More New Restaurants

I am amazed everytime I drive by a new restaurant, especially ones that are being built from the ground up. Opening a restaurant is a huge financial investment. Ron always said you want to be the second person in the restaurant space, that way the kitchen, a major expenditure, has already been built and paid for by someone else. There are a few new restaurants in North County that just might make it in this economy. On Highway 101 near Leucadia Blvd, is the new Fish 101. This has been several things in the past few years, most recently Jawz, a fish taco place from Hawaii, that lasted about a year.

Fish 101 has a great chance to succeed, because it is great. It's small and intimate, but the food is amazing. Seafood salads, fish platters, fish tacos, and every imaginable side to go with these fresh from the sea dishes, make Fish 101 a winner. To top it all off, the wife of the husband/wife team that own the restaurant is a pastry chef, and makes all the desserts. If you still have room for dessert, try the creme brulee. Fish 101 has a modest happy hour menu, with beer and fish taco. Prices are very moderate and the food is delicious.

Another new fish restaurant on Highway 101, this time near Encinitas Blvd, is HappiFish. It's got lots of sushi, but in addition, you can find most any seafood item you want. It's a little pricier, than Fish101, much bigger, and they have a hoppin' happy hour. So far that's all I've been to, but I enjoyed that very much.

Urban Solace recently opened in Encinitas, right behind the Lumberyard. My foodie friends say I will love it, that it's American comfort food kicked up a notch. Right now they are open for dinner only, but in a few weeks look for them to serve lunch, too.

Ignite is the other new player in town. They have redone La Costa Bar and Grill that went out of business about 6 months ago, and they have an extensive menu, that looks fantastic. Salads, interesting starters, pizzas, burgers of all types, and much, much more, make this restaurant appealing. They have Happy Hour everyday from 4-7, with lots of great appetizer choices. I don't know if they're trying to attract a big bar crowd or if they intend to concentrate on good food, but I'll soon find out. I will give it a try very soon.

If you have any new restaurants to report, please let me know. We're all looking for something new, something good, something unique. The quality of restaurants in North County is definitely improving. No longer do we have to go downtown for a good meal. We've got lots of great options in our area, and more are on the way. The new burger place in Bressi Ranch just opened, and was packed when I drove by last week. I hope to go there for lunch very soon, and will let you know how I liked it. It's called Elevation, and it features grass fed beef.

Next time you're looking for something new, try one of the new spots in town. It may become your new favorite place.