I should have known better. As is usually the case, they made it bigger and better than before. The grill now is incredible and offers something for both the golfer coming off the course and the sophisticated diner.
I pretended to be the latter, and a guest and I went to the restaurant recently to partake in what is being billed as a “quintessential California dining experience.”
Chef Thomas Ryan isn’t from this state, but he certainly has acclimated quickly and has many influences in the menu.
The boneless short ribs are made from natural Brandt beet from Brawley and the avocados and tomatoes come from the Irvine ranch the company owns. The olive oil used for the aged sherry vinaigrette is Sparrows Lane, made in Napa Valley.
“We wanted to have mostly local food,” Ryan said. “We thought that was important, and the quality is so high it was perfect.”
The quality is incredible, even on the most simplest of items. The crispness of the mixed greens in the organic green salad was outstanding and combined with ruby grapes, hazelnuts, fried goat cheese made for a truly unique start to our meal.
The tortilla soup is another dish that shouldn’t be missed. The spice is not overpowering and the shreds of chicken and home grown avocados really complement the dish.
For dinner we had the pistachio-dusted ahi tuna steak, and it was quite nice, especially with the peppercorn citrus sauce that was served on the side.
The grilled lamb chops were another outstanding dish. The two adequately sized pieces of meat came with a plum chutney sauce that was good, but there is one better.
Ask for the Pinot Noir reduction sauce instead. It is one of the best sauces I have ever had. Orogeny, a Pinot Noir from Green Valley, is used with shallots and the process takes three days.
