Splash

San Diego is not short on wine bars, and I am not complaining. I am lucky to have met a close group of treasured friends who all enjoy three of my favorite things: wine, cheese, and talking. The excitement I feel when first walking into the chosen establishment to meet these lovely ladies is palpable. So when asked what I wanted to do to celebrate my birthday, it came natural to suggest a girls' night at a new wine bar. My specific request was that the setting be new and mellow but also fun. Jody, who has her finger on the pulse of San Diego, found Splash Wine Lounge.

Set in the up and coming North Park community, Splash sits among an electic street where recently opened boutiques and restaurants sit next to a payless shoe store. It is the combination of old and new that makes this small San Diego neighborhood intriguing.

Their concept is simple and unique: Self-serve machines that beautifully display close to 100 wines from around the world. So, how does this work? You purchase a pre-paid card for any amount you choose. You then browse the many wine stations (shown below) and choose from which you want a "splash", or one ounce taste. With some splashes costing as little as .99, $20 can take you on a long and spontaneous journey.



Compared to simply purchasing a full glass or bottle at the typical wine bar, Splash makes the process interactive and social. The layout seems deliberate and genius. The round wine stations are strategically centered throughout the bar - from the entrance to the back. Couches and tables are set to the sides. There is enough space where you do not feel crowded, but close enough that when you look up there are people standing and sitting throughout the long and narrow room. Browsing for your wine forces you to move about the room, thus the opportunity to interact with others.

To balance the wine, there are small bites to eat. We ordered the goat cheese boat. You cannot go wrong with warm goat cheese, topped with olive oil, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes. This appetizer was served with warm bread and each bite was more flavorful and fulfilling than the last. The flat-bread pizzas also do not disappoint, and neither does this entire experience.

Splash stands out among the Wine Bar genre as a hip, yet modest establishment that is well worth a visit and highly recommended.

A Lovely Way to Spend a Saturday Night

One word comes to mind when I think of my experience at this new restaurant-bar in North Park. Comfort.
When I first see Urban Solace I am reminded of the south of France because of its charming pastel yellow hue and delicate, rod-iron balconies. It is the one building, on the up and coming 30th street, that stands out as warm and inviting.
Once I enter the solace I am again comforted by the atmosphere, but this time for a multitude of reasons. The interior design is simple, yet contains subtle and beautiful intricacies such as stained glass windows, a narrow, softly curved, elongated bar, and rectangular cut-outs in the back wall that span from the ceiling to the floor with down lighting that draws my eyes to the gradation of its burgundy color.
We sit at the bar and the people surrounding us are exactly the kind of people I want to be around - mature adults of all ages, out enjoying a glass of wine and some good conversation. This brings me a lot of satisfaction and throughout the night conversation is flowing in many directions. The 40-something couple to our right could not be more comfortable in their own skin as they tell us their story about how they met and the humorous realities of their five year marriage. Attentive is an understatement to describe the bartender, and it is clear she genuinely cares that we enjoy the experience.
The food is good and not overpriced. However, it is not the highlight of the night and at the same time does not take away from it.
Without a doubt I would, and will, go back there any time.

Recent Meals Worth Mentioning

Shore Club - Pacific Beach, San Diego
I had no expectations of this establishment. Overall, I have been disappointed in Pacific Beach's ability to build an enticing waterfront. I want a plethora of outdoor cafe's with over-sized funky umbrellas, flowers abound in the day, diverse candle light at sunset, and too many choices of fun/casual/classy places to go to. Instead, there are eateries and bars that primarily cater to anyone who is looking for bar food and a lot of drinking. The Shore Club seemed like another one of these places, and in a sense it is. However, their veggie and grilled mahi tacos were a very close second to South Beach (OB) fish tacos. In the five years that I have lived in San Diego I have not been able to say that about any other fish taco, so that means a lot to me. The veggie taco was filled with marinated and grilled zucchini, eggplant, and squash, and then topped with lettuce, diced tomatoes, a small/perfect amount of guacamole, and white sauce. Other notable things: it is on the second floor and has wall to wall opening windows, with seating overlooking the ocean. This entire experience was a pleasant surprise and I will certainly add it to my rotation.

Bite - Hillcrest - San Diego
Bite is a new, modern, wine bar and bistro that offers eclectic tapas and small plates. I went with three of my friends and we ordered eight "bites" (two rounds of each of us picking one) and two desserts. The following are descriptions of my favorites, in no particular order:

1. Grilled Cheese Baguette of Cremini Mushroom, Fresh Thyme, Roasted Shallots and Melted Fontina. This was so cheesy and flavorful. The thin baguette was pressed and grilled to perfection. This is a smaller plate....two, (about) three inch sandwiches.

2. Yam Gnocchi with Rock Shrimp, Toasted Hazelnuts, Haricot Vert and Sage Butter. The gnocchi in this dish was good, but what made it amazing was the rock shrimp. The combination of the hazelnuts and sage reminded me of a light horseradish flavor which I loved.

3. Medjoul Dates Stuffed w/ Gorgonzola and Wrapped w/ Apple Wood Smoked Bacon. I have had bacon wrapped dates before, but these were taken to a whole new level with the gorgonzola stuffing. We loved these so much, we got two orders. Four dates per order.

4. Warm Cream Cheese Bread Pudding with Blueberry Buttermilk Sorbet. I think the name says it all. One of my new favorite desserts. Perfect size for sharing.

The poet, Rumi, said -"let the beauty of what you love be what you do." I could not agree more.