Bill Berkley lured Jean Georges chef Tony DiSalvo to the West Coast using his three-story culinary playground as bait. I’m guessing the location two blocks from the beach in San Diego County’s prettiest, most affluent enclave didn’t hurt either. Set amidst a row of high-end shops, the complex contains a sidewalk cafe, an indoor grille, a wine bar/lounge, a fine dining room on the second floor, a beach bar on the upstairs patio, and coming soon, a top-floor steakhouse and oyster bar. Berkley named Jack’s La Jolla for his father.
Jack’s most casual section still had a menu with headings as diverse as Sashimi, Crispy, Fresh, Skewers, Soups and Salads, Paninis & Sandwiches, Pizza, Pasta, and Sides. All these great-sounding options made it tricky to decide. Since there were only two of us, there was no way to sample them all. We ordered one item each from the Crispy, Skewers, Salads, and Pizza categories, then strolled to our table carrying a plastic number.
We had no trouble filling our wait time. Printed on our plastic number were famous movie quotes, which we matched to Rocky, Casablanca, and Some Like It Hot.
Our food arrived quickly on geometric white plates. This was just one touch that made it clear we weren’t exactly eating at a beach shack.
Before I left, the hostess gave me a tour. Jack’s Grille is the “casual” indoor section of the complex. It may be casual, but it still has fire and water features. The upstairs dining room is even nicer, but not quite as dramatic.
If a casual sidewalk café is turning out such interesting, flavorful dishes, I can only imagine what Chef DiSalvo is achieving indoors. Actually, I can do more than just imagine. I plan to book a table in the dining room on my next trip to San Diego.
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