5/5 Jay K. 5 years ago on Google
Grant
Grill
is
one
of
San
Diego's
oldest
restaurants,
and
its
mighty
presence
downtown
almost
redeems
the
demented
barbarity
of
the
dining
scene
of
the
Gaslamp
Quarter.
Although
"America's
Finest
City"
is
generally
apathetic
to
fine
dining,
I've
come
to
appreciate
how
Grant
Grill
keeps
dauntlessly
pushing
on
while
not
changing
very
much
about
itself.
The
"must-order"
item?
Definitely
the
"Mock
Turtle
Soup,"
which
has
been
on
Grant
Grill's
menu
since
they
opened
in
1951
and
features
a
combination
of
bits
of
beef
short
rib
and
beef
tongue
to
simulate
diced
turtle
meat,
controversial
in
California
even
during
the
days
that
"Turtle
Soup"
was
offered
by
Campbell's
in
grocery
aisles
alongside
"Chicken
Noodle"
and
"Cream
of
Mushroom."
A
toper's
amount
of
dry
sherry
is
poured
tableside
by
the
waiter
into
a
spicy
brown
broth
consisting
of
tomatoes,
garlic,
and
herbs,
the
result
of
which
is
a
silky
and
punchy
bowl
of
soup
that
risks
creating
impossible
expectations
for
the
rest
of
the
meal.
Earlier
this
year,
my
wife
and
I
were
fortunate
enough
to
dine
at
Grant
Grill
on
an
evening
that
offered
a
special
5-course
tasting
menu
where
every
dish
(including
dessert)
consisted
of
either
Soft
Shell
Crab
or
Jamón
Ibérico,
or
both.
If
Chef
Mark
Kropczynski
ever
decides
to
do
this
again,
I
highly
recommend
it
to
anyone
who
wants
to
experience
his
creativity
unleashed.
The
highlight
dish
in
that
series
was
his
"Chuletero
Iberico,"
where
crispy
soft-shell
crab
paella
"cakes"
and
juicy
Ibérico
loin
shared
the
plate
with
a
romesco
sauce
and
squash
blossoms.
I
ate
well
in
2018,
and
this
was
one
of
the
best
plates
of
food
I
had
all
year.
Aside
from
the
inventive
options
that
are
usually
offered
for
more
adventurous
diners,
Grant
Grill
nails
the
de
rigueur
upmarket
dishes
such
as
Seared
Sea
Scallops,
Grilled
Octopus,
Chilean
Sea
Bass,
and
Dry-Aged
USDA
Prime
Ribeyes,
and
that's
perhaps
why
my
wife
and
I
frequent
this
restaurant:
it's
a
fantastic
place
for
a
pro
dinner,
with
a
professional
wait-staff,
refreshing
classic
cocktails,
and
luxuriously
decorated
and
furnished
in
a
legitimately
old-school
way
that
eludes
any
of
the
other
fine
dining
options
that
exist
in
this
region.
1 person found this review helpful 👍