Which Chef are you? Which Chef do you work for?

When it comes to our favorite restaurant Chefs there are three kinds: the Surly Old Schooler, the Friendly New Schooler, and the Hybrid.

A.) The Surly Old Schooler: This Chef is classically trained in the school of hard knocks. The way they do things is the way things are done...because it’s been working for over 150 years. Their kitchen is silent. Everyone in the kitchen speaks French, even though no one really speaks French. Days off are given only for exorcisms. They get recipes out of cookbooks, not cyber space. They became Chefs to be badasses, not divas. This Chef does not give a flying fish about your fancy culinary school, what “industry superstars” you have worked for, or the way you did things at your old place.

B.) The Friendly New Schooler: This Chef doesn't care about the rules, in fact, breaking them is a little more his or her speed. If you can’t fry it, smoke it, cure it, or braise it, it’s probably not making the menu. They serve parts of the pig that pigs wont eat. They are animal lovers with tattoos of pork chops. They care about locality, sustainability, and cigarettes. Using magic, they will extract liquid from a solid, freeze it with gas, light it on fire table side...and this will be third course. They pair food with beer because wine is for dorks. They have never been to a Michelin Star restaurant because dressing up is for dorks. This chef screams a lot, but only because the music is so loud.

C.) The Hybrid: This chef has extensive training in old school French technique and has nacho cheese on the menu . To this chef, on time is 30 minutes early in a clean pressed uniform, hangover permitting. Smoking weed at work is unacceptable and will not be tolerated...it is to be taken care of either before or after. This chef does not listen to music in his or her kitchen. He or she would rather sing. This chef uses molecular gastronomy in a mature, controlled manner. If you have a faster way, do not keep secrets because to this chef because time is money...and his or her back hurts. 

What do these Chefs have in common? Love for life and passion for our craft. Which one are you?

San Diego Restaurant Week 2013..."Don't Be That Guy."

It would be naive for someone in our field to expect what we do to be taken as seriously as we want it to. At the end of the day, it’s just food. I want so badly for everyone to care that we ONLY serve lamb from colorado and to understand our reasons for doing so...but everyone doesn’t, and that’s fine because honestly it’s kind of weird. The undying love and sometimes overly obnoxious in your face passion for our culture doesn't happen over night. For most it’s rooted in an experience earlier in life: cooking with mom during the holidays, having a hot dog with your pops at a ball game, getting baked in college and discovering the fascinating complexities of a pint of rocky road. I encourage everyone to search out those special food experiences that take a deeper hold on you then the dollar menu. With that said, San Diego Restaurant Week is upon us and there is no greater opportunity to embrace the euphoric buzz of a food high. If the chance arises to step out of the “lunch” box (totally lame I know, I promise it won’t happen again), I say do it. If not, maybe next time. But more important than mustering up the courage to try the “goo inside those bones” is that you surround yourself with the people you love and truly celebrate what the San Diego restaurant scene is offering.

Keeping that in mind, what should serve as a time for positive restaurant promotion and community encouragement often lines restaurants up in front of a firing squad. So hey, food guy, if you plan to come out and partake in the celebration that is a meal during San Diego Restaurant Week, we welcome you with open arms. However, before you load bullets into your type writer, just a quick heads up. The portions will be slightly smaller, the restaurants will be louder and busier, and even though you called an entire 45 minutes ago to make your reservation, you may kindly be asked to wait a few moments. And how about this year you leave your notepad at home, show up a half an hour early, grab a seat at the bar and try to absorb what is really going on around you. Worst case scenario you’ll get slightly tipsy, make some friends, and have a good laugh at our expense...with 6 days and over 190 restaurants participating, chances are you will find something to fall in love with.

Because we like to support a good thing.

