out and about: pacifica del mar

My godparents used to live in del mar. And my godmother was so excited when pacifica del mar opened in 1989, that she promptly scheduled a birthday lunch for my teen self that year. And every year thereafter, even when I went to college, since my birthday was over the summer.

Back then, for your birthday, they used to bring you a special dessert; and then also give you a gift certificate for another dessert at some point during the next year (or maybe for your following birthday?) It’s been a while, so the specific details are not so clear anymore. Sufficed to say… we went to pacifica a lot.

When dating jamie, after learning he too loved seafood, this was one of the places we would regularly date night. It was a great mid point to meet friends for dinner who lived in north county, as we were traveling from usd or tierrasanta.

Even after having the kiddo’s we’ve still continued to sneak away for a meal here and there. Although I have to say, I really do miss the built in triangular tables. But I digress.

The fish is always fresh, the menu changes a lot… always carrying many of the same things, but switching up the preparation, which makes it always a great bet. It’s also a great spot for brunch, but that’s a convo for a different day.

Today… we are all about our latest foray out to pacifica del mar for date night.

sculpin ballast point ipa
blackberry 75: the botanist gin, blackberry, lemon, prosecco

Okay, so I lied. You don’t just come here for the food (although if the food wasn’t as good as it is, you still wouldn’t come here); you come here to eat excellent food with an excellent view.

And that view is always better enhanced with a drink.

Not only did they have sculpin (a long time fav) on the menu, but harland hazy ipa, which is another oft ordered ipa, was also on the menu, providing a choice. But this time he wasn’t in a hazy mood.

There are a few drink items I am especially partial to. A french 75. Blackberry (my favorite berry) flavoring. And, the botanist gin. Bubbles. So when all those things come together, you know it’s a drink I’m ordering.

And it was delish. I would order it again and again. But also, you know I had to try some other things as well. But it will be the first drink I order on my next visit. Mark my words.

There were a few things out of our control this visit. They were out of the poke, mussels, and oysters, so we had to pivot and rethink some of our desired choices. Lucky us though, we love all seafood, so it wasn’t a hardship. (However, I’m gonna have to go back to try the poke, because that was new to me, and I was slightly disappointed not to be able to try it).

While we regrouped, we had to order the olive sourdough. As you must. It’s a constant hit. And always excellent. We were brought a empty, except for crusts basket at first, but felt bad that we had to call attention to it. Random mistake. And the bread is just that worth it. Order the bread.

salmon belly sashimi: ponzu, sesame oil, ginger, lemon, cilantro, finger limes

Salmon belly? Yes please. Is there a more decadent sliver of seafood? And I got to tell you. This salmon was excellent. We loved the tomatoes, loved the avocado.

The roe, dill, and radishes added the perfect complementary elements to the ponzu.

It was a perfectly well balanced dish.

smokey the pear: mezcal, belle de brillet, fresh bosc pear, lemon, agave

To be honest. I’m not a huge mezcal fan. I think it can be overly smokey, and wash away the taste of anything else.

But the idea of a fresh pear beguiled me. And am I ever so grateful it did. Delish. Once again. Smokey yes, but not in a fake smokey way, and not in a way that overpowered the pear. It was like a pear margarita… but the mezcal took away what could have been an overly super sweet drink — which is never my jam. Definitely worth trying, even if you aren’t a mezcal fan.

hamachi crudo: tomato essence, ponzu, garlic, sweet onion, crispy leeks

Yum. Love hamachi. And you know avy would be all over this.

It was truly a great dish. (Those crispy leeks!!!)

The only thing I will say, is that the similarities between this and the salmon - both with sesame seeds, tomatoes, and radishes, were glaringly obvious because we had them both. And I wish they would have had a few different flavors. But again… that was just because we happened to order both of these dishes to start. Let’s not gloss over the fact that they were both excellent in their own right.

sugar spiced salmon: garlic mashed potatoes, chinese beans, mustard sauce

‘member how I said I went on my birthday every year, for years… well guess what I ordered, every single year. Well guess what I ordered at that birthday lunch every year, for years?

The salmon. It was just that good.

Since our typical pattern is to order and share items on date night, the only request I made was to get the salmon for nostalgias sake. Seriously, every time I walk into pacifica, i am conditioned to immediately start craving salmon. Can’t help it.

And yet, I’ve never been disappointed by it. This time was no exception. So, So good. Perfectly crispy where you want it to be, light and delicate throughout, and seasoned so well.

I love how it rests upon a crispy pastry circle that encompasses mashed potatoes, and topped with green beans. It reminds me of a deconstructed beef wellington, but with totally different ingredients.

And that mustard sauce. Gonna need a bottle of that at home.

mumm napa "cuvée m" brut nv sparkling blend, california, napa valley

Is there anything better than sunset and a glass of bubbles? Not many that I can think of. Family. True friends. Disney. Golden Retrievers. Might be about it.

grilled 7oz fillet mignon: salt baked fingerling potatoes, parmesan cheese grilled broccolini, bordelaise, herb butter

We decided since we had had only fish up to this point, that we would switch things up a little and try the filet.

So glad we did. It was perfectly cooked - pink throughout, and so very, very tender. And that compound butter? Yes, please.

I only wished that the steak was a little bit hotter, so that the butter would have melted even more. My guess is, they wanted to present it with the quenelle of butter, so that it was done on purpose.

The potatoes were perfectly crisp, and the broccolini still had a bite to it - which is how i prefer my vegetables. You want them to taste like vegetables, and not like like mush.

housemade bread pudding: vanilla bean ice cream, fresh berries

I’m a sucker for bread pudding. Always have been. I think it’s because it’s more of a savory dessert than some others, and it feels more like cooking to me. A dessert that’s lindsay friendly, if you will.

If I’m ordering dessert, it’s a good bet it’s bread pudding.

I wasn’t disappointed. Well, maybe in myself for being so full, i couldn’t manage more than a few bites, and had to take the rest home… but that’s a me problem. And a bonus for my lunch the next day.

It was even good reheated - although I would recommend, freezing the ice cream separately, and then heating up the pudding in your air fryer. Perfection.

The melty ice cream mimicked the cream sauce that typically comes with bread pudding, but was so much lighter, and I think complemented the heaviness of the bread better than the traditional sauce. It was a well executed swap.

mocha semifreddo: dark chocolate custard, white chocolate-espresso mousse, homemade toffee crunch

Think chocolate mousse on steroids; and then think lighter and fluffier than what you are thinking. Then add in the crispy toffee bits, the hint of espresso, and the fresh mint.

This was seriously a five star dessert. And what’s better than a chocolate dessert, that’s not so rich and chocolatey you can’t enjoy it all? Especially when it is absolutely chocolate through and through.

Such a good date night meal. Definitely worthy of checking out if you haven’t. There’s a reason why we keep going back time and time again.

Can’t wait for our next visit!