San Diego Restaurant Week Review:
The Red Door

While some people use restaurant week as an excuse to go to their favorite restaurant, I always use it as an excuse to try a new one.  The Red Door isn’t new to San Diego though, it opened its doors in Mission Hills 2 ½ years ago and has been receiving enthusiastic reviews ever since. 

This little restaurant is lovely inside.  With creamy walls and low lighting, it’s an intimate affair in an upscale bistro atmosphere. There were four of us dining this evening and we decided we should order everything on the menu instead of doubling up on any particular offering.  This decision was quickly vetoed after the starters though.  I’m not sure how we thought the Garden Salad would hold up to Braised Pork Cheeks or Shrimp Creole. It actually was a typical garden salad which just does not compare to tender pieces of pork that literally melt in your mouth or creamy and spiced laden shrimp.

 

I have never experienced pork cheeks presented in such a delectable way.  They were wrapped in light and flaky puff pastry and then laid in an au jus with ruby cabbage and onion marmalade.   This is seriously such good food that after each bite you will hope it is not the last.  The shrimp creole was another tasty offering that did not disappoint.  The shrimp was soaking in a spiced wine and cream sauce with just the right amount of punch.  The added crispy polenta gave the dish a perfect contrasting texture. 

 

We moved onto our second course and all agreed the Lamb Meatballs was the dish of the night.  The meatballs came laden in a house made chimichurri sauce.  I absolutely love chimichurri and find it’s hard to pair this sauce with any meat and not have it taste amazing. Although chimichurri sauce varies greatly I found theirs to be the right amount of garlic and vinegar, and the right amount of earthiness.  The meatballs were moist and full of flavor and seemed effortlessly  complimented by the accompanied house made gnocchi, broccolini, feta, and pine nuts.  This was one rich dish but easily worth every bite and lick.

Now onto dessert which were a mini banana cream pie option or seasonal fruit cobbler.  The banana cream pie was cute in appearance but it sadly ended at that. 

 

The cobbler easily won as it was warm, fruity, and perfectly crunchy.  Add a scoop of ice cream with drizzled caramel sauce and how can you go wrong?

 

We best described our evening at the Red Door to be rich.  Rich in flavor, rich in texture, and rich in ambiance.  Luckily, you don’t have to be rich to enjoy what this little gem has to offer inside its doors…

Photo Credits: Infatuated Eye