On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: American (New), Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: La JollaJoin us at the bar daily from 5-7pm for 3$ tapas, 20$ pitchers of Sangria and 25% off all bottles of wine. Bar fills up fast so come early..
Mon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Loading...
Without a doubt our favorite find since we moved from SF to SD in June and the first place I've found that merits all 5 of my stars.
.
We love the food, the feel and the freedom of it all, plus the service is attentive but casual and friendly. They love food and wine and it shows.
Whisk is a bit of a rule breaker in the way they encourage guests to experiment with a meal. You can toss the old appetizer, main course and dessert sequence out if you feel like it, and your waiter will be more than happy to guide your culinary journey. Based on your feedback of course.
Wines by the glass here are an unusual treat, and we were more than happy to mix it up and take advantage.
HIghlights for us were the cutting board (mostly house made charcuterie and cheese, fruits) as well as scallops and lentil soup. Flatbread may have been the only part I'd label a tad ho-hum, but I'm told it changes regularly and can be wonderful.
Catch the food train to whisk and ride it where you may.
Food: Really good. Loved the cutting board and the flatboard pizza. Nom-nom-nom sounds heard all over the place.
Price: Pricey for the amount you're getting. If you're going to go, APPETIZERS ARE LARGER THAN MAINS, AND CHEAPER TOO. Now, there's responses from the management about fresh ingredients, blah blah blah, but we had that same pasta dish at our favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego, and it was $15, and twice the size. And our favorite place also uses homemade pasta, so I think the explanation for the markup might be a more of a La Jolla tax -- because you can certainly get as good elsewhere is San Diego.
SERVICE: TERRIBLE. For the price I'm paying, I'd like good service. But this is one of those places where tip is not shared among waiters and waiters are responsible for their own tables. How do I know this? Because despite there being other waiters in the dining room, they didn't make eye contact with us and ignored us even if when we waved them down. And when I finally get them, they reluctantly said they'd get my waiter for me. I HATE places like that -- sure getting tip might be less complicated for the restaurant to work out, but the customer gets the short end of the stick because service is only as good as the presence of your waiter. For the price I'm paying, I'd like good service. Also, I'd like ALL STAFF to be friendly from me, not just the person who gets my tip at the end of the day.
Food was good, but at the end of the night, my boyfriend said "we're not coming back."
Wow! I'm thoroughly impressed!
Thanks to Yelp, I was prepared to spend a bit more than I'm comfortable with, but thanks to a friend of a friend, and a lost battle of wills, I spent nothing! 10 stars!
Food: Amazing! We started with the cutting board and thank god we did. Lots of high quality cured meats...LOTS! Smaller amount of great cheeses. Buttered bread, dried figs, nuts, mustard and olive tapenade to round it out. Lovely! Bone Marrow was so so tasty. For the entree, I went with a yelp fav...Tagliatelle Bolognese...such great flavor, al dente pasta. Sure, when he brought the portion out, I thought, I could take that in on one fork bite. Surprisingly though, it was very, very filling. Other dishes at the table:swordfish, sweetbreads, all ended with empty plates and smiles.
Dessert: eh. I've got one hell of a sweet tooth, and I was a bit disappointed. Homemade chocolate ice cream was the best.
Service: just right.
Parking: plenty on Wall Street
Price: worth it!
Maybe I was in a bad mood, but I think the place is generally overrated.
Either be prepared to spend serious $, or don't go there hungry: the portion sizes were pathetic.
Quality of food: 5 stars. Tasty, fresh, inventive, but one flavor -- no sides.
Service: 2 stars. Hardly saw our waiter and assistant at all. Had to ask for everything. I can't put my finger on it, but there was something I didn't like about the waiter's personality.
Quantity of food: 1 star. Admittedly my wife and I each had half portions to save a few bucks, but portions were minuscule.
Location: 5 stars (nice corner in La Jolla across from Brooks Brothers clothing) next to Carl Strauss Brewery.
Decor: 5 stars (Who would expect that bare light bulbs could be made to look good? Clear bulbs + huge filaments + low voltage = pleasing industrial look.)
Overall I'm conflicted how to rate, but think 3 stars is about right.
For my money, I'd much rather go across the street to the Coffee Cup for breakfast. Now that's quality and quantity at a reasonable price!
Yum. We had dinner in a small group here and had a great experience.
Appetizer: Flatbread. Rather delicious, but maybe a little pricey for what it is. If I had gotten this as part of tapa-style shared dinner, it would seem a bit light.
Dinners: My stuffed roasted chicken was amazing. Marvelous flavors throughout - even the mashed potatoes were really good, and there was definitely enough to fill me up. One of our party had the mussels and fries, which came in a big bowl, and got devoured. My wife had a hanger steak with peppercorn sauce and fries, which she enjoyed.