We at EatThisSd are more than just food lovers. We are animal lovers. We are music lovers. We are life lovers. Please take a moment end enjoy this incredibly powerful short film by our good friend Adam Feuerman. Any hope I had of ever being considered even slightly talented was totally abandoned after viewing this. Put on some headphones, crank up the volume, and enjoy. The message is very real.Video: Fly Fishing for Mako Sharks www.flyfishinsalt.comAngler Mark Martin tells all about fly fishing for makos, including his hook up with an 800-pounder.
 

Let The Witches Burn

And....We’re back! Our quest to bring you the best of SD was put on an unexpected hold as 2012 brought more to the table than I could have ever imagined. Let me give you a little run down of how my year played out. I earned the title of Jr. Sous Chef (whatever the hell that means) for 60 or so hours a week in the opening of a new restaurant. When the time came, I followed my Chef and spent the next several months working as his Sous Chef and played an influential role in the development of a new, local, seasonal, chef driven menu. I started to study food photography and spent a good amount of time taking terrible pictures of really good food. My wife and I spent three weeks on a culinary inspired journey through eight major cities in Japan. I filled any free time I had with things like working as an Event Chef for several different catering companies, or helping my Chef at various benefit dinners throughout Mexico and San Diego. I worked a freelance gig as a prep cook for Food Network Canada. I completely gave up any form of family or social life for an average of $11.00 an hour, and do you know why? Because people who choose this industry love what they do. Even more so...they are obsessed with it. 

And then there’s this guy. The “I spent 4 years eating instant ramen while getting my Journalism degree, so that qualifies me to totally slander the local Mom n Pop ramen shop to get people to read my desperate review.”  We all know this person. The self-proclaimed “food critic” with no former industry experience, but 27 different words for “bad”. The person who gets upset that their rare steak is not “HOT in the middle”.

“I was appalled when the server told me they didn't have romaine lettuce. What kind of restaurant doesn't have romaine lettuce?”

“When my duck arrived at the table, it was an unsightly medium even though I made it very clear to the server I wanted medium-rare-plus.”

“I couldn't believe what the staff was wearing. All covered in tattoos and piercings. The place was crawling with hipsters.”

What the hell are you talking about Mr. Food Critic? If this is how you go about your restaurant outings you totally missed it. You missed the experience at hand. You missed what the Chef and employees are offering. And if you call yourself a “foodie”, maybe you should reconsider what you are looking for in a dining experience. If you demand a brightly lit dining room, average noise levels, speedy service, bargain prices and comforting offerings, McDonalds is happy to have you. Restaurants like this are designed to cater to the consumer’s every need. Don’t get me wrong. I fucking love McDonalds. It’s terrible. It’s awesome.  Anyway, I’m not saying that hurtful food critics with no industry experience only deserve fast food. That would be ignorant. By all means, feel free to visit one of those restaurants with 100 menu items and 200 varieties of cheesecake, or perhaps a spot with football field sized plates of ravioli rushed to the table by a flashmob of singing waiters. With this variety in mind, please Mr. Food Critic, please frequent your local farm to table, chef-driven restaurant concept and embrace the opportunity at hand, and if its not your thing...just don’t come back. Besides, what more then owning a laptop qualifies you to voice your opinions so strongly in a manner that does nothing but exploit a good thing? There is nothing worse then a food writer (or any writer for that matter) who feels the only way he or she can get people to read the crap he or she writes, is to make a mockery of the topic at hand. If you don’t want an egg on your burger, don’t order it. If you don’t like the idea of pop-up restaurants, don’t go to one. But please keep your nasty opinions to yourself. So many times it seems a review is published with no intention but to hurt a restaurant or Chef’s image. Mr. Food Critic tell me, do you know what it REALLY takes to put out that dish you are about to leave in a pool of literary blood?  Besides years of education, training, dedication, loyalty, blood sweat and tears, it also takes passion, heart and soul. Great cooks sacrifice everything for their restaurant. They miss weddings, birthdays, holidays, child births, anniversaries. They show up an hour before their shift, work through their break, and after 10 hours on their feet and 5 straight hours on the line, they scrub down the kitchen, pack up their knives, go home, review their daily notes, kiss their sleeping family, and get ready for the following day. So please, before you verbally attack an entire restaurant because YOU would have done things differently, take a step back and think about what sacrifices were made to put your meal on the table.  

