First visit: May 2022 (San Diego)
OK, we're now getting serious with the wedding events. This was the choice for the "Rehearsal Dinner", or a late lunch really. Now we have the full wedding party, of which 3 of our niece's participated along with the bride. Otherwise we don't really know their friends all that well, though we had met most at a couple of other wedding-related events. They're much different than our own family, including the younger members, but they're all very nice. All that to say, that Mrs. RJG and I found ourselves mostly at "the old people" table. And other than the Official Grandmother on the bride side and the mother of the groom, I actually was the oldest there. Dammit. We'd rather hang with the young'uns but we didn't have a say in the matter. Sevilla is a beautiful restaurant in the Gaslamp Quarter, and we had the second floor to ourselves.
Tapas. It's a Spanish word meaning "to fleece". The restaurant industry is always looking for creative ways to separate customers from their wallets. In the 70s, "theme" restaurants were all the rage. I went to many of them since my Old Man was in sales. Sit in a railcar, phone in your orders at the table (dial phones too), watch a late 1800's styled showgirl ride a swing and hit a bell. Whatever. After that got old, they had to come up with new inventions. My all time favorite is the "U.R. Cooks" model, where they bamboozled you to cook your own steak! Blahahaha. Nowadays you can get Chinese dumplings nearby to Hermes... or you could have tapas. In the 1990s I deep dived into Spain on two different occasions. Many times at restaurants in small towns, I was offered tapas. They were free. They were always from the night before. Leftovers that is to say. Preserved, presumably not actually given to a former customer. But hey, are you inspecting? I ate them anyway and didn't ask questions. They were good - usually some kind of meat or veggie warmed over. It was free right?
They're not free anymore. In fact, they cost a fortune. I'm sure there are tapas out there that are crave worthy. Like a hot dog. But generally it's a great way to serve you appetizers at triple the price. Sevilla has mastered that art. It was a fixed menu, and we got a chance to sample many of the meats and vegetables. And one paella dish as well. It wasn't bad of course - just nothing exceptional either. Didn't really get much excitement from the "old people's" table either. The wedding party had a blast though. Was it the food? Ya know... I seriously doubt it. What they like about Cafe Sevilla is the shots at the bar. That explains why we are here in the first place. For them it's the overall experience. OK, I can accept that. It's their wedding - so if that's what makes them happy, then we're all in. For once I didn't even have to pay, and I'm not one to scoff at a free meal. But I would never go here on my own dime.
Sevilla sits in the Gaslamp Quarter in downtown. As noted in the Oggi's review, I was in San Diego fairly often from 2000 to 2005. And I always made a beeline here, and up to India Street where Little Italy sits. If only I had a say in the matter, that's where we would have been.
5/20/22 (new entry)
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