It's not as bad as buying a car but deciding what to order for lunch is a big decision! Nothing's worse than being encircled by beautiful plates of scrumptious food and looking down at what you ordered with pangs of regret. This, by the way, happens to me a lot so I thought I'd help you out by showing you some food from my recent visit to Jakes Del Mar.
If you haven't been to Jakes you don't know what you're missing. Right on the beach, the view of the suntanned bodies is almost as distracting as the food presentation. It's a chain restaurant but with siblings like Dukes, Kimos and Hula Grill you know it's got the right DNA for great food. The plate above is the Seafood Trio with tangarine glazed fish, a shrimp and a scallop. Good pick.
Next up was the burger. What, someone ordered a burger in a seafood restaurant? Yes, and were we jealous. Grilled onions and enough cheese to cement that heart attack, perfectly cooked fries, another standout winner. My buddy who ordered it raved and he's a foodie guy so order with confidence.
Alas, the rare ahi tuna sandwich was just OK. A bit too healthy for me. If you are intent on ordering this one, ask for a side of wasabi and soy sauce to drizzle on top and forget about those ridiculous legumes and get some of those fries! Seriously, it's not just that I love fries it's that the plate needs some contrasts in textures. Everything was too mild. I'll give this dish a passing grade, but do it my way and you'll love it.
Here's the dish I was originally going to order and wish I did. Pecan crusted seabass with rock shrimp cous cous. I don't usually like giant cous cous like this but man did this look good! By the way, if you love rock shrimp and live locally here in San Diego you can get them at Seaside Market in Cardiff.
Last plate to arrive was the macadamia nut crusted salmon on top of Asian style veggies and mushrooms. Personally I thought there were too many veggies (the texture contrast thing again) but the person who ordered it licked their plate clean so what do I know?
Jakes is a cool place. Sure, it could probably use a bit of updating but I suspect most people don't look at the carpet when you have a view this good. If you go, get there earlier than you think as the valet parking fills up fast and when it does your only other option is the $4/hr lot across the street - and trust me, you'll be so relaxed you might spend a few hours here. Oh, I forgot to tell you about their great beers on tap and the ridiculously good Hula Pie (macadamia nut ice cream on an Oreo crust with hot fudge) that brought me right back to Maui. Felt like vacation....ahhhhh.
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