The service was helpful and friendly and made sure everything was good. The one drawback was that we were seated close to the bar area, and sometimes it was a little tough to hear our dinner conversation over the spillover of talk at the bar. Once the bar slowed down, we could enjoy our evening more.
Whisknladle is good eats that impressed the folks.
Weighing the downtown La Jolla traffic and parking options, brunch seemed the best meal at which to sample Whisknladle. Even the most desirable parking was fully available until almost noon, and the restaurant was lightly trafficked.
Jacques, internationally renown bowling pro and all-around bon vivant, told us once that at brunch, you don't get completely what you would at breakfast, but you do get a good meal. Here, it is true. Whisknladle's brunch menu is, essentially, their lunch menu with scones and a few egg dish standards thrown in. Breakfast pastry aside, there aren't the hot breakfast sweets some may want. If your sweet tooth must be indulged, the full dessert menu is available.
Rather than charge for coffee, it's on the house. The catch is it's sitting next to a spread of pastry and house-made jams for $3. As with the rest of the menu, the pastry selection is thoughtful, with something for anyone: A sweet coffee cake, a less sweet muffin, or a savory (bacon cheese) scone.
I chose the cranberry muffin. It was fresh, sized right, not too sweet; it's nice to have a muffin that isn't trying to be a cupcake. It let the cranberry be the dominant flavor. The muffin certainly didn't require application of the jam, but I couldn't refuse giving it a try.
In recent weeks I've become quite fond of trying out chilaquiles. Here, it's the most interesting brunch dish, so it was an easy decision. And so I welcome our new champion for San Diego. First, it's a sane portion, nicely plated with the fried eggs' whites on top camouflaging the rest in the center of the white plate.
Second, and key for me: the tortilla strips were -- and you know what I'm going to say here -- simmered, producing that ideal soft-with-pockets-of-crisp texture. The chipotle chicken is
seasoned for breakfast, not for washing down with tequila. Its light tang allows the chicken flavor some free range. Each ingredient enriches the others, including the garnishes: the sour cream softening the spice, the red onion adding both sweetness and acidity.
I did it again. I forgot to specify over-easy on my eggs. It's on me, and I am not withholding any points for my mistake. They still managed to half-read my mind; one egg was pleasantly runny; the other unfortunately firm. Even if both eggs had been (to me) overcooked, the everything else on the plate would still be the best chilaquiles in town.
Their dessert menu was too intriguing to resist. At a near toss-up decision, I went with the Coffee Granite, which was perfect for a warm brunch hour. The coarse-crushed frozen coffee is topped with a scoop of gelato which in turn is dotted by beads of chocolate. The pairing of these two textures: the cream with the bursty ice crystals put me in a caviar mind, just a sublime combination. And then it's plated with two pieces of shortbread, the thick dense texture offset by the light lemon flavor. By itself the shortbread is a fine cookie; with the granite it's the ideal palate cleanser.
Thoughtful recipes well prepared, plated, and served. Whisknladle is a winner. My three course brunch came in under $30 plus tip.
First time I ate here was with a bunch of culinary minded girlfriends. We sat in the back room at the big table and shared the dishes family style. From memory everything tasted great.
Second time, had "date night" with my husband. We had a lovely time and the food was good. Nothing special, just good. And expensive.
Third time, bought my in laws visiting from OS. Most of them ordered the steak or the burger. The steak was very salty.
I am a bit more adventurous and ordered the sweetbreads followed by squash ravioli with balsamic reduction. The sweetbreads were not as crispy as I've had before and were frankly quite greasy. Classic case of oil not being hot enough, me thinks?
The ravioli? VERY salty. And I love salt so to say the chef was heavy handed would be an understatement. I asked the server to take it back. She obliged, and my meal returned in good time. This time? No salt at all...bland mc-bland. And no balsamic reduction. Informed server and she returned with balsamic vinegar. Minus the reduction. The owner came and checked that the meal was ok. I informed him that it was far from good. No discount. No apology.
Another San Diego restaurant that suffers from lack of consistency.
Alas, I won't be back. Unfortunate because it has potential...
Whisk n Ladle is off the main strip of restaurants facing La Jolla cove, so it makes for a more intimate setting without a touristy menu.
The meat and cheese plate alone was good enough for a whole meal, with everything cured in-house it was really spectacular. Also, the chef is constantly changing the menu items for season, so every dish is fresh, flavorful, and thoughtful.
We also tried the swordfish and the tagatelle pasta bolognese. Something so simple, noodles with meat and tomato sauce, turned out to melt on my tounge with every bite. And who could forget dessert, the dark chocolate ice cream was the best I have ever had.
