Poison and Ivy: Juniper and Ivy Revisited

My first experience at Juniper and Ivy had been a positive one, so when my mom (also a Top Chef fan) came to town, I made sure to book a dinner at Chef Richard Blais’ place. I guess that’s why I was so surprised, when after making reservations two weeks in advance, we were led to a table in the bar instead of the dining room.  

The mismatched height of chair and tabletop immediately contorted me into the Hunchback of Notre Dame, which allowed me to enjoy our view overlooking the servers’ station brimming with crumpled receipts and broken, brown butter cookies (for some reason the cookies didn’t have the same appeal as my last visit, where they were served as a final goodbye…now they only offered a most unappetizing hello). I asked if they had anything in the dining room and there were two open tables that could accommodate us.  So…why weren’t we offered one of those first?

Strike one.

Also, it was so much louder this time (they were pretty much at full capacity), so loud that it was hard to carry on a conversation. The warehouse-style cement floors and high ceilings absorbed no sound. And for this Jersey girl, whose voice was set at volume 10 on the regular, if I wasn’t able to talk above the chatter, then it was pretty fucking loud.

EATS

Weiser Farm Potatoes: La Quercia Proscuitto/ Nitro Hollandaise/ Cured Egg Yolk

I was so excited to show my mom how Blais could bend the ordinary, but these basic fingerling potatoes didn’t turn the tricks that caught my attention last time with a similar dish, and although I liked the idea behind these spuds, they were lacking in most areas.

I apologize for the poor quality of most of the pictures, but it was hard to even shed light on the photos this visit ( also, the shadow on the potatoes give the illusion of more toppings than in reality - don't be fooled!).

Mainly, I would have just have loved a little more of everything - yolk, hollandaise, prosciutto – something besides fistfuls of fingerlings. Unfortunately, this plate of potatoes remained just that.

Corn Fritters: Old Bay Aioli

I fell for these fritters hook, line and sinker…as in dead weight, heavy as lead, cast iron sinkers. They were borderline undercooked, offering up a dense center that wasn't just dough heavy, but so heavy with garlic, it overrode every other flavor, especially the corn whose sweetness was masked completely.

Strike two.

Bacon Wrapped Rabbit: Stuffing/ Cranberry/ Mushroom Jus

This was the first item of the night that truly impressed me. The rabbit was sinfully salty from the crisped bacon wrapped around its sides, and it had the consistency of a succulent, juicy cut of pork. The stuffing was decent and cranberry relish was ok, but the rabbit was the prize.

I also adored the mushroom jus on the plate, but I was fighting a losing battle with the giant rounds of thick, seared sweet potatoes (not seen in the menu description), whose desperately dry centers sucked up all of my precious gravy.

Ahi Tuna: Mushroom Puree/ Huckleberry/ Carrot Top Salsa Verde

Does anyone else see PEPPER CRUSTED mentioned in the tuna’s preparation??!! Me neither and it was kind of a big deal since my mom had always been sensitive to spice. With her entrée course coated in pepper, it kind of put a damper on the main component of her meal. 

Even though it was served with an array of tasty sauces - the barely there huckleberry, the "carrot top salsa verde" (which was pretty much just carrot tops), the decadent, earthy mushroom puree - there was just no escaping the pepper's spray.  

Strike three.

Yodel: Devil’s Cake/ White Chocolate/ Hazelnut Brittle/ Hot Chocolate

We ordered the yodel for dessert, which I had raved about after my first visit, and like the last time, it was a home run. But it was already too late. Blais had lost the game. Sure, he was a real chef and didn’t just play one on TV, but while he was busy filming his new Food Network show, Hungry Games, a new season of Top Chef and running his other restaurants,  it seemed details were being missed in the kitchen.

No bread this time. No post-dinner cookies (and I knew they were around since I saw them while I sat hunched at my bar table). I realized that since Blais wasn’t always present (though he was in-house on my first visit, which was probably why it was so on point), his kitchen didn’t necessarily put out the same quality of food every night. My mom’s final word summed up the meal - “disappointing”.  Unfortunately, it was enough to convince me not venture back a third time because the price wasn’t worth the inconsistency.

