Encinitas, Calif.

It was de ja vu when we walked into the bistro Tastes just after Christmas while visiting the California coast north of San Diego.

A scant year ago, on the eve of 2007, we discovered a high-concept dining spot in North Naples, Fla., called Naples Tomato. It successfully combines authentic Italian fare in the dining room with a retail gourmet food space out front and … even an adjacent wine tasting lounge. The lounge was notable for self-service wines-by-glass accessible by inserting a pre-paid “member’s card” into a corresponding slot above a given selection. There were dozens from which to choose.

Even with so much going on under one roof it all seemed to co-exist quite well. The other quirky note on Naples Tomato was its location in a new but nondescript strip mall that did not exactly scream “memorable dining destination”.

So, too, was the first impression of Tastes when viewed from the sidewalk in the village of Encinitas, a time-warped surfers’ town where VW buses and Ford “Woodies” share the roads with new hybrids bearing bumper stickers that are anti-war, anti-Bush and anti-mainstream. (So secede. Nobody will stand in your way.).

Pardon the rant. Inside, Tastes delivered on many fronts. We visited twice in three days. Tastes is billed as The Total Wine Experience, offering customers an extensive selection of premium wine by the glass or bottle, a ”Euro-bistro” menu and a wine retail area. The staff is exceedingly pleasant and attentive, and Chef Sean Fisher is visible and chatty and, clearly, a serious oenophile.  He co-owns the establishment, opened in 2005, with wine director Mark Dubiel.

Fisher and Dubiel have come up with perhaps the greatest concept in the history of wine retail/dining, in my opinion. Yes, there is a wine list. It is altered continuously, as is the food menu. But … if a wine connoisseur is dining with his entourage and wishes to peruse the retail wine racks, where multitudes of premium and reserve wines reside, he can select one or more to be opened at his table. The price? Regular retail plus $10. Those of us who are offended by typical restaurant marks-ups — aka, everyone — instantly recognize the signal this sends to wine enthusiasts. It says, “Come on in, enjoy great food and wine in an environment that appreciates you and is not created to soak you of your last dollar.”

The menu also is worthy of praise. The staff warns that portions are not large. But they are not small. This is not some annoying tapas bar. The first courses are great entrees, if so desired, and the second/main courses could do double duty as a hefty starter dish. Take your pick.

What we enjoyed most from the menu:  Blue Crab Cakes (2 @ $10.50); Panko-Crusted Soft Shell Crab ($17.50); Sirloin of Kobe Beef ($19.50, as tender and perfectly cooked a medallion of beef as you’ll ever encounter).

What we enjoyed from the wine racks: Ceja Vineyards Sonoma Carneros Pinot Noir (about $50). Perfectly balanced. A limited production Pinot that Thomas Keller favors on his wine lists. Tastes is the only San Diego-area restaurant that receives an allocation of Ceja.

If San Diego beckons, drive north on I-5 to Tastes. Steer clear of the VW buses and enjoy a culinary immersion and a great bottle or two.

– Steve Woodward

This entry was posted on Friday, January 4th, 2008 at 6:12 pm and is filed under Destinations. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.