Owner George Hauer along with Chef Trey Foshee put out some of the best food in San Diego. Georges at the Cove has three tiers. Downstairs is the fancier California Modern while upstairs is the Ocean Terrace and Georges Bar, each offering a different menu and feel.
We ate downstairs at the Modern. The decor used to be stuffy with big chairs, white linens and the feel that you were at your parents restaurant. A few years ago they redid the place with a new, more "modern" feel and it turned the place into a clean, relaxed environment to enjoy exceptional food.
A lot of their produce comes from Chino Farms, a small family run farm down the road in Rancho Sante Fe. The produce does not get any better than this. It is worth the drive out there to pick up your own fresh produce.
I know, you want to hear what we ate.
I had their special appetizer (we split it). This was two fresh large prawns, heads attached and grilled. It was accompanied by some fresh peas, greens and squid ink. It was out of this world. The prawn was perfectly cooked, the shell crisp with a smoky aroma and the meat was still moist and delicious. The peas were a nice touch to balance the softness of the prawn as they were served fresh and still retained their crunch along with the salty squid ink it worked perfectly.
They brought out a plate of the grilled Octopus. I have had this before and it is one of my favorite but the special sounded too good to pass up. The octopus is always perfectly grilled, with some crispiness to the tips of the small arms. There is a cold potato confit along with some piquillo peppers, thinly sliced celery and a fennel-safron aioli that you wipe off the plate with your finger its so good.
Next She had the Date Salad and I had the Chino Farms Minestrone soup. This flavorful broth was filled with potatoes, more peas, tomatoes, fresh basil and more. It was served with a side of fresh pesto, Parmesan cheese and olive oil to add as you saw fit. It was a nice refreshing soup that was packed full of tasty vitamins and left a warm feeling in your belly.
For my entree I had the Halibut. This was a bone in halibut with a porcini glaze. The fish was cooked perfectly through and seasoned well. It was served with peas, asparagus and radish. The plate was finished with a lemon yogurt that paired well with the rest of the dish.
Dessert they had a pressed strawberry dish with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, some mint leaves and a pepper sorbet. Yes, pepper sorbet. I see Iron Chef competitors make sorbet out of anything and everything. Me, didn't really like the pepperiness (sp?, is that actually a word) of the sorbet but the rest of the dish worked. I normally am not the desert fan and something lite and refreshing is fine. She liked it.
Overall, I can not say enough about Georges. I have never had a bad meal there, I always take out of town friends and family there. If you want a quick bite during the day stop upstairs. Looking for that special place for an occasion or just a really good meal check this place out.
-His
