AVANT Restaurant

It's a very traditional American restaurant. The steaks are good and the portions are generous. The roast pork ribs are also good and the portions are large. It's too much for lunch and a family of three can't finish them.

Great drinks, excellent wine, innovative menu, VERY GOOD service, and warm ambiance. Highly recommend.

Happy hour is pioneered here! Camille is one of the best servers I have had while dining in the San Diego area. I had a blast at this restaurant about a month ago and planned to return with a group of friends that night for happy hour! We ordered shisito peppers, calamari, cheese slices, brussels sprouts, and ceviche. The ceviche is not on the happy hour menu but all the flavors were a blessing to my mouth and taste buds! The prices are very reasonable and so are their drinks. My friend was happy to see that they only had $3 beers! Also, on Wednesdays, the restaurant downstairs has a great all you can eat ribs deal for only $25. We asked our server Camille and she did tell us it was a deal for the restaurant downstairs but since it was slow she kindly gave it to us and two people at my table had the ribs.

I was here for a private event and it started with a cocktail reception by Tangerine Margarita! The drinks were bright and pretty, you could say fresh squeezed oranges. We had a blast in the lounge which had a fireplace and a beautiful view overlooking their golf course. The place is huge and spacious with multiple rooms! We toured the little inn and I got to see all of their different dining options. In addition to the main restaurant, there is a wine cellar, two private dining rooms, and a patio. Below is the Veranda, Avant's sister restaurant, which is more casual. If you're here for the first time, I recommend taking a tour. I'm not too sure what the place was like before, but they did a great job with the renovation! Everything is so chic and the decor is beautiful! The parking lot is a little small for a place like this, but luckily they have free parking! It was time for our three course meal, which was in the main dining room. We were offered a sharing plate of sautéed kale, a beet spread, and two meats and cheeses of the chef's choice with fresh bread and salted butter. For our entrees, I chose the Grilled Branzino and got to sample my friend's braised lamb shanks and a little bit of chicken. Everything was plated very well and the service was impeccable! I couldn't wait for dessert! The peanut butter sorbet and cake we shared were both delicious! The food was spectacular from start to finish and the staff were friendly and wonderful. Our dining experience was accompanied by music by Kevin James O'Brien which added to the fun atmosphere. I loved the entertainment that night and his covers were all perfect! To top it off we got dessert, sponge cake in a jar! Of course I chose chocolate! I couldn't have asked for anything more... I had a fantastic evening - this restaurant is truly a hidden gem!!

We loved everything about our last night at the Pioneer Gala! My best friend, I wanted her sister and her fiancé to have their wedding and we are so glad we chose 1.) the Bernardo Farms setting to do so, and 2) the Pioneer (if you will) Celebration hosted by them. Seven people attended their wine tasting at 4pm, planned by the very enthusiastic General Manager: Andrew. We learned a lot, we tasted extraordinary wines, and we sat at a beautiful round table in their most interesting room called Table 65. It is a connected wine cellar and the atmosphere of the demonstration kitchen is more than inviting. Our bride loved spending a full hour there. Success! Afterwards, we took our wine and shower gifts to the balcony patio, another beautiful space with cozy and abundant seating, the bride opened their gifts and then met with some other surprise guests for the shower. We then went to the Evening Can to meet Hamid (forgive me for spelling your name wrong!) who was so gracious and full of accompaniments. As he let us know the dishes for the evening, he painted it the way we had hoped. We started with the kale and calamari, and when we finished those, we ordered a round (if you were told!) with a game. The brides happened upon a top tasting of Kale for the San Diego folks (who have eaten a lot). The avant-garde Kale made the top 2!! From the seabass ribs, to the halibut to the curry tofu, no one in a dinner of 9 was dissastified. Every bite we tasted I could tell the chef put such care into the presentation of his dishes (my seabass plated was a work of art, colorful and balanced) and the flavor of his food. Hello, Chef! Thank you!! We ended the evening with fresh cinnamon bagels and bubbly cappucinos! The brides gave the avant (none of us had had it before) a happy and satisfied (with happy and contented bellies) thumbs up! We couldn't have agreed with them more.