Addison's at the Grand Del Mar - San Diego

Addison’s earns its stars

Author’s Note: Apparently Bubba and I have a curse with the disappearance of pictures from important dinners. The day after we were married, we went to Butter in Manhattan for a five course tasting menu – I left my camera in the park. On our third anniversary at Addison’s, we captured every bite with painstaking accuracy – Bubba’s phone crashed and lost the photos a few days later. So, put on your imagination goggles and picture this:

*Gulp* - talk about high society. The Grand Del Mar couldn’t get any higher than if Cheech and Chong were toking a joint on the front lawn. European architecture sprouted from the hills of Del Mar, about 25 minutes outside of central San Diego, in a secret upper crust community masquerading as a hotel, fully equipped with its own golf course, night club, spa, shops and restaurants. Addison’s stood out amongst it all, enough to earn its ranking as the only Forbes Five-Star and AAA Five Diamond restaurant in Southern California.

Grand (Del Mar) Entrance
My dusty Toyota pulled up between BMWs and Lexus’ so shiny I could see the pores in my reflection, but the valet acted as if we’d arrived in Cinderella’s carriage as he extended his hand to help me out. By the time Bubba gave him the keys a brunette hostess with slicked back hair and a fitted jacket welcomed us by name and wished us a happy anniversary.

Inside we were greeted by a second similarly-styled, blond hostess that made me question if I was in an elite rendition of a Robert Palmer video. The smell of old money and vintage books flooded my nostrils as we were led past a formal library with a stoked fireplace that was taller than my husband, but dwarfed beneath vaulted ceilings, and out to the veranda overlooking the golf course for complimentary cashews and two Grand Margaritas: fresh kiwi, pineapple and strawberry with Patron Anejo ($22 each x 2 = a left hook to the pocketbook!).

Dinner Theater
A choreographed team of servers worthy of Bob Fosse’s approval appeared within seconds of our seating - working together, yet separately - offering best wishes with complimentary sparkling or still, laying napkins in laps with what appeared to be an oversized pair of tweezers, and finally parting the way for Nicolas, our waiter who reminded me of the critic from Disney’s Ratatouille (serious in demeanor, but warmed through by the thrill of the meal). He extended a silver platter bearing a card from Executive Chef, William Bradley, and the kitchen staff, who again, wished us a happy anniversary.

Musical chairs would have been a challenge here since tables were set for the exact number of diners in each party. The glass-walled, wine vault’s sliding, wooden ladder drew the eye, but I was hypnotized by curtains of wavy air emitted from yet another grand, stone fireplace that reminded me of some secret portal from a C.S. Lewis novel. And this land was as foreign to us as Narnia, but we tried to keep up with the customs as Nicolas began listing the choice of menus:

1) Le Menu Gourmand ($225): 10-course menu
2) Seven-course Carte Blanche menu ($165): blind tasting as chef decides each course
3) Four course tasting (our choice - $98): selection of three savory courses and one sweet from menu*

*We asked if they offered wine pairings with the meal, but never asked the price - it ended up costing as much as the food! But their expert pours were specifically chosen to match our individual selection of each course, so the personalized service justified the high price tag.

THE FEAST BEGINS:

Amuse bouche: Grapes three ways in a champagne broth
We giggled as Bubba exclaimed in a falsetto voice, “My palate is dancing,” but we both knew he wasn’t exaggerating. These three varieties of grapes must have been named Pop, Lock and Drop it because my tongue was doing the electric boogaloo.

First Bread Course: Gruyere bread popover with sherry
I was immediately reminded of that gum with a gushing, liquid center because as soon as I bit down on my popover, a burst of sherry squirted from within. Besides the novelty of it all, its flavors mimicked a pocket-sized French onion soup (minus the onion) – genius.

Second Bread Course: Meyer lemon and sea salt twist
This twist’s measurements were similar to a breadstick, but the texture was like a savory funnel cake with its crisp edges and feathery, pillow-like center encased in a thin coating of citrus and dotted with jagged grains of sea salt.

First course:
Kona Kampachi – uni, red radish and cucumber
What the f*** was a soft spoon? The cutlery alone was a learning experience, and a useful one since this pounded out piece of flattened metal made it easy to herd the finely chopped fish around the plate. The precise knife cuts and richness gave the indulgent taste of a tartar, but instead of an egg yolk, a luxurious spoonful of uni was perched like a crown on top.

The kampachi’s buttery nature was cut by radish and cucumber, served in a separate bowl of colored glass that looked like it had been time-warped in from the 50’s, and brought an earthy, cleansing crunch that reset the palate for every bite.

