Thursday, October 29, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
Claire's on Cedros
Two reasons Claire's on Cedros is worth trying: state of the art "green" architecture, and the two women entrepreneurs who run the joint. The third reason: the food's not bad, either.
Designed with the environment in mind, a Solana Beach bungalow was bought and revamped to create a space that reflects the owner's food philosophy: sustainability. What Terrie Boley and Claire Allison ended up creating, under the vision of architect Jean Louis Coquereau, is the Nation's first free standing restaurant that is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Many of the recycled building materials came from buildings such as those demolished during the PetCo Park construction, which tells a story of its own. The interior design is rustic modern relying on recycled furniture from old restaurants. Table tops are resined sunflower seed hulls. The floor is made of recycled glass and porcelain, while the ceiling is recycled wood from old local barns and churches. Local and sustainable are recurring themes from the design to the food.
Terrie Boley, a software engineer, approached Claire Allison, a former baker with Milton's, about opening a restaurant. Having started and sold many successful businesses, Boley felt sure she knew what it took to make a restaurant succeed, even during hard economic times. With Allison's successs at Milton's making their bread renowned world wide, Boley felt confident that her partner would lead her down that path.
In the kitchen, everything is made from scratch. An onsite bakery was installed with energy efficient equipