Addison at The Grand Del Mar

07/04/08

Excellent Ambience

by BJSalice at Citysearch

The Grand Del Mar is in a lovely location in Carmel Valley and the Addison is a splendid restaurant. The ambience and service are excellent, but the portion size leaves a lot to be desired. I've been to some of the best restaurants in the country ( 19 (formerly Founders in Philadelphia ), Carnelian Room ( San Francisco), Four Seasons( New York), Willard ( Washington, D.C.) and The Mansion( Dallas, Texas). Never have I've been presented with such small servings. With just two spoonfuls,my soup was finished. The lamb was excellent, but having two/three pieces barely two inches long, was not enough. I am not a big eater and don't expect Claim Jumper portions, but I do think this was a bit pretentious. I also found the doubling up of servers distracting. There just might be "too much" attention being paid to your diners.

I was very disappointed given all the "hype" about this restaurant and the fact that an out of town visitor treated me to this dinner. We expected more.

06/15/08

Fabulous

by vgsvstr at Citysearch

San Diego has waited a long time for a restaurant like this. I would ignore the few mediocre ratings posted by others. It's evident by their posts they aren't used to dining in a fine dining establishment. In some ways this restaurant is above and beyond what most individuals in San Diego are familiar with. I lived there from 1997-2004, and am very familiar with the options. This experience is very similar to dining at a restaurant in NYC, London, Vegas, or San Francisco. Fine dining is about impeccable service, quality over quantity, and expert wines. This restaurant has all of those. The food was presented beautifully and was delicious. The staff were friendly and professional. We travel to Napa every October and are very familiar with wines and were very impressed with the selection. They has several of our favorites. I'd actually say compared to the French Laundry which we ate at last year, this restaurant has better service, better quality food, and is less costly. We had the tasting menu with wine pairing which came to around $300, while our tasting menu at the French Laundry was $800! Definitely worth it if you have the income. If you are on a budget and looking for large portions, I agree, try Cheesecake factory. I would pay this price for ambiance and food any day over the mediocre restaurants in the Gaslamp.

• Pros: ambiance, food, service, wine list
• Cons: none

12/04/07

One of the best meals I have ever had!

by bpart at Citysearch

My husband I had dinner at Addison on Thanksgiving, 2007. From the moment we arrived, the customer service was impeccable. The bar tenders where outgoing and very friendly. Once we were seated, we on the chef?s five-course tasting menu with wine pairings. The portions are modest but you are enjoying five courses (plus all the bread you?d ever want)! Obviously the reviewer who noted the portion size and pricing isn?t familiar with fine dining (perhaps they should try Cheesecake Factory or Claim Jumper?). We were absolutely stuffed at the end of the five courses. Each course was delightful, and the service was impeccable. The staff was friendly and also did a great job in presentation and timing. The sommelier was very nice and it was clear he had an absolute passion for his work. The decor of the restaurant was grand and elegant. The valet had our car waiting for us when we walked out the door. I would defiantly go back to Addison on special occasions and would highly recommend it to friends and family. The meal for two, including the wine pairings and gratuity came to around $480. If you can afford this type of meal, it?s worth every penny!!!

• Pros: great service, unbelievable food
• Cons: If you are on a budget, this isn't the place for you!