Kawarau Estate Sauvignon Blanc, Central Otago, New Zealand 2010;
Kiralyudvar, Furmint Sec, Tikaji-Hegyalija, Hungary 2009**

** This was the only course where Bubba and I overlapped, but even though we had the same dish, they still paired us with two different wines so we could see the range in flavor – grassy (New Zealand ‘10) vs. floral (Hungary 09’).

Second Course:
Alaskan King Crab – asian pears, melon and avocado ($20 supplement)
I found it intriguing how again this dish was comprised of multiple vessels. Bubba was first presented with a bowl of balls - pears, melon, avocados - rounded into perfect circles of produce, while three naked crab legs were spaced neatly in their own ceramic square like a well-laid garden of gams. And apparently someone had left the hose on all night because the entire dish was flooded with melted butter.

Bodega Bueyes, Torrontes, La Rioja, Argentina 2010

St. Pierre “au beurre sel” – pistou and green garlic a la grecque
Thoughts of the lovable Dory from Finding Nemo swam through my head as I learned that St. Pierre was also known as the John Dory fish. But my mind was put at ease when I found out it was a different breed all together. Though, as I made my way through St. Pierre’s white, flaky flesh, I yearned for a bit of that spirited, over-the-top personality from Ellen Degeneres’ character because even bathed in butter, this guy was a bit dry. But there was a light in the shallow pool of pistou that shone like an herbaceous beacon with grassy green brightness and garlic-y overtones, breathing life back into the sinking St. Pierre.

Franz Hirtzberger, Reisling, “Stienterrassen” Federspipl, Wachau, Austria 2008

Third Course:
Kobe Beef Short rib – potato croustillant and cremini gratin ($25 supplement)
I’d never heard of potato croustillant before, but apparently it translates into quarter-sized dollops of mashed potatoes, each topped with a single, homemade potato chip = one sinful stack of starch. The Kobe beef was heavenly enough that Adam would have demanded this rib back from Eve and the peaty mushroom gratin sowed itself seamlessly into this euphoric garden of eating.

Poderi Aldo Conterno, Barolo, Piemont, Italy 2006

Coffee roasted canard – koshihikari rice and candied peanuts
“Pssst,” the young server laid a plate of roasted duck breast before me along with a separate, small bowl of rice, when out of the side of his mouth he whispered, “I don’t want to say anything…but there’s a chunk of duck confit at the bottom of your rice bowl!” I was still digesting the thrill of this news as he exited, and I smiled at the delivery of his “secret information” like a CIA agent, “The duck flies at midnight. The confit is in the rice.”

But there was nothing undercover about the expert placement of this notable nugget, well-hidden, but still a visible stand-out. The balanced, yet sweet peanut sauce on the breast could have been easily been too cloying if it wasn’t served with the subtle, sticky rice and crunchy notes of scallion all dressed in a light coat of duck fat from the shreddable confit that lay like a Cracker Jack prize at the bottom of the bowl. Cherry on top? Never again. Duck on bottom every time!

Chateau del Clotte, Bordeaux Blend, Cotes deCastillon, Bordeaux, France 2006

Artisan Cheese course ($25 supplement):
When they wheeled the cheese cart over, I felt like a proud auntie peering into a stroller and admiring the attributes of each bundle of joy. We had four selections - petite Basque, Humboldt Fog, truffle pecorino and a blue - everyone of these cuddly curds stole my heart.

Ridge Zinfandel, “East Bench” Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma California 2009

Fourth Course:
Brownie a la mode – sour cherry marmalade and pistachio
Dense, sweet, nutty – this had all the components needed for a good brownie, but even the tart, cherry marmalade didn’t add anything that made it more memorable than others (I'd rather have another Gruyere popover).

Peanut butter terrine – cocoa nib tuiles and port wine ice cream
Tasty, but I’d made an amateur mistake by ordering peanut for dessert after a peanut laden entrée - a not so sweet repeat. I got sucked in by the port wine ice cream, which was impeccable.

Since my port was enjoyed in ice cream form, we refused our dessert wine and instead, I sipped a snifter of Frangelico and cappuccino, while Bubba ordered single-malt scotch (paired with a side of chipped ice and a mini-shovel).

Adieu, to you, and you, and you:
As we neared the exit, several of our synchronized servers (including my CIA specialist), the two Robert Palmer hostesses and Nicolas emerged to present one last gift. Along with a piece of individually wrapped shortbread, we were each handed an envelope with our first and last name on it. We opened them to find printed menus listing our personal selections for the evening, including our specific wine pairings with each course. It was the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, the duck on bottom.

