Rodney’s Still Rockin’

The expected lifespan of most restaurants is sort of like the tacky joke on some birthday cards, the one that goes “in dog years, you’d be dead”; each year seems like seven, minimum. So when an establishment makes it to its first decade-versary, we all need to be properly appreciative. Such is the case at Rodney’s, the stylish steakhouse in Fess Parker’s DoubleTree Resort (633 E. Cabrillo Boulevard, 884-8554, RodneysSteakhouse.com). It probably doesn’t hurt that executive chef Kirk DeLong has only been there since 2007, thereby helping keep things fresh. Don’t miss the lobster pot pie app, and even as a steakhouse, the focus is on local produce, especially with the elaborate sides for seafood—that Channel Island halibut, for instance, comes with red and green lentils, roasted local beets and baby carrots, sautéed king oyster and miatake mushrooms, and shellfish broth. What’s more, through the end of the year, if you say, “I’m rediscovering Rodney’s” as you order, you’ll get a free glass of Fess Parker Winery wine or dessert, too.