Nothing at all special about this place. Â Okay... Â the atmosphere is cool. Â But, it's a little too trendy. Â They are trying too hard to be upscale cool. Â All of it is intended to support the high price that they will charge you. Â This place is out-of-this-world expensive. Â It should not be as expensive as it is. Â And... Â the service is not refined. Â The servers are not refined at all. Â They're just sort of hanging out most of the time - at least it seems that way. Â I don't like Arterra, and I don't plan on going here again.
Review Source:I recently came here on a 'date' and was pleasantly surprised. I read about this place years ago and scoped it out as a potential place to meet up w/ friends for Happy Hour but it didn't work out b/c we all thought their HH prices weren't that great.
But my nice date said this place was nice and comfortable so hey, why not try it out.
I was worried about parking but there's valet AND there's also a parking structure in the back that's validated for 2 hours if you eat/drink at Arterra (which is great for cheapos like me who can't parallel park anyways). It's nice to find something that's not located in downtown Del Mar for a change.
The restaurant is located on the same floor as the lobby and you can't miss it if you walk thru the front entrance.
Date and I met here and it was totally not pretentious. It does have a 'hotel' restaurant feel to it though. The bar looked ok and it appeared they prepared sushi behind the bar as well.
Seating in the bar area consisted of a few high tables and low sofas with tables. It took a bit for the waitress to come over to take our drink order but once she did, service was pretty good.
They have HH but we didn't really partake in it. My cool date actually knows his drinks so he took the liberty to order me a beautiful merlot which was amazing (I'm sorry I don't remember the name of the wine but all I know is that it tasted better than a 2 buck chuck). And I like how the waitress brings out a baby carafe of the wine and pours 1/2 of it in the glass for you - it's a nice touch AND it let's you  pace yourself a bit more when drinking a nice glass of wine IMO.
We shared:
- Charcuterie Board $15 : Point reyes toma, tete de moine, Fra'mani farms soppressata, prosciutto
It was a beautiful presentation of the board, especially the ribbons of cheese (see pic). The prosciutto and sppressata were ok. It wasn't the best charcuterie board I've had but it also wasn't the worst.
The atmosphere of the bar really is laid back. And we were able to walk out to their pool/cabana area to chat a bit before we left. Granted, it was a Tues night and pretty quiet. But I'm curious to see if this place generates a decent crowd on the weekends.
Would I come back - I think so. The evening date was fun and I'd partially attribute that to the venue :)
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fayesfork.com&s=c697e9ed42f10b2357e8e2379ff622e053906792dea1b3bdf43c3f175fe3b42a" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.fayesfork.com</a> Â for more pics and detailed review
My foursome of friends and I had high hopes of Arterra during Restaurant Week. Â Its head chef (Carl Schroeder) had just transferred to our favorite restaurant, Market, where by the end of our "meal" at Arterra we resolved we should have gone in the first place.
First off, it is NEVER settling to walk into a large restaurant filled with...no one. Â Even worse, you wonder why you're waiting at the hostess stand for 5-10 minutes when at least two employees are wiping down tables and walking aimlessly around the restaurant. Â Once we were seated by our all-too-eager waiter, we understood him to be probably the only server that night. Â Before he took us to our table, he made sure to mispronounce the last name of our reservation as a frozen Italian dinner brand. Â Then, he attempted to cover it up by making the same excuse anyone would, of course - "Well, I'm white." . . . Â I guess he thought this was funny, but his comment elicited no laughs from our small group of educated (and non-racist) professionals.
We quickly (thought we) got past these initial hiccups when "Mr. C." agreed to our pleas to substitute the lobster "mac" and cheese for one of the pre-listed appetizers. Â The reason we came to this restaurant to begin with. Â What arrived was a sorry excuse for one's pasta dream. Â Orzo? Â Aaaand....cream sauce? Â I think we were better off with the bacon-wrapped dates which were almost too hot (temperature-wise) to eat. Â By the way, they charge an unheard-of $14 for a glass of house red, which was mediocre at best?? Â Strike four.
On to the main course. Â Three of us ordered the filet with mashed potatoes and bacon jam, while the fourth enjoyed a good piece of fish. Â I personally enjoy my meat rare. Â By Ruth's Chris definitions, red with a cool center. Â So, I was puzzled when mine resembled the medium steak to my right. Â After apologizing repeatedly for this relatively minor and fixable error, I waited yet another ten minutes while my colleagues enjoyed the rest of their meal together. Â Still wondering how on earth it took that long to sear a steak with a near-empty restaurant. Â Thank God for the decent supply of bread.
