Born and Raised Steakhouse(Celebrating 26 Years at H&P)

On Saturday, Louise and Doug took my wife and I out to dinner to celebrate my 25+ years working at H&P Mobile Geochemistry. I started working for the company when I was only 21 years old. We went to Born and Raised, a steakhouse in Little Italy that Tori and I had walked by several times in the past. We started out with drinks on the rooftop bar with views of San Diego Bay and the surrounding neighborhood before going downstairs to our reserved table.

It felt like we were on the set of Mad Men as we sat beneath the spreading wooden pillars bound by leather straps. To start, we ordered the tasty bread and splurged on a fancy bottle of 2015 Soul of a Lion by Daou Vineyards in Paso Robles, a Cabernet Sauvignon varietal with small blends of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. We really enjoyed this dark wine with an intense flavor that was not too fruity, dry or acidic. Our shared dish was the Beef Tartar, prepared tableside and served with toasted brioche.

We all ordered the Caesar Salad with anchovies. As our server prepared and let us taste the dressing he made from scratch at our table, he taught us the history of the local salad invented across the border in Tijuana during the Prohibition. Tori ordered the Butter-Poached Lobster while the rest of us ordered steaks. I was tempted to get one of the dry-aged cuts like Doug, but I couldn't resist the unique show of a flambéed steak. As Pierre prepared my Steak Diane in the sauce pan, he warned me before adding the alcohol so I took great photos of the bright flames roaring toward the ceiling. The rest of the food arrived right after my plate was set down in front of me. We shared the Robuchon Potato and Dirty Hashbrowns.

Afterwards, we walked down the street and waited in line for ice cream at Salt and Straw. The "Sea Salt with Caramel Ribbons" is my favorite, but "Salted, Malted, Chocolate Cookie Dough" is a strong second. Who would have thought ice cream that tasted like salt would be so awesome. I also enjoy trying all the crazy seasonal flavors.