Saturday 29th July
Good morning San Diego, although by the time we wake up the biggest part of morning is gone, so much so that we have missed breakfast altogether. Undeterred we order room service and enjoy a leisurely brunch in our room. The US Grant hotel is situated in downtown San Diego, a Westfield mall sits directly opposite in Horton Plaza, a little taste of home.
Jim, Susan & Gaby have contacted us with an invite to dinner at Salvatore’s Italian restaurant just a ten minute walk away tonight. But for now we relax, sleep some more and generally try to put our body clocks back in order.
Time for dinner arrives and we walk out into the cool overcast evening that is San Diego tonight. The air temperature around 23c/76f is pleasantly refreshing after the high humidity of Honolulu. In less than ten minutes we are at the restaurant, there are very few people around for a Saturday night, but the night is young. We enter and I am immediately impressed by the warm friendly welcome, not stiff or formal but genuine, like we are old family returning after a long absence. We are seated and await the arrival of Jim, Susan & Gaby. They arrive in just a few minutes and it’s hugs all round. The menu is extensive, we decide on sharing plates family style, this type of dining is becoming more and more popular. The Chinese and Indians have done it for decades, but Italian? We first came across this eating style at an Italian restaurant on a cruise a few years ago and now more and more we see the style, and why not, you can sample so many dishes, at one sitting.
Our feast includes Italian favourites, thick slices of heirloom tomatoes topped with buffalo mozzarella, pumpkin ravioli, sea Bass, veal scallopini and Ossobucco. Accompanied by some great wine from Jim’s own personal stock and from the restaurants cellar. Then finishing off with my personal favourite creme brûlée and Tiramisu.
Altogether a wonderful evening. Together we stroll back to our hotel through the still quiet night, the glow of the city lights illuminating our way. Jim, Susan and Gaby taking their leave after seeing us safely to the hotel. The city below our fifth floor room coming to life as the younger after 10pm generation of revellers attend their late night haunts. We are lulled to sleep by the sounds of the city wafting upwards, perhaps the lack of double glazing being our only criticism of the hotel.