THE GALLIVANTING GOURMET: Dining at Quail Hill a revelation

You’ve probably driven past Quail Hill a thousand times, and watched the faux Tuscan development rising from the scrub brush off the Sand Canyon exit. We would guess many of you have often wondered what was in there but haven’t bothered to explore since it represents another loss of our precious open space.

But, for every loss, there is always a gain and for us foodies, it is the Quail Hill shopping center at the back door to Shady Canyon, replete with dineries, from little semi-fast food lunch places to an elegant Chinese restaurant and Lucca, a nouveau fusion Italian tapas bar.

Lucca is a small plate paradise inspired by the flavors of the Mediterranean, with a little California thrown in. Chef Cathy Pavlos has a creative, eclectic style that brings together seasonal ingredients and interesting preparations in a harmonious way.

What makes this restaurant so much fun is the concept of small plates and sharing so you get to taste lots of different tempting tidbits. If small plates do not appeal to you, you may order a double portion, which will be entrée sized, but you may have to wait a bit while others are already eating and sharing.

One of the distinguishing features of Lucca is their fabulous assortment of charcuterie from around the country as well as the weekly cheese selections, which are listed as: cow, sheep and cow, sheep, goat, and blue. Thursday through Sunday nights they also offer many vegetable antipasti from roasted peppers and eggplant to caramelized fennel. For four or more people, you may order their antipasto grande with the chef’s choice of salumi, cheeses, olives and vegetables.

There is no pressure to order everything at once. In fact, it is better to choose just one or two items at a time because they come out in no particular order. This will also give you the opportunity to sip your wine, see what your neighbors are having and to peruse and discuss the menu, which is left at the table throughout the meal.

Speaking of wine, Lucca has a wonderful wine list with many, if not most, of the wines under $30 and wine by the glass in two size pours, a 6-ounce glass and a 2 1/2 ounce tasting size.

In addition to cheese, antipasti and charcuterie, they have soups, pastas, salads, seafood, grilled meat, fowl and vegetables.

While occupied in the study of the menu, you will be fortified with a plate of complimentary crostini, spread with hummus and a sharp green olivada.

We began with a trio of soup shooters: broccoli, cauliflower with thyme and tomato. These were not the usual cream soups with only a soupçon of vegetable flavor; rather, they were more like seasoned vegetable purees. However, we found them all a bit heavy with olive oil.

The seafood sampler is a nice way to try out several tastes. The Maryland crab cake was mostly sweet, fresh crab with just a hint of breadcrumbs, served on a tiny pile of slaw with a tinier amount of tasty rouille. A jumbo shrimp was wrapped in a paper-thin slice of guanciale (similar to pancetta) sauced with beurre blanc. The shrimp was nicely seasoned and juicy but the guanciale was too thin to impart any flavor. A savory sautéed diver scallop was nestled on a bed of spinach in a parmesan cheese basket. A pretty presentation and a nice combination but the basket was soggy and chewy rather than crisp.

The meaty Portobello mushroom came sliced and lightly sautéed, topped with fried leeks, gorgonzola and parmesan which melted down into the agrodolce sauce. Agrodolce is a sweet and sour sauce made with sugar, vinegar and wine. The juices from the earthy mushrooms blended with the cheese and sweet sauce to create a succulent synthesis.

Since we were dining at Quail Hill, it seemed appropriate to order the roasted quail. (Were there a lot of quail running around here before this center was developed or is this title as pretentious as the roundabouts that you must negotiate to get here?)

The lovely little bird was de-boned and packed with a corn bread, sausage and truffle stuffing. The menu promised poached Belgian endive but we got a slice of eggplant and a hunk ‘o yam. On the bottom was a puree of winter squash, described as sauce. Drizzled on top was Vermont maple syrup. The quail was moist and tasty, especially when eaten with a bit of the sweet puree. Although we would be hard pressed to distinguish the presence of any of the listed ingredients, the stuffing was really quite good too.

We prefer our cheese after dinner but we barely had room to try even one. Still, we couldn’t resist Brebirousse, a lovely robust sheep’s cheese, served with crostini and a beautiful array of dried and fresh fruit, providing sweet accents.

For dessert, why settle for one when you can have three? The chocolate raspberry mocha ménage a trois is a sampler plate of three excellent riffs on chocolate. A dark chocolate mocha mousse was dense and extraordinarily silky with wonderful mouth feel and tons of deep chocolate flavor. It made us wonder why this old menu favorite has practically disappeared. Flourless chocolate cake, which perhaps has replaced it, was in fine form here, sitting on top of a bit of raspberry cassis coulis.

The biggest surprise was the raspberry chocolate chunk sorbet. Raspberry and chocolate are a marriage made in heaven. Why haven’t we seen it before in a sorbet? The intensely fruity raspberry flavor was punctuated by bits of very good dark chocolate. Altogether, the trio was a winner.

It’s worth wending your way out of Laguna to discover this find for yourself. From Laguna Beach, take the 133 to the new light at Laguna Canyon Road, just before the 405 Freeway entrance. Turn left and follow Laguna Canyon to the roundabout and take the second turnoff, which is Quail Hill. Continue to the shopping center on the right. The restaurant is in the northwest corner.

Attention Laguna restaurant patrons:

Two favorite local restaurants, Dizz’s and Tabu Grill are suffering greatly from the sewer reconstruction project at Nyes Place. Dizz’s is offering valet parking on Fridays and Saturdays and locals can also get free taxi vouchers for both places.

After 7 p.m., Tabu customers can park at the Arch Beach Veterinary Clinic just south of the restaurant or on Hinkle behind the restaurant.

WHAT: Lucca (949) 725-1773

WHERE: 6507 Quail Hill Parkway

WHEN:

Breakfast: Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Lunch: Monday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner: Sunday through Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m.

Brunch: Sunday 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

PRICES:

Appetizers: $5-$21

Entrées: $10.50-$21

Desserts: $6.50-$12

WINE:

Bottles: $19.50-$195.00

By the glass: 6 ounce $6-$17

2.5 ounce $3-$8.50

Corkage Fee: $10