Dear Chef Carlos,
This sucks. It’s never fun to give bad news, but I think it’s important to do so because it could lead to improvements. Please understand, the reason I didn’t say all of this while I was in the restaurant was because it was extremely busy the day of my visit. There was a bridal shower on the patio, a graduation in the rear of the restaurant, and a full dining room. With all that happening, I’m pretty sure constructive criticism wouldn’t be ideal to hear. In spite of that, I still need to tell you about my dining experience at Glass Door.
The Restaurant
First and foremost, your restaurant is beautiful and is full of personality! I loved the unique light fixtures, the high tables and chairs, and of course the view. Walking out to the patio area to see a wide capture of San Diego was great. Your restaurant pulls in the sun, takes in the scene, and shares it with all to see. You definitely have the location, décor, and ambiance executed.
The Drinks
My friend and I both heard great things about your drinks so we were definitely ordering a cocktail to start the night. I got a Strawberry Mojito ($6) and she got the Pineapple Mango Mule ($6). The mojito was so light and refreshing. I liked the balance of the rum with the splash of Sprite, the mint, lime, and the strawberry. It was easy to drink and didn’t feel weighed down with alcohol. My friend’s mule took Svedka Vodka and ginger beer, and added mango puree, pineapple juice, and lime. Since I don’t care for ginger beer, this was a no go for me. My friend, on the other hand, enjoyed it. We both agreed that the cup was unique too.
So you’re two for two, Carlos. You have a nice restaurant and delicious drinks. However, the food is where we had an issue.
The Food
Finally ready to order, we decided to get a few small plates to share. We got the Moroccan Chicken Skewers ($9), the Lamb Skewers ($9), and the Flash Fried Calamari ($9). Considering these were such small dishes, it was odd that it took almost 30 minutes for the food to arrive. I know there were a few events going on, but they’re small plates that should come out pretty quickly. Or maybe the issue was because there were only two waiters on staff that day. Two waiters Carlos? During a night with two full parties? It was a tad frustrating.
So the food finally arrives and it looks great. All three were plated beautifully, had tons of color, and looked like they would taste amazing. Unfortunately, they didn’t. The description of the Moroccan chicken skewers was that they had sweet curry, carmelized onions, and roasted bell peppers on top of a carrot raisin salad. It should have been delicious, but instead it was bland and overcooked which made it hard to eat it. I was so disappointed because I was hoping it would taste the way it looks and it didn’t. Ehhh…next plate.
Next were the lamb skewers on top of a cucumber tomato salad with couscous, and mint. Another sigh came through as the lamb was completely underwhelming and the couscous tasted empty. The lamb had no noticeable seasoning which was sad, because there was so much opportunity to really incorporate flavor into the meat. It was as if I was blindly eating the lamb and had to lower my expectation on the taste. Then there was the couscous. I love a great couscous and think Tagine in Beverly Hills kills it by incorporating tremendous cinnamon flavors. I was really hoping for vibrant taste here and I didn’t get it. So that dish was a no go as well.
The last plate on the table was the fried calamari preserved in lemon aioli, Harissa, and tomato basil. This was really the only dish we finished. There wasn’t anything spectacular about it, but the tomato basil was a good sauce to the calamari.
Here’s the thing about the food. My friend and I thought that we were the only one’s feeling disappointed with the dishes. However, during the meal I looked up your Yelp page to see what other people thought and it was pretty unanimous. We all agree that view and drinks are great, but the food lacks taste. With the food as the only area of improvement, I would hope that you could put more emphasis on enhancing the taste and essence of these dishes to increase the savor of them all. Should that be done, you could really decrease the not-so positive reviews, this one included. And when that’s done I would be more than happy to try the revamped food and hopefully write a new review that puts this one to bed.
Until then, all the best Chef Carlos!
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Address: 1835 Columbia Street San Diego, CA 92101
Phone: (619) 564-3755
Hours: Monday and Tuesday – 7:00am to 10:00am and 3:00pm to 12:00am; Wednesday to Saturday – 7:00am to 10:00am and 3:00pm to 1:00am; and Sunday 7:00am to 2:00pm and 3:00pm to 12:00pm.
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