The steak, once it arrived, was decent. Â I will give them this. Â Their bacon date jam was delicious - but fell a bit short of Urban Solace's signature accompaniment. Â
The dessert perhaps symbolized the final nail in the coffin on our future plans to return. Â What we expected to be a warm, gooey white chocolate bread pudding with bourbon caramel and ice cream arrived as a solid square of dry, overcooked amalgamation with the consistency of tree branches. Â The only saving grace was the caramel, but only about a teaspoon ended up on my plate. Â One of my friends, who is admittedly more courageous I, responded bluntly she "didn't care for" the dessert when asked by our server. Â No offer to take her dessert off the bill, or substitute it with something else. Â Despite this misstep and the delayed entree, our bill was not discounted. Â In fact, an automatic 18% service charge was added to our $40-a-piece+ "meal." Â Forgot that little catch when hotel dining...never again! Â
Sadly, when Arterra's top chef left for greener pastures, I think he took the quality of food and service with him. Â See you soon, Carl!
Came for weekend breakfast buffet, $18 adult, $5 kids. Omelet triton that needs a new cook, Â I asked for eggs made over well and he had no idea what that meant, not over hard, not over easy, crispy edges, soft center, common in France. Â Well, I then asked for just plain egg whites scrambled, she poorer tons of liquid butter in. Â I asked for her to omit the butter, she kept pouring it in. Â How can one turn something healthy into a fat laded mess? Â The rest of the buffet was simple w basic fruit, oatmeal, yogurt, bacon, sausage, waffles. Service stff slow to clear the tables or your plates, so hard to find room to go back for more toast.
Review Source:Stopped in at Arterra for sushi and drinks after work one night last week. The sushi was REALLY good, although pretty pricey. I had an interesting moment in which I had asked for sushi with no sesame seeds (I am intolerant, but not allergic) and ate a piece before I realized there were sesame seeds all over it. Not wanting to have major tummy issues later, I asked the waitress to get me a new one and my friend chimed in, "She's allergic". Not 20 seconds later a manager nervously walked up to me and asked if I was okay, and offered to call an ambulance. I explained to him that it was just an intolerance and there was no problem. I probably had given the poor man a heart attack due to fear of imminent lawsuit, but needless to say, they did seem to care! I appreciated their concern and it was not over the top.
We had sake and vodka cranberry to drink, and they were all fabulous. There was some kind of shift change while we were there and I think that may have been the confusion with the sesame seeds and some drinks taking a while to appear.
Overall, a solid place to grab drinks and sushi, if you don't mind spending a bit of cash.
Came here for a friends birthday celebration. The birthday girl wanted to come during happy hour and enjoy Arterra's outside fire pit patio area. She had called the day before and verified that she did not need to reserve a place.
Upon arrival it was a different story, the patio was closed down because of a private holiday party. BIG disappointment to the birthday girl. But when the manager was called on she went above and beyond the level of customer service by arranging our own private area near the pool under the cabana and pulled over a fire pit.
Unfortunately, the happy hour drink deals were not special, but there are a few happy hour food items, including the hummus plate and garlic fries that were good. There was sushi on happy hour too, but did not get a chance to try.
More so the ambiance was fantastic. The location is inside the Marriot, and garagae parking is free (3 hours) for restaurant patrons. Overall, I would not make a trip here again but I appreciate the managers above and beyond customer service.
Came here on a Friday night around 9pm and sat at the bar with a few friends. Â Our server, Sean, was very nice and made some good drink recommendations. Â I had a Deconstructed Dirty Martini and it was made really well. Â My friend and I also took a shot of something that Sean and the other bar patrons were recommending. Â We forgot the name but it had Midori and Blue Curacao in it. Â Drinks aside, the food wasn't that good. Â We got a few sushi rolls and the flatbread. Â The sushi rolls were TINY and had very little fish. Â The flatbread lacked flavor. Â I would recommend this place for drinks and people watching, but not for food.
Review Source:Considering that Arterra is just off the lobby of the Marriott in Del Mar, I was really impressed with the menu offerings, the quality of the food and the atmosphere.
I spent a Friday evening at Arterra a couple weeks ago and really enjoyed myself. Â We went to listen to my niece's boyfriend, who was playing an acoustic set there. Â I was hungry and thirsty upon my arrival after a conference in Las Vegas, but everything was groovy after waiting for just a few minutes sitting at the tallboy. Â Our server was efficient and friendly throughout this busy happy hour.
