out and about: lunch at the grill at torrey pines lodge

tom collins: botanist gin, pressed lemon juice, east imperial sparkling water, house simple syrup, rosemary

sculpin: ipa, ballast point brewing

Does anything sound much better than a late lunch in the sun of summer, on a golf course with an excellent menu and some refreshing drinks?

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

And all of that is why eating at the grill at torrey pines lodge is one of our most favorite late lunch summer activity.

It’s really the perfect spot. But wait… maybe I shouldn’t be telling you that. It’s crowded enough, what with all the golfing.

On this particular trip we started off with a beer and a house tom collins. The tom collins is the perfect summer drink. Light and refreshing, it tastes like you are drinking a sparkling lemonade. Don’t believe me? try making my basil infused version.

shrimp cocktail: chilled shrimp, lemon, horseradish, cocktail sauce

I’m pretty sure we’ve never gone to the grill and not ordered the shrimp cocktail.

The shrimp is always perfectly cooked, not slimy, and fresh tasting. Not to mention topped with fresh shaved horseradish, which you know is my weakness.

The cocktail sauce is also equally horseradish forward, so another yay in my book.

smoked tuna salad sandwich: albacore, remoulade, lettuce, tomato, toasted levain with onion rings

This time, we started with the tuna salad sandwich. Always a good choice. But be forewarned, it’s a large sandwich so prepare to share or take some home, unless you are super hunger.

It comes with a choice of fries, onion rings, or house salad… and while y’all know I’m a fry girl, the onion rings here are not to be beat.

wood grilled tri tip: market vegetables, mashed potatoes, chimichurri

We rounded everything out with the wood grilled tri tip. Seriously, if you don’t get the tri tip plate, get the tri tip added to a salad or quinoa. It’s seriously not to be missed.

And, while yes, tri tip is my favorite cut of meat, there’s just something about this outdoor wood grilled version. Not to mention, the chimichurri is packed with flavor, yet understated enough that it takes no flavor away from the meat. It simply enhances it. Creating an even more tender bite, if that’s even possible.

All in all, there’s a reason why this is a favorite haunt of ours.