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 The interior is soaring minimalist. Richard Neutra meets I.M. Pei's New York Four Seasons Hotel, with a bit of ethnicity splashed here and there.
"Very hip and very now" encapsulates Restaurant Parallel 33, which opened Sept. 13 in Mission Hills. Amiko Gubbins and Robert Butterfield took the 1,700 square foot space formerly called Figaro's and transformed the rather dark and dismal Italian eatery into a wondrous taste trip across two oceans, three continents and some 15 countries.
Amiko and Robert have spent more than 14 years working in the restaurant business together. That's more than five times the life expectancy of any given California restaurant and 10 times longer than most California marriages. They met at Gustaf Anders' in 1984. Amiko, the first female in Ulf Anders' kitchen, started at the bottom, relegated to chopping onions and peeling garlic with Robert working on the floor as waiter and host. The two then worked together at Cilantro's before spending the last 10 years (winning award after award) at Café Japengo.
The restaurant has a "boutiquey" beer and wine list, but a full liquor license is in the works. I ordered a bottle of the 1997 Foxen Pinot Noir at the recommendation of our waiter Scott, who was extremely clued-in on both the wines and the menu items. It proved to be soft and light, yet had enough oomph to stand up against the delicate yet robust cooking of my favorite chef-ette.
We started with the "Warm Chicken B'stilla with Exotic Spice and Almonds in Phyllo" ($7.25). This traditional Moroccan dish is a mixture of shredded chicken, ground nuts and raisins or currants seasoned with saffron then baked in a jacket made of layers of very thin pastry dough or "phyllo." Amiko then garnishes her version with housemade preserved lemons and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.
We shared an order of the "Carlsbad Mussels steamed in Tamarind Ginger Broth" ($7.50), a generous portion of 15-20 mussels (depending on the size served) in a beautiful bowl teeming with broth and a piece of soft onion flatbread. I mainlined several before forcing myself to offer my companion a taste.
The "Asian Cured Duck Salad with Grapefruit" ($8) was my big favorite. I hoarded it. I gave my companion only one or two bites of this and then only after he begged me. Baby greens, jicama, red cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, grapefruit and candied pecans are tossed with oven-roasted Asian spiced duck and a spicy soy vinaigrette. This salad is presented with a warm whole leg centerpiece surrounded by cool greens.
I chose the "Grilled Moroccan Spice Rubbed Flat Iron Steak" ($21) for my main course. It was expertly grilled, thinly sliced and served fanned around a bed of hand "crushed" red potatoes. (She likes the imperfect texture.) It is finished with caramelized pearl onions and a kalamata olive vinaigrette. It had a lovely sweet tang with just a slight overtone of balsamic.
Sam had the "Kasu Roasted Chilean Seabass" ($20.75). The geographically challenged diner may not realize that they foisted this representative from the southern 33rd parallel onto the menu as well. The nearly half-pound hunk of buttery seabass is served over a cucumber and watercress salad with a hot and sour orange lychee sauce.
The dessert menu, also written and executed by Gubbins, offers a half-dozen nightly-made offerings that range between $5 and $6.50. Amiko described them to me as "simple," but she is as modest as she is beautiful; I describe them as "simply delicious."
There was a time when the number of serious restaurants in San Diego could be counted on one hand. No longer. A cadre of chef-restaurateurs riding the nationwide foodie boom is beginning to remake the local landscape with their creativity, enthusiasm and commitment. They have found success at locales such as Vignola, Mixx and Tapenade.
And at Parallel 33.
— Terryl Gavre
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