C Level

My wife and I have visited Island Prime and loved it, but the C Level was a bit of a let down. Although the Chef wasn’t in (always a fatal dining mistake in San Diego it seems!), there were some real problems with the meal. For one, *** nothing was subtle.*** The ahi tower had a sickly-​sweet sauce that just didn’t make sense for the dish. The mashed potatoes that accompanied my ribeye were so salty they were totally inedible. And the seasoning in the mussel and clam appetizer — though I’ll admit pretty tasty — was equally overpowering. It’s as if the target C Level patrons are either north of 85 and have lost all of their taste buds, or are young college kids too drunk too notice what’s being done to their food. That wasn’t what I saw when I looked around the restaurant, but that’s what the over-​seasoned food was telling me. In any case my wife thinks it’s «a tourist issue,» and that Cohn Group restaurants cater to a touristy crowd with less-​than-​discerning tastes. I dunno, maybe she’s right, but even though we complained about the food (and I didn’t even eat my mashed potatoes), there was no effort made to remedy the problems.
On a more positive note — what a great wine list! And very reasonable prices too.
Now back to the problems. When my wife and I ordered our drinks, the waitress seemed unaware of both how to take a drink order, and how to navigate the bar. Maybe she needs training. Then again, the tequila list wasn’t up-​to-​date (they were missing some of the nicer options and — we found out later — the prices were incorrect), so who knows what else had been forgotten that might confuse the poor wait staff.
The view of the city at night was really nice. The parking was a hassle (only a small lot for self-​park, and a huge lot for valet). The gluten-​free options were plentiful and the staff was much more educated about gluten issues than, say, they are at the Prado.
On a final, positive note, my wife thought her salmon was cooked just right, and I thought my ribeye was a perfect medium-​rare. But again, we both encountered too much seasoning on these nicely cooked meats.
Despite the fact that my tongue is still burning hours later from the salt, and my throat is raw from trying to have a conversation with my wife in such a noisy atmosphere, we actually did have a nice time. And, if we ever decide to go to the C Level again, I’ll just order a plate of sliced limes for us to share. You know, to go along with the excess salt in the food and the low-​end tequila.

It was a little tricky navigating to C Level. The restaurant sits next Island Prime and they share the same entrance/​receptionist area. We arrived on a Thursday and were quickly seated next outside and had an amazing view of the San Diego skyline. I have to admit, this was very romantic.
We ordered the Lobster Truffle Mac & Cheese and the Macadamia Crusted Seabass. Both were amazing! They were very large portions of food and we were able to share that and have leftovers. Highly recommend this place if you’re from out of town!

Visiting for a couple of days and decided to stop here for lunch…
Lobster Bisque was good but the blackened fish tacos! Excellent! Substituted the black beans for onions rings and I can truly say it was worth it all around.
Service was good and the view sitting outside is worth the visit even if you came just for a glass of water!

One will have to C for themselves and dine here. It is fab — the setting and the tasteful selections. And a popular & must be-​seen spot on Harbor Island.
The deck or patio is pie-​shaped, and every seat gets a view. The Island Prime Restaurant itself is large, think Rotary Club lunches-​large, and covered in dark wood — but the deck is just right & bright.
The Bloody Mary’s are the life-​preservers onboard this deck — it appears everyone has one in their hands — with the Cohn Restaurant Group in charge, smooth dining is ahead.
The C-​Level Louie Salad ($ 23) tastes as fresh as, shrimp netted starboard. Alaskan King Crab & Rock Shrimp with butter lettuce, Roma tomatoes, avocado, egg, capers, & red onion (the accompanying Thousand Island Dressing was substituted with Balsamic Vinegar & Olive Oil) for calorie counting purpose. Service was always with a smile, and special orders or requests, aye no worries mate.
One of the best burgers — I have ever savored is here. Chef Deborah’s Filet Burger ($ 18) is served on an Onion Kaiser Roll, with grilled onion, smoked bacon, choose or abandon, cheddar or blue cheese. Go overboard with the crisp, and chunky steak fries.
The C Level is an A-​list and A-​plus lunch dining spot; perfect for friends celebrating or entertaining a business customer.

Sehr schöné Aussicht. Das Restaurant ist sehr gut besucht. Das Essen ist sehr speziell, aber auch dementsprechend teuer. Ich würde dem Restaurant $$$-$$$$ Dollarzeichen geben.
Dresscode ist eher schick.
Das Restaurant eignet sich sehr gut für einen romantischen Abend oder ein Date.

We really kicked ourselves for making C Level the last dinner on our trip, when it was the closest place to our hotel. The other places we tried in San Diego were disappointing. C Level was awesome and we would have came back had we known it was so good.
My husband and I shared the happy hour mussels for an appetizer. It was a small portion (expected for a happy hour deal), but tasted great. He had the lobster mac and cheese and I ordered the honey grilled pork chop. The mac and cheese was loaded with lobster, and my husband seemed to be pleased with it. My pork chop was a beast of a chop, that came with broccolini and purple (Okinawan) sweet potato. I loved (loved loved) my dish — definitely unique flavors that worked together really well. The pork chop was smothered with caramelized onions that was probably cooked with star anise. Delish. I didn’t eat much of the sweet potato because it was a heavier dish, but the broccolini helped that a bit.
Service was on point. The view was gorgeous. You get a lovely view of the bay on one side and the city skyline on the other. The sunset was pink that night! Wonderful place for a date night.