FORKS & CORKS
Origin of the Caesar Salad Kathy of Scratch Gourmet Tasty Takeout
SEPTEMBER 2020
Timeless Designs for Life Timeless Designs for Life Timeless Designs for Life Timeless Designs for Life
Timeless Designs for Life Timeless Designs for Life
Interior Design Decorating New Construction Renovations Interior Design Decorating New Construction Renovations Renovations Interior Interior Design NewConstruction Construction Decorating New Renovations DesignDecorating Renovations Interior Interior Design NewConstruction Construction Decorating New Renovations DesignDecorating
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IN FOCUS | TERNS BY DEREK EMGE
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CONTENTS & CREDITS | SEPTEMBER 2020
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In Focus: Terns
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Publisher's Note
10 Local Entertainment & Events 12 Chef Kathy Nicolls of Scratch Gourmet 20 Getting to know Qualcraft Construction Inc. 28 Chef Clyde’s Dish on the Caesar Salad 34 People: Luis Madrid of Coronado Coffee Co. 38 Island Girl Blog’s take on Take-Out 46 Lifestyle: Design Behind the Kitchen Island 52 Pastry Chef Jill O’Connor’s Sweet Spot 58 Forks & Corks: Bali Hai with a Mai Tai
Photo Credits Front Cover: A mouthwatering view of a delectable cheese & charcuterie board created with the best ingredients, artfully arranged and delivered locally by Chef Kathy Nicolls of Scratch Gourmet. Photo Credit: Kathy Nicolls On Instagram: @ScratchGourmet Website: Scratch-Gourmet.com In Focus: (pages 2 & 3): Common Terns along Coronado’s shore captured by local photographer Derek Emge. Derek recalls the scene, “Early morning on Central Beach, before the walkers and runners mark the sand, the shore belongs to nature. On this morning, a large flock of Terns dominated the sands. In the foreground, a male tern is seen offering food to females to demonstrate his worth as a provider.” Artwork is available for purchase at Art and Frames Gallery in Coronado.
Back Cover: Bluewater Boathouse creates a unique, nostalgic ambiance, bringing back the look & feel of Coronado’s Tent City to their outdoor dining area in the exact location it existed over 80 years ago. Tent City was a popular summertime camp-like travel destination that attracted visitors from 1900 until 1938 near the Hotel Del and the Boathouse. This lovely scene of patrons dining on a recent warm summer night was captured by local photographer, Katie Karosich. Photo Credit: Katie Karosich On Instagram: @MontereyGold On Facebook: @KatieKarosichArtist 6
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PHOTO BY KATHY NICOLLS
Photo Credit: Derek Emge On Instagram: @Oceanic_Photography_West Website: DerekEmgePhotography.com
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PUBLISHER | Amy Slack amy@crowncitypublishing.com
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER | Heather Canton heather@crowncitypublishing.com
EDITOR | Heather Canton heather@crowncitypublishing.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR | Gina Falletta Design SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER | Gina Falletta Design COPY EDITORS Aly Lawson, Alex Larratt, Rose Wojnar CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Samantha Bey, David Throop, Clyde Van Arsdall IV, Aly Lawson, Christine Van Tuyl, Karyn Frasier, Jessica Nicolls, Belinda Jones CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Spring Dyer Photography, Kristen Vincent Photography, Qualcraft Inc., Martin Lindsay, Aly Lawson, Christine Van Tuyl, Samantha Goh Photography, Jill O'Connor, Madison Marchetti, Rachel Parr, Korye Miller, Holidais Morais ADVERTISING SALES Heather Canton Amy Slack Advertising Director Publisher amy@crowncitypublishing.com
heather@crowncitypublishing.com
(619) 565-7789 (619) 288-8050 Natasha Archer natasha@crowncitypublishing.com
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Are you a fan of Taco Tuesday? Meal delivery services? Takeout or the new alfresco dining at your favorite restaurant? Whether you’re taking in the views & enjoying the ambiance at your favorite local spot for happy hour, or ordering takeout for a family dinner while watching the kids play in the backyard, food brings us together like nothing else and Coronado has it all! In this Forks & Corks Dining Issue, we feature our friend and local chef, Kathy Nicolls from Scratch Gourmet. From gorgeous cheese and charcuterie boards, to a weekly menu that can take you around the world at your own dining table, Scratch Gourmet delivers every time. Ready to ramp up your kitchen design? Get to know the good people at QualCraft Construction Inc., who are ready to craft your dream kitchen into reality, while Bungalow 56 spotlights the heart of the kitchen: the versatile island. Chef Clyde Van Arsdall IV sets the record straight with a brief history of the Ceasar salad and shows us how the recipe for this popular order has evolved from its inception in Tijuana during Prohibition to present day. Van Arsdall includes two scrumptious recipes we can try making at home: one traditional recipe, and a second with a spicy twist on this all-time classic. Ever want to quit your office job to whip up marvelous desserts all day and write cookbooks? Get ready to be inspired by the story of Coronado’s culinary author, Jill O’Connor as she retells how she made the courageous leap to follow her dream of becoming a freelance author and pastry chef. And nobody likes food more than dogs, am I right?! This month we let the dogs out with a delightful article written by a new writer to our team, Belinda Jones. Jones gives us the scoop on a few local dog groups that makes us want to get out there and have some fun meeting new friends with our pups! Let your inner pirate out and cross the bay by boat to enjoy an ultimate dock-and-dine experience at Bali Hai. Christine Van Tuyl’s Forks & Corks Restaurant Review is sure to make mai tai drinkin’ pirates out of us all. Or if takeout is your jam, Island Girl Blog satisfies all your cravings with an array of restaurants to order from right here on island. Not only does Coronado have it all when it comes to dining, but we are also fortunate to be a tight-knit, supportive community. Read about our friend Luis Madrid and his heartwarming story about his business thriving on community support and a little help from his friends at Blue Bridge Hospitality. Cooking up this Dining issue for our community was a joy, and we sincerely hope you enjoy every morsel. From all of us at Crown City Publishing, thank you for your continued support of what we do. Amy Slack, Publisher 8
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PHOTO BY KATHY NICOLLS
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER SEPTEMBER 2020
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E N T E R TA I N M E N T & E V E N T S | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 0
Click here!
