Juniper and Ivy

San Diego, California




Situated on an active street in San Diego's Little Italy, Juniper and Ivy greeted me with a cheerful green sign while the full light of the day still encompassed it. The inside revealed vaulted ceilings, allowing an airy atmosphere, even amongst the packed tables.

Before beginning the meal, I perused the drink menu and found myself mildly disappointed, as each of the cocktails represented a traditional recipe rather than containing any creative or bold offering. Upon tasting their take on the Old Fashioned, I found it to be a well made drink and I noted it was a trace thicker in viscosity than usual, a detail that I appreciated, as I am ever in search of a unique interpretation of any food.

The amuse-bouche offered was a bite size deviled egg. It was recommended by the waiter that we partake of this treat in a single bite, but I could not resist my own method of tasting it. I could see that the yolk was sitting atop a crystalized like egg white and my curiosity got the best of me. Against his advice, my teeth nibbled at the edge of the egg. I am so very happy that I did this! The bottom part was a sweet and crunchy crystalized white. I am unsure what it was actually made of, but it reminded me of formed and shaped sugar, although it did not appear to be entirely sugar. Nestled on this was the expected whipped texture of the egg yolk with a beautiful bright chive flavor in addition to another savory flavor that was challenging to identify. Perhaps it was another green herb such as thyme? It was mildly earthy and crowned with caviar to add a popping texture. Sprinkled all around was dehydrated egg yolk, which added visual interest as well as a powdery salt flavor. This was delightful and playful and unique. It was a balanced marriage of sweet and salty. I loved it!




Our Buttermilk Biscuit- smoked salt, butter

This is not typically something I would order, but I had been told that this biscuit is notable. On the menu, there is an option to order it with fois gras butter. I opted for the plain butter in order to taste the flavor of the biscuit. This plate was delivered impressively under a smoke filled dome. The waiter slowly lifted the dome off as he swished it side to side, spreading the aroma of smoke. The outside of the biscuit was crusty and the flavor was distinctively a permeating, but gentle, smokey flavor from the wood. As I continued to eat through the personal size case iron dish, I found the biscuit to dry, but I enjoyed it as I added more butter that melted into the remaining dough and the smokey flavor lasted until the end, justifying their claim that the biscuit is unique.




I was seated at the "cold bar" where the desserts were being made, which allowed me front row seats to see the waiter add extra smoke into the dome, which appeared to be pumped in via pressure valve through a hole in the glass dome. This certainly enhanced the smoked essence that the biscuit already retained from cooking.












Pink snapper ceviche- naval orange, cashews, mint, pickled carrot, curry snow

I expected this dish to be layered in flavors and exciting with the curry "snow" emphasized by the waitress as being unique. My first impression of the dish was discovering that the cashews were either forgotten or so minimal on the plate that the wait staff revised the dish by adding extra nuts sprinkled on top. My favorite part of this dish was the mint which combined with the other flavors and brightened the curry. This will be a combination that I intend to use myself in the future.



The curry aspect of the dish was a thick and creamy paste consistency rather than an icy texture, as I had expected from the description that used the word "snow". Additionally, the pickled carrot was minimal. It was a nearly undetectable addition to the flavors on the plate with only small disks dotted stingily through the plate. I also found the dish challenging to manipulate since it was delivered with large pieces of snapper and uncut slices of navel orange. I ended up cutting each bite that I took rather than being able to scoop the pieces of fish as they had been presented.








Ahi Tuna Wellington- mushroom duxelle, short rib, gravy, horseradish fingerling potatoes


This selection was such an innovative idea. An unusual take on a traditional Beef Wellington, the Ahi tuna was wrapped in a puff pastry that had been spread with short rib. The tuna remained perfectly seared and was accompanied by fingerling potatoes that were surprisingly simple. No special cooking technique had been applied to the potatoes that I could detect, although they were lightly topped with fine shreds of horseradish, adding just a touch of spice. The dish was adorned with delicate mustard greens. I may have used a spicier green, such as arugula, to add a peppery pop. Bites of the tuna were  flawlessly tender and  rich with the accompanying short rib. The tuna concept was very memorable, but would have been enhanced by a side of earthy vegetables, perhaps with a balsamic glaze. Alternatively, maybe a starch with umami essence, such as a toothy rice with mushrooms. The mushroom duxelle on the plate did lend an earthiness, but remained separate rather than combining well with the potatoes due to both retaining their solid form, as the potatoes were not mashed or chopped to open them up to absorbing other flavors.





Here was my view, as I perched directly across the counter from the cold kitten where the desserts were being prepared.

A few things that I saw leaving the kitchen are pictured below.

On the left in the picture below is the banana panna cotta- peanut bark, toasted angel food cake, passion fruit ice cream

On the right side of the picture is the Yodel- devil's cake, white chocolate, hazelnut brittle, hot chocolate




I did not order either of the above selections, but instead decided on the Almond Joy- soft chocolate, marcona almonds, coconut sorbet, pavlova

The pavlova on this dessert was divine. It had only a slight crust on the outside and soft and gooey inside that was reminiscent of a heavy marshmallow texture. The coconut sorbet was thick and gooey as well, holding up nicely underneath the other items. On the top was crumbled kefir lime that had been dehydrated and crushed. The green feathers of green dropped nonchalantly around the plate were sorrel, which added not only a bright pop of color, but also a touch of earthiness to contrast the sweetness of the other flavors. The depth of this was unexpected with the greens providing so much balance. Very enjoyable!









