As of this posting (Nov 20th technically) my 20 week contest prep diet has ended of which the last 6 did not have me dining out 1 time! Or at least eating anything when I did go out with others.......sad but true sacrifice of being a stage based fitness competitors and fitness model on the side.....worth it yes, struggle at times?......also yes! But thats done and so now I can loosen the reins up just in time for holidays to enjoy being a bit more normal again......by fitness folks standards mind you!
To kick off my return to humanity and normal culinary experiences beyond my own grill or kitchen, I made big plans to make my debut visit to THE LOT in Liberty Station in Point Loma with a close friend and fellow foodie of mine Maggie. This was also her debut visit to the venue so we both had a novel experience to come in for. Let us begin.....
A Sunday evening around 630pm after a draining 3 hour photoshoot I got into the venue and had a 645 RSVP but was quickly seated anyway in prep for Maggie to arrive. The single catch we had all night (which was rectified) was that the app order I placed at 7pm slipped the order placement and at 725pm had still not come out....nothing major. The GM Brent came to the rescue and he himself took our full order down and got it placed pronto.
Maggie and I both got to meet the sou chef William Jacobson to ask some questions on our menu item selections which was cool for us as we both love knowing how and where the food came from and comes to be what it is. Brent was sure to take care of us all night with regular checks which I liked.
As my pictures below show, the two of us got a full spread of foods from the menu to try out and review.
-Entrees-
1855 flank steak, (mine)
marys chicken, hers (Maggie)
-shared-
chicken tortilla soup
Brussels sprouts
shishito peppers
LOT salad
grilled veggie flatbread
Notes on the items we got:
Sprouts and peppers, simple, get them both! Some of the best of both apps I have had anywhere. A must!
Flatbread- Nothing super amazing IMO. Very flavorful as all toppings are local and fresh. I am not a bread/flour/wheat person so I tend not to have a taste for items like this but again, I still would get it again for sure. Not a crumb was left between us so consider that to folks!
I would order all of these again hands down no question. My steak was amazing and cooked perfectly medium rare as I like it. Chimi topping was on point! The red roasted potatoes which I am a HUGE fan of were $$ as well. Soft but not crispy with just enough evoo and butter to add flavor but not drench it either.
The soup here really blew my away! Way good! Full of robust flavor made only from a chicken broth base and pureed tomato and carrot according to the chef. I was very impressed with this soup and I am a soup NAZI!
Our LOT salad was good but not amazing, it simply lacked a texture pow and we both agreed that some wasabi peas or spiced croutons would do just the trick to match the pickled veggies and light lemon dressing they use on it.
Maggie's chicken dish which I sampled was some of the most moist chicken I have ever had. The plum sauce they use with it is a must use on every bite as well! And OMG the polenta it was served over! Melt in your mouth warm, cheesy creamy goodness!
Service, food, all good, price are higher yes, but you get what you pay for plus the ambiance is worth the added cost IMO. When you can watch the SNF game on the big screen and take in a nice meal all at once......your winning in the game of finding ABetterBite!
