Cellar Hand — Restaurant in San Diego

My wife and I have been long time fans of Pali Wine in Little Italy so when we heard they opened a full fledged restaurant we were excited and pleased to try it out. The venue felt open and airy, and the general vibe was vibrant and joyful. We sat at the bar, which was very well designed as an inside-outside bar area, so we were able to look out to the neighborhood while dining. Our waiter/bartender was charming, friendly and very knowledgeable, and even helped us choose some starters. We had the sardines in olive oil, which was served with their inhouse 'Ritz Crackers,' that was crunchy and buttery, along with their baba ghanoush which was served with warm pita. We also had a braised pork that was on the menu and that was really spectacular. The pork had just the right amount of fat to add texture and flavor without being chewy, and also still having a crispy outer layer. For dessert we tried their cheesecake that was crustless and had a charred top with a light sprinkling of sea salt. I usually find the crust of a cheesecake to be my favorite part, but this was so good I didn't miss not having a crust at all. The food, wine and staff were absolutely wonderful and as long as they keep this up I'll continue to recommend this place to anyone. My wife and I are hoping to be...

I rarely leave negative reviews, but my recent experience here left me really disappointed, especially given the price point. The restaurant presents itself as upscale, and the prices certainly reflect that — unfortunately, the food and portions do not.

I ordered the ricotta-stuffed pesto pasta as my main course, which was nearly $30. What I received was seven small pieces of pasta that lacked any real flavor. When I asked about the portion size, I was told that most of the dishes are “tapas style,” which would be fine if the flavors were bold or inventive — but everything we tried was bland and underwhelming.

Labeling small portions as “tapas style” seems more like a convenient excuse to serve less food rather than a deliberate culinary choice. And for a dish marketed as a main course, the serving size was disappointing at best.

Overall, this felt like a case of style over substance — high prices, minimal portions, and flavorless execution. I don’t mind paying a premium for a great meal, but this just...

4 of us came here for brunch and had a wonderful time.

First of all, the space is large and nicely mixed indoor / outdoor. We sat at a table right by the outside, but with shade.

The service was good to great. I would say, there is room for improvement, but not anything egregious. It took a bit for our waitress to come to us and we wanted to order an app and coffee, but she quickly left after bringing water and didn't introduce herself, and asked if we wanted anything but left before we answered.

The food was fantastic. Two of us ordered the basic breakfast, which comes with 2 eggs with delicious pork belly bacon and crispy potatoes, with two slices of thick bread and blackberry jam. Very good.

My husband ordered the shakshuka, which was very good also.

Our other friend got the dark chocolate babka - comes with a sauce on it, which should just be on the side.

The babaganoush app was fantastic - definitely get that!

Plan to spend...