and EXCELLENT service sums it up!
To begin it was a Saturday night and we had already been to one restaurant where the wait was 1.5 hours and no space at the bar, so we were already hungry. We were greeted at the door and promptly sat at a corner booth table. My favorite! Then, they had Sauvginon Blanc by the glass...PERFECT!
We nibbled on a couple appetizers that were very different, but delicious. Like the ceviche with plantains and the cheese & meat appetizer with pershutto, beef, and choizo. Sounds crazy, but really, really good.
Then, we shared the chicken that came with baby bokchoy and shitake dumplings. That was the absolute best part of the meal!
I didn't think I had it in me, but I was so tipsy at the end of the meal I was like what the hell, I'll have the root beer float. It came with homemade molasses cookies and the float was small and just fantastic!
Man, the server had wonderful energy. She was never rushed and was attentive. I will venture to say that this was the best service I have ever received in San Diego!
Oh hello, and it was not expensive at all!!!
Definitely a diamond in the rough. i would have never found this place unless recommended by my wife's hair stylist. we started with the meat and cheese platter and braised oxe tail......incredible! I had the braised pork belly with white beans and home made chorizo.... delicious! Wife had the five layer lasagna and she loved it. will definitely go back for more. the best thing is that their specials rotated according to what is local or fresh. that's the way to do it. Keep up the good work Alchemy!
It was somewhere between a 4 and a 5 (because as my students say when they grade me an A-, there's always room for improvements). However, since I could not think of an immediate improvement, I went with 5.
You walk in (after easily finding a parking spot, what a novelty) and the decor is open and has this stunning golden tree in the middle of the room. It is neither tacky nor imposing, it makes you feel like you're kind of in this forest of cool. Or at least i felt that way. The walls have a bunch of really cool art on them, making me feel even hipper.
Taking advantage of their happy hour We literally ordered every appetizer, and the non meat ones were delicious and more food than I expected. I particularly enjoyed the breads with the different toppings, one of them being a delicious eggplant yumminess. I love eggplant yumminess.
Because we were there for four hours, I was able to delight in a meal, as well. I chose the gambas al ajillo, shrimp in garlic to the lay person. Know what's cool about alchemy? Chic without attitude and uppity-ness. Sorry about the side note. My shrimp were delicious and just the right size (I was a little full from our appetizers).
But there is always room for dessert. And dessert we had. I had the privilege of tasting the bread pudding which was thisclose to heaven. We also had the mango sorbet, which, you know, if you're the kind of person who wants a lighter dessert, this would be great for you. It also works well as a second dessert.
The wine list was great, and both sparkling wines, the alvarinho, and the pillipilli (or some dessert wine like that ) were all delightful. The happy hour deal or $2 off glasses was enthusiastically appreciated.
Lastly, the bathrooms, which I saw quite a bit with my alcohol intake. Clean, nice, roomy, and the sinks were really cool. It's like the people at Alchemy really took every detail into consideration.
A note on the service because this is long enough already. When one of my friend's hamburger hadn't come out, and the rest of us had our food, I mentioned something about it. It arrived a short while later but magically did not appear on the bill. That is service. Great service. Classy service.
Prices are good, but portions are very small. Worth a try if you've never been. Very interesting decor inside the restaurant. Try the Halibut if you can, although the menu changes frequently.
So, I was pretty excited about a new restaurant in South park but sadly I must honestly say I wasn't all that impressed by Alchemy.
I went there with some friends for a casual Friday night out and the concept is pretty cool. They have very eclectic art work all over the restaurant with big murals & a really cool metal tree in the middle of the place. The seating is a little odd though...it just doesn't lend itself to being very warm & cozy. Most of the tables are just sitting out in the middle of the room, you kind of feel like you are always in the way.
Our service was good, nothing to complain about there, our waitress gave great drink recommendations & she was really attentive.
I think the problem I have with Alchemy was the food. It really just wasn't that good. 1st of all the menu is just a weird mish mosh of stuff--nothing really makes sense. We ordered a couple of appetizers--the marinated olives, which we all agreed were not that good & a cheese plate, that frankly left something to be desired.
I went with the burger--I figured it would be hard to screw that up--but it really wasn't that good--somewhat up-appetizing.
Really don't think this a a place I would choose to come to again but I will give them a couple stars for trying.
A friend had told me that the atmosphere wasn't great and the room was loud making it difficult to hear conversation. I just had to see for myself, so I went for lunch.
Didn't like the wine selection, didn't like the food. I ordered fish, which was probably a mistake since it was my first trip to this restaurant and it is not a seafood restaurant. You could smell it as it approached the table. Not the kind of smell that makes you want to take a bite. It was a shame too, because other than the fact that the fish wasn't fresh, it appeared to have been prepared perfectly.
