San Diego, California – George’s at the Cove – California Modern (Chef’s Tasting Menu)

Restaurant: George’s at the Cove – California Modern (Chef’s Tasting Menu)
Cuisine: Modern American/Californian/Eclectic/West Coast
Last visited: December 22, 2012
Location: San Diego, CA (La Jolla)
Address: 1250 Prospect Street
Phone: (858) 454-4244
Price Range: $50+

1: Poor 2: OK 3: Good 4: Very good 5: Excellent 6: FMF Must Try!

Food: 4-4.5
Service: n/a
Ambiance: 4.5
Value: 3.5
Overall: 4.5
Additional comments:

• Chef Trey Foshee
• Pastry Chef Lori Huffman
• Modern Californian cuisine
• Seasonal menus
• Mostly local ingredients
• Sustainable ingredients
• Sophisticated/upscale
• Ocean view
• Award winning
• Fine dining room
• Casual wine bar
• Extensive wine list
• Cocktail program
• Vegetarian friendly
• Vegan friendly
• Mon. – Thurs.: 5:30pm – 10pm
• Fri. – Sun.: 5pm – 10pm

**Recommendations: “TBL 3” is the ultimate “foodie experience”, but I had the 6 course Tasting Menu. The “Fish Tacos” from the a la carte menu are supposed to be amazing and the vegetarian menu is a highlighted feature. The dessert menu is worth coming for alone: Doughnuts & Dips and Carrot Cake were favourites.  Try the GCT cocktail (off the menu).

Fine dining in San Diego? Hm. Hmm. San Diego is more tacos, burgers and gastropub than it is truffles, steak and white tablecloth, but that is not to say it doesn’t have a sophisticated market to feed. It’s San Diego – tourist friendly and retirement friendly. As I mentioned in Follow Me Foodie to San Diego, it is a very laid back and casual city. It is not the “food city” of California, but with Los Angles and San Francisco leading the State, it’s hard to compete.

However if you are looking for the ultimate fine dining experience in San Diego then George’s at the Cove will settle your haute cuisine cravings. It is located in La Jolla which is arguably San Diego’s most luxurious and affluent area. The restaurant overlooks the crystal blue ocean, and it is popular to locals and tourists looking for a sophisticated dining experience.

I was invited to George’s at the Cove for dinner and to be honest I’ve had my eyes on it for a while. It was the first restaurant on my Follow Me Foodie to San Diego itinerary and I’ve been following their food philosophy and creations online. I love fine dining as much as I do street food, but my infatuation is with the food more so than the ambiance, although you surely won’t lose out on ambiance here. The ocean view (above) is stunning and it is a main attraction. It might be considered as a “to be seen” place, but don’t underestimate what goes on in the kitchen and especially at California Modern.

George’s at the Cove has three restaurants and California Modern is their fine dining restaurant located on the bottom floor. It is often looked over by its louder and more casual sister restaurants Ocean Terrace and George’s Bar. Those two are catered towards a different market, and although I haven’t been, my interest and enthusiasm was towards California Modern. California Modern is associated more with special occasions, and its secluded and somewhat hidden location downstairs can be intimidating.

The ambiance was no doubt swanky and the extensive wine collection and cocktail bar is worth coming for alone. You don’t have to come for the full dinner and the lounge area is appropriate for pre-dinner or after dinner socializing.

Of course if you want the full experience than the dining room can’t be missed. I was slightly confused with the concept of the restaurant though. The white tablecloths were present, but the staff were all in runners and casual dress code, but it felt like fine dining. Formal European fine dining is never as well received on the West Coast, so it seemed to be aiming for more approachable, but I would consider it a nicer special occasion place.

Ambiance aside, the food was what I came here for. I have been following Executive Chef Trey Foshee and Pastry Chef Lori Huffman’s work for the last little while. They both really captured my culinary curiosity. Every dish they both created looked like art and the flavour combinations were original. They were on the same wave length. The food was very forward in thought and simply put, it was current.