Virtual Events
The Coronado Cultural Arts Commission makes it easy to find local virtual activities with an online calendar. Check out the array of activities offered at www.coronadoarts.com/artsonline. We thank everyone offering virtual events for their commitment to the arts and our community, and we encourage you to stay home, stay safe, tune in and tip out! Let's come together online to give them our support, too. VIRTUAL ART LESSONS & CLASSES Anna Woerman of CoSA - Instagram #nadoartchallenge Joan Green - Art Programs Carole Jensen - Cooking Classes Lisa Solis - Music Classes for Kids Coronado Arts Academy - Music Lessons Joyce Chapman - Online Journaling Ms. Mariah's Music - Piano Lessons The Coronado Library - Activities for All Ages Diane Alexander - Voice Lessons Coronado Scribes - Local Writing Club Emily Boyle - Piano Lessons VIRTUAL FITNESS & WELLNESS Coronado Fitness Club Coronado Yoga & Wellness Center Deep Blue Sea Sanctuary Martial Arts America Sweat Equity Island Yoga Yoga on C 10
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VIRTUAL LIVE MUSIC CONCERTS Fish and the Seaweeds Mariah Gillespie Jerry Gontang Michael Gonzales (Gonzo) Matt Heinecke Phil Lean Ron Wheeler of Ron's Garage Trish Naval Doug Booth Jake Lyons Miss Demeanor VIRTUAL SOCIAL EVENTS Wine A Bit - Virtual Wine Tastings • For a complete listing of events, visit www. coronadoarts.com/artsonline. • To add an event to the calendar, please e-mail Arts Education Commissioner Mariah Gillespie at mariah@msmariahsmusic.com.
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CATERER BRINGS HER WORLD TRAVELS TO CORONADO WITH SCRATCH GOURMET By Samantha Bey
Photos Courtesy of Kathy Nicolls and Spring Dyer Photography
K
athy Nicolls was about five years old when she tried her first prosciutto sandwich and thought to herself, “Oh my gosh! Now that’s a sandwich!”
It was also the first time she’d flown on an airplane so she could visit her grandmother, Grace, who’d left Sicily at the age of nine to come to America and settle in Baltimore. Nicolls has fond memories of her grandmother chatting and laughing and barking out orders as she bustled around the family kitchen cooking all day, and says her comfort and happiness being in the kitchen started from that young age. The Nicolls family moved to Coronado in 1976 when Kathy’s father was stationed here. Between her Sicilian mother and her southern father, something delicious was always being whipped up in the kitchen. Sundays meant her mother’s famous “Sunday Sauce” (which, she says, some Italians actually refer to as gravy), in which beef and pork ribs, tomatoes, and a medley of herbs simmered on the stove all day for a fall-off-the-bone hearty pasta dish at dinner. Though her mother was an excellent cook, it wasn’t a particular passion of hers. It was Nicolls’ father, who was raised on southern food in Alabama and had been exposed to all sorts of cultures and foods in his military travels as an A-7 pilot in the Navy, who was always cooking for fun. He’d take on different culinary projects like sourdough starters and put together big weekend breakfasts. “I would wake up early on days he’d cook CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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so I could nab a piece of bacon,” laughed Nicolls, who was the middle child among five siblings. And when her grandmother would visit from Baltimore, her dad would go hunt for dove that she’d fully prep, clean, and cook into raviolis and other savory dishes. Nicolls would read Sunset Magazine and the Betty Crocker cookbook when she was young, and remembers her earliest attempt at cooking being garlic bread. “I think I just smeared margarine and garlic powder all over bread and put it in the broiler,” she says, laughing at how far she’s come in her culinary prowess. When she was an Islander at Coronado High School (class of ‘80), Nicolls landed a coveted job at the Chart House restaurant making their famous mud pies and cheesecakes. Over the years that followed, she worked as a cocktail waitress there as well. She eventually hit it off with a fellow Coronado local who’d dabbled in modeling at that time. Nicolls had always been interested in that pursuit, so the couple decided to save up their money and travel to Europe to land some gigs. They worked odd jobs including painting houses and babysitting to scrimp and save, and before embarking on their travels, tied the knot when Nicolls was 22. Before heading abroad, Nicolls visited a modeling agency here in America, where she was told she’d need a nose job if she wanted success in the industry. “That one hurt, considering I’d always been self-conscious about my nose,” Nicolls remembers. Nevertheless, Nicolls and her husband headed off to Italy sans rhinoplasty, where her modeling career took off. “They signed me immediately and no one ever said a thing about my nose,” she laughs. From there the newlyweds headed to Switzerland where they lived with some friends and continued modeling. Richard Vasquez, a friend of her husband's from Coronado, was there in Zurich, and was trying to get his new Mexican restaurant, Tres Kilos, up and running and he hired the couple to work there. They moved into an apartment above the restaurant, where Kathy quickly, and somewhat unexpectedly, found herself head chef — cooking 80 dinners a night. While there, she met people from all over the world. There were a lot of political prisoners there, she explains, so she was exposed to so many cultures, ideas, and especially food. “Ah the street vendors!” she remembers fondly. After about a year there, she landed a contract to model in Tokyo. “I don’t know why”, she says, laughing, “but they loved me in fur coats.” Japan was another country where she experienced an amazing food culture. The nightclubs would invite models to come and eat for free, or she and her husband would be taken out for high-end dinners by their agencies — or they’d stumble across “funky little holes-in-the-wall?” where, she says, they’d have some of the best meals of their lives. Nicolls remembers the first time she tried Kobe beef at a teppanyaki restaurant. The agency she worked for was not happy with the $75 cost for the dish and docked her pay. “I didn’t care,” she says. “It was so worth it!” The couple ventured to Hong Kong, where they lived with an American couple who showed them the ropes and took them to all the best places 14