So we finish with this...

What makes you qualified to be a food critic? The ability to swallow? Because you can taste salty, sweet, spicy, and sour? Hot and cold possibly? Because you heard about umami in a soy sauce commercial? Congratulations! Try picking out some unannounced FLAVORS used in the dish. Describe the technique required for that perfect risotto. Tell me about the butchery skills needed to french that lamb rack. 

I watch movies. I don’t review them. You know why? Because I have zero training in the film industry. What kind of self indulgent asshole feels their un-educated opinions hold enough validity to skew the decisions of others. And even more so, why would someone who claims they love food go out of his or her way to verbally assault a Chef or a restaurant. A few harmful words is all it takes to cast a spell over once faithful restaurant patrons. We are a community and a pro-active one at that, and any resident, more specifically any food critic, intentionally hindering the progressive forward motion of our community should kindly be asked to leave. In other words - Let the Witches Burn. There is nothing wrong with constructive criticism, as long as it’s coming from an educated, reliable source. Just because you grew up eating the blue box, doesn't mean you should be name dropping Batali in your latest pizza shop review. Over the last year many have tried, and maybe even succeeded in ripping EatThisSD...but that's okay... shit’s about to get real. EatThisSD.com. IN SUPPORT OF CHEFS, RESTAURANTS AND COMMUNITY.

P.S. If you were offended by this you probably should be. To everyone else, we love you tons and tons and look forward to a delicious 2013.

Bitchin' Baby Back Ribs

It’s time to BBQ….but wait, don’t light the propane. We’re cooking with smoke today – the real way to BBQ. Everything else is just grillin’. Living with roommates in culinary school was truly eye opening. I had friends from just about every part of the country: Pennsylvania, Virginia, Northern California, North Carolina, the list goes on and on. Each of them grew up with local cuisine that defined their region...cheesesteaks, venison, crab…but the one that truly caught my attention was slow cooked, southern-style pork. Whether it was a whole hog, pork shoulder, or ribs I became obsessed with it. So much so that as soon as I arrived home to sunny southern California I purchased a smoker. Not electric, but a true log burning, man tending, barrel smoker with an offset firebox. Don’t get me wrong, nothing about the learning process was easy. Many years of ruined meat and lots of hungry people waiting into the early morning hours for what I hoped would be a tender bite. It takes practice. However now, when people ask me what my fortay is when it comes to cooking, I would like to believe it is BBQ. I’m posting this to give light at the end of the tunnel for the BBQing newcomer. So light the wood, pour the bourbon, and lets “Q.”

Here is what you will need:
Dry rub
Ribs
Wood
BBQ sauce

First things first. Your flavor comes from four places: your meat, your choice of wood, your sauce, and most importantly your dry rub.

On Dry Rubs:  

A Dry rub is a combination of spices rubbed into the meat the night before your BBQ begins. Professional Pit Masters take this very seriously. Recipes are not to be talked about or shared. A basic format includes paprika, salt, and sugar. But many championship recipes have been known to include spices such as oregano, ancho chili powder, and even coffee grinds. It’s really up to you. Play with different ratios and combinations until you find something you love. I’ll start you off with something basic but delicious. Make it in large batches so you always have it on hand. You never know when an impromptu BBQ will break out!

Dry Rub Ingredients:

Paprika          1 Cup
Kosher Salt      1 Cup
Sugar            ½ Cup
Garlic Powder    ¼ Cup
Onion Powder     ¼ Cup

Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl, whisk together.
- Prep ribs. Wash under cold running water. Dry. Liberally apply dry rub to both sides of the ribs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

On Ribs:
When it comes to pork ribs you have two choices: pork loin ribs (also known as baby backs) and spare ribs. The baby backs come from the upper part of the rib cage. They come off the loin, the same cut a pork chop would come from. These babies are smaller in size than the spare rib and less fatty, but because they are considered to be more naturally tender than the spare rib, they are one of the most expensive cuts from the pig. Spare ribs come from the lower portion of the rib cage. Higher in fat, but unless properly cared for during the cooking process they are generally tougher. A Pit Master always has his or her own personal preference. Today we went with baby backs.