To be honest, TBL 3 is what caught my attention the most. Although there are many menus and ways to dine at California Modern, TBL 3 is the ultimate experience for food and wine enthusiasts. It is a 12-14 course meal that is not for everyone, but it is what I think sets them apart from many traditional fine dining restaurants. Read more about it here. Unfortunately I did not plan properly and missed out on this unique experience (only available Tuesday-Thursday with mandatory reservations).

The celebration of vegetables is more or less where chef’s passion lies. The vegetarian courses is what California Modern and TBL 3 are gaining a reputation for. On a global scale the vegetarian movement is still on the rise, so there is plenty of room to see it grow (pun intended) and appreciated by non-vegetarians alike. The a la carte menu at California Modern is still balanced with meat, seafood and vegetarian options to cater to its local and out of town clientele.

Yes, I am a carnivore, but I do like vegetables. I listed it in my Top 10 Food Trends for 2013 and I do believe the vegetarian food scene will be gaining momentum in the near future. People are becoming more aware of local, sustainable and healthy food choices; thus many chefs are finding a new found love for vegetables and featuring them in creative ways. It is also incredibly challenging to do a vegetarian course well because most vegetables are 90% water. There is a fine line between “let the flavours speak for themselves” and “I can make this at home” or bland and under seasoned.

The menu I had was the Chef’s Tasting Menu which I enjoyed, but I was hoping to try more of his vegetarian items. I made no requests, but I think I scratched the surface with the tasting menu. Chef Foshee’s cooking style is very natural, delicate and light. So due to the nature of smaller sized dishes in a tasting course, it was difficult to get all the intended flavours with the limited portion or absence of some components. It was creative and very progressive in thought, but the flavours always seemed more mild than the description of the dish. Personally I enjoy stronger flavours, and I am still curious to see how he interprets his other menus.

Most of his dishes are olive oil based rather than butter based and he uses vegetable based broths and minimal sauces. It channels a love for Californian ingredients executed with modernist and traditional European techniques. It was refined, but still very approachable and safe for many palates. The presentation was near flawless and Chef Foshee is certainly an artist as much as he is a chef. The ingredients were well sourced and mostly local and it was a modern welcome to Californian cuisine, as the name California Modern suggests.

On the table:

Complimentary Bread & Butter

• I always comment on the bread and butter because it can say a lot about a restaurant. I’m pleased to say we were off to a great start! They cared.
• This was Levain (type of sourdough) bread served with black pepper, sea salt, house made seasoning salt and artisan butter.
• It was hard to eat only a slice. The bread was served warm with a rustic and crisp crust.
• The inside was soft, chewy, fluffy and still moist with a nice earthy sourdough flavour.
• I would think they are baking it in house; because being by the water they have the ideal climate for making sourdough and Levain bread.
• The house made seasoning was reminiscent of taco seasoning and I could taste smoky cumin and paprika.
• The butter was a highlight though and it made me eat more bread.
• It was Grand Reserve Butter made in Wisconsin.
• It is a sweet European-style butter with a 83% fat content and it was incredibly rich, creamy, flavourful and addicting.

Sunchoke – 4.5/6 (Very good-Excellent)

