Dishing It Out Archive

Karen Krasne, the chef and owner of Extraordinary Desserts, is one of the top 10 pastry chefs in the United States, says Forbes. The magazine places Krasne in the company of some pretty fancy pastry people including two New Yorkers, Francois Payard of Payard Patisserie & Bistro and Remy Funfrock of Café Boulud. What a treat for the San Diego culinary scene.

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One of San Diego’s premier chefs, Bernard Guillas (Marine Room), made quite an impression at the International Fancy Food Show in San Francisco. The Moscone Center event showcased more than 10,000 local, regional and ethnic food products available for the mass market. In October’s Dishing, we mentioned Guillas’ new line of fennel pollen blends and reported on their pending availability in specialty food stores and supermarkets nationwide. Due to brisk sales at the food show, you’ll soon have to look no further than your local grocery store.

What is fennel pollen? The plant, which is extremely aromatic, grows wild on the sunny inland and coastal fields of California. Its flowers are collected at the peak of the bloom and carefully dried and screened for the pollen. Fennel pollen is a newer ingredient being clamored for by American chefs. Thanks to Guillas, fennel pollen blends are now available to the general public. The Great News Cooking School and Store in San Diego already is carrying Guillas’ product. The seasoning also may be obtained online at fennelpollen.com, a site that features recipes.

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Interested in tasting some fine cuisine from the Basque region of Spain? For a limited time, Sevilla Carlsbad is offering a $12.95 fixed- price experience. Dinners include a choice of appetizer, salad and entrée, and for an additional $7.50, a matching wine flight paired with the meal. For more information and reservations call (760) 730-7558.

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Hankering for a good hot dog? Check out Surf Dogs, located at 11640 Carmel Mountain Road in Carmel Mountain Plaza. Proprietor Tamara Stephenson, who loves hot dogs and surfers, combined her passions to create a new concept in casual dining when she opened her eatery in December. David Robinson Design created the beach atmosphere, which provides a casual family setting for dedicated dog lovers.

The menu features a wide selection of cleverly named hot dogs with a variety of unique toppings. Check out the “Wannabe Surf Dog” (turkey), Swami’s (meatless) or the “Black’s Beach” (totally naked). Stephenson plans to open 10 more eateries in the next three to five years. We’ll report later on whether Surf Dogs can cut the restaurant industry mustard.

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The UCSD Cancer Center Foundation’s 2003 Celebrity Chefs’ Gala is set for May 17 at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina. San Diego chefs signed up to present signature appetizers include Tim Johnson of Zenbu, Susan Sbicca of Sbicca and Meritage, Jason Schaeffer of Laurel Restaurant and WineSellar & Brasserie, Jeffrey Strauss of Pamplemousse and Matthew Zappoli of Fresh. Out-of-town chefs include Jeff Tunks, chef and owner of two well-known Washington, D.C., restaurants, Tenepenh and DC Coast; Charles Dale of Renaissance in Aspen; Charles Gay, executive chef at Beano’s Cabin in Beaver Creek, Colo.; Scott Megargle of Rainier Club in Seattle; and Vincent Francoual of Minneapolis’ famed Vincent A. Restaurant. Proceeds benefit the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center.

Terryl Gavre believes the world would be a better place if everyone worked once as a foodserver. She is owner of Café 222, Downtown, and can be reached at (619) 233-4060, Ext. 316, or food@san.rr.com