Canyon Lodge welcomes Chef Chris Grodach

Glori Fickling

A well-earned reputation for warm country club ambience and a menu

that has perennially combined originality with affordable prices,

Laguna’s Canyon Lodge American Grill has thus far continued the

tradition since acquisition by adjacent Montage Resort and Spa.

The warm Native American theme at this five-decade venue atop

Aliso Creek Inn, remains happily as does the memorable view of

sprawling golf greens and several individually decorated areas for

dining including the intimate cocktail lounge, which comes alive

every weekend when the popular Darvey Traylor Duo entertains for

dancing.

Happy news is the recent appointment of innovative sous chef Chris

Grodach who has brought to the fore his own distinctive take on

rustic American fare inspired by cultural cuisines from across the

country. Arriving directly from his tenure at The Loft, Montage’s

beautiful fourth floor restaurant, Grodach’s impressive background

began with formal training at the prestigious Culinary Institute of

America at Hyde Park, New York. He then worked diligently with noted

chef Josiah Citrin at Santa Monica’s famed Melisse restaurant and

continued to hone his impressive skills with Thomas Keller at the

highly acclaimed French Laundry in Napa Valley.

Grodach’s menu features a dozen appetizers at $4 to $12, almost as

many entrees, $18 to $26, plus seven delectable desserts, $7 each.

His innovative approach to authentic American recipes first shows up

in the menu’s creamy tomato soup. Rather than jazzing up the flavor

with complex herbs, a little topping of chopped Dungeness crab with

yellow tomato and fried basil imbues a deliciously simple contrast.

If you are blessed to taste the delicate amuse bouche he sometimes

proffers, you will savor tiny slivers of salmon sided with dabs of

avocado and crunchy veggie bits in a savory trickle of mango orange

puree. Tender calamari is deep fried to an extraordinarily crunchy

finish and presented with sauces of marinara, buttermilk and chipotle

aioli. Crab strewn cakes combine sweet corn relish, cilantro

vinaigrette and baby herb salad. Plump ahi is seared to rare

perfection under a peppery crust and the popular homemade seasoned

potato chips sprinkled with bleu cheese seem to be even more thinly

sliced now than remembered.

Taste and texture contrast are something of a hallmark with this

talented young chef. Per se, the delectably thick pork loin chop is

grilled to a tender pink finish and heaped with the tartness of

julienned Granny Smith apples and sided with the briny taste of

braised collard greens and sweetness of honey glazed pearl onions.

Crisp pomes frites and creamed spinach oppose the mesquite smoked

grilled beef rib eye steak. Rack of lamb is complemented with russet

potato gratin, mushrooms, roasted pepper and sweet garlic ragout.

Amazing texture contrast is exhibited via pan roasted Alaskan

halibut, the plate finished with white beans, green beans, wax beans,

sun dried tomato cassoulet, basil pesto and crushed pine nuts. Rack

of lamb at $26 poses six succulent ribs atop a savory mushroom,

roasted pepper, sweet garlic sauce. Cioppino, a huge bargain at $18,

is awash in rich tomato broth studded with bell pepper, chewy clams,

mussels, calamari and shrimp plus tender chunks of salmon and

halibut.

Grand finales include such well loved Americana desserts as warm

apple crisp crowned with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, warm

bread pudding with creme anglaise and ice cream, New York style

cheesecake with seasonal berries. Totally decadent is the spiraling

tower of creamy chocolate over a round of Devil’s food cake and on

the lighter side, vanilla and chocolate hazelnut gelato, lemon and

strawberry sorbets. The cocktail bill of fare features a complete

list of trendy martinis, all to enjoy pre-dinner and to savor later

in the cozy cocktail lounge which continues to attract guests with

comfortable settees that invite instant camaraderie and, when

Darvey’s multi-dimensional rhythms fill the room, spirited dancing

Friday and Saturday nights.

NEWS BITS

Villa Romana Espana has invaded Fernanda and Angelo’s popular

Villa Romana Trattoria Downtown, adding an enticing Mexican dimension

to the corner of Beach Street and Broadway. In addition to a tempting

Mexican menu, manager Alex Malpica offers a margarita bar and

fabulous five-star tequilas. He says this is “to pamper millionarios

y billionaireos.” The alfresco rooftop setting above this popular

Italian eatery was alive with Mariachi musicians last weekend with

the promise of more entertainment this Saturday and Sunday. Phone:

(949) 497-6220.