Five Star Salute:
I’ve eaten at several upscale restaurants in Manhattan, LA, Paris and Madrid, but nothing has compared to the service we received at Addison’s. It was the like being back in a Jane Eyre novel where there are butlers and ladies-in-waiting and footmen, all who play an intricate role in the evening’s supper running smoothly for the Mr. and Mrs.

Not used to such lavish customs, I felt more like the wayward cousin visiting from the country than the lady of the manor, but the staff’s proficiency and genuine pride in their job not only put us at ease right away, but made me comfortably slide into the idea that everyone deserves a taste of the finer things in life. Like any classy hostess, Addison’s understood the true definition of what it meant to be five-star: Treat everyone like a king, even if they’re a jack-of-all-trades.

Wine Vault and Bisto - 10-Course Dinner

New Eddie’s Eve – Meat the Parent

My mom, Edna (aka Eddie), knew all about the Wine Vault and Bistro from my endless commentary on their multiple-course meals priced lower than Barry White’s baritone, so when she visited San Diego, Eddie insisted we invade the Vault. And as luck would have it, on her last night in town (Dec. 30) they were holding a 10-course tasting menu, paired with five wines for $39.50.

This evening’s menu was a bit different from their norm, since they didn’t end with the usual dessert, but instead built the meal around the Vault’s five, top-selling red wines of 2011...and that meant meat mania was about to ensue.

Courses came in pairs of two, served together on one plate and accompanied by a 3oz pour of wine, making it easy to gauge if we wanted another glass of this or that. The Vault played like a game of Twister, matching wine and food instead of colors and body parts, but it always provided just as many giggles, gasps and unexpected turns.

1. Marinated Calamari | Smoked Paprika Aïoli | Coriander | Crispy Potato: Before the plates came to the table, Eddie said, “You can have my calamari. I'm not a fan.” I tut-tutted her and said she might want to wait, since several times Bubba and I’d experienced edible epiphanies here. And just as quickly she saw the light – there was only one bite of the calamari and she treated these rings more preciously than if she were a J.R.R. Tolkien character. Feelings flowed just as strongly for the smoked paprika aioli that was worthy of a plate licking.

2. Eggplant 2-Ways: Fried + Mousse | Marinated Shallot | Chive: I usually prefer my eggplant skinless because of the coat’s bitter nature, but this miniature round convinced me, “skin was in”. The fashionable, purple belt cinched the eggplant's meaty belly and posed itself atop a creamy mousse that held like hummus hairspray.
2009 Borsao "Tres Picos" Garnacha

3. Duck Confit | Roast Apples | Red Onion | Parsley: Who needs a down comforter, when you can be wrapped in a blanket of duck confit? I never got tired of this shredded delight and tonight was another reason to celebrate how fruit and fowl could make life a bowl of cherries.

4. Nueske Slab Bacon | Date Purée | Blue Cheese Espuma | Arugula: This read like a deconstructed, bacon-wrapped date stuffed with blue cheese and I couldn't put it down. The thick, slab of bacon acted as the main protein, almost like a steak and I was in awe of their ability to dissolve the majority of the fat off this little piggy to deliver one luscious hunk of hog.
2008 Bokisch Tempranillo

5. Pulled Wild Boar Ribs | Crushed Potatoes | Charred Romaine: The Vault was on their game when it came to…game. They’d tamed these wild boar chops into domestic bliss under the guise of pulled pork, but retained enough of its growl and foreign, flavor profile to make it anything but boring.

6. Hoisin Glazed Duck Breast | Bok Choy | Shitake Mushrooms: This duck’s steak-y splendor made me want to quack nonstop about its meticulous, medium-rare temperature. Sticky hoisin glaze acted like savory caramel and shitake puree kept this duck grounded with an earthy subtleness with a mild crunch from the bok choy.
2009 Sextant "Wheelhouse" Zinfandel

7. Roasted Lamb Loin | Sunchoke | Bing Cherry Jus | Rosemary: The seasoning couldn’t have been more perfect than if it was April in Paris. Sunchokes = bright and refreshing; cherry jus = tart and fruity; rosemary = fragrant and herbal. It had a certain, “je ne sais quoi” = my favorite of the night.