On Wood:
When choosing your wood, it’s really up to you. Here are the general guidelines. Hickory is a go to for everything and friendly towards most meats. I reserve Mesquite for shorter cooking meats such as chicken as it tends to create a bitter, almost sour flavor after many hours. Hard woods such as almond and walnut are ideal for long cooking meats such as brisket as the smoke is generally light, mellow, and smooth. When it comes to pork, I always go with apple wood. I find it to be robust on the nose, but not overpowering on the palate. They choice is yours, but once again, play around with it.

On Smoking:
Here comes the fun part, let’s light a fire! When it comes to BBQ, low and slow is where it’s at. You are shooting for between 200 and 225 degrees inside the smoker. Don’t worry if it gets up to 250. I have never found this to be a problem. I usually start my fire with 3 or 4 logs and then feed it 1 log every hour or two as needed. It took me a while to learn this part, so pay attention. It takes me about an hour to get the smoker to the temperate that I want, and this is how I do it.

Method:
- Put cardboard in the firebox, stack logs on top, douse in lighter fluid, and allow it to soak in for about 15 minutes.
- Light your fire. I allow the fire to burn for about an hour so the flames die down and embers start to develop.
- Close the firebox and monitor the internal temperature for a few minutes. If you’re sitting between that perfect 200-225, you’re golden. Let’s smoke.
- Add the ribs, close the lid, turn on some music, crack a beer, mow the lawn, wash your car, walk your dog….you got some time on your hands. I check the temperature periodically. When it gets down to about 200, I add another log. Ribs generally take about 4 hours not including the hour to light a fire…5+ total hours. If you’re shooting to eat at 7, plan accordingly! Once you can pull an end rib from the rest of the rack with little effort, you’re there.
- Wrap in foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes or so.

Very Important! Rest your meat!

On Resting:
When heat is applied to meat it causes the muscle fibers to tighten up. When it comes to a steak or chicken, professional cooks allow the meat to “rest” uncovered for around 5-10 minutes. The temperature rises about 7 degrees, but the muscle fibers relax and the juices that were forced to the surface settle back into the center. This is called carry over cooking. We do it uncovered because foil will cause the external temperature to surpass what we are looking for. However, when it comes to BBQ pork, the fat in the meat doesn’t fully break down until about 195 degrees. After the smoking is complete, many Pit Masters will wrap their pork in foil…this is called the “crutch.” Because heat was applied for such a long period of time and the meat has had many hours to tighten up, it only makes sense that it will take a much longer time for it to fully relax. Foil will cause the temperature in the meat to rise, but since we are not looking for perfect medium rare, but rather tender, pull-apart pork, the added rise in heat is actually preferred. After about 30 minutes in the foil, the muscle fibers relax and you can literally pull your ribs apart

On BBQ Sauce:

And finally the sauce. BBQ sauce is as demographically unique as the meat itself, maybe even more so. For example, Kansas City is known for darker molasses based sauces. In Texas, thin tomato and vegetable based sauces are the norm, almost resembling tomato soup. The eastern sided of North Carolina prefers clear, vinegar based sauce, and the western side’s Pit Masters lean towards a thicker, sweet and sour ketchup based sauce. It’s really up to you. One of my best buddies Jake is from Ashville, North Carolina, and his ketchup/vinegar based sauce has grown to be my favorite….with my own twist of course. We’ll start you off with something basic, then you can get creative!

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
Apple Cider Vinegar     1 Cup
Ketchup                 1 Cup
Dry Rub                 ½ Cup
Black Pepper            2 Tablespoons
Brown Sugar             2 Tablespoons

Method:
- Combine all ingredients in a pot.
- Simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.

