Oceanside or O’side Upscale Mexican Food at Michelin Star-rated Valle Is a Star Attraction
The last time I visited Oceanside, in northern San Diego County, was a decade ago. There was a lively restaurant, The Flying Pig Pub and Kitchen, which survived COVID (that I did not revisit this time) and a lone little Victorian cottage, the “Graves House” sitting in an empty, weedy beachfront field.
More popularly known as the “Top Gun House” – due to its appearance in the 1986 Tom Cruise flick – the 1887 bungalow has been restored and sells fresh fruit hand-pies. It is now surrounded by a seven-story, hip Hyatt hotel property called Mission Pacific Beach Resort.
The interior design mixes corporate and trendy: in the lobby, a stack of books on a large wooden table includes a Jean-Michel Basquiat tome, and midcentury-style ceramics adorn the shelves. I learned that the three-year-old high rise began life as a Joie De Vivre hotel – hence the mod design. The company was bought out by Hyatt and are now branded as JdV by Hyatt. The hotel was recently voted the No. 1 Resort Hotel in the U.S. and California by Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2024 (best in San Diego and the U.S.).
Some rooms have soaking tubs and ocean views. Ocean view suites – some with kitchens – have names, like “Bohemian.”
The small but interesting menu impressed at The Rooftop, the hotel’s surprisingly scenic rooftop bar and restaurant. While watching surfers and a show of military helicopters (I assume on training missions), we indulged in delicious pork wings, flavorful king mushroom skewers with tahini marinade. Grilled and marinated pulpo is served with house chorizo and fennel on a bed of white polenta. All washed down nicely with a Paso Robles red blend and a crisp albariño.
If upscale Mexican food is your thing, get down to O’side. The hotel also houses Chef Roberto Alcocer’s fine dining restaurant, Valle. Billed as a “tasting experience” from Baja Mexico’s Valle de Guadalupe, Valle earned a Michelin star soon after it opened in 2021. It is Oceanside’s only Michelin star-rated restaurant, though there is one “notable” – Dija Mara. Chef Alcocer also owns the highly-rated Malva restaurant in Valle de Guadalupe, not far from Ensenada, where he grew up.
Chef Alcocer’s restaurant in the hotel is one of my top SoCal dining experiences in recent memory – from the ambience and service to the incredible nine-course symphonic tasting menu (begins at $150/per person) that kicked off with Alcocer’s take on Mexican botanas (snacks), then crescendo’ed with a charred onion tart topped with Sterling supreme caviar before exploding with flavors that burst on the palate from the “Chayote, Ike Jime” – leche de tigre marinade of rock cod with olive oil pearls. That was just starters! Ingredients in the beautifully crafted dishes, served in lovely handmade Mexican pottery, include herbs like epazote, tiny cilantro blossoms, blue and yellow corn, and local bass that is aged onsite. An outta sight corn masa tamale was wrapped in hoja santa leaf. Zucchini-wrapped asparagus, a filling sweetbread taco and more continued to wow. Two “main course” choices on the summer menu were conejo (rabbit) or a Wagyu carne asada (additional charge). We wisely chose the conejo with huitlacoche (a fave – the mold from corn) and a 25-ingredient mole accompanied by a lovely stuffed squash blossom fried in rice flower.
The food is the star at this restaurant – but the sultry dining room, playlist (great Latin music and jazz) and superb service by a rotating knowledgeable staff dressed in all black, make Valle a foodie destination worth the drive and the dollars. The Mar y Terra (sea and earth) tasting menu is worth the $185/pp. Wine pairing is additional.
Breakfast at the resort’s oceanfront High/Low is a collaboration with California native Tara Lazar (creator of several Coachella Valley hotspots). Arrive early, as the place hops with both hotel guests and locals.
What to Do in Oceanside
Once upon a time, Oceanside was a bit rough and tumble, better known as a military town due to Camp Pendleton and as an inexpensive summer beachside vacation destination for those fleeing the heat of the Inland Empire.
Stroll the waterfront that’s Mission Pacific Hotel Resort adjacent. The historic Oceanside pier recently suffered from a fire at the far end – but was 3/4 walkable during my visit.
I’m a fan of the contemporary Oceanside Museum of Art that also curated the wide-ranging contemporary art at the hotel (and sister hotel next door). Check out the very cool California Surf Museum filled with surfboards and a popular special exhibit showing a Bethany Hamilton documentary – she’s the Kauai surfer who lost her arm to a shark attack. What’s left of her actual surfboard is on display.
Surf shops, craft beer joints and even vestiges of earlier times like cool architectural historic spots include the 1956 marquee of the Star Theatre, Handel’s homemade ice cream shop (open since 1945) and, a rarity these days, a store that sells used military apparel and collectibles – including WWI trench art.
It’s pretty cool to see the corporate hotel world digging into local culture and reflecting our beloved SoCal lifestyle for visitors and natives alike.
Today, little O’side seems to have joined the string of California beach towns moving more and more towards gentrification, which I’ll leave for old timers and visitors to hash out and decide if the changes are for better… or worse.
Details
Getting There: Oceanside is about a 3.5-hour drive from Santa Barbara, but you can also take Amtrak which drops you just a few blocks from beachfront hotels and other attractions.
Where to Stay: Mission Pacific Hotel Resort – 161 spacious rooms and suites with ocean, partial ocean and city views start from $349; suites starting from $449. There’s also an Ocean View Sanctuary Suite, Ethereal Suite, Bohemian Suite with kitchenette, and Dreamscape Suite. MP hotel guests can walk across the street to sister hotel Seabird and check out the restaurants, spa and art gallery.
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