San Diego Reader February 23, 2017 41


Saucy vegan success


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Italian gets interesting Civico 1845, 1845 India Street, Little Italy. Over the past few years, I’ve happily jumped on the pork-belly trend, the game-meat trend, cured and smoked meats, bone marrow, and pretty much anything confit. Creative chefs embracing unusual cuts and oleogustus — the name science gives to our taste buds’ newly designated sixth sense of “fatty taste” — felt at once adventurous and primal. A hundred cholesterol points later, and I’m


now of the opinion the most exciting work being done in profes- sional kitchens is with vegetables, and vegan dishes in particular. Perhaps because it’s a greater challenge to create a satisfying meal without the crutches of animal or dairy fat, vegan chefs must open themselves to more creative flavor combi- nations. As for diners? Heck, we didn’t even know about oleogustus a couple years ago, so who are we to miss it? So, waiting on a


pâté was sufficiently briny and buttery, while the diced-tomato option went a little overboard on the garlic. Our favorite was the artichoke, the chopped hearts brined in a way to give the effect of salted fish. For entrées, my friend enjoyed her truffle ravi-


FEAST!


oli, served with an indulgent-feeling, faux-creamy, wild-mushroom sauce for $16. She’s not a fan of meat substitutes such as tempeh or seitan, but I have no such reserva- tions. My favorite pasta sauce has


A vegan impersonation of fettuccine bolognese


table at Little Italy’s Civico 1845, I gave a second look to its vegan menu. Though not as large as the primary menu, it’s been there since the beginning. Pietro Gallo, who operates the restaurant with his brother Dario, adheres to a vegan lifestyle and says his vegan dishes account for 30 percent of their busi- ness. Which surprised me a little — since when do Americans eat Italian food without mozzarella and parmesan? Dining with a vegan friend, we quickly dis-


Tomato, artichoke, and green olive pâté bruschetta


always been bolognese, so I decided to give the vegan take a whirl: fettuccine served with “slow cooked seitan and vegan sausage ragout” for $17. A blast of oregano hit me on the first bite and, coming off the bruschetta, it took a moment for my palate to shake an acrid first impression. But once I settled into it, the sweet- ness of aromatic root vegetables and tomato acidity opened up to put me in my comfort-food zone. The meat substi- tutes’ texture veered a bit toward a lean, well- done ground beef. My favorite bolognese is still the real deal found at Prepkitchen up the street, but altogether, I’d have to call this saucy vegan concoction and housemade pasta a success. The Civico kitchen is


covered the restaurant’s bread service is vegan by default, with a basket of crumbly, rustic bread and tasty pesto dipping sauce. We kept the vegan- bread thing going with an $11 mixed bruschetta appetizer. The one topped by Castelvetrano olive


constantly tinkering with its vegan menu, factor- ing in customer response as well as input from other chefs, including a Michelin-starred Antonio and Luca Abbruzzino, who recently visited from the Gallos’ home town of Calabria. At this point, it just seems like fine tuning, though. These dishes managed to please both my meat-loving soul and the discriminating palate of the avowed vegan across from me, who was thrilled to complete our meal with a decadent and creamy tiramisu — her first in decades.


by Ian Anderson


Mexican food in Little Italy Bracero Cocina de Raíz, 1490 Kettner Boule- vard, Little Italy. I felt like checking out Lit- tle Italy on a sleepy Sunday morning in January, so I drove the distance from North County to meet my cousin for brunch at Bracero Cocina de Raíz, a restaurant that I had not heard of until chef Javier Plascencia made the news that he had left his own restaurant. When I arrived at


Bracero a little before 10 a.m., the place was quiet and almost empty. I noticed that there was patio seat- ing, tables on the first floor with a huge bar, and upstairs dining with another bar. I grabbed a table in the corner


with a view of the harbor and waited for Cissy to arrive. Within minutes, my server stopped by, then ran off to get me some water and coffee. By the time my cousin and beverages arrived, the dining room had started to fill up — all in less than five minutes. Large parties of of laughing women brunch-


ing, young couples, and older folks like me began to fill the upstairs as we looked at the menu. I chose the machaca con huevos, and Cissy


ordered the chicken enchiladas in mole sauce. We also decided to order the guacamole with chips, although the menu listed “chickpeas, crispy beluga lentils and black bean hummus,” but no avocado. When it arrived, we were both relieved that it was made with avocados and had a velvety texture. Cissy pronounced it delicious and not too citrusy while scooping chip after chip. I was saving room for my main course, so, although I enjoyed some of it, I let her dig in. (She took the leftover guacamole home.)


Bracero Cocina de Raíz no longer has Javier Plascencia... but it still has two bars.


Guacamole with chickpeas (and avocado!) When our food came, I ordered a glass of


Glen Carlou chardonnay because it was almost noon and I’m not much of a mimosa lover, although the amount of mimosas being deliv- ered to other tables was remarkable. Cissy’s enchiladas were not too spicy and just


a little sweet. My brunch of scrambled eggs and machaca was just like I make it with the shred- ded beef seasoned and sauteed to perfection. The eggs were scrambled the way I like them as well — not overdone. The beans reminded me of the frijoles at El Indio (which is a good thing). We both had potatoes on our plate, mixed with grilled onions, and they were crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. By the time we were done, the place was crowded, and our server had enlisted one of


BreakfastFree


Purchase 1 entrée and 2 beverages, get 1 entrée of equal or lesser value free! Valid Mon–Fri, 7–10am. Excludes Acai and Pitaya Bowls.


No online or photocopied coupons accepted.


109 Jamacha Rd. El Cajon


619-373-1725


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