It all started when I met up with my good friend Angelo Bruno who was bragging about a new restaurant and concept where he is a server. The Hilton San Diego Bayfront had reopened their restaurant (previously known as Vela) Hudson & Nash Waterfront Kitchen and Cocktails, downstairs in the west promenade on the Bay after the COVID lock down. You always know when a restaurant will be good when a server tells you that the food is amazing, because those servers feel proud to serve that food. Well, one afternoon I received a phone call from Brooke Trujillo from their Marketing Department to invite me and a guest to review their new restaurant Hudson & Nash. Well of course I accepted with excitement and anticipation to finally experience what Angelo had been proudly boasting about.
The basic concept for Hudson and Nash is: “Infusing causal California coastal dining with a burst of sun-soaked energy, creating an experience that is both familiar and deliciously brand new. Take a California coastal road trip without ever leaving your seat.” And that was exactly what happened.
My good friend, Nicolas Reedy, who I always dine with on Wednesdays, joined me on this culinary adventure. As we came down the escalator of the west promenade of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, we were kindly welcomed by Thomas Tazbaz, the Hilton Bayfront’s Food and Beverage Director. Thomas led us into this large open and beautifully decorated restaurant that told a story and featured wonderful photos of the California coast. Angelo, who originally bragged about the place where he worked, was waiting at the bar to join us for dinner. We were escorted to the patio overlooking the bay by Thomas, along with Daniel Thomas (Assistant Food and Beverage Director) and restaurant Supervisor Chrissy Rasco. They explained the concept, menu, and welcomed us to have a good time and enjoy the food. We loved watching the sunset as we enjoyed every bite of our meal and great conversation.
Our waiter Oscar, who greeted us with a big and friendly smile, took our drink order. Angelo had a Jack Daniels and Coke while Nicolas and I both had a couple non-alcoholic spirits which are their signature virgin concoctions known as a Lemon Ginger Cooler, and the Berry Breeze (basically a virgin Mojito). Both were very refreshing. Oscar suggested some amazing appetizers. His picks were out of this world. We started with their Greek Beet salad. I do not normally order anything with beets, but this salad was presented on a generous smear of whipped feta, red pickled onions, arugula, mama’s lil peppers, and finished with a delicious olive vinaigrette. It was delightful. Also, the spinach artichoke dip, a blend of three cheeses and citrus zest which came with a side homemade sourdough crostini. One of my personal favorites was the rock crab deviled eggs. I love deviled eggs, and these were probably my all-time favorite. I wish they would serve four instead of only three, but we split the last one and it still made us happy. I personally am not a seafood person unless it is shellfish, but the boys enjoyed the Salt Spring Island Mussels, with toasted baguette, Hefeweizen, guanciale, and preserved lemon. Angelo commented that they were amazing and did not taste fishy at all. Also, they brought the salt and vinegar calamari appetizer, served with a side of a fried caper, Meyer lemon, and brittle herb remoulade. I tried a little bite and I have to say it was delicious. Now, I did order the Aguachile Rojo, Baja shrimp, served with tortilla chips, avocado, cucumber, and charred habanero. I do love to eat shrimp. I really enjoyed this dish. It was like a cross between a shrimp cocktail and gazpacho. One of our favorite noshes was the Parker House rolls which are baked to order with bay butter. Best baked bread ever.
Chef Lauro came out to personally check on us throughout our meal. We love you Chef Lauro! Everything was prepared with love, creativity, and full of flavor. So far, everything that Angelo and Oscar had suggested lived up to more than we had expected and yummy is the result of our expectations.
Oscar was about to bring out our main course that we had ordered earlier. There was so much food that along with Oscar, Thomas, Daniel, and Chrissy who were kind enough to help serve our entrees. The main entrees were presented as a piece of art served family style on large boards. The first board they placed on the table was the Tomahawk Prime ribeye. A 32 oz Bone-In prime cut ribeye with truffle crushed potatoes, herb butter, roasted wild mushrooms, Romanesco and cooked medium with a nicely done pink on the inside. This was a huge prime cut piece of steak that took up much of the board. It was sensational. We loved the roasted vegetables that were served with this platter. Now hands down, our next platter we all agreed was our favorite. They presented the Kurobuta Pork Bao Bun which was a large piece of pork that was so tender it fell apart. It was of the best flavor I have ever eaten. This dish was also arranged on a board and served with pickled vegetables, torn herbs, miso aioli and garlic chili crunches. I could not get enough of this pork. If I did not have to share it, I may have had consumed the entire platter myself. It was that good. And of course, we ordered a second order of the fresh baked parker house rolls.
Now to finish off the feast that we just enjoyed, we shared a warm apple crumble served with house-made whiskey ice cream, fall spices, with a streusel crunch, in addition to an H&N cookie bomb, served as a gooey chocolate chip cookie with toasted coconut, Speedway stout ice cream and salted caramel. I had a Cappuccino and Nicolas had a Latte as Angelo finished his Jack and Coke.
For those of you who enjoy a cocktail, Hudson & Nash has a beautiful stretch bar along the entire wall that seats several people and serves everything imaginable as well as their house specialty drinks. I (as a bartender) was very impressed with their draft beer selection. They serve different beers from local brewing companies as well as breweries all along the coastline. The best way to enjoy all the different brews is to order their Hop a Flight. Now if you’re a wine lover, the wine selection will agree with your taste palate for every dish you order.
A huge thank you to the entire staff who was very nice and very accommodating to ensure our experience was a success, and it was a pleasant experience – one hundred percent. The three of us left full, happy, and very grateful for such an amazing adventure from Baja to the Bay. All the food is fresh, prepared daily and cooked to order. The entire experience was truly wonderful.
Hudson & Nash serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as a wonderful brunch on the weekends. This is a great place to celebrate events in your life with family and friends. Your guests will thank you for it. This is literally in our own backyard if you live in San Diego County. It would be a shame that only those who visited our beautiful city have bragging rights to having a wonderful experience from eating and drinking at Hudson & Nash. Located in the stunning Hilton San Diego Bayfront, Downtown at One Park Blvd. San Diego, CA 92101. You are welcomed to call and make reservations by dialing (619) -321-4284 or through Open Table (get those points). Please check out their website www.hudsonandnash.com for more of their menu items and information. So, are you ready for your “Road trip from Baja to the Bay without leaving your seat?” Bon Appetit, or as we say in California… “Hang ten”.