• Lobster, ikura, lemon cream, sorrel
• It was lobster knuckles, lemon cream, sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke), ikura (salmon roe), and fresh sorrel.
• The plating was gorgeous! It tasted as delicate as it looked and the flavours were quite mild.
• The sunchoke was smoked and then grated like a potato and naturally a bit sweet.
• It is also called a Jerusalem artichoke and it tastes like a tangy artichoke meets a refreshing and crisp water chestnut.
• It is a root related to the sunflower and not an artichoke. It was my favourite component on the plate.
• This one was intense with smokiness which I could taste when I had it alone, but it got overpowered when I tried everything together.
• Deep fried sunchoke crisps are also fantastic and add great texture and contrast to sunchoke plates.
• The lobster was perhaps poached until it was just cooked and drizzled with a fruity olive oil.
• There was a “Smoked Maine Lobster” on the a la carte menu as a main, but the lobster knuckles didn’t taste smoked.
• I liked that it was lightly dressed with California olive oil instead of traditional butter, although the Grand Reserve butter is still stellar.
• The lemon cream was a bit under seasoned and I couldn’t taste the lemon, but the saltier salmon roe helped give it flavour.
• The ikura was almost the only salt on the plate, but even so it wasn’t a salty ikura and it didn’t have a pop or bright flavour.
• The sorrel leaves are like thicker spinach leaves and they didn’t add much flavour as much as they played a role in colour.
• The plate looked very fresh and I expected it to be citrusy, but it was actually very tame and almost neutral in flavours.
• I actually enjoyed everything individually more so than together because each component had its own delicate flavour profile.
• It had good texture and warm colour and it was a nice and simple way to start the series.

Beef Tongue – 4/6 (Very good)

• Comté, charred onion, thyme pearls
• It was smoked beef tongue carpaccio, comté cheese, charred onion, thyme pearls and black winter truffle butter on crostini.
• I wasn’t expecting much nose to tail dining here so I was surprised with this plate.
• Beef tongue is one of my favourites and it was shaved thin and disguised as carpaccio.
• I almost thought the tongue was sous vide instead of smoked because I didn’t taste the smokiness, but it was incredibly tender and natural in flavour.
• It is naturally oily, so it was very moist.
• The sauce accompanying the carpaccio was rich and fragrant balsamic beef broth gels.
• It replaced the traditional balsamic vinaigrette with carpaccio.
• The gels were savoury and made with perhaps mushrooms and it had great umami.
• I enjoyed the flavours of the gel, but they were a bit chunky so it was slightly reminiscent of congealed sauce.
• The thyme pearls were very potent and intense with herb flavour and I wouldn’t have minded some lemon juice or acidity to them.
• The pearls had so much flavour on their own and it was almost stronger than the beef.
• All the sauces and condiments were well contained so the plating was quite clean and compact for a carpaccio.
• The comté cheese (unpasteurized French cheese) can vary in flavour depending on age, but this one was soft and a bit grainy like Parmesan, but nowhere near as salty.
• The plate was rich in textures, but it didn’t come across as rich in flavour.
• The combination of components played with savoury, sweet and subtly bitter flavours, but I did miss some acidity because it was slightly flat.
• I liked the charred onion, but I was missing either capers, pickles or lemon to just brighten up the flavours, but it was still good.
• The small crunchy crostini had a rich and creamy truffle butter, but the truffle was mild in flavour.
• The crostini was beautiful with some of the beef tongue and shaved comté cheese draped over top.
• It was a creative interpretation for carpaccio with some Parisian inspiration.

Chino Lima Bean Ravioli

Chino Lima Bean Ravioli – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Charred octopus, wild fennel, pine nut
• I loved this and it was my favourite savoury course of the night.
• It was a lima bean, ricotta, and lemon raviolo, charred octopus, wild fennel broth and pine oil.
• It was a vegetable based broth which graced the richer raviolo, and as odd as it sounds, it was as rich and savoury as it was delicate.
• The sauce was buttery almost like a beurre blanc, but I think it was olive oil based and there was a natural sweetness from vegetables.
• It was a very aromatic broth infused with fennel for a mild licorice undertone.
• It also had orange juice and likely some saffron for colour, but I couldn’t taste the orange or saffron really.
• There was also chili which I learned was it in later, but it was undetectable and not spicy.
• I could not taste any seafood stock or seafood flavour in the base so I was surprised it reached umami, but it did.
• There was also some lightly sautéed diced fennel bulbs and that just enhanced the fennel flavour in the broth. It was lovely.

