WhisknladleIn Love In Every WayWhat can we say? We wish we could eat here every single night and we actually would if they didn't think we were stalking them. The food is fantastic, fresh, unique, local, delicious. Everyone who works here is genuinely friendly, knows their stuff, recommends what's best or tastiest every time and treats you as if they've known you forever. It's unquestionably hip without a trace of pretentiousness. Everybody - couples, families with kids, business types, we visitors from the Great NW - linger and eat and drink and keep eating and drinking and are obviously having a blast. The best, period.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMMy husband and I were in townMy husband and I were in town for the weekend and made reservations for a birthday dinner. We were seated quickly and the waiters were pleasant. The food was excellent. The ambience was a bit noisy, but not obnoxiously so; the restaurant has a kind of indoor/outdoor vibe, as the front is pretty much open to the street, which was nice. There was some type of mix-up with our entree orders and it took close to 45 minutes after we finished our appetizer to be served. Initially this was kind of annoying, as none of the waiters walking by seemed to notice, but eventually both the manager and our waiter noticed and, without our asking or complaining, our entrees and desserts were comped. Great gesture for people who weren't regulars!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMSo much fun!Our server (I cannot remember his name but he is a coach at Saints) was FABULOUS. Very low key, yet extremely professional and knowledgeable. Really appreciated his casual attitude. Very friendly. And the manager, Steve Omahan, was fabulous. Greeted us at the door, remembered we were celebrating a birthday and entertaining friends and took VERY good care of us. Check in on our table a few times during dinner to ensure all was well. We couldn't have been more pleased with our experience and look forward to coming back very soon and often! Thank you! (PS. Tell that bartender that his jalapeño gin drink is PHENOMENAL and thanks for sharing the recipe!)6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMSolid choiceGood choice for entertaining guests with a large variety of small plates, entrees, flat breads, etc. Variety of drinks to choose from.
Only major annoyance was before even getting there. I called on Wednesday to change our reservations for Friday, which was fine. I get a call the next day, asking me to confirm. I already thought that was a little ridiculous, but it's just people following orders, so out of courtesy I call back. Person who answers asks me how they can help, I tell them I'm confirming reservations, name, date, time, number in party. She says OK, thanks, can you please hold. I hold for 5 minutes only to get someone else who asks for the same info. Waste of my time. Won't bother calling to confirm next time.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMinnovative menuif it starts with "crispy pig ears," you know you're in for something different. all four of us loved our entrees--sea bass, ricotta knochi (sp?), braised lamb shank and a sinful burger with bacon and a fried egg on top. all in all, an interesting dining experience, with maybe a bit more noise than you'd like.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAttentive staff & great foodWe ordered the cheese platter and steak and both were delicious. When we were too full for dessert we ordered the "sixer" which is a six pack for the kitchen staff for after work and the chef came out to personally thank us and get our feedback on the food. I'm a sucker for that attention!5/17/2013 12:00:00 AMWhiskenladleIntriguing cocktail list, "Little Gem" was like a rickey with kumquats - refreshing. Ricotta gnudi -light satisfying with a killer sauce with citrus5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMexcellent experience
hasexcellent experience
has gotten a bit pricey, now at the upper end of La Jolla restaurants5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMMy waitress was great! SheMy waitress was great! She suggested a virgin cocktail for me, when I asked what non-alcoholic drinks they had. But no one brought our table bread until we asked, and no one seemed to notice we had none. Also, there was a man smoking right outside the restaurant most of my dinner, which really affected my enjoyment of the meal. The scallops were well cooked with great flavors, but the scallops themselves smelled a little old. Overall a fantastic meal, but a few things kept it from being outstanding.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGood BrunchMy husband and I took my mom and stepfather here for brunch the day before mother's day. This was an awesome place. We each got something different and we were all very pleased in our dishes. The food was very fresh tasting. I got the chilaquiles, my husband got the quiche, and my mom and stepfather each got the 3 egg breakfast.
The service was great also. The waiter was very helpful and nice. I am a light eater and the restaurant host even came over to make sure my food was ok, because I had stopped eating and had half left on my plate. It made me happy that they care about their customers.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways a great spot to grabAlways a great spot to grab brunch with friends or wine-and-dine a special someone... Awesome food, locally sourced, with unique style and flavors. Ambience is intimate, but open and makes for a great place to have a conversation among friends.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently good food, ifConsistently good food, if a bit pricey. Can get loud.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMVery knowledgable waitstaff.Very knowledgable waitstaff. Food was excellent and the house special drinks (we had red sangria and a little gem) were very well put together!
