Whisknladle (August 2012)

Date of Dining: 8/16/2012
Price: $10-17 appetizers. $18-30 entrees
Location: 1044 Wall St, La Jolla, CA 92037
website

The Quick Bit

+ great cocktails

+ constantly changing menu of seasonal ingredients
+ knowledgeable and friendly service

Δ somewhat limited appetizer selection

I last covered Chef Ryan Johnston's Whisknladle about 11 months ago for restaurant week 2011. As I had a great experience at the time, I thought it was about time for another visit - this time to hype them up for the rest of the summer.

Cocktails

Previously, I mentioned the great cocktails that Whisknladle served; Whisknladle used to actually be one of the Snake Oil establishments prior to that company being purchased. The drink that really put Snake Oil on the map was the London's Burning, which still remains at Whisknladle today. The other drinks have been changed, but if you are into cocktails, make sure you don't miss the London's Burning.

London's Burning - gin, jalapeno, avocado, lime

The London's Burning is my favorite cocktail. The jalapeno adds a nice spicy kick to the drink, but is mellowed out by the fresh taste of the avocado. The lime really adds the extra taste of freshness to round out the drink.

envy - gin, cucumber, lime, mint

The Envy seems to be the Whisknladle take on a mojito, and it really delivers. The drink was very refreshing and really had the correct balance of all the flavors. The most surprisingly good part of this drink was that the delicate flavor of the cucumber was not lost in the mint. I got a nice hit of cucumber with every sip of the drink.

Appetizers

cutting board - fennel salami, blue cheese, soppresata, duck pate, bruschetta, olives, pickled french beans

The cutting board (half size) was a great way to start the meal. All of the elements were house made and delicious. Visiting a year later, I feel that the level of charcuterie at Whisknladle has really risen. I really enjoyed both the soppresata and the duck pate

flatbread - heirloom tomato puree,  fontina, pickled red onion, house bacon, arugula

The flatbread was amazingly well-prepared. The heirloom tomato was reduced down to the point where it acted as a tomato sauce but it was one of those super rich and flavorful tomato sauces. The tomato alone could have carried the dish, but it was elevated by the crispy house cured bacon and fontina cheese. While this wasn't quite a pizza, it was easily the best pizza I've had since my visit to Pizzeria Mozza.

Entrees

pan seared scallops - chino farm corn, chanterelles, sage brown butter

Sometimes the simplest things are the best, and this was easily the best dish of the night. Just like last time, the scallops arrived and were extremely fragrant - they really made my mouth water. The corn puree and corn was of incredible chino farms quality as well. Usually the sweet on sweet of the scallop and corn would be too much, but there was a depth of sweetness to both the corn and the scallop flavors. The chanterelles grounded the dish with an earthy finish.

roasted niman ranch lamb leg - chino cranberry beans, charred eggplant, arugula

It's always hard to follow up a truly great dish, and the lamb had to follow the scallop in this case. While the lamb was cooked perfectly, the flavors did not really sing. However, the mint-thyme sauce was a nice surprise as it contained a strong hint of thyme in addition to the traditional mint. The real star of this dish was the charred eggplant, which managed to get infused with lamb flavor.

Dessert

white chocolate panna cotta - walnut cake, rapsberries, port gastrique panzanella

I was somewhat afraid that the white chocolate would make the panna cotta too sweet, but the sweetness was really well managed. While I commented previously that I thought the desserts could be improved, they definitely have improved in the course of a year. The panna cotta was excellent in both texture and flavor.

Conclusion

One year later, Whisknladle is chugging along as strong as ever. The scallops are still my favorite dish, the cocktails are excellent, and the desserts have improved. There were some minor technical mishaps that held the food back a bit, but those mishaps only prevent the award of the gigabyte. Whisknladle easily retains the megabyte award and should be part of any visit to La Jolla.

Read more...

