A Feast for the Eyes
The La Valencia Hotel opened on Prospect Street in La Jolla Village in 1926, drawing the elite hollywood set of the time, and that glamorous sensibility remains evident in the Spanish-style architecture, ornate ceilings, and tile work that frames stunning views of the Pacific Ocean. It is pure Southern California.
A lot of the time when you go to a picture perfect place like the La Valencia, you've come to accept that the food may be an afterthought. We come for the view and the ambiance, afterall. That's what makes The Med so exceptional.
Seasonal Inspiration
The hyper seasonal menu takes its inspiration from the bounty of local San Diego County farms, and the new dinner offerings were designed around exlusive micro produce from Girl and Dug Farm in San Marcos. Executive Sous Chef Dana Francisco works with local farms to source vegetables that are grown to a specific size and color to suit each dish, and the visual effect is utterly stunning.
Grilled Spanish octopus pops against the vibrant orange of romesco, enhansed with slivers of crispy serrano ham and a dusting of vegetable ash. The most lucious ricotta gnocchi we've ever tasted seems to levitate over the hot pink of beet puree and truffle emulsion, wearing a pea vine crown.
Sweet, perfectly caramelized diver scallops are accompanied by seasonal fennel fritters and dusted with vibrant green pollen. Vegetables take center stage in dishes like maple-glazed carrots, which are plated like contemporary art.
Seasonality is everything, with dishes like tiger fig and persimmon salad making an appearance during the fall and early winter, while other dishes, like the lucious wagyu beef tartare, topped with whole grain mustard and onion petals, remaining a constant.
Almost every dish uses beautiful KinderGreens and KinderVeggies, including an utterly unique dessert offering created by executive pastry chef Ginger Niles, which uses nasturtium leaves to flavor a delicate cream topped with vanilla and citrus pop rock crumbs, lemon poppyseed tuile, crispy milk foam, freeze-dried manuka honey chunks and earl grey ice cream.
Dinner at The Med is a visual delight, from the intricate details of dining room to the terrace views, to the artistic plating of the imaginative dishes.
The meal is full of surprises with whimsical dishes that clearly demonstrate just how insprired the chefs are by the local flavors of Southern California.
This is not a restaurant that rests on its historic laurels, but instead a place that seeks to create experiences that will continue to intregue and excite. It is a destination where you can indulge in the full fantasy of the classic San Diego lifestyle, while enjoying a meal of textural, visual, and flavorful new worlds.
La Valencia Hotel & Spa, 1132 Prospect St,La Jolla
Open from 7:30am; Dinner Nightly from 5:30pm
Copyright ©2024 Edible San Diego (Archive). All rights reserved