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to eat. “There was so much weird and amazing food to try,” she says. “You could take these boats out to little islands where you’d pick out your exact fish in the water, and they’d cook it up with fresh herbs and it’s one of the best meals you’ve ever had.” There was also pigeon and shark fin soup, but those dishes didn’t stay on her radar. After Hong Kong it was a two-year stint in Germany, where the cuisine meant pretzels, beer, bratwurst and fresh trout, and of course the myriad of foods they tried on weekend travels all over Europe. Nicolls was taken with how phenomenal European food was when it’s not heavily processed like it is in the States. The couple split in the early ‘90s after their time in Munich and Nicolls returned home to Coronado. She waited tables at local staples like Peohe’s and Chez Loma, while still traveling to and from Los Angeles for modeling and commercial acting gigs. During that time, she met a woman who was a private chef and thought to herself, “That sounds amazing — I want to do that!” About a year later, after a stretch living in Miami, an acquaintance reached out to her looking for someone to work for a week as a private chef to a group who had won a vacation at an estate in Mexico via an auction. She took the job and her work impressed the owner of the estate, who happened to be married to an heir of the Phillip Morris fortune. The woman hired Nicolls to fly to her various homes around the country and cook for her. “I had to make everything fat-free which just wasn’t as much fun,” she says. From there she worked as a private chef for a friend in Rancho Santa Fe, then on a private yacht for a Belgian family around Panama and Costa Rica, and even for the owner of the world-renowned Rancho La Puerta spa. Nicolls’ world travels and working ventures calmed down a bit in 2003 when she settled back in Imperial
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Beach and had her son, Jett. Jett’s father was running a successful business at the time, but when his work slowed, Nicolls wanted to take on a pursuit of her own. In 2007 she began making and selling jalapeño jams here in Coronado. Her “scratch” jams were popular enough she started selling them wholesale and at farmers markets throughout San Diego, along with other varieties and homemade granolas. “The money was OK,” she says. “But I was renting a commercial kitchen, the farmers markets kept raising their fees, and I was schlepping everything around all over San Diego from IB and it was tough,” she remembers. “But I was always meeting the nicest people. That was the best part.” But she hit full market burn-out one blustery afternoon at a farmers market, when fees had been heavily increased again and her canopy tent blew away from above her head. “That’s it,” she says. “I took it as a sign and I packed up and I was done with it.” All along through her market adventures, she’d still been cooking and catering parties for friends, and around 2015 it began unfolding as another business venture. She started cooking weekly meals for elderly clients and putting together charcuterie boards for local parties and summer Concert-in-thePark goers. Word of mouth spread like wildfire — as it does here in Coronado — and her sister-in-law, Jessica Nicolls (co-owner of Bungalow 56 Design + Shop) helped her with design and marketing. Before she knew it she was running a full-fledged catering business called Scratch Gourmet. Her booming local business offers a new menu each week featuring an array of dishes designed from her extensive world travels and culinary experience. Clients can order by the meal or a whole week’s worth. She also still offers various serving sizes of her charcuterie boards which, much like her reaction to that first prosciutto sandwich at her grandmother’s house, will make you say, “Oh my gosh. Now that’s a cheese plate.” Even with decades of world travel and trying and cooking every dish under the sun, Nicolls’ favorite dish to make is pizza. “Because Jett loves it,” she says. “Cooking is my love language, and nothing makes me happier than when he likes something and just says, ‘Mom! This is SO good.’” • Samantha Bey is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and children. 16
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In the Kitchen with ualCraft Local design & remodel company crafts your dream kitchen into reality
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W
ith people spending more time at home these days, the design and layout of their homes have become an important feature. Family mealtime has, once again, become essential for most families to connect, communicate and entertain each other, which means having the right kitchen design has become a priority for many families. To turn your house into a home is a process that can take some time to get right. From picking the right decor to design takes some level of consideration, planning, and expertise. Especially important right now is having a trusted business to work in your home, remodel your kitchen, and implement your dreams of a safe, beautiful place for your family.