The two stars are for the friendly service and because they replaced my entree with the goat cheese ravioli. Ravioli was better than the fish, but nothing special.
The food at Alchemy was mediocre. The vibe was really cool and the drinks are a plus. Last week was the first time I've ever been to this restaurant.
Our dinner consisted of the following items:
For apps we ordered the Parmesan fries which were delish.
Main Entrees:
My order was the cocoa rubbed niman ranch pork tenderloin sweet potato mash /asian pear mostarda~~~ for 17 bucks it was not worth it. The only thing that was worth eating was the sweet potato mash.
My girlfriends ordered the pan roasted local seabass fennel / extra virgin olive oil / tomato / capers that was much better than what I had however, still mediocre.
The drinks:
Keeps Pleasure was amazing. I'm not a big drinker that was probably one of the best drinks I've ever tasted.
The house margarita was just as good.
The staff was extremely friendly.
Overall this was just "OK' to me. The menu needs to be beefed up a little. The vibe is awesome. The decor is pretty cool. The owner was extremely gracious and even supplied a round of margaritas for our party. This is a great place to hangout. Next time, I'll just stick to the basics and order a burger. It's a must see at least.
I went to Alchemy with several coworkers at 4 pm on a Friday afternoon, and we loved it so much that we stayed until 9 (and ordered pretty much everything on the entire menu)!
Since the kitchen didn't open until 5 (Happy hour is from 4-6pm. From 4-5, you can order any of the "snacks of three" and "snacks of four", which are each $3 and $4 respectively.), we started with snacks and drinks. They ranged from good to amazing. My favorites snacks were the parmesan frites, plantain tostones, and berkshire pork piquillo relleno. The standout drink to me was the Alchemy Margarita. Don't leave without trying it. It's life-changing. For those who prefer non-fruity/sweet drinks, I hear their selection of red wines and beer is also great.
For dinner, I had the braised pork belly, which was oh-so-good. I also tried my friend's jidori chicken, and it was EXCELLENT. I've only ever had jidori chicken at one other establishment: Jack's of La Jolla. It was great there, too, but more expensive and not as juicy. The food at alchemy is artfully displayed and doesn't look like it'll be super-filling, but about half-way through, you realize the portion is just right.
I got to try several desserts since my table ordered a variety. They were all good, but my favorite was the cranberry bread pudding . DEFINITELY leave room for this in your stomach!
Other little touches that I appreciated:
1) The decor - I love the silver and gold tree (Sounds Christmas-y, but it's not. It's more simple and artsy.) in the center of the restaurant. I also LOVE the art on the walls, which is done by the owner's brother and is for sale.
2) The silverware - Like the food and the decor, it's unique but understated. I love the way the knives arc over the forks in the table setting.
3) The bathrooms - The mirrors and sink look like they belong in a Vegas club (but more tasteful and less ostentatious). I do not expect architectural/design details like that in a moderately priced restaurant.
Overall, my experience there was awesome! I don't live anywhere near it, but I'd drive there again through rush hour traffic in a heartbeat.
The food here was delish, but I knocked off two stars for the poor service.
We ordered our food and drinks. I said I wanted the Keeps Pleasure
(Skyy vodka, tangerine, bing cherry, mint) to start and a glass of Sauv. Blanc with my dinner. Well, our waitress (glasses, dark pony tails) didn't bring our cocktails out for 15 minutes and even then it was because I reminded her. The cocktail was super tasty, but should have been served earlier.
We had our salads (I had the green salad with shaved veggies which was awesome) and when dinner came along I had to remind her about my glass of wine. She couldn't find where she wrote it down so I had to tell her again. The Crispy Skin Half Jidori Chicken had the most amazingly crisp skin on the outside and was nice and juicy on the inside. It came with two shittake mushroom dumplings and some baby bok choy. The bok choy was cooked perfectly and the dumplings were light and flavorful.
We shared the banana split and the cranberry bread pudding with
buttermilk gelato and toasted pumpkin seeds for dessert. The banana split was okay, but the bread pudding was yumtastic!
Maybe our waitress was having an off day, because other people came to bring us stuff throughout the rest of the meal. The food is top notch, but the service needs to improve.
If this was near home, I'd go back, but it's not a destination restaurant.
Loud and cramped, we were crammed between the server station and another table and could not back up our chairs at all. G had to put his feet out to the side and the servers tripped over them all night.
The beet salad was completely average. G liked his burger but wasn't bowled over. I had a halibut or something over greens. The fish was cooked to perfection at some point but before I got it, it was allowed to cool to room temp.
Service was good and the bathrooms are pretty cool. If you live around there, check it out.
This is a top notch place in my book. A healthy and delicious menu. Great service and relaxed artistic ambiance. The burgers are some of the best in San Diego. Every wednesday they have a vegetarian menu featuring locally grown produce bought from the farmers market. Excellent and bravo to them for such a sustainable practice!
