I vividly remember going to Pinot Bistro in Studio City for lunch several years ago with my co-worker, our Director of Sales and the General Manager.  It was our “incentive” for having exceeded our sales goals the previous month.  Pinot Bistro is one of those lovely places with linens on the tables, proper place settings (you know…too many forks to know what to do with), and VERY attentive servers that just appear out of nowhere when you need something.  Being fresh out of college, going to LUNCH at this joint was just a weee bit intimidating.

So, as we sat down to order I carefully eyed the menu because I didn’t want to pick anything I would have trouble eating.  It was French inspired cuisine so there were a few dishes on the menu that I was not brave enough to try at the moment (like the duck…which I know love).  Several other dishes sounded delicious, but as I considered HOW I would consume the meal I was quickly deterred from ordering one plate over the other.  Mainly because most of the dishes were accompanied by French Fries.  I thought to myself…how am I going to eat French Fries in this joint?!  It wasn’t exactly a place that screamed “finger food.”  So I ordered the Salmon which did NOT come with fries or anything that would appear to pose a dining challenge.
My co-worker, on the other hand, did not put such thought into her meal selection and ordered a dish with fries.

So as we were chatting and served our plates I noticed my co-worker carefully eye the delicios meal in front of her.  And I noticed her eat her main entree but not touch the fries…until the Director of Sales and General Manager started to eat their fries….with their forks.  And so she did the same thing.  Can’t blame the woman!  I probably would have done the same thing!  It was, after all, a business lunch.  And when all else fails the best thing to do is mirror your “superior” or client.

Later, at the office she and I were recapping the meal and she says, “I didn’t know what to do!  I was about to pick one up with my fingers but then realized that probably wasn’t right!  So I waited.”  We shared some giggles over the whole thing, but I did learn a valuable lesson.  There are occassions that require you to fork your fries…or any food you would usually dive into with your fingers (pizza, onion rings, chicken wings, all that good stuff)!

Happy Monday!

P.S. If you have tales of your dining adventures to share…comment!

Last week thousands of event industry folks descended upon Downtown San Diego for The Special Event 2009 industry conference.  This led me to take up the duty of finding a restaurant for several of my fellow event planners and I to have dinner and catch up.  I was looking for something that seemed very “San Diego” but that also served great food and was centrally located for everyone.  I happily came upon JSix during my decision making process and could not have been more pleased!

JSix is a restaurant on J Street and Sixth in the Gaslamp District of Downtown San Diego.  They serve up a California Cuisine that is terribly hard to resist!  I dined on the Duck Confit and the Lobster & Crab Cakes that evening.  The duck was so deliciously cooked it simply fell off the bone and had the perfect hint of pink to it.  It was served a perfectly paired sauce (the name of which escapes me) and a meyer lemon risotto that I could have eaten all evening!  And let’s not forget the Crab Cakes!  I typically have issue with crab cakes because they can be a bit too greasy or oily for me…not these!  They were crispy and delicious…end of story!

Between the eight of us that were there that evening we tried a good portion of the menu and we were all not only pleased with the food but delighted at how good it was!

JSix prides themselves on serving not only quality tasting food, but also with quality ingredients.  They make several trips to local farmer’s markets to get the freshest foods they can find.

And I have not even touched upon the restaurant itself!  Sleek and modern but with fantastic lighting, the restaurant invites you to stay and linger for a while.  Cozy up to the bar and have a cocktail while you wait, observe the action in the kitchen which is a nice open layout for the patrons to view, or sneak upstairs to the JSix Rooftop Bar for a decidedly different atmosphere but with the same great food and drinks.  And while you’re there don’t forget to have a Pear Flower Lemonade!

JSix is a great location for a smaller sized rehearsal dinner of maybe 15 people.  If you have a larger group or want a private room you can enjoy the quality food from the Hotel Solamar which is immediately adjacent to JSix.   And let’s not forget the JSix Rooftop Bar which can host private events as well.

I’m a sucker for great food and great ambiance and JSix certainly makes the cut!

JSix Restaurant
616 J Street (At the corner of 6th Avenue)
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: 619.531.8744