• The raviolo was super fluffy and quite mild since it was ricotta cheese instead of something richer like goat cheese.
• The ricotta was puréed with the lima bean and lemon and it had a starchy texture which was lighter than a potato.
• It was a bit like egg yolk in texture and the skin was fresh, house made, thin, consistent, and al dente with a nice bite.
• The octopus was simply beautiful and it needed nothing.
• The octopus was cooked perfectly and it was a bit crispy from the charring and I barely had to chew it.
• I couldn’t really taste the pine oil and I would have loved something crispy, but it was an elegant plate that came off as effortless.
• It was Spanish, Mediterranean, Italian and Californian influenced and I could have had a full plate of this.

Daily Soda – Passion fruit

• I mentioned non-alcoholic cocktails and artisan sodas in my Top 10 Food Trends for 2013.
• This was actually closer to juice than soda because it either was not carbonated or had gone flat.
• It was a syrupy sweet passion fruit nectar infused with Buddha’s Hand fruit (lemony flavour).
• The drink was aggressively sweet and sour (not tart) and it was very fruit forward with passion fruit being dominant.
• Buddha’s hand grows in Southern California so I liked how they featured it here as their local ingredient.
• It is a lemony and sour fruit and it is commonly used for cocktails rather than cooking.
• It was nice to see it paired with tropical and exotic passion fruit and it was an appreciation for local and global.

Local Swordfish – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Seaweed, dashi, brassica
• From Paris to the Mediterranean, and now Japan. All the ingredients were still mostly from California though.
• He seemed to have a very delicate approach with showcasing seafood and it was no different here.
• Just like the Raviolo, this course was accompanied with a lighter broth which was poured at the table upon being served.
• It was a dashi broth which smelled like bacon and tasted like it was made from ham hock. It certainly had my nose excited.
• Traditional Japanese dashi stock is made from kelp, daikon and or bonito flakes (fish), so this was a bit different.
• I could taste a bit of soy sauce and it tasted like a meat broth, but it was still light, not oily, and wonderfully savoury.
• There could have been some ponzu as well because the sauce had some citrus acidity.
• The most interesting and intense dashi stock I’ve had was surprisingly not at a Japanese restaurant, but from Alinea – see Dashi from their “Scallop” course.

• I am used to hesitating every time I see “swordfish” on a menu, but luckily this was local.
• Almost all Swordfish from the Mediterranean is non-sustainable and because it is a predatory fish it is high in mercury.
• Being local swordfish I was less worrisome and Chef Foshee supports sustainable ingredients for his menus.
• In most cases I prefer the fish skin, but swordfish is best without the skin.
• Swordfish is similar to halibut and it is a very firm fish which can come across as chicken.
• It is easy to overcook and it can taste overcooked too. This one was moist and cooked well.
• It has a fishy flavour and it was pan seared on both sides and it would have been great grilled.
• The broth was the seasoning so it didn’t need to be seasoned too much and it wasn’t.
• The seaweed and brassica (mustard greens) on top were crunchy and almost raw.
• If it is not cilantro, green onions and ginger, then I almost always prefer mustard greens with fishier tasting fish prepared in Asian flavours.
• It was a good quality swordfish so it didn’t need a heavy marinade or sauce and it was a very natural and delicate dish.
• I do prefer other types of fish and because the flavours were so familiar to me, it wasn’t my favourite course, but it was still good.

California Lamb Loin – 3.5/6 (Good-Very good)

• Black truffle, cauliflower, Torrey pine needles
• It was Australian truffle, cauliflower purée and Torrey pine needles from Torrey Pine State Park in San Diego.
• So we visited various countries and cooking styles, but we ended with a final stop in California.
• I really love his clean plating and precise presentation.
• The lamb had beautiful colour and it was served medium rare, but it was a bit chewy.
• It was slightly gamey (some argue if it’s not gamey it’s not lamb, and lamb should taste like lamb).
• I’m sensitive to game, but this was not overly gamey and I think it would have been great sous vide first and then seared.
• It had good flavour and a nice peppery crust and the Australian truffle was used liberally and not just as a garnish.
• The truffle was woody in flavour and accompanied with a creamy, rich and savoury cauliflower purée.
• There was also a very tender and caramelized piece of cauliflower on the plate (covered by truffle in the photo).
• I could have used more demi glace, but given that the lamb pieces were small I just used the cauliflower purée and it was okay.
• I’m not going to start listing everything he did that was in my Top 10 Food Trends for 2013, but he was surely on point with almost every dish.
• Usually I’m not a fan of inedible garnishes, but the Torrey pine needle was symbolic for San Diego and I appreciated it.
• It was foraged and Torrey Pine State Park in San Diego is the only place Torrey pine needles grow. It was a charming touch.

