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By Kelly Ranasinghe
Cuvee is a discovery… a serendipitous
meeting in the midst of springtime. Nestled
in the sun-soaked hills of western La Jolla,
and guarded by white terraces and spring flowers
so reminiscent of Southern France, Cuvee is
as much a happy accident, as a restaurant of
caliber.
From the grace and friendly charm
of Cuvee’s staff, so tactfully demonstrated
to this inelegant writer by a young Stacy, to
it’s eighty-vintage strong wine list, Cuvee
shelters it’s parishioners from society
by inviting them to dine in an earth-bound cloud
of hospitality, taste, and intimacy.
Cuvee’s menu is unlike the
common place three or four page culinary milieu.
On a single page, Cuvee’s menu is elegantly
brief…ranging from several aperitifs (consider
an Arugula Salad), to more complete entrees
(For example, Duck Breast and Grilled Sausage
on White Beans)..
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Each selection is accompanied by a tactful wine
suggestion, flanked with a wide range of vintages
ranging from a Stag’s Leap Petit Syrah,
to a Kanu. Yet despite the elegant brevity so
akin to a restaurant from a Peter Mayle novel,
the patron will not want for lack of selection.
Cuvee’s breadth of flavor
ranges from a Black Mussel Gumbo, to a subtle
lobster bisque, and does not neglect fowl, nor
hoof. Indeed, this author was entranced with
a superbly done braised beef guarded by flagettes
of yellow squash and corgettes, while his companion
ceased all conversation to direct her full attentions
to a magnificently done salmon similarly posed
upon a bed of mash.
Indeed, truth be told, written
or spoken words cannot do justice to the level
of expertise and attention which was paid to
these meals.
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