San Diego Metropolitan - Dining

It is a testament to Ingrid Croce’s abundant will, guts and drive that after more that 20 years in business, Croce’s is still one of the most popular restaurants in the Gaslamp Quarter.

Anyone who knows Ingrid, the widow of the legendary singer-songwriter Jim Croce, knows that Croce’s is still at the top of its game after all these years only because Ingrid would not have it any other way. The restaurant pays tribute to and honors Jim’s memory, and satisfies his many fans (even after all these years).

On any given Saturday night you can still find Ingrid working the door, greeting her guests and even giving a few orders in the kitchen (she is, after all, as the menu states, the executive chef).

The dining room is bistro-ish with a black and white checkerboard tile floor, white tablecloths and walls decorated with memorabilia from Jim Croce’s life, music and marriage to Ingrid. Now a grandmother, the dynamic Ingrid Croce doesn’t look much older than she did in her wedding picture with Jim. (Maybe she just hasn’t found the time to age.)

The menu, too, is bistro style. Starters like French onion soup and baked brie, which are standard bistro fare, are augmented with trendy offerings such as the “Fire Cracker Tempura Shrimp” ($13.95) and “Mediterranean Hummus” ($9.95). Five hunky U-15 shrimp are Cajun battered, quick-fried and served with kick-butt chipotle aioli. The hummus, a traditional combination of chickpeas, tahini, roasted garlic, cumin and lemon juice, is served with soft garlicky pita bread, Greek olives, cucumbers and roasted red peppers. I found both of these appetizers fabulous.

I am a sucker for figs, so it’s no surprise I adored the “Warm Spinach Salad” ($9.95). Fresh leafy baby spinach, cloaked in a warm vanilla bean dressing (a nice change from the usual bacon vinaigrette), is surrounded by poached figs, fresh thin-sliced apples and red grapes. The warm vanilla dressing, which is sweet and viscous, is a nice companion to the tart apples. The salad is topped with crumbled stilton and toasted walnuts.

A 6-ounce portion of “Blue Nose Sea Bass” ($26.95) is painted with a pomegranate glaze, crusted with crushed macadamia nuts and roasted in a very hot oven. This fleshy white fish, found in the waters off New Zealand, was perfectly cooked and served on a bed of braised baby bok choy and red peppers in a kaffir lime leaf infused butter.

The “Sesame Coated Ruby Red Ahi” ($31.95), a house favorite, is a dish for which Ingrid is especially known. Five ounces of sashimi grade ahi is coated in black sesame seeds, then sliced thin and pan seared in a “black hot” sauté pan for about 30 seconds. It is finished with a hibiscus beurre blanc, which is made by reducing white wine and dried hibiscus flowers and incorporating this reduction into a classic beurre blanc. It is accompanied by Thai-style rice and a fennel mango salad. Treat yourself to this — it’s truly an indulgent dish.

I fell in love with the “Contemporary Meatloaf” ($24.95). Yes, twenty-five bucks sounds a bit steep, but this is not the meatloaf of your childhood — you know, the version your mother made that you tearfully picked at sitting alone at the dinner table long after supper was over. Sous Chef James Clark, who beautifully executes the menu on a nightly basis, grinds certified Angus filet mignon to make this rich, almost paté-style dish. Two generous slabs, topped with a rich porcini demi glace and teetering on a bed of mashed potatoes, are served with sautéed spinach. This impressive structure wears a crown of deep-fried oregano onion rings. This is the dish for those who eat with gusto.

Desserts are all made in-house and you can’t go wrong with any of them. I’ve had the flourless chocolate lava cake and the crisp on several occasions and they are a wonderful finish to any meal.