Our waiter was incredibly knowledgabe, and could tell an entire story about the chef's creation for each item on the menu. I will definitely be back. This could be my new favorite restaurant in San Diego....
The only restaurant in San Diego that rivals anything in my former home of San Francisco.
The burger. Get the burger. But it all rocks, and the service is impeccable. Get thee to Whisknladle!
We had our best restaurant dinner in 5 years the other night, at Whisknladle. The food was delicious, the service was outstanding and it was truly an enjoyable experience. I have no complaints or reservations about any aspect of the meal, including the price ($150 for two people, including two deserts, three drinks apiece, plus shared entrees and salads.) We will dine here again on our next visit to La Jolla.
This review is only for Happy Hour.
I used to love this place. they had my favorite Happy Hour in San Diego. $20 pitchers of house Sangria and $2 tapas was a good way to end any weekday with some co-workers. The tapas were fresh, delicious and a decent portion, and the sangria was generally creative and yummy. We used to go almost once a week.
I went there again with some friends this week to the happy hour, we were all ready to have a great time and unwind after a long day -- but I was horribly disappointed!! I was embarrassed that I suggested this place to go with my friends.
First of all, tapas are now $3, and not $2. Which is fine, but what killed it was that ALL of the portions (other than the patatas bravas) were majorly cut back. The olives barely covered the bottom of the small dish they were served in. We had to order 2 of them. We used to get a small mound of olives in the dish with each order. The garlic shrimp dish (which I love) was cut back from 4 juicy shrimps to only 3! The flatbread was cold (!!) and there was only 2 small pieces. The squash was only 5 micro-strips and the Sangria was watery!!!
So... not only was there a 50% price hike, there was a significant cut in the quality and quantity of the happy hour bar food. It used to be a good deal at $2 and a decent serving. But now it just feels like a rip-off, and that I was being played like a chump.
There wasn't even that many people there, so I don't think it is because the kitchen was overwhelmed or anything.
Maybe I have too high of an expectation of this place, because it used to always deliver quality dishes at a good price during happy hour, but I felt so sad and betrayed that I don't think I will go back for a while...
Just lost my favorite happy hour in town.
whisknladle is AWESOME.
sustainable ingredients = uber fresh, uber healthy, nutritious, and support for local farms and friends. each food item is dissected on the menu or articulated by your server, so you know exactly what goes in it. (no hidden chems!)
servers who know their menu and their food = mondo friendly, intelligent, and speedy service. they are so personal - our server let me sample all my wines before i finally decided on a glass!
large variety of vegetarian, carb, and protein = concoctions with personality, layers of flavor, and balanced with vitamins and minerals!
some of our favorites (we loved it so much that we dined twice in one day, for a late lunch and then for dessert!)
:: fish tacos done right - lightly battered and sauteed, with homemade tortillas and a delicious yogurt-based aioli (read: healthy!)
:: the scone bar - stocked with crumbly scones and a delicious coffee cake that makes you go "what's in this?!"
:: apple and endive salad with walnuts and gruyere - sensually dressed with a light citrus dressing, yet with a fiesty crunch.
:: coffee granite - i mean it when i say, party in my mouth. valrhona chocolate pearls, with coffee granite, and then balanced off with lemon curd shortbread. it's LEGENDARY.
it's not rocket science, it's just GOOD FOOD - fresh and healthy ingredients, plus well-balanced service and trend equals winning infusion! of foodie goodies!
I have been here several times and each time we go it get's better and better. Having been in the hotel/restaurant industry for 15 years, I do appreciate 3 things:
Ambiance
Service
Quality of Food.
Whisknladle has done all of the above.
The restaurant is nice, lighting is perfect and for once, the place is not one of the typical La Jolla "stuck up" places like Georges, where it seems like a privilege to be there.
The service was exceptional, very relaxed, yet attentive and for once knowledgeable of what is on the menu. Our waiter Bobby, was the best, no pressure of choosing the most expensive item.
We had the Bone Marrow, Flatbread, Steak Frittes and deserts.
The price for the quality of food is amazing, half of the norm in La Jolla and miles above the competition.
If there is one thing, that they could improve on, it would be the interval between appetizer and dinner - do not rush it! Let the guests enjoy the savor of the organic foods and great wine selection.
Lastly, the best martinis in town, can be found here! Keep doing what you are doing.
The best of all is that Whisknladle a breath of fresh air into a real boring and pretentious town.