I’m not gonna lie, when it comes to BBQ, it takes some practice. More than following a recipe, it requires natural feel, a little soul, and lots and lots of love. You will find yourself adding logs, removing logs, fanning the fire, opening and closing the smoke stack. I cannot guarantee you perfect product your first time out as I have spent hundreds of hours by my pit. But hopefully with the help of this basic guide to southern BBQ, your pork will fall apart with ease. It’s currently my favorite way to cook so please return, as EatThisSD.com will eventually cover all of my smoked favorites. Until then, light a fire, unfold your lawn chair, grab a frosty drink, sit back…and wait.

West Coast Wings

So far we have given you some insight on places that we think put out pretty awesome food...but we here at EatThisSD can make some pretty rockin’ grub ourselves. This week instead of a restaurant review, we bring you step by step instructions on how to make the best wings I have had since New York. Some say they’re better, but I guess it just depends on where you’re from. I should tell you, I take wings seriously and just a heads up, it’s a 3 day process. (WHAT?!?! FOR WINGS? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?) So please, pop open a cold one, sit back, and let EatThisSD show you how to make chicken wings “West Coast Style.”

Day 1

Brine Ingredients:
Water               1 Gallon
Kosher Salt         1 Cup
Lemons              3 ea.
Garlic Heads        3 ea.
Thyme               1 bunch
Parsley             ¼ bunch
Peppercorns         2 Tablespoons
Bay Leaves          10 ea.

Method:
Halve lemons and garlic heads through center. Combine all ingredients in a pot large enough to hold wings and brine. Bring to a boil, let it roll for 30 seconds, turn flame off and chill overnight in the fridge. If short on time, boil only half a gallon of water and add 4 pounds of ice. Whichever way you choose, the important piece is making sure the brine is fully chilled before adding the wings. (If you do not own a pot large enough to hold the wings and brine, put the wings in a clean, scent free garbage bag and pour brine over the top. Tie the bag tightly to ensure the wings are fully submerged.)

Day 2

Ingredients:
Woodchips(I usually go with apple wood or hickory)
Duck fat or Olive oil    1 gallon

Method:
- Separate wings at the joint using a sharp knife and add to the chilled brine. Leave in the refrigerator for 3 hours.
- While waiting for the wings, set up your smoker for cold smoking (80-120 degrees).
- Remove wings from brine, rinse thoroughly.
- Place wings directly onto the smoker grating. Smoke wings for 1 and a half hours.
- Preheat oven to 185 degrees. Pack wings tightly into an oven safe vessel. Cover with warm duck fat or olive oil.  Place in oven for 30 minutes. Remove, let cool at room temperature, and refrigerate over-night

On Cold Smoking: Cold smoking occurs when the temperature inside the smoker is between 80-120 degrees adding smoke flavor, but not cooking the selected product. Once the smoke rises above 120 degrees you are hot smoking: slowly cooking the selected product (but let’s save that for a later post). My smoker has an offset fire box, so I’ll explain how it works for that set up. Fill a pan with woodchips. (Most bags will instruct to soak the chips in water. Cooks have their own weird philosophies and mine is that wet wood chips make the smoke musty, causing the meat to develop a damp, musty flavor. I believe dry wood chips deliver a crisper, sharper, and harder smoke flavor. But play with it, see what works best for you.) Ignite 3-4 coals. Once they are glowing red, place them on one side of the pan of woodchips. A thick, lazy smoke should develop within minutes.  If not, add more coal, but make sure your smoker doesn’t peak above 120 degrees.

On Confit: Confit is a French term used to describe something that has been cooked and preserved in fat. It’s one of the oldest food preservation methods in the world. The most familiar is Duck Confit. Duck breast, heavily salted, covered in duck fat, slowly cooked until tender, and then seared to a crisp. It is awesome.  DUCK FAT RULES! (It’s hard to come by, but I guess it’s one of the perks of being a professional cook. Your local neighborhood butcher may carry it, but if not they can probably order it for you.) If you’re following at home, you technically just made Chicken Wing Confit! Your wings are now fully cooked and can be stored in the oil, under refrigeration, for several weeks. Good luck with that though as there will be no left-overs after this 3 day adventure.

