San Diego Restaurant Week Offers Foodies Great Meals

by Susan Montgomery

San Diego Restaurant Week is back in full swing beginning Sunday, April 3, through Sunday, April 10. This is your ideal opportunity to try a variety of great restaurants at excellent prices. More than 90 participating restaurants will be offering prix-fixe menu options. Two-course lunch menus are offered for prices ranging from $10 to $25 a person.  Dinner menus offer three-course meals from $20 to $60 per person.

My fellow foodie friend and writing colleague, Linda Milks, and I recently savored a wonderful three-course dinner from the Restaurant Week menu at the Farmer’s Table in Little Italy.

The Farmer’s Table is a bustling, spacious restaurant that is just the place to go with your family and friends during Restaurant Week. The décor is unique and charming with rustic country touches — such as the 1940s tractor you can’t miss on the way to the restroom along with a striking chicken mural. The staff is attentive and friendly. And the food is beautifully presented and delicious.

The Farmer’s Table is owned by a family with Sicilian roots and their Italian heritage is reflected in many dishes. Ingredients come mostly from local farmers so the dishes are especially fresh and organic.

Although drinks are not included in the Restaurant Week pricing, there are many reasonably priced drink options at the Farmer’s Table, including craft cocktails, beers, wines, and other beverages. I started my meal with one of the restaurant’s famous Bloody Marys and Linda enjoyed a glass of very nice Chardonnay.

We had four enticing choices for Appetizers. I tried the Crab Cakes on crispy mixed greens, served with a mango pomegranate salsa. These delectable crab cakes were among the best I have ever tasted. Linda also really enjoyed the lightly breaded Calamari & Shrimp served with a spicy tomato sauce and chipotle aioli. The quantities were huge — enough to take some treats home.

For a main course, Linda chose pan-seared, chili-glazed Salmon with ginger Yukon potatoes served with broccolini. Linda is a salmon connoisseur and loved this entrée since the salmon was perfectly prepared. I chose Penne Fennel Sausage creatively made with peas, mushrooms, and roasted tomatoes served in a light cream and parmesan sauce. Again, the quantity was large and I had enough left over to take home to my husband who loved this dish as much as I did.

For dessert, we enjoyed a scrumptious Limoncello Sponge Cake that was a lovely final touch to our delightful meal. And this entire three-course meal is offered at the Farmer’s Table for only $40 per person during Restaurant Week.

The Farmer's Table menu is just an example of the many delightful menus that will be offered during Restaurant Week all over the San Diego area — from the South Bay to East County and to the borders of Oceanside and Fallbrook.

We highly recommend trying the Farmer’s Table for dinner during Restaurant Week. Why not plan to try several different participating restaurants during Restaurant week. Just go to the San Diego Restaurant Week’s website — https://www.sandiegorestaurantweek.com/ — and you will be able to search restaurants by neighborhood or food type. Tickets are not necessary, but reservations are highly recommended.

But wait . . . our fabulous dining experience was not over yet! At the end of our meal, we were presented with the biggest and most appealing Bloody Mary I have ever seen. Known as The Barn Yard, this humongous Bloody Mary is served in a 48-ounce pitcher and is chock full of goodies topped with a whole roasted chicken. It is a meal in itself. While this drink is not included in the Restaurant Week price, you just might want to experience this spectacular drink and share it with everyone at your table.

The Farmer’s Table in Little Italy is located at 550 Date St. and reservations can be made by calling 619-255-0958.