Croce's Restaurant & Jazz Bar
Croce's Restaurant & Bars
By Lauren Duffy
San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter is a bustling and vibrant space, filled with an ever-increasing array of shops, bars, and restaurants. But it didn't always use to be this way. Long before eager party-goers cued up outside nightclubs and jovial diners filled the bustling patios lining Fifth Avenue, quality restaurants were sparse and inviting atmospheres were rare. Then, there was Croce’s. Opened in 1985 by Ingrid Croce, the American bistro was one of the first fine-dining restaurants in the area, and one that helped revolutionize the downtown dining scene.
Now over 25 years old, Croce’s is a local institution. It has also kept up with the times, continuing to evolve as a contemporary restaurant with top-notch food, a casual, welcoming setting, and professional service. Entering from Fifth Avenue, the two-story dining room is small but inviting, peppered with small bistro tables and chairs. Tall ceilings lead the eye upward, where a second level offers more private setting, with a balcony that overlooks the dining room below. An adjacent bar provides additional seating, both at the bar itself as well as tables that line the narrow, corridor-like room. On warm days, an outdoor patio offers a casual alternative and a prime location for people watching.
Croces is one of the few—perhaps the only—restaurant in the Gaslamp where music is a priority and a passion. The décor pays homage to the late Jim Croce—walls are filled with colorful photographs, paintings, and memorabilia. A constant rotation of local, national, and international jazz, blues, and soul acts perform in the bar, with nightly performances starting around 8 or 9. Guests in the bar have prime views, although the sound carries throughout the dining room. A recent renovation added a glass wall right next to the stage, providing diners throughout the space with glimpses of the animated performers.
But guests don’t come just for the music—the food more than holds its own. Ingrid served as Executive Chef for nearly 20 years, and just recently passed the reins on to a trusted successor, James Clark. Clark, who served as Sous Chef under Ingrid for many years, maintains a delicate balance of his own ambition and talent with sensitivity to the restaurant's legacy. He keeps a handful of "classics" on the menu, dishes that have become so popular that customers who have not been to the restaurant in years will return and order them. "People come in and request dishes that were before my time, that I've never made before" he explains of the loyal clientele. Rest assured, the warm spinach salad, the French Onion Soup, the Meatloaf, and a Mediterranean Swordfish dish aren't going anywhere any time soon. "The rest," Chef Clark says with a twinkle in his eye, "is fair game."
The wine list, maintained by General Manager and Sommelier Chris Miller, is as entertaining and alluring as the contemporary menu, with about 50 wines per glass and three times that number by the bottle. Miller explains that he strives to offer variety, particularly by the glass, as that is what he personally looks for when he goes out to dine. Lest guests be wary of such a wide selection, he provides suggested pairings with each dish on the menu. We take advantage of this advice, and begin with a crisp, off-dry Ferrari-Carrano Fume Blanc and a creamy, un-oaked St. Clement Chardonnay to accompany the two seafood starters we have ordered.
The Golden Ahi Poke is a visual feast, with nearly every color of the rainbow represented on the plate. The poke itself is awash in golden mango, glistening purple fish, studded with strips of pale onion and red tomato. Loosely tumbled together, the medley is served in a radicchio "bowl," accompanied by paper-thin taro "chips", a fanned avocado, and a bewitching orange sambal sauce. The flavors of the ahi are subtle, a sesame soy vinaigrette lending a slight savoriness to the light, refreshing dice. The swath of bright orange sambal vinaigrette is the most surprising flavor on the plate, an enjoyable and feisty blend of chili peppers and vinegar. It is a modern, alluring way to start a meal.
The Seared Scallops with Lobster Scented Risotto is offered as both an appetizer and an entree, and after sampling the appetizer portion I am tempted to order it again as a main course. The dish is a rare treat, combining two different types of decadence. Plump, U-10 scallops are lightly seared, served with a golden crust on top and a pale, delicate center. They are cooked to perfection, cut with a fork, and glide across the tongue like silk. In a showcase of contrast, the lobster risotto is the lush and creamy opposite of the light, silky bivalve, featuring plump, al dente rice wrapped up in a viscous mixture of tomato and parmesan. The flavor explodes on the palate, the tomato's subtle tang reminiscent of a thick lobster bisque. Crisp, bias-cut slivers of asparagus and shelled edamame stud the risotto just enough to occasionally cut through the richness with fresh earthy flavors.
