PennySaver Dining Guide
(February 28, 2006)

Okay, so I’m not always that quick on the uptake. The name "BATTER UP!" belongs to a truly fun new eatery in Market Creek Plaza on Euclid Avenue and is a play on words. The place has a baseball theme, and when guests walk in the door, the staff behind the counter sometimes shouts, "Batter Up!" which we all can agree is a one-of-a-kind greeting in San Diego. But since this casual, affordable spot specializes in baskets brimming with batter-fried seafood and chicken, the term "batter up" also applies to the cooks in action when they prepare the food fresh to order. BATTER UP! is the creation of innovative chef-restaurateur Melvin Johnson, who has cooked with some heavy hitters nationwide, including celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Johnson turned a tiny space into an enjoyable destination by designing a truly impressive, herb and spice-accented batter that fries up truly light and crisp. As a result, meals never seem heavy, even though portions are more than generous. The approach he takes to serving his batter-fried dishes also is creative, in that items like the "shortstop shrimp" ($7.65) can be ordered as is, or fired up by being tossed in the restaurant’s own special hot sauce. The same is true with the "chicken sluggers" ($6.75), batter-fried nuggets of chicken tenderloins that can be enjoyed as is, or requested "smokin’ hot" by guests who know they have a taste for serious spicing. Heaped in baskets with mountains of seasoned french fries (the portion more or less dares you to eat it all), the options include "Batter Up" chicken wings ($7.25), and a combo plate of fish filet, shrimp and wings ($8.50).

Details include dips of excellent, New Orleans-style Remoulade sauce (a spiced mustard-mayonnaise that delivers a pleasant punch), and a fine, sharp cocktail sauce. For such a little place, BATTER UP! packs plenty of personality, with both a personable staff that seems glad to see you, and a Big League décor of black-and-white photos of baseball greats, ball club pennants and related memorabilia. Particularly clever is the row of split-lengthwise baseball bats that marches down a partition. The menu also offers sandwiches like the "Philly Pitcher" ($6.99) of sliced, Philadelphia-style beef loaded with onions, peppers and Provolone on a hoagie roll. Others options include Oriental and barbecued chicken salads (both $6.95), and several tasty grilled burgers ($5.25 and up). BATTER UP! serves daily at 342 Euclid Avenue in San Diego. Telephone 619-262-3333.