Addison

Addison is often regarded as the fanciest restaurant in San Diego. While we’ve dined at some of the finest restaurants in various cities we’ve visited, we never dined at Addison until now.

Part of the reason is that I was afraid I’d be disappointed. While I love the diverse restaurant scene in San Diego, it tends to be a more casual dining environment. However, after several of our friends recommended Addison to us, we finally went to check it out.

From the moment our car arrived on the premises, the service was flawless. Every staff member we passed by greeted us warmly, the servers were always quietly watching, seats were pulled out for us when we returned from the restroom, and our car was ready at the valet once we exited the restaurant. We really felt transported to another place and at times it was hard to remember we were still in San Diego.

We started our night with some premium cocktails. I didn’t write down the names but both were excellent.

Addison offers two menus: a full tasting menu and an à la carte menu. The à la carte description is a little confusing because it is actually a preset meal. It’s a four-course meal and you choose from a list of dishes for each course. Since this was our first time here, I wanted to give them a test run before going full out, so we chose to do the à la carte menu.

whipped yogurt, baked honey, raspberry

Dinner started with this light amuse-bouche to open the palate. It was light, airy, and a good balance of sweet, tangy, and tart.

sherry mascarpone cheese gougère

Our second bite was this delightful filled gougère. I love gougère and make them often but I’ve never had a filled one before. While the first amuse-bouche was an awakening of taste buds, this savory bite really let the anticipation for the meal to start flowing. I love the mousse-like cheese filling and will have to try to replicate it at home next time.

lavash bread

The thin, unleavened flat bread was the third complimentary bite of the evening.

FOIE GRAS POT DE CRÈME

For my first course, I chose the foie gras pot de creme. The foie gras custard is topped with a passion fruit gelée and accompanied by a Belgian waffle. I’ve had foie gras starter courses before mixed with a sweet element and didn’t care for it, so I was a little apprehensive before ordering this. However, I really enjoyed it. The foie gras pot de creme was a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The passion fruit gelee didn’t detract from the rich foie taste at all. This may have been the best foie gras starter course I’ve ever had.

SAKE CURED KAMPACHI

This was Mr. K’s first course choice. Beautifully plated, the tower consisted of balls of pickled pear, cucumber slices and cured kampachi. We both enjoyed it, but agreed that the foie gras was better.

Parker House Roll

After our first course, we were each given a warm Parker house roll. Buttery and soft, Mr. K finished his in no time and the server quickly came over and asked if he’d like another one warmed up for him.

CARAMELIZED CODFISH

I loved the presentation of this second course. The hot broth was poured at the table. The cod fish had such a beautiful, deep brown caramelized surface. The glittering, gold-speckled leaves gave the dish an elegant finish.

CODDLED FARM EGG

My coddled egg was accompanied by smoked pork and sourdough crisps. Every element was wonderfully executed and I think I was mentally kicking myself at this point for waiting so long to come here.

COFFEE-ROASTED CANARD

After two exceptional courses, my third course was a slight letdown. While the duck was cooked just right, I felt that the hoisin and peanut flavors overpowered. My duck was paired with a bowl of koshihikari fried rice.

PITHIVIER AUTOMNE

Pastry dough stuffed with tender beef. This was quite satisfying, though we also felt that it didn’t quite excel as much as the previous courses.

Sauvignon sorbet

Before dessert, we were given this cool and refreshing palate cleanser.

COCONUT CRÈME PÂTISSIÈRE

I really loved the touch of gold foil balancing on top of the coconut creme.

CHOCOLATE PAVÉ

Rich chocolate balanced with vanilla ice cream, this was like chocolate paradise.

Tahitian Vanilla Macaron

Our meal came with one more complimentary bite, their vanilla macarons. I’ve experienced Addison’s macarons before and they are one of my favorites in San Diego. The shells are delicate and chewy.

When we left the restaurant we were also presented with a fresh baked shortbread cookie to eat at a later time.

Overall, we had a fantastic meal at Addison. The service was impeccable and the food was excellent. We do hope to come back for the full tasting menu at another date, but the 4-Course menu is a great option as well.

Addison
5200 Grand Del Mar Way, San Diego, CA 92130
https://www.addisondelmar.com/