Here are some a la dishes I didn’t try, but took photos of.

Grilled Local Octopus – n/a

• Potato, parsley, uni, seaweed, ikura, aioli $16 (Appetizer)

Smoked Maine Lobster – n/a

• Chorizo, pear, black truffle, gastrique, sweet onion, Chino Farms beans $50 (Main)

California Lamb Loin and Shoulder – n/a

• Charred eggplant, pumpkin, pine nut risotto, “lamb caramel”, pomegranate $40 (Main)

**GCT Cocktail – 5.5/6 (Excellent!)

• Gin, celery juice, tonic, Buddha’s Hand, smoke.
• LOVED this. It is off the menu, but available by request.
• It was my pre-dessert cocktail, but it would be excellent as a starter drink. It was very easy to drink and not too boozy.
• It was a coincidence but at the table next to me was @FoodieFlirt! She recommended me the GCT Cocktail which she tried at her TBL 3 experience.
• If you love gin and prefer it to vodka than you’ll appreciate this.
• It was made with Plymouth Gin which is a premium gin from the UK.
• It was gin forward and with such a good brand of gin you don’t want anything to overpower its natural flavour profile.
• They served the ice separately which was nice and it would be great to see the one giant clarified ice cube block, but that wasn’t a big deal.
• Celery juice and tonic are quite mild so it complemented the gin well without interfering.
• It was minty and herbal and the Buddha’s Hand was infused to give it that sour lemon flavour.
• Again, I loved the choice of Buddha’s Hand since it is local fruit grown in Southern California. Coming from Vancouver, it is exotic.
• It was a very refreshing drink and the sweet and sour was well balanced.
• The smoke was also quite mild and again their head bartender was in tune with the Top 10 Food Trends for 2013.
• It’s a good sign when you have one drink and it makes you want to go back to explore even just their cocktail menu. That happened to me here.
• It didn’t taste like liquid smoke, but my guess would be that the Buddha’s Hand was smoked in their actual in house smoker and then sous vide into the gin.
• Other smoked cocktails I’ve tried were at Hawksworth – see A Spirited Dinner ft. Whiskey Cocktails and West – see West Restaurant + Bar – Mourad Lahlou: New Moroccan Dinner.

**Pink Grapefruit Sorbet – 5/6 (Excellent)

• Finger lime, kaffir lime
• This was the palate cleanser before the dessert courses which is always ideal.
• Often in a 6 course Chef’s Menu they only give one palate cleanser or sometimes even none, but it was two here.
• They served the palate cleansers at the right time and because it was necessary. I appreciated it.
• This was incredible and so unique. The use of finger lime was also in my Top 10 Food Trends for 2013.
• Lemon and lime sorbets are good, but they get so boring and this was anything but boring.
• The sorbet was smooth in texture and consistent throughout.
• It was fragrant, sweet and tart, but not sour and also a bit floral from perhaps the kaffir lime zest.
• The finger lime caviar were the perfect garnish and I’m used to seeing them green, but this variety was pink.
• These finger limes were grown in California and they are crunchy pearls which pop in your mouth with a burst of bright and sour lime juice.
• The sorbet was refreshing and natural and the different flavours of citrus were well showcased.

