One of those (amazing) days.
The other day I got off work with the urge of eating something new and different. Walking around Hillcrest I found a recently opened place at University and Fifth. Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen is so new that doesn’t even have a Facebook page, Twitter or a website. That made me upset at first. But just wait so I can tell you how I felt by the end of dinner.
When my friend and I got there they were not busy so we chose a cute comfy booth on the corner. Went through the yummy menu and chose Salmon Tartar and the San Danielle Prosciutto as appetizers.
When our food arrived, 10 minutes later, the presentation killed me…with love. Everything was beautiful, colorful and smelled so good. I couldn’t wait to try it.
I always tell my friends that the first bite is the most important. It’s the one that tells if the food is good or not. If it is, the feedback comes in sounds, closed eyes, smiles and so on.
The salmon tartare was a mix of deliciousness. Served with bread, it’s the perfect portion with the perfect spices. And my first bite? Beautiful and followed by a second, a third, a fourth…By the way, our server was super nice and mixed everything for me. I was so excited that doing it myself would probably not be the best idea.
I’m crazy about meat, it doesn’t matter if it’s lamb, beef, chicken or pork. To me, prosciutto is the fancy version of bacon, that type of meat that you can eat anytime, anywhere with anything. This time, I ate with peach chutney and…bread. An amazing sin.
To go with all of that, I had a glass of Joseph Jewell, a really tasty Chardonnay. With its light body, goes perfectly with the refreshing light appetizers.
I confess that I was already pretty full, but I needed to try a main course. While my friend ordered deep fried mozzarela with marinara sauce, I was stuck between the bone marrow risotto and the ravioli with wild mushrooms (one of my passions). I called our server and shared the doubt with him, asking the kitchen to choose for me. Because going out to eat can be really stressfull if you have a hard time making up your mind.
To go with whatever they chose for me, I asked for a red, more bold wine. I ended up having the Zinsane, a medium body Zinfandel.
The food arrived in 15 minutes later. By that time I was already really impressed with the service. Besides that, the kitchen sent me the risotto but also a taste of the ravioli. I’m still thanking them for that. It was heaven.
The mozzarela is made there from scratch, which gives that homemade taste with a contemporary classy touch.
I didn’t want (not really) but I HAD to try the butterscotch flan. The picture is horrible but the taste was incredible. The perfect end to one of the most delicious meals I’ve ever had.
If you ever worked in the industry or if you just consider yourself picky, you will understand my feeling after trying 6 different things and loving them all. Eating can be so rewarding when you cross paths with talented people. Congratulations to all the staff at Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen. I will definetely come back soon!
Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen
530 University Avenue
San Diego, CA 92103
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