DINING FROM PAGE 12 WINE


(they are, and few wine bars emphasize such fine glassware) of vintages noted as “Stateside” and “Global.” Wet Stone updates its cellar regularly, and at the moment offers pleasures such as Mueller- Thurgau from Montinore Estate in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, a semi-sweet white that drinks well as an aperitif and a quite lovely Los Chamizel Zinfandel from Sonoma’s Haywood Estate winery. The list is relatively short, but so well chosen that size truly doesn’t matter. And besides wines by the glass, there are house-made white and red sangrias that cost $7 per glass and $25 for a carafe. The flavoring ingredients are secret, but the list asserts that the white is “love in a glass.” The same comment could apply to the Zinfandel mentioned above, which proved an exception- ally menu-friendly wine. Gomez’ family roots are in Panama and the Philippines, and his cooking takes an approach that spans the globe just as broadly. He adds a delicious twist to queso fundido by combining four cheeses—cotija, panela, fresco and fontina—in an oval ramekin, adding shiitake mushrooms and plenty of flavorful chorizo sausage (from Bilbao, Spain, no less), and serving it broiling hot with toasted ciabatta bread from San Diego’s Sadie Rose bakery. His quesadilla de guayaba is similarly creative and combines a trio of cheeses with sweet-tangy guava paste and a garnish of charred scallions. The starters are as simple as brus- chetta with a bold topping of Roma tomatoes, capers, basil and garlic, as refreshing as hummus gar- nished with Medjool dates, fresh mint and dried cranberries, and as rich as crostini topped with Chi- nese “five spice” flavored braised pork belly, fennel slaw and pickled red onions. The clientele cries out for salads, and Gomez obliges by cleverly drizzling soy sauce over a fresh caprese of Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and basil. Citrus vinaigrette sharpens the wild arugula, goat cheese and crushed macadamias that suavely brighten a salad of tender beets; there are similar effects in a mango salad with greens, Danish bleu cheese and caramelized walnuts. Almost all the starters are budget-friendly and cost under $10. Wet Stone’s food is designed to suit a variety of wines, and the menu offers flatbread pizzas that at their most elegant feature a topping of prosciutto, fresh mozzarella and the wily wild arugula that Gomez evidently is adept at capturing. The menu scours the planet for distinctive offerings, like the North African merguez lamb sausage that joins prosciutto and chorizo in adding meaty weight to a cheese plate. Skewers feature both flat iron steak and curried tiger shrimp, and “small” plates approximate entrees—try the quintet of spiced lamb meatballs atop a pool of yogurt enriched with mango and cucumber. For seafood, Gomez gives albacore ceviche a Peruvian presentation that includes yams, corn and hot aji amarillo. If a second glass of Zinfandel seems an attractive idea, considering pairing it with a sub- stantial, Argentine-style “churrasco” of grilled chicken breast, merguez sausage and flat iron steak. Flavored with many herbs, the accompanying chimichurri sauce is as lively as the setting.u


San Diego Uptown News | December 10–23, 2010


13


The beef at Burger Lounge is 100 percent organic and grass-fed according to J. Dean Loring. (Courtesy of Ramsay Photography)


FROM PAGE 10 BURGER SDUN: What challenges, if


any, are you facing with opening next year (at Island and Market streets) in the Gaslamp District?


Besides a constantly shifting and evolving wine menu, Wet Stone also sup- plies patrons with house-made red and white sangrias. (Michael Pawlenty/ SDUN)


HAPPY


HOUR 7 Days


3 to 6pm


20% OFF ENTIRE CHECK


With the purchase of two entrees. Does not include drinks. Not valid with any other offers or on holidays. Exp: 12-31-10


Authentic Old World Mexican Cusine 3693 Fifth Avenue


• 619.546.5934 • huapangoscuisine.com Pennsylvania and Fifth Ave


Loring: There are a lot of complexities in that build-out because it’s 2,500 square feet of space that needs some retro fit- ting. It will be the largest store in our company since it will cater to higher volumes of traffic.


SDUN: Any plans to open


SDUN: Does your busy sched- ule ever allow for vacations?


Loring: I was away for a month in Tahiti last January. There’s a lot of value to taking time off and looking at things from a distance and focusing on what’s important.


For more information on Burger


Lounge menu options and locations, visit burgerlounge.com.u


locations outside of San Diego? Loring: If we do, it will be in


urban areas, more than likely within California.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32