Shhh … Have You Heard About Gossip Grill?

By David Nelson

Parrilla de chismes

1440 University Ave.

Cresta de la colina

(619) 260-8023

www.thegossipgrill.com

Hey, if you promise not to tell anybody that you heard about it from me, I’ll tell you about a cool new spot on University that pretty soon you’ll hear about from everybody. A lot of ladies already know about Gossip Grill, and if you stop by around 7 p.m. you’ll wonder why the owners didn’t name the place “Gossip Girl.” The place hops at this hour but is likely to be busy most of the time, especially since one server – share this if you want – confided that it’s always happy hour at Gossip Grill. It sure was happy when I was there, and didn’t show any signs of letting up when I left.

You know Chris Shaw, who owns Mo’s and Baja Betty’s? His golden touch is the envy of other restaurateurs and bar owners, and it looks like Gossip Grill will be his third winner in the unique, all-in-Hillcrest trifecta that he has played with incredible skill. Remember Café 11, which from the mid-1980s until last summer’s end was a fun, funky, friendly rendezvous for loyal fans of the restaurant’s old-style French fare? When the owners decided to retire, Shaw saw the opportunity to revamp the premises into a “ladies’” bar and restaurant that welcomes everybody but, according to sources in the womens’ community, especially satisfies a desire for women to have a place they can call their own.

Well, don’t quote me, but I can tell you that Shaw has worked his usual magic with a kind of awkward, “elbowy” (as in “it’s all elbows”) space that fronts on the parking lot of a strip mall built at a fairly busy Hillcrest intersection. There’s full bar service out front on a meandering terrace that’s often jammed, and every bit as lively as anywhere in the neighborhood. I can share that after negotiating the crowd out front, I was surprised to find the dining room nearly empty around 7 p.m. on a chilly Thursday evening (well, it was chilly elsewhere, but cool at Gossip Grill). The situation indoors changed rather suddenly, when a lot of the clientele that had been cocktailing walked in for dinner. There were couples, foursomes and several groups that numbered around 10 or so, and while women were in the majority, there were men , too, and plenty of mixed tables. Our server, I must confide, gave the warmest welcome imaginable and made it clear that Gossip Grill glad-hands everybody who strolls through the door.

Let me tell you, when she brought the drinks list, it was a real eye-opener. At San Diego’s annual Over-the-Line tournament, the team names frequently go over the line, and Gossip Grill’s inventive cocktail names are just about as racy. On the calmer side are the “g.g. mojito” ($8 for Cruzan rum muddled with mint, sugar, soda water, with a spritz of lime over the top) and “high and tight,” a blend of Patron Silver tequila, Cointreau, Grand Marnier with sweet-and-sour mix, Sprite and orange juice ($10). But you can put me on the record as saying the list gets pretty titillating. In truth, I asked for a glass of pinot noir without looking at the wine list, my guest ordered a chardonnay the same way, and we both were plenty happy with what our waitress brought us. We said we weren’t in a rush to dine and took our time eyeballing walls covered with “cheesecake” sketches, posters for films like “Girls on the Loose,” artsy-militant drawings of women, a poster advertising a “High Heel Race,” and other engaging and eye-catching works. For all the visual diversions, the lights were too bright; softer lighting makes for more comfortable dining.

As for the food, I can tell you confidentially that they’ve got plenty of it. Gossip Grill may specialize in high spirits but it’s more than ready to nourish the inner woman – and man – with substantial fare. The menu headlines starters as “foreplay,” and offers avocado and lime bruschetta ($5), a plate of veggie dogs with chili and Cheddar ($6), and a big plate of hand-cut fries with Gossip Grill’s very own ranch dressing ($6). The list gets fancier with choices like a pairing of Brie and roasted garlic ($6), ahi tuna wontons ($8) and an aromatic, bubbling-hot casserole of truffle-flavored mac ‘n’ cheese ($8).

Several salads are meant as entrees, like the chop-chop steak of hanger steak ($12), greens, red potatoes, artichokes and more in vinaigrette, and a toss of soba noodles, chicken and shiitake mushrooms with vegetables and enticing Asian flavors ($12). I can say that the long (make that long) rectangles of flatbread are very enjoyable and can be shared by several or treated as an individual entrée. The simple Margherita, topped pizza-style with tomato sauce, cheeses and oregano ($7, and you can add a sprinkling of pepperoni slices for an extra two bucks), is tasty and satisfying. Other choices get dressed up with fancy arrays of ingredients, like the flatbread topped with garlic shrimp, tiny tomatoes, pesto and feta ($11). If you want a panino – and why wouldn’t you? – there’s a nice sandwich of grilled hanger steak with pickled peppers, Gruyere and chipotle-heated mayonnaise ($8) as well as a po’tom boy panino filled with salami, mortadella and provolone ($8). The natural chuck patty had a pretty intense flavor thanks to the blue cheese and red onion jam that topped it ($8).

For my last tidbit, let me whisper that Gossip Grill isn’t yet up to speed on desserts, since there weren’t any available that night. But it was a pretty sweet place to go.