seeking solace

Leo and I finally went to Urban Solace (3823 30th St, San Diego, CA 92104, (619) 295-6464) last week. We heard about the place through Yelp and it got a rave review from City Beat in the "Best of San Diego" issue, so we knew that we had to experience the mac and cheese firsthand.

The place is "American comfort food," but not what you'll get in a greasy spoon or local diner. It's fancier food, in a comfortable (but beautiful) setting.

They don't take reservations, but you can call ahead and they'll add you to their waiting list 30 minutes before you arrive. When we walked in, our table wasn't quite ready, so we hit the bar for some wine and an appetizer.

We opted for Zin and Syrah and the "Pile of Warm Cheese Biscuits with Orange-Honey Butter." It was awesome. Then, we were seated and proceeded to get the "Wisconsin White Cheddar Mac n’ Cheese, Caramelized Bacon, Charred Tomatoes" and the "Char-Grilled Hanger Steak, Homemade Steak Sauce, Caramelized Parsnips, Celery Root Mash" (which has really great julienned sweet potato sticks as a garnish). Both entrees were excellent.

We were pretty full but figured that dessert was also in order. (At that point, we had decided to get our friends gift certificates there as Christmas gifts and had to sample the dessert to know what we were recommending to five different sets of friends. Really.) After an intense negotiation, we settled on the sweet potato and pecan pie with two cups of tea.

Our amazingly tasty meal was very reasonable and the service was excellent -- four glasses of wine, one appetizer, two entrees, one dessert, and two teas came to about $70 (plus tip). We'll be seeking solace again soon.