Hip, fun and young, this Caribbean-themed eatery in the heart of old Leucadia offers a rare paring of top-quality, inventive cooking with
live musical entertainment. The musical menu changes nightly, but usually features Latin jazz on Sunday and blues and jazz on Saturdays, with a fine blend of styles presented on the nights in between. Thanks to the music, this isn't a place for a quiet, intimate date, but it's
certainly a top spot at which to enjoy a lively night on the town.
The casual, funky decor recalls the tropics, and servers who seem to be thoroughly enjoying themselves take surprisingly good care of their guests. The islands-inspired cuisine of chef-proprietor Gilles Knafo completes the attractive package, and it is important to note that the menu pays much more attention to vegetarians than they are accustomed to finding at restaurants that also serve a full range of seafood, fowl and meat dishes. A few special appetizers reflect the cuisine of Knafo's father, semi-retired French chef Henri Knafo, who contributes such grandly flavored offerings as snails sauteed in garlic butter and frog legs Provencale. There are no fewer than four appetizers based on mussels, including one unusual dish that stuffs these tasty shellfish with garlic, walnuts and Parmesan cheese. Other enjoyable ways to start include the Brie cheese baked with apricots and walnuts in a pastry crust, and the roasted Portobello mushroom stuffed with crab meat and
Gruyere.
Many of the pastas are aimed at vegetarians - or at those who simply want a lighter meal - and the flavor combinations are excellent. Favorites among these include the shiitake mushroom ravioli in a creamy sauce enriched with sun-dried tomatoes, and the spaghetti Veronica with a simple garnish of fresh vegetables, tomatoes, garlic and basil. Seared-rare ahi tuna, which seems to have become a San Diego cuisine classic, here is served with a brightly flavored blend of cherry tomatoes, olives, cilantro and garlic, while on a completely different note, a coconut-curry sauce brings sweet-spicy flavors to a sextet of sauteed jumbo shrimp. An unusual sauce of honey and black pepper adds plenty of interest to the tender roasted duck breast, and those who favor red meat should be pleased by the grilled beef filet dressed with Marsala sauce and musky roasted goat cheese. Chef Gilles knows how to coax just the right flavors out of his ingredients, and also assembles fresh desserts of the day that taste rich but have a relatively light effect on the tongue. Entrees cost $8.95 to $18.95.
