Restaurant Review—Waters Fine Catering

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Any cook will tell you the key to culinary success is quality of ingredients. The proprietors of Waters carefully heed this practice. Known as peerless caterers, there are two Waters outposts to vend their goods. One is the Museum of Art (Waters Café @ SDMA) and the other is on Morena Boulevard, Waters Fine Foods To Go.

I have patronized Waters Fine Foods To Go no fewer than seven times. (If you’ve read Ruth Reichl’s books, you know as NY Times restaurant critic she visited each establishment several times at least before the review). Take last night for instance. I started a printmaking class at 6 p.m. in Point Loma. From UCSD, I drove to Costco where I filled my tank and bought blueberries, contact lens solution, and raw almonds. My course had been premeditated for days. I continued south on Morena and closed in on Waters before they turned the key for the night. I hopped from curb to door, ordered a roast beef sandwich from the new girl (more often than not, the front counter help is new), vacillating between this and my usual, chicken salad. While waiting, I ogled the showcase of prepared foods. The smooth icing of carrot cake called but I didn’t answer. I admired the ancini de pepe salad and queried. A small carton was readied for me. The sandwich arrived from the back kitchen and I paid, reluctantly edging out of the shop and on my course. I ate half the sandwich en route to my class and half the salad. Half the sandwich fit in my right hand. I am continually impressed with the breads used at Waters. Soft, chewy, and a taste of water. Supreme. Unlike some places, I never worry about the meat here. It is all edible. One can eat in luxury. Having arrived, I left the remainder of my purchase on the passenger seat, waiting my return.

Under "Hummus" on page 265 of The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook, we read "In this dish, the best texture of all is obtained by passing the cooked chickpeas through a food mill; other devices—like a food processor—are acceptable, but inferior." Life is filled with the acceptable, but inferior, and most of the time we eat it. A visit to Waters will make you think again, a rebirth of sorts. And, next time you are even close, you will say, “Oh good! I can go to Waters.”

Menu Items in Detail:

Natural Meyer Piedmontese Roast Beef, Horseradish, Aïoli, Lettuce, Vine Ripened Tomatoes, Crisp Onions on Baguette
Grilled Petaluma Natural Chicken Salad, Tarragon, Lettuce, Artichoke on Baguette
Petite Pasta, Laura Chenel's Goat Cheese, Olives, Basil, Oven-dried Tomatoes

1105 / 1115 West Morena Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92110
Tel: (619) 276.8803

Directions:
Coming from I-5, take the Sea World Drive/Tecolote Road exit, go east to Morena Blvd. and turn right. At the 1st light—Buenos Street, go right. Make your first left into an alleyway; it will be behind "Subway Sandwiches"; follow the alley around in a U-shape. You will see our yellow building on the right.

What the Stars Mean:
(None) Poor to satisfactory
* Good
** Very good
*** Excellent
**** Extraordinary