David Nelson Toasts the Best in San Diego Dining

SAN DIEGO —  The year 1985 may come to be remembered as the year in which San Diegans learned that it can be quite chic to eat burned food. Or, it may be marked as a watershed span in which newfangled burger barns began gulping major bites out of the fast food market. Then again, 1985 may be written down as the time when humans took a cue from their bovine buddies and started grazing at mealtimes.

In terms of restaurants, 1985, was a less tumultuous year than those that preceded it. Other than in downtown San Diego, there were relatively few major openings, but at the same time, relatively few really important or interesting eateries went to that great dumpster in the sky.

What was noticeable was the speed with which national eating trends, which used to have difficulty booking passage to this county, made their ways here. The new, updated Cajun cuisine and its standard-bearing blackened redfish (the dish that made burned food fashionable) became ubiquitous. As a kind of gastronomic backlash to the depredations of the fast food chains, a number of flashy new burger palaces sprang up, including the hugely successful Fuddruckers (unfortunately, Mission Valley’s Bonkers closed after a few months in operation.) And “grazing,” or making a meal out of a succession of appetizers and small dishes, was introduced in a big way by such major places as Pacifica Grill and The Grand Tour. The continuing revival and re-interpretation of “American food,” which is all the rage in New York, San Francisco and other major cities, so far has failed to make much of a showing here, but appears to be on the verge. Perhaps it will be one of the big San Diego food stories of 1986.

Following is a list of local restaurants that were reviewed in The Times in 1985 and were found to be especially noteworthy. This list shows the continuing maturation of the San Diego County restaurant industry, which suddenly is daring to be daring, so to speak. Certainly, many places are showing a willingness to explore new methods and ideas.

All price categories are covered, from cheap eats geared to tight budgets, to major splurges designed for very special occasions. Price quotes given refer to the cost of a dinner for two, including tax and tip and, when appropriate, wine.

Splurge

At the very top of the splurge list we find Silas St. John (4720 Kensington Drive, San Diego; 283-8343), an unabashedly extravagant restaurant that occupies a restored, historically designated house in Kensington. With a serving staff dressed in turn-of-the-century apparel, a wine list that includes more than 350 entries, and a fixed-price menu that allows guests to build their own five-course banquets, Silas St. John stands as an oasis of luxurious dining. The menu changes frequently, but always has a French theme, sometimes revolving around new interpretations of famous dishes. Memorable preparations include a salad of duck confit, a soup of red bell peppers and crayfish tails, a filet of beef doused with a sauce of Roquefort cheese and Zinfandel wine, and a dessert of berry-filled cream puffs topped with chocolate sauce and liqueur-scented whipped cream. $100 to $130.

Also on the splurge list is Mille Fleurs (6009 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe; 756-3085), a well-established luxury restaurant that took on a new life at the beginning of the year when it came under the stewardship of noted restaurateur Bertrand Hug. The quality of the decor and service match that of the menu, which is one of the nicest in the county. Very French, this menu also takes classic dishes in new directions; especially good are its treatments of veal and seafood. Desserts achieve a certain pinnacle by managing to be simultaneously sumptuous and light. Price for two including wine, $80 to $120.

Italian

There was not much activity on the Italian front this year; Mr. Aldo and The Blue Grotto, both places that were somewhat odd but still quite likeable, opened and closed without eliciting much more than a yawn on the part of the public. But When In Rome (828 N. Highway 101, Leucadia; 944-1771) seems destined to remain indefinitely on the hit parade. This handsome, family-run bistro serves some very fine interpretations of classics borrowed from the length of the Italian peninsula, including unusual pastas (the spaghetti alla Norma teams fresh tomato and eggplant) and several excellent veal preparations. The semifreddo, a favorite Roman dessert, is worth a visit on its own account. $30 to $60.

New-Style American

The following five restaurants can be lumped together as belonging to a “new-style American” grouping, not because they necessarily have much in common menu-wise, but because they all seem devoted to serving adventurous foods that have serious American roots. But this is food with a flair, and food that the average grandmother would not remember from her childhood.

Richard’s (4015 Avati Drive, San Diego; 270-8661) tops this list, both for its pleasant decor and for its serious, expertly prepared cuisine. Chef/proprietor Richard Savitch revamps his menu daily, and offers guests such fine dishes as carrot soup spiked with caraway seeds, a wonderfully tender and flavorful rack of lamb, carefully finished fish, and a blackened filet mignon that reposes on a bed of tomatoed bearnaise and is among the ultimate in beef dishes. Savitch’s homemade pecan ice cream is one of the glories of the new American cooking. $50 to $80.

