David Cohn is a restaurant genius. He has managed to put together an assemblage of high-quality dining rooms that are totally different from each other. They span culinary concepts from The Prado in Balboa Park, where guests dine on exceptional American dishes in an Old World atmosphere, to the casual, kid-friendly ambiance of Corvette Diner, a retro-eatery that would be at home in the 1960s.
Even though his restaurants have individual themes, with different menus, he and his team operate them successfully. Local diners have relished his Blue Point and Dakota restaurants for years. It takes genius to be able to create such a variety of businesses and to keep it all together.
Chef Deborah Scott has joined forces with Cohn on several operations -- Kemo Sabe, with a Pacific Rim menu and Southwestern touches, and Indigo Grill, with North American flavors that range from the arctic to Mexico. Both restaurants have achieved success and a legion of loyal diners.
Cohn and Scott teamed up again, genius working with genius, when they took over and rehabilitated a tired, familiar restaurant location that has "a view to dine for." They joined forces to create something new and sensational on Harbor Island, where Ruebens restaurant once stood.
This location deserves a special restaurant. It has one of our city's finest views of the bay and the downtown and Coronado skylines. Cohn and Scott were up to the task, virtually gutting the interior of the old structure and rebuilding it.
In fact, they've doubled up, creating two different concepts on the same grounds. Diners who park in the large, free lot have to make a choice when they enter through the huge, finely balanced glass and wood door. They can turn left into the C Level (get it -- "sea level") Lounge or proceed straight ahead into Island Prime. Although the two restaurants are connected, they have different menus and a different ambiance.
General Manager Jeff Pittrof said, "We're getting customers who were first brought to this site years ago by their parents. It's nice because we're developing a whole new generation of customers. They can't believe the changes."
C Level Lounge is popular for lunch or dinner. On warm, sunny days, it is pure joy to sit on the outdoor patio under shady umbrellas and enjoy the views while munching on salads and entrees. Some of the signature items include a Lobster and Shrimp "BLT" and Black Pepper Fettucinni with smoked wild mushroom.
Lighter appetites would enjoy Scott's "skirts on fire" salad with a spicy skirt steak. Be sure to drink lots of water.
Island Prime occupies most of the building. The entry is lined with volcanic rock leading to large dining areas framed by glass and wood. The effect is rich, elegant and inviting. Outside, just on the other side of the glass, the ocean flows by gently. During evenings, lights across the water twinkle to orchestrate the dining experience.
The menu is presented in a slim, dramatic leather folder that also holds the wine menu. The extensive wine list offers some excellent choices, many by the glass. I chose a Keller La Cruz pinot noir to go with my rib-eye steak. The restaurant features a large, cooled wine room in which it stores its extensive collection.
One should not ignore the starters (Island Prime Beginnings) or salads (From The Garden). The Giant Shrimp Cocktail was as described -- giant! A Study In Lobster combined lobster grilled cheese with a bisque and lobster corn dog. The simple salad contained delicious beets, candied walnuts and goat cheese.
My favorite starter was the Lobster Kettle Pan Roast, which was really an amazing lobster bisque served beautifully in an unusual deep wing bowl. The flavors were rich and creamy, with large chunks of lobster floating in the broth. It was simply superb.
Entrees include seafood. The Alaskan salmon was wild, not farm raised. The meat was firmer with less fat, and less chemical exposure.
The beef is "prime" -- hence, the name of the restaurant. Prime represents quality, aged beef chosen from the top 2 percent of all available meat. It is expensive because it is rare and so good. The huge 18-ounce rib-eye was expertly grilled and accompanied by my choice of "compound butter" on top.
The menus for both C Level Lounge and Island Prime were developed by Executive Chef Scott and Chef de Cuisine Josh McGinnis, who once kept Prego restaurant alive with his skill behind the stove. Their ideas of creating two menus that let diners experience so many flavors, with so many ways of individualizing their meals the way they want, have found great expression.
Scott's genius is clearly evident. Her concepts here are tremendous, and so unlike her previous work at Indigo Grill and Kemo Sabe.
Island Prime and C Level Lounge are destined to be additional "stars of success" in Cohn's constellation. It is expensive to dine there, but quality costs money. I wondered how they can afford to sell their food even at these levels. Regardless of much they spend, guests leave happy and satisfied with their experiences.
Reservations are strongly recommended. Call (619) 298-6802. Island Prime is located at 880 Harbor Island Drive on Harbor Island. Drive onto Harbor Island and turn left at the traffic circle.
Rottenberg is editor of Dining San Diego Magazine and member of the California Restaurant Writers Association. Send comments to the editor@sddt.com. All letters are forwarded to the author and may be used as Letters to the Editor.
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