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Lunch of the Month: Suite and Tender

By Lisa Gesner

Bringing a California touch to the new American steakhouse, Suite and Tender promises a refined and unique dining experience.  The restaurant’s concept centers around “Gastro-tourism,” where everything served is customizable to the diner’s individual taste.  Located inside the stylish Se Hotel, the sophisticated interior caters to business and casual lunches alike; we loved the imaginative wood paneling and topographic map of San Diego along one wall. And hospitality fits into the mix as well – the service at this restaurant was among the best.

Suite and Tender’s menu offers a myriad of choices and tailor-made options, like a customizable raw bar and salad bar.  Order the filet mignon (one of the restaurant’s top sellers) or one of the other steaks on the menu, and your server will let you choose your steak knife from an impressive platter of options.  Lunch entrees at Suite and Tender range from $8 to $21, and they offer a choose-your-own three-course meal with some of the restaurants most popular dishes.

On my first lunchtime visit to Suite and Tender (they recently started serving lunch on April 1) my dining companions and I were treated to some of the restaurant’s favorite offerings.  We loved the creamy but still light sweet corn soup appetizer, with a hearty crab and lobster ravioli and plenty of fresh sweet corn, but our favorite was the crispy fried rock shrimp.  This appetizer came with succulent fried shrimp tossed with pineapple chunks and a deliciously spicy Yuzu aioli – the perfect combination of sweet, spicy and salty.

For entrees, we tried the prosciutto flatbread, with Parmesan, peppery arugula and ample prosciutto on a thin and crispy flatbread.  We also enjoyed the sloppy joe short rib sliders, tender pulled short ribs served with ginger barbeque sauce and smoked cheddar cheese on a mini bun – and a side of tasty seasoned fries.  We highly recommend the spring vegetable pasta, with basil gnocchi (we’re guessing it’s homemade because of the excellent soft and not-too-doughy texture) and tender peas, carrots and squash all tossed in a delicious pesto. From the dessert menu we tried the warm chocolate truffle cake, which had a warm molten center and came with chocolate ice cream.  We also caught a glimpse of the tempting “reverse” coke float, coke ice cream and vanilla cream soda topped with a ginger snap cookie.

Service was impeccable, as was execution and presentation.  We were impressed by the attention to detail, right down to the iced tea that was served with frozen iced tea cubes (so the tea won’t get watery) and simple syrup for a sweetener, and the fun seasoned popcorn instead of bread.  Suite and Tender has a full bar and menu of cocktails and “Mocktails” to satisfy every palate. 

Suite and Tender just began serving a “Sunday” style brunch on Saturdays on May 2, featuring a customizable omelet bar, so stop in for brunch, lunch or dinner – you won’t be disappointed.  For more information, events and a full menu, visit www.suiteandtender.com.