Blue Cheese Dressing Ingredients:
Mayonnaise                  2 Cups
Sour Cream                  1 Cups
Blue Cheese Crumbles        ½ Cup
Parsley, minced             ½ Cup
Apple Cider Vinegar         ¼ Cup
Onion minced                ½ onion
Garlic turned into paste    2 Tablespoons
Worchester                  2 Tablespoons
Lemon Juice                 2 Tablespoons
Black Pepper                2 Tablespoons
Lemon zest                  2 Teaspoons

Method:
Combine all ingredients in bowl, mix well. Chill overnight to allow flavors to meld.

On Blue Cheese: This is more of a guideline than a recipe. If you want more kick, add more vinegar. Not a fan of garlic, forget about it. Recipes like this are fun because it gives you the chance to play around with flavors. It also helps to make you a better cook.

Garlic Paste Method:
- Peel and mince garlic
- Season aggressively with salt to extract moisture from the cloves
- While holding your knife flat, apply pressure to the garlic. With a sweeping motion, pull the flat edge of your knife across the cutting board. Basically, smash the garlic down into your cutting board with a flat angle of your knife. Make several passes until the garlic resembles paste.

Day 3

Buffalo Sauce Ingredients:
Onion minced                1 ea.
Garlic cloves               10 ea.
Carrot minced               1 ea
Habanero minced             1 ea
Hot Sauce of your choice    2 Cups
(My sauce will remain a secret. Let’s just say this, it ain’t Franks)
Butter                      ¼ lb

Method:
- Sweat first 4 ingredients together in a sauce pan. (cook covered and over low heat until vegetables release their moisture, but refrain from adding color)
- Add Hot sauce, simmer for 15 minutes or until sauce thickens a bit.
- Buzz in blender. I call this my “buffalo base”. I make large batches of this and keep it in the freezer.
- To make wing sauce, heat buffalo base in pan. Once warm, slowly whisk cold butter into the sauce.

BBQ Sauce Ingredients:
Ketchup                  4 Cups
Apple Cider Vinegar      1 Cup
Paprika                  ¼ Cup
Salt                     ¼ Cup
Brown Sugar              ¼ Cup
Garlic powder            6 Tbsp
Onion powder             6 Tbsp
Black Pepper             6 Tbsp

Method:
- Combine all ingredients in pot, stirring occasionally. Simmer 25 minutes until mixture thickens and sauce darkens from caramelization.
- Toss in a few tablespoons of butter just for good measure. Keeping it healthy.

Parmesan Sauce Ingredients:
Butter                   ½ lb
Garlic minced            5 cloves
Onion Powder             2 Tablespoons
Cheap, canned parmesan   1 Cup

Method:
- Melt butter. Add garlic and onion powder and allow to steep in warm butter for 15 minutes.
- Toss wings in butter, then liberally coat in parmesan

Fry Time:
- Preheat oil to 375 degrees. Fry wings until crisp and golden brown. Approximately 6 minutes
- Remove from oil
- Toss in desired sauce

On Frying:
Because the wings are fully cooked at this point, I choose to fry at a high temperature to quickly sear the outside, while allowing to inside to remain moist and juicy. Enjoy and don’t forget the extra paper towels!

So there you have it, 3 days to the tastiest chicken wings since the Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York. I imagine if you wake up early and dedicate the entire day to this process, you could be lickin’ sauce off your fingers by sundown. However, as my favorite and THE most feared instructor at the CIA, Chef Roe, used to say…”GREAT FOOD TAKES DAYS!” So don’t rush it. Embrace the craft and I promise, if you treat your food well, it will return the favor!

