I went with my gorgeous, incomparable girlfriend, Jessica. I’m more of a, “hey look, that place has burritos! Lets’ go there!” Kind of guy. So, I would say her review will be more useful than mine.

We did get seated 40 minutes later than the time we originally reserved. I hate that. We were forced to wait and buy expensive drinks at their lavish bar. Joke was on them, I don’t drink! When we finally sat down, the table settings weren’t all there. I wouldn’t be so critical, but they had an extra 40 minutes AND it’s their opening night. It’s not like they didn’t know people would show up. Sheesh.
It’s not opening night anymore, so, I would say the food is the most important part from now on. I had some sort of meat loaf. Delicious. It even came in a cute little pot to boot. The mashed potatoes on the side were also quiete tasty. The steak my hot date had, I thought, was pretty good. And the prices didn’t seem to be that bad.
We had a total of 2 dishes and 2 glasses of wine, oh, and some delectable mac and cheeseas a starter for a total of $73.00.

My thoughts were that they had a few kinks to work out because they were new. But someone pointed out that because it was their opening night, things should have been on point.

Here goes:

DÉCOR:
The place is GORGEOUS! It’s chic looking, but in a different style than most of the trendy San Diego restaurants. You’ll find beautifully twisted driftwood and peacock feather designs on the walls, and mixed light and dark hardwood floors.

SERVICE:
We had dinner reservations for 8 p.m. and when I checked in with the friendly hostess, she let me know that our table will not be ready for 45 minutes. I’ve never experienced having to wait when my reservation has already been set. But we moved to the outdoor bar between the restaurant and their nightclub, Universal. I had a delicious Sake-tini and all was forgiven.

Once we were sat at our table, I realized the they had sat us BEFORE the table was even set. They were setting the table AFTER we had been seated for awhile. I was pleased with the service of the waiter. He was accommodating and fairly quick.

WINE:
The wine by the glass list is limited and I do not recommend having the pinot noir or the cab they serve by the glass. They had an odd fizziness to them.

FOOD:
The pot roast was great! Very flavorful and juicy. It’s served with a potato puree. The steak on the other hand left a bit to be desired because it was served cold. If it had been warm, it seems like it could have been good, it was served with a blue cheese butter on top. The side dish was fingerling potatoes which were very good. We didn’t have desert.

I will return to Dish once they’ve been established for a few months because the seasonal menu looks very good.

Don’t look for traditional So-Mexi-Cal fare here; the only seafood is the shrimp in the Rancheros Camarones. Everything else on the menu is straight up beef, pork, beans, and chicken. The burritos are huge, and bursting with chorizo, beans, or carne asada. Ponce’s real specialty, though, are the tacos. either filled with piping hot beef (ground OR shredded, for connoisseurs) or chilled guacamole, they are always piled high with crunchy lettuce and shredded cheese.

The ambience inside recalls a south-of-the-border cantina, without the campiness of a “South of the Border” regional-chain restaurant. The wall decorations, from the authentic oil paintings to the suit of armor, are all understated, and blend nicely into the dark wall paneling. By mid-evening, the best way to enjoy Ponce’s is by dining on the patio. It offers a great view of Kensington Village, and while the traffic noise can be heavy, Kensington remains one of the most idyllic neighborhoods in San Diego, and is a great spot for people-watching.

Ponce’s specialty margaritas deserve a whole seperate review. All are delicious, but try the El Picante (an unlikely combination of tequila, triple sec, Absolut Peppar, and Hot Sauce) for a truly unique cocktail experience.

On the downside, the service tends to be a bit slow at times, especially if you decide to sit on the patio. Be prepared to go inside and hunt for your server when you want extra napkins, another drink, or your check.

I give it three stars (***).

I highly recommend this place. I had the thin crust pizza with bacon and giardiniera (Italian pickled relish) on Friday night. DELISH! The sauce is zesty and the crust is perfect.

Lefty’s offers sandwiches, pastas, apps, thin crust pizzas, stuffed pizzas, and the Chicago style deep dish pizzas. Tons of topping available. They serve beer and wine (Pabst on tap, Ca Del Sol table wines, etc.) The place is small and you can eat inside, but they also have a small dining patio outiside.

The Chicago style Hot Dogs look great as well: mustard, onion, sweet pickle relish, dill pickle spea, tomato slices, and celery salt. Just the way they serve them at Wrigley field.