Pamplemousse Grill, Solana Beach, Ca

 Pamplemousse is French for grapefruit.  It comes from the Dutch meaning "fat lime".  The logo for the Pamplemousse Grill is a cute goose.  The branding suggests light, casual fare.  It isn't that.  It is fine dining and expensive.  The place was happening with a boisterous race track crowd.  The artwork inside is very amusing.  I would have looked around more, but most tables were taken.

We started with appetizers of a melon with proscuitto salad and white asparagus soup.  Very nice!  They brought out melting soft rolls and butter.  We didn't have cocktails because I was feeling a little under the weather.

For my main course, I had a bison steak.  Bison is a very lean meat, so it is easily made tough and dry with improper cooking.  My steak was very tender with a traditional "au poivre" preparation.  My friend had a wonderful lamb stew with very tender meat.

For dessert, I had a key lime tart and my friend had a trio of sorbets.  The tasty desserts had a very pretty presentation.

Our check was a bit over $200 with tip.  The food was great.  It is a fine special occasion restaurant.