La Jolla Country Day classmates of Arturo Kassel can attest that, from early on, his ambition was to run a restaurant of his own. When he lived in New York, he worked in fine dining places up and down Manhattan and attended French Culinary School, but when he came home to La Jolla, the philosophy he espoused ” “what you put into the pot is what you get out of the pot” ” came to fruition when he purchased Sami Ladeki’s Fresh. In the beginning, he took what was there, he says, and felt pigeonholed, even with the name change to Fresh(er), but finally, a year later, he closed the restaurant for what he calls the longest five weeks of his life, totally redecorated, remodeled and, with his chef and partner, Ryan Johnston, put a brand-new menu into place. And, as the saying goes, they were off to the races.
He and Ryan had met, fortuitously, just a week before Arturo took over Fresh, and found they shared a vision about food ” that it should be kept simple. Their goal was to underpromise and overdeliver. In line with that, they also offer an affordable wine list plus a bartender, Ian, who infuses all his own liquors.
But back to the food. There is a curing room where at all times there are meats at various stages of readiness. Breads, desserts ” all of them made in house, truly a back-to-basics approach. Vegetables are strictly from Chino and that ilk, while the coffee and tea served is certified organic. Even the menus are biodegradable.
Ryan is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and worked with the famed Thomas Keller and other great chefs, all of which informed his approach to cuisine. The third member of the team is Dev, the manager, who hails from the Midwest and is a California convert. He started in the food business as a dishwasher, worked his way up to waiter and now, with Arturo, has been elevated to manager.
Now it was time for me to sample, and right off the bat I knew it was going to be a hit. The crusty bread was perfect, as was the soup of the day, a creamy green garlic, pureed to perfection with just the right amount of garlic. A cutting board with a choice selection of house-cured meats, served with dabs of different mustards, tiny gherkin and a picked carrot was marvelous, but the coarsely chopped paté was over the top ” one of the best I have tasted. Thus far, over the top!
Next in line was the ahi crudo, cubed and blended with avocado and Meyer lemon, served with house-made, thick potato chips (nothing like those that come out of bags), but I do have one small criticism: Ryan was out doing a catering assignment and someone in the kitchen had a heavy hand with the salt. It wasn’t needed. The lemon alone would do the trick. That said, the spicy Catalan shrimp, done with crushed garlic and chili oil, was perfect.
I followed it with a sample of the roasted sweetbreads, done with bacon and potatoes, also a winner. One more to go, so I chose the braised short ribs, accompanied by spicy carrots and polenta ” also right on target.
There was lots more from which to choose, like a vegetable tagine Bulgar wheat pilaf, Niman Ranch hanger steak or brick chicken with saffron risotto, but maybe next time.
This time I indulged in a dessert, a pan-fried cornmeal pound cake topped with caramelized rosemary apples, siding it with a scoop of pomegranate sorbet, and found it delicious ” better than any chocolate cake. But sample for yourself, either at lunch (11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily), brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, dinner from 5 to 9 or 10 p.m., or after hours from 10 p.m. to closing on Fridays and Saturdays.
Give Whisknladle a try at 1044 Wall St., or call (858) 551-7575. You won’t be sorry!