Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria Review (Encinitas Restaurants)

Pricing:

The appetizers are about $10-12.  For the actual pizza entree, expect to fork over at least $15.  The beer and wine is about $6-12 a glass.

Distance:

An Encinitas restaurant.  On the Highway 101.  5-10 minute drive for most Encinitas locals.

Thoughts:

To me, "artisan" has become synonymous with "overpriced" these days.  But I will give this place credit for all their attempts to mask the pricey-ness with trendiness.  Instead of having actual monetary values on the menu they list numbers such as 15 1/2.  The tap water is given to you in a preserve jar (which is cool...?).  There's a huge chalk board on one of the walls explaining how the sausage they serve is handmade and sustainable (as opposed to non-sustainable sausage).

But all these things are nitpicking details.  As far as a dining experience goes, it's not terrible.  Half of the menu is comprised of salads that will require a knife to eat (because breaking up lettuce leaves is not trendy).  The other half consists of artisan pizza.  While sparse, the options are standard enough to please most people.

The food is good and I have to say that I enjoyed their small brewery selection of beer.  The general atmosphere makes this place a good date night choice.  But at $15 1/2 for a personal sized pizza, I can't help but wonder if Sammy's Woodfire wouldn't have been the better choice.