Archive for the 'San Diego' Category

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Blanca

Published on June 14, 2010 in Reviews and San Diego. 0 Comments

Blanca

437 S. Highway 101 #301

Solana Beach, CA

858-792-0072

www.dineblanca.com

Blanca has had its fair share of ups and downs over the last year. Chef Wade Hageman who was the Exec. Chef since Blanca opened left last fall. They then brought in Chef Jason Neroni who lasted about five months until he packed his knives and went back to New York. Blanca has now found an extremely talented and well versed chef that I think really knows and fits California Cuisine.

Chef Gavin Schmidt has an impressive resume. Working at highly rated Campton Place and was the Chef de Cuisine of Coi a 2 Michelin starred restaurant in SF. Most recently he was the executive chef of Nectar Wine Lounge in SF. There is no question that Chef Gavin has the knowledge and experience to really help transform the San Diego dinning scene. He focuses on sustainability and locally sources all his products.

Click photos for larger versions

Amuse Bouche

Clam, Cherry tomato, Cilantro Flower, Galia Melon

Perfect little bite. The clam flavor lingered on the palate well after being finished and paired well with the cilantro flower and melon.

1^st course

House-Made Charcuterie

Country Lamb Pate w/ pistachio, pork rillette, duck prosciutto, smoked suckling pig prosciutto, blood & mole sausage.

Beer Mustard, pickled vegetables, toasted bread

I loved each individual component; the real standouts were the blood & mole sausage and the pork rillette. The beer mustard was not over powering and added a nice contrast of textures with the whole mustard seeds.

2^nd course

Wild Ramps

La ratte potatoes, duck egg, jamon & truffle vinaigrette

The vegetables and egg were cooked and seasoned perfectly. The jamon melted in your mouth. I couldn’t really taste the truffle but nonetheless a successful dish.

3^rd course

Pork Confit

Fava beans, maitake mushrooms, cocoa

This dish was one of the favorites of the night. The pork confit had a nice crisp skin with the meat being tender and juicy. The mushrooms were similar in texture and stood up to the pork well.

4^th course

Uni Porridge

Brown rice porridge, uni tempura, carrot lobster emulsion

This was a very unique and original dish. Having the uni tempura fried different texture with the same deep ocean flavor. The rice being milled resembled a course polenta in texture. The addition of rau ram (Vietnamese cilantro) reinforced the Asian flavor throughout.

5^th course

Black Cod

White almond gazpacho, chorizo, and clams

The cod was spot on. Melted like a butterfish with a crispy contrast from the skin. Chorizo was a subtle surprise that paired well with the potatoes and almond puree.

6^th course

Long & Baily Pork, A day on the farm

Cauliflower, roasted baby root vegetables, long pepper

I like the playfulness of the dish and how he utilized the pork in five different ways. However, I felt being done in some different ways it ended up competing against each rather than complementing.

7^th course

Bacon Wrapped Rabbit

Fava beans, spring onions, confit & tamarind glaze

This was the best rabbit dish I’ve had in a long time. It was tender, moist, and flavorful. The bacon added a nice smokiness and added for a great presentation. There was also a nice surprise of braised leg and liver underneath that brought everything together.

8^th course

Tropical Fruit Soup

This was a light, refreshing dessert after a heavy meal. The coconut marshmallow had a spice from the long peppers that lingered in the back of my mouth. The basil yogurt spheres, was a nice surprise of textures.

The chef also sent us out a new dessert that he calls fizzy melon. He carbonates the melon balls, which has a popping effect in the mouth. Cool and refreshing.

This was an exceptional meal. Chef Gavins food with its surprising flavors and innovativeness surpasses all of San Diego with the exception of Addison. My only concern is the price point for the area, all the entrees are $25 and up. This makes it less approachable for most. At these current prices it’s more of special occasion spot then somewhere you can go all the time. If they could keep the prices at $25 and under it would open it up to more people and keep them coming back more often. Also when Chef Gavin starts doing tasting menus he should pair them with our amazing selection of local San Diego beers. This would be another great addition that not many places are doing. Either way I will continue to support Blanca and Chef Gavin and wish him the best of luck here in San Diego!

