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T he C oast News
AUG. 11, 2017
Food &Wine
Il Fornaio – authentic Italian hospitality
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l Fornaio in Del Mar has been presenting authentic Italian food, creating an Italian experience, since 1989. Perched up on Del Mar Plaza, it has a sweeping view of the Pacific Ocean. The Del Mar location is one of 22 that start the day with rustic, crisp baked bread, fresh from the oven. The delicious bread provides an opening treat for lunch or dinner accenting the flavorful sauces that simmer with meats, fish and vegetables. It’s been this way since 1972 when Il Fornaio was founded in Barlassina, Lombardia Italy. That led to a retail bakery in Milan, Italy, in 1975. The U.S. had Il Fornaio bakeries until their presIl Fornaio Del Mar offers authentic Italian food and hospitality. From left, Server Mattia Cimolin, Executive Chef ent-day high quality Italian Roberto Gerbino, Night Manager Walter Scotto and General Manager Vittorio Homberger. Photo by Frank Mangio restaurants took their place
taste of wine frank mangio in 1989. Il Fornaio demonstrates recipes and preparations that Italians have mastered over centuries of producing great Mediterranean style food. Each month, the restaurant presents Festa Regionale, an exclusive exploration of the food and wine of the different regions of Italy with a passport program of gifts and rewards for guests who dine on those menus that celebrate such areas as Sicilia, Friuli, Piemonte and the next special menu, the food and wine from Campania, Aug. 7 to Aug. 27.
On the occasion of my visit to the Del Mar location and a reunion with my friend, General Manager Vittorio Homberger, it was a salute to the Veneto region. The most attractive menu item was the braided Brenzino, a Mediterranean seabass baked in white wine and served with Yukon Gold potatoes and sautĂŠed vegetables. For the wine, the Sartori Valpolicella 2013 Estate Collection from Verona did well in bringing out the Adriatic flavor of the seabass. Wines to try from Veneto also include: Soave, Prosecco, Amarone, the Belllini cocktail, Rondinella and Corvina. Find out more on the August Campania menu, which includes Naples, at ilfornaio. com, or call (858) 755-8876. TURN TO TASTE OF WINE ON B19
Open House is the latest restaurant gem from Wade and Kristi Hageman
of Chef Marlaw beautifully. I should note that from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week the space becomes The Crafty Egg and serves a combination of brunch and lunch that I will feature in another column as it was just
too much to cover here. From what I’ve seen on that menu I’m looking forward to that experience. I’ve eaten my meals at both the bars at Open House and would suggest checking them out before diving into the food as they have a fabulous cocktail program with some talented folks whip
ping up drinks. That said, there are a lot of choices for seating and ambiance including a nice outdoor patio.  It’s nice to see that variations on some of the favorites from Blue Ribbon and Craftsman are worked into portions of the menu, including the popular popcorn and deviled eggs from the starter portion of the menu. But knowing Chef Marlaw’s Filipino background I had to start with the lumpia with cabbage, snow peas, carrots, sweet peas and chili-garlic
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here was a lot of anticipation leading up to the launch of Open House, located in the spacious former home of the popular El Callejon. Especially when the proprietors are the husband and wife team behind two local favorites — Blue Ribbon Pizza and Craftsman American Tavern. It should be noted that their talented Executive Chef Marlaw Seraspi is on board at Open House along with Sous Chef John Moore. There may have been some confusion in the beginning with the four concepts under one roof, but by the time I had the first of three fabulous meals there, they had combined concepts to create one menu that showcases the Asian influences
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The Black Angus “Shaking Beef� is an LTP fave at Open House. Photo by David Boylan
vinegar sauce. I could eat lumpia all day and these were right up there with the best I’ve had. And as a bonus, if you are with vegetarian friends this version will work for them. Another dish that looked appealing is the chilled prawn & soba noodle salad with cucumber, bean
sprouts Thai Basil, and sesame vinaigrette. Up next is the Wok’d/ Share part of the menu that included pork fried rice, crispy garlic chicken wings, bay area garlic noodles and baby bok choy. They appeased my veggie friend and whipped up a nice fried rice
minus the pork. That was fine with me as I knew what was coming next from the Ramen section of the menu. There are five Ramen versions listed but I had to go with the Chef’s Special with house soy broth, Chashu pork, braised pork belly, and spicy Lap Choeng sausage and black garlic oil. I finished half and had the rest for breakfast the next morning. I loved this dish. And, of course, what would a new restaurant be these days without poke. But then again, poke in the hands of a chef like Marlaw takes it to another level. That said, the poke is great, but the dish that was new to me was the Local Hiramasa (Yellowtail) Kinilaw. It combines coconut vinegar, Haas Avocado, ruby grapefruit and fried shallots. This is more of his Filipino roots coming out and I’ve never had anything like it. It’s a ceviche-like preparation with the coconut vinegar being the acid of choice. Trust me on this one, and I’m definitely going to have to find some coconut vinegar to add to my pantry. Yakitori, the popular grilled and skewered treat,
is represented with Adobo-style octopus, marinated short ribs, lemongrass chicken and leg of lamb. One of those will be included in my fourth trip back. Entrees include a local white seabass, a dry-aged New York Steak, steamed black mussels and another new dish to me, the Black Angus “Shaking Beef.� This new discovery included grilled onions, watercress, jasmine rice, lime and Szechuan peppercorn sauce. This savory-sweet stirfry, known as bo luc lacor “dice� in Vietnamese, gets its English name from the constant shaking of the pan performed by the cook while browning the meat. This was another unique and flavorful winner on a menu full of them. Desserts include the famous, and rightfully so, Blue Ribbon butterscotch pudding, Hawaiian chocolate mousse and an amazing mango panna cotta with coconut cream and a medley of tropical fruits. I’m a huge fan of panna cotta to begin with and this version was right up there with the best I’ve had. It was light and refreshing and a perfect way to end a killer meal at Open House. I should note that parking should not be a concern. If the lot is full, which it can be on occasion, there is parking next to the Encinitas rail station and really, any side street in downtown Encinitas is an easy walk. Open House and The Crafty Egg are located at 345 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas. Call (760) 452-2555 or visit www.openhousefooddrink.com for more. Lick the Plate can be heard on KPRi, 102.1 FM Monday - Friday at 4:10 and 7:10 p.m. David Boylan is founder of Artichoke Creative and Artichoke Apparel, an Encinitas-based marketing firm and clothing line. Reach him at david@artichoke-creative. com or (858) 395-6905.