Crudo Cevicheria & Oyster Bar

I had some business to attend to downtown during mid-August. Being that I absolutely dread parking downtown, I'm happy to have the trolley stops off Morena these days. Once business was attended to, the most important question of the day arose....."what's for lunch?" Just the week before I had read about Crudo opening in Little Italy in Eater. It was pretty "atsui desu ne", but I was happy to note that the Little Italy Trolley stop was just two blocks from the restaurant. Sold!

I got there right at opening time and the friendly hostess guided me to a table.

I appreciated the outdoor dining area, but it was just too hot on this day.

I like the sleek interior all dressed up in oceany aqua.

Looking over the menu I made my decision. Being that this was Little Italy, I expected small portions, so I ordered two items. Starting with the Fish Ceviche ($16). I was pleasantly surprised at the portion size and the three tostadas to start. The nice young lady came back twice asking me if I wanted more blue corn tostadas!

    The fish was perfectly marinated, with just the right amount of toothsomeness. The marinade was nicely balanced; with a good balance of sour to salt. Enjoyed the ripe avocado which added a slightly creamy texture and a mild buttery-nuttiness to the dish.

The chili de arbol salsa was indeed spicy, with smoky tones.

This was a wonderfully refreshing and restorative dish on a hot day.

I also ordered the Pulpo Carpaccio ($19).

Man, that octopus was perfectly cooked, so tender! Loved the amount of salt and mild acidity as well. I wasn't sure how Parmesan Cheese was going to work with this; but because it was shaved ultra-fine it added a wonderful milky-savory-saltiness to the dish which I found quite pleasant.

In typical Mariscos fashion a variety of hot sauces were presented, but I didn't need anything masking the wonderful flavors of the food!

I saw at least five people stop by during my meal asking if Crudo was open, what were the hours, etc.....

This was a very nice meal! And since my Buddy Candice had reported on it; during the heatwave this past month we decided to grab some lunch. And of course, Crudo seemed like just the remedy for the heat and humidity. Again I took the trolley and Candice met me a opening time. We sat on the same table as I did on my previous visit.

There was one item that caught my interest; the Tiradito Mixto ($25). You know me and tiradito, right?

No complaints about the prep and quality of the seafood. I didn't care for the marinade which was unusually sweet and detracted from the dish. The menu stated that this version of tiradito used XO Sauce, which is what fascinated me. Perhaps that's what threw this whole dish off?

The wonderful Aguachile en Salsa Verde ($19) made everything right again.

Man, the wonderful texture of the shrimp! A perfectly balanced salsa verde; decent spice, great acidity, nice pungent tones! This is probably my favorite item form our meals.

We also got the Coctel de Mariscos ($18). Loved the addition of the saltine crackers...which, no pun intended, "cracked me up".

All the seafood was wonderful; though this was a bit too "Tame" for my taste. I like a bit more clamato and good tanginess in my cocteles. Still, this was decent.

I really enjoyed chatting with Candice, it was great catching up on things. It seems that Covid has really put a damper on all my meals with friends. I'm hoping to remedy that soon.

And Crudo was a fine place to enjoy with friends on a hot, humid September day.

I guess I'm going to have to bring the Missus here soon....though She's not a fan of catching the trolley! We'll see how that goes.

Crudo Cevicheria & Oyster Bar
1608 India St.
San Diego, CA 92101
Hours:
Sun - Thurs 11am - 10pm
Fri - Sat 11am - Midnight

Comments

[Dereck]

I'm thrilled to see a new crudo place. The trolley is a great way to get there and I might do exactly the same!

[Som Tommy]

Looks good. Prices are not too bad.

[Kirk]

Hope you enjoy Dereck!

The prices are definitely not bad...especially for these days ST. Check them out and let me know what you think.

[Candice]

Another good meal with a great friend! Now I’m craving that aguachile.

[Kirk]

I really missed those meals and most of all our chats Candice! Now you got me craving that aguachile as well! ;o)

[RedDevil]

Thanks for the review! Also looking for good ceviche on this side of the border.

[Kirk]

Try the aguachile RD....it's kinda fusion; but I liked it.

[kat]

nice!

[Kirk]

I enjoyed my meals here Kat!