Happy Hour: Bertrand at Mr. A’s is a Great Place to Land for Value and View
By Dr. Ink
It was the end of an era when Bertrand Hug bought Mr. A’s – that rooftop restaurant in Bankers Hill that greets planes as they approach Lindbergh Field – in 2000. Gone was the long bar in the center of the space, the heavy draperies and the female servers in their floor-length, one-shoulder gowns. It seemed like one of the snazziest places in town for a cocktail had rolled into San Diego dining history along with those iconic table-side carts.

Ah, but new isn’t always bad, and after the initial shock of actually being able to see out all of the windows on my first visit to Bertrand at Mr. A’s, I realized perhaps Hug was on to something. Instead of dark and shadowy, the new setting took advantage of the light and views by moving the bar to a back corner and lining the tables along the floor-to-ceiling glass. Plus, unlike I had feared, a couple of visits over the last nine years proved the food is not Mille Fleurs frou-frou (Hug owns that Rancho Santa Fe restaurant, too), nor is the atmosphere.
Still, it ain’t cheap. Your spectacular vista comes with a $30-$50 price tag for most entrées, in addition to $15 martinis and a daunting wine list. So when I heard Mr. A’s started a Happy Hour a few months ago, I had to go check it out. I didn’t know what to expect because for some reason I wasn’t able to access the Happy Hour menu prior to my visit (it is clickable now at bertrandatmisteras.com). In any case, after slipping into something a tad better than my typical T-shirt and shorts, I grabbed my credit card and a friend, then drove to Fifth Avenue and Laurel Street, where I parked and fed a meter ($1.25 per hour). During the elevator ride up to the 12th floor, my companion and I mused on what Happy Hour at Mr. A’s might entail. Perhaps a dollar off the martinis and a side of fancy olives? After all, we didn’t figure one of the city’s most highly regarded restaurants would resort to half-price pitchers to attract the suits.

So imagine our surprise when we were seated on the patio overlooking the runway and handed two menus – one for Happy Hour and a more extensive list available anytime in the patio/bar area – and saw the cornucopia that awaits those who can drink and watch airplanes from 2:30-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Wells are $5 and a house chardonnay or cabernet is $6. Stone IPA, Heineken and Stella Artois are $4, while Amstel Light, Coors Light and Bud Light are $3. We ordered a Stone and a chardonnay as we looked over the food offerings.

For $7 each, the choices include fried calamari, fried spring rolls, Kobe beef sliders, swordfish steak sliders, truffled fries, Jidori chicken “BLT” and croque monsieur. And even dessert: house-made doughnut holes. These aren’t just snacks – especially if dinner at 4:00 is the way you roll. But our hair isn’t quite that blue yet so we ordered the beef sliders and the spring rolls, anticipating a late dinner.

As I mentioned, Hug’s version of Mr. A’s pushed the bar to the back of the room, which means it has just eight seats and a few adjoining tables. The outdoor patio – really the ideal spot if the weather is favorable – wraps around two sides of the building, so there is plenty of space there, however. And the patio is smoker friendly with ashtrays already on the tables. Linen napkins and place mats bring a touch of refined dining outdoors.

I’ll get back to the drinks but let’s talk comida here for a second. The two dishes we ordered were outstanding, particularly the sliders. The meat was flavorful, and each tiny burger had its own layers of mini condiments – lettuce, tomato and onion. A serving of truffled shoestring fries came with the trio. The truffles’ musky essence made them irresistible – we cleaned the lovely rectangular glass plate.
The spring rolls, stuffed with pork and julienne vegetables, were crispy and light. A creatively dished sweet and sour sauce accompanied them.
Sated, we ventured further into the drink menu (the fancy martinis aren’t on special, unfortunately). My friend tried the cabernet while I sipped a refreshing gin and soda – Seagram’s is Mr. A’s well gin – with lime. As with all the drinks we ordered, pours were generous.

When the Western sun started to angle into our eyes, we decided to move the party indoors to the bar, which had been full when we arrived but was nearly empty by 5 p.m. on a Monday. A recognizable DJ from a morning radio show was enjoying drinks with her husband, and everyone was chitchatting with the bartender, Sean, and the server, Zachary. While friendly, both men and the other staff were polished and sharp – drinks were refreshed, water glasses refilled and napkins refolded without hesitation. Ladies are addressed as “madame” and men as “sir.” Who said the old-school Mr. A’s was gone?

The surroundings were so relaxing we found ourselves ordering a third round as we soaked up the piped-in light jazz music and the setting sun through the shaded windows. But by 6, the restaurant was beginning to fill and we were starting to float. Happy Hour over, we settled our check – $43.50 for two appetizers, two glasses of wine, two cocktails and a beer (the bartender comped one drink).
As we made our way back down to reality and walked to our car, my companion successfully summed up the experience. “For the scenery and the service and the all-around pleasantness of everything,” he said, “it’s just almost hard to beat, especially when you factor in the great deals.”

Hug might have taken down the curtains and moved the bar, but the spirit – or is that spirits? – of Mr. A’s remain in clear view, particularly at Happy Hour.

Bertrand at Mr. A’s
www.bertrandatmisteras.com
2550 5th St.
San Diego, 92103
(619) 239-1377
Happy Hour: Monday-Friday, 2:30-6 p.m.

Ratings:
Drinks: 5
Gorgeously served, generously poured.

Food: 5
Whimsical bar-food with a gourmet edge. And a Happy Hour dessert!

Value: 5
You get what you pay for – not inexpensive, but worth it.

Service: 5
Exemplary. A rarity in San Diego.

Duration: 5
A Happy Hour of this quality that starts at 2:30 is bad for business – your business.

Note about the ratings: Each category is based on 1-5 glasses, with 5 being best. Drinks and food are rated as to quantity and quality, while duration is based on the number of days and hours Happy Hour is offered. Value and service are self-explanatory.

Want to make me happy? E-mail Dr. Ink about your favorite Happy Hour and I’ll drop by with my stethoscope: [email protected].