Tags: http://www.staying-awake.org, http://www.whyhcg.com, http://www.myprovigil.com

Kensington Grill

Published on June 14, 2010 in Reviews and San Diego. 0 Comments

Kensington Grill

4055 Adams Avenue

San Diego, CA 92116-2505

(619) 281-4014

sdurbankitchen.com

Dined here on 6/1/10

Kensington Grill is the sister restaurant of Cucina Urbana. I’m a huge fan of CU and after trying the whole menu there I can easily say that it’s the best restaurant in San Diego right now. KG just did a menu change about month ago that from the looks of it seemed to be following CU. I assumed CU being as good as it is KG must be of the same level, oh how I was wrong.
From the outside the restaurant seems very modern with a nice patio, although not much of a view. The inside décor does not match at all. It seemed very cheaply put together and lacked that warm inviting feel you want to have when entering. The two main problems I had with KG were the service and food. The server we had was just awful. Now I know that when I dine out I order a lot of food for just two people and I’m ok with the server saying once “this is a lot for just two people”. What I don’t need is for you to say it three or four times before I finish my order. Being that most of the dishes I ordered were small plates it shouldn’t be that big of an issue if done properly.
The first course was the mussels and corn bisque. Mussels were some of the best I’ve had in San Diego. They were perfect and the coconut broth was so flavorful I could have just had 3 orders of those and would have been fine. In hindsight I should have. The corn bisque was good but I wish they had added more crab, there was hardly any at all. Second course was lamb meatballs, spare ribs and truffle tots. The meatballs were just OK I’m not a fan of baking them. I want that contrast of texture you get from a hard sear, and I missed that here. Spare ribs were also good and the cole slaw on the side balanced everything out nicely. The truffle tots were probably the best thing of the night. It was accompanied by a tangerine ketchup that really made everything come together. Now the meal takes a drastic turn for the worst. The zucchini spaghetti was boring and bland, I mentioned this to the server and she picked it up and walked away. Really? The oxtail fritter was a complete disaster. The dish made no sense at all. Two out of the three fritters were raw on the inside. I asked the server about this and she said there was Gorgonzola cheese in the middle. There was no way that Gorgonzola cheese was in there it tasted like uncooked batter not a strong blue cheese. Most of the oxtail was inedible as it was all fat. Also why is there a fried egg on the plate? What does that go with? The dish reminded me of something from a culinary student not a chef. Next we got some things from the “hog bar” nothing was that much of a stand out but the real problem was with the pork rillette. There was a Burgundy mustard on top that completely overpowered everything. I mentioned this to the server, her response was “it’s one of my favorites, laughed and walked away”. Great thanks for that. The mac n shrooms had almost no mushrooms and way to much cream. It was more of a pasta cream soup with a breadcrumb topping that they stuck under the broiler to make it look like mac and cheese. The duck potpie would have been good, but the strong almond flavor from the Blazei mushrooms actually seeped into the crust of the potpie. That is all you could taste throughout the whole dish. Blazei mushrooms need to be cooked separately and then added to the dish so that almond flavor doesn’t over power everything. Also this dish was very difficult to eat. The vegetables inside were too big for the bowl and the crust although perfectly flaky was impossible to eat with everything. The sea bass was of Cheesecake Factory proportions. The flavors were actually really good but the sea bass was extremely thin and it sat a top of a mound of smashed potatoes with a pile of fried leeks on top of all that. It was another culinary student presentation. Finally on too dessert. I decided to go with the smore, cheesecake and sorbet. Sorbet was excellent, cheesecake was one note and the smore was the worst. The brownie was dry and the marshmallow, which was more of a meringue, was like a rock, inedible. I asked the server if the marshmallow is supposed to be like this and preceded to show her by knocking on it with my spoon. Her response was “Yes, it’s supposed to be like that it’s one of my favorites”, laughed dropped off the bill and walked away. I couldn’t believe it and $150 later I fell like I should have just stayed home and cooked.

