We are presently sailing south in the Pacific Ocean just off the coast of Baja California on a 7-day cruise to 3 Mexican ports (Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan & Puerto Vallarta). As I write this from our (yes, we got upgraded a THIRD TIME in a ROW within one year) beautiful huge Penthouse Suite, I stare eastward at the peaks that form the Sierra Columbia, the range that forms the spine of Northern Baja California. While we are getting our fill of food (and we have not even been on board 24 hours yet) nothing can compare to the humongous portions we received at the delicious INDIGO GRILL (at the corner of India Ave &
Cedar) in downtown San Diego on Friday night. Indeed, the the plates were any bigger, we would have had to vacate the restaurant!! We started off with superb, and yes, huge, martinis, then went on to two bottles (well. we were four people!) of citrusy BRANCOTT SAUVIGNON BLANC 2004 from New Zealand, a perfect wine to pair with some of the intense spices of the food such as the DUCK QUESADILLA, the SHRIMP TAMALES, or just my STACKED BEET SALAD with Orange Segments, Shaved Fennel, Orange Caraway Dressing and Dried Beet Chips. This was served in a huge bowl, the size of a giant cake mixing bowl, and I barely was
able to polish off half the greens, let alone all the yummy purple beets.
A treat with our entrees was the excellent, and rare, STAG'S LEAP 2002 PETITE SYRAH which perhaps was just a bit too young, but paired very well with our strong dishes: HICKORY & APPLE SMOKED PORK RIBS, the one pound portion of SALMON and the GRILLED DUCK with Sauteed Green Beans, Bing Cherry Reduction and
Smashed Purple Potatoes.
We did love Indigo Grill, which is one of four restaurants run by its signature chef, but it can get a bit noisy (it is very casual) and while the service is pretty good, it seemed that for each course the dishes did seem to come out at short intervals, rather than at once for the entire table. There was, however, no way we could even eat a bite of dessert, due to the immensity of the previous portions!
There won't be much to report while at sea, unless we lunch somewhere in Mexico amazing, but for those of you who requested, Will is sending out his regular on-board reports called "Sam at sea!" More on fine dining in San Diego when we return there next weekend.
Phyllis on the road again