I was really impressed with the locally brewed Sculpin IPA...nice fruity flavors, but not overbearing and not too hoppy. Â My niece recommended the sushi and I'm so glad I listened to her. Â The menu is small, but the fish was super fresh. Â I ordered the Spicy Albacore Roll which is described as "Tuna & Avocado inside Seared Albacore, Ginger, Lemon Zest & Chili Sauce". Â It was nothing short of phenomenal and the freshness of the grated ginger and lemon zest was the perfect compliment to the fish and rich avocado. Â I also had hamachi, maguro and sake nigiri that was equally fresh. Â One of my nieces had a hummus plate and the other had a burger and fries. Â I didn't sample the hummus, but noticed it was a huge portion. Â I did, however, have a few fries that were handcut and served in a cute little wire basket. Â They were perfect...hot, crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside.
We decided to splurge on a couple desserts and in my opinion, this was the only weak spot of the experience. Â My niece got the Passion For Chocolate which was little pieces of dense fudge cake and some passionfruit and other tropical fruits. Â The cake was very dull and a little pasty...not good at all. Â I ordered the Coffee & Doughnuts, described as "fresh beignets, espresso panna cotta, creme anglaise". Â The beignets were actually more like fritters and they were very tasty...nice and crispy, very lightly sweetened and not greasy at all. Â I was excited to taste the espresso panna cotta, and although it was an expertly prepared panna cotta, I was a little disappointed that it wasn't sweetened. Â The creme anglaise was delicious but that was the only sweet part of the dessert and there wasn't very much of it. Â So, if the panna cotta would have been even slightly sweet, the dessert would have been close to perfect.
I like the atmosphere at Arterra. Â My mind automatically thinks "cheesy" when picturing a hotel bar, but Arterra's not like that at all. Â It's comfortable, warm and not stuffy at all. Â They also have this beautiful outdoor space just off the bar area with loungy oversized sofas sitting upon great tile flooring and surrounded by lots of teak and several fire pits. Â It's all very inviting.
I really enjoyed myself at Arterra and hope to return one day.
I'm a big fan of Arterra, especially when I'm in a lazy mood, but still want good food, "casual elegance" ambiance (as they put it) and fast service/no wait for a table/easy parking. I would give Arterra 5 stars, but it is rather pricey at dinnertime (around $35-$60 per person depending on drinks). It's never too crowded, so getting a table is always a breeze. They validate your parking if you self-park in their lot (again, ample parking). I've never had slow service- my beverages are always refilled and the food comes out really quickly considering the quality of the meal. I've been here a handful of times and the servers are always nice and attentive.
Some of my favorites:
- The Arterra burger. Actually, whenever I'm craving a burger, this is the first place that comes to mind because it's that good.
- Any burger for that matter. When I came here a while ago for lunch, they had like 3 or 4 burger options and they were always amazing. I don't know if they still have the selection.
- Garlic parmesan fries! You'll regret it otherwise.
- Scallops with bacon brussel sprouts.
Overall, Arterra is a consistently good restaurant and highly dependable if you want a quick, good meal in an elegant atmosphere.
I anticipated a busier restaurant on a Friday evening, but it not.
The server was friendly, answered questions, made recommendations, then ignored us.
We drink iced tea. For us to enjoy eating out, we need someone to pay attention to refills. He did not. On two occasions he asked if we wanted more, then did not return. The busser was good at refills.
We finished our main meal and wanted to have a dessert, but were presented with our check. He relented and allowed us to order the Coffee and Donuts dessert.
The food was OK.
The Confit Chicken Wings were very hot and very crisp, and a little spicy. This was the best part of the meal.
The Marriott arbitrarily divides the room into a bar and restaurant. The music is for the bar patrons, in the same room. No menu crossover.
Both the men's and women's restrooms had "issues."
There was a manager who was visible, but had no impact on providing good service
Wow!!!
They must grow extraordinary people here at this restaurant. Staying at the hotel in which this restaurant is located for three days gave us a  repeated experience of FANTASTIC service and food. What motivated me especially to write this review was by the legendary gesture of host/server Chase. I was a bit chilly in the restaurant. Not only did Chase seat us on the warmest section of the restaurant. It also went out of his way to bring me a blanket (probably from the adjoining hotel). I couldn't believe it!!! Who does that? I've repeated the story a few times to others. The Lobster Mac & Cheese was über-yummy. Great option if you don't want to leave the hotel for a meal or even if you want to try a little gourmet yumminess. 5 stars!!!
I was very disappointed in this restaurant.  As many have mentioned, the service is poor.  Considering the small number of diners, it is hard to understand how the service is so slow. The menu choices are very limited and not cheap.  We started with a salad that was mainly greens with about 4 blue cheese crumbles , a couple mandarin oranges, and barely detectable tomatoes and cucumbers for $11. My husband and I shared the chicken and filet dishes. The chicken breast was overcooked and very basic and was $24.  I will give them one positive for the filet. It  was excellent - tender and tasty, but $39.  The au gratin potatoes were tasty but lukewarm.