Founded in 1996, QualCraft Construction, Inc. was created by owner Michael Jacobs-Bonnet as an all-in-one shop for any home redesign needs. Having spent his entire life in the construction and contracting business has led Michael to realize what was missing was a streamlined process in an otherwise disorganized industry. After 20 years in business, QualCraft and President Michael Jacobs-Bonnet brought the high-end, full-service boutique of home design services concept to Coronado. With an emphasis on quality over quantity, the team at QualCraft diligently puts the homeowner at ease and strives to exceed clients’ expectations. Passionate about their work, the QualCraft team offers a wide array of options for their clients. By providing micro- to macroscale construction and remodel options, QualCraft offers individualized project designs from the contemporary to modern and traditional. But how did QualCraft come to be recognized as one of the premier home construction companies that shared the uniqueness of Coronado? It was an evolution that began slowly over the years. After pairing with local architect Kevin Rugee on several projects, Jacobs-Bonnet began to realize what we all know, namely the special place that is Coronado. The more time he spent in town, the more he learned about and fell in love with the city. When asked what stood out most about life and business in Coronado, Mike refers to the small-town experience. He tells the story about how, when working on various projects around town, he was amazed by the local lifestyle. “When I was working in town, I’d drive by the Coronado Middle School and see all those bikes locked up and think to myself, where else in America does this still happen? Nowhere but Coronado!” So in 2012, Jacobs-Bonnet decided to pack the bags, uproot his family and business, and move everything to Coronado. “At first, it was a challenge working on projects all around the county, but Coronado was very welcoming to me, my family, and business.” But how did QualCraft come about, and why? To understand the vision Michael has for QualCraft is to follow his history in the business. His father was involved in the home-building industry and encouraged Michael from a young age to learn all aspects of tradecraft. With that advice, Michael threw himself into understanding all phases of construction wholeheartedly, from working as a laborer to learning foundations, framing, and more. What he learned over the years is there’s often a disconnect between the design phase and construction. Pulling from these experiences, Michael saw a need in the industry to have a start-to-finish organization. So he set out to team up with experts in their fields and create a one-stop-shop. With an eye on detail and an in-house organization unparalleled in the industry, QualCraft set out to eliminate many of the traditional hiccups many homeowners experience in the redesign process. “Too often, a job would begin, and then a designer is brought in after the start,” says Kalli Ries from the business office of QualCraft. “It disrupts the plan, adds costs with the types of materials and fabrics used, and
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may affect the overall aesthetics. It can add time to the construction, all of which can lead to cost increases and extra time in the construction.” Fostered by Jacobs-Bonnet, the family-like atmosphere includes his construction manager, Sean Collins, and lead designer Dominique Tharp. With their unique blend of skills and talents, the team strives to make the home transformation a wholly unique one. Often a contractor will meet with a client to set out a design concept. Afterward they discuss that concept with architects, designers, and contractors who may have different opinions of the best way to implement their piece of the design plan and what that project may entail. Introducing new concepts and materials after the initial meeting with the client often leads to restarts, disjointed implementation, and costly overruns lasting longer than necessary. But how did QualCraft come to be recognized as one of the premier home construction companies that shared the uniqueness of Coronado? “One thing that differentiates us from other similar companies is our attention-to-detail and overall organization,” says Ries (or Kalli depending on style) By having everything in-house, we eliminate a lot of confusion in the project. We’d rather focus on offering the highest quality renovation and construction than just a turn-and-burn approach like others.” QualCraft gives the client confidence their vision is materialized by managing the job from concept to completion — from design to showroom, to construction. They do many aspects in-house and subcontract some work including tile and other types of flooring. The clients can have the peace-of-mind that the whole project’s CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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conception through finish is without any surprises and matches the homeowner’s desire. “Our design process really starts with a one-on-one with the client,” says Tharp. “We talk about their dreams for their project, how they see themselves living in the space. It’s not always a style, a lot of times, it’s more of a feeling … It’s a fun, great process.” Once a personalized concept is shared by the homeowner, the QualCraft team sets out to implement those dreams. The design team works to find the best fabrics and materials to bring the homeowner’s vision to life. Simultaneously Collins’ construction team uses a design binder to stay true to the homeowner’s vision. Collins believes in the quality of work they do. And the streamlined integration of design, implementation, and construction of each project has an added benefit: “QualCraft has become almost a family,” he says. “Most of us have been there quite a long time. It’s great to see how as a team we’ve touched so many people’s lives.” When asked about a favorite project she has worked on, Tharp shares one in particular: “One project we worked on was a historical home. The clients really wanted something special. They wanted to keep the integrity and character of that home but they wanted a showpiece at the same time. In the kitchen we did a custom backsplash with inlaid Thassos marble and mother of pearl, and it’s spectacular.” As we adapt to being home more, that means we’re spending more time cooking at home. Having the space to relax, share, and entertain with our family and loved ones put a premium on those shared spaces. “Ultimately what differentiates a house from home are the memories we create,” Ries? says. “And having the right type of house design, one that meets the client’s vision, is our goal at QualCraft.” Trusted, local, like family, and detail-oriented are all the traits QualCraft Construction shares with the residents of Coronado. Collins says it best: “Driving through the neighborhood, I see people every day (who) I’ve worked with or worked for. We’ve developed tight relationships with our customers; most of them end up being personal friends.” As Mike shares, “our growing team of talented individuals has made QualCraft what it is today. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in the future. And as proud as I am about everything we’ve achieved, I feel this is just the beginning.” • David Throop is a freelance writer from Coronado who now lives in Imperial Beach with his wife and child. 24
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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARTIN LINDSAY AND THE SAN DIEGO HISTORY CENTER
“Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears, I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” Seriously, I cannot be the only one who wonders why we assassinated the great Caesar Salad? The Caesar Salad is without a doubt one of the most popular salads in the world today, but it bears only a slight resemblance to the original and has nothing to do with the Roman emperor. The Caesar Salad was served for the first time in 1924 by Caesar Cardini, an immigrant from Northern Italy. Caesar arrived in San Diego in 1919 hoping to build a restaurant, but a year later Prohibition hit and he began commuting to Tijuana, Mexico to run his restaurant, Caesar’s Bar and Grill. The restaurant was a destination for many Americans looking for a drink and a place to party. On the 4th of July there was a large party raging and the now famous salad was invented out of necessity. The kitchen was running low on food, so Caesar gathered what ingredients he had on hand, there was not much left, and came up with a salad. He decided to assemble his new creation tableside to give the simple ingredients a wow factor and some legitimacy. The plan worked on so many levels, and the Caesar Salad was born. This salad was groundbreaking, and the tableside service was a huge hit. When customers saw the salad being made, every other table in the restaurant wanted one; sales were going through the roof. The servers loved it because their tableside performance earned them big tips from delighted guests. The kitchen loved the fancy presentation because it was performed by the waiter not the kitchen, which gave them extra time to concentrate on the rest of the meal. The guests loved watching the salad come to life right before their eyes. The new item was so popular that guests returning home took the recipe with them giving the Caesar Salad wings. Cardini’s restaurant was an extremely popular place for Americans to eat and drink. With Prohibition in full swing, Tijuana and specifically Caesar’s restaurant, was a popular destination for many wealthy travelers staying at the Hotel Del. The most famous guest being Wallis Simpson, married to Prince Edward, the Duke of Windsor. Hollywood types immediately brought the recipe home to Los Angeles and soon it was the talk of the red-carpet set. Wallis Simpson took the recipe back to England, and by 1936 the Caesar Salad was popular among the European elite. This was all due to the tableside presentation: the recipe belonged to whomever ordered it. Shortly after Prohibition, Mr. Cardini left the restaurant scene in Tijuana and returned to San Diego where he opened two restaurants: one on University Avenue called the Cardini Café, and the other, Caesar Cardini’s Villa in Chula Vista. The restaurants did okay, but the salad that made him famous was no longer exclusive to him and it was still gaining popularity. Cardini knew he had a good thing in his famous dressing, so in 1938 he moved to Los Angeles and opened a shop on Beverly Blvd selling his original Caesar Salad dressing and other sauces. The dressing was a hit and in 1948 Caesar and his daughter Rosa established
Caesar Cardini, original owner of Caesar's, Tijuana, 1935 CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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Caesar's Place, Tijuana, Mexico
Cardini Foods and distributed their creation nationwide; the popular dressing can still be found in grocery stores across the country. The history of this salad and its quick rise to stardom are well documented. But what happened to this once elegant salad? How did it become the boring, often flavorless salad it is today? As the salad began to appear in different restaurants, each chef made their own variations, the most notable is the addition of anchovies. The original never featured anchovies, but instead used Worcestershire sauce. I, and many others love the addition of anchovies, an upgrade that probably came about due to the presence of anchovies in Worcestershire sauce. The original salad consisted of garlic and salt that had been worked into a paste, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, raw egg yolk, fresh lime not lemon, finely grated parmesan cheese and olive oil. Just the heart of the romaine lettuce is used, and individual leaves are generously tossed in the dressing. The original was served with crostini not croutons, and the whole thing was finger food, eaten with your hands not a knife and fork. Unfortunately, the Caesar Salad has become an afterthought, no longer the tableside star it once was. It is now popular because it is simple to make and inexpensive. Without the tableside service, the dressing is almost always store bought, not made from scratch, strike one. The croutons are seldom made in house and taste like they came out of a box, strike two. The romaine is often from a bag of pre chopped lettuce and the parmesan is pre-grated, domestic, and flavorless, strikes three and four. It is an insult to the guest that this sad version of a once great salad gets the same price tag as all the other salads on the menu, leaving me and most others feeling ripped off. The bottom line is with so few ingredients each and every one of them must be the best. Fresh romaine hearts, freshly grated imported Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, dressing made from scratch with good olive oil, Dijon mustard, Famous Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce or good anchovies, fresh garlic, and limes. Once you make this salad at home, whether sticking to the original recipe or trying a fun variation, you will find a new appreciation for this salad and a newfound disdain for what most have been calling a Caesar Salad. Cardini’s restaurant is still in Tijuana and they serve the famous salad there to this day. There are some fun videos online showing the salad being assembled tableside. My go to recipe is from Bon Appetit. I love their version of the Classic. I did a fun version years ago, Grilled Caesar Salad with a kicky jalapeno dressing and rosemary croutons. Have some fun and make it your own. If you make everything yourself and use great ingredients, I think you will love the results. • Clyde Van Arsdall IV is executive chef and general manager of the Neiman Marcus CafÊ. 30
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R E C I P E S | C O U R T E SY O F C H E F C LY D E VA N A R S DA L L I V
The Classic Caesar Bon Appetit
I N G R E D I E N T S
The Dressing 6 anchovy fillets packed in oil, drained 1 small garlic clove Kosher salt 2 large egg yolks 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more ¾ teaspoon Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons olive oil ½ cup vegetable oil 3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan Freshly ground black pepper The Croutons 3 cups torn 1” pieces country bread, with crusts 3 tablespoons olive oil The Lettuce: 3 romaine hearts, leaves separated The Cheese: Parmesan, for serving
R E C I P E
P R E P A R A T I O N
The Dressing: Chop together anchovy fillets, garlic, and pinch of salt. Use the side of
a knife blade to mash into a paste, then scrape into a medium bowl. Whisk in egg yolks, 2 Tbsp. lemon juice, and mustard. Adding drop by drop to start, gradually whisk in olive oil, then vegetable oil; whisk until dressing is thick and glossy. Whisk in Parmesan. Season with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
D O
A H E A D : Can be made 1 day ahead
The Croutons: Make your own. Tearing, not cutting the bread ensures nooks and
crannies that catch the dressing and add texture. Preheat oven to 375°. Toss bread with olive oil on a baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Bake, tossing occasionally, until golden, 10–15 minutes. The Lettuce: Use whole leaves; they provide the ideal mix of crispness, surface area, and structure. The Cheese: Caesars crowned with a mound of grated Parmesan may look impressive, but all that clumpy cheese mutes the dressing. Instead, use a vegetable peeler to thinly shave a modest amount on top for little salty bursts. The Assembly: Skip the tongs. Use your hands to gently toss the lettuce, croutons, and dressing, then top off with the shaved Parm.
Grilled Caesar with a Kicky Jalapeno dressing and Rosemary Croutons Kicky Jalapeno Dressing: Follow the classic recipe, when making your paste with the garlic and anchovies add half a minced jalapeno including the seeds. Substitute lemons for limes after all there were limes in the original. Rosemary Croutons: Strip two sprigs of rosemary toss with bread and olive oil
before toasting.
Grilled Romaine: Cut Romaine hearts in half, leaving root intact so they won’t fall apart on the grill. lightly brush the cut side with olive oil. Grill on high heat until charred but not cooked you really just want grill marks, this will add an amazing amount of flavor.
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L
ongtime local Luis Madrid bought a Coronado business at 19. With cash. It was 1999. Two years later he would join Blue Bridge Hospitality, and the sky would be the limit — even in stormy weather.