Another bright spot is the Lamont Street Grill (4445 Lamont St., San Diego; 270-3060), which serves a sparkling rendition of barbecued baby back ribs, a nice grilled chicken brushed with honey and tarragon, and, most memorable of all, a grilled chopped steak mantled with melted blue cheese that was as delicious as it was simple. The comfortable premises once housed the late, famous Casina Valadier. $35 to $55.

Jilly’s (5th Ave. at Hawthorn St., San Diego; 544-0940) may be remembered as the restaurant that turned Southern fried chicken into a salad. This downright frolicsome dish headlines a menu that includes a fair number of the new Cajun dishes--the creamed shrimp with eggplant and spicy sausage is especially good--an imaginative variety of appetizers, and a very good pecan pie. $30 to $45.

Oscar Taylor (Mission Valley Center, San Diego; 299-2811) is particularly notable for its triumph over both its shopping center location and its chain restaurant gimmickry. This restaurant serves some fine, straightforward American fare, including excellent barbecued chicken and ribs, beautiful steaks and veal chops, and tasty home baked breads and pastries. The portions are enormous, the ambiance pleasant but not at all dressy. $35 to $65.

Pacifica Grill (1202 Kettner Blvd., San Diego; 696-9226), the new downtown sister restaurant to Old Town’s Cafe Pacifica, is one of the more notable finds of the year. This restaurant strives to be one of the most up-to-date in town, and has recently inaugurated a menu that caters to the new grazing fad by offering a galaxy of appetizers and “small bites.” The chef has discovered Cajun spices, and uses them with abandon; she also shows a great partiality for chiles and other hot peppers. The results range from the brilliant to the frankly mediocre. But this is, overall, a reliable restaurant (a comment that can always be taken as a special compliment in this city of inconsistent food quality), and one that allows its patrons to be as extravagant or parsimonious as they please. $20 to $60.

Southern American

The Bottle ‘n Beef (4383 University Ave., San Diego; 283-8213) does not strive to be American, but simply is; the chef prepares the sorts of simple, Southern-style foods that remain the every-day fare of millions of people, but are almost impossible to find on restaurant menus here. Chittlins, fried rabbit, ham steak in red-eye gravy, fried catfish and barbecued ribs are garnished with a galaxy of country vegetables, including okra, black-eyed peas, red beans, butter beans, and fabulous fried corn heated with mixed peppers. $10 to $15.

Hamburgers

The untimely demise of Bonkers passed the standard in the burger battles to the fairly capable hands of Fuddruckers (locations around the county), which, like most chains, uses its share of gimmicks to pull ‘em in off the streets, but also rewards its clientele with good, simple food. The hamburger reigns supreme here, although steak and chicken sandwiches and a taco salad also are possibilities. It is a good burger, cooked to order within sight of the waiting patron, who takes it to a “burger-building” station and decorates it with as many garnishes, condiments and toppings as he pleases. $8 to $10.

The burgers may be best at Rory’s (6069 Mission Gorge Road, San Diego; 284-3617), a place created as a revival of the classic ‘50s drive-in. Grilled-to-order hamburgers are offered in a variety of guises, and there is absolutely no need at all to quibble with the grilled hot dogs (the garnishes limited only by the bounds of one’s imagination), French fries, and Cokes flavored with chocolate and cherry syrups. $7 to $11.

Unusual

The maturation of San Diego’s restaurant industry has brought with it a few eateries that might have appealed to P.T. Barnum. All offer good food, but all are decidedly different.

The cake probably is taken by Judson’s (3111 Sports Arena Blvd., San Diego; 225-9090), which performs some nouvelle tricks with such unlikely entrees as bear, alligator and rattlesnake. More traditional fare joins this menagerie, though, and chef Ernst Wally does a nice job of garnishing the plates with such imaginative and tasty tidbits as blue corn pancakes and sauteed cactus. The salads are visual works of art that one hates to disturb with a fork, and the sauces are prepared with a masterful hand. The saddle of hare in mustard sauce is outstanding. $30 to $50.