Wich Addiction Breakfast - Flash

Date of Dining: 6/15/2012 

Price: $6-9 per dish

Location: 6625 Flanders Dr Suite B, San Diego, CA 92126

website

The Quick Bit:

+ now serving breakfast (all day)

+ free delivery

+ sausages made in house

Δ breakfast service could be faster

Since the last time I covered Wich Addiction, they have gone through a number of menu changes. The most noticeable menu addition has to be an entire breakfast menu available all day.

The primary menu attractions seem to be a number of hashes and a number of benedicts based around different proteins. While all the breakfast options were available with free delivery, I decided to stop by to check out the new menu.

The Food:

charred jalapeno and pepper jack benedict with house sausage

The eggs were poached perfectly, but the real surprise was how well composed the dish was. The sausage was made in house and contained some caramelized maple flavor to give it a nice sweet finish. To contrast that sweetness, the grilled jalapeno I received contained a real kick in spice. The combination of sweet and spicy with the homemade hollandaise to tie the entire dish together was a huge winner.

The side of potatoes was a good breakfast potato side as well. The potatoes were well-seasoned and well cooked. The perfect complement to the hearty proteins.

Conclusion:

With coffee from Cafe Virtuoso, pastries from Bread and Cie, and their own selection of house-made breakfast, Wich Addiction is a great stop for breakfast on weekdays or brunch on weekends.

Read more...

Wich Addiction - Grand Opening

Date of Dining: 4/12/2012 
Price: $3-4 sides, $8-11 entrees
Location: 6625 Flanders, San Diego, CA 92126
website


The Quick Bit:
+ Great technical cooking temperatures
+ Diverse menu of sandwiches and salads
+ Braised short rib flavors
Δ Seating can be difficult during rush hours

I previously covered the Wich Addiction soft opening, so it was only natural that I made my way back for the grand opening. When I first started covering food trucks, I mentioned that many of the early food truck pioneers entered the business because they wished to own their own restaurant, but otherwise did not have the money to do so. Those owners either made the food truck into their version of a mobile restaurant, or used it as the seed to eventually establish their own storefront.

As the bubble of food truck popularity begins to burst, the long term viability of food trucks will ultimately lie in the abilities of their owners to convert to brick and mortar locations. While a few more successful trucks may continue to always operate, the more secure path to a future lies in the establishment of a successful restaurant. 

Dyann and Mark Manning, owners of the Devilicious Food Truck, are the first in San Diego to make the jump from food truck to brick and mortar restaurant. In a little more than 15 months of operation, the Mannings have been able to use the seed money from the food truck to fund their own restaurant.While the restaurant isn't a huge Cohn monster in terms of space, it is the next step in a potentially larger future.

For those that don't remember Dyann Manning (or those who remember her as Dyann Huffman), she went to the CIA and honed her skills with Tom Colicchio at Grammercy Tavern. When I spoke with her, she stated that once the business gets going, she plans to hold some special events at the new restaurant where she may show off more of her fine dining skills. Stay tuned for some of these future updates. In the meantime, she is constantly adjusting the menu at Wich Addiction and gearing it up for both delivery and catering services to the surrounding Sorrento Valley area.

The concept of Wich Addiction is a casual American eatery; it will offer both sandwiches and salads and primarily focus on lunch and early dinner. All the meats for the sandwiches are roasted on site and everything is made fresh, including the chips that accompany each sandwich order. In addition to the salads and sandwiches, there are some "other" entrees including a poutine (which speaks to Dyann's Canadian roots) and a grilled penne.