They have an extensive wine list, but the wines are very pricey also. They do have a list of bottles at 50% off.
For the price, there are many, many other restaurants with much better menus and ambiance.
Not a place you'd expect us to eat on Cinco de Mayo but we did stay here that night with friends to party for.....well....Cinco de Mayo. Mrs.Steve M and I ate here during the day after checking in and enjoyed a couple of sandwiches that were creative and different.
The presentation of the food is fun and overall, it was a good meal experience for lunch. Why three stars? Well, the service was a little slow and the place was anything but busy and of course since you are dining on the inside of a Marriott, it was expensive for what we got, like those $17 egg breakfast room service brings.
Overall - a nice little place with a sushi bar in the round and a great patio outside to enjoy a drink on.
Decor: Marriott Hotel Style
Wine Served: American Wines
Tasting Menu: Amazing - check out the chef's seven course tasting menu in which a different dish is brought for each person. (Vegetarian tasting menu also offered)
Staff: Very Attentive
Food: Delicious as I happily bounced from one luscious flavor to another, alternating between the elegant richness of the crab ravioli and cream of celery root soup (garnished with micro cilantro), then enjoying the crunch of the farm fresh salad of microgreens, thin apple slices, oranges, and candied walnuts.
Dessert: Even more delicious was the cheese plate followed by a molten chocolate cake with ice cream topped by a crispy praline. My boyfriend enjoyed the brulee of tapioca pudding with pear and huckleberries.
Hooray for Arterra! You can always count on some good food and a great ambiance at this restaurant. It is definitely on the upscale side of restaurants, but if you dine at lunchtime, the prices a more affordable.
Great "default" dishes are the Steak Salad and the Arterra Burger. Both are wonderful when the beef is cooked to medium rare. I believe they have recently changed some ingredients in the Arterra Burger, and now there is a fried egg, bacon, and some balsamic vinegar in it. I would prefer to do without the vinegar, but it was still really yummy. The Garlic Parmesan fries that come with the burger is delish as well.
They used to offer a nice bread basket during lunch hours (includes cornbread, jalapeno bread, etc), but that seems to have gone away for lunch. Now, it is just a simple bread board with butter. Please bring back the bread basket!
This is definitely a frou-frou, trendy restaurant, but the food doesn't disappoint, the bar serves up great drinks, and there is a wonderful pool/cabana area if you choose to soak up some sun. Occasionally, they will have a live band playing by the pool area too. Happy Hour is worth checking out. Definitely do not miss this location hidden inside a Marriott Hotel.
I love this place! Great HH and is great in the summer time!
Great Cocktails
Garlic Parm Fries - addicting
The Burger - Great!
Chefs Mixed Greens add chicken - Great!
The Arterra Club - Nah, do something else, like the burger! Pretty mediocre
Exceptional service & food - consistent all 3x I've been here!
I was shocked at the miserable service and food at Aterra. Â The positive reviews must have been for the restaurant before it declined to its current state of affairs.
The ambience was nice with a guitarist singing in the bar area... That was the only redeeming quality. Â The place was dead for a Friday evening (730pm). Â But the server couldn't keep up... We had to ask for menus a couple of times and then they were tossed on our table without regard. Â The food was miserable... The flatbread pizza was gross and reminded me of those $0.99 Tony's pizzas at the grocery store. Â The duck tacos had a chewy texture like they had been sitting out for a couple days... And a strange metallic taste. Â The muscles stood out in the sense that they were solidly in the mediocre camp... Unfortunately the server collected them when we were only half done... He did return the bowl from the pile of dishes when we mentioned we weren't through... But our appetites didn't return.
Before we left, one of my friends mentioned our poor exerience to the manager, Scott I believe, whose response was "I'm sorry" and returned to the bar for chores.
It's sad to see how quickly a restaurant can fade when customers stop coming. Â I imagine Aterra was a casualty of the nearby commercial complex that has a bunch of good restaurants like Burlap and Urban Plate.
It is rare that a restaurant experience would leave me confused. Â It's either I love it, like it, am ok with it, or hate it. Â Arterra, you made me go through all of these in one night! Â
Booked a table last minute (as in 2 hours before) via the Restaurant Week/Open Table website. Â
When we got there, our server informed us that Restaurant Week was over for them as it ended last night (Friday). Â Well, then how come I was able to book our table through the website? Â He graciously replied and said he will find out. Â Sadly, we never did find out the answer to that question. Â Score: Â Fail.
