out and about: pacifica del mar

pog mimosa: passion fruit, orange, guava juice

You gotta love a good girlfriend gab fest, especially when it’s over delicious food, and you just get each other. Bonus, when there are good things to celebrate. Bonus bonus, when you can share all your food and therefore get to try more.

This is why I found myself at pacifica del mar for brunch a few weekends ago. Jamie and I used to go to pacifica all the time pre-kiddos, we loved the view of the ocean, loved the seafood forward menu, and loved the food execution. After kiddos, it’s been one of of favorite spots to celebrate special occasions.

So if you’re looking for a last minute mother’s day celebration spot…

But this wasn’t about that, it was just about good food, and getting together with a good friend.

warm olive sourdough 1/4 loaf: sea salt butter

Okay, so they lied. Yes it’s sea salt butter, but there is more flavor to the salt than that. I just wish I could figure out the spice blend, because it was excellent, and I had to stop myself from just eating the butter straight. It reminded me of the salt/spice blend georges used to serve with their butter and bread before food service. And that? Was the bomb. As an aside, the bread was also excellent (see below).

smoked salmon avocado toast: seeded whole grain, capers, red onion, pea shoots, lemon oil

So the phrase on constant repeat throughout the entirety of this dish was, “this is the best smoked salmon ever.” And that, was no lie. The salmon was perfect, and perfectly accented, without being over powered, by the sprouts, capers, onions, avocado and lemon oil. The only bummer was the bread. It was not toasted, as much as it was hard. However, we rectified that situation by eating everything with the above mentioned olive sourdough— and the resulting bites were nothing less than amazing. Messy eaters beware, this is not a neat dish. The sprouts and capers will go all over your table… but don’t let it stop you from ordering.

lemongrass poached shrimp cocktail: 5 jumbo shrimp, lemon oil, cocktail sauce

Who doesn’t love a shrimp cocktail? I love the simple addition of lemon grass, because who doesn’t like lemon on their poached shrimp. The shrimp was perfectly cooked, not mushy, and I absolutely appreciated that they removed all shells, so you didn’t have to, and everything was edible.

blackened fish tacos: dynamite aioli, cabbage slaw, lime vinaigrette, french fries

Let’s face it. It’s brunch. It’s san diego. We’re at a fish forward restaurant. Are we really getting anything other than fish tacos to round out the meal? Pullease. The fish was perfectly cooked, and the blackened seasoning didn’t over power the fish (something that happens all too often). The slaw was fresh and the aioli added the perfect creamy element to the dish.

Well done pacifica. Now, I just need to find an excuse to return for dinner.