Madrid began work at the coffee kiosk in front of Bay Books Coronado on south Orange Avenue when he was 16. His family moved to the island from Mexico in 1984, but he later found himself a young student and alone. He couch surfed and says he didn’t have many expenses, so he saved up his money in a shoebox. “I started working and I saved everything,” he says of the kiosk. “I bought it from the owner; I gave him a check.” Madrid credits hard work and community support for how his journey was shaped successfully. He’s now managing partner of the Coronado Coffee Shop and neighboring Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q on the Ferry Landing. He describes how his transition to the island’s other side during the precise start of the pandemic still led to two bustling businesses and a rewarding feeling. Having jumped in at the centrally located ferry plaza coffee hut and casual barbecue eatery with bay views, he reflects on his path. Community members loved the old kiosk, he says, as it always generated a local feeling. He compares it to Cheers, where everyone knows your name and drink. “It was definitely an exciting place to work,” he mentions, adding how many employees worked for him and moved on to bigger things. He notes how each employee brought something special and was grateful for the experience. Madrid met Blue Bridge principal David Spatafore when Spatafore was creating the collective’s first endeavor, MooTime Creamery. The ice cream shop was built beside the kiosk. Madrid says they were neighbors, seeing each other every day and working together. 34
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Then the bookstore went to new ownership and they didn’t want to renew the kiosk lease, so Madrid found himself struggling to find a new location. Spatafore, who also grew up on Coronado, noticed. “David saw my face of defeat,” Madrid says. Madrid was weighing a spot by Bank of America slightly further south on Orange, but the process was bumpy. “David realized that and saw me, and said why don’t we do this…”
Two rollerbladers place their orders at Coronado Coffee Company.
When they joined forces, Madrid climbed through the ranks; he managed other restaurant businesses and learned accounting. He also befriended Leroy Mossel of Leroy’s Kitchen + Lounge, which is on Orange and part of Blue Bridge as well. “David and Leroy were the people I would go to for help,” he says. “They’re my angels. They’ve always been very supportive of me … It was really hard. They’ve gone far beyond expectations for how much they’ve helped me through my life. I would not be where I am without them.” More recently, Spatafore and Madrid reached an agreement for Madrid to take over the Ferry Landing spots in April of this year, which ended up being March 16 — the day the pandemic shut down restaurants.
Luis Madrid is managing partner of Coronado Coffee Company and Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q.
The business partners moved up the transition during the slow, but hectic period to aid the process, but it also resulted in 14-hour days for Madrid and 10 employees covering both spots. “We’re working to make it work as best we can,” Madrid says, adding the teams are now fully staffed (his son also works there) and the BBQ patio is open. Madrid says they struggled through like a family. He joined Facebook, promoting the stand and posting pictures or specials. His regulars from the island’s other side started showing up again out of nowhere, he says fondly.
Sophie Esquer and Jason West serve customers at the Coronado Coffee Company stand.
“It’s been booming. It’s been awesome. At both locations,” he says. “If not for Coronado, CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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we wouldn’t be able to make it.” People love the atmosphere and coffee, Madrid says, especially the homemade whipped cream that’s nondairy. Madrid graduated Coronado High School with longtime employee Jason West, who also started working the original kiosk at 16. They developed the whipped cream discovery together. “When we run out people aren’t very happy,” Madrid says with a laugh. “But they come back when it’s ready.” He says the businesses’ goal is to keep succeeding at sales. He explains how in the restaurant realm, you figure out what works and what is a positive attribute , and you see what’s not a fluke. “When people come we want them to have the best experience possible,” he says. Madrid describes the coffee stand’s popular Mexicali mochas that use authentic Mexican chocolate, which is sweeter, as well as has cinnamon and nutmeg flavors. Cold brews, lavender or rose vanilla flavors, açaí bowls, as well as the affogato that started beside MooTime, are also crowd-pleasers. An affogato means a scoop of vanilla ice cream “drowned” in espresso. The pastries available are fresh daily from Bread & Cie in San Diego’s Hillcrest. He says barbecue has a cult following with a learning curve involving perfect temperatures and the details of smoking. He adds they have a fantastic kitchen manager at Lil’ Piggy’s. The restaurant also offers street tacos, and they’re aiming to add vegetarian dishes and gluten-free bread to the menu. “Just to wake up every morning and go to work here, it’s heaven. This is my view,” he says. “People really are happy we’re open. We don’t know what to do when we’re not open. I’ve been working my whole life.” • Aly is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and children.
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PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE VAN TUYL
A RO UN D TOW N | C H R I ST I NE VA N T U Y L
The Lounge Burger from Burger Lounge. 38
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eed a break from the kitchen? Dishwasher on the fritz? You’re not alone. But hark…help is in your midst! There’s nothing easier (and more satisfying) than noshing on takeout from your favorite island eatery. Not only do you get to support local restaurants, but you can also keep it low-key and cozy in the comfort of your home. (Don’t forget to tip!) Whether you’ve got a yen for Asian eats, you fancy some French cuisine, or you’re pining for a pizza on the patio, Coronado dining has something for everyone. Best part? No one will judge you if you eat dinner in your jammies!
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LIFESTYLE | BY KARYN FRAZIER + JESSICA NICOLLS
Island Style L
et’s chat about kitchen islands. We always talk about the heart of the home being the kitchen, and the kitchen island is definitely the heart of the kitchen. It’s a place for gathering, prepping food, and Saturday morning breakfasts. Every kitchen is slightly different, so configuring a kitchen island that works for your family is key. We’ve put together a few tips for making your kitchen island stand out.
• Karyn Frazier and Jessica Nicolls are the owners of the interior design firm Bungalow 56.
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SAMANTHA GOH PHOTOGRAPHY
Functionality
What’s the main priority for the kitchen island? The most common use for a kitchen island is to provide extra seating. The length of the island will determine how many seats you’ll have, but it’s also a great place to create an extra prep area or hidden storage.