Dessert Menu

It was finally time for desserts, which I always have a second stomach for. Originally the Chef’s Tasting Menu came with the Chocolate Mousse, but I wanted to try more of Pastry Chef Lori Huffman’s desserts. I have been following her work online and having the Chocolate Mousse just sounded too simple for what she is capable of. Mind you her Chocolate Mousse was seasonal and creative, but I just didn’t think trying one dessert would do her justice.

Based on the four desserts I ended up trying I would be convinced to come here for dessert alone. Actually I felt that way after trying two of them. Pastry Chef Huffman is incredibly talented and her style is aligned with Chef Foshee’s which is always a good sign of a strong kitchen duo.

**Doughnuts & Dips – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• Cinnamon caramel, pumpkin custard, maple yogurt, orange mallow creme $16
• This is a signature dessert here.
• Pastry Chef Huffman’s talent goes way beyond doughnuts, but I’m not surprised that this American childhood favourite is most popular.
• I like doughnuts, but I don’t get excited about them because it is just deep fried dough, but these, these were something else!
• For $16 I was expecting some pretty special doughnuts, but little did I know the portion is good for 4. Trust me, you want more than one.
• These have to be eaten fresh so I would rather 4 doughnuts for $10 just because “too much of a good thing” applies to this dessert. You don’t want to overdo it.
• It came with 4 house made dips which were so unique and different and it was hard to decide which one was my favourite.
• Cinnamon caramel
  • The caramel was very well executed and made patiently.
  • It was buttery smooth, creamy, not sticky or oily and not grainy in texture.
  • It was a very rich caramel and I could also taste the fresh cinnamon in it, but it wasn’t spicy.
  • It hardened like soft caramel candies when it got cold, but the flavour was of quality ingredients.
• Pumpkin custard
  • I love pumpkin, so I knew I would love this.
  • It was creamy and smooth and I could taste pumpkin pie spices and nutmeg.
  • It would have been great as a filling inside the doughnut too, but it tasted that way just by dipping it anyway.
• Maple yogurt
  • This was a good acid to break up all the sweeter dips.
  • I’ve had a dulce de leche yogurt dip before, but the maple was very good and I could taste it.
  • It was not Greek style yogurt thick, and it wasn’t too sweet at all which is good because the doughnuts were already sweet.
• Orange mallow creme
  • It was a super fluffy, non sticky marshmallow creme with the scent and zest of orange.

• It came with 6 softball sized doughnuts rolled in cinnamon sugar.
• You know the term “amaze-balls”? These were literally amaze-balls.
• It was the love child of churros and beignets. They reminded me of the beignets from Cafe du Monde in New Orleans.
• They were very fluffy, light, airy and yeasty doughnuts.
• They were clouds of deep fried dough and the dough itself was not that sweet or buttery, but the cinnamon sugar was what made it sweet.
• The cinnamon sugar gave it a slight crispiness which icing sugar does not give, and it was a grown up version of those mini carnival doughnuts.
• They were fresh, hot and tender non-greasy doughnuts which were good on their own, but even better with the dips.
• I would recommend ordering these, but I would also strongly suggest exploring the dessert menu for something more unique. Basically order two desserts.
• I listed this in my 2012 Top 25 Most Memorable/BEST Dishes Internationally.

