Gabardine
Chef Brian Malarkey's neighborhood restaurant in Point Loma was a delightful setting for dinner and drinks with friends. The interiors are bright and lighthearted, which set a very refreshing tone for the evening. The menu items from the restaurant's cold and hot bar are just begging to be shared, and that way there is still room left to venture out to sea, or stay on land with your entree choice. Oh, and of course there is always room for some dessert.
There is nothing quite like starting the evening off with a variety of fresh oysters. It was definitely hard to decide between local Baja oysters, and those hailing from British Colombia. Believe me, whatever your decision may be, they were all delicious. The taste of the salty ocean sloshing through your mouth is always a treat in my book.
Next up were the hot bar plates. There menu offers a nice variety, and honestly I could have ordered each and every item, but just knowing that an entree, and perhaps even dessert was ahead of me, it was time to take control. We ordered the Duck Confit and Malarkey style fries. The duck confit was outstanding, and the fig jam was the perfect compliment. The Malarkey style fries consisted of caramelized onions, white cheddar, and their signature Gabby sauce.
Well by control, that obviously meant that I had to order the lamb shank. A dish that comes bubbling to the table, and wafts intoxicating aromas towards you, I mean how could you go wrong? No knife was needed for this dish. It was just between my fork and the tender lamb meat. It is indeed a rich dish, but incredibly hard not to attempt to finish every last bite.
While I decided to stay on land with my entree choice, my husband decided to take the venture out to sea. He ordered the Opah. Both of us are huge fans of Opah, and we almost always order it if it is offered on the menu. Let me just say these words..Bleu cheese chipotle butter, and onion rings. It was quite the combination my friends, I don't even think Antonio let out a peep as long as that dish sat in front of him.
We did "somehow" manage to save room for donut holes, and an ice cream sundae. The lovely evening ended on a sweet note, and plenty of enjoyable conversation. I really had such a nice time at Gabardine. I think their brunch will be in our near future, and of course that is not only for the food, but did someone say bottomless mimosas?
Gabardine 1005 Rosecrans Street San Diego, CA 92106 619.398.9810