It wasn’t cheap, but it was about time. Evans Hotels built a world-class food reputation at the Lodge at Torrey Pines under chef Jeff Jackson. But their Mission Bay property, The Catamaran, was best known for grassy wedding brunches and tropical 90-oz cocktails. Now they’ve spent $2.1 million to create Oceana Coastal Kitchen, their first new dining experience since Reagan was president. Oceana has wide-open spaces, more al-frescoing, and a giant, vertical, tubular jellyfish aquarium. Chef Steven Riemer’s comfort-food menu is rife with local produce, roasted peppers, a raw bar, and inspired pastries (his specialty at The Ritz). A San Diego classic, face-lifted.
3999 Mission Boulevard, Mission Bay
New Restaurant: Oceana Coastal Kitchen
Photo by Paul Body
