Herb and Sea in Encinitas: You've Gotta Try It

Prior to the pandemic, Herb and Sea, a Brian Malarkey restaurant, opened in what had been a Hawaiian restaurant on D Street in Encinitas.  Fran and I used to walk by it on Saturdays and talk about it trying it.  Then came Covid-19 and the lockdown, never having had a chance to try Herb and Sea.

They closed for many months, but finally reinvented themselves and reopened.  What was once their parking lot became a huge outdoor restaurant, with wood platform, open tent and lots and lots of heaters.  I walked in at 6:15 on a Thursday night and knew that dining was back!!  The place was buzzing.  It felt the way a restaurant used to feel when you'd walk into a crowded room where everyone was talking, drinking, eating and having a good time.  This is what I experienced at Herb and Sea.  It almost didn't matter what the food was like.  Just being in the restaurant with lots of people, safely distanced, made you feel alive.

The good news is that food was also delicious.  It has lot of raw bar items, plus a whole branzino beautifully cooked, pizzas and pastas too.  Their appetizers are many, and all sound so interesting.  We had burrata and tomatoes with toast.  It surprised me, as I was expecting a cold dish.  The tomatoes were blistered in their pizza oven, the cooked (stewed and the burrata was added at the end.  It was wonderful.  They also have a salmon spread, raw oysters, grilled octopus, and lots more.  Our salad was delicious, with pickled onions, buttermilk dressing and special seasoning.

Regina and I split a fig and prosciutto pizza, six slices in all, so we had some to take home.  It was perfectly done, with a wonderful crust, always my way of evaluating a good pizza.

Butterscotch budino for dessert might be the best I ever had.  Butterscotch pudding on the bottom, then a layer of thick, delicious caramel sauce, topped with whipped cream.  Outstanding.

Next time you want a night out, go to Herb and Sea.  But make reservations.  They were packed.  It is worth it.  It will make you feel like dining out should make you feel, special.