A La JolIa Icon Hits Delicious Heights
New chef enlivens Top O’ the Cove

 
By Robin Kleven, Restaurant Critic

All it took was the right chef to put Top O’ the Cove at the top of its game.

For years, this La Jolla landmark has gotten by on romantic atmosphere and an inflated reputation. But, in the past, I’ve found the food inconsistent, the service haughty and the prices laughably high.

No more. Chef Guy Sockrider, who arrived last year, has proved the catalyst for much-needed change — and not just in the food department.

 
Yes, you’ll still pay about $25 for an entree, $6 to $12 for salads and appetizers. But now the quality of the fare makes the steep prices a little less painful.

The service has lost its “You're not worthy” overtones. And while the storied wine list is still outlandishly overpriced, at least the cuisine it’s meant to complement is worthwhile.

Sockrider’s cosmopolitan cooking credits include stints in France, New Orleans, Santa Barbara and, most recently, Monique’s in Laguna Beach. At Top O’ the Cove, the menu he calls contemporary French ranges from classic (escargot in garlic butter) to Pacific Rim (blackened ahi sashimi with Asian greens) and northern Italian (artfully rendered risottos).

His dishes are executed and presented with a maximum of elegance and a minimum of fuss.

Take the risotto that is currently showing up as a special appetizer. It’s as understated and perfect as an Armani jacket, with exquisite white truffles and real Parmigiana Reggiano, and the night I sampled it, every bite was earth-scented perfection. (When the bill arrived I learned it cost $25, the waiters don’t include prices in their recitation of specials.)

But the regular menu offers remarkable starters as well. Spears of grilled asparagus were drizzled with an imaginative bacon/black olive dressing that echoed all the flavor of the grill. A simple house salad of mixed lettuces and veggies fairly sparkled under a tingly tarragon vinaigrette. (Kudos to the kitchen for dividing the salad before bringing it to the table when we asked to share).

Soups were show stoppers as well; one night’s smoked corn chowder tasted like the essence of a summer barbecue.

Complimentary fruit sorbets are served between courses; both the softly flavored pear and the bold, Carmen Miranda passion fruit were winners.

When it comes to main courses, the chef has a particular knack with fish. Salmon and swordfish are offered nightly (with an alternating roster of Sockrider’s favorite sauces), and both are must-haves.   Continue »

 
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