The fallout from La Jolla’s first recorded nuclear explosion, which devastated the 1250 block of Prospect Street as early as February amid a wholesale facade reconstruction project, may soon be lifting. The Hake Kitchen & Bar, which quickly became known for its California-centric dishes, has already announced that it’ll reopen June 27, replete with an outdoor deck and an expanded drinks list; iconic Africa and Beyond, the go-to place for African art and textiles, never really closed. For the moment, though, the whole block still looks like a displaced hospital, with its family of burly refurbishers hanging off rafters and scaffolding like so many critical patients.
Donovan’s Steak & Chop House, long an area fixture before its 2014 transfer from Westfield UTC Mall, isn’t about to let a little multimillion-dollar facelift get in its way. It opened in January of 2015 in the space occupied by Steakhouse Azul La Jolla, only to encounter the current facelift’s aftereffects several months later – but it’s holding its own right now against a sea of obstacles from all that rebuilding. The best steakhouse in town is still the best steakhouse in town, and when the dust clears, its name recognition will only recrystallize in the public mind.
A few little zigs and zags off Prospect places you in an atmosphere of high-end refinement, with expansive views of La Jolla Cove just steps away and first-class service even nearer. A recent lunch brought an excursion off the beaten path, with seafood the order of the day even as USDA prime holds sway here. The Alaskan Red King Crab Legs are as fat and juicy as you are, and the dipping sauce is so plentiful that you could take it home as a separate meal. Meanwhile, the Blackened Salmon Caesar comes with deviled eggs, an ingenious choice for a side.
And don’t overlook the less obvious items on this menu. Ahi tuna, barbecue beef, crab cake, steak and bacon: All make perfectly fine sandwiches, and each is prepared with as large an eye for detail as the next. A 16-ounce ribeye will cater to the most ravenous appetite (or two), while a lettuce wedge with bleu cheese is designed to satisfy the daintier sensibility. See? There really is more to this venue than its name, whatever its stock in trade may suggest. And to boot, it has locations in the Gaslamp Quarter and Phoenix.
Meanwhile, this facelift will make the 1250 Prospect segment of La Jolla Cove much cooler – something about the Village’s height restrictions made the pre-construction strip look splay and squat and old and nondescript, like a doddering aunt frantically bending the ear of any relative who’d listen. The new facade will bring a certain uniformity to the area, making things easy on the eyes and inviting to the consumer’s imagination – and Donovan’s, amid its considerable history and presence and variety, will be there every step of the way.