Salads:

fennel salad with crispy pork belly

The fennel salad had a nice flavor as it integrated the flavor of fennel with the manchego. The cherry tomatoes brought some sweetness and acidity that brightened up the dish. My only complaint with the dish was that the crispy pork belly didn't seem to integrate well with the other elements of the salad. 

panzanella salad with seared scallops

To this day, the panzanella salad I ordered from Devilicious was one of three best things Dyann has ever served me. It is with great pleasure that I can report the panzanella salad is back and to stay at Wich Addiction. In fact, this version of the panzanella salad is superior to the previous because it is made more freshly. However, the mix of the balsamic with the cucumbers, tomatoes, bell peppers and arugula is still a winning combination that carries the core flavors that I previously experienced at an even more elevated level. 

beet and citrus salad with seared sea scallops

Perhaps the biggest surprise to me came with how much I enjoyed the beet and citrus salad. The sweetness of the beets is really emphasized against the sweet acidity of the oranges in this dish, and I was really pleasantly surprised with the intensity of flavor. This is definitely a salad for beet lovers. I would never want to pick between this salad and the panzanella salad as they are both really good. However, if you are in the mood for scallops, I would advise more towards the panzanella as the sweetness of the scallops is lost a bit when held against the beets.

Sides:

I previously covered the friend yummies that also fall into this category, so that really only leaves the deviled eggs.

deviled eggs

Note: I ordered the deviled eggs while they were fried, but I believe they have now been changed to not include the parmesan panko crust

The deviled eggs were very well done. This was the classic deviled egg with the twist of the small crunch when biting into the egg white. I really felt that the frying worked in heightening the flavors of the deviled egg, but it does seem labor intensive to make them.

Non-Wich Entrees:

I already covered the poutine previously (which is utterly amazing), and the only other item I've tasted is the penne:

short rib penne - grilled asparagus, cherry tomatoes, spinach, parmesan 

The penne uses the same brasied short rib as the poutine, but perhaps with less of the gravy. The savory braised sauce of the short rib really carries through,  but the stars of this dish was the perfectly grilled asparagus. The asparagus gave a textural contrast while also being cut in roughly the same sized chunks as the pasta, and really carried the dish to success. 

Sandwiches:

house roasted beef - lettuce, tomato, onion, sharp cheddar, bloody mary aioli

The bloody mary aioli really made this dish work - it helped the beef retain moistness and provided a seasoned contrast to the flavor of the beef. The beef was well roasted and tender. Perhaps the most important part was that the roast beef didn't contain any of the connective tissue bits that get stuck in between your teeth.

stuffed burger - angus patty stuffed with gouda, lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickle aioli

This is Dyann's take on the jucy lucy. As usual, the patty was cooked to a perfect medium rare and the flavor was definitely in the patty despite it not being grass-fed beef. I was a little worried at first at the size of the bun, but the added thickness of the double-patty held up to the thicker bun (and the thicker bun looks way better for presentation).

house roasted turkey - provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno aioli

This was easily the best sandwich dish I enjoyed. The jalapeno aioli was the star of this dish - it made my mouth sing and complemented the roast turkey perfectly. The aioli was the perfect blend of flavor and spice, and really enhanced the flavor of the roasted turkey.

Conclusion:

Dyann is off to a great start with Wich Addiction, and I can't wait to see how the menu evolves over the next few months. The quality of the sandwiches is really high as all the meats are freshly roasted on premises, and there is the added extra flair of a professionally trained chef cooking in the kitchen. As with any new restaurant, there are still some kinks to work out so don't expect a michelin starred experience if you go. However, I believe the Mannings have adapted their winning food truck formula into a winning restaurant formula. I also look forward to the special events that Dyann may have in her mind.

For the great food with excellent technical precision, Wich Addiction is awarded the kilobit award. 

Read more...

Wich Addiction Preview Soft Opening

Date of Dining: 4/2/2012 

Price: $4-8 per item

Location: 6625 Flanders, Mira Mesa, CA 92129

website

I'm back a little early, but this is just a teaser post. Back when I first covered Devilicious, I mentioned that many food truck owners operate the food truck to try and open their own proper restaurant. I will cover this a little more in the subsequent post, but Devilicious owners Dyann and Mark Manning have converted their food truck dreams into a proper brick and mortar location.

Instead of extending the Devilicious name, they decided to call the new restaurant Wich Addiction and build up a new following. The menu is completely different from the food truck, but features some "retired" favorites from the truck in the restaurant. While the food will remain strongly rooted in comfort food, many of the dishes will be things that cannot otherwise be served in a food truck.

