San Diego Metropolitan Magazine

Softness and light has replaced dark and leathery at the renovated Grant Grill in the U.S. Grant Hotel. A new chef and menu go along with the new interior.

As it does for many San Diegans, the Grant Grill holds many special memories for me. Over the years I have taken in many a New Year’s Eve celebration in one of the Grill’s dark, tucked-away booths. In my salad days, my girlfriend and I used to meet up with a couple of the bartenders from Dobson’s after working the early shift at another nearby restaurant. And dearest of all, it was at the Grant Grill nearly 10 years ago that I had a lunch meeting with Publisher Gary Shaw, where in between slurps of their then-famous mock turtle soup, I was giving him the hard sell on why I should be writing restaurant features for San Diego Metropolitan Magazine.

The U.S. Grant recently underwent a long-overdue complete makeover of the entire hotel, including the legendary Grant Grill. Goodbye to the dark, leathery men’s club atmosphere. Hello, softness and light.

They kept the dark floors and some of the deep mahogany paneled walls to add contrast to all the white. Yes, white. White tablecloths, white leather booths, a large cushioned and upholstered all-white wall and white fabric chairs dramatically change the dining room at the Grant Grill. The room is open, a bit spare, but sexy.

A new chef and menu go along with the new interiors. Overseeing food and beverage for the entire hotel (including the Grant Grill) is Executive Chef Andreas Nieto. A third-generation chef, raised in Italy and trained in France, Nieto most recently served as executive chef at the Westin Century Plaza Hotel and Spa and the St. Regis, Los Angeles.

Executive Chef Andreas Nieto

The updated lunch menu begins by offering nearly a dozen martinis followed by small “Tastes.” The mock turtle soup is replaced by an equally rich “Roasted White Corn Soup” ($9). It is finished with a light drizzle of toasted coriander seed oil and goes great with some of the delicious housemade flatbread presented upon seating. There’s a nice green salad of Chino Farm baby lettuce, grilled figs and goat cheese, and for those looking for a bit more oomph, Nieto offers calamari “Tempura” served with a sweet pepper sauce for dipping.

Worry not, Grill traditionalists, there is a new and improved “Chicken Cobb” ($19) and the “Grant Grill Seafood Salad” ($21) will not disappoint.

The dinner menu, executed by Chef de Cuisine Chris Kurth, starts out much the same with martinis followed by the “Taste” offerings. The list is pretty much the same as the lunch starters with the addition of “Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras” ($23), to which I treated myself. It is served with grilled winter stone fruit and was wonderfully paired with Robert Sinskey’s 2005 “Abraxas Vin de Terroir” by the sommelier, Vernard Floranda.

Next, from the “Sea” selections, I ordered the “California White Sea Bass” ($28). It was nicely seasoned with a yellow tomato vinaigrette and served with sweet roasted yellow baby beets.

My favorite dish of the evening was the “Seared Veal Tenderloin” ($38). The meat, “crusted” with wild mushrooms, was perfectly cooked and accompanied by baby Brussels sprouts (my favorite). Floranda paired this dish with my favorite wine of the evening: “Esprit de Beaucastel,” Tablas Creek, 2003.

Desserts are all made in house. The “Jivara Chocolate Mousse Guanaja Pot de Crème” ($8) is incredible.

If you haven’t been to the new Grill, give it a try. Even though there was no mock turtle soup and my dining companion was not Gary Shaw (though equally dashing), I still managed to have a great dining experience.