Cafe Pacifica

With so much interest here in Old Town San Diego, it hard for us to know
where to begin choosing a restaurant. All we knew is that we only had
one night here and there was no room for error, so we asked our
innkeeper for her suggestion, without hesitation she suggested Cafe
Pacifica. Left to our own devices, we would have missed the place, since
it's small and off the beaten path. The valet whisked our car away as we
entered with an appetite for adventure. The main dining room was
intimate with a couple of other areas that were even smaller. The
maitre'd seated us at the their only table outside which looked to be the
most comfortable seat in the house, but proved to be the noisiest, with
the valet busy at work, so we moved inside. We passed the main dining
room to even smaller quarters. It was cozy though. The dim lighting
provided a romantic glow to our tiny room of eight or so tables, and I
thought the mirrored wall was a clever use of space, making the room
seem much more than it was. Finally settled in we ordered up a couple of
cocktails. I was intrigued with the sound of a Pomegranate Margarita
which didn't turn out to taste as exotic as it sounded, still I ordered two,
or was it three? We wanted to try everything on the menu, but settled on
a sampling of their Blue Point Oysters which were topped with fresh
spinach and parmesan and baked on the half shell. These literally melted
in our mouths with flavor that left us thinking about them through the
rest of our meal. They were priced at $2 a piece and serve with a tiny
bottle of Tabasco sauce which really enhanced this appetizer. Next we
enjoyed the light and tender Seafood Sausage with Ancho Chile Sauce
and the Sliced Pear & Caramelized Walnut Salad with Bleu Cheese, which
is always a favorite combination of ours. Man, were we off to a great
start! Both of our entrees were excellent as well. Flavors exploded in
our mouths with their Three Herb Crusted Salmon which was served with
a Ginger Plum Sauce and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes, and the Petite Halibut
Filet with Carrot Puree & Grilled Polenta Cake. Both were so good that
choosing between the two would be difficult. The food here was
marvelous, right down to their perfect Creme Brulee. What good fortune
to be eating so well in a town we were so unfamiliar with. I'd certainly be
anxious to return here again!

Located at 2414 San Diego Avenue in Old Town San Diego.

Telephone (619) 291-6666

Website: cafepacifica.com