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Classically Reimagined

Savor these updated versions of classic dishes … you’ll find the results are delicious

By Wendy Lemlin   |  Photography By Noushin Nourizadeh
Defined as “regarded as the best of its kind” or “popular for a long time” by Merriam-Webster, a “classic” dish in the culinary world fits both of these definitions. But it also encompasses more. Perhaps a specific method of preparation or the use of certain ingredients, or, possibly, an easily recognized presentation. However, “classic” doesn’t have to mean unchanging, predictable. The best chefs can take a time-honored dish and successfully make it their own by adding or changing ingredients to make a good thing even better, reinterpreting the elements of a dish in unexpected ways, or by creating more modern or healthier versions of a longtime favorite.
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NINE-TEN Restaurant and Bar

Take, for example, Executive Chef Jason Knibb’s Fish and Chips at NINE-TEN Restaurant and Bar. Forget the pedestrian batter-fried white fish and French fries that usually come to mind. In his updated creation, Knibb incorporates all the flavor profiles of the various components of the well-known classic without actually using any of the anticipated ingredients. His tuna tartare, tossed with sesame and olive oil, pairs with chips made from black garlic and malt vinegar powder. Instead of ketchup, there’s shiso leaf and avocado Green Goddess dressing, pickled daikon, and a dusting of matcha (powdered green tea). “Here we have all the essentials of a typical fish and chip, but totally different in composition, taste and texture,” Knibb explains. “With the raw tuna, of course, we experience the flavor of fish. The fried taste and crispiness come from the chips, and the malt vinegar powder is a whole other take on the vinegar traditionally drizzled on the battered fish and fries. Like ketchup, the avocado and shiso leaf purée gives a touch of sweet/acid/creamy nuance to accentuate the dish.”

The Bella Vista Social Club & Caffé

At Bella Vista Social Club & Caffé, the Croque Monsieur sandwich, as classic as a Parisian café, undergoes an Italian/Californian fusion and is reborn as Croque Popeye. Grilled between slices of French bread, the sautéed mushrooms, onion, spinach and tomatoes are blanketed by melted imported Italian cheese, taking the lunchtime favorite up several notches from its humble ham and cheese origins. Explains Bella Vista’s co-owner, Amanda Caniglia, “We created this vegetarian version as a nod to California culinary sensibilities, and it’s fun to give this traditional French sandwich a bit of an Italian accent. Our core customers are an eclectic mix of scientists, venture capitalists, hang gliders [sic] and beach goers, and this sandwich is an example of how our approach to food creation manifests the same diversity,” Caniglia adds.

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Osteria Romantica’

By their very nature, classic pasta dishes easily lend themselves to additional components. In Osteria Romantica’s Cavatelli al Pesto with Shrimp and Baby Clams, the plentiful shellfish added to the traditional preparation of the pasta and garlicky-rich pesto sauce upgrade the dish with delicious complexity. “The seafood changes the flavor profile of this popular classic in a way that enhances but doesn’t overwhelm,” says Fabio Speziali, co-owner of the cozy, quintessential Italian restaurant. “It adds a kiss of the sea breezes we enjoy here in La Jolla Shores to the earthy, herbaceous character of the sauce.”

Brockton Villa

Eggs Benedict is another classic dish that’s ideal for tweaking with new ingredients and presentations. Brockton Villa conjures up samba and Carnivale with the Crab Ipanema Benedict, in which the poached egg lounges atop a lump blue crab cake sitting on a toasted English muffin and tomato slice. The Ipanema aspect is courtesy of the Brazilian-inspired tomato and coconut sauce, which replaces the traditional Hollandaise with tropical flair. Notes Executive Chef Mareyja Sisbarro, “A version of this local’s favorite has been on the menu since Brockton Villa opened in the 1990s, becoming a classic for the restaurant. Originally, there was Canadian bacon instead of the crab cake, but I changed it to reflect our location overlooking the beautiful La Jolla Cove, and because the tomato and coconut sauce work so well with the crab.”

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The MED Ocean View Restaurant

Updating the technique for preparing a classic often takes it from same ol’ same ol’ to a new standard of excellence. Although La V Paella has always been on the menu at La Valencia Hotel’s The MED Ocean View Restaurant, Executive Chef James Montejano’s interpretation of the timeless Spanish rice and seafood creation is definitely not your padre’s paella! Loaded with clams, mussels, crab, fish, octopus, shrimp, chicken and more, his updated version emphasizes local ingredients, such as spicy chorizo made in-house and seafood freshly caught in Baja and SoCal waters. His technique for insuring that each component is cooked perfectly and all the flavors permeate the dish? “I cook the traditional Bomba rice like a risotto,” Montejano reveals, “and then all the other ingredients are prepared separately, so nothing is overcooked or dried out. I confit the chicken so it is really juicy, and then give it a nice sear on the plancha. The seafood is grilled on the plancha as well, and the clams and mussels are cooked in their broth, and finally everything is combined into a wonderful mélange of flavor and texture.”

The Fishery

The Fishery’s Executive Chef Paul Arias finds that the fatty swordfish belly makes an excellent alternative to more common meats like beef or pork in such classic preparations as sausage or meatballs. His Swordfish Meatballs and Spaghetti is such a longtime crowd-pleaser that whenever he tries to take it off the menu, “our customers just won’t let us!” he laughs. A zesty house-made tomato sauce with grilled grape tomatoes covers the spaghetti and meatballs, which have a taste and texture similar to those made with ground turkey, and the dish is plated with lemon zest and herb-crusted bread crumbs. “We don’t serve meat at The Fishery,” Arias explains about the dish, “and I wanted to create a familiar, classic dish as a ‘bridge’ to seafood for kids, or people that aren’t big fans of fish. Now, it’s one of our most popular selections.”

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The Marine Room

Save room for dessert! At The Marine Room, Executive Chef Bernard Guillas transforms classic comfort food into a multi-dimensional taste experience with his Heirloom Apple Cherry Berry Cobbler. If one fruit is good, then three are superb. Toasted oat streusel, rose water saffron gelato, and an elderflower spritz elevate this not-so-humble dessert to rockstar status. “It takes a very special cast of characters to create my cobbler,” Chef Bernard explains. “Heirloom apples from the farmers market give a local flavor; the Armagnac-marinated Griotte cherries and preserved berries bring a French twist to a traditional American dessert. Then there’s the exotic touch of the rose water saffron-infused gelato topping it off. The elderflower spritz boosts the aroma as the cobbler is presented to our guests. It is floral, delicious, unique, and not only entices the palate, but warms the soul as any comfort food should.”

Classics become so because they have timeless broad appeal. With delectable staying power, these interpretations are destined to become classics in their own right!

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