Had a fabulous lunch with my girlfriend Claire at this wonderful find. Our Server JEN was the best in the biz and spoiled us rotten. This place has every detail right down to a simple glass of water. Just drop in and ask for a glass of water and you'll know what I'm talking about. Whisk n Ladle uses organic produce and serves healthy, delicious works of art. The wine list and is extensive and Mr. Snake Oil can whip up one of his signature cocktails for you that will keep you coming back for more:)
Maria Sangria, where have you gone?! My only motivation for going to Whisknladle was to drink their unusually creative, yet delicious version of a Sangria mixed with a bit of Tabasco. It was truly a pleasure, but no more. Sadly, I've reduced my visits to Whisknladle only during their happy hours, unless Maria Sangria returns...
At the recommendation of a colleague decided to try for dinner. Definitely better than my last experience. The food was good (steak fries and scallops for my guest), tasty, served promptly and hot. Wine overpriced at $12 a glass but hey this is La Jolla after all. A little crowded but nice ambience, good food and enjoyable. Worth trying.
This place could be really good, but on both occasions that we have visited it has managed to… Read more »
I can't believe it has been two weeks since I've been here, and I haven't written a review yet! We met friends here on a Sunday for lunch and were floored by our waiter--- very knowledgeable, extremely attentive, funny, and friendly. Definitely the best service we've ever received, anywhere. My husband and I had the summer salad, which is so fresh with the highest quality ingredients. One of our friends ordered the muscles and said they were the best he's ever had.
We left very satisfied, and then...
We came back. We walked around La Jolla for a little bit, decided to stop back by for a beer at 3:30 and ended up waiting till happy hour started at 5:00, finally leaving around 7:00. Happy hour is a great deal-- $2 for each tapas, but most of the servings are very small, so you order a lot. The papas bravas are fantastic and very unique, the swordfish is apparently much softer/less tough than it usually is (I didn't try it, but even my picky husband liked it), the drinks are all very interesting, and the sorbets are to die for! My favorite was the strawberry/red pepper. I can't remember what it was, but there was a grape and chocolate desert that was amazing, too (I was a little tipsy at that point, and it's not listed on their online menu). Oh, and the sangria is not really like sangria. It's good, but I think it's made with grapefruit (?). Definitely a unique flavor profile.
Overall, this place was impeccable from beginning to end. Friendly staff, quality food and drinks... It's pricey, but it is so worth it. I can't wait to go back.
This review is only for the happy hour/bar area. We went there to check out the $2 tapas (which is only served in the bar area) and planned to move to the restaurant area for dinner. The restaurant part was pretty empty when we got there at 6 pm but by the time we went to get a table around 7, there was a long wait so we stayed in the bar.
The bar area is set up well with couches and high top tables, as well as the option to sit at the bar itself. I was looking forward to trying the sangria but it was white sangria with a strong grapefruit flavor so I decided to stick to wine. The tapas menu is pretty impressive, especially for $2. They also have 25% off bottles of wine. Yes, some of the portions are smaller but it is $2 after all. The highlights were the flat iron steak skewers, the potatoes with aoili, and the flatbread. The shrimp were good but swimming in oil and the swordfish was small and dry. We also tried the squash ravioli off the dinner menu which was also quite tasty.
I'll definitely go back for HH and want to try more off the dinner menu.
The house philosophy -- use only seasonal ingredients and make everything from scratch -- is admirable, if not unoriginal. But it certainly sets Whisknladel apart from its competition in La Jolla. From the indie-heavy playlist to the dangling Edison lightbulbs, the vibe is young and energetic; just what the neighborhood needs.
The food isn't bad either. If I have one criticism it's that the reverence for seasonal products doesn't extend to the menu design. On a sweltering Labor Day weekend, when it's technically September but the thermometer says otherwise, they serve a hearty cream of mushroom soup. How about a gazpacho, chilled avocado soup, or light seafood chowder?
Likewise, the pastas are delicious -- Chino Farms squash ravioli and a tagliatelle bolognese -- but they're not exactly summer fare. A more appropriate seasonal pasta would be sweet corn agnolotti with tomato and basil consume, or tagliatelle with crab, asparagus, and lemon cream. But I digress.
The cutting board platter, bone marrow (again, not a summer dish), and flatbread are all fantastic dishes to share with the table over cocktails. The steak and chicken are both solid entrees, the mussels are local, and the wines are reasonably priced. I'll definitely be back again the next time I'm in town to see how this place evolves.
I went for brunch and really wanted to order their pastry sampling option.
I love pastries and I was really looking forward to it.
When I got there I saw the options...
They were all there and yeah they looked pretty good until I saw all the flies circling them.
They leave the whole pantry out in the open, no cover or anything.
I ditched the pastry idea.
I ordered the fresh blueberry pancakes and was equally happy.
