So I drink vermouth now. Straight. Learned all about its digestive properties thanks to marisi, a new restaurant to la jolla.

La jolla seems to be having a food renaissance at the moment, which I am totally here for. Totally love all my old favorites, but it’s nice to have a few new options to try and look forward to.

One of the newest is marisi, located in the old whisk n ladle spot. And yes, it’s new, but considering it’s owned and managed by puesto, the upscale taco shop located next door, it’s not completely new to la jolla.

Marisi completely changed the look of the restaurant, opening up walls, ceilings, and spaces making you feel like you are dining in a garden. It’s really beautiful.

And yes - I totally consider that they serve your choice of white or red vermouth as an aperitif - a welcome bonus.

The crudo was perfection. Perfectly balanced, not too heavily spiced, and the fish was not fishy at all. This is definitely on the go-to list.

Have I mentioned how much I love horseradish? And fresh horseradish to boot… winning. Especially when topped with what was basically a deconstructed pesto. Chef’s kiss.

Why is it that prawns always taste so much better than shrimp? Just saying. These were perfectly prepared, and while a totally different preparation than our beloved fennel spot prawns, just as amazing. Definitely worth the order.

We dubbed this combo the m&m, but unfortunately it wasn’t as great as the melt in your mouth candies are. The meatballs were a little heavy on the mortadella, and a little dryer than expected, leaving us wanting to taste the other ingredients more.

And our mushrooms were way too tough and burnt, as was the kale. It was hard to taste anything but burnt kale, which was a disappointment since the concept of the dish sounded lovely to both my ears and taste buds.

Overall marisi is definitely worth a second, or first, try. I’ll be headed back.