Summer Corn Bisque

Blue Crab Salad & Herb Oil

p.e.i. mussels

coconut broth, kaffir lime, coriander

Lamb Meatballs

Kumquat Chile Marmalade

‘fall off the bone’ Pork Spare Ribs

Sweet Soy Chili Marinade & Slaw

Truffle Tots

Goat cheese & Tangerine ketchup

Zucchini ‘Spaghetti’ Fresh Herb, Water Chestnut, Chili, EVOO

Oxtail Fritter

Fried Farm Egg, Parsnip Puree, Pappadew Pepper Jam

“Hog Bar”

Rillettes de Porc, Spicy Rinds, Pork & Olive sausage

Duck Potpie

Chard, Carrot, Trumpet Mushroom, Cippolini Onion

Panee’d Sea Bass

Horseradish Crust, Smashed Potato, Crispy Leek, Chive Oil

Dessert Small Bites

Smore, Pineapple Cheesecake, Berry Sorbet

Addison @ The Grand Del Mar

Published on June 6, 2010 in Reviews and San Diego. 0 Comments

Addison

5200 Grand Del Mar Way

San Diego, CA 92130

(858) 314-1900

www.addisondelmar.com

The first three pictures are from Aug 20, 2008 the rest are from Aug 20, 2009

Salmon Tartare

Seabass

Cantaloupe Soup

Gougere

Yellowtail & Uni

Scallop

Squid Inked Octopus

Chanterelle Polenta

Lobster & Vanilla Passionfruit Sauce

Mashed Potatoes & Gravy

Duck Breast & Foie Gras

Blanca

Published on May 29, 2009 in Reviews and San Diego. 0 Comments

Blanca

437 S. Highway 101 #301

Solana Beach, CA

858-792-0072

www.dineblanca.com

I’ve dined at Blanca several times over the last five years and it’s been a rollercoaster ride of experiences. When I first started going it was about six months after they first opened their doors. I immediately thought this was going to be the best restaurant in San Diego. It had everything I was looking for exceptional food and service in a beautiful elegant designed space with a fair price to go with it. As the years went by my love for Blanca faded. The menu wasn’t changing, the service started getting sloppy and the prices kept going higher and higher. An average check went from about $120 to $220 a big jump in price for the same food. I thought I’d be seeing Blanca come to an end that was until I gave it one last shot.

Blanca has completely redone their menu, constantly changing things out each week to fit what’s in season and fresh. It has become a lot more enticing from that standpoint alone, but what is even better is the price. Leaving the choice up to the diner you can create your own tasting menu, from 3-5 courses ranging from $46-$66. What is great about this is they are not limiting you to app-entrée-dessert. You could technically get all five entrees for $66. There are no supplement charges for anything on the menu, just the special of the day. Which on this evening, happened to be the foie dish, but even then they still give you an option. You can either pay $20 a la carte or it can take up two courses in your tasting for no charge. This is a great step in the right direction for Blanca especially with the economy being where it is.

Duet of Oysters

Beausoleil & Kumamoto Oysters, Champagne Mignonette, Lime Cocktail Sauce

Red Pepper Soup w/ Basil Oil

Pork Belly BLT

We had asked the server if they had any pork belly on the menu, which she replied no, but then after talking to the chef came back with this tasty little PBLT.

Foie Gras Two Ways

All the components worked well together but I found the seared foie to be a little undercooked. It missed that warm fat pop.

Pacific Hamachi “Two Ways”

Sashimi & Tartare, Asian Pears, Star Anise Gastrique

The subtle flavors of the pear brought out the sweetness of the hamachi.

Asparagus Soufflé

Meyer Lemon Crème Fraiche

Perfect light and fluffy texture. I found it to be slightly under seasoned.

Mesquite Grilled Maine Lobster Medallions

Herbed Gnocchi, Fava beans

Chervil-Meyer Lemon Emulsion

This dish reminded me of a lobster bisque. Strong rich flavor with a nice addition of fava beans and seared gnocchi.

Porcini Crusted Atlantic Skate Wing

Mushroom Duxelle, Roasted Garlic & Porcini Mushroom Puree

Roasted Wild Mushroom jus

This dish had a lot of character. The robust earthy mushroom flavor was just strong enough to still keep the integrity of the skate wing. Great dish

Petaluma Quail “Kung Pao”

Crispy Rice Batter, Ginger & Scallions

Kung Pao Sauce

It was nice to see quail being used in place of chicken. It was a more refined take on typical take out item. I thought it would have been better to have a leg and breast.

