From the Table at Rustic Canyon delicious smells and happy chatter surrounded me as a looked over the hyper-seasonal menu.
“Your table is almost ready. You can have a seat at the bar while you wait,” the host said while she swept her arm around her in the direction of the small four seat bar behind her. The bar was set into an enclave with delicate glassware dripping from the ceiling and an inviting wine list on display. The chalk board menu above our heads contributed to the homey decor elements strategically placed around the mostly dark modern industrial design of the restaurant.
While most patrons of Rustic Canyon are eager to try out the expansive wine list, under the direction of Kathryn Coker, the inventive cocktail list caught my eye. Broken into three categories (seasonal, classic and signature) the cocktail list provides an array of carefully constructed drinks. I chose the Settle Down Francis off of the seasonal cocktails list, a shaken gin-based drink with pummelo, mandarin, cashew, amargo vallet, lemon and lime. The citrus forward drink was sweet and refreshing.
Our table was ready before the bartender was finished with our drinks. I hesitated, not wanting to be rude to the bartender. “Go ahead, I will bring your drinks to your table.” With the reassurance we weaved our way through the busy dining room. Our server arrived, with drinks in hand, shortly after. He briefly explained the menu and gave us a few minutes to decide.
“Cheers” we clinked our glasses, and I took a moment to look around the bustling dining room. Muted conversations floated through the air blending with the familiar music playing from speakers. All around us tables surrounded by smiling faces and the staff floated almost invisibly through the crowd. In this moment I felt immense gratitude. Rustic Canyon had been on the list for a long time. I looked across the table at my smiling boyfriend and realized these moments are the little luxuries of life. Filled with eager anticipation I turned my attention to the menu.
Rustic Canyon is known for their hyper-seasonal menu and commitment to using local, fresh ingredients from the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market. This causes the menu to change weekly, or even daily flowing with the seasons and what the famers provide. Their motto “Simple ain’t easy” truly does encapsulate the creative takes on classic dishes.
We started off with yellow eye bean ribollita with rosemary, garlic, chili and torn bread. Admittedly, when I ordered this, I envisioned bean-based dip with bread so when soup bowls appeared in front of us, I was surprised. Despite my confusion about ribollita (which I now know is a Tuscan bread soup) I was not disappointed. The soup was slightly spicy and was brimming with beans, tomatoes and chewy bread that surprisingly didn’t get soggy.
As quickly as the ribollita appeared it was gone, replaced by farmer’s cheese gnocchi; so pillowy it nearly melted in your mouth. The potato clouds were accompanied by peas, snaps, green garlic, mint, pistachio and topped with cheese sauce and freshly grated parmesan. The peas and snaps provided a welcomed crunch in the otherwise airy dish while the pistachio – shaved so thin it was barely discernable amongst the rest of the dish – brought the nuttiness of the parmesan into the limelight. If food had relatives, this gnocchi is mac and cheese’s fancy aunt. With all the flavor and comfort of mac and cheese combined with the sophistication of a perfectly made gnocchi.
The parade of mouthwatering dishes continued as the duck leg confit replaced the gnocchi. Red wine braised cabbage, julienned pink lady apples and hazelnut accompanied the dish. A spoon was all that was needed to cut though the tender meat. It was juicy and slightly fatty with sweet notes from the red wine. Savory and sweet the duck leg dish was delectable from the first bite to the last.
No dinner is complete without a little treat. We indulged in one of the most interesting desserts I ever encountered: prunes in armagnac with sunchoke ice cream, a semolina (coarsely milled durum wheat) dumpling, and pain d’espice (a French quick bread made with rye flour, honey and spices). This dessert was a textural, flavorful roller-coaster for the senses. The semolina dumpling was brûléed and released a wonderfully sweet, pastry like aroma giving a preview of the treasure to come. Once the spoonful lands on your taste buds you’re hit with a simultaneously hot and cold sensation as the dumpling and sunchoke ice cream melt in your mouth. The sweet dumpling and nutty ice cream plays nicely against the brandy-soaked prunes while the pain ‘d’espice supplied soaked up the array of flavors. Additionally, there were four pieces surrounding the dumpling. I couldn’t figure out what they were, thin as glass they looked as if they were very large shaved almond pieces but alas one taste of them and it wasn’t any clearer. The smooth pieces snapped easily to the bite then quickly vanished, similarly to the way cotton candy disappears magically, leaving a slight hint of sweetness. We paired the dessert with a scoop of the Malibu honey ice cream, which was sweet, smooth and loaded with small pieces of honeycomb. Simply delicious.
Every part of this meal met my expectations. From the drinks, food and ambiance it was simply magical. The service was outstanding, the servers moved seamlessly through the dining room, invisible until you needed them. Drink cups were never empty, and a new set of silverware and plates appeared almost by magic in between each dish. They folded my napkin when I went to the bathroom. The dining experience was superb. Next time you are looking for a date night restaurant consider visiting Rustic Canyon.
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