The status bequeathed on a restaurant by a Michelin star is quite a valued thing. San Diego County boasts four Michelin star restaurants and countless Bib Gourmand and Selected Restaurants. But there is only one Coronado restaurant in the Michelin guide: Serea, located in the Hotel Del, boasts a Selected Restaurants distinction, which is why I had to see what it was all about.
Simply put, the Michelin ranking system grades fine dining establishments with one to three stars based on excellence, consistency, creativity and experience. Started by Andre and Edouard Michelin of Michelin tires, the initial goal was to provide consumers with more reasons to drive.
At its conception in the early 1900s, the handy red booklet was full of helpful information with tips on changing tires, where to get gas and lists of restaurants to stop at after a long day. In 1931 the Michelins introduced the star rating system. Since then, two additional categories have been added: The Michelin Bib Gourmand ranking was rolled out in 1997 for restaurants that serve moderately priced familiar food. And a Michelin Selected Restaurants distinction was created for restaurants at any price point that offer superb service and consistency.
As I walked beachside to the restaurant, an indigo sunset banded with an eggshell yellow, illuminated the frothy waves below. The restaurant only had a few patrons, and I was seated immediately – even without a reservation.
The crisp ocean breeze cut with patio heaters made for a pleasant outdoor dining experience. Everything was high end; I noticed the weighty silverware, dishware and brand new looking dining furniture immediately.
The menu was of a reasonable size, with lots of fish and some land options. I decided on three appetizers instead of an entrée to better sample the seafood selections. I first settled on the big-eye tuna tartare. With market citrus, petite herbs, Calabrian caper tapenade and crostini, it sounded right up my alley.
Paul Brockwell, my server, has been in fine dining for 18 years. He said the sustainable seafood, proximity to the ocean and Mediterranean cuisine make Serea stand out.
“You are almost sitting in the sand,” said Brockwell.
After a long wait I received my starter. The chilled fresh fish sat in a polite round atop a smear of sauce and hugged by a few slices of crostini. I got to work but was quickly put off by how big the chunks of tuna were. There was lots of connective tissue, making each giant bite nearly impossible to get down.
Tuna tartare should come from high quality loin cuts, and the abundance of connective tissue told me this was either a low quality trim or incorrectly cleaned. Neither of which I felt over the moon about. It also tasted really… fishy. And of course it will, as it is, a fish, however something was not right. Tuna should taste mild and slightly buttery, but the metallic notes reinforced my idea that this was a bad cut.
The sauce was nice, however an uncut pile of dill on top of the tuna felt unfinished and wasteful. There was an incorrect bread-to fish-ratio, my biggest qualm with tartare. I did not feel inclined to eat the rest of the dish after I ran out of crostini.
Trying to wash the unsavory notes down and begin again, I took a big gulp of water. I was unhappy to find the glass smelled strongly of fish. My stomach flopped and I felt relieved my next plate was cooked.
I struck up a conversation with my table neighbors, tourists from Colorado. John and Dori Weinberger were loving their meal, a whole yellowtail.
“We love to try new things… The (fish) was amazing,” said Dori.
By the time my wood-grilled octopus (marble potatoes, sumac red onions, olives, red chimichurri) arrived the sky was denim, hazy from the coastal fog that rolled over. I was willing to start on a clean slate and let bygones be bygones. But I was disappointed to find that the tuna tartare was not an extenuating circumstance — rubbery and hard in some sections and mushy in others. Octopus requires a long tenderizing process before the grill to ensure it cooks evenly, a sous vide would have done wonders here.
I ate the potatoes smeared in red chimichurri, grateful for a break from seafood. Tender and starchy, they were enjoyable and a welcome change. The microgreen topping on the plate added a nice pepper note that worked well with the mint.
Another uncomfortably long wait ensued before I received my last appetizer, the swordfish “pitatacos.” Swordfish, peppers, onions, cornichon, mint and cilantro salad and chili aioli lay atop pita bread. The residual liquids quickly made the pita soggy, and unable to be eaten like a taco. It was alright, but nothing to write home about. The swordfish was cooked well, thank god, and the mint and cilantro salad highlighted the sweet notes of the fish. I was happy to have ended on a more positive note.
While the ambiance was amazing, the quality of the fish was a red flag, and the wait was painful considering I got three appetizers on a slow night. The service was great and Paul was attentive and knowledgeable. However, this is not the caliber I was expecting for a Michelin Selected Restaurant.
Serea is located at 1500 Orange Ave. and is open seven days a week. Check out their website for more information.
