The Prado

Another excellent dining experience to report. Yesterday was the most beautiful perfect San Diego day and it seemed criminal not to go and sit in the sun and have a leisurely lunch- the perfect place to do this- why the Prado of course, set right in the center of Balboa park on a beautiful courtyard, shady but not dark, elegant and yet still retaining an outdoors/ nature type feel. I have been waiting a long time for the perfect day to go to the Prado and I am pleased to say I was not in the slightest bit disappointed.
We were seated at our table and giving large glasses of ice water. I am always immensely interested in what food a restaurant gives its diners to snack on prior on the meal, one of my favorites ever being the bread and aioli served at Vagabond. The Prado in my mind lived up to expectations, providing flat bread and a delicious hummus. This may not have been quite as mouthwatering as Vagabond's aioli, but it was at least less guilt ridden, and was certainly delicious in its own right. The only slight issue with the flat bread was that they were covered in Poppy seeds, which, as we began to much away soon covered the table. The Prado had of course thought of everything however and soon a waitress arrived to "care for our table", wiping off the poppy seeds, leaving us feeling clean and adding in that little VIP touch which is what one wants from a flashy lunch out.
We ordered drinks next, settling on the mojitos which had been assured were "especially good", they were indeed fantastic and extremely refreshing- perfect for a hot day. To eat I chose the Chicken Enchiladas which were extremely good, served with Oaxaca cheese and a trio of delicious salsas. My wife had a little difficulty in choosing a salad, not being used to such an array of meatless options. She asked for some advice and settle on the pressed salad which comprised largely of arugula, with some strawberries, figs and candied walnuts thrown into the mix. The presentation on the salad was beautiful, set in a small round on the centre of a very large dish with a balsamic glaze zigzagged across the plate.

Everything about our meal was fantastic, the wait staff treated us like movie stars, the timing of the food was perfect, the food itself very tasty and the presentation stunning. The Prado is only a 30 minute walk from our house and I am sure it will be a regular haunt this summer.