Last year we went all out at La Valencia's Sky Room and I'm still pissed! It was outrageously expensive ($130 per person) and they did the "big plate/little bite" thing I hate. Look, if you want to insult me by only giving me one scallop for my entree, don't put it on a plate the size of a New York Pizza! Also, the Sky Room gave us the sh*ttiest table even though they knew it was a big (I mean, BIG) anniversary. So I hate them.
Instead we went back to a place we used to go when we were oh so young - Piatti La Jolla. I know it's corny but I dig it when restaurants do things like put "Happy Anniversary" on the menu. Of course, 31 years is a long time - that has to be a typo.
That dang sauce for the bread is super good, a mix of garlic and olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some parsley and chili flakes tossed it. The waiter was super cool and everyone wished us a H.A., which is nice.
We started with the Carpaccio, which is raw beef. Sorry vegetarians, this is so tasty that even you might give up tofu forever after a bite. I think Piatti does this best, better than many of the other restaurants in town. Paper thin slices, zesty and lemony, dang it this is good!
We split a salad of grilled Romain lettuce wrapped in Proscuitto with a very acidic dressing. At first bite it was too tangy but once you got a taste of the meat it all blended nicely. They split the salad in the kitchen, which I loved. At the Sky Room this one plate would have served the entire dining room.
My wife got the special, a oven baked Yellowtail with fingerling potatoes (no, those are not bananas) and lots of fresh veggies. Delicious, perfect, wow! The waiter was so cool that he asked if she wanted anything special, suggesting different sides and extra vegetables, and he added his touch by tossing some asparagus on top. That's nice, really nice. ($27)
I got the Paradelle, which is a wide noodle with shrimp and saffron and tomatoes. It's one of my favorite dishes there and it was also fantastic. The shrimp were perfectly cooked, the sauce had the right balance, this is a good dish. ($20)
At the end the waiter came by and I asked, a bit embarrassed, if they happened to save the menu with the Happy Anniversary heading on it? The waiter pulled it out of his apron with a bow tied to it and gave us a free dessert. How cool is that?
So Happy Anniversary to my beautiful wife, thanks for putting up with me for a long, long time, and thank you Piatti La Jolla for a wonderful meal! If you've never been to Piatti, go this weekend. Ask for a nice table on the patio and I guarantee you will have a great experience.
