When I travel for work I really like it when the people I am visiting select the restaurant to eat at. Usually they select a place they really enjoy so I am pretty much guaranteed a good meal. That’s what my experience was at Currant in San Diego.
Since it was San Diego, the restaurant had their doors and windows open so diners could enjoy the cool breeze from outside.
We had a table that was off on its own, it felt very private. We had a wonderful waiter who took care of our every need. They had many dishes on the menu that sounded delicious, including several of the daily specials.
While the crab cake sandwich sounded good, I could not stop thinking about the Primavera Risotto. I sounded so good I figured I would be mad at myself for not trying it.
The risotto was made with Arborio rice. It was combined with asparagus, carrots, cherry tomatoes (cut in half), tons of parmesan cheese, and cream to make the sauce.
This was the first time I ever had a risotto with this many vegetables. And to tell the truth, this was the best risotto I have ever had. It was extremely rich and creamy. Though it was rich, it was not an overpowering flavor. It was not the kind of risotto that after a few bites you would be full. I truly could not stop eating it. Thank goodness it was a lunch size portion.
The flavor of the parmesan cheese shined through. The tomatoes added a slightly sour taste but it was minimal. The carrots added crunch. There was arugula on top that was slightly wilted because of the heat. It added a bitter, herby accent to the few bites I ate it with. And to my surprise, there was one beet in the center of the bowl. I did not see it until I started moving the risotto around. The cream sauce started turning purple. It just added color, it did not affect the taste.
The table also shared the thyme French fries. They were shoestring fries that were very crispy. It was a great thing to munch on while we waited for our food. Though they were cooked with thyme, I did not think there was enough on the fries. They could have added more for extra flavor.
Their dessert menu was extremely tempting. I was intrigued to try the Butterscotch Gooey Butter Cake. The waiter did say it was a popular dessert.
The butter cake was a heavy. The flavor reminded me of a sugar cookie. The cake was topped with a butterscotch icing. It was very sweet, and along with the cake, this dessert was over the top. I really enjoyed it but there was no way I could eat the whole thing myself. I would recommend sharing it.
The cake also came with a side of homemade caramel ice cream. It was topped with a rum anglaise. The ice cream was extremely creamy. It would be perfect on its own as a dessert. It also tasted great when combined with the cake.
When looking at the photo I took, you probably noticed a chocolate dipped biscotti. This came with another dessert but they did not want it. I decided to enjoy it along with my cappuccino. They make a really great cappuccino if you need a little caffeine boost.
So if you find yourself in San Diego, I would recommend you check out Currant. Visit their website to see all they have to offer. http://www.currantrestaurant.com/
Enjoy!
T