Style
Do you want your island to look like a furniture piece, have open shelving, or provide space for appliances? These are all great questions when planning your space. We find the kitchen island is a cool place to tuck a drawer, microwave or other small appliances which aren’t the most aesthetically pleasing. We also love adding a furniture leg to the island to create a custom, heirloom furniture look.
Color Scheme
If the space is large and an open concept, we like to ground the space with a darker element on the island. This can be done by making the island out of wood, using a darker paint, or doing a darker countertop, or both! CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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COMMUNITY | CORONADO CANINE CLUB
• Actual Murphy & Me by Kat bandana, available at Wag’N Tails, 945 Orange Avenue, Coronado
• Belinda Jones lives and works in Coronado and is the author of Bodie On The Road: Adventures with a Rescue Pup in the Dogged Pursuit of Happiness.
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Photo by Rachel Parr
Photos by Madison Marchetti
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Photos by Korye Miller
• Murphy & Me Pet Sitting info can be found at www.murphyandmepetsitting.com
Photos by Holidais Morais 50
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Coronado resident Jill O’Connor has authored seven cookbooks — including Cake, I Love You — and has been writing for The San Diego Union-Tribune for seven years. She’s contributed to many blogs, websites like thekitchn.com, and magazines including Southern Living and Bon Appétit as well as appeared on television. Originally from San Jose, she met her husband when he was assigned to a Navy ship in the Bay Area. Their first tour as a married couple was in England. An English major previously at an advertising agency, she found herself hanging out with the caterers. “‘What do you want to do?’” she recalls her husband, Jim, asking as they were moving overseas. “I told him I’ve really always wanted to go to cooking school.” O’Connor went to Le Cordon Bleu in London followed by a position with an ad agency again, 52
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but one that called for a director’s chef. With an unlimited budget she would create elaborate meals for clients or cater events like a once-a-month secretaries’ lunch. From spaghetti bolognese to numerous-course meals, including drinks with each one that would leave even the most ravenous of appetites stuffed to that painful brim. Having picked up Oreos from the commissary, she made a mud pie that was an astounding hit. The people she worked with rarely heard of things like Oreo crusts or carrot cake. When O’Connor moved to Coronado the first time, she got a job at the Golden Door Destination Spa in San Marcos. She described the elegant spot and the luminaries who would visit. She enjoyed spa food, as well as the chef who was nurturing and encouraged the staff to stretch. I started doing desserts, she says. “I thought, shouldn’t we? So they feel pampered. And I developed this line of fancy desserts. We got some write-ups and some magazines would come … I got a really great write-up with beautiful photographs and food styling.” O’Connor left the spa when her husband joined an aircraft carrier in the Seattle area, and they bought a house on Bainbridge Island. She started from scratch again. She worked at a bakery in the morning and as a pastry chef at night, taking the 5:30 a.m. ferry with her car to drive to the bakery, work, then to the restaurant — frequently returning home at 11 p.m. or midnight. The restaurant was in a historic building; the kitchens were small and she climbed up and down narrow staircases with 25-pound bags of flour and sugar. During the Gulf War, her husband stayed gone. When a huge to work, it got
went out for two weeks in January and snowstorm hit and she didn’t go in her thinking, I can’t sustain this. While Jim was still deployed, she quit both jobs. She remembers about the positions: “I called them both and said, ‘I think I’m done.’ And I sat down and thought, I wanna write a book.” She looked at all her cookbooks. O’Connor was drawn to the publisher, Chronicle Books, that does single subject books with lots of photographs. She wanted to do a spa desert book, seeing there weren’t many, and spa food was growing. She wrote a proposal and called Chronicle for the correct name and address. Two weeks later they rang. She hit the library to research book contracts. The resource she found explained every clause and boiler plate to allow her to CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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R E C I P E S | C O U R T E SY O F J I L L O ' C O N N O R Lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon oil combine to give this simple cake real zing. You might be tempted to skip the lemon oil, but I hope you won’t. It adds a wonderful fragrance and intense lemon flavor that lemon extract can’t match. Cold pressed from the zest of oranges, limes, or lemons, citrus oils are concentrated and fragile. They must be refrigerated once the bottle is open, but even then they don’t last forever, so make this lemon loaf a regular in your baking repertoire.
