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DINING


Jan. 28-Feb. 10, 2011


GAY SAN DIEGO


15


a Bloody Mary lunch with bay views


C Level HHHH


880 Harbor Island Dr. (Harbor Island)


298-6802


Prices: Salads and starters, $9 to $17; entrees, $13 to $30


H=poor HH=mediocre HHH=good HHHH=exceptional


“It doesn’t get any better than this,” a friend in our group blurted as she ex-


tracted meat from a crab claw amid a shiny view of the downtown skyline winking at us from across the bay. It was an 80-degree afternoon and our quintet had seized a large round table smack in the middle of C Level’s coveted wooden deck. To those frost-bitten souls bundled in the grip of winter, as seen on televi- sion earlier that day during the Super Bowl playoffs, we channeled our sympathies.


The crab claws, which landed beneath a few of our chins prior to ordering even a single appetizer, had actually materialized from a round of tall Bloody Marys, each adorned also with a chilled jumbo shrimp, spicy green beans, olives, celery and pepperoncinis. The drink is spiked discernibly with Svedka Vodka and a homemade “Mary” mix. At $12 a pop it’s worth every red drop. C Level re-


sides opposite of Island Prime, a contemporary-style waterfront steak- house boasting a more upscale menu. Separated merely by a reception area, both are owned and operated by the Cohn Restaurant Group and acclaimed chef Deborah Scott. On gorgeous afternoons such as this, C Level steals the show.


Scott’s menu is colorful and


invigorating and feeds hungry stomachs admirably. A starter of pan-seared pot stickers, for instance, came six to an order and featured a kicky Vietnamese glaze that gave rise to plump fillings of gingery chicken. A Caesar salad also took an enthusiastic rotation around the table; its flavor volume turned up with chili-fennel salmon, mari- nated tomatoes and an ultra-creamy anchovy dressing that didn’t assault our palates with blunt fishiness. For those many fans of Scott’s


“skirts on fire,” a dish made famous at the former Indigo Grill, the memory lives on. Here, the spicy skirt steak crowns a healthy mix of arugula, edamame, peppers, pepitas, avocado, cucumber and blue cheese. In the face of so many untried dishes facing us on the menu, we passed. From the heartier “high tide”


category, we chose beef and fish entrées, the latter featuring a lobster BLT sandwich served unexpectedly on jalapeno-cheddar bread. The friend who ordered it isn’t a fan of hot peppers and felt the little devils upstaged the deli- cate flavor of the shredded lobster. For others, it will merely adds to the thrill. Served alongside was a bowl of lobster bisque that was


(Courtesy C Level)


cooked down to a sweet, gentle texture. A generous layer of horse- radish crème on the sandwich permeated the mound of meat perfectly, while an occasional dip into the au jus injected a nostalgic Sunday-roast flavor I had banked on.


"[T]he tacos were surrounded with a


sexy and dangerous chili powder that joined forces with the blackening spic- es as well as chipotle aioli on the side."


sweet and silky enough to serve as a quelling dip for the sandwich. Conversely, the spicy punch


from blackened fish tacos thrilled the tablemate who ordered them— and the rest of us for that matter. Stuffed with creamy coleslaw and pollock, a versatile marine species used in imitation crab meat, the tacos were surrounded with a sexy and dangerous chili powder that joined forces with the blackening spices as well as chipotle aioli on the side. The extinguisher in this case became a fruity glass of house- made sangria sweetened with black- berry brandy and Grand Marnier. A couple in our group shared the Kobe filet burger topped with garlic aioli, caramelized onions and smoked bacon. They ordered it medium-rare, but the meat came out well-done. Our waiter quickly and graciously returned with a new plate -- steak fries and all. Apolo- gies accepted.


I chose the mother of all


French dips: A beautiful torta roll packing curly slices of roasted prime rib topped with fontina cheese and luscious red peppers


Sitting on the deck of C Level seems tailor-made for summer weather although I’ve experienced the deck’s large heat- ers pointed down at every seating area on cooler days, thus creating a warm micro climate that allows you to pretend you’re somewhere else. Go inside if


you must, but whether it’s chilly or balmy outside, the food and Bloody Marys go down with great ease when consumed with the air rolling off the bay.•


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619-296-7878 - www.blvdfit.com 2110 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego, CA 92104


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