I have wanted to eat at one of San Diego's finest restaurants for a while and finally had the chance to make it happen. Pamplemousse is run by chef/owner Jeffery Strauss. Jeffery is well respected in the North County restaurant community and I finally got to see what he has to offer. This was a $40 three course meal which is significantly less than you would normally spend at this restaurant.
My girlfriend and I started with a bottle of Turley Zinfindel $54 and assorted breads and muffins.
I had the roasted beet salad, grilled artichoke, crispy goat cheese, arugula, toasted pine nuts, and an aged balsamic.
Jessica had the Lobster ravioli and seared scallops with asparagus, wild mushrooms, baby tomatoes and a ginger soy buerre blanc.
We knew immediately upon digging into out appetizers that we were in for a real treat. The salad had crusted goat cheese that was bursting with flavor and balsamic aged dressing that was unlike any other I had ever had. It was a 20 year old balsamic not quite as tangy as most vinegar and almost sweet. The lobster ravioli had the freshest vegetables and just enough of a buerre blanc that you knew you were in a french inspired restaurant without an over powering buttery flavor.
The 2nd course I chose the Braised Short Ribs "Ossobuco Style" with truffle mashed potatoes and french beans.
Jessica had the roasted maple leaf farm duck with sweet corn, sauteed french beans, and a cherry balsamic reduction.
The short ribs were tender, rich and the perfect portion. The truffle mashed potatoes were seasoned just right and the french beans could make anyone enjoy their greens. I'm a huge short rib fan and this lived up to my high expectations. The duck was absolutely amazing. Perfectly crisp skin, moist on the inside, amazing sweet corn that contrasted the savory taste of the duck and those french beans again that I think may come on many of their entrees. Absolutly amazing!
The last course I wasn't even looking forward to. The desserts were two chocolate choices and a pear tarte. None of which appealed to me. I chose the Pear-tartin, vanilla gelato and assorted berries.
Jessica had the warm chocolate caramel cake with salted caramel anglaise, vanilla gelato and assorted berries.
I took one bite of the pear tarte and pretty much fell in love. The sweetness of the warm pear and the perfectly flaked crust with vanilla gelato was basically a dessert explosion in your mouth. Probably one of the best desserts I have ever had. Definitely a pleasant surprise that left a memorable mark to end my meal. The chocolate cake left more to be desired. The salted caramel anglaise was tasty however. The service, server knowledge, wine offerings, add on's and timing of the meal were truly on point and made for an amazing experience. The wine list must have been 40 pages with wines ranging from $45-$10,000. The only thing that I wasn't in love with was the atmosphere. It is located in the corner of a business building. The decor is all good with funny pieces of art and a great wine vault but still felt like a really upscale southern retirement community. Thats just me being really picky. San Diego has so many great spots with amazing views that that alone could be the only downside to a really great experience. Quite the date night.
www.pgrille.com
514 Via de la Valle, Suite 100
Solana Beach, CA 92075
Solana Beach, CA 92075
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