The Restaurant at The Pearl [2.0]

I was very fortunate to experience Bistro Monday at The Restaurant at The Pearl -- all thanks to the generosity of Greg S., the owner of the hip boutique hotel in Point Loma. After reading about my New Year's Day experience at the restaurant [clicky], Greg invited a guest and I to enjoy a hearty comfort meal on their popular Bistro Mondays.

I invited my good friend, 2010 InfluenceSD's Blog of the Year winner Junvi, one beautiful Monday evening at the end of March. I was excited to share the delicious culinary experience with Junvi since she has never been here before. We arrived promptly at 6:30 PM and took a small peek of the menu since copies were located on the host stand.

[outdoor pool area]

[bar area]

In January, the sliding doors / wall to the pool area was closed because of the cold air. This evening, the doors were wide open because it had been a warm day. Thomas sat us right in front of the bar, closest to the host stand. Our server greeted us and explained that they were trying out new items for Bistro Monday. I looked at the online menu earlier (of course) and decided on the duck confit, so I was happy that it was still on the revised menu. Score!

The menu on Bistro Mondays at The Pearl consists of mouth-watering French-American entrees that you can order a la carte, or a three-course prix fixe meal ("three-fixe") for $25. The regular menu is not available on Mondays, however that's what makes Bistro Mondays so special!

Junvi, being a vegetarian, was quite pleased that they had a vegetarian option and that the kitchen accommodated her request for no meat on her appetizer.

I started off with the "Soup du Jour", which was a tomato bisque with chives and a hint of butter. Oh, was it heavenly. The creaminess of the soup warmed my throat and my taste buds were going crazy. I absolutely love a good bowl of tomato soup -- the only thing missing was the grilled cheese sandwich. Wait... there was one!

For her appetizer, Junvi ordered the "Bouef Pain Grill" minus the "Bouef" (beef). As much as the house roast beef would have made this appetizer MORE amazing than it was, I loved the crunchiness of the crusty baguette, the gooey-ness of the French Camembert cheese, and the small tang of the oven roasted tomatoes. We dipped the mini sandwich into my soup and it sure was yummy. The first courses did the trick... we couldn't wait for our main entrees!

The first time I've ever had duck confit was at the Napa Rose at the Disney's Grand Californian in Anaheim. It was one of most the succulent piece of meat I've ever had. A piece of that crunchy skin and duck meat melted in my mouth. I wanted to experience that again so I ordered their "Canard Confit". Now, THIS is why, The Restaurant at The Pearl became of my favorite restaurants in San Diego. The duck is superb. Outstanding. A work of culinary art. I couldn't stop eating it because it was that good. Yep, I didn't need my knife anymore as the moist duck meat fell off the bone. The vegetables were crisp, not overdone and they paired up nicely with the duck.

Junvi ordered the vegetarian quiche with haricot vert almondine. I love, love LOVE haricot vert because they are thinner than the regular green bean. It's the same reason I love the Chinese long bean. The quiche was creamy and flavorful -- not to mention what makes a great quiche is that flaky, buttery crust, which it definitely had.

For dessert, I opted for the strawberry crepe with fresh mint and whipped cream. It was delicious and tart in flavor, which I'm not that fond of, but the cream balanced the flavor out.

I have a weakness for creme brulee. Junvi's creme brulee was perfect and a great way to end our Bistro Monday meal. I actually finished it for her.

As the evening grew, the lighting of the outdoor patio highlighted The Pearl's pool. A movie was playing on the big screen and it was getting cooler. Guests packed the outside pool area, the dining room, and the bar. It was certainly a busy Bistro Monday!

We thanked our server for having us. We chatted it up with Thomas about what other special events were going on at The Pearl, including upcoming Dive-In Theatre movies before we called it a night.

Thank you, Greg, for another FABULOUS experience at The Pearl. I will surely be back for a number of delicious entrees (Meyer Ranch short rib & flat iron steak) , including Chef Spencer's "Best Burger in Town" as part of my quest to find the best burger in San Diego.