San Diego Restaurants: Communion and Red Door

We have our usual restaurants that we visit pretty routinely. Honestly, I’m just someone who likes the familiar. I kind of like knowing what I’m getting myself into: am I dressed ok (underdressed, or equally uncomfortable; overdressed)? Are there some seats that I like? Am I going to have to borrow from savings to pay for this?

But I guess every-so-often, it’s good to mix things up a little. We routinely walk by a couple restaurants here in the Mission Hills neighborhood of San Diego that we’re always saying we should try (or return to since it’s been a while). And so, over the past couple of weeks we ended up hitting a couple of those; the Red Door, and Communion in Mission Hills. They’re a little more than what we like to pay for dinner (I go with the philosophy that I’d rather have two great dinners, over one exceptional one), but these were fun to try and we’ll have to mix them in every-so-often going forward.

Red Door

We have eaten at The Red Door in the past, but it was sometime prior to Covid, so it’s definitely been a while. Honestly for me, atmosphere is a big part of a dining experience for me. I just like cozy (booths are definitely my thing), and the Red Door’s atmosphere was nice. We got seated in a little corner booth thing, which was good — not quite a booth, where you kind of have your own small space, but still pleasant. And the overall atmosphere felt good — it wasn’t boisterous or loud (it wasn’t overly busy, but it wasn’t dead either), so we could actually have a conversation without yelling.

I ordered the Short Ribs (over a bed of brussels sprouts and caramelized onions), and the dish was fantastic. I don’t know about the rest of the menu, but at least with this one, I get the sense that this place is about big, bold, rich flavors. My only real complaint was that I was honestly looking for a bit of a palette cleanser every-so-often, just since the flavors were so bold. Some mashed potatoes or polenta would have been nice, but a few stolen bites of my wife’s Risotto did the trick. I’m looking forward to returning in the future and trying some more.

I’ve heard it’s common for the Chef to stop by as you’re eating, which he did. He was pleasant, and it was a nice touch I thought – I got the sense that he truly does care about the food he’s putting out there.

For our two entrees, desert, and two glasses of wine each, our total bill came to around $225, including tip (3/2026).

Communion

A week or two later, we decided to visit Communion. This one has been on the list since the building went up a few years ago – this restaurant sits on the 8th or 9th floor, and gives fantastic views of the San Diego Skyline and bay.

We took a small little booth seat with a south-facing view, which was a nice little perch to view the city from. I feel like this space could be pretty lively and loud (especially since we were seated next to the central bar space), but at least for our visit, it was quiet and relaxing.

We ended up doing the Chef’s Tasting Menu, which I enjoyed greatly. The food comes already paired with wine, so I don’t have to play the game of “what goes with what”, and I could just sit back and eat and drink things as they brought stuff out. For my selections, I did the Little Gem Salad, the Pasta Alla Vodka Diavolo, and the Pistachio Entremet. The salad may have been a little too elegant for me, but it was good, and the pasta was absolutely fantastic (I mean, I just really enjoyed eating it). Dessert was great as well (but I rarely have had a desert that I didn’t appreciate). Overall, the experience was great, and it made for a couple of hours of just pleasant, relaxing eating. And that view of San Diego definitely doesn’t hurt the experience.

For the tasting menu (two appetizers, two entrees, one dessert, and 4 glasses of wine), plus an espresso and mixed drink to go with our dessert, the total bill came to $325, including tip (3/2026).