Extraordinary Desserts

Growing up it went like this: come home from school, do homework (or not…usually not), sit down for dinner, and maybe if I was lucky there would be some sort of dessert. However, like many households, dessert wasn’t an option if my meal wasn’t finished. But why mom? Why is dinner a prerequisite to have something sweet? And every parent’s go to response…“You know why…BECAUSE I SAID SO.” I hated those words. What a cop out. That’s all you got? Really? But mom is the boss and it worked every time. So now, at the ripe age of 26…sometimes I make rash decisions, sometimes I get really crazy, sometimes…I completely skip dinner! Dessert calls and I enjoy answering.  I’ll be honest, savory food is usually my preference, but not Megan. Sweets are her kryptonite. So when I suggested we have dessert for dinner, she was more than ecstatic. That is how we found ourselves at Extraordinary Desserts.

When we arrived at Extraordinary Desserts, we didn’t know what to expect. All we knew was that the eatery specialized in pastries and they were located somewhere in Little Italy. Whenever I think of a dessert bakery, I usually envision a small café style setting offering dry brittle cookies, mediocre lemon tarts, and other subpar things of that nature. I picture these sad treats to be several days old, poorly prepared, and left to die a depressingly stale death in their small viewing window. So as we pulled up, I was in awe. It was massive. What appeared to once be a warehouse was now an inviting restaurant/café mixture that was sure to please. As you walk in you can’t help but spend several minutes salivating over the dozens of beautiful pastries on display in the counter window. You think you are safe after gathering the strength to pull yourself away from the counters only to find yourself faced with a fantastic array of cookbooks, a tea selection that rivals any tea house, and a never ending supply of European knickknacks and bric-a-brac. All that in just the first few feet of the entrance. A hostess greeted us and we were quickly ushered to our table. Greg, a good friend and roommate from culinary school, joined us for this one. As we sat down, we realized Megan was nowhere to be found. Like a kid in a candy store, she was still at the front of the establishment, hands on the display case, eyes wide open, drool glistening from her lip. I literally had to pull her from the alluring showcase.

Extraordinary Desserts is the creation of Chef Karen Krasne. As an alumnus of Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and several other highly acclaimed French culinary programs cultivating her impressive pedigree, it’s easy to understand why she was a James Beard House featured dessert chef in 2002, one of the Top 10 pastry chefs in America in 2003, and is consistently voted Best desserts in San Diego. The establishment hasn’t missed a best dessert of the year award since 1992. We fully understand why.

After reviewing the menu for a short time, we were greeted by Whitney.  Friendly, approachable, and extremely knowledgeable, she was more than happy to give us insight into her favorites. As we were about to order one of everything on display those four dreaded words popped into my head, “because I said so.” Fine!  Something savory first. Not a hard decision as their cheese selection was exquisite. The table decided on a tasting of three complemented with the appropriate wine pairings.  Megan’s choice was the sheep’s milk Pecorino from Ginepro, Italy. This firm crumbly cheese was quite sharp on the first taste, but as the flavors developed, it revealed a nutty finish and underlying sweetness. It was complemented with black truffle oil and honey, both of which enhanced the inner complexity of what is sometimes considered a fairly simple cheese. The Pecorino was paired with Chapallet. This medium bodied Bordeaux style cabernet blend offered a floral aroma complementing the earthy truffle oil, and had deep flavors of currants and black fruits that paired nicely with the sweetness of the honey as well of the saltiness of the cheese.

If offered, I will never pass up a Brie. This French Cow’s milk double cream was wonderful. Rich, buttery, and creamy, it was accompanied by a beautifully sweet and savory tomato chutney.  Whitney’s pairing for this was Old Soul Zinfandel. This old vine Zin offered cherries and berries to the nose with an intense medium to full bodied mouth feel displaying robust, earthy vanillas. The intensity of this wine cut the richness of the Brie, while the background notes of vanilla complemented the smoothness perfectly.

