Locals in the know KNOW about this hidden gem, 20 | Twenty Grill, a modern restaurant with a menu that feels more at home in La Jolla than tucked away at the Westin Resort in Carlsbad Using locally sourced ingredients, 20 |Twenty is creating deliciously innovative takes on seemingly simple foods, a delightful synthesis of flavors that surpasses your expectations. You haven’t been? What? Come on, let’s go check it out then.

20 | twenty AT A GLANCE

• Located in the Carlsbad Westin Resort at 5480 Grand Pacific Drive, Carlsbad, California 92008

• 760. 827.2500 for reservations

• Open for Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, and Brunch on Weekends. MENU

• Happy Hour 4-6,

• Elegant indoor and outdoor dining at ocean view resort

First, some quick background….

The Westin and the Sheraton are both Marriott properties and share the facilities. Visitors to San Diego know about these two properties mainly due to their proximity to Legoland which is so close that you can walk into the park via a private entrance. The Sheraton dining option is the 7 Mile Kitchen, a casual eatery with burgers, pizza, the usual suspects but all done with a flair for excellence. Pizzas are crave worthy and legit, I’m talking serious pizzas using local ingredients paired with local brews. It’s good, really good!

If you are here on vacation or a local just looking for someplace new to grab breakfast, lunch or a casual dinner, 7 Mile Kitchen would be a great option.

But as good as 7 Mile Kitchen is, tonight I’m going to their flagship restaurant, 20 | Twenty Grill.

Experience 20 | Twenty Grill with me!

The setting is what you would imagine for a nice resort restaurant in California. Elegant but not stuffy, friendly waitstaff and bartenders, and an outdoor patio that screams Southern California with it’s coastal views. It was unseasonably chilly the day I went which is why the patio was so sparse but on a nice day this is the place to be.

creative tasty cocktails to start

I love fancy cocktails! At home you will find me with a simple Grey Goose martini but when I go out I can’t resist a fancy pants cocktail and 20 | Twenty’s bartender’s creations were like fireworks in a glass. The Black Smoke - the one literally on fire! - is Xicaru Mezcal, blackberries, lime juice, agave nectar, and a rosemary garnish which once lit adds a smokey undercurrent. Very, very nice, but how could I resist the Maple Bacon Bourbon, a take on an old fashioned with a crispy slice of spicy candied bacon as the garnish. Delicious. Next time I might ask for a second piece of bacon on the side. Seriously, can I just get a pound of this bacon?? It was so good.

Next Up: The Battle of the Appetizers

Local San Diegans love their seafood so I picked the two appetizers that represent. Let’s start with the Velasso Salmon Crudo which featured fresh salmon on top of an incredible chopped avocado flavored with ginger, shallot, tamari, cilantro and EVOO. It was fresh and vibrant, the only thing that would make it better (and even more local) would have been some fresh tortilla chips. I know, I know, the chef probably wasn’t thinking guacamole but I was and even without the chips it was delicious. But seriously, can I get some chips next time? :-)

As good as the salmon crudo was the Smoke Scallops with carrot puree, crispy bussels sprouts and Snake River Farms pork belly with a calamansi glaze was insane, a full blown knocked it out of Petco Park home run. Surprising flavors, excellent textures, fresh scallops, I would be tempted to order this as an entree next time I come.

In the battle of the appetizers no one loses but if I had to pick those scallops just nailed it, case closed.

Here Come the Entrees

20 | Twenty’s dinner menu had so many good things on it that it was hard to decide. I went for the Local Beer Braised Short Rib made with Belching Beaver peanut butter stout, served over polenta and surrounded by charred carrots with a pistachio gemolata. It was hearty, the meat tender and succulent, and the portion so large that I didn’t get through half of it before finally giving up. Don’t worry, I put the leftovers to good use, making a mashup of goumet meets El Nopalito tortilla for a very tasty taco.

The Colorado Rack of Lamb sitting on celery root puree and a side of roasted cauliflower salad topped with a concord grape glaze was a perfect balance of sweet and savory, perfectly cooked tender bites of lamb that were mild without the gaminess that sometimes accompanies lamb.

Vegans will love that there’s a wild mushroom risotto with cashew cream, pickled red onions and asparagus tips. I’m not vegan but I might order this next time. Wait, didn’t I already say I was going to order the scallop appetizer as an entree when I come back? Hmmm, OK, I’ll get both of those next time. That’s a pro move for sure.

Let me just sum this up by saying that the food at 20 | Twenty makes this one of the best places to dine in Carlsbad whether you’re a local or visitor.

RESERVATIONS, HOURS, AND MENUS

AND LATER THE NEXT DAY….

There’s more to 20 | Twenty than an elegant dining experience. Our breakfast there was equally impressive with Eggs Benedict, two perfectly poached eggs sitting on top of one of the most delicious slices of smoked ham, and another San Diego favorite, Chilaquiles which is really just an excuse to eat really good nachos with an egg on top. I’m imagining just how good this would be on a sunny weekend morning where you can gaze at the coastal views from the patio with a tropical breeze gently carrying the scent of fresh coffee mixed with bursting orange blossoms.

The best hidden brunch spot? Perhaps, as 20 | Twenty has a complete brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays along with plentiful free and easy parking, something rare along the coast. Did I mention the bottomless mimosas for only $18?

There’s also a HAPPY HOUR at 7 Mile at the Sheraton, a pleasant 2 minute walk as the properties connect, Monday - Thursday from 4:30 to 6PM with $2 off beer, wine and cocktails and all appetizers for $10.

DO AS THE LOCALS DO!

Next time you find yourself with an open afternoon and a sunny day you need to go to 20 | Twenty, grab a table outside on the shady patio, order up some fancy fun cocktails and an appetizer and just marvel about how great it is that you’re here. It doesn’t matter if you’re a local looking for a new place to escape (remember, free parking!) or a visitor who’s trying to escape Legoland, the Sheraton’s 7 Mile and Westin’s 20 | Twenty deserve to be on your list for Best Local Dining.

Westin Official Site | 20 Twenty Official Site

Sheraton Official Site | 7 Mile Official Site