Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Dining on the links

Bistro 65 at the La Costa Omni Resort offers classic fare and impressive views.

Nicoise salad with seared tuna.
Nicoise salad with seared tuna.
Place

Bistro 65

2100 Costa Del Mar Road, Carlsbad

Gorgeous golf course view.

Hanging out at luxury golf resorts isn’t exactly my standard scene. But when I had the opportunity to dine at Bistro 65 at the La Costa Omni on someone else’s dime, I didn’t hesitate to see what I've been missing.

After spending the day lounging poolside, my group headed to Bistro 65 for a bite. We arrived rocking wet hair, flip flops, and beach cover-ups, but were surrounded by guests clad in polo shirts, chinos, and sundresses. The varied dress code seemed lax for the price point but made sense in the casual resort setting.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Bistro 65 embraced the interior design of a typical hotel café, but added a few sleek touches that provide a modern and comfortable aesthetic. The white and lime green color scheme is vibrant while indoor and outdoor fireplaces cast a calming glow. The patio is the feature that makes this venue most memorable, highlighting a lovely view of the sprawling Omni golf course and surrounding La Costa valley.

Monotonous mushroom tempura.

The menu boasts shared plates such as flatbread and pulled pork sliders ($12-17), creative spins on conventional salads ($12-19), mains including beef brisket and lamb sirloin ($16-34), and an assortment of vegan and gluten free dishes ($14-17). Drinks include house cocktails like the ginger mojito and blackberry honey margarita ($14-15), wines by the glass ($9-24) and bottle ($30-300), and craft, domestic, and imported beers ($6-8).

I couldn’t resist starting with the curried calamari ($14), which was served with hot-as-hell habanero relish and cool cilantro aioli. The curry batter provided a warm and spicy twist on the appetizer, but the habanero relish was overwhelming and distracted from the flavorful preparation. I stuck to the aioli and found the combined tastes impressive.

Crispy curried calamari.

The Niçoise salad ($19) was composed of blue lake beans, marble potatoes, soft boiled eggs, seared tuna, capers, and a basil pesto and lemon oil dressing. All ingredients were fresh and toothsome, with a perfect melding of simple, bright flavors.

The king oyster mushroom tempura ($17) was presented atop a spicy eggplant relish and garnished with micro cilantro and chili oil. I didn’t care for the chewy, fibrous texture of the oyster mushrooms, and would have preferred a traditional assortment of tempura vegetables. The eggplant relish was more reminiscent of ratatouille, and was the only redeeming portion of the dish. Chopped eggplant was combined with onion, jalapeño, and tomato sauce, which provided an appetizing addition to the monotony of the mushrooms.

Three layers of satisfaction.

An enjoyable meal wouldn’t be complete without a sweet ending, so our table opted to share the three-layer chocolate cake. The artful plating included a berry coulis and fresh strawberries and blueberries, which made the dessert all the more delectable.

A day and meal like this has me aspiring to include resorts in my scene. My mother always did accuse me of having champagne taste on a beer budget.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Gilbert Castellanos, Buddha Trixie, Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Shane Hall, Brian Jones Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival

Grand Socials, gigs, and record releases in Del Mar, City Heights, Solana Beach, Little Italy, and Ocean Beach
Next Article

Looking back at race relations in Coronado

A former football player recalls the good and the bad
Nicoise salad with seared tuna.
Nicoise salad with seared tuna.
Place

Bistro 65

2100 Costa Del Mar Road, Carlsbad

Gorgeous golf course view.

Hanging out at luxury golf resorts isn’t exactly my standard scene. But when I had the opportunity to dine at Bistro 65 at the La Costa Omni on someone else’s dime, I didn’t hesitate to see what I've been missing.

After spending the day lounging poolside, my group headed to Bistro 65 for a bite. We arrived rocking wet hair, flip flops, and beach cover-ups, but were surrounded by guests clad in polo shirts, chinos, and sundresses. The varied dress code seemed lax for the price point but made sense in the casual resort setting.

Sponsored
Sponsored

Bistro 65 embraced the interior design of a typical hotel café, but added a few sleek touches that provide a modern and comfortable aesthetic. The white and lime green color scheme is vibrant while indoor and outdoor fireplaces cast a calming glow. The patio is the feature that makes this venue most memorable, highlighting a lovely view of the sprawling Omni golf course and surrounding La Costa valley.

Monotonous mushroom tempura.

The menu boasts shared plates such as flatbread and pulled pork sliders ($12-17), creative spins on conventional salads ($12-19), mains including beef brisket and lamb sirloin ($16-34), and an assortment of vegan and gluten free dishes ($14-17). Drinks include house cocktails like the ginger mojito and blackberry honey margarita ($14-15), wines by the glass ($9-24) and bottle ($30-300), and craft, domestic, and imported beers ($6-8).

I couldn’t resist starting with the curried calamari ($14), which was served with hot-as-hell habanero relish and cool cilantro aioli. The curry batter provided a warm and spicy twist on the appetizer, but the habanero relish was overwhelming and distracted from the flavorful preparation. I stuck to the aioli and found the combined tastes impressive.

Crispy curried calamari.

The Niçoise salad ($19) was composed of blue lake beans, marble potatoes, soft boiled eggs, seared tuna, capers, and a basil pesto and lemon oil dressing. All ingredients were fresh and toothsome, with a perfect melding of simple, bright flavors.

The king oyster mushroom tempura ($17) was presented atop a spicy eggplant relish and garnished with micro cilantro and chili oil. I didn’t care for the chewy, fibrous texture of the oyster mushrooms, and would have preferred a traditional assortment of tempura vegetables. The eggplant relish was more reminiscent of ratatouille, and was the only redeeming portion of the dish. Chopped eggplant was combined with onion, jalapeño, and tomato sauce, which provided an appetizing addition to the monotony of the mushrooms.

Three layers of satisfaction.

An enjoyable meal wouldn’t be complete without a sweet ending, so our table opted to share the three-layer chocolate cake. The artful plating included a berry coulis and fresh strawberries and blueberries, which made the dessert all the more delectable.

A day and meal like this has me aspiring to include resorts in my scene. My mother always did accuse me of having champagne taste on a beer budget.

Comments
Sponsored
Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Dating Sites For Little People: Best Platforms & Tips

Next Article

The Digital Currency Wave Hits the Shores of San Diego

Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.