As G mentioned, in our previous post, we worked up quite an appetite during our 9-mile hike at Torrey Pines on Saturday morning. We made reservations earlier in the week for a 7 p.m. dinner at Donovan’s Steakhouse in La Jolla, so we had plenty of time to rest up before we dressed up a bit and headed out for a fun night.
We had never been to Donovan’s, but we knew it had been named “Best Steakhouse in San Diego” multiple times, and we had a Living Social deal to put toward our meal thanks to G’s aunt and uncle, so it was a must-do meal.
The restaurant is gorgeous: dark wood, dim lighting, an incredible bar and several alcove seating areas that make the restaurant feel small and intimate, even though you can tell it’s a large place. It’s definitely a restaurant to consider for an anniversary dinner, and attire ranged from nice jeans and dress shirts, to suits and sparkly dresses.
We had a table in the Del Mar Racetrack room, which was filled with signed racing memorabilia. It’s the type of place you’d love to just walk around and take in all of the pictures and history. Scott, our head waiter, was so friendly and knowledgeable and let us know that Donovan’s is the only restaurant in the country that serves 100% USDA prime beef, 100% of the time. Once we got our food, we could definitely taste the quality of the beef.
We had a bottle of the 14 Hands Vineyards’ Merlot (one of our favorites), and the oven-fresh bread while we waited for our entrees. I think we both could have eaten our weight in the bread – so delicious! G had the Filet with Bacon-Wrapped Scallops, and I had the Surf n’ Turf Manager’s Special with included a 6 oz. Filet and a Lobster Tail. Both meals came with a vegetable medley and choice of potato – we both chose au gratin. Everything was SO GOOD. Even as we started to get full, we couldn’t stop eating – it’s definitely worth it to finish the meals!
While we couldn’t seem to find room for dessert, everything we had was incredible and the service was top-notch! We tried to snap a picture outside of the restaurant, but it was dark and lighting wasn’t great. Luckily, G’s aunt and uncle were leaving the movie theater nearby, so we met them for a margarita and managed to get this one:
We’ve got the America’s Finest City half-marathon coming up next Sunday, so stay tuned this week for new recipes and a race recap.
Have a great week,
GnC
activeharmony 