Prep Kitchen, La Jolla

La Jolla’s Prepkitchen lives up to the trendy foodie tropes: Slow food. All natural ingredients. Seasonal Menu. Comfort food turned casual.

Yes, they use jidori chicken. Sure, they serve Niman Ranch beef. All buzzwords and cooking terms are in place, impressively positioned on a telling menu that leaves little to the imagination. Prepkitchen understands its clientele and wants them to rest assured in the quality of their food.

But at the end of the day, all one needs to know is that Prepkitchen tastes incredibly good.

It’s one part Linkery, one part Boston Market. Comfort food done beautifully -sustainably - and ordered at the counter.

Prepkitchen’s new brunch menu includes a Beef “hash” with potatoes, poached eggs, and horseradish gremolata which tastes hearty, but hardly overpowering for a late morning dish.

Below, their Chilaquiles with fried eggs, onion, cilantro, and queso fresco offers the same balance between comfort and restraint. Its gently sauced tortilla strips proved crispy amidst the tang of an equally subtle dollop of creme fraiche.

At around thirteen dollars each, both dishes proved a not too extravagant medley of polished taste and comfort.

Above, the Roasted Jidori chicken with mashed potatoes, an earlier summer offering (menu changes frequently), reinforces Prepkitchen’s penchant for properly cooked and modestly seasoned, tastefully sauced classics.

The slow pulled pork sandwich and mushroom soup lunch combo proved good tasting and modestly portioned affordable plate at around ten dollars.

With a palate and a eye for restraint, Prepkitchen’s ethos comes from its attention to detail. From its complimentary pickled olives - worked in an herbaceous mix that includes orange rind and caraway seeds - to its cucumber water and Intelligentsia coffee, its aesthetic philosophy is worthy of name dropping; it lends itself to bragging.

But once you sit down and take an actual bite of one of their dishes, you’ll forget all of that. Then you’ll take another. And another.

Prepkitchen Restaurant

7556 Fay Avenue

La Jolla, CA 92037

(858) 875-7737

http://www.prepkitchen.com

Searsucker, Gaslamp Quarter

While I’m a faithful student of the 1960’s singer Petula Clark school of thought that there is “no finer place...” than “Downtown”, my own San Diego’s city center has always left a lot to be desired.

Yes, there’s been plenty of development and modernization, as well as sufficient aesthetic situational irony to be able to say it is improved, vibrant. Alive, even.

But that said, it feels different. In downtown, locals can fool you for tourists - each doing their part to stand out, even if unconsciously. In downtown, even dining can feel like a country club and high school prom rolled into one. To be clear, it’s not a matter of age, it’s attitude.

Perhaps I’m just projecting my own personal adolescent misgivings, but for whatever reason, at home, I’ve always been more uptown than downtown.

For that reason, former Top Chef finalist Brian Malarkey’s new Searsucker - in the Gaslamp Quarter - translated itself into both a moral and geographical dilemma.

“Downtown - everything's waiting for you.”

Filling in for a former Z Gallerie, Searsucker’s storefront is as visually eclectic as its predecessor - a mishmash of food-related artwork, rope, and French-inspired furniture. Its abundance of open space makes for an energetic, and lively dining experience ideal for larger parties.

Starters include Bites and Smalls, ranging from $2 to $12. Malarkey’s smaller dishes underscore a desire for entertaining reinvention - lighter and revamped versions of unfussy but still thoughtfully composed American classics.

Above, the Crab cake (12.) boasts a “carb free”existence: the absence of breading allows for an undisturbed crab taste that doesn’t necessarily leave you missing a breaded texture.

Below, Searsucker’s Farm bird lollipops, snake oil and bleu fondue (9.) is a rustic and more delicate incarnation of Buffalo wings.

Signature drinks are a $12 indulgence. Below, Searsucker’s Chorizo Spiced Daisy - a concoction of tequila, citrus, red pepper, paprika and cayenne - can be jarring in its bold flavor profile. On the other hand, the Toast is a wonderfully herbaceous glass of Mission blonde with a pour of fennel and cherry.

Searsucker’s entree list includes farm and ranch dishes, such as the promising hock grits and kale or the duck with apricot gastrique. But Malarkey’s specialty is seafood.

Below, Searsucker’s salmon Alaskan goat cheese fondue and beets (24.) - served on the medium side - proved to be a bit underseasoned overall.

On the other hand, Malarkey’s Alaskan halibut (below)on smoked bacon-corn broth (25.) was a lovely piece of fish. It sat well,without becoming mealy, on a delicately tasting broth whose scent was equally appealing. While I don’t generally partake in plate sniffing, its rustic chopped bacon bits added to the broth’s aroma.

Entrees are served sans sides, as extra dishes and include such creative options as jalapeno-chorizo corn off the cobb and fried brussel sprouts. As enticing as they were, duck fat fries (6.), below, were the obvious choice for a true guilty pleasure.

Above, Malarkey spent the night in meet and greet mode, while giving last looks and making final touches to outgoing dishes.

In a way, Searsucker embodies the spirit of the downtown it resides in - it tries to be many things for many people. In addition to restaurant, it is a generous lounge space, and an enormous bar. Ultimately, while perhaps too ambitious - it could have been just as effective, or even more so, in an intimately smaller environment - Searsucker is a step in the right direction.

And one fewer reason to stay away from the big city.

Searsucker

611 5th Ave

San Diego, CA 92101        

http://www.searsucker.com/