San Diego's best sight-seeing: Wine Vault and Bistro

When my chef friend visited town, I knew exactly where we'd go: Wine Vault and Bistro. Their 3-course tasting menu ($20) changes every Friday and this week's was a beaute (unfortunately my camera died, so no pictures, but this meal was worth mentioning).

May 20, 2011

STARTERS
blistered shishito peppers | sea salt - 6
cheese sampler platter w/ four artisan cheeses + accompaniments - 15
bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with point reyes blue cheese + almonds - 6
pommes frites | vindaloo ketchup + pancetta gravy – 6

PRIX FIXE 3-COURSE DINNER - 20 | WINE PAIRING - 15
pick one from each category below

1st
gazpacho consommé | baby zucchini | cucumber | squash blossom | jalapeño sorbet
2010 noble house riesling (5 oz. pour)

local yellowtail tataki | crispy rice | ikura roe | scallions | dashi gelée
2010 crios de susana balbo torrontes fs(5 oz. pour)

seared hudson valley foie gras | ramp biscuit | long pepper honey | bacon jam - $5 supp
2007 clos jean loupiac (3 oz. pour)

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2nd
halibut | chorizo | preserved lemon purée | broccoli | fennel | radishes
2009 testa rossa "santa barbara" chardonnay (5 oz. pour)

wild mushrooms | summer truffle purée | braised morels | crispy bread | arugula | pecorino
2005 garmendia tempranillo (5 oz. pour)

wild boar cassoulet | house cured guanciale | ham hock | parmesan tuile | sprouts | black eyed peas
2008 halter ranch "côtes du paso" rhône red blend (5 oz. pour)

ribeye (3 oz.)* | summer squash | potato cake | watercress | fines herbes | bearnaise jus (*this got changed to a NY strip)
2007 tobin james "silver reserve" syrah (5 oz. pour)
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3rd
pistachio cake | carrot purée | cognac cherry compote | vanilla | streusel
1999 domaine fontanel rivesaltes ambré (3 oz. pour)

lavender ice cream | dark chocolate pudding | dehydrated chocolate mousse | honeycomb
2008 la mision "may harvest" sauvignon blanc (3 oz. pour)

strawberry float | basil ice cream | strawberry powder | candied basil leaf
nv tobin james "dream weaver" sparkling wine (3 oz. pour)

Bencotto - San Diego

I’d been chomping at the bit to check out this little known place in Little Italy getting big talk. The Ferrari of Italian restaurants flaunted floor to ceiling windows and streamlined silver railings, welcoming us to the minimalist sleekness that was Bencotto. Even with reservations, we were tucked into a tiny table next to the entrance, so I asked if we could move upstairs and with a nod of the head, we found ourselves reveling in a birds-eye view from the romantic roost above.

Appetizers
Calamari: Tender bites of squid swam in spicy, red broth and earned my respect - good calamari is hard to find.

Caesar salad: I knew there was a problem when I saw the size of the bowl, or should I say the fish bowl. The Ferrari was overcompensating and hoped volume would distract from taste...sorry, not this girl. Caesar salad had become my Holy Grail of Greens – I was on the eternal search for rare excellence and had yet to find it in San Diego. The enormity of the salad only magnified crummy croutons, lack of fresh parmesan and bland dressing.

Entrees
Gnocchi: I loved the idea of picking my own sauce (from a choice of eight) and the ability to mix and match them with a separate list of pastas. Gorgonzola stuffed gnocchi, the size of silver dollars (and as heavy as one) were ok, but the Bencotto sauce – pink sauce with pancetta – could be slathered on a shoe and still seem flawless.

Ravioli: I’ve got pretty strong opinions about raviolis because my family used to make homemade ones for the holidays and Bencotto’s proved a bit dense in the dough. The Bolognese sauce tasted as if it had been cooked down a few hours too long, but for as long as it seemed to have been on the stove, there was an absence of depth - very one note…and that note was flat.

Dessert was the final disaster. Doesn’t semifreddo mean half cold? Because this was definately half and half...half freezer burned and half rock solid. The tiramisu was all cream, no cake and a whole lotta cocoa goin’ on.

Waterboy: You would think this kid was getting paid by the drop. I was afraid to take a sip that he might see and rush over for the twentieth time. I admire your attention to detail kid, but if you like water so much, go jump in a lake.

Second chances, new orders: My criticisms may seem a bit harsh, but let me add this:

1) There was warmth here beneath the cool exterior and it was already drawing me back like a neighborhood diner where I would be comfortable enough to come in and order “my usual”. The owner was constantly on the floor, checking tables and teaching his staff with fatherly benevolence, passing on his skill set to the next generation and truly enjoying the process. There was heart here…it just missed a beat now and then.

2) We decided not to order the delicacy I had been dying to try…gnocco fritto = fried pasta. Served with paper-thin proscuitto from their fire-engine-red slicers, my appetite's alarm had been sounding since we sat down and that fire had yet to be put out. Next time, "gnocco fritto" would be the first words out of my mouth (and the first thing in it).

3) Affordable: apps, entrees and dessert for about $80 total. Quite the deal and understandably why they’re so packed - comfort food at a nice price.

Buon Appetito- San Diego Restaurant

Ciao Boun Chow
Hey-a, do ya want a spicy meat-a-ball-a? Buon Appetito (1609 India St) is by far my favorite Italian restaurant in San Diego with its authentic staff and ability to transform simple ingredients into a Rubik’s cube for the palate.
A cup of crushed tomatoes, basil and garlic arrive with a basket of bread and I think they must put heroin in this mixture- a clean and strong finish that coaxes me back again and again like a struggling addict (a minimum of two cups necessary.)

Duck salad: MUST ORDER!! I’m not usually someone that remembers salad as a favorite entrée, but this one has me thinking green. Their stand-out, balsamic vinaigrette sinks its kung-fu grip into the leaves with distinct thickness from the syrupy, aged vinegar. Sliced duck, lumps of goat cheese (in no way do they scrimp) and roasted pine nuts only up the ante to make it an official winner.

Homemade cheese ravioli: MUST ORDER!! The difference between homemade vs. storebought pasta is like fishsticks vs. fresh sushi. There's no contest and these raviolis exemplify what pasta should be - filling warmth that remains light. It amazes me every time how something so simple can make my mind do cartwheels. Memories of their pink sauce won’t be forgotten.

Meat lasagna: an edible high-rise arrived front and center with layers of ground beef, pasta and cheese. Though delicious, my scorecard still rated the salad and ravioli as the heavy hitters.

Things can get a little pricey here with pasta dishes around $20 and wine about $10 a glass, but well worth it when in need of a true Italian fix. Sidewalk seating, window tables beneath the wine case and expressive Italian dialogue amongst the wait staff instill a feeling of dining abroad while only minutes from home.*

*They also have a market next door that sells the pink sauce, "tomato heroin" and even the duck salad to-go.

San Diego restaurant- Tango

Tango steps on your toes