My boyfriend ordered the black bean tostada.
Both dishes were really hearty and flavorful.
The coffee wasn't bad either.
I like the location of the restaurant, but parking can be tough.
This place is expensive, but if you want to go for a mid day relaxing experience, it might be worth it.
Fantastic place!
My boyfriend (spoiled food snob) and I had a delicious dinner at Whisknladle last Sunday. What a pleasant experience that was!
Highlights:
-Perfect service
-Bone Marrow
-Scallops with ginger sweet potatoes
-Cheese plate (omg)
According to our server, everything there is from scratch and from local farms if possible - extra points for that.
This place is an absolute SD-area must for us now.
Roasted corn sangria! What! This place was fantastic. I had never tried sangria quite like this. It was not too sweet, and the corn gave it a very interesting flavor. I would recommend this place on the sangria alone.
We started with the flatbread which was covered in garlic, light flaky and delicious. Then moved on to the entrée, we first ordered the shrimp pasta special and when they brought it out the pasta was undercooked and so was the shrimp. The shrimp didn't have the slightest tinge of pink on it and we just couldn't eat it. When we told the server she looked it over and took it back without a sideways glance. Deciding to try something else we went with the Tagliatelle Bolognese meat sauce & parmesan. Wow this dish was perfectly prepared and went down quick.
The atmosphere was great, the staff friendly and the food delicious. I will definatley be back.
We came across this place wandering back to our hotel and it looked really cool from the outside. We got there around 6:45 for dinner and by 7:00 it was packed! The seating is on front with a huge overhang that has a warehouse feeling so it feels like your sitting outside but you are not. There is a small bar in the back with big chairs you can hang in. Our waiter was very hip dressed and looked like he just stepped out of a Gap commercial. We started off with the flat bread appetizer that has a little parmesan, stinky cheese, rosemary and bacon pieces and other spices that rocked. It was the skinniest bread I had ever seen and tasted so good with that cured bacon! I want to make this at home! It was like a super thin pizza. By the way they make, bake, churn, cure, age, pickle, brine, and smoke all the food and meats.
For our main dishes I got the poached sea bass with potatoes and it was very good but not a huge, crazy portion. Bill ordered the mussels and frites and OMG it was a huge amount of food! The sauce was in a white wine, garlic and shallots. We also each had a glass of wine that was very good. They have a huge wine list and drink menu. Tons you can drink by the glass which was nice. The prices were not cheap but the food was so good I we didn't mind. We were too full for dessert so we passed. I loved this place and wish we had something like this around here. We left with happy full bellies and wished we were staying longer so we could try their brunch that had Chocolate Banana French toast on it!
there's a reason why the happy hour prices are $2!
bar tapas are 5-7pm daily...
$2 tapas seem like a steal, and not to mention $20 pitchers of house sangria, and wines by the bottle 25% off... but the $2 tapas suck. we ordered 6/10 and all of them suck ass. you do the math. if 60% of the food suck, is it worth going?
hail no.
what did we get?
just by the sound of it, it sounds super yummy. something shrimp, patatas bravas & spicy aioli, torta, ahi, grilled steak, and swordfish skewers.
even the service was simply out of this world. limited parkin since its in downtown la jolla. great ambiance, however which is why they get 1 extra star. how sad. i swear, whisknladle, you have SO much potential
Went here for our anniversary and it was fantastic. The food, the service, the atmosphere was all perfect. All the fresh and natural ingredients they use really make a difference as everything we had was very tasty... Flatbread appetizer, Caesar salad, Chino Farms Kabocha Squash Ravioli, & Tagliatelle Bolognese. Plus the 1/2 bottle wine recommendation of the 2007 Merry Edwards Pinot Noir was excellent. Definitely will be back.
This is the 3rd time I have eaten here. I like it best for dinner. Last night I had a lavender cosmopolitan and we ordered the flatbread to start. Let me tell you, I love the flatbread, it's not what you typically think of, like Indian style. It totally reminds me of a little french alsace village where Tarte Flambee was originated. It's the closest thing I can get without traveling there or getting a frozen version of it at Trader Joe's. It's ultra ultra thin bread, with light cheese, and then they put on their whatever is in season. It changes. This one had rosemary, bits of ham, and baby sweet grapes. Oh gawd, so good.
Go. Have a glass of Rieseling and order the flat bread. You will cry french tears of joy.
Oh and for dinner I had the Bolognese, which is super yum. But I was most impressed with the flatbread.
I really was hoping to avoid a three star review for a million reasons. The decor is great. (contemporary Cali cool) Our server (Jen from Cape Cod) was beyond amazing. The food was all organic and locally grown. Usually a good start. Unfortunately, the great parts didn't make a great experience.