Every course was delicious but we capped off the night with their ice cream sandwiches which turned out to be the most unexpected bites of awesome I'd had in a dessert in a long time. Very refreshing and innovative flavors throughout the meal!4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMMy new favoriteWhat a great find!!! Food prepared perfectly. Ambience,decor, staff,menu....I will definitely go back and recommend to my family and friends.4/25/2013 12:00:00 AMVery impressed. Good freshVery impressed. Good fresh food and good service, had a good vibe, will return!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMBest of the Best! Always Fresh!The menu is always changing. The chef is always keeping it fresh. Seriously ... this place is amazing. I had food that made my trip to San Diego! La Jolla is better because of this establishment. Try their incredible mixed drinks! Try their starters! Try it all. Blow it out. I can't wait to get back to the West coast!4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was great, but toThe food was great, but to charge almost $15 for a wafer thin flatbread was ridiculous. The meal was very good but I wouldn't say it was a good value.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMI have dined there severalI have dined there several times and it has always met expectations. Very good food, mostly from local area.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect score!Amazing experience. Great tasting food and over the top customer service. When our waitress was busy taking care of another table, another waitress stepped up to provide assistance without us even asking.
When ordering, someone in our party incorrectly ordered. When the food came out, we let them that it was our mistake but they apologized to us while taking the correct order. The manager came over and insisted that we try the incorrectly ordered dish anyways while we waited and did not charge us for it.
Also spoke with them regarding their monthly Supper Club and private dining room, which was very intimate (seats 8-12). Whisknladle is on the short list for our next group dinner plans.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great experience!We had a great experience! The food was innovative and delicious.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMWell worth the stop. We don'tWell worth the stop. We don't live in La Jolla and struggled finding restaurants we really liked. This place fits what we are looking for. An emphasis on creative food, not formal,fun but you can still take your kids to and not feel like you are ruining it for everyone else.
Could use a few more beers on tap.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThis hands down my favoriteThis hands down my favorite San Diego dining spot. The seasonal menu is ever changing with locally sourced produce, meat and fish. I am always astonished at the ingenious menu selections. The service is top drawer. Try it, you'll like it.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMA favorite place with outstandingA favorite place with outstanding menu. My young kids love this place. Consider us regulars all the way from NJ.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderfulWe we were in La Jolla (my wife (vegetarian), 12 year old, 8 year old, and me) and wanted to splurge on a nice dinner. Nice setting. My wife and I each had wonderful cocktails. We then split a Charcuterie and cheese plate- delicious and a generous amount. Then we had crispy pigs ear and cooked asparagus with cheese, breadcrumbs, and a fried egg. Dinner was stuffed pork chops, flank steak, and gnocchi. There was not a single dish that didn't wow us. The server suggested spreading out the dishes over three courses, which enhanced our experience. The service was excellent, relaxed, and friend. No kids menu, but they would have made pasta butter. We decided to share our "real" dishes instead. spendy, but worth it.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMAlways one of my favorites:)Always one of my favorites:) Didnt order the chilaquiles this time although I could smell them from the next table. Ordered the apsparagus dish and was to die for!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent farm to table restaurant.We had a wonderful experience here. The food is farm to table and is exceptional. The arugula salad was delicious as was the corvina. The sauce was delicate and very tasty. The atmosphere was great and the service was very good. We will definitely go there again when we are in la jolly3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding! Food is exceptionalOutstanding! Food is exceptional and the cocktails delightful and original!!! LOVED it!3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMNEVER a let-downALWAYS AMAZING! A group of 4 of us went there. We wanted to share everything we ordered. Without even needing to ask us, the server (I regrettably do not remember her name) set up our order so that the dishes came out one at a time so we had plenty of space at our table and we could enjoy every dish at our own pace. My boyfriend and I have been to WhisknLadle twice and all their Prep Kitchens multiple times with different group sizes and at different times. They have NEVER disappointed. I think the service gets better and better every time. The food is ALWAYS delicious, even the ones that do not sound appetizing (like bone marrow). The drinks are amazing (London is Burning.....YUM!)! This is our go-to place.3/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our first visit toThis was our first visit to WhiskNLadle. We had tried out the Prep Kitchen in Little Italy and once we learned that these restaurants are 'related' we thought we'd give this one a try as well. We had a good experience. The service was good, the food was good, the overall experience was good. With that said I do think, given these two experiences, I prefer the Prep Kitchen in Little Italy. I liked the vibe there more. Either way, you can't really go wrong with either restaurant.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMA Great DateFood was fantastic. Great for sharing and trying various menu items. Our server, Bobby, was on point. He read where we wanted to go with our meal after we ordered our first dish and made great wine and food recommendations from then on. Amazing experience, will definitely be back3/15/2013 12:00:00 AM