Of particular interest was the Devlis on Horseback starter on the RW menu - dates stuffed with manchego cheese, wrapped in bacon with a chocolate sauce drizzle. Â This item, however, was not available on the regular menu. Â The good news? Â Our server, Chad, pleaded our case with the Chef and he agreed to fire up the sauce and serve it one more time.
The complimentary bread and butter helped calm the hunger pangs while we waited for our appetizers. Â The wait for the DoH was worth it though as these morsels were incredibly tasty (the chocolate sauce lifted it from savory to outright delish! Â 4.5 stars) Â The hubby and I even got one plate each which made me think ... wow, they have generous servings here considering we told our server we were sharing the 1st appetizer. Â Â Score: Â 5 stars +
The only downside to this was the fact that my drink came AFTER the appetizer arrived. Â I don't think it is that difficult to make an apple martini unless you have to go to the orchard to pick the apples personally. Â Score: Fail again :(
Next came the Duck Tacos (5 stars for this one), again a plate for me and the Hub. Â Hmmm, we check with our server and discovered our orders were completely messed up! Â Our server doubled up on my appetizers and dropped the ones that the hubby ordered. Â Uh oh. Â A quick check and it got fixed, but it did take at least 10 minutes for the garlic soup to arrive. Â Good thing the Duck Tacos held up and was probably the best tasting dish of the night for us (5 stars). Â The garlic soup, while piping hot, rates 3 stars.
The rest of the meal was quite satisfactory. Â The lobster mac does deserve the high ratings it gets from other yelpers, while the Pork with beans and mashed potato (I'm sure there is fancier name for this dish on the menu) had a great mixture of flavors. Â I'd give both dishes 3-4 stars.
At this point, we decide to skip dessert, even if I did place a special request for a birthday treat when I made the reservation. Â The meal was quite filling, and I figured since the reservation for RW was not being honored anyway, why spend for dessert that did not excite me?
So we settled the bill, and was really getting quite annoyed with the wait (30 minutes from ending our meal to getting our check), when out comes the birthday surprise ... a watermelon log, with watermelon sorbet, and watermelon jam ... with a candle! Â Wow, they remembered, and were quite apologetic that it took a while.
The icing on the cake, however, or in this case, the watermelon log, is that they comped the appetizers and just charged us for the entree and drinks. Â Props to our server, Chad, for trying to make our experience better. Â He never stopped trying to make things better, and this 4 star review is an acknowledgement of that.
Excellent food and customer service that never stops trying to improve. Â I certainly appreciate that.
Me: I didn't realize Stone was way up in Escondido.
BFF: Duh!
Me: Should we go somewhere closer?
Since the BFF lives up in the Heights, we figured we'd go up in their neck of the woods for once. Â The only thing I dreaded was driving back down after drinking, but then again, I'm Asian, so I can drive any way I want...LOL! Â The BFF recommended here. Â I had heard about this place, but was never inclined to go, so wth...why not?
BFF: Go pass the sign that says "no hotel parking" the bank's closed.
Hassle free parking,..why not? Â As we walked up to the Marriott, the level of pretentiousness started to rise. Â "Yo Dude, it's dark out, no need for the shades...cause seriously, you're nobody." Â No, I didn't say that, but that's what I was thinking. Â The restaurant was not crowded and they were having a private event on the patio which sucked, because I would've liked to see it. Â I'm not a big fan of hotel restaurants for the obvious reasons.
Drinks are overpriced! Â "How much for the Stella?" asked the partner. Â The server had to go check. Â I said it would be $6, he said it would be $9, then I said $7, turned out to be $6.50. Â My Grey Goose dirty martini was $13 and tasted different each time. Â Tonight, they had a special wine list and all the wines were 50% off. Â Sounds like a good deal, and a way for them to get rid of their stock, but they were mostly very high priced bottles. Â News flash Arterra, you can't sell those wines because no one wants to buy them. Â
Though our server was friendly and courteous, she just turned 21 and her skills need a little polishing, heck, a number of the staff needed some training, except for the busboy. Â At one point, a bartender came with drinks, another time a hostess, and yet another time a manager, who btw, didn't know how to properly pour a beer into a chilled glass. Â I felt they didn't have enough servers for the restaurant because of the private party on the patio. Â
I had the duck tacos, which were more like duckling tacos considering their size. Â They were tasty though. Â The partner had the turkey burger which came with a nice portion of the parmesan fries, which he shared. Â He liked the cucumber slices and the feta. Â He did comment that it was a bit charred, but better than undercooked turkey. Â The other two had the halibut, which they said was quite good. Â
The dining room can get quite loud. Â There was also a dj playing in the bar area. Â Conversations can be hard, except for the loud ass broad at one of the tables. Â I doubt if I'd ever come back. Â Some hotel restaurants tend to charge more but give less. Â If you're paying a premium, the service better match. Â Even after we paid, the manager came and asked if we wanted anything else. Â Huh?
