duck liver mousse, fish & chips, green beans

Duck Liver Mousse @ 1500 Ocean

Last October, 1500 Ocean pulled in a hefty new chef in Rob Hohmann, a guy who’s worked under Thomas Keller, Mario Batali and Michael Chiarello. And now he and wine director Ben Kephart (ex-Cucina Urbana) have the place running on their own cylinders. Hohmann’s new menu includes a requiem for foie gras in the duck liver mousse. It’s a stunner, even if the organ taste is heavily muted. The quenelle of food sins (Verjus-steeped organs, mascarpone cheese, crème fraiche) is sprinkled with pebbles of sea salt and set atop cardamom shrapnel and cinnamon-port prune marmalade. Near-illegal pleasure. 1500 Orange Ave., Coronado, 619.522.8818, www.hoteldel.com

Fish & Chips @ Spike Africa’s

Spike Africa is the new joint on the corner of Fourth and Broadway in Downtown—the area that’s booming right now because of the incoming park and promenade where Samy Goody’s used to be. Spike was formed by a few San Diegans with former ties to Rusty Pelican and Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. It’s a killer little patio spot with a oddly beautiful, awe-striking view of the mangled side of Horton Plaza (progress often looks like the after effecs of a war). At a recent tasting the mahi-mahi fish and chips, battered with Anchor Steam were the best thing we tasted (the nine-spic brick chicken with mushrooms, pickled onion marmalade  and stoneground mustard was very good too). 411 Broadway, Downtown, 619.795.3800, spikeafricas.com

Green Beans @ Spicy City

Yep. Green beans. Spicy City’s long been one of the best Chinese restaurants in San Diego. Their spicy cumin lamb is excellent. As is their sweet-and-sour sauce. But it’s that simple side of green beans—sautéed in garlic and unicorn dust—that floored our entire table. 4690 Convoy St., Kearny Mesa, 858.278.1818. No website.

The post The Best Things I Ate This Month: February Main Dish appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

duck at Gang Kitchen

Duck @ Gang Kitchen

Gang Kitchen is the new venture from Jon Mangini, who started his SD mini-empire with killer pizza at Basic and URBN. Gang, however, is a new beast—a pan-Asian gourmet collaboration with chef Jo Ann Plympton (who put in time at UK’s two-star Michelin, Le Gavroche). And that duck, with glass-crackle skin and oh-jeebus tenderness in a black vinegar sauce, is fantastic. In fact, most of Plympton’s menu sets a new bar for fusion in town.

Gang Kitchen, 345 6^th Ave., Downtown. 619.550.1600. www.gangkitchen.com

scallops at 100 Wines

Scallops @ 100 Wines

100 Wines is the Cohn Restaurant Group’s follow-up to their best concept yet—Ocean Beach’s Bo-Beau. The same players—designer Philippe Beltran and chef Katherine Humphus—spearhead the rustic French ambiance and menu. There’s not a whole bunch to recommend on the menu, unfortunately. But the ambiance makes you a sexier person, and those scallops are a pure winner, served over creamy white beans in a brown butter –and-blackberry-reduction sauce.

1027 University Ave., Hillcrest, 619.491.0100. 100wineshillcrest.com.

Suzuki “Fettucini” Sashimi at Harney Sushi

Suzuki “Fettuccine” Sashimi @ Harney Sushi

Let’s just stick to brown butter dishes because, after a week of eating resolution-friendly kale salads, you deserve a treat. This dish features ribbons of Suzuki (Japanese sea bass) in brown butter, thyme and sea salt—topped with Manchego cheese, quail egg yolk and shaved spring onion. To top it off, Harney is only one of a few sushi restaurants in America to have gone 100-percent sustainable seafood. It’s great fusion without getting into deep-fry and cream cheese territory.

301 Mission Ave., Oceanside, 760.967.1820, harneysushi.com.

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The post Best Things I Ate This Month: January Main Dish appeared first on San Diego Magazine.