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Meal Made in Heaven

Photo by Hillary Schalit

Deal of the Year: Chef Charlie Deal cooked up some of the tastiest memories of 1995 at Santa Cruz's brightest new bistro, Oswald.

In which our intrepid food critic revisits the top flavors of the last year and puts together a fantasy dinner celebrating the best of 1995

By Christina Waters

By any standards, it was a fine dining year. Santa Cruz fleshed out its restaurant demographics, Capitola emerged with some zesty new surprises, South County continued to do what it does so well and Randall Grahm still couldn't make a bad bottle of wine.

If I were putting together my definitive dream dinner based on the top appetizers, entrees and desserts I sampled in these parts during 1995, I'd have to begin with that amazing seared ahi creation made by Jeff Huff up at Hollins House. The sensuous partnering of crimson ahi, a tangle of iridescent wakame seaweed drenched with miso-ginger-wasabi dressing and all that smooth ripe avocado made for one of the best appetizers I've ever tasted.

Another favorite opening dish would have to be the classy, piquant crab cakes from Cafe Cruz. Served with a perfect light lemony beurre blanc, these light-but-substantial crab cakes were the tops in the region last year, each bite a nostalgic Chesapeake memory. I'd probably have to indulge in a luxurious platter of Malpeque oysters on the half shell, along with perfect mignonette dipping sauce, as served at Chez Renee. And I'd wash down both these seafood opening dishes with Chez Renee's new house Italian bubbly from Rotari.

Next, I'd dive into one of those gorgeous duck confit salads from Oswald, bursting delicately with baby lettuces and richer-than-Bill Gates confit-style duck thigh. And I'd want to tear into a round, fresh-baked, salt-crusted loaf of bread from Pearl Alley Bistro along with this appetizer. If I had a second option, it would be the orgy of garlic, romaine and anchovy that is Papa's Church Caesar salad. It is lust on a plate and gets my vote for top local Caesar.

My soup--okay two soups--would be the fiery, complex version of sweet and sour soup made at China Szechwan, plus an order of the country-style minestrone from Carniglia's on the Santa Cruz Wharf. Each are archetypal in their balance of ingredients, and in their ability to comfort and soothe.

Since this is California, there would obviously need to be a pasta course in my fantasy meal of 1995. My top candidates include a potato and farfalle creation, tossed with sage and garlic, from the vivacious hand of chef Lucio Fanni of Al Dente Ristorante. The other pasta fantasy would have to be just about anything on the menu at Ristorante Avanti, but especially a recent creation of tender gnocchi mingled with golden chanterelles, organic kale and grated Reggiano Parmesan. If I were forced to add a third pasta dish to my gastronomic hit parade--and there can never be too many pastas--it would be the big-shouldered dish of linguine aglio y olio from Zoccoli's Pasta House, a creation so filled with garlic that it practically levitates.

I could simply go on and make up my entire meal of appetizers, soups and salads, but since entrees are a traditional fixture of civilized meals, I'd select the duckling with cranberry chutney made by that chef extraordinaire, Jack Chyle of Chez Renee. And if pressed, I'd have to add an entree of roast pork served with white beans done by young emerging superstar Charlie Deal of Oswald. Both dishes shimmer with balance, seasoning savvy and a sense of enlightened play--especially Chyle's duck, the rich game offset by the tart tang of a ginger-orange-cranberry accompaniment.

The perfect complement for all of the above would be a bottle of 1993 Le Cigare Volant from Bonny Doon Vineyard.

If I were allowed to choose two wildly maverick side dishes for the meal, I'd want to have an order of potato salad and sweet, molassesy baked beans made by Bobby Bishop of Bobby's Can Cooking. They taste exactly like my childhood should have. I'd also want to round out my meal with one of those irresistible MJ sushi rolls made by chef Masa at Masayuki's. The contrasts of crisp, hot salmon skin frosted with cream cheese and toasted sesame seeds wrapped in a tissue of nori and sweet sticky rice would round out the main course to perfection.

To finish off my meal, I'd savor a double espresso from Cafe Bené--arguably among the best beans on the planet--and sip a wee dram of 12-year-old Talisker from the substantial single malt collection of Clouds Downtown. The dessert itself would have to be a slice of the ethereal, almost mystical cheesecake with fresh raspberry purée made by Annaliese Fee and served at Emmanuelle's--religion in each bite.

Finally, I'd renew my Jazzercise membership and start working off all that terrific food to make room for 1996.

Happy New Year!

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