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<\/a>\u201cWe\u2019re able to evolve enough to stay current with certain trends, but we\u2019re really timeless,\u201d said Charles Schmidt, the general manager. \u201cOur dining room is completely timeless as such \u2014 we remodel ourselves after that 1920s supper club style seen in New York and San Francisco \u2014 the big plush booths with dark leather, dark wood and brass.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s beautiful now, and will be beautiful forever,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Schmidt noted that the restaurant draws from two distinct sets of clientele, including the Downtown locals and tourists staying Downtown for events at the Convention Center.<\/p>\n
Being part of the reputable Cohn Restaurant Group also provides an advantage. The Cohns own six restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter that all support one another.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can pull from each other\u2019s ideas and utilize that depth of knowledge,\u201d Schmidt said. \u201cUnlike the standalone restaurants that don\u2019t have that buddy system to fall back on.\u201d<\/p>\n Bar y restaurante Dobson's<\/strong> has been a mainstay on Broadway Circle in front of Horton Plaza since 1984. With a French-inspired menu, Dobson\u2019s is known as the go-to spot for a power lunch among the city\u2019s lawyers, politicians and other executives. When the restaurant was sold in 2014, Dobson\u2019s was remodeled with new tables, booths, carpeting, bathrooms and decor, and a few healthier menu options were added to the menu.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have adapted to the times,\u201d said Marcos Luciano, a co-owner. \u201cWe\u2019ve added vegetarian and vegan options, but Chef Martin San Roman continues to make many of our original favorites including our mussel bisque en croute and duck a l\u2019orange.\u201d<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a rowdy place to watch the game Downtown, Dobson\u2019s isn\u2019t the venue to do it.<\/p>\n \u201cExcept for special events, we do not have a television in our bar,\u201d Luciano said. \u201cRather, Dobson\u2019s is a place where people come to talk and socialize after a long day\u2019s work.\u201d<\/p>\n The restaurant has benefitted from its location inside the Spreckels Theatre Building and its close proximity to the San Diego Civic Theatre, Balboa Theatre and Lyceum Theatre.<\/p>\n \u201cDobson\u2019s is often completely booked before and after theater shows,\u201d Luciano said.<\/p>\n Located inside The US Grant on Broadway between Third and Fourth avenues, conceder parrilla<\/a><\/strong> has been a San Diego institution since 1951.<\/p>\n Over the last 65 years, the restaurant\u2019s offerings have evolved to match dining trends, leaving only the turtle soup as an original menu item. Since the use of green sea turtles on menus was eventually banned, a mock turtle soup was created years later with insight from the original chef who put the soup on the menu.<\/p>\n \u201cDishes that wouldn\u2019t sell 30 years ago are now staples on many menus throughout the city,\u201d said Mark Kropczynski, the executive chef. \u201cThirty years ago, every plate at Grant Grill would have been built on featuring a protein, starch and vegetable component, but now there is so much opportunity for chefs to be more creative.<\/p>\n \u201cFor today\u2019s diners, we have found that sometimes the more obscure an item, the better it will sell,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Having constant patronage from hotel guests has been a valuable asset to the Grant Grill, but the drawback is that the restaurant\u2019s entrance is not visible from the street. But much like Dobson\u2019s, their proximity to several nearby theaters also helps with business. Grant Grill\u2019s history, too, was built on providing a power lunch to professionals working nearby.<\/p>\n According to Michael Trimble, executive director of the Gaslamp Quarter Association, a good reputation and a strong local following add to the success of these and other restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter.<\/p>\n \u201cYou have to stay relevant to what is happening in the marketplace to have longevity,\u201d Trimble said.<\/p>\n According to Trimble, the Gaslamp Quarter is a very desirable place to own and operate a restaurant since it\u2019s the gateway into Downtown San Diego.<\/p>\n \u201cWe host over 8 million visitors a year and continue to be the neighborhood that people will always talk about and remember,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n For more information and a full list of restaurants, visit gaslamp.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"Dobson'sChefMartin&previousownerPaulDobson\"](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/DobsonsChefMartinpreviousownerPaulDobson.jpg\")
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