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Wild Note Café
Before my wife and I moved downtown, we lived in Solana Beach. One thing we miss from those days, other than the beach itself, are all of the funky/quaint little shops and restaurants in the area. Recently, we were up in that neck of the woods around lunchtime and decided to grab a bite. We stopped at The Wild Note Café. I am happy to report that things at The Wild Note are better than they’ve ever been. We started out with drinks and the house bread & butter. While there is nothing especially remarkable about the bread, it is worth mentioning because it is the only thing in the restaurant that is not made on-site, from scratch. However, they do reach out locally and bring it in from Del Mar bakery, O’Briens. We ordered two appetizers - the lobster dumplings with port wine sauce and the sashimi-grade ahi tower with avocado, mango and crispy wontons. Both were absolutely delicious, but I would give a small nod to the lobster dumplings. The flavor combination of the lobster stuffing and the port wine sauce was fantastic. Our friend had a bowl of the potato/artichoke soup and I, regretfully, only got to enjoy a spoonful. It was hearty and flavorful and I will be ordering it the next time that I visit. Shortly after, even though the small room was packed with lunchtime patrons, our entrees were served. My wife had the teriyaki tenderloin kabob salad and I had the Brie Burger. The salad is made with spinach, roasted potatoes, asparagus, feta cheese, pear tomatoes and is served with a red wine vinaigrette. The Brie burger is certified Sterling beef stuffed with Brie, topped with sautéed mushrooms and port wine sauce, and served with french fries. Both the tenderloin and the burger were cooked to perfection and had an excellent flavor, but were on exact opposite ends of the richness scale. The salad was light and scrumptious, despite having the meat/potato base. The roasted potatoes were a welcome addition and the dressing was pleasantly tart. The richness of the Brie burger made a fat piece of NY cheesecake seem like a communion wafer, but had an excellent flavor and is an indulgence worth taking on as long as you have friends along to help you take a few bites. It is something that is great to share. We finished by all sharing a piece of Granny Smith apple upside cake with vanilla bean gelato, fresh strawberries and a mango puree drizzle. There is no need to describe this sinful confection. If the ingredient list alone does not make your mouth water, I don’t know how a description can help. Everyone in our group had an awesome experience and the prices are quite reasonable. I’m not sure what the nighttime prices are, but there was nothing on the lunch menu over $13. They offer a wide variety of starters/main dishes and the chef has a special that changes daily. If you’re on the coast and want a fine-dining/gourmet lunch, but want Chili’s/Applebee’s prices, stop by The Wild Note Café. You’ll be glad that you did.— November 24, 2008 11:13 a.m.