New Outlets in SanClemente

As I watched the new San Clemente Outlets develop, I thought about what a beautiful setting in which to shop.  Beautiful ocean views as you wander from Sketchers to Nike to Hanes to Starbucks couldn't be bad.  It wasn't.  The center is beautiful, with a gorgeous Spanish style that fits right into San Clemente.  It's the same outlets that you see in Carlsbad and pretty much everywhere else, but the setting is stunning.  On a crisp, clear winter day Regina, Debbie, Marilyn and I set out to explore.  Everyone but me came home with their pockets a little bit lighter, but happy.  There are only a few eateries there right now, but I expect more will come.  Yogurt, chocolate, Panera,  Ruby's Diner and of course Starbucks are there right now.  There was some talk of an upscale restaurant in the center, but there is nothing like that right now.

After a little shopping we  took a 7 minute drive to downtown San Clemente for lunch.  We ate at Nicks, a very upscale restaurant that was packed at noon on a Friday afternoon.  Nicks has several locations, including Laguna Beach, where I had dinner about two years ago.  Lunch at Nicks was spectacular.  I had blackened mahi mahi tacos, with cabbage, pico de gallo and sliced avocado.  The rest of my group had the prime rib sandwich for $19.  Slices of medium rare prime rib enclosed in a buttered, toasted bun.  The meat was topped with carmelized onions.  It was delicious.  As a side dish, my friends all opted for the corn, rather than skinny fries.  I tasted the corn, and would go back again, just for that.  Fresh corn off the cob, roasted, mixed with lots of butter and garlic.  Fantastic.  Nicks also serves their famous individual chicken pot pie, which looked delicious.  Several salads looked good, including a sesame chicken salad and a steak salad. The bar was busy, with many singles to eat there.  Just a warning about drinks at Nicks.  I ordered a diet coke, which came in a small glass bottle.  No refills, so it's $2.50 for each drink, another $2.50 for another diet coke.  I haven't seen restaurants doing that, but maybe there's a trend back to paying for each drink, rather than free refills.

Service was great, and I would definitely go there again.  The only negative is that the restaurant is very loud, and anyone with a hearing problem will have trouble.  There are so many choices of restaurants of Camino Del Mar in San Clemente that you would probably want to try something else next time.  It's a cute, beachy street of about four blocks, with lots of interesting shops to peruse.  I loved our girls day and can't wait to plan another day again soon.