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At Poseidon, a ripple among a sea of calm

By Larry Knowles

October 24, 2005

San Diego--The reputation of Poseidon, in Del Mar, trades off its ambience as much as its menu. So, I had high expectations for both when I dined there last week. While each was nearly perfect, the latter shined, while the former briefly fell a bit short.

The restaurant sits right on the beach, tucked between Jake’s and the Del Mar Hotel. The interior has a chic modern décor with plenty of ambient lighting. The U-shaped bar and open dining area provide unobstructed views of the ocean and clientele alike. The lounge area adjacent to the bar has funky, futuristic bars of light on the wall.

My dinner partner and I sat on the terrace and took in the ambience while looking over a menu well balanced with sea food, chicken, and beef dishes.

For an entrée, I ordered the chicken orrechiette for $15. I won’t lie to you. I had no idea how to pronounce the dish. Yeah, the “chicken” part I got through fine. It was the “orre…orre…” part that had me stumbling through various iterations of the word until the waitress bailed me out. Reminded me of my senior prom, when I hit a pricey Italian restaurant for the first time. (It’s “ore-eh-KET-ee,” in case you didn’t know.)

When the orrechiette arrived, the dish, at first glance, looked like it wouldn’t be enough for one. But the dish—chicken over “little ears” pasta, in a jalapeno cream and garlic cream sauce, with tomato, green onions, and gorgonzola—proved to be very filling. The gorgonzola added a welcome richness to the dish.

I also sampled another entrée, the ravioli with tequila lime sauce. This dish, unlike the orechiette, looked rich and filling. However, a frugal amount of ricotta cheese along with a mild tequila lime sauce meant the dish was light and easy on the palate.

The restaurant attracted a well-dressed clientele in their thirties and forties. Several groups on the terrace engaged in lively conversation. There was a lot of laughing and people straining to be heard above the din.

The ambience would have been perfect if a near brawl hadn’t occurred.

As we were sitting at our table on the terrace, there was a commotion a few feet away. A young wearing baggy jeans a ball cap turned backwards darted from his group, threw open a shuttered door that separated the terrace from the bar, and charged toward one of the patrons.

His friends bolted from their chairs and got to him before he reached his target. As they held him back, there was a lot of shouting. Let it go!…Forget it, [name]!…Walk away!

This was a major scene. Everyone in our section of the terrace, as well as the bar area, froze to watch the event unfold. Thankfully, the dude listened to his friends and calmed down.

What I don’t understand is why the kid was allowed to remain at the restaurant. He goes on a capricious rampage into the bar area and threatens another patron—and he gets to stay?

Poseidon offered fine, varied cuisine at a reasonable price. If the management had taken a tougher stance an alcohol-related indiscretion, the experience would have been exceptional.

Poseidon

1670 Coast Blvd.

Del Mar, CA 92014

(858) 755-9345