We started with drinks from their hand crafted mixologist list. Two of us had the London Broiler which is a spicy gin drink mixed with jalapeño. WAY too much jalapeño. My wife's review:
"It was like giving a blow job to a jalapeño"
and that was NOT a compliment.
For apps we got a tomato salad and the cutting board to share and they were probably the culinary highlight. Different meats / different cheeses with toasted bread and all good. Recommended.
However, the main courses were just average. Lobster with spicy marinara. Average....a little fishy. Duck.....a little gamey but not bad. Scallops. Pretty good, but nothing out of this world. The only thing that was above average was the Tagliatelle Bolognese. That was the big winner with the table.
All in all - not bad, not great and a little too expensive for an average experience at $80 a head (including tip and two rounds of drinks)
I liked the steak frites better here than at bouchon in Napa.
Corn soup of the day was excellent, salad, flatread appetizer, it was all excellent.
The only thing was the desert. My tongue coudn't understand the tomato-mellon sorbet (tasted like both, very palatte cleansing, but...) I think the desserts might be too creative for me. I've had basil gelato in europe and liked it, maybe i'll try it here next time.
must try their happy hour!
*please reference the owner's comment when reading*
Take a stroll to the b-room, you'll see the microwave. For the amount of money paid, that is b-s. Baked to order anything, BS. The simple fact is that top-class restaurants don't have microwaves. I guarantee that when you walk into the kitchen at French Laundry or Chez Panisse (other restaurants whose selling points are stellar, locally sourced products and simple, flavorful preparations) they don't have microwaves, it's lazy and shouldn't be tolerated at a place that charges so much and VALUES their product. It's about respecting and honoring the ingredients and the product. See the transcript of the Alice Waters interview seen on 60 Minutes, here's a quote "To prove to Stahl that healthy, slow food is worth the money, and can be fast and easy, she invited her to her house for breakfast.
She was going to cook some eggs and make a salad with tomatoes. It was at the house that Stahl realized that Waters lives in a different world - for one, she doesn't have a microwave.
Asked how she lives without one, Waters replied, "I don't know how you can sort of live with one."
I'm absolutely positive she doesn't allow microwaves in her kitchen, and while Thomas Keller doesn't give nearly as many interviews, I can say confidently there is not one in the French Laundry restaurant either or any other place that is not just suckling at the teat of the original slow food movement.
If the baked to order pastries take a half hour to prepare, that is something that can be solved with pro-active service. As someone who spent almost six years working in a kitchen, as a manager, and as a server, delivering what you promise, ie baked-to-order desserts, is paramount to being true to your product and customers. If your servers are selling something as baked-to-order, it should be just that, baked, not microwaved, to order. Arturo of WNL "We bake our pastries the morning of and then bring some of them or their sauces to temperature for serving in yes, a microwave."
Gary Danko can get away with microwaving their famous sponge cake because they don't deceive people that it is baked to order, much like their microwaved brownie in a mug. A product baked in the morning and microwaved in the evening because it's quicker is NOT baked-to-order, just don't sell it as such, maybe warmed or some other euphemism would be better for you and your company. And I'll bet they don't hide the microwave in the back. As for the Paco Jet, the processes in making the ice cream or sorbets remain the same, unlike a microwave, an essential and important difference.
No matter how good the product, microwaving has, and always will, degrade the integrity of that product. I'll accept it for my plastic cup of refried beans at Rubio's, not for expensive high-end desserts. Or just be honest about the preparation and let your product stand on it's own two legs.
Trying to reconcile inferior cooking methods and deception with upwards of 20-30$ prices a plate and $15 for dessert is ridiculous. If the owner cops to microwaving the desserts, it makes you wonder what other corners are being cut with what other products they put out.
If a guy took me here, it means he's classy, romantic, and RICHH RICH RICHH!!!!
My amigo Sunny (so cool by the way!) was working the happy hour (5-7pm) on a wednesday night.
We got
1. 2 orders of the beef skewers (THE BEST)
2. 2 orders of the feta cheese balls
3. 2 orders of the flat bread
4. one hot shrimp
5. one tapa of salami
6. a pitcher of corn sangria (sooo good!)
we got some other ones of the $2 tapas..cant remember cuz..i mean in an altered state of consciousness if u know what i meannnnnzzzz!!!!
but it came out to 50 something, 63 with tip. And this was happy hour!!!
so, prepare to spend alot of money here, you men. cuz, its a pretty classy place ;)
Really solid place that's worth a visit. The menu changes constantly based on what's in season, which is always great to see...Plus, they scratch make many things, including bread, pasta, and ice cream. The owner/chef actually care about what they serve -- always helpful. Aside from the bread, which was fresh but nothing out of the ordinary, this approach makes a huge impact on the overall quality and enjoyment of this restaurant.
