Scottsdale restaurant Vu loses chef luster, San Diego golf resort nets big gain

Vu became one of the most pretentious restaurants in all of Scottsdale after it racked up well-deserved praise from big-time restaurant critics and regular good food lovers like myself (it’s hard for a man to call himself a “Foodie” and look in the mirror). I once tried to walk in for a meal on a weekday evening when the place was 85 percent empty and was told that my party would have to wait for a half hour. This despite a line of waiters just standing around, presumably waiting to … well, wait. The blonde hostess couldn’t have been more smug about it either. That’s Vu. But you put up with it because the food was just so damn good. Or at least, you used to consider putting up with it (I walked out that night, but must admit I still went back later like I was Paris Hilton’s lap dog). Now that Vu’s wunderkind chef William Bradley has been gone for almost a year, Vu’s kitchen is noticeably falling off though. It’s still trendy, but not a must eat. The good news for any golfer though is that Bradley is now working his magic in a long forgotten golf resort in San Diego and drawing raves for it. Bradley’s new place is Addison at the Grand Del Mar, which has a great location north of La Jolla and courses like Torrey Pines - and long held all the buzz of a resort run by your grandmother. That’s changing though. Addison was just named one of the Best New Restaurants in America by Esquire magazine, just as Vu was in its first year under Bradley in 2005. I must admit I missed Addison on my last trip to San Diego (so you won’t see it in our new San Diego off-course guide). But I’ll be sure to work it into my next San Diego trip early this winter. No major West Coast destination needs a restaurant with Addison’s potential more than San Diego. It’s dining scene is surprisingly disappointing, considering what you’d expect. Now chomping down on the fish tacos at PETCO park, watching Jake Peavy rack up strikeouts (as long as it’s not a playoff game) may no longer be the best dining experience in the city. And those who don’t need the attitude can drop Vu from their Scottsdale list.