Callie — Restaurant in San Diego

Callie is well deserving of all of the accolades and praise. It is clear how much thought and intentionality have gone into creating a complete dining experience. The interior is well appointed with the open kitchen, open glass wine room, and a wide, open bar. Having free parking in the ramp below the restaurant provides an excellent start to the evening. The staff are friendly and welcoming from the host onward. Our water glasses were rarely empty for more than a few minutes and our flatware was replaced throughout the meal.

Bethany was a wonderful server and provided a greater overview of the menu. She was perfectly attentive throughout the meal, allowing space for courses to be enjoyed, and stopping to check or share additional information. We started with Kook Juice and Fate of Saints as we considered the menu options. Excellently crafted cocktails, well balanced and offering unique flavor profiles. The Kook Juice was perfectly balanced between the sweetness of the fruit and the smokiness of the Mezcal. With the Faint of the Saints, the Walnut flavors came through but did not overpower the gin and vermouth.

Wanting to experience as much of the menu as possible, we opted for the Mediterranean Feast with the wine pairings. The first course was an array of the spreads, accompanied by veggies and delicious house pita. The second dish came out too quickly, which Bethany noticed and quickly came over to apologize. Other than crowding the table, it was not a problem and we simply finished our first course before turning our attention to it. The second course of wine arrived with it. The Japanese Kanpachi was incredible, the delicate slices of the fish matched by the sauce and avocado. The Wild Mushroom Agnolotti was a delight, everything about this dish came together in a subtle explosion of flavor. The fish of the day, which I think may have been swordfish was exquisite. The dessert was a lovely bit of sweetness to cap off the meal.

The wine is definitely worth adding to the Mediterranean feast. Each pour was expertly paired with the course, complementing and opening up new flavors from the dishes. Bethany and the sommelier provided excellent introductions to each wine, its origins, and why it had been chosen.

Restaurants like Callie exemplify the joys of dining out, unique flavors, dishes that creatively pull together elements that create culinary masterpieces, and staff, from the host to the servers to the chefs that attend to every aspect of the experience to cultivate an elevated experience.

Update: After coming with a group of 8 on a Sunday evening and doing the Mediterranean feast again with a larger group - I highly recommend doing the Mediterranean feast with a large group. The larger group experience allows you to try more dishes across the menu. All eight of us left full and satisfied after having sampled an array of pastas and entrees. The Aleppo Chicken was an outstanding dish that we did not get to try as a party of two, so that was a...

Recently, our group of five ventured into Calle San Diego, eager to dive into their much-raved culinary offerings and the curated Chef’s meal leading one through five courses. We opted for the Chef's Choice, priced at $75 per person, anticipating a feast of fantastic quality and creativity. Instead, we were met with a few incredible highs and too many unfortunate lows.

Let's start with the highlights: The hummus, babaghanoush, and pita are the best in San Diego. Each bite was a delightful journey through rich, creamy textures and perfectly balanced flavors. However, not all was smooth sailing. The hangar steak was a letdown, with an odd texture and lack of flavor, failing to live up to the standard set by the rest of the meal.

A notable mention must be made of the duck ragu – a dish that shone brightly among the courses. Unfortunately, this high was met with a low when we tasted the agnolotti – it was so excessively salty that it crossed into the realm of inedibility.

An unsettling aspect of our experience was the chef's presence. Rather than visiting our table, which was right in front of the open kitchen, he observed us from behind the counter throughout our meal, lending a somewhat uncomfortable air to our dining experience.

A point of contention was the billing strategy. The restaurant adds a service charge to cover labor costs – an unnecessary practice. Adjusting menu prices would be a more transparent approach. Additionally, a mandatory 20% gratuity was included, which we felt contributed to the subpar service we received.

One incident that stood out was when a member of our party requested ice for his water. The bus person's outright refusal by shaking her head no, followed by the need to involve the manager, was a service faux pas. The staff's eagerness to clear our table while we were eating and their premature offer of to-go boxes while we were still enjoying our last course added to the feeling of being rushed. This was particularly perplexing given that the restaurant was still a third full and nowhere near closing time.

In conclusion, while Calle San Diego does offer some culinary delights, the overall experience could be better served by more consistent dishes and a less-than-ideal service approach. For those looking to explore San Diego's dining scene, there are undoubtedly many other establishments that promise a more harmonious and...

Wow. This place is divine. New favorite restaurant, easily. The ingredients they use are the pinnacle of freshness. I'd highly recommend the "Mediterranean Feast", aka the chef's menu. 5 courses, each one sublime. The first course was pita bread, with a trio of dips: babaganoush, hummus, and avocado labneh. Honestly, never tasted anything like them. Best hummus of my life, and the labneh (which I'd never had) was out of this world. Next up, Bluefin Tuna with "spicy tomato water". Never thought I'd be fangirling over gelatinized tomato water, but here we are. I'll be dreaming about that fantastically weird jelly for a long time. Didn't think they could top the first two courses, but then the Summer Agnolini was placed before us, and I was proven heartily wrong. It was this point in the dinner I declared Chef Travis Swikard a wizard. I can't fathom any other explanation for how such flavors are created from such simple, fresh ingredients. For the main, the Aleppo chicken, with a side of the Egyptian carrots. We were starting to feel stuffed at this point, but still secretly trying to claim the bigger piece of chicken for ourselves without it being obvious. It was that good. The carrots maybe could have used maybe one more ingredient to really achieve the depth of flavor everything else had. Like pinenuts or green papaya. Or both. Dessert was the Eureka Lemon Pavlova. Like a deconstructed lemon meringue pie, but with spun sugar and more of that labneh (which I now need to go find it and buy it and put it on everything I eat.) And sesame seeds! Which honestly went so well. I wanted to lick the bowl clean.

Drinks, we got Farmed and Dangerous (a diabolically good take on the old fashioned), Spice of Life (nuttiness is a flavor I want to try more of in a cocktail!), Kook Juice (passionfruit? Mezcal? Aleppo peppers? Yes.Yes.Yes. Get it.), and Neon Streets (like drinking a fresh herb garden. But in Japan. Loved this one! My suggestion is to take tiny sips, and nurse it for a long time. Tried taking a big sip and it was too much. So much flavor.)

This is so long. Sorry. The staff/service was amazing as well. Chef Travis checked in on us at one point, and we could have talked to him for hours! The ambiance was lovely as well! The bathroom was very pretty! I didn't take many pictures, as I was living in the moment, but wow. Seriously, just go. But make reservations...