AVANT

AVANT Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: AVANT at Rancho Bernardo Inn is an airy eatery featuring attractive patio spaces, an al fresco fireplace, a massive central bar and a welcoming dining room. The bar serves house-made charcuterie, artisan cheeses, craft cocktails, boutique wines and a wealth of local beers.

Food & Drinks: Sergio Jimenez has taken over as chef de cuisine and focuses on seasonal California fare that's ingredient-driven and fresh from the garden. Creative starters include tomato gazpacho with lobster, yellowfin tuna tartare with a crispy quail egg, and red quinoa with avocado and stone fruit. Sharing plates that pique interest are beer-battered fava beans to be dipped in yuzu aïoli or foraged mushroom tartine with chimichurri, which speaks to the chef's Argentinean roots. Large plates run the gamut from pan-roasted halibut with orange lentils, Spanish chorizo and artichokes to New York strip steak with truffled cheese bread pudding.