Atmosphere is great. Half of the restaurant is a covered patio, which is a great place to escape the warm summer heat. Inside is very modern and hip, with a view of the open kitchen off to the left.
Drinks were great. Lots of unique cocktails...roasted corn sangria and a hibiscus margarita were what we had.
Apps...Summer salad was killer. Super fresh and not slathered in dressing, which really lets you taste how good the ingredients are.
For entrees, we had the summer squash ravioli and pan roasted sea bass. Both were very well cooked and spot on.
Dessert...We had some of their homemade ice cream and a lemon cornmeal tart with a basil sorbet. The homemade ice cream is extremely rich, especially the chocolate. The rest of the stuff...well, it's obvious that they dont have a pastry chef (and there's rumor of a microwave), so I'd pass on those.
Service was great. Lots of attention.
Btw, we brought our 2 kids (ages 3 and 5), who are well behaved in restaurants and the outdoor early evening atmosphere was fine (as was the pricey plate of pasta :) ).
Overall, a very enjoyable meal....better than the other snooty overpriced steak and seafood places that La Jolla Village seems cluttered with.
i have only been for tapas in the bar and cocktails but i can tell you that i would return. their tapas menu was full of things i was excited to try and the portions where enough to totally to satisfy me. the hibiscus margarita was awesome and totally inventive! bar was a little crowded and they could have used an extra hand in the bar area but over all it was an amazing time the food the drinks and the staff were something to write yelp about! my price range only reflects tapas and drinks.
Whisknladle was quite a surprise. We went for brunch on Sunday, 6/07/09. I wasn't expecting the quality of food, service, and ambiance we had, all very good... memorable. Chris was our server, and she was FANTASTIC. She has a way about her that makes everything sound absolutely delicious, and gave excellent recommendations.
We shared everything. We ordered the Scallops, seared to perfection... I wish I could remember all it was served with. I remember cherry tomatoes and corn, and a foam.... argh, I waited too long to write my review. They were delicious! We also had the carrot soup, which was velvety and DIVINE, a side order of the pom frites, and a perfectly dressed mixed green salad with avocado, grapefruit, hearts of palm, and topped with 6 good sized grilled shrimp. Light, refreshing, and beautifully done. Everything we ordered was fresh, delicious, and flavorful. You can tell they care about what comes out of that kitchen. It was apparent in every bite.
I should also mention, they serve water infused with cucumber... what a nice touch! So refreshing and delicious. :o) In fact, I would like to make some this weekend just to have in the fridge to enjoy. Mmm.
All in all, I would normally consider this a 5 star experience. I am reluctant to give them 5 stars as this is the first time I've been. I can say this though, I WILL RETURN. If I have the same experience next time, this will easily turn into a 5 star review.
As I mentioned before, everything was great... FOOD awesome, service on point, the ambiance was beautiful and upscale but had a great casual vibe. Safe to say, I loved this place. :o) My only wish is that they would open a location in San Francisco. What a treat it would be to have them in the City or the East Bay; they would be in the rotation in a heartbeat. I cannot wait to return.
Went again in June 09 for our anniversary dinner. All my previous comments apply, but they have added a couple more items that I have to comment on.
The Corn Soup was my favorite thing this trip. It is perfectly seasoned and prepared. It's one of those dishes where every time you take a bite you're amazed by how good it is. My wife and I absolutely devoured it.
Another new item since we went last is the Fried Chicken ad Waffles. I'm not a Chicken and Waffles connoisseur by any stretch, but this was probably the best fried chicken I've ever had. But do NOT try anything on this dish with out the maple syrup!! It goes from "pretty good" to "omg gimmee more or I'll tear your arm off" with the inclusion of the syrup.
For dessert, the special of the night was a baked to order peach cobbler with blueberry ice cream that was excellent. We also had the Cherry Clafoutis (spelling?) and the Espresso Almond sundae thing, which were part of our anniversary surprise :). My wife loved the Espresso sundae, which was pretty amazing and the cherry Clafoutis was excellent too.
As always, service was impeccable at every level and all the food was excellent. Whisknladle made our anniversary incredibly special for us once again, and we can't wait to be back!
If you read one thing on this review - Chorizo Date Fritters! Even though they sound kind of… Read more »
This is a fun place - interesting menu, good food, nice ambiance. Even the water on the table has a fun twist (cucumber water, very good). The Chorizo date fritters with piquillo sauce is a fascinating combination that was completely unexpected when and I highly recommend. Their fried chicken and bacon waffle combination was interesting as well, though ultimately the highest quality fried chicken is still fried chicken.
