Tabule
535 4th Ave, San Diego
www.tabulerestaurantbar.com
619-238-0048
A child-free evening out with a friend is as much about connecting as it is about food. Finding a restaurant that supports a good adult conversation—with good acoustics, private tables and an unhurried atmosphere—is no easy task. Tabule Restaurant and Bar proved to be the perfect setting for a leisurely dinner with my former roommate and co-teacher, Giza.
Finding parking in the heart of the crazy-busy Gaslamp district was our first challenge, and we opted for a long walk and talk rather than shell out $15 for nearby valet parking. Our 6:45 p.m. reservation brought us to the small, nearly empty restaurant. By 9 p.m., however, every seat in Tabule was taken. No matter the number of patrons, Tabule’s amber lighting and high padded leather bench seat walls make a setting that is hip, cozy and quiet. Even with a full house and jazz music lightly playing, we could hear each other plainly and—more importantly—not hear our fellow diners.
Tabule’s food, a blend of flavors from Mexico, South America and Asia, was an adventure. With long lists of appetizers, ceviches and salads to choose from, we ate a basket of sourdough bread with aioli and a chili sauce, three enormous “starter” dishes and two bottles of Tabule’s own sparkling and mineral water before our entrée even arrived.
While Tabule’s menu features beef, pasta, chicken and duck, seafood is a clear favorite. Up for adventure, we ordered Caracol ceviche, ($15) thinly sliced sea snail marinated in lime juice and mixed with onions, ginger, tomatoes, avocado and cilantro. It was a tender mix of sweet, tart and savory flavors served in a generous portion with flat bread.
Mesquite Duck Tacos ($14) arrived as a plate of three tiny soft tacos filled with juicy duck meat, and accompanied by a plate of gingery-sweet soy sauce, onions, cilantro and cucumber strips.
Giza and I split a large mango and hearts-of-palm salad ($10). We both loved the mixture of diced mango, candied walnuts, goat cheese and hearts of palm with greens, and found the sweet, smoky chipotle dressing pleasantly spicy.
The servers at Tabule have an almost old-world respect for eating as a slow, social experience. After we finished our salad, however, we began to suspect benign neglect, and we reminded our server that we had ordered a Tabule signature dish, oven-roasted Tabule Chilean White Sea Bass ($27). Our charming waiter apologized and soon brought a large chunk of flaky white fish topped with mango, green tomato and black bean salsa, topped with a tiny rosemary tree. Served with jasmine rice and a large helping of vegetables in a savory sauce, the fish was perfectly cooked. When we were done, our waiter brought us a conciliatory slice of tiramisu steeped in liqueur— a dessert to slowly savor, like a good conversation with an old friend in an interesting new place.
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Cynthia Jenson-Elliott is a freelance writer in San Diego.
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