**Carrot Cake – 6/6 (FMF Must Try!)

• Citrus, brown butter, lavender raisins, carrot ice cream $10
• If I was choosing my dessert a la carte I probably would have picked this one, but they all sounded original in thought and I really wanted them all.
• Well actually the Goat Cheese Panna Cotta sounded most adventurous, but I prefer cake to panna cotta.
• This Carrot Cake was fabulous! I have not obsessed over a carrot cake since THE Carrot Cake at Laurie Raphaël.
• I loved how the carrot was showcased in 4 ways: dehydrated crisps, puréed, shredded in the cake, and as an ice cream.
• There was a lot going on, but the components held their own individually and collectively. I could taste everything in a bite.
• The cake was very moist and tender with some warm spices and it wasn’t too sweet.
• The golden Sultana raisins were fragrant with lavender and presented outside of the cake which I actually liked.
• I like raisins and nuts in carrot cake and this didn’t have the nuts, but the raisins made quite the statement being presented on their own.
• The lavender raisins were very unique and a beautiful combination I’ve never tried. Think grapes or wine with lavender.
• I missed the traditional nuts for texture, but there was a sprinkle of pistachio powder which was mild in pistachio flavour.
• The carrot crisps were almost like carrot meringues and they gave the dessert nice texture.
• The brown butter carrot puree was also rich, smooth and creamy like a sweet and savoury custard.
• The quenelle of creamy carrot ice cream was made with good quality sweet carrots and I only wanted more of it to finish my cake with.
• The orange segment was an unexpected addition, but it was a nice and simple citrus component.
• I could have eaten a much larger portion of this and I also listed it in my 2012 Top 25 Most Memorable/BEST Dishes Internationally.

Goat Cheese Panna Cotta – 2/6 (Okay)

• Cranberry compote, orange segments, bacon, sage gel, honey foam $10
• This was the most adventurous sounding dessert and usually I am a fan of those desserts, but in this case it didn’t work out so well for me.
• I admire the creativity and I could see the intention, and all the ingredients worked together, but the execution I wasn’t as keen on.
• The presentation was beautiful, but it was more like a goat cheese tart than a panna cotta.
• The tart shell was not a crispy crust, but more like a puff pastry. I thought it was going to be a shortbread crust or nutty crust.
• The goat cheese panna cotta was actually quite goat-y and strong in flavour and not that sweet.
• I think I would have liked it better as a fluffy and creamy cheesecake rather than a firmer panna cotta.
• The bacon croutons were nice and crispy and it made for good texture.
• It was my favourite component and it helped the panna cotta.
• The honey foam wasn’t quite strong enough, but it was made well and held its shape.
• It didn’t absorb into anything and kind of made the pastry a bit soggy, so I missed traditional honey or even honeycomb.
• The cranberry compote was made with plump whole cranberries which reminded me of Thanksgiving especially with the bacon.
• The orange segments lent a nice acidity so it was almost like a fruit chutney with the cranberry compote.
• The components just seemed quite separate and nothing really melted into each other or combined so it was hard to appreciate as a whole.
• It was a fruit and cheese plate acting as dessert, but it didn’t come together as well as I had hoped although it was certainly original and different.

Chocolate Mousse – 4/6 (Very good)

• Espresso madeline, roasted pumpkin, cinnamon meringue $10
• This was a seasonal special.
• It was not a creamy, silky, custard like mousse, but it was a very dry style of mousse.
• It was a bittersweet chocolate mousse made from cocoa powder and it was smooth and consistent with chocolate flavour and not just sugar.
• It was light, airy and almost powdery in texture, but very rich in flavour.
• The crust was a very thin nutty wafer crust with perhaps almond crumbs (?), but it wasn’t thick enough to really pick out.
• It seemed to be there to just hold the mousse in place and it had absorbed moisture so it was a bit soft and wet.
• I liked the crunchy texture from the cinnamon meringue although the cinnamon was quite mild.
• The use of cinnamon was apparent in a few desserts which is generally common in San Diego being so Mexican/Latin influenced.
• The meringue was quite substantial and thick for the size of the torte, but I still liked it for bringing texture to the mousse.
• I never get too excited about meringue as a component or garnish just because it sounds a bit simple, but I am a texture person and it is better than nothing.
• The espresso soaked madeline was very strong with espresso and it was reminiscent of lady fingers in a tiramisu.
• It actually kind of reminded me of a pumpkin pie spiced chocolate tiramisu when I ate all the components together, and I even could have used some mascarpone.
• I loved the cubes of roasted pumpkin and I actually started eating this dessert with the pumpkin custard dipping sauce from the doughnuts.
• I found the other desserts more creative and interesting, but this would be generally liked by all. And of course the doughnuts can be appreciated by all ages too.