Wich Addiction is set to have its grand opening on April 12, but you can check it out ahead of time during its soft opening. Just be patient as they work out some of the kinks. I will have full coverage of the location for its grand opening. Until then here are some of the highlights.

Wich Addiction First Day Menu

The menu features a range of sandwiches, salads, and "special" appetizers. It is not too much unlike the Devilicious Food Truck Menu in its first incarnation.

The coffee and tea is provided by Cafe Virtuoso, and is created using a reverse osmosis water system to give a pure and clean flavor to all the coffee and tea.

passion fruit iced tea

 I really enjoyed the ice tea and felt that I could taste some of the natural sweetness in the tea despite there not having any sugar added.

chili fried yummies

The arancini-style fried yummies are back! The first flavor of the month is the tried and true chili flavor. These were better than I remembered them as there did not seem to be any over or under-seasoning issues with the yummies. I'm glad they are back and look forward to the mushroom risotto yummies again in the future.

corn beef sandwich - house kraut, swiss, dill pickle aioli

All sandwiches are served with thick-cut house made chips. The corn beef was cooked so well that I felt I didn't need to chew the beef. The seasonings were spot on and the kraut and aioli rounded out the proper flavors. While it may not have been piled high like a Jewish deli, the flavors were really strong and well-rounded.

poutine - red wine braised short rib, new york sharp cheddar, french fries

While this poutine lacked the chese curds, Dyann assured me that this was an otherwise authentic Canadian poutine. I'm not sure what it was but the short ribs were cooked to be perfectly tender and packed full of braising liquid flavor. I liked that the braising vegetables were also included. I felt this was one of the top three dishes that I've ever been served by Dyann, and it shows a lot of promise for what is yet to come.

Wich Addiction is off to a great start and is now open for business. 

Read more...

2011 Gastrobits Awards

As 2011 is now over, it seems only natural to have some sort of concluding post to round out the year. While some other bloggers have done some form of 2011, I decided to go ahead and do the "geeky" thing and give a bunch of different awards.

Kitchen 1540 - Seared Foie on Volcanic Stone

Before I get to the awards, I'll go ahead and give a preview of what is in store in 2012. For most of the past year, I've only done one post per week. Starting sometime (soon) in the next year, I'd like to start updating twice a week. While I would love nothing more than to give the same detailed review coverage twice a week, it's probably unlikely that I will be able to. To that end, I've come up with two new "types" of blog posts:

1. The Flash: The Flash will be a smaller review. Sometimes I go to a restaurant by myself and I only order a few things. I mean to go back and visit and order more things, but I don't get around to it. Rather than sitting on these reviews, I'm going to start giving some coverage of these places. Restaurants featured in The Flash will not be eligible for awards until they have been flashed at least 3 times.
2. Interrupt: Besides the initial posts on China, I've largely kept my coverage San Diego based to this point. The interrupt will feature coverage of restaurants outside of San Diego (primarily in Orange County and LA). Some interrupts will be longer and feature full tasting menu reviews while others will be more like a flash. Restaurants featured as an Interrupt are eligible for awards.

In the new two-update per week format, my tentative plan is to have one post be the same full-length review that I have been posting up to this point, and the other post be either a flash or interrupt.

The Awards:

Now that the business is out of the way, let's go ahead and get to the awards. Some of the content you will see will likely be things that you haven't seen in a post up to this point, and may be featured in a post in the near future. Being geeky means that I'm going to have to have a ridiculous amount of awards, so here are the award categories: Note - Items featured in one category are not eligible in another category

• Best Protein Encased by Carbohydrates - This award is meant to encompass any form of sandwich, taco, burger, or other meaty filling surrounded by some sort of carb.
• Best Savory Baked Carbohydrate with Toppings - This award is meant to name the best pizza, flatbread, or similar concept food item.
• Best Ethnic Indian Dish
• Best Ethnic East Asian Dish 
• Best Ethnic European Dish
• Best Ethnic Latin Dish
• Best American Dish
• Best Dessert
• Best Food Truck
• Best Random Unexpected Item
• Best Overall Raw Dish
• Best Overall Cooked Dish
• Best Progressive Meal
• Best Overall Dish