Jidori Chicken breast

House- Poached Black Truffles, Sautéed Morel Mushrooms

Sauce Vin Jaune

I don’t typically order chicken but I was very pleased with this dish. Chicken breast was tender and juicy and the veal stuffing added depth.

Medallion of Colorado Rosen Lamb

Olive Oil Poached, Artichoke Stew

Yellow bell Pepper Coulis

Lamb was flavorful and tender. I would have gone with a different sauce. I find savory coulis to be sort of amateur. This one had an overwhelming acidic flavor.

Short Rib “steak” (medium)

Carrot Puree, Cumin essence

Red Wine- Valencia Orange Reduction

Classic presentation with a new age technique. The short ribs were sous vide for 48 hours. It had the marbling of a good American Kobe with a hearty short rib flavor. The carrot puree was silky smooth and the orange was a nice addition to the reduction.

Kobe Flat Iron Steak

Classic Potato Gratin, English Peas & Carrots

House- Made Worcestershire Sauce

This was the only miss of the night. Ironically the “Kobe” was flavorless and dry. Could have been any lesser cut of meat from the super market. Sides were boring and lacked a ton of seasoning.

Passion Fruit Soufflé

Grilled Pineapple Sorbet

Again the perfect light and fluffy texture. The pineapple sorbet was extremely flavorful.

After this meal my views of Blanca have been restored. Great food, great service, great price!

Amaya at The Grand Del Mar Resort

Published on March 10, 2009 in San Diego. 0 Comments Tags: San Diego, the grand del mar resort.

Amaya at The Grand Del Mar Resort

5300 Grand Del Mar Court

San Diego, CA 92130

(858) 314-2727

http://www.thegranddelmar.com

Last year was the first time I dined at Amaya. It was during restaurant week of all times. I remember food and service being exceptional for a casual restaurant. Fast-forward to a year later and you wouldn’t believe it’s the same restaurant.

The dining room of Amaya has a strange layout; a lot of the tables make you feel like you are dining in a hallway or just in an empty room. It’s not welcoming at all.

The servers were friendly but were not knowledgeable about the food or wine. They were also very slow on clearing plates and silverware. After each course the plates were already stacked on the table waiting to be cleared. They also cleared half the silverware and forgot to bring fresh ones back. Between my guests and me we probably took all the silverware off the unoccupied table next to us by the end of the meal.

This although annoying, was just the beginning. During our first course they sat two adults with two children at a table to our left. These inconsiderate people let their children run around the restaurant the entire time screaming and just being unruly. The parents never once reprimanded them and when we talked to the manager he said they were guests of the hotel and he couldn’t do anything about it. I was appalled that a restaurant in such a prestigious resort would allow this!

This brings us to the food, which was another disappointment. There was only one dish that I didn’t have any issues with, and that was the mushroom risotto. The lobster bisque didn’t have one piece of lobster in it, not even for garnish. The lobster pappardelle came to the table with cheese already grated on it. Which looked like it had been melted under the heat lamp. The special of the night was the sable fish. It was pedestrian at best. The short ribs we sent back. They were completely inedible, tough, chewy, flavorless, and just flat out bad. This leaves the veal chop. It was a good portion chop and cooked well but the problem was with the mushrooms. This is a huge issue with me because mushrooms are one of my favorite foods and I want them prepared correctly. These tasted as if I spent a day at the beach. There was so much grit on them I do not think they were ever cleaned.

My overall experience was four courses of disillusionment. I cannot see Amaya lasting much longer the way it is currently running. I for one will not be returning again!