8. Pressed Lamb Shoulder | Smoked Yogurt | Celeriac | Beets: I went from the sun on my face to turning a cold shoulder. This lamb had been shredded and then pressed back together into a formed, dry brick. It reminded me of some type of fall-out-shelter, canned meat product with the hunk of beet adding a dirt-like quality and the smoked yogurt delivering the final burn (though Bubba happily ate my ration).
2008 Happy Canyon Vineyards "Piocho" Bordeaux Blend

9. Prime Hanger Steak | Smoked Potatoes | Slow Cooked Grapes | Broccoli: We'd hung in for the hanger steak, especially since this had been one of Bubba's Vault-side epiphanies. Bubba's main beef with hanger steak had always been the cut's stringy nature, but through slight of hand (and an immersion circulator) they pulled off a magic act that had the hubby applauding loudly about its similarity to filet mignon.

10. Prime Short Ribs | Parsnips 2-Ways: Purée + Crispy | Gremolata: The long good-bye ended with short ribs. But instead of feeling turned out, it was like a warm hug of a finish with the comfort of fork tender beef and a pairing of parsnips that took opposite routes to drive this root vegetable home.
2009 Stolpman "Originals" Syrah

Pre-dined Valentine - Wine Vault and Bistro

Valentine’s Day. Absolutely the worse holiday known to man (and woman). If you’re single, it magnifies your “cheese stands alone” status by a thousand. If you’re in a relationship, affections are held hostage, forcibly released through Hallmark hallelujahs, stuffed animals that you were already too old for 10 years ago and roses picked up at a gas station after realizing that TODAY was Valentine’s Day. Money forced. Love lost. And the reason why Bubba and I decided not to do anything this year.

But that was before I was tempted by a former love of mine…the Wine Vault and Bistro, offering a pre-Valentine (Feb 10th), three-course menu for $20 (paired with a wine flight - $15)*...and practically begging me, "Will you be mine?"

Sweet seats
2 (of us) + 4 (seats in front of the fireplace) + 1 (enormous heart constructed from corks) = infinate amounts of pleasure secluded in the most romantic seat in the house.

First course
Roasted pork belly/ herb crushed potatoes/ pickled mushrooms/frisee/ butternut squash puree: I’ve been to Chef Alex Guarnaschelli’s Butter in Manhattan and her pork belly’s got nothing on the Bistro. This was the most tender, meaty belly I'd ever eaten - minimal fat and a crispy, caramelized pigskin that scored more than a touchdown. 2007 Gerard Bertrand “Pic Saint Loup” Rhone Red Blend (5 oz. pour)

Second course
Seared duck breast/ crispy confit/ wild spinach/ sunchoke puree/ xo sherry/ black trumpets/ broccolini: I like my breasts with some bounce and this was cooked to medium-rare perfection, strapping in its juices with crisp, salty skin. To the side, a cluster of meat pulled from the thigh made me think of ZZ Top's, “She’s got legs…she knows how to use them” because The Vault knew how to kick it when it came to confit. Besides consistently topping themselves on the plate, I always walked away with a bit of culinary knowledge like learning that sunchokes were from the stalk of a sunflower – who knew? 2006 Baxter “Toulouse Vineyard” Pinot Noir (5 oz pour)

Idiazabal + chestnut ravioli/ charred onions/ parsley pesto/ hazelnuts/ nasturtiums: Our next lesson began by introducing us to a new ingredient, Idiazabal, a salty Spanish cheese. Melding with the heartiness of the chestnuts and wrapped in its delicate frock of homemade pasta, this little circle had style, both bright in flavor and color, beautiful inside and out. 2007 Talbott Chardonnay (or) 2006 Baxter “Toulouse Vineyard” Pinot Noir (5 oz. pour)

Third course
Local strawberry tart/ green strawberries/ vanilla cream/ chervil/ meyer lemon: I’d keep walking because this tart was pretty pedestrian (was the pastry store-bought?) - the only throw away dish of the meal. 1998 Doamine Fontanel Rivesaltes Ambre (3 oz. pour)

34-yr-old px sherry float/ housemade butterscotch ice cream/ caramel powder: This was rooted (without the root beer) in classic float formation with a slight twist of spirits to give it wings. Cuarante y Tres “Licor 43” Spanish Liquor (1 oz. pour)

The best restaurant in town, as far as I'm concerned. Current and inventive, in both, concept and ingredients – if you haven’t been, you need to go. You won't be disappointed...cross my heart and hope to dine.

*weekly three-course dinners for $20. Find out what they’re serving this week: www.winevaultbistro.com