weekend in La Jolla

[danielle7171]

Hi there,
My husband and I will spending next weekend in La Jolla for our one year anniversary.
Our dinner considerations are Roppongi and Nine Ten, based on menu, or possibly George's or Marine Room, based on view and atmosphere. I tend to choose based strictly on food so I'm leaning towards Roppongi and Nine Ten. Any thoughts?

Also, I want to have some really good breaded fish tacos and carne asada for lunches. Any recommendations there?

We definately want recommendations in La Jolla only---and any price range is fine for dinner.

Thanks.

[Condiment Queen]

Tapenade
Nine Ten
George's Modern
Trattoria Acqua
Crab Catcher on the patio more casual but good seafood
Sky Room at La V

Roppongi blows for any type of anniversary dinner (only app's at 50%) and Bernard at the Marine Room has been a good friend for a very long time but I am just so not into it..

Alfonso's and Jose Court Room for carne asada and Bahia Don Bravo in Bird Rock/LJ for fish tacos..

You did state LJ only..

[goodhealthgourmet]

i was so concerned about making sure the OP understood the importance of eating in the downstairs dining room at george's that i completely forgot to recommend trattoria acqua! another vote for that one. great food, lovely atmosphere, one of my faves in all of SD.

[danielle7171]

Thanks to everyone for all the recommendations. I will let you all know what we decide.

[daantaat]

if $$ is no object, I would recommend Tapenade or AR Valentien at the Torrey Pines Lodge. Next choice is George's. Nine-Ten is good and at night, the lights are dimmed, so less chance of noticing the shabbiness the Alice Q mentioned.

Roppongi is worth it if you're going for their 50% off tapas from 4-6 pm. Otherwise, I think there's better dining in La Jolla.

Marine Room has a great view but feels tired in terms of decor and food.

[goodhealthgourmet]

agree about roppongi - fine for a first date, but not a first anniversary celebration.

one note about george's - for a special occasion meal, be sure to make a reservation for the downstairs dining room, NOT the terrace.

[butterbutt]

Hmm Nine Ten used to be a favorite.. last time . a few months ago the service was the worst.. so as a local I cannot recommend this.. I would suggest Georges.. Tapenade..view go to the Clays.. its the Hotel la Jolla I think not sure.. food is very good View outstanding.. drinks ..appetizers or dinner for a 7 out of ten..I do like Ropponngi..no view though...Codys for breakfast or lunch.,,. great view and food..casual..

lots of different opinions!!sorry!

Just had dinner at Sante.,. if youre in the mood for italian.. sit in the bar area.. ok welll if youre over at least 45.. its very nice.. order the lasagna ,,which is THE best ever,.a white sauce..,,but I also had filet mignon which was very good..

[honkman]

I would definitely skip Roppongi. I know some people like it but I never understood why. Nine-Ten is nice. I would also consider Tapenade.

[danielle7171]

There are so many mixed reviews about Roppongi! We love Asian tapas done right and the menu looks delicious. Is the food sub par or something?
Nine ten and Georges Modern seem to get unanimous praises.

[honkman]

"Is the food sub par or something ?"

In my opinion yes. There many better options in LJ than Roppongi. Many of them are listed in this discussion,

[ginael]

Hi Danielle,
I'm not sure if my original reply went through or not. Rather than re-typing, here's what I suggest:

Nine-Ten for sure. Amazing food, atmosphere, and wine list.
Wahoo's Fish Tacos on Pearl
Jose's Court Room for carne asada

I'd skip the Marine Room. I found the aesthetics dank, mildewy, and anachronistic.

Cheers.

[danielle7171]

Sorry, I guess I should have added that I'm from LA. We have Wahoo's and it's not my favorite. They don't have a yummy tartar sauce-like white sauce on their tacos. I find them to be bland.

[Cathy]

There are very few taco shops in La Jolla...if any.

[mliew]

Not sure if it would qualify as a taco shop or not but one of my favorite casual mexican lunch places is in La Jolla. It's called Porkyland. they have great carnitas and el pastor (not surprisingly considering the name) and the tortillas are made fresh. Never had the carne asada there though.

[Josh]

You're not going to find anything better than Wahoo for FRIED fish tacos. If you're open to eating them grilled instead, I highly recommend El Pescador Seafood Market, which is in the same parking lot as Wahoo's. It's not fancy at all, but the fish is incredible. A true hole-in-the-wall Chowhound spot. I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

[honkman]

We tried Wahoo for fried fish tacos about a year ago and they were some of the worst we had in SD.

[The Old Man]

They are also some of the worse you'll have in OC or LA.

[Josh]

Yeah, that's why I recommended El Pescador instead of Wahoo's. Wahoo's sucks.

[Josh]

Marine Room, mildewy? How long ago were you there?

[ginael]

Hi Danielle,
I would highly recommend Nine-Ten; the food, atmosphere and wine list are all amazing. Request a table on the terrace for a fabulous view, and eating at the bar is nice also. You won't be disappointed. Not sure about Roppongi, but the view won't hold up to Nine-Ten's. I find that the Marine Room is dank and kind of anachronistic. For good carne asada, try Jose's, which is across from Nine-Ten. You can get good breaded fish tacos at Wahoo's Fish Taco on Pearl St.
Enjoy! You are heading to La Jolla at a great time of year.

[Alice Q]

I was just at 910 for lunch last weekend, and the dining room is looking a bit shabby. The table was chipping, the chairs were stained and rickety, and it just looked tired. That being said, most of the food we had was very good. The burger, ironically, was the only thing that wasn't good.

For food I really like Tapenade and I have liked Roppongi in the past, but the last time we were there it wasn't quite up to par. We always sit in the bar and have tapas with some cocktails. If you're looking for a view, George's California Modern is not a bad choice.

For casual Mexican - Porkyland and El Pescador are good options - Jose's and Alfonso's on Prospect are pretty mediocre, but have a nice atmosphere and if you drink enough margaritas - you'll hardly notice the food ;-)

[Condiment Queen]

With enough Marg's at Alfonso's or Jose's. you'll hardly notice the food..hee hee
I love ordering the large nachos and that is perfect for 2-3 people..
Food is so very average but each have their good day
El Pescador is SO good with seafood and love Carino's for pizza.
I have had some great veggie tempura at Wok on Pearl...sushi too.

[Alice Q]

Man - when I was in high school, my best friend and I would go to Alfonsos for those nachos and make a meal out of them - then eat ice cream at gelato classico. Good thing I was an athlete back then! :-)

[Alice Q]

I also meant to say Whisknladle is supposed to be very good, and serves local creative cuisine - so maybe give that a shot!