Everyone's dish came out looking great and there was little talking once the food was delivered. The burgers were amazing.
Minor gripe. Our server was a little more absent, than I'd like. We had a large party of about 10. I don't think they were used to this. And they have no chocolate on the desert menu. Shame!
Also, they need to invest in some sound-proofing tiles for the ceiling. It's way too loud due to all the hard surfaces.
All in all a great value for such a good experience.
This is a great reasonably priced dinner spot. The burger was solid and the pommes frites were great. Tasty garlic aoli as well.
Good happy hour deals, $2 off wine by the glass, $3 beers, $3 wells. Plus the selections are great, I had a really good Malbec and the beer list was good.
I have grown accustomed to fried calamari, but the sauce the calamari came in was really good.
I enjoyed my experience.
Their prices have gone up and I dont like it. It used to be $15 for all of the snacks but its now up to $20. I also noticed that some of the other menu items have also gone up in pricing.
I ordered a Belvedere martini, but since they were out of Belvedere I settled on Stoli, my old standby. I had two of these and when I got the bill at the end of the meal I was very surprised, the two martinis came out to $26. $26 ?!
You have got to be kidding me.
I pointed this out to the waitress ( who was great by the way ) and even she commented that it was expensive and went to talk to a manager. When I got the bill back, it was now $20 for two Stoli martinis.
Stoli is NOT a premium brand but I like it and its hard for me to justify paying that much for a call liquor.
I'm deducting a star. I like the food. Ive sampled almost everything on the menu by now. The employees have always treated me well and I like the restaurant even though they have that weird looking metal tree thing in the middle of the dining area now.
Ive been here three times now and honestly, I'm hesitant to go back.
I wasnt expecting this place to be as nice as it was when I walked in last night. Its classy looking… Read more »
Everything was first rate from the waitstaff to the service to the food (1 exception noted below). A friend took me here for a birthday dinner and I was impressed. We shared a unique avocado/corn salad; she had wahoo and I had lasagna. All dishes were gourmet quality. And then came a superb dessert of pear sorbet, which tasted freshly made. We arrived around 5:15 p.m. to an empty restaurant, but by the time we left around 8:00 p.m., the restaurant was totally full - on a Thursday night! A nice feature of this restaurant is its concentration on fresh, local food. Our server (Ms. Personality Plus) gave us sample menus of the Wed. night vegetarian tasting menu to look over, and I'd very much like to attend that. So this will not be my last visit to this attractive, new addition to the South Park scene. I withheld 1 star solely because of the noise level, which I guess restaurant owners love as there are so many restaurants with high ceilings which boosts the sound - guess most customers like it too as it doesn't seem to be a dining deterrent.
Man... it is very very windy on http://Yelp.com when it comes Alchemy reviews! These reviews are so windy the make a CAT 5 Hurricane look like a screen door slammin' in 15 mph wind that is a nuisance.
I dined here for the 10th time since this place opened. Ron T, who helped to bring this place into being was the Manager at Wine Lover's Bar when I was a lonely sweaty alcoholic runner who used to pass by for a couple of nice glasses of wine and friendly conversation. Ron had Wine Lover's dialed, THIS MAN KNOWSSSSzzz his wine. I was so impressed with him that my husband and I asked him to set up our engagement party ( 3.5 years ago )
This place is great, I will resist the urge to write more and wind on and on about this place.
I am a regular and my husband and I LOVE IT here.
Tonight was perfect, the smell of the rain, the game on the flat screen, nice, professional servers w/o attitude (Linkerey please note), mellow music....hot looking same gendered couples in skinny jeans... hot guy behind bar...
We were here for Easter brunch last weekend and were not disappointed- $25 for a great 3-course pre fixe meal? $10 more for drinks paired with your courses, and full pours too? Sweet!
I wrote a full review on my food blog if you want to check it out but the highlights were:
- Great job of pairing the wines and spirits with the food
- Friendly, attentive servers
- beautiful decor and design
- Inventive twists on the food, though some dishes were trying a little too hard
Normally, I'd give this place three stars for now, but the lamb dish that was my main entree-- heaven. For that alone I've gotta give them the love.
I'd definitely like to go back for happy hour and dinner and reassess on a 'regular' day- can't wait for our second visit!
A grand opening with free appetizers and $4 drinks you say? I couldn't pass up their event last night, and while it wasn't a disappointment, I was left scratching my head just a wee bit.
Their decor is really trying to be mod, urban, and hip and succeeds in most places. The brushed metal tree is a nice centerpiece to the space, the light fixtures around the bar are fairly fantastic, and even the colors and booths fit the space really well. The chairs and tables however, fall rather short of their goal. They look like they were purchased on discount at a Jerome's semi-annual sale. A bit too traditional, and rather uninspired IMHO. They just didn't match the restaurant. Moreover, the music they were playing last night was reminiscent of a mid-90's wedding, or barmitzvah.