Another sweet bite was birthday cake with vanilla ice cream

Fairly unremarkable, but fulfilling the definition of a traditional birthday cake with a cake that was thick and subtly sticky without any hint of dryness. Layered between the cake were thick swatches of icing, cherry and vanilla were the flavors I picked out. They were very dense frostings with a board layer of fondant on top that had no real flavor, as is typical of fondant. The ice cream was a homemade vanilla that was refreshing. They also made a pepper ice cream that I requested on the side. It had just a hint of cracked black pepper that teased the tongue with each lick. I enjoyed this as I often add a touch of cracked black pepper to plain vanilla ice cream, but the flavor of their concoction was more subtle that adding fresh cracked pepper. It was very satisfying fulfillment of the anticipated flavor.






Sour apple macaroons

The final bite was a perfect finish. Tiny sour apple macaroons arrived with the check. The little size was appreciated after completing a large meal and the delicate sour flavor served as a palate cleanser. The fairly pliable cookies surrounded a thin layer of nearly runny frosting that carried the tart flavor. Delightful!




My opinion is that it would be worthwhile to perhaps stop in at Juniper and Ivy for a few interesting items on the menu if you find yourself in San Diego. The menu does change nightly, but I could not say that my experience was at the top of my list of favorites. Cheers!

Commonwealth

San Francisco, California





This is the type of restaurant that I seek after and am always thrilled when I discover something of it's caliber! Each dish was a creative interpretation with significant effort made in delivering unique illustrations of texture and flavor throughout the meal. I would imagine that anything one orders off of this menu is impressive.

The restaurant is just forty-five seats with Chef Jason Fox creating the exciting and experimental menu. This lauded spot has been open since 2010 and has garnered semifinalist status for Best New Restaurant from the James Beard Foundation, as well as attaining the status of a single Michelin star in 2016. Furthermore, the restaurant boasts giving back to the community. For every diner who orders the tasting menu, ten dollars is given to a local nonprofit organization. The beneficiaries of the donation change every two weeks.

Now, on to the food!

Seaweed potato chips with vinegar foam.
This was certainly a play on fish and chips for me. It reminded me of salt and vinegar chip with the seaweed and then was not heavy or overbearing with flavor due to the frothy lightness of the vinegar foam. What a delightfully playful bite to dip a crispy chip into foam! Although the foam was not heavy, it retained enough body to also not melt or dissolve immediately when scooped onto the chip.

Smoked squash, kohlrabi, fromage blanc, buckwheat, wild herbs, pumpkin consommé
This had an outstanding smokiness that was unmistakably comparable to a campfire, but still retaining the sweetness of the applewood used during the smoking process. It had a thick and meaty essence rather than the soft texture one might expect from a cooked squash. Simple remarkable compared to any other squash I have had. The bites were punctuated infrequently by the crunchiness of the buckwheat, of which I would have sprinkled more liberally. The pumpkin consommé was also a creative and unusual idea that truly had the characteristics of a thin, yet hearty, broth. Was surprised that it remained clear, although it was constituted by pumpkin. The herbs also could have been more intense for me due to the strong smokiness of this selection.

Sea urchin, chilled beet custard, smoked bone marrow cream, nasturtium, yuzu kasha

Sea urchin, chilled beet custard, smoked bone marrow cream, nasturtium, yuzu kasha

I have learned to anticipate that urchin will be salty and overwhelmingly "sea" like in taste, but this was a superior idea, demonstrating again the menu being outside of the box. Paired with the urchin was a beet custard that was quite a thick texture, as one would expect with a custard. It was sweet, but with added subtle smokiness from the cream, unlike the strong smokiness delivered on the previous dish. I wonder if perhaps the smokiness would not have been such a subtle experience for me had I not just enjoyed the smoked squash prior to this? That could have been a welcome recommendation from the waiter, as I would have no other way to know that one flavor might overpower the next. 

Mussels, cipollini, trout roe, charred cabbage, saffron, chervil, oyster cream

This plate was the most straightforward, but certainly delivered a perfect bite with the oyster sauce that was enriched further by the saffron. For me, the texture contrast of the robustly popping trout rose was most notable with each bite. This added a refreshing component to flavors that may have otherwise been too rich. The mussels could have been more tender in my opinion, but were cooked both in the shell and then again after being hulled, so I was concerned that this would obliterate any chance for them to remain tender. Additionally, the cabbage was too large and unwieldy on the plate, so I cut it. However, this was an action achieved only after some difficulty due to it's texture after being cooked, but it was nonetheless a nice boat for carrying the sauce, which I did not want left behind on the plate. 

Black truffle dumplings with bok choy, egg yolk jam, black garlic pearls, and mushroom broth

This melted immediately when eaten! It truly dissolved nearly the moment that it landed on the tongue with a very soft consistency. The pungency of the bok chop was too sharp and bitter a contrast for me, but the broth was superior with the egg jam adding an exclamation point that made this unforgettable. 

This difficult-to-impress writer departed from this particular meal feeling very satisfied with the details and creativity occurring consistently. Aside from the feeling that each plate was pricey, it was a delightful excursion. It was clear that significant effort was dedicated to each installment on the menu, making the price point seem more reasonable. Please do enjoy this stop if you have the opportunity! Cheers!