SAN JUAN Dine
L’Hirondelle Restaurant
tion surrounded by hidden gems both storied and new. Like many of San Juan’s found-
D
ing residents, the recipes of Ricardo’s Place—or La Cocina de Ricardo—hail from Mexico. Since opening the restaurant doors in 2003, owner Ricardo Beas and his family have ensured their matriarch’s recipes are executed with a skilled excellence and that her traditions live on. Grandma Juana was her town’s main chef. She prepared food for the residents of Jalisco, Mexico with the goal of making each occa- sion a memorable one. Her family continues that work today. “We do it the right way, the
THE FLAVOR OF SAN JUAN
hard way,” said Alejandro Beas, “It’s time consuming, but we make all our chile relleno by hand.” They also make their soups, salsas and guacamole in her fashion—by hand—daily. They’ve stayed true to Grandma Beas’ recipes that were passed on to Beas’ mother, Mamacita Alicia, but the family has also made a few menu altera- tions along the way by infusing their comida jalisciense bill of fare with Baja Californian cuisine. The continental eatery with a French-Belgian twist, L’Hirondelle, is another commu- nity staple bringing an Old World taste and feel to San Juan. “We concentrate on the clas- sics rather than nouvelle cuisine,” said owner Ali Golesorkhi. “Some of the recipes have been carried on from the original chef more than 30 years ago.” Before purchasing the bistro, Golesorkhi had visited 17 years prior with his wife and ordered the duck with green peppercorn sauce, an item still on the menu, and still his favorite, to date. While across the street Mission San Juan Capistrano bustles with activity, L’Hirondelle maintains the look and sense of a friend’s provincial farmhouse on a sum- mer evening: hushed chatter, clanking silverware and a sense of simple satisfaction with life. To complement the farmhouse atmosphere, “Everybody that works here is a small family,” (Cont on page 22)
20 SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BUSINESS DIRECTORY & VISITOR GUIDE
VISITSJC.COM
ining in San Juan Capistrano is much like the architecture: a central vein of awe-inspiring tradi-
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