mountain getaways
According to A.R. Valentien’s nationally-renowned Executive Chef
Jeff Jackson, winter brings a surprisingly abundant supply of seasonal
ingredients to the menu. “Our winter
harvest offers a wide variety of tender
greens that includes spicy arugula and
artisan lettuce, root vegetables such as
parsnips, turnips and beets, and leafy
greens such as kale, Swiss chard, and
baby spinach,” said Jackson.
Favorite seafood delicacies also hit
their peak during the winter season,
when the cold Pacific ocean yields
such favorites as Dungeness crab, California lobster, pink shrimp, Ridgeback
prawns, yellowfin tuna, and white sea
bass. This freshest of seafood is transformed into signature dishes such as
Hamachi Crudo , raw cuts of yellowtail
presented with avocado and blood orange slices with a Meyer lemon sweet
sour vinaigrette; Albacore Tuna Carpaccio, garnished with white velvety
horseradish cream, capers and parsley; and Lobster Claw, accompanied
by panko-fried green tomatoes.
Equally as fresh and succulent are
the variety of meat and poultry dishes
Chef Jackson creates during the winter
months, when rich and hearty stews
and prime cuts of tender meats fill
the menu. A.R. Valentien also boasts
its own highly creative Pastry Chef,
18 FOOD TRAVELER | WINTER 2013
Elena Palma, who will provide you
a fitting end to a magnificent winter
meal with desserts such as a chocolate
phyllo dough Napoleon, vanilla brulée
wrapped in an almond sponge topped
with orange champagne sauce, or her
signature Meyer Lemon tasting plate,
featuring lemon sorbet, chiffon, and
almond brittle with orange curd.
One of the restaurant’s most popular weekly events is the Artisan Table,
which combines the freshest of foods
and wines from the best local producers in Southern California with the
unique experience of dining at a communal table on the restaurant terrace.
According to Chef Jackson, this event
grew out of an annual festival at the resort, “Celebrate the Craft,” where local
farmers, vintners and chefs meet for
the day to exchange foods and recipes.
The day’s exchange ended with family
and friends sitting down to a huge family-style dinner—and so began the idea
for the A.R. Valentien Artisan Table.
“Our Artisan Table is a relaxed,
intimate alternative to traditional
restaurant dining where guests enjoy a variety of seasonal dishes in a
convivial setting, together with ten
to twenty-four diners at a table,” said
Jackson. The culinary team shops the
day of for ingredients to use for the
evening feast, which is served by the
chefs themselves, family-style, on large
platters. It also provides an opportunity for the chefs to co nverse with the
clientele, answering questions about
each dish and its preparation. Wines
are selected by the chefs to complement each course.
In addition to the popular Artisan
Table, craft beer aficionados can delight in raising a glass of local brew
while they sample dishes created exclusively for the experience, as part of
a quarterly beer pairing event held at
The Lodge’s more casual dining venue,
The Grill. Executive Chef Daniel Boling partners with various San Diego
breweries to create a menu that pairs
a variety of signature beers to a menu
of seasonal cuisine—for a match made
in culinary heaven.
So if you are planning a lodge experience this winter, think outside the box
and imagine yourself savoring a unique
winter escape—Southern California
style—at The Lodge at Torrey Pines.