OB Restaurant Review : Nicks at the Pier

 Nicks at the Pier
5083 Santa Monica Ave.
San Diego, CA 92107
619 222-7437 (PIER)

One of the benefits of “on-line dating” is the variety of places to meet in San Diego. I probably could regale you with experiences on this particular date – he supported Romney and Bilbray – and, of course, I supported Obama and Peters. None the less, this is not about personalities but about the restaurant.

It probably has been over 4 years since I ate at Nicks at the Pier. And, as I recall the reason we did not go back was because it wasn’t very good. We frequented Shades, Thee Bungalow, Quiggs, and the Belgian Lion. Neither Thee Bungalow, Quiggs nor the Belgian Lion are there anymore, so when Byron asked me to join him for dinner at Nicks, I was glad to go.

The interior has not changed much since I was there last. In fact, it really hasn’t changed much since it was Quiggs. But what has changed was the food. It was truly delicious, and the vegetables that came with the “Chef’s Special” were some of the best I have had in a restaurant for years.

We started out with drinks; a gin martini for him; “Absolute” on the rocks for me. Byron wanted a twist and some onions and the waitress was not sure that onions were available. A waiter was walking behind her and informed her that they were available. His drink came with the twist and 3 onions on a tooth pick. I did not ask for olives with my drink, but as Byron was in no rush to order, I asked the waitress for some olives, and she brought me three of them.

I have to say that I practically froze in the first few minutes we were at the restaurant. I mentioned it to Byron and he said that he did not feel the draft. We changed places and I no longer felt the AC. I did not mention the chill to the waitress, since by changing positions the vent must have only been facing one way. Still, it took a few long minutes to feel the circulation back in my fingers.

When looking at the menu, Byron stated that he was surprised to see oysters on the menu because he didn’t remember them before, but he decided to order a dozen on the half shell for his entrée. They cost $22.95 and although tasty, they were small and the two I had still had bits of shell embedded in the oyster. The sauce that came with it was nothing special; a ketchup, horse-radish, lemon sauce that complimented the oysters.

I ordered one of the two evening specials – the mahi; it  was very tasty, cooked well, and on the plate were the vegetables I referred to earlier, and mashed potatoes that were also quite tasty. I have no idea how much this special was, because it was marked “Market Value” and Byron would not let me pay for my meal. (He did, however, allow me to leave a tip of $10, so I imagine the meal must have been in the $60-70 category.)

Our wait person was efficient – frequently asked if we wanted anything else. I hope that we tipped her enough.

All in all, the meal was very good. I would have been more comfortable if the menu had prices on it for all the entrees, but I could have asked the waitress if I really had to know the cost. Byron kept telling me that the price didn’t matter – it always matters to me – and my first choice, the halibut, was not available that evening.

Will I be back? Yes. But only for a special occasion. With most of the appetizers running from $12 to $23; the salads averaging about $8; the seafood entrees averaging $18; the seafood and pasta combinations about $16 or so – it is a little too expensive for my limited income to go often. They do have meat entrees; sandwiches, and a menu for children.

I don’t think you would be unhappy with the menu nor the taste of the food at Nick’s at the Pier.

Now…do you want to hear about my conversations with Byron? No, I thought not.