The Great News! Goes Out article will feature Kristin (Cooking School Director) and Kelsey (Cooking School Assistant Manager) as they sample various dishes around San Diego. Please feel free to email customerservice@great-news.com to recommend any restaurants you would like to see featured. 

Located in the vibrant gaslamp district, Croce's Restaurant and Jazz Bar offers a place to enjoy both delicious food and great music. Owner Ingrid Croce started the restaurant in memory of her late husband Jim Croce whose spirit lives throughout the establishment. Executive Chef James Clark started at the restaurant as a line cook and he quickly propelled to the top. Chef James Clark shares the same passion for food as Ingrid Croce which makes them the ultimate duo. All dishes currently featured on the menu can be found in their new cookbook Photographs and Memories. The cookbook is quite unique as both Ingrid and James share personal stories and each dish has a recommended wine and beer paring. We are very fortunate to have these two talented people teach cooking classes here at Great News! It is definitely a treat to watch both Ingrid and James share their passion for food with us, so come join them for their next cooking class on February 11, 2013 here in our own kitchen.

At the beginning of the meal we started with two different appetizers; Spicy Firecracker Shrimp with Chipotle Aioli (pg. 55) and Jamaican Jerk Braised Baby Back Ribs (pg. 66). The shrimp definitely have a spicy kick but isn't overpowering. The batter recipe calls for soda water which makes this dish light and crispy. The Jamaican Jerk ribs took Chef James over 15 years to develop into what it is now. The recipe is the perfect combination of sweet, savor and spicy. This dish is definitely a favorite for both of us and we order it every time we visit.

Next we had the Warm Spinach Salad with poached figs, apples and grapes in a sweet, warm vanilla bean dressing topped with toasted walnuts and Gorgonzola (pg.80). This salad really stood out to us on the menu because of the dressing and it sounded like a nice salad to have on a cold winter night. The vanilla dressing is what makes this salad so special and unlike any other salad we've had before. The flavor profile is well rounded and not too sweet with the Gorgonzola adding a savory essence.

Definitely not your ordinary spaghetti and meatballs, Croce's Veal, Pork, Beef and White Truffle Meatballs in Oregano Marinara with Linguine (pg. 123) takes this classic to a whole different level. Combining gourmet ingredients and a variety of meats is the recipe to the best meatball you will ever have.

Going along the theme of great classic dishes we decided to have the Croce's Prime Meatloaf with porcini demi, roasted-garlic Yukon gold mash, sautéed spinach and fried onion rings (pg. 158). Meatloaf is a wonderful comfort food and is not normally found on a gourmet menu. The meat for this dish is made from trimmings of New York strip steaks which in of itself is gourmet! The meatloaf came out very moist and just melted in your mouth. All the accoutrements with the meatloaf were an extra bonus.

To finish the night we had the Lavender Honey Crème Brulee (pg. 196). Sometimes when using lavender as an ingredient the floral notes can easily take over the dish when it is not used properly. Croce's has this recipe perfected making the lavender a refreshing and subtle taste to the decadent crème brulee.

Overall, Croce's Restaurant and Jazz Bar is a San Diego classic and definitely a must try! The atmosphere is inviting and when paired with great food and great people, you are sure to have the time of your life to create your own "Photographs and Memories" .

   

 

    

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