THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Vivace Awards

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Vivace Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: At Park Hyatt Aviara Resort’s Vivace, guests may dine fireside for a cozy romantic feast or opt for the terrace on a warm summer night.

About the food: Chef Kevin McCarthy's culinary touch has taken the experience here to new heights. His clever build-your-own tasting menus, ranging from three to five courses, allow guests to orchestrate their own meal. Dishes showcase the local seasonal bounty, sustainable meats and house-made fresh pasta, but it’s McCarthy's creativity and playful pairings that remind diners that the art of fine dining is alive and well in his realm. Rabbit sausage rubs shoulders with persimmon and quail egg. Pear and honey mascarpone make for a memorable version of prosciutto and burrata antipasto. There is the herb pappardelle painted with lamb ragù and dotted with nuggets of English peas; lobster risotto infused with fennel froth; and Prime tenderloin tartare with earthy black truffle, flecks of pecorino and cured egg yolk. Alaskan halibut is matched with Dungeness crab, chanterelles and asparagus with a light dessert-like tarragon zabaglione and the heat of chili oil. Dessert is another spectacle with Bomboloni Fritti (fried donut holes with Nutella and raspberry coulis) served on a glass cylinder, suspended above crystal sugar and edible micro flowers, and Torta Foresta Nera, a rich Black Forest cake staged on a wooden box that houses smoking dry ice.

About the wine: Waitstaff understand pacing and pairings and are well-versed on the extensive wine list that favors old-world Italian but has plenty of nice Californians as well.