La Mesa’s Kappo (8384 La Mesa Blvd.; 466-7600) is not only Franco-Japanese, but, on occasion, Franco-Japanese- nouvelle. How many such restaurants can there be in the whole wide world? The steak tartare, prepared table side, is one of the best on record; also good is the F-J-n whitefish, ditto the beef Stroganoff. There is sushi for those who feel so inclined. The chef likes to prepare his version of crepes suzette at the table, and by all means, allow him to do so. $30 to $50.

The cooking at Cafe Angelique (2870 5th Ave., San Diego; 692-3370) is not really odd--it is rather the very personal cuisine of chef/proprietor Martha Fountain. Most dishes are based on familiar recipes, but each takes a sudden twist or turn that makes it very much Fountain’s own creation. These departures from standard recipes usually make for good dishes, too, especially in the cases of the melon-and-peach soup, the baked Montrachet goat cheese, the duck breast in plum sauce, the veal chops lombatino, and the white chocolate pots de creme. $55 to $75.

French

Traditional French cooking took something of a back seat this year in terms of restaurant openings. One place that is attempting something of a revival is Les Blanchard (16232 San Dieguito Road, Fairbanks Ranch; 756-2113), which offers such comfortable dishes as bouillabaisse, fish prepared in several pleasing manners, and a rack of lamb redolent with rosemary and garlic. All this is served in luxurious surroundings by a graceful, experienced staff. $55 to $90.

Asian/Oriental

One area in which there has been considerable growth is in the Asian/Oriental category, especially with the explosion in the numbers of Chinese restaurants in Clairemont and Kearny Mesa. But some of the real finds (other than Horton Plaza’s Panda Inn) are in the non-Chinese category.

Korea House (4620 Convoy St., San Diego; 560-0800), has all the trappings and aromas of an authentic Korean steak house. Diners sit at tables equipped with set-in metal grills, where they prepare various barbecued meats (beef, pork, chicken, tongue, heart, etc.). These are eaten with a vast array of traditional Korean condiments and side dishes, including the pickled vegetables (such as cabbage kim chee) that sometimes are spiced with a tongue-shocking dose of red pepper. The menu also offers a good selection of other traditional dishes cooked in the kitchen by chefs who seem to know just how to do them. $25 to $35.

For all its restaurants, La Jolla has managed to earn but one mention in this round-up, and that for a restaurant that is in some ways uneven. Ashoka (8008 Girard Ave.; 454-6263) is the first new curry house to hit town in years, and even though its service leaves something to be desired, the food can be quite good. The meals start with a rather nice split pea soup which, unlike so many Indian soups, is robust and well-flavored rather than watery and weak. The meat dishes seem well handled, especially the spiced lamb preparations, such as the mild gosht masala. The chutneys and Indian breads are very good indeed. $25 to $40.

Downtown

Much of the action this year has taken place in downtown San Diego, where the number of restaurant tables has been greatly augmented by the arrival of Horton Plaza and its various eateries, not all of which are yet open. The quality of these places is encouraging.

One of the most pleasant surprises of the downtown revival is The Grand Tour (510 Horton Plaza; 233-5923), which despite its size and the sheer volume of meals it serves, has taken the high road with its menu and level of quality. The restaurant features three dining rooms--a French cafe, an English pub, and an Italian restaurant--that offer inter-changeable menus, but are all themed around fairly light dishes. This is a grazing spot par excellence; a pair of diners can share an appetizer or two, move on to one of several fine pastas, and then finish with one of the thin-crusted Neapolitan pizzas that issues from the restaurant’s massive brick oven. The pizza alla putanesca may be best. $20 to $40.

P.J.’s Warehouse (200 5th Ave., San Diego; 234-2200) occupies a massive, remodeled warehouse at the very foot of the Gaslamp Quarter. Its menu looks at first like “kitchen sink” gastronomy, since the dishes are drawn from a remarkable melange of cuisines. The kitchen, however, turns out spicy Cajun dishes, milder Mexican preparations and a few Greek specialties with equal aplomb. The Greek spaghetti, Cajun shrimp and carne asada are all worth a try. $25 to $45.

Mexican

The area’s stock of Mexican restaurants was enriched considerably by the opening of La Mansion (4062 Bonita Road, Bonita; 475-6322), which despite a few flaws generally turns out well-prepared dishes that run far beyond the usual taco-burrito-enchilada course chosen by most of the area’s Mexican eateries. The enchiladas Morelianas are quite out of the ordinary, and include cheese-stuffed corn tortillas soaked with a heady brown sauce, and garnished with a generous sprinkling of fried potato cubes. $20 to $40.