The service was EXCELLENT though, and the overall ambiance of the place was extremely pleasant. The servers were friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable, and everyone in the place seemed to be having a pretty great time.
The cocktails we sampled were also excellent. I had a Keep's pleasure which was close to a mojito but so much more delicious! It made me think of summertime by the pool at the Lafayette. Next up were the Alchemy margaritas, of which I had two. They muddle oranges in them and though they're strong, the black sea salt and freshness of the cocktail really shines through. I'll definitely be coming back to sample the rest of their interesting and innovative cocktail offerings.
The food was a bit strange. Given, it was free, and we only sampled three things, I feel like I wanted a little more from this place. We had some chorizo-tasting meatballs on a stick which were a little strange and may or may not have given me heartburn. Next was a white bean hummus on a toasted baguette slice. The hummus was a bit heavy on garlic though, and I couldn't really taste anything else. The last appetizer was a Caprese salad on a skewer, which left me rather tickled. It was an interesting way to serve a Caprese, and was probably my favorite of the three snacks.
I had high hopes for this place, and although they were slightly dashed by last night, I'll be back again to give Alchemy a second chance. I'm excited to have another interesting place on our side of the park!
Great vibe, really good food using mainly organic and locally sourced ingredients. Friendly, if not distracted service and very creative cocktails from their resident "mixologist". We couldn't have been happier and will go back on the retro, supper club night which happens the first Sunday of each month and features speakeasy cocktails ala Bourbon and Branch in SF (this guy obviously knows what he's doing), funky jazz music and a silent film.
My favorite dish was the ahi tuna sliders on homemade corn tortillas - could have eaten 15 of them. The goat cheese filled ravioli with beet reduction was awesome, full of farm-fresh flavors. Dessert options were limited and unremarkable.
Owner came up a few times to make sure we had everything we needed, was very friendly and solicitious. Can't wait to go back!
We did not have enough time to stay for a main course but the service and food were excellent. Start with the local avocado & sweet corn salad and then move onto the berkshire pork piquillo relleno. i also enjoyed the root beer and my wife had an excellent pinot. We will be back for sure.
Tried out this newish spot in South Park last night, and have to say I was a little bit underwhelmed. I am not saying that they are bad, just that they have a ways to go; but that is to be expected with most new restaurants. Overall, I say that the menu gives me an impression of trying too hard, and on some cases they failed to accomplish what they set out for. The atmosphere is nice, and the drinks are priced reasonably compared to some comparable establishments.
The service was hit and miss. I was there when it was nearly full, and it felt as though they needed one more server. Our table started out shaky, with a feeling of abandonment as it took a while to get a server to come to our table and take our order. When she did, it seemed as though she was so overwhelmed that we were an afterthought. I did not even try and order drinks from her, as that would have probably tripped her up, so I ordered from the bar to make sure our table was well stocked with booze. The owner should have a little more sympathy on his staff and customers alike by having one more server to even the load and make sure everyone is taken care of.
The menu has some interesting items on it, some that worked and some that didn't. Nothing was really bad, so that was a plus. I started out with the Oyster gazpacho, and I would say this was the worst dish that we had. It was two oysters, which were not bad, served on the half-shell but improperly shucked, so eating them was a challenge. The gazpacho part was a chili-lime-creme concoction that was served in a shot glass. I actually liked this part, and wished there was more of it. If I were the chef, I would separate the dishes and serve oysters by themselves, and a proper serving of soup rather than combining them. The Charcutrie and Cheese dish was excellent in my opinion, with some of the best chorizo I have tasted in a long time, and is well worth ordering if you are into that sort of thing.
For mains, I tried the Burger and the Jidori Chicken. The burger, as far as upscale burgers go at places like this was really good. I thought the taste and presentation was good, with homemade bun and real ground beef a treat. The Parmesan frites, whether with the burger or as an appetizer are excellent as well. The Jidori chicken was not bad, however not as good as some of the other local establishments that are now serving this popular dish. I felt that the chicken was a tad dry, and the baby bok choy did not seem to go with the dish. The rub and sauce that the chicken was cooked with was excellent. However, others at our table tried the Sea Bass compared to the chicken, and said that they would choose the sea bass over the chicken if ordering again.
All in all, a good restaurant that still has to work out a few kinks. A little larger menu would help, and the service needs to be improved, along with the environment, which was a tad too sterile for me. All in all, South Park needs more places like this that try hard to do things well, and are making the neighborhood one of the new hot spots in the city. While not my first choice as far as eateries in the North/South Park areas, I would go here again, and I would think that if you live close, the bar is a great place to start an evening.
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