And then there was Greg’s choice: Ping Pong Surfing Goat. If you think the name is unique, wait till you try the cheese. This Goat’s milk cheese is native to Maui, Hawaii. It is hand rolled into spheres about the size of well, ping pong balls. The outer consistency is that of fresh mozzarella with a fresh, tart, spreadable center, comparable to warm cream cheese. Topped with sweet mango chutney, this was my favorite of the three. Pombal do Vesuvio, a port grape based wine teamed up with these little balls perfectly. Sweet, sugary raspberry when inhaled, but surprisingly tart on the palate. I asked Whitney if they had a sommelier on premise because of the quality of the pairings, but she informed us they did not and the servers were in charge of all the pairing. We were impressed.

Ok, now for dessert….(here came that voice again. DAMN!) After a quick skimming of the menu, my tongue wanted something salty. I noticed the charcuterie board and the decision was made. The board was beautifully arranged with 6 month aged salt and pepper salami, herbs de provance dry salami, Serrano ham, wholegrain Dijon mustard, organic bread and butter cornichons (awesome mini pickles), and balsamic caramelized onions. Paired with Ben Marco Argentinean Malbec. The aroma of the black cherry and currants teamed with the deep plum and raisin of this full bodied wine could not have been a better choice for the huge salty flavors of the salumis. Presented with grilled bread from Bread & Cie, we were more than happy to take one last detour before dessert.

So finally! No more guilty conscience! The real reason we came. We asked Whitney her recommendations and if any of the desserts might be portioned on the smaller side. Nope, no way, not a chance, not even an option. These extraordinary desserts are massive and all are gorgeously decorated with vibrantly colorful flowers and swirls of fun. One delicious choice could easily have been shared after the amount of food we just consumed, but where is the fun in that? We ordered and patiently awaited our creations. The desserts arrived. Megan was presented with the Giandia: Myers Rum laced chocolate cake layers with hazelnut butter cream, chocolate mousse, topped with crushed pralines and served in swirl of hazelnut crème anglaise and boysenberry chocolate ganache. The dense cake was texturally wonderful between the airy chocolate mousse. The pralines added a crunchy bite while the tanginess of the boysenberry brought a classic fruity essence to the richness of this chocolate monster. Talk about some chocolately goodness. Megan was in heaven and we weren’t too far behind.

In front of Greg was placed the Tres Leches. Cake layers soaked in three milks (whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk) and a splash of Myers Rum filled with creamy custard and finished with toasted coconut. This fluffy white beast was accompanied by crème anglaise with an ornate design of black berry and peach. Tres Leches = Tres Delicioso. The creamy layers left you wanting more and more. Unfortunately, Megan and I only got to taste this once as Greg inhaled it before we had a chance at a second.   Tres Leches = we may need to make a trip back to try it again.

And at last came my lemon meringue cheese cake. I’m thinking I will be presented with a traditional wedge of cheesecake with a garnish of some sort. How over the top could cheese cake be? Well, miles and miles over the top to be exact. I didn’t know whether to eat this beautiful creation or decorate a shelf in our house with it. This personal sized cheese cake is light and dense at the same time. Does that make sense? No? Well try it and you will see what I mean. Sweet but not too sweet, lemony, but not too sour and topped with an airy meringue that is bruleed until toasty. This masterpiece was served in a cool pool of peach and raspberry puree. The cheese cake is plenty, but Chef Krasne takes it one step further and serves it with a generous portion of house made blackberry ice cream. The dessert was phenomenal. Come to think of it, I have some in my fridge….please hold.

I know we started out on this adventure to write up a dessert review and I will say that we were successful. All of the desserts were incredible. However, I feel I would be selling this company short if that’s all I talked about. Extraordinary Desserts describes themselves precisely in their name, but stop in and check it out to discover, like we did, that it is a whole lot more. Thank you Chef Krasne, Lauren, Whitney, Stephanie, Manny (the most polite and attentive water filler upper/busser ever), and the rest of the Extraordinary Dessert staff, for you truly are.

Extraordinary Desserts

1430 Union Street

San Diego, CA 92101

(619)294-7001

Neighborhood: Little Italy