When you live in San Diego, Mexican food is as local as you're going to get. Why was it so hard, then, to figure out a place to go to dinner for our friend's birthday? We wanted Mexican, or something with Latin influence, but something unique and maybe a little more classy. Decent atmosphere, good food, fun drinks. I did some research and came up with this list:
Miguel's (our old stand-by)
Ortega's (my boss, who is a picky eater, loves it here!)
Zocalo (owned by the Brigantine, Latin flair, in Old Town)
Kemo Sabe (in no way Mexican, but Glenn wanted to add it to the list)
I texted (oh, I know I'm cool with my texty texting) this list to my good friend Julie so the decision making could begin. Julie is a/Ryan's - whose birthday we were celebrating (picture below) - wife and better half b/a friend of mine since the early years of 1998 when I wore Levi's and a blue hoodie every day, and c/a very talented photographer and the owner of Journey of the Lens. Check out her site, you will not be disappointed. Back to food... the decision was made to hit up Zocalo in Old Town. They had eaten there before, but it had been a while, and we had never been so that was a fun new twist on the evening. Here is Ryan, excited about Zocalo.
Ever since the whole Casa de Pico/Bazaar del Mundo/Old Town dramz a few years ago, I have tried to find other parts of town that had good Mexican food, and as a rule boycott any new Mexican restaurants in the Old Town area. La Pinata and Old Town Mexican Cafe are still ok, but that's about it. Seeing as Zocalo is owned by the Brigantine family of restaurants and has been there for longer than the debacle, I thought it was acceptable to show my face in this tourist trap of a neighborhood.
Zocalo has a great spot - right on a corner in the middle of San Diego Avenue. The Spanish style building fits in with the area nicely, and we really enjoyed sitting on the patio. Atmosphere: check. To start, our server brought us a plate of thinly sliced bread and chimichurri to dip it in. This went over very well, and for a group trying to fit into their swimsuits from last summer, it sure beat the caloric overdose that is unlimited chips and salsa. We also ordered the "queso fundido" which, essentially, is baked cheese with some onions and peppers, and our share of sangria, fruity drinks, and mojito's. Fun beverages: check!
The menu at Zocalo is unique and kind of exciting! Fresh seafood, slowly braised meats, and a good assortment of Mexican and Latin inspired dishes - so far this place seemed like a winner. I ordered the New World Sampler which included smaller portions of carnitas, barbacoa, and "lamb lollipops" which reminded me SO MUCH of the line in Two Weeks Notice where Sandra Bullock says "I've never warmed up to the idea of a flesh popsicle" that I had to order it. The lamb, which I am usually not a huge fan of, was quite tender and had a slight "grilled" flavor to it that added a little kick. The carnitas, flavored ever so lightly with a sweet honey-based sauce, was excellent, and the barbacoa tasted exactly like what it was - a flavorful piece of slowly braised beef short-rib. The trio of meats were accompanied by corn tortillas, which I did not realize were there until about 3/4 of the way finished with my meal, and three lovely salsas. Zocalo calls the salsa's "nuevo latin" - I am not sure what that means but here is what I think they were: one was the chimichurri, one was a spicy red salsa that tasted almost like the hot sauce at Taco Bell, and one was large chunks of a fruity substance that was delicious with all of the meats.
Julie had the seared yellowfin, served with snap peas and green chili rice/risotto. The yellowfin was good, but I think ahi has more flavor than yellowfin - are they the same thing? Either way, it didn't do too much for me. Glenn ordered the skirt steak accompanied by sweet potato fries. I thought this dish was unique, it reminded me of the flank steak at Indigo Grill; served with chimichurri and a sweet quesadilla instead of the sweet potato fries. The steak itself was tender and flavorful, Glenn ate every last bite, and Julie and I were sure to help him with the fries. Ryan ordered the carne asada nachos - a very Ryan meal so it was fitting that he ordered it for his birthday celebration. They looked excellent and he seemed to thoroughly enjoy every birthday bite! Good food: check!
Look how satisfied and happy we were! Also note, I do not have any pictures of food. It could have been the sangria, or maybe I just forgot I was a food blogger for a night.
My only complaint about Zocalo: the service was not fantastic. Our waiter seemed distracted and not interested in his job or us. His distraction, however, did not deter us from having a great night and therefore I would still give Zocalo a high mark. Eat there and be merry!
Zocalo
2444 San Diego Avenue, San Diego, 92110
(619) 298-9840
2 comments:
i feel like i just re-lived the whole meal all over again! that was such a fun night! however, you forgot to give shouts of glory to the raspberry mojito...it was truly a cool summer night's breeze in a glass.
I love Ortega's...you should give it a shot! Never been to Zocalo so we'll have to put that on our list to try :)
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