Over the last year, Californios moved from its Mission District location to a bigger space in the South of Market area formerly occupied by Bar Agricole. The good news is that they have a large outdoor space, as well as a larger indoor space than what they used to have. The slightly bad news is that there isn’t a chef’s counter at this location (which they had at their prior location, and is my favorite way to dine). Regardless, it was good to be able to have their food experience again after over a year. When I went, the only option was for outdoor seating that was enclosed and heated.
As before, they started by serving a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. For this evening it was a nice pink Crémant de Loire. For all of my prior visits, they had served a rosé cava, so I’m not sure why they went French this time (perhaps there is a supply issue).
The opening “course” was an aqua fresca made with saffron, mint, honey, and Golden Nugget mandarins to clear and open up the palate.
To accompany the meal, I ordered a glass of the 2018 Albariño which was one of the white wines on their list.
We began with the introductory set of small bites. From left to right, they were: chicharrón with rainbow trout roe, shaved summer black truffle and chive emulsion; taquito made with thinly-sliced kohlrabi around Dungeness crab and dill aioli; Venezuelan Reina Pepiada arepa made with harina PAN (white corn meal) and topped with an avocado and pea mousse, and Tsar Nicoulai caviar; croqueta made with queso Oaxaca and smoked wild mushrooms and served crispy fired with an Hoja Santa emulsion; and a duck fat-confited deboned chicken wing in a chile Marita glaze and topped with Fresno chile and celery. The range of textures and flavors of the canapés meant to acquaint us with many of the dishes to come.
The next two bites were a chilapita – an Oaxacan green masa tart filled with a smoked sturgeon mousse and topped with Kaluga caviar – and a Cónico Rojo masa tostada topped with bluefin tuna, jalapeño, and avocado mousse. Both these bites were creamy, but in different ways, with a nice crunchy contrast.
For the full write-up, click here.
For the full write-up of the prior visit, click here.
Adventures in Molecular Cuisine 