The Guild

06/25/2008 Posted by PeteThistle

Ever been to a restaurant with "views" of a real machine shop where some of San Diego's finest restaurants & homes have their custom wood & metal creations fabricated? Venture over to Barrio Logan and check out THE GUILD. It will take you all of about 3 minutes to drive there. If you know how to get to the foot of the Gaslamp (end of 5th at Harbor Drive by the Convention Ctr), take a left (head east) on Harbor Dr. and continue for about a mile to Beardsley (before you get to your 2nd light at Caesar Chavez). Go left over the tracks and up two blocks. You can't miss it on the right. There's great parking in a lot next to the restaurant. When you arrive, you'll generally see LOTS of people at the bar. Happy hour is 5-6pm and again from 10-11pm. There's a very cool crowd at The Guild...a little secret getaway for many. You may run into some of San Diego's artists and architects here. One of the owners, Paul Basile, is a contractor himself. Paul has been a peer of the downtown arts community for more than a decade. Inside you will find the decor a unique blend of urban chic where concrete meets Kirei (a reclaimed agricultural fiber from the Sorghum plant grown around the world for food). How "green" is that? Plan on small bites ~ almost tapas in style ~ as a way to sample many unique dishes there. Rich in flavor but light in preparation... clean & decorative in the way it's beautifully plated. Also plan on trying a wine you most likely can't buy at any supermarket. No ridiculous prices here and a very nice variety. Live music seems to be extinct in this day and age ~ but not at the Guild. Come on a Friday evening to hear something that's really "live." Looking for great "chill" lounge where you can hang out & actually see/hear other people without a $20 cover? Check out the lounge upstairs. The long table seating was designed for people to meet their neighbors :) If you are craving "original," go to The Guild.

Pros: Unique Ambience, excellent parking, live music (Fridays), Cool , chic, DIFFERENT!

Cons: None come to mind.

05/04/2008 Posted by madhatter74

The portions were so small that they could be Tapas, but the price was George's level high ($$$$). The wait staff was non-existent and mostly useless when they did show up. The presentation was great, the Flavor was excellent, and the design of the space was amazing. Overall, I was still left unsatisfied. I will not go back unless there is a change of management... It was a great idea, poorly executed.

Pros: Pretty

Cons: Too expensive, lousy staff, micro portions

04/06/2008 Posted by jjtrick

This is a copy of an e-mail we wrote to The Guild This was the first time we have been out (alone) for 6 months since the birth of our son. We were sorely disappointed and here is why....... Amuse Buche - The flavors of this were great, but the basalmic reduction was overpowering. Unfortunately, things went downhill from here. Sashimi with Wasabi Foam - The fish was of inferior quality and didn't contain the textures and flavors of sashimi grade fish. It was mealy and mushy. In addition, the "Wasabi Foam" was missing. Foam is supposed to be light, airy and frothy. Whatever cream was on top of this dish was not a foam and way too heavy, unless its' purpose was to drown out the horrible flavors of the sashimi. Chevre Artichokes - While this dish had the most promising flavors with a balance of sweet and sour, it was laced with artichoke skins that were entirely inedible. This made the dish difficult to eat as well as the very tough toast points that couldn't even be cut with a knife. Everyone knows you can't eat artichoke leaves (duh). Daily Ocean (Hamachi) - The quality of the fish was not indicative of the price. A few bites were actually quite pungent. A very blah dish that made me want to get up and leave. Land and Sea - This is the first $28 filet mignon that I have ever had that was prepared Medium Well. It was reminiscent of swiss steak. The lobster ravioli filling was too firm, hard. Very disappointing. We understand that sometimes portions are small because the ingredients are of the highest quality, but this was not the case at The Guild. We don't mind spending money on the best cuisine even if it is a small portion, but we were left completely unsatisfied. We are fairly easy going and didn't even mind the gnats that were swarming around our table. We kept ordering drinks to drown our sorrows and kept hoping the next dish would meet our expectations. It never happened; we had to stop for burritos on the way home.

03/21/2008 Posted by 2Cool4Downtown

Had heard how great this place was. Had the OPPOSITE experience - from the rude bartender upstairs, to the hostess that forgot about us, to the waitress that didn't explain the menu then completely disappeared for the rest of the night, to the defensive manager. Although the food was admittedly delicious and the chef was adorable, all in all, it wasn't worth feeling unimportant and highly undervalued as a customer. I can't imagine ever going back.

02/02/2008 Posted by mcheves

Service was good, but not a nice location, over-priced, and the food nothing spectacular. The chairs were a bit uncomfortable as well