This review is strickly about the outragious prices they charge for cocktails. Â $10.75 for a 4 oz drink? Â Are you serious? Â
Beautiful outside area that was perfect for my highschool 1981 class reunion. Â Fun times were had with old friends and some new friends. Â But the memory will always be marred by how freaking expensive this place was. Â How do you expect people to get a good buzz on when you charge so damn much? Â Us old people rely on the effects of alcohol to make us look like we did 30 years ago. Â Geesh.
I am/was a Marriott Platinum member. When Arterra opened up, it was a nice quaint place to go for happy hour or late nite sushi (with Andrew, if he is still there). Then they did their 'upgrades' and tried to become like a downtown hotspot. I was there for 4 hours and was charged 3 different prices for the same drink. ($14, $16 and $22!!!!). I drink Kettle One on the rocks. The last guy told me the drink is $16 and the 'rocks' (ice) is another $6.
I asked if they have a rocks charge for soda. He couldn't answer. I paid my bill and spoke w a manager the next day. They couldn't explain it either. Â "maybe the others were happy hour prices" i was told. Â Not a chance. No explanation, no correction to my bill=no more visits from me and my 'crew'.
I was LATER told from a friend of mine that a rocks charge is for more Vodka. They pour more for 'rocks' drinks so you aren't walking around with a thimble in your hand. I would have liked if Arterra coulda told me this, but they didn't. Anyhow, $16 or $22 is too much for a drink.
I went to meet a group there recently and brought a water bottle filled w Kettle One and made my own drinks. $0 to Arterra, probably $80 saved to me.
I was invited to come along with a friend to check out their re-grand opening and outdoor deck/pool and enjoyed all the food tastings.
I was given a couple of free drink coupons and decided to come back with the hubster to collect.
The wine he ordered tasted like it had turned. Â My cocktail was on the sweeter side and tasted like a jolly rancher. It wasn't bad. Â I definitely needed the drink.
I decided to also try their duck tacos since I was starving. Â For three dinky size tacos, they were overpriced. Â The taco shell wasn't great. It reminded me of taco bell which has better taco shells (just use corn/flour tortilla next time). Â The taco filling was decent and overall enjoyable.
Thank god for free coupon drinks otherwise our bill would have been $40 for three items.
Ohhhhh,,, this is niiiiice... I would totally hang out at this bar if I were staying at this Mariott location...
Julie left us for San Antone, so we all said farewell to the lovely lady.
Although the lounge/bar area is extremely spacious, it was seemingly packed to the brim with folks like us. Â Basically, it was like a Yelp event, except we all had to pay for our own shite.
Todd P. and I each ordered a personal pizza - he a chicken and pesto, and me a... umm... well, a vegetarian kinda thing. Â The decision was unanimous - the vegetarian tasted better.
$13 for a personal pizza and a Coca-cola? Â I'm okay with that.
After more than 50 visits I can tell you that this place went from the top of our impress a friend restaurant choices to a very rare visit now (maybe a couple times a year). The biggest challenge is that they went from a killer diverse and popular for everyone menu to the most eclectic menu imaginable.
For example, they used to have one of the best burgers in San Diego. We could take the kids or less sophisticated non foodie friends and all enjoy the marbled rye Rueben, the daily flatbreads, the spicy calamari and many other fantastic and easy selections.
In the main restaurant, we could have complete gourmet heaven, but then (I'm guessing) that the F&B manager changed and so did the menu. It wouldn't surprise me now to find eye of newt and frog brains on the menu, yeah, the bar menu! Wow!
So now we can't take the kids, can't take "normal" folks and quite honestly how many times can you have "popcorn sweetbreads" before you get tired of them.
Oh, also the wait staff is friendly but be warned that the service is notoriously slow, so budget LOTS of time.
I visited Arterra last year for Valentines dinner (2009). It was a good experience. I am a "foodie" and I thought the selection was great. Unfortunately, it did not appeal much to my simplistic husbands taste buds. He does not venture outside the "norm" so the selection was not to his liking. On the other hand, I loved most everything that came to the table.
This is a place we WILL revisit when there is not a set course ONLY because my husband needs more of a "simple" selection (ex. Caesar salad, steak choices, etc). The only downside is the "Cheesecake Factory" type dining arrangement where there isn't much privacy. I can hear every word the guests next to us were saying AND I can pat the lady on the back next to me if she was chocking. They were a little too close for comfort.