The problem is that it is very expensive for what you're getting. You'll end up paying $25 or $30 an entree, and their menu is enticing so you'll probably get an appetizer or two as well. Two people will be looking at least $100 more often than not. So as good as the food is, it isn't good enough to merit the price tag. While there are some restaurants in San Diego whose food is worth that much, I don't think they are quite in that category.
Go here if others are paying, or maybe the happy hour (which looks like they may have some good deals).
Would it be helpful to say that sometimes the best restaurants are the ones you can say nothing about?
Probably not.
Wonderful service, a casual, laid back atmosphere of the fine dining experience. Quite obvious that everyone who's a part of this business has a passion for food and takes pleasure in sharing that passion with others.
As an appetizer, the cutting board--even down to the freshly made mustard in the corner of the plate--was excellent. For my main entree: I've always believed that it was humanly impossible for one to eat more than a small amount of salmon before needing to heave it up from the salmony, fishy taste of it all. After Whisknladle, I realize that said salmony fishy taste isn't inherent of the salmon, since that tangy taste wasn't present at all. Set lightly on a pillow of basil mashed potatoes and vegetables, the entire salmon was simply lovely--and fully edible, at that.
My companion ordered the mussels and fries--the mussels were properly marinated in flavor, not just coated with a watery sauce, and the crisp fries were such a perfect compliment to the white wine and garlic sauce, and smooth richness of the mussels. Simple herbs: the parsley, the shallots, served for just a tinge of flavor--pleasing and not overpowering.
whisknladle makes you hope that its dishes set the paradigm for california cuisine, simply so that you can appreciate california cuisine all the more. if not, whisknladle goes beyond the common trends of organic and fresh dishes by offering dishes that showcase organically tasteful ingredients in the best way possible: pure and simple, with ingredients just a naturally appetizing to complement them.
4-stars if the price wasn't so high. Fantastic atmosphere (sophisiticated yet laid back) and super friendly staff- they know what's going on and are ready to help.
I ordered the salmon and hubby ordered their burger. Both were good but not $31 & $18 good.
Bonus Feature: They have an un-oaked Chardonnay
Realized last minute that it was Mother's Day and had brunch at the bar. I didn't appreciate the loud techno music for brunch, and I'm not sure any mothers did either.
The service was good and the bartender/server was very attentive and knowledgeable. I just don't like the limited options for brunch: they only had one type of omelette (gruyere, arugula and squash I think?) that morning. Could I make my own omelette with different ingredients? Nope!
The chocolate banana french toast was decent and came as a big portion. Fresh squeezed OJ and good coffee saved this as a brunch spot in La Jolla.
I love this kind of place...organic food, gourmet choices, excellent service, an overall unique experience. We were intrigued when we walked by and checked out the menu in the afternoon and returned for dinner that evening. I can't wait to go back!
From the first moment, our server provided us with impeccable service...offering a taste of two different wines, going over the menu in detail, fixing a delay in dessert (with free chocolates and a comped dessert) even though we never even complained.
Our food - squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese, artisan flat bread with Parmesan and chorizo (as my husband said...it's really a fancy name for pizza!), and lobster crepes - was outstanding and freshly cooked (not pre-done as another review said they experienced). Dessert - rhubarb galette with marscapone ice cream - was one of our all-time favorites...well worth the wait (and even better since it ended up being free!).
Highly recommend this place...I hope it stays around, as it sounds like it's had some issues in the past.
Well, there's nothing like having the 'rents in town to knock out a few on my Bookmarked list (Now I have to round up people to try Indian with me....)!
Anyway, we did lunch at Whisknladle today and was seriously impressed. The outdoor patio was perfect, great people watching, great menu, great everything. Eric our server was fantastic and efficient.
I've supressed myself against my usual CAPLOCKED excitement until now- THE BEET SALAD IS SOOOO GOODDDDD.. I don't care if Crescent Heights and everyone and their mother has a good one- this one is PHENONMENALLL. Pistachios? Avocado? Citrus? Golden AND red beets? So. ab. so. lutely. delishousss.
Rose water scented creme brulee was great too. Yup, its a place where the food is soo good you cant help but eat dessert at lunch.
Will def. return when dining in La Jolla.
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: La Jolla
Category: Restaurants
La Jolla, CA
Category: American (New)
Some of my favorite dining destinations around the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
I'm a sucker for a well-crafted mixed drink. These…
When friends or family come visit me from Northern…
Not so much La Jolla as La Jolla Village and the…
the place i run away to when i need to escape from…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Eat in San Diego. Drink in San Diego. Play in San…