The Warm Spinach Salad is a well-loved classic, one of several signature dishes that pepper the Croce's menu. "We tried to take it off [the menu]," Chef Clark explains, but it was so requested, he added it back on. It's no surprise—the salad is a stunningly unique medley of unexpected flavors that come together harmoniously. The presentation is slyly unassuming: barely wilted baby spinach leaves sit beneath a medley of crumbled gorgonzola, toasted walnuts, and grapes, surrounded by halved figs and mandarin orange wedges. While it looks ordinary, the first bite proves it to be outstandingly unique. A warm vanilla bean dressing coats the spinach leaves, offering such a potent sweetness the dish could pass for dessert. The creamy gorgonzola combines with the sweet vanilla hitting a perfect note of sweet and creamy, while grapes and oranges provide a burst of freshness. If there's anyone out there who thinks they don't like spinach, this is the salad that will prove them wrong.
When it comes time for our entrees, the Caribbean Grouper baked in cilantro lime vinaigrette wins us over. The presentation is both playful and delicate—a thick slice of pale white fish rests atop a bed of sliced asparagus and of red pepper, with halved fingerling potatoes sticking out like spokes of a wheel. Atop the glistening fish is a dark green dollop of chipotle pesto and a sprinkling of pine nuts. The components are all cooked to perfection, but it is the enchanting flavors of two sauces that make the dish. The first is cilantro lime vinaigrette, which is drizzled over both fish and potatoes before they are baked. Cilantro can be a strong, often overwhelming herb, but here the acidic tang of lime and the sweet flesh of the fish temper the taste. The second is the chipotle pesto, which is a brilliant twist on the typical. A bite of the pesto alone reveals the traditional tastes of garlic, parmesan, and pine nuts but the finish reveals a feisty cilantro-chipotle mixture that leaves the tongue with a lingering spice. Spread on the fish, the kick of the chipotle is tempered, blending perfectly with the rich fish and the tangy cilantro lime.
Maple Glazed Pistachio Dusted Spiral Half Rack of Lamb is contemporary comfort. The presentation is again playful and colorful, four lamb chops leaning against a mountain of mashed purple Peruvian and sweet potatoes, which are piped together to give the effect of looking like "soft serve ice cream." Delicate French green beans stick out from the other side of the potatoes, while the entire creation swims in a pool of rosemary-scented lamb jus with maple reduction. The unmistakable scent of rosemary wafts up from the plate in a fleeting moment of enticement. "We steep the rosemary in the jus, but then pull it out at the last moment so guests don't know where the smell is coming from," Clark explains of the enticing aroma. The lamb slices through easily, the pale pink meat lending an unmistakable gaminess that marries exceptionally well the flavors of rosemary and maple.
As we put down our forks we realize the band has commenced from the adjacent room, and the soulful voice of Sue Palmer is filling the room with a lively, lighthearted energy. Not wanting to leave, we order dessert. It is a smart decision. The Chocolate Fondant is a gooey, decadent treat, a large ramekin filled with a lava-filled chocolate cake. The crisp top gives way to reveal creamy, molten chocolate studded with raspberries. It is decadence at its peak.
The triumph of dessert, however, is a much simpler concoction: house-churned mint chip ice cream. Creamy and fresh, the pale cream bursts with real mint flavor. It's impossible to understate the excellence of this flavor—it is real, honest, and unrivaled. Each bite tastes like a fresh mint leaf dipped in cold cream—an ideal last bite.
As we sit back, we relish in the now-packed dining room, relaxing among the rich voices and warm, melodious sound that fill the space. We feel taken care of and secure, and are thankful that Croce’s was part of the forward-thinking businesses that helped transform the entire Gaslamp area into the same.
Copyright © San Diego Restaurants.com