Pricey place considering my husband ate one plate out of the 7 course meal we bought. We walked out the door dropping $315 bucks on our meal & drinks. That's not including valet. I personally loved the food but what sucked was that my husband was still hungry when we left. Whomp Whomp...
Well it's been a minute since I been here. Finally I tried the sushi here and a appetizer at the sushi bar/bar hangout
Hamachi Nigiri-5.50
Saba Nigiri-5.00
Calamari Steak Strips over cubed vegs-12.00
Blueberry Vodka-10.12
Seb ordered
Beer- 5.67
Tuna Roll- 6.50-70 cents haha...
Wow... just wow, this is not even a real dinner! Some expensive snacks I was eating. But yeah sushi was good, Squid meh.
What an unusual place to find such a fabulous restaurant.
Arterra is located in the Marriott Hotel in Carmel Valley. Â Close to 56 freeway. Â
Plush. Â Posh. Â Nice booths. Â Great place to 'do lunch.' Â Not cheap, though. Â The wine list ... well, easy to spend a twenty spot on a very memorable glass of wine. Â The menu is very good. Â The presentation of the dishes are very artsy. Â Yummy, too.
Wanna special place to laugh away the afternoon? Â This is nice.
There's also a pool lounging area ... I heard great things about. Â I believe if you eat in the restaurant, you can also enjoy more cocktails out at the pool. Â I beleive this might be a place to see and be seen.
I wanna go back one night.
I ate here for a very late breakfast meeting yesterday. Â The place was nearly empty, but that's because they close at 10:30 for breakfast. Â We were already on-site for an earlier meeting in one of the conference rooms, so we opted to eat here for convenience. Â Well, we got seated at 10:20 and our server was rushing us to place our order before the kitchen closed to prep for lunch.
She brought out a carafe of coffee, but my coworkers had no spoons to stir their cream and sugar with. Â We also ran out of cream and when we asked for more, they forgot to bring it out.
The menu is limited, but fancy with their ingredients on some items. Â I had the all American breakfast which came with eggs, bacon (or sausage) and home fries. Â Our food came out fast and the presentation was really nice, my meal was served on a rectangular dish. Â The bacon was definitely well done, I didn't eat it all, but the home fries were yummy (I love it when they put a little bit of kosher salt on my carbs) and the eggs were cooked over medium, just how I liked it. =)
I would have given it four stars, but our server made us feel like we had to dine and dash. Â I only say this because she put down our bill as soon as her hands freed up after bringing out our dishes. Â The food was good and I'd go back for dinner, I'm curious to see what the dinner menu is like and might want to try out the sushi bar. Â However, this place is 30 miles away from my home, so I'd only go if I'm already in the area.
I like this place for business lunches. Â It's easy for people to find off the 5 highway and some of my business associates choose to stay at the hotel as well. Â The calamari we had at the bar was delectable....we ate every last bit of it and would have fought over who gets to lick the bowl....except that the bartender broke up our chopstick fight by giving us a bowl of edamame....
I also had a salad with raw brussels sprouts here. Â I never liked brussels sprouts but I really liked it here.
I took a friend here for her birthday but for some reason during the third time everything was unbearable salty. Â We couldn't even finish half our meals so it doesn't get 5 stars from me...
Yes, the yelpers threw an awesome Yelp bash here this past weekend, but that is not what I am reviewing. I am reviewing the bar based on the day before the party when we came here to "work."
(Translation: Sitting in the most perfect breeze sipping cocktails and yelping online.)
I really dug the space and figured it would make for a lovely spot for a our party. I also really liked the drink I had. I believe it was a knee high and it was truly refreshing and definitely hit the spot on a nice summer's day! The only bummer about this place was the choice of music. Good grief, it was like one of those really bad late night infomercials on Terrible Hits of the 90's. We're talking 2...2!!! Nickelback songs and Michael McDonald! Yikers.
Even with that, I would still come back. Why? Because the music made for some laughs, the staff was awesome and attentive and the space is chill and comfy. What more does one need to "work" in ;)
The Arterra Restaurant is an elegant gem tucked inside the Marriott hotel. It's fantastic bar serves up fully all you need for your liquid diet, yet the kitchen will also sure please your belly.
Tasting the food at Arterra was no simple task. Once you had once piece, you immediately wanted more. The Thai chicken pizza slice was the best I'd ever had, though it really was not a Thai dish, but some concoction that has been floating around these type of restaurants I'm sure. The hint of peanut sauce lingered as I sampled other morsels. Duck, calamari, beef -- all tasty and extremely fit for a stately dinner.
