One of my favorite new watering holes downtown is Westbound, located in the monstrosity that which is One Santa Fe. They have a limited, yet delicious food menu. My faves include the Foieffle and Oysters. They also have an amazing late night happy hour that begins at midnight.
Oysters with Grilled Watermelon Ice, Lemon Oil + Mignonette, Basil
Gravlax Cone with Roe, Charcoal Cone, Goat Cheese, Dill
Foie N Waffle – Brioche, Coffee, Maple, Naval Orange Compote
Cheese Board
Noble Experiment is a gorgeous, yet tiny cocktail bar in Downtown San Diego. It’s hidden inside another bar, which is always a nice touch. The wait on a Monday night was close to an hour, and I think the staff at Neighborhood were annoyed – albeit rude when we were waiting to get in after they were technically closed. Rudeness aside, we finally got into the bar and got seated in a corner booth, which was nice and cozy. It’s horrendously dark inside so I wasn’t able to take a decent photo of a single cocktail. Do bars do that on purpose to retain their mystery?
Anyhow, I had the Featherweight Old-Fashioned, which consisted of Bourbon, Amaretto, Mandarin Napoleon, and Bitters. Pretty spot on. We also tried a few variations of the Gimlet and The Buck – all really delicious and well-made. I loved the wood bar and the skull wall. Really gorgeous details that seemed were thought out for the small space.
I’d go back again as long as the wait wasn’t longer than 30 minutes. Truly not a fan of lines and long waits. This isn’t Portland! 🙂
The Parish opened about 6 months ago and the first time I went I had some delicious cocktails and deviled eggs. This time around I couldn’t resist opting for a full meal- I was not disappointed!
The restaurant is located on Main Street between 8th and 9th in a BEAUTIFUL flatiron building. I believe the bottom is mostly a coffee shop and small outdoor area and the upstairs has a bar, gorgeous leather seating and a dark wood bar.
I ordered the Black Bee (not pictured), which is bourbon, honey, lemon juice and stout. I’m not much of a beer drinker but the chocolately taste of the stout made this drink incredible. How funny are the quotes on their menu?
For dinner I split Deviled Eggs, Brussel Sprouts and Ricotta dumplings with my friend. Everything was tasty and reasonably priced. I highly recommend it for a date, casual happy hour or even just to grab a drink. I have yet to try their breakfast (it looks divine!) but I will report back!
T R O L L E Y W O R D S 