Tom Ham’s Beacon Will Guide You to Tasty Seafood

Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp
Tom Ham’s Lighthouse – a restaurant and fully-functioning lighthouse located on Harbor Island at 2150 Harbor Island Dr. – has been opened since 1971, but has a new look after undergoing five months’ worth of renovations. The restaurant has now reopened giving diners more options for enjoying the view of San Diego’s downtown skyline over the bay.
Sister restaurant to the neighboring Bali Hai, which serves Polynesian cuisine in Shelter Island, Tom Ham’s offers upscale, American fare with a strong emphasis on seafood.
If you are a fan of blackberries, whiskey and unadulterated happiness, start your meal off with a Wickie’s Salvation cocktail. Muddled blackberries give this drink its signature purple hue, and the rosemary simple syrup, Maker’s Mark and Domain de Canton (a French, ginger liqueur) balance out the sweetness.
While some may prefer to start off their meal with fresh, raw oysters, the grilled shrimp is a great, hot item. Served atop a lightly flavored, warm Israeli couscous salad – it is one of the best appetizers at Tom Ham’s, though the house ceviche comes in a close second.
New Englanders, who are notoriously picky about their seafood, oftentimes judge a West Coast restaurant’s take on the lobster roll, an Atlantic coast staple.
Stuffed with a hearty helping of lobster salad, watercress, tomato and chive, the only missing element to this East Coast staple is grilling a heavily buttered hot dog roll before serving it (though they do actually serve it on a hot dog roll). Despite the lack of butter on the roll, this flavorful entrée choice is well worth a trip to Harbor Island.
Photo Credit: Lauren J. Mapp
Another low-key lunch option lies in Tom Ham’s Ballast pale ale battered fish and chips. Neither too greasy nor too dry, the generous helping of fish is served with an even more plentiful helping of French fries and homemade tartar sauce.
Serving lunch and dinner every day, and brunch every Sunday, Tom Ham’s has a wide variety of culinary selections. Happy hour specials are available Monday through Friday, 3-6 p.m. and include $2 off small bites, $3 off appetizers, $1 oysters, $2 off craft cocktails and $1 off glasses of wine.
Tom Ham’s will be hosting an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 20 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Priced at $44 for adults, $18 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids 5 and under, the brunch selection will include an omelet station, waffles, various salads, maple-glazed ham, leg of lamb, a raw seafood bar and a selection of desserts.

This article was originally published by the National University Herald on April 9, 2014.

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