The service was top notch. Every few minutes someone new would come by with a tray of different things to try, or beverages. I couldn't help by give them praises for their hospitality at every chance. Perhaps that's why they kept coming back to me :)
Arterra is a posh-looking place with great seating, and a pool side club. It's the perfect place for functions, meetings, and dance club. If it weren't too far away, the night club experience just outside of Sorrento Valley, would be a place I'd consider every weekend.
Location is key and parking isn't free, but go to Arterra and dine there for me. That was a difficult rhyme.
If you enjoy the ambiance of three star chain hotels with faux marble lobbies, blue glass pendant lighting, and a view of the freeway, then this is your spot. Â
Arterra's website touts Chino Farms produce, but to me, it seemed like Nobel Sysco all the way. The baby artichoke salad certainly did cause me to "choke." Â Three old, soggy, bland, and lukewarm artichokes halves swam in a glob of white and green. Â
The semi-bright spots were a salmon dish with corn and the braised short ribs, but they were hardly enough to get me to come back.
Upon leaving, to my horror and amazement, I saw that this restaurant had a Chaine Des Rotisseurs placard. Â How on earth is that possible? Â I can only assume it was from several years (and several chefs) ago.
Holy F$%#$K this place is expensive. I went by there on the way home thinking, it'd be nice to have a quick drink at happy hour. So I ordered my usual Dewar's on the rocks and the California rolls. The bartenders here have some serious attitude. When I asked the guy if it's been busy because the of the US Open he responded "I don't care. When they make golf a full-contact sport I'll be interested."
Ok, dude, anger management. When I got the 25 dollar bill for my one drink and california rolls I was stunned. I'm rarely shocked by drink prices because I hang out in hotel bars, but I was blown away. Â So, as I was finishing my drink I started talking to these two women and my night at Arterra taught me the following:
1) When Asian and Indian people have babies, the offspring are F%$#IN HOTT!!!!!!!. Â One of the women was half Pakistani/half Japanese.
2) Del Mar is apparently full of many bitter jaded old men, so I'm like a novelty item.
So, I may be back here at some point, but I'll drink in the parking lot before.
I organized a business event in their outdoor lounge a few months ago, and every single thing we ordered off the menu was superb. Â The hosts were great, the bartenders were fun and friendly. Â I'm not a big drinker, but the bartender suggested a French Martini which was fruity and delicious!
A group of us went there for lunch the other day....and all five of us ordered the steak salad. Â I hear it's only available for lunch....was it good? heck yes. Â One of the members in our group said she wanted to eat that for every meal.... the steak was tender....the dressing was creamy and amazing....topped with spicy crispy onion rings and crumbled blue cheese. Â Defiintely not what i expected a steak salad to look like (i.e. a pile of romaine with steak strips on top). Â we all licked our plates clean! Â highly recommend the steak salad if you go for lunch.
We also split the ahi tuna appetizer and the duck spring rolls - both yummy and excellent.
full of businessfolks at lunch time - so make reservations!
I recently had dinner with a new lady friend at Arterra Restaurant in the Del Mar Marriott. Â
We started with Hawaiian Ahi Rolls ~ Caramelized Hearts of Palm, Jalapeno-Pistachio Relish, Grapefruit Essence, Lava Salt and the Forest Mushroom & Brie Strudel ~ Candied Kabocha Squash, Crispy Shallot rings, Truffle Vinaigrette.
For the main dishes I had the Stuffed Rainbow Trout ~ Prawn & Chestnut Stuffing, Chorizo, Chino Farms Cuitlacoche Froth and for the lady was the 14 oz Prime New York Strip ~ 28 Day Dry Aged, Cauliflower Gratin, Sauce Bearnaise, Maytag Bleu Cheese. I know it looks like it should be turned around but who am I to judge.
I do not remember one bad bite and would highly recommend Arterra Restaurant to anyone.
Divine, artistic, beautiful culinary experience. Â Arterra is by far the most upscale restaurant I've been to in San Diego. Â The chef is truly an artist and many of his dishes are not only succulent but beautiful palettes of taste and color.
Word of warning: this place is ka-ching pricey... We just dropped $90/person and that included a shared appetizer and each our own entree. Â We did have a bottle of wine as well, a Saddleback Chardonnay which complimented the meal quite well ($51).
That said, Arterra really sets the bar high for San Diego County. Â The meat dishes are always perfectly made and their Foie Gras is made to perfection. Â Their gorgonzola souffle is beautiful. Â I was personally disappointed with the swordfish, rather bland, but the asparagus emulsion that accompanied it was simply incredible. Â Enjoy!
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