I have had many conversations about what effect the Farm-to-Table movement has had on the way we cook, and there seems to be agreement on one positive outcome. The focus on the quality of the ingredients has given chefs permission to cook simply. They’re still allowed to come up with brilliant or outrageous pairings, but if they want to just roast some fresh carrots and parsnips and serve them with quality butter that’s OK too.
That wasn’t always the case. I looked at at some of my local reviews from a decade ago and found dishes with flavors that were not so much complex as cluttered — scallops and short ribs topped with shaved truffles over mashed celery root, anyone? Crabcakes with New Mexico seasoning over a corn, olive, bell pepper, and chicory salad? There was crab in there, you could see it, but it was overwhelmed by all the trendy ingredients.
While the ornate food trend and the Farm-to-Table movement both started in small chef-driven restaurants, they affected the choices of chefs at every level, including upscale chains like the Salt Creek Grill. When I visited the location in El Segundo in 2007 they were putting foie gras and Humboldt Fog cheese on top of a Kobe beef slider, which is just as excessive as it sounds, but in recent years they have brought the menu in line with more contemporary ideas.
The restaurant is in a corner of Plaza El Segundo, and something about the way it is situated makes it look smaller than it is. They can seat over 400 people in four distinct areas, a dark and formal interior space, a bright, loud, and lively bar area, an exterior patio, and tables beneath the trees in a lovely garden. Your experience will be different in each space, so specify when reserving.
The menu is centered on steak and seafood house classics, but with some modern ideas in the execution and sides. One of these was the so-called “risotto and goat cheese beignets,” actually the Sicilian dish called arancini. These deep-fried rice balls are usually stuffed with a mixture of pinenuts, herbs, and cheese or a tomato ragu sauce, but here they had a simple goat cheese and truffle mixture inside and a mild bell pepper and tomato sauce for dipping. I would have liked a slightly more intense sauce, but that’s a minor quibble. The small arugula and asiago cheese salad on the side added a little variety, and it was a worthwhile starter. Note that there are three golf ball sized arancini to an order, so if you have a party of four you may want to see if the server can add an extra.
Our other starter was an American classic, a cup of seafood chowder. This was richer than the usual chowder in several ways, as according to the menu it contained sea bass, salmon, “market fish” and clams along with potatoes, celery, onions, herbs, and cream. That listing didn’t include butter, but there was definitely some of that in this broth. It was creamy and rich, a bit too much in fact, because some of the more delicate seafood flavors were lost.
The soup came with oyster crackers, but we wanted to soak up every bit from the bottom of the cup so ordered a mini-loaf of French bread topped with a bit of roasted garlic butter. It’s two bucks well spent if you have soup or a salad as a starter, or if you just like bread.
For mains we got the stuffed Pacific halibut and what was described as a coffee-encrusted New York steak. The steak was actually rubbed with a mix of coffee, spices, salt, and sugar, and they were a bit timid with the coffee. I would have preferred a bit more of the bitter flavor, but it was a good piece of meat well cooked and seasoned. The steak was offered with a bourbon-caramel sauce that I requested on the side, and I’m glad I did because it was too sweet for my liking. The plate was completed with Yukon gold mashed potatoes, some arugula, and a lump of Point Reyes blue cheese on the side, and since the steak was fine without cheese I enjoyed that mixed with the potatoes.
The stuffed halibut was the standout dish, though it had been topped with the mix of shrimp, crab, spinach, and mushrooms in lemon beurre blanc rather than being stuffed with it. The flavor balance and cooking here were flawless, and the accompanying mix of shredded Brussels sprouts, chard, carrot, and other vegetables was a fine counterpoint.
With our starters we shared a glass of the King Estate Pinot Gris from the large by-the-glass list, and found it fine with the arancini but not up to the buttery chowder. We saved some to try with the halibut and found it to be a better companion to that fish. The Angelyne Pinot Noir also worked with the fish, and a delicious Hess Select cab suited the steak nicely. They serve cocktails too, and I had a classic, the Paloma. The mix of tequila with grapefruit and lime juices and agave was enlivened with some candied grapefruit peel, and now that I know that works I’m going to peel all my grapefruit so it isn’t wasted.
The only dessert that interested us was the chocolate soufflé, and since those take about half an hour to prepare we decided against it. Next time we’ll order one when our starters arrive, because the one I saw going by looked great.
Our meal with three glasses of wine and one cocktail ran $146, and I liked it enough to return a few days later for lunch. I had been attracted by an item billed as “El Segundo’s best cheeseburger,” and found myself wondering when the all-city cheeseburger competition had taken place and how I could have possibly missed it. After being seated another item caught my eye, the seared ahi Nicoise sandwich. I like traditional Nicoise salads, and the idea of putting one on a roll sounded like a great idea.
The traditional Nicoise salad is simple but has a rich palette of flavors: tuna, potatoes, green beans, anchovies, olives, and eggs over greens lightly dressed with a mustard and shallot vinaigrette. This sandwich put the olives in a tapenade and stacked up all the rest of the items except the green beans, which were omitted. They also added bacon, probably because everybody loves bacon. It was a clever idea but there was one flaw: it was served on a Hawaiian sweet roll, which threw the whole thing out of balance. Putting this on a baguette or brioche roll would be a far better choice and would keep the Mediterranean character of the sandwich. Brioche rolls are available, and I might try it that way if I can again successfully resist the cheeseburger. I might leave off the bacon if I’m feeling like a purist, but I’d have them leave the housemade potato chips on the side because they were great.
The focus on quality ingredients has given new energy to steak and seafood houses, places that always focused on quality rather than novelty. Salt Creek Grille is at its best when they do that, and their best is surprisingly good for a chain restaurant.
Salt Creek Grille is at 2015 East Park Place in El Segundo. Open daily at 11 a.m., close 9 p.m. Su-Thu, 10 p.m. Fr-Sa. Parking lot, full bar, some vegetarian/vegan items. Menu at saltcreekgrille.com, phone 310-335-9288. ER