Duck Confit, Goat Cheese, Caramelized Onion, Flat Bread

Lobster Bisque, Tarragon, Crème Fraîche

Lobster Pappardelle, Tarragon

Mushroom Risotto,Smoked Aged Cheddar, Chives, Italian Parsley, Basil, Tomato

Alaskan Sablefish, Parsnip Puree, Farro, Marcona Almonds

Pan Seared Arctic Char “Clam Chowder”, Fingerling Potato, Leeks, Pork Belly, Manila Clams

Braised Short Rib, Red Wine Sauce, Celery Root Puree, Roasted Carrots, Brussels SproutsLeaves

Veal Chop

Bread Pudding

Decanter Wine Lounge & Restaurant

Published on February 21, 2009 in San Diego. 0 Comments Tags: decanter wine lounge restaurant, San Diego.

Decanter Wine Lounge & Restaurant

Cielo Hillside Village

18021 Calle Ambiente

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

www.decanterwinelounge.com

The long awaited Decanter wine lounge & restaurant has finally opened its doors. Located in the newly developed Cielo Village in Rancho Santa Fe, Decanter has beautiful views of the Cielo hillside that make you instantly feel at peace. Owner/Sommelier Jason Knack has ten years experience in the fine dining scene as former manager of The Wine Lover in San Diego and Nine-ten in La Jolla. Jason, who is also a resident of Rancho Santa Fe knows what is missing in the north county dining scene.

I know that the restaurant is still working out the kinks of just opening three weeks ago but I cannot over look basic fundamentals in the kitchen. First is seasoning, every dish I had tasted as if there was no salt added at all. Just completely bland which I wouldn’t take so much offense to if there had been salt and pepper on the table. If you want to be one of those restaurants that doesn’t put salt and pepper on the table you better make sure that every dish is spot on. Second were the vegetables. On each dish that had them they were under seasoned and undercooked. They were so al dente it was as if they were blanched for a minute and then just tossed on the plate. Third, was how long it took for each course to come out and to be cleared. It was quite a while considering only three other tables were occupied. I don’t know if this was on the kitchen or servers but either way four courses should not take three hours.

Overall the experience was good. I enjoyed two great glasses of wine on the ever-growing wine list. Which will eventually offer over 200 wines by the glass, more than any other restaurant in the country. I briefly met Jason on the way out and he seems to be a very humble guy that is passionate about his restaurant. I feel once everyone gets in the groove, this is going to be exactly what north county has been missing, and I’m looking forward to it.

Red torpedo onion soup, manchego, micro chives

This tasted as bad as it looked. I don’t understand what the chef was going for here. It was completely flavorless. Tasted like onion stock.

Hand cut pappardelle, hedgehog mushrooms, salsify

Pasta slightly over cooked and a very crunchy piece of salisfy was hidden under the pasta. What was the point?

Loc Durc salmon, crosne, black trumpet mushrooms, marjoram

Best dish of the night. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection. This is what I expected all dishes to be like.

Duck confit, roasted parsnips, faro, blood orange sauce

Was boring visually and flavor wise. The duck was missing that crisp skin and under seasoned. Parsnips were way undercooked and under seasoned.

Braised spiced rubbed pot roast, garden vegetables, pan jus

The pot roast was very flavorful and tender. The sauce although tasty was too oily. Vegetables were the most poorly cooked on this dish, or should I say not cooked?

Bosc pear tart, chantilly cream

Why is the tart swimming? Was it to cover the dryness of the crust? Well, it didn’t work because I felt as if I was eating a bunch of dry crackers.

Crescent Heights

Published on February 6, 2009 in San Diego. 0 Comments Tags: crescent heights, San Diego.

Crescent Heights

655 West Broadway, Suite 150

San Diego, CA 92101

www.crescentheightssd.com/

Crescent Heights is the newest addition to the San Diego food scene. Opening just four months ago on the ground floor of the remarkable 655 West Broadway. Chef and owner David McIntyre has worked in some of the most respected kitchens in the Los Angeles area. He got his start at Joachim Splichal’s Patina where he was introduced to the art of fine dining and established his style of cooking. From there he moved to Wolfgang Pucks flagship restaurant Spago. He quickly worked his way up to sous chef and then Kitchen Manager. After eight years at Spago he became the consultant chef at Cut, Wolfgang’s signature steakhouse at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. After doing his time in LA he moved down to San Diego to open Crescent Heights.