Best Protein Encased by Carbohydrates

Winner:

Blanca - Lamb Burger

The lamb burger from Blanca was the winner for me in this category. The lamb was a grass fed, happy pastured free range lamb from Bakersfield, and was cooked medium rare and juicy. The bun was baked in house, lightly buttered, toasted, and the correct bread to meat ratio. The cheese was a truffled pecorino that added a large amount of flavor to the dish. While this burger was originally going to be showcased in the fine dining burger shootout, I never did manage to go to enough fine dining restaurants and just order a burger. Also, I figured it wouldn't be fair to feature this burger in that category any longer as Blanca is long closed...

Runner-Up:

Devilicious - Soft Shell Crab Club

The Soft-shell crab club at Devilicious features a soft shell crab with bacon wrapped in a cheesy sourdough sandwich. What really makes this dish for me was that the soft shell crab is of high quality and fried just right so that the flavor of the roe in the crab is still retained.

Best Savory Baked Carbohydrate with Toppings

Winner:

Pizzeria Mozza - Fennel Sausage Pizza

The fennel sausage with the leeks and fennel pollen really brought out all the flavors in this dish. Combined with the legendary Mozza pizza crust and this pizza was easily ran away with the victory.

Runner-Up:

Pizzeria Bruno Napoletano - Brunoverde

While Pizzeria Mozza had an excellent pizza, the Brunoverde still holds the top spot for me of San Diego pizzas. The Brunoverde has the exact correct balance of richness and pepperiness, and was a white pizza on top of it.

Best Ethnic Indian Dish:

Winner:

Surati Farsan - Dahi Puri

The Dahi Puri contained exceptional balance of flavors, and really surprised me that I could find a dish of that caliber in a (relatively) small mom and pop place. The key to this dish for me was the tamarind date mint water.

Best Ethnic East Asian Dish:

Winner:

Da Dong - Peking Duck

The Peking Duck in Beijing was exceptional. The way the skin was fried along with how well the rest of the duck was cooked to maintain flavor and moisture was a real surprise for me. I also enjoyed how Da Dong had three different methods for eating the duck.

Runner-Up:

Ikko - Black Truffle Uni Chawanmushi

The flavor of the uni permeated into the entire Chawanmushi. Above the top layer, there was a layer of black truffles that added an amazing richness to the entire dish.

Best Ethnic European Dish:

Winner:

Cavaillon - Black Truffle and Scallop Veloute

While I was underwhelmed by some of the other dishes at Cavaillon, this dish left me completely satisfied. The richness and purity of flavor in the veloute was extremely impressive to me. Alone, the veloute was already amazing, but coupled with some raw slices of scallop and black truffle, and this dish was elevated to a higher level.

Runner-Up:

Blanca - Charcuterie Selection

I was ready to award this for just the Ciccoli, but then I remembered there was a charcuterie that contained duck mousse, lamb speck, and even a chicharrone. This plate was almost too much to hope for and contained an amazingly fine selection of high quality charcuterie.

Best Ethnic Latin Dish:

Winner:

Super Cocina - Birria Soup

The goat soup at Super Cocina contained a healthy dose of that low and slow gelatinous broth as well as some very tender goat meat. The combination of spices in the soup was a great flavor combination and contained just the right level of spice to compliment the goat.

Runner-up:

La Playita - Super Crazy Tostada

This ceviche from La Playita contained all of the various seafoods available at the restaurant - fish, octopus, scallop, shrimp. While it was a huge portion, it had an amazing combination of flavors and was well-prepared.

