JRDN

As you might expect – or maybe not – I was kidding yesterday about having Thanksgiving at Black Angus. You really can never tell with me. Instead, after reading the Reader list and the Union Tribune list of Thanksgiving restaurants, I settled on JRDN in Pacific Beach. This is the restaurant for the newish (and stylish!) Tower23 Hotel, located on the boardwalk with great views of the ocean.

They did a 4 course menu from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. – now, we’d normally avoid restaurants on holidays for the various obvious reasons like overpricing and possible crowds but we’ve had home cooked Thanksgivings the last couple of years and it was time for one out. We decided on a lunch time meal – which ended up being perfect since the weather was beautiful and we could have lunch on the patio with a full view of the scantily clad girls (and guys) walking by! Of course, they served up the traditional turkey day meal – or you could pick prime rib, lamb or salmon entrees. Soup and salad was the same for everyone and dessert was the choice of pumpkin pie or pecan pie. And as you might expect, a little alcohol was required in the form of a T23-tini: a multilayered martini with vodka, rum and fruity juicy juice. Since it was outside I could easily take a bunch of pictures - and that helps out so much!

Roasted butternut squash soup.
With nutmeg crème fraiche

JRDN salad.
Local farmer’s organic mix with fresh herb vinaigrette

Herb roasted turkey with pan gravy.
Sage dressing, sweet potato gratin, almond green beans and house made cranberry sauce

Roasted saddle of Colorado lamb.
Stuffed with swiss chard and almond, mashed potatoes and smoky cabernet sauce

Pecan pie with shortbread crust and bourbon-caramel sauce

It was a good solid meal – nothing mind blowingly outstanding but a nice traditional Thanksgiving in the sun in San Diego. Price was $36 a person. Service was fine – they really weren’t too busy with just a handful of tables filled up outside and probably about the same inside. Maybe people would be there for dinner. I’d definitely try them for a lunch sometime.