The restaurant is beautifully designed by Akar Studios who also designed Blanca in Solana Beach. The bar and lounge area was packed with a younger crowd partaking in the happy hour menu that they offer. The dining room, which is behind the bar looks onto their patio and Broadway. I noticed that people kept entering through the patio, which brings them right into the main dining room. The problem is that no one is there to greet them and it’s usually a server that takes them to the proper entrance with the hostess. Also the opening of the door causes a cold draft to come through the dining room on colder nights.

I found the menu to be a little boring and lacking variety. It didn’t leave me wanting to plan a return visit. I started off with the Celery Root Soup with black trumpet mushrooms and preserved Meyer lemon.

Perfectly seasoned. Mushrooms well cooked. Preserved Meyer lemon gave the dish a lot more depth.

Chino Farms Beet & Burrata Salad

Prosciutto di Parma, roasted peppers, 25 yr aged balsamic & pistou

I thought this was the perfect summer dish. The problem is it’s January. The salad was cold, crisp and refreshing. The roasted peppers underneath the burrata were a nice addition.

Seafood Risotto

Dungeness crab, sweet shrimp & preserved Meyer lemon

Risotto was creamy, shrimp were cooked well but the dish overall was under seasoned. Presentation needed some color everything just blended together.

Pan-Roasted Wild Striped Bass

Artichokes, fingerling potatoes, confit bacon, pearl onions & preserved lemon mustard

This was the best dish of the night. The bass had the most perfectly crisp skin and seasoning was spot on. The bacon confit melted in my mouth like pork belly but with that smoky bacon flavor. I loved it.

Pan-Roasted Maple Leaf Duck Breast

Parsnip puree, roasted butternut squash and rutabaga,

Brussels sprouts & Hen-of-the-Woods mushrooms

Strong duck flavor with crisp skin. Mushrooms were garlicky and rich.

Braised Colorado Lamb Shank

Parmesan polenta, sauteed rapini, sun-dried tomatoes & gremolata

I found the lamb to be a little dry. Polenta was excellent creamy, cheesy strong parm flavor. Good seasonal dish.

Huckleberry Soufflé

Crème fraiche gelato & crème anglaise

Amazing light fluffy

Overall everything was cooked well it just lacks that innovativeness to make it stand out.

Kitchen 1540

Published on February 3, 2009 in San Diego. 2 Comments Tags: kitchen 1540, San Diego.

Kitchen 1540

1540 Camino Del Mar

Del Mar, CA 92104

Phone 858-793-6460

www.kitchen1540.com

Kitchen 1540 is what the San Diego food scene has been waiting for, an innovative restaurant and chef who have a passion for food. Chef Paul McCabe is doing exactly that showcasing his love for cooking and quality ingredients. The menu is well rounded with something that everyone can enjoy. Two personal favorites of mine on the regular dinner menu are the Scottish Salmon served with preserved lemon spaetzle, sweet & sour pomegraranate sauce and a fennel salad. Also the stone seared foie gras where Chef Paul’s whimsical nature comes into play putting blood orange pop rocks(yes, the candy) on the stone. You can hear them popping as the dish comes to the table.

On my most recent visit I had chef Paul prepare an off menu tasting. He put together twelve impressive courses that had many stand out components that caught my attention right away (popcorn puree, olive oil powder, BBQ consommé, nitro beets) The menu itself had my name printed a top a little personal touch that Chef Paul likes to add. The food overall was very impressive hamachi and pork cracklings, scallop chicken skin crouquant and popcorn puree. The absolute stand out of the night was the pork belly in a BBQ consommé. It could have been at any three star Michelin restaurant, it was that good. The pork belly had a nice crisp skin and the warm fat just melted in your mouth. Combined with the consommé and you have a refined play on baby back ribs. The only draw back of the night was the portion size of each dish. I was with three other diners and we went through three baskets of bread and ordered an additional foie dish before dessert. Also the dessert was very uninspired it did not match the creativeness that chef Paul put forth with the savory courses. Even with these minor drawbacks Kitchen 1540 is well ahead of its competition. This is a restaurant that we foodies in San Diego and especially North County will certainly appreciate.