Best American Dish:

Winner:

Whisknladle - Maine Diver Scallops

The Maine Diver Scallops were loaded with flavor and cooked perfectly. The capelin roe that topped each scallop was a truly amazing touch as the saltiness of the roe added a nice taste of the sea and contrasting textural element to the dish

Runner-Up:

Blanca - Sous-vide Brisket

The sous-vide Brisket dish at Blanca was one of my favorite dishes of the year. One of the best ways to sum up the dish was a comment I heard about the dish from another diner - "Wow, is this what beef is supposed to taste like?" The preparation of the dish really highlighted the grass-fed flavor of the beef along with a great meat to fat to chewiness ratio.

Best Dessert:

Winner:

Nine-Ten - Strauss Yogurt Panna Cotta

The Strauss Yogurt Panna Cotta contained the best overall composed dessert. The panna cotta had the correct texture and the additional elements on the plate added a balance of sweet, sour, and crunch to round out the dish.

Runner-up:

Blanca - Goat Cheese Semifreddo

What set this dessert apart from the rest of the field was the inclusion of the fizzy melons with the dessert. This allowed the dessert to act as a palate cleanser along with being a great dessert in its own right. However, the fact that it was also a palate cleanser is what kept it from being just the best overall dessert.

Best Food Truck:

Winner:

As the only food truck to get a dish into another category, it comes as no surprise the Devilicious was my favorite food truck of the year. The only real question to me is if any other truck can knock them off the pedestal in 2012...

Best Random Unexpected Item:

Winner:

Rancho Valencia - Ramp Butter (top)

Not only was the ramp butter delicious, fellow blogger Gourmand's Review and I still talk about it in hushed reverent whispers. It's a shame that I didn't get a good photo of the butter in the foreground.

Runner-Up:

Blue Point Coastal Cuisine - English Pea Veloute

While the veloute wasn't a real surprise, the syringes that it came served in was a big surprise, and it was a lot of fun to eat. To add to the surprise factor, the coating of espresso at the nozzle added a great touch of flavor and really elevated the dish.

Best Overall Raw Dish:

Blanca - Still Life of Local Waters

The Still Life is one of Chef Gavin Schmidt's signature dishes, and it is well deserved. The still life has a great deal of umami from the dashi covering that completely complements the high quality seafood items encased. The smoked avocado puree adds the great smoky depth of flavor which is contrasted from the sweetness of   the apples.

Best Overall Cooked Dish:

TBL3 @ Georges - Onion

The Onion at George's was a huge surprise to me. Each layer of the onion peeled and contained a slice of black truffle, and the entire dish was cooked in a precise technical manner. The dish really captured the essence of the truffle. The comte provided a great contrast in saltiness and milky flavor. Another truly wonderful element of the dish was the aroma, which was entirely of the truffle.

Best Overall Progressive Menu:

Blanca - Last Supper

With the way the awards were stacking up, it should come as no surprise that Blanca earns top honors. On attending the final meal at Blanca, I was treated to a his/her menu containing one of every item off the menu at Blanca. In terms of breadth, this menu was extremely impressive. However, what was more impressive was simply that every dish was extremely well executed and tasted amazing.

Best Overall Dish:

Blanca - Dumpling

To find the best overall dish of 2011, you have to go all the way back to the first tasting menu I had of the year. The pork dumpling with foie gras and black truffle was easily the best and most memorable dish of the year for me. The dumpling was brought out in small cups with lids that when lifted completely enveloped the room in the wonderful truffle aroma. To top off the richness, the inclusion of foie gras threw this dish over the top. The dumpling itself was well constructed and the dumpling skin was hand rolled of the exact correct thickness.

Conlcusion

With the start of the blog in 2011, I truly had my best eating year of my life. I met many wonderful people and had many great experiences. It will be tough to top the year, but I'm excited to try and make 2012 even better than 2011! I hope you loyal readers have enjoyed the ride so far in the year and will continue to follow me in the future. The comments I get about my blog from the readers is what inspires me to continue. Please don't hesitate to add some feedback now and again to keep me going. :)

Read more...