THE GALLIVANTING GOURMET: Eating well, Craftsman-style

Fine dining in America originally meant a steak house. Delmonico’s in New York opened in 1837 and began a tradition that continued until French cuisine emerged in the ’60s as the one-plus ultra of elegant fare. Americans eventually grew tired of elaborate fussy food in small portions, and there was a backlash. Suddenly, steak houses were reappearing everywhere, like paparazzi at Britney Spears’ house. Even before Mastro’s and Mozambique in Laguna Beach, there was the Salt Creek Grille, which has been open for 11 years in Monarch Beach.

Built in the California Craftsman style with natural dark woods and intricate joinery, reminiscent of the Japanese aesthetic, this warm and inviting space begins on the terrace with an outdoor fireplace surrounded by comfortable seating where you can have one of their famous martinis while waiting for your table. Below, a large patio area features alfresco dining in the warmer months.

Within the large high-ceiling room inside, a spacious cocktail lounge is dominated by the centrally located bar surrounded by tall tables where one can drink and dine.

The dining room proper is mostly crafted wooden booths that create a nice feeling of privacy once you are seated. They are softly lit with attractive replicas of Craftsman Style lamps, enhancing the intimacy of each space.

An open kitchen features a spacious grill where burgers, steaks and seafood are prepared. You can watch your meat while it’s on the heat!

We were seated by the hostess but then left to our own devices for quite a while before our waitress arrived with bread and water, although after that she was quite attentive.

Because it was Earth Day and the L.A. Times front page said that eating beef was the un-greenest thing you could do, we decided to explore the rest of the menu. What can you eat in a steak house if you aren’t eating steak?

Here, the options are numerous. For starters, there is an excellent Ahi tuna stack. Buttery tuna is combined with avocado and cucumber in a perky wasabi ginger soy sauce.

The flavors and textures give your tongue a roller coaster ride: from crunchy to smooth, from pungent to salty and back again. Also, a cheese plate with dried fruit and candied nuts and cured meats, all provided by our own Laguna Culinary Arts.

The hand-cut calamari rings are wider than usual, which means you can really taste the seafood. The calamari itself was unusually tender and sweet, and the breading was very light. Unfortunately, the oil it was fried in could have been fresher. The two accompanying dipping sauces were a delicious sweet-hot mustard and a forgettable, one-dimensional, acidic remoulade. Go for the mustard sauce.

Most everything here can be cooked on the grill, even the salad! Caesar over mesquite arrived with a tasty, well-balanced, creamy dressing, an abundance of sweet asiago shavings and a pathetic piece of white bread, toasted on one side with a mere trace of garlic oil. Bring back the croutons! With the exception of the bread, the salad with its hint of smokiness and just the right amount of dressing was a definite palate pleaser.

A nice selection of fish offers a tasty alternative to that hunk o’ beef. There is a daily market fish, which can served grilled, blackened, pan seared or oven roasted, as well as a daily special fish preparation. Salmon, sea bass, halibut, tuna and scallops are also offered.

On the evening we dined, the special was opaka-paka, a Hawaiian sea bass served with a raspberry cream sauce. For a cream sauce, this one was remarkably light and beautifully balanced by the fruity, slightly acidic taste of raspberry. Sadly, the fish can be described only as rubbery. When we complained, the waitress quickly took it back to the kitchen and offered to prepare another serving or a different dish altogether. We said, “chef’s choice.” He prepared the evening’s market special — mahi-mahi. Although the fish was moist and tasty and served with a delicate lemon butter, it had been cooked on the mesquite grill and the outside was burnt rather than seared, leaving a bitter aftertaste.

Among the other Salt Creek specialties are the very reasonably priced inflation busters: herb roasted chicken, chicken penne pasta and the grilled vegetable stack with portobellos, tomato, mozzarella, spinach and eggplant.

We know, however, that most of you are probably coming here to eat meat. The two hand-cut, mesquite-grilled steaks are a New York strip or filet mignon. For a $2 surcharge, you can add Maytag blue cheese, wild mushrooms, caramelized balsamic onions or bearnaise sauce.

There is a selection of burgers including a Kobe beef burger, barbecued ribs and the house special double-cut pork chops with hot apple chutney.

To top off your meal, remember to order in advance if you want the chocolate ganache soufflé with Fra Angelico whipped cream. Otherwise, you may make a selection from the proffered dessert tray. Choose from brownie or New York-style cheesecake, apple tart, flourless chocolate torte or crème brûlée.

We had the sorbet trio, which would have fed three people. The mixed berry, lemon pistachio and passion fruit sorbets were accompanied by a very generous portion of lovely, slightly sweetened fresh berries. The lemon was punctuated with pistachios, an unusual and felicitous combination.

Live jazz is performed Wednesday through Sunday; on Sunday, there is a Jazz brunch.

Editor’s Note: a printing error eliminated three paragraphs and 30 years of Kim Allen’s biography in the All About Food column, “Taking a life journey through cooking classes,” in the April 18 issue. Below is the missing portion:

Kim maintained her interest in food, but it wasn’t until graduate school at Davis that she had a kitchen of her own and could pursue her penchant for parties. “Why cook for two or three when you can cook for 20 or 30.”

It was there that she began a Halloween party tradition, an annual shindig that continues to the present day. The most recent featured a mashed potato bar and hundreds of baby tamales that looked like witch brooms, put together with the help of her husband, Gary Phillips, a mathematician and very exacting sous chef.

It was right after graduate school that she and her partner Jim Lee began a general contracting business.

When she married and moved to Laguna 26 years ago, she continued to pursue her passion for entertaining. She also discovered that hallmark of Southern California life — the barbecue grill. They love it so much, they barbecue even when it’s raining.

After many years in the contracting business, she found herself burning out.

IF YOU GO

 WHAT: Salt Creek Grille (949) 661-7799

 WHERE: 32802 S. Coast Hwy., Monarch Beach

 WHEN: Dinner: 7 days: 5 p.m.-closing,

Lunch: Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Sunday noon-5 p.m.

Happy Hour: Monday-Thursday 5-6:30 p.m., Friday 4-6:30 p.m.

Sunday Brunch: 10:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

 PRICES:

Appetizers: $7-$16

Entrées: $15-$37

Desserts: $7-$13

 WINE:

Bottles: $23-$340

By the glass: $6-$22

Flights: $2-$8

Corkage Fee: $15

ELLE HARROW AND TERRY MARKOWITZ owned a la Carte for 20 years and can be reached at [email protected].