Staying true to the building\u2019s 1927 roots, the architects bucked modern design trends in lieu of checkered flooring, stately arched columns and soft chandelier lighting. The result is a dining atmosphere that feels part Paris and part Manhattan.<\/p>\n Currant\u2019s bill of fare mingles French classics with contemporary-American cuisine as well as a few Italian-inspired dishes. The food is graceful and comforting, and especially luxurious when encroaching on Chef Walter Manikowski\u2019s open-faced croque monsieur or the double-cut grilled pork chop buried beneath a mesh of watermelon radishes, braised fennel and par-cooked red onions.<\/p>\n Manikowski, a certified chef of the American Culinary Federation, has helmed Currant\u2019s kitchen for six years. He sources produce from local farms and appeases discerning consumers by making regular, seasonal changes to the menu.<\/p>\n The \u201cmarket salad\u201d recently captured an autumn bounty of sweet pears, juicy persimmons and luscious pomegranate seeds mingling with feta and fresh arugula, all dressed exquisitely in light Champagne vinaigrette.<\/p>\n Oddly, the restaurant\u2019s namesake berry seen crawling up a few columns in hand-painted form doesn\u2019t appear in the food too often, except occasionally in salads, cheese plates or a fly-by-night sauce.<\/p>\n \u201cCurrants have such a short season,\u201d Manikowski said. \u201cBut we make use of them when they\u2019re around.\u201d<\/p>\n Complementing our salad was an urn of classic onion soup gratinee capped with Gruyere cheese rather than inferior Swiss cheese that some restaurants use when cutting costs. The broth was richly flavored with Port wine and judiciously salted.<\/p>\n As an herby, booze chaser, we imbibed on green gimlets garnished with jumbo basil leaves. The presence of refreshing cucumber puree in the drink did a fine job camouflaging the high-octane unity of Tanqueray, Cointreau and absinthe.<\/p>\n Other starters include roasted veal meatballs over mascarpone polenta, asparagus-prosciutto salad with a farm egg, and \u201cpopcorn of the moment,\u201d which I savored in a previous visit when it was strewn with black truffle peelings.<\/p>\n This time around, we enjoyed a bigger dose of the truffles set atop potato gnocchi. But the knockout component was the pond of silky lemon and white wine sauce sitting beneath the bite-size dumplings. Rich and zesty, it was the dish\u2019s show stealer that left us discretely spooning every last drop from the bowl.<\/p>\n The chef puts an American spin on the aforementioned croque monsieur by using Virginia baked ham instead of the classic Black Forest variety. The result is a homier, more familiar-tasting sandwich, served open-faced but otherwise traditional with dollops of b\u00e9chamel sauce and a hefty blanket of toasted Gruyere cheese.<\/p>\n In regards to the pork chop, we couldn\u2019t finish it due to its impressive girth. Just as well, since there is nothing more sinful for lunch the next day than a juicy bone-in chop covered in root vegetables, and with creamy celery root puree sitting alongside. The latter tasted better than buttery mashed potatoes, due likely to a generous dose of cream in the recipe.<\/p>\n Ranking among the top sellers are steak frites, filet mignon, ginger-maple duck confit, braised short rib ravioli, and the \u201cbrasserie burger\u201d topped with cornichon-Dijon aioli and Irish white cheddar.<\/p>\n The beauty of Currant is that you can dine on sophisticated white-linen fare or opt for simpler dishes you\u2019d encounter in a Parisian brasserie. The experience is what you make it, and without the pinky-finger pretense of a fine-dining establishment, despite its tastefully classic confines.<\/p>\n![\"Gnocchi](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Gnocchi-with-black-truffles.jpg\")
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<\/a>![\"Salad\"](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Salad-300x225.jpg\")
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![\"Screen](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Screen-Shot-2015-11-05-at-3.47.59-PM.png\")
<\/a>Skipping over a tempting Stump Jump dessert wine from Australia, we took a jaunt to the Land Down Under nonetheless with a dish called Pavlova, something Australians and New Zealanders have both laid claim to.<\/p>\n