Loaf Ingredients:
Serves 6 to 8
1-1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar 2 large lemons ½ cup (120g) sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/4 teaspoon lemon oil 1-1/2 cups (245 g) all-purpose flour 1-1/2 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon fine sea salt ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, at room temperature ¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil 3 eggs, at room temperature
Lemon Icing Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ to 2 cups (180g to 240g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325º. Coat a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the pan with an 8-1/2-inch-by 15-inch strip of parchment paper so it covers the bottom of the pan and hangs over the long sides. Put the sugar in a small bowl. Using a microplane zester, grate the zest from the lemons into the sugar. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until the sugar is sandy and moist and fragrant with lemon. Set aside. Cut the lemons in half. Using a citrus reamer, squeeze the juice from the lemons into another small bowl. In a third small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup of the fresh lemon juice, (you should have about 2 tablespoons remaining; set aside for the icing), the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon oil. Set aside. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and oil together on medium speed just until creamy. Add the lemon sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as you go. Decrease the mixer speed to low and beat in the sour cream mixture. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, beating on low for a few seconds after each. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes (do not check the cake until it has been in the oven for at least 40 minutes, as it might sink in the middle.) The cake is done when a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the loaf, still in the pan, to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Grasping the overhanging parchment, lift the loaf out of the pan and set it on the rack. Cool completely. To make the icing, whisk the butter, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and lemon oil with the confectioners’ sugar until smooth and creamy. Spread or drizzle the icing over the cooled cake. 54
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negotiate. She laughs thinking about how Jim came back and here she was: “Look what I did while you were on deployment?” “I never thought about going into food as a career,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t know what you really want to do until you get out there and start working.” She describes cooking all her life. In college she helped cook for a family-run camp. It was remote and she’d get bored and thus concoct ever more elaborate desserts. There’s a lot of good feedback when you feed people, she says. It’s immediate. It interests people. She would go to parties with other Navy families and everyone was always accomplished. She would say she’s a cookbook writer and they would be immediately intrigued. “It’s been a very fun career. There are ups and downs. The freelance life,” she says, adding how when Jim was gone after 9/11, she would get a babysitter to help with her two daughters when on deadline. “But I could continue some kind of career, with Navy moves or home alone. There’s a sweet spot.” When asked how staying in during the pandemic was going, she says laughing: “I did not enjoy the sourdough bread craze. I’ve never been a big bread baker.” She does share that Wayfarer Bread & Pastry in La Jolla is a perfect adventure — drive up as early as you can to order at the window the “flakiest” buttery croissants or the shop’s own English muffins. Want to bake a cake? She recommends planning ahead a little and doing it over a couple days, making the process more fun. In a hurry? She suggests crumb cakes or many that don’t need to be iced, but brushed with sugar syrup. “And they’re all in Cake, I Love You,” she says through a smile. • Recipes excerpted from “Cake, I Love You” by Jill O’Connor, with photographs by Leigh Beisch. Published by Chronicle Books, copyright 2017. Pictured: Jill O'Connor CROWNCITYMAGAZINE.COM
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PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE VAN TUYL
F O R K S & C O R K S | B A L I H A I R E S TA U R A N T
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One thing that’s not a secret about the Bali Hai, is it’s feisty and flavorful Bali Hai Mai Tai. Known for bringing the most seasoned sailor to his knees, the Mai Tai is dangerously drinkable and garners a cult-like following. Absolutely zero juice mars this lusty medley of Coruba Jamaican Dark Drum, Ron Castillo Light Rum, orange liqueur, Trader Vic’s orgeat syrup, and sweet and sour. (There’s a reason the Bali Hai has imposed a two Mai Tai maximum for each guest.) The Bali Hai website, www.balihairestaurant.com, keeps a running tab on how many Mai Tais are sold. More than 2.6 million to date! While my husband sipped his Mai Tai with a euphoric smile, I opted for something lower-octane. I ordered the Pele’s Relief, with locally-made Malahat Spiced Rum, Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut, Dole Pineapple Juice, a splash of orange juice, squeeze of lime and float of Hamilton Demerara 151. It was refreshing and tasty, and I would definitely order it again. For food, we got the Bali Hai Tuna Poke for a starter. It was perfection. With avocado, seaweed salad, masago and crispy wonton, I can’t imagine a better way to ease into a meal. The tuna poke rivals any I’ve had in the city, and the seaweed salad and sauce made an excellent addition. Happy Hour is Monday through Thursday, 3-5 p.m. Nosh on discounted appetizers like Bali Hai tuna poké, coconut shrimp, firecracker ribs, crispy calamari, and more. (Reservations required.)
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Next, we sunk our forks into the crisp Malihini Wedge salad. This picturesque and delicious plate featured iceberg lettuce, avocado, pickled red onion, tomatoes and bacon. Tasty and bright, my husband pointed out that the dish had an amazing little “kick.” Turns out that little “something-something” is green curry yogurt. Yum! I could eat this for hours.
The Malihini Wedge Salad
The Harpoon, made with Cruzan Aged Rum, Cruzan 137, Blue Curacao, Orange and Pineapple Juice, and a float of Coruba Dark 62
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But it was time to try another drink. This time, I went for the colorful and jaunty Harpoon made with Cruzan Aged Rum, Cruzan 137, Blue Curacao, Orange and Pineapple Juice, and a float of Coruba Dark. All the colors of the rainbow, this captivating concoction went down fast. The cherry on top was the perfect way to celebrate the last sip.
For a main course, my husband ordered up the Bali Hai Crispy Lobster Tacos with fried lobster, pineapple salsa, feta, basil, and jalapeño ranch. The tacos tasted succulent and enticing, offering a tasty bite in each mouthful. He ordered a side of fries, the perfect complement to the plate. I got the Bahn Mi Burger, which was my favorite dish. With a seasoned pork patty, pickled Asian slaw and kimchee aioli, it was tangy and a bit spicy. It felt a little naughty with the yummy brioche roll, but hey… weekend carbs don’t count, right? (I tried to eat just half and then save the rest for dinner but devoured the second half out of the to-go-box on the trip back home.) Other dishes that we aim to try next time we visit include the spinach and cream cheese lumpia appetizer, with passion orange guava sweet and sour. The smoked albacore tuna melt was also calling our name, with smoked tuna salad, tomatoes, and cheese. Other classic Polynesian staples include the island-style bowl, made with kalua pork or poke. It’s served with steamed rice and macaroni salad. The fish and chips are always a hit, with breaded cod, Bali Hai tater sauce, and Japanese pickles.
The Bali Hai Crispy Lobster Tacos
The Bahn Mi Burger
Although the food is epic, the drinks are marvelous, and the views are stunning, the best thing about the Bali Hai is the overall vibe. You can’t help but be hypnotized by the salty, tranquil breezes and heavenly scenery, surrounded by lush, green vegetation. The mood—temptation island meets throwback Tiki—is just the ticket for a lazy, yet indulgent, dining experience. Like your favorite tropical hideaway, how could you not return, time and time again? • Christine Van Tuyl is a freelance writer who lives in Coronado with her husband and two children.
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Art by CHS Senior Shannon McLaughlin The Bluewater Boathouse brings back historical Tent City ambiance to their outdoor dining area.
“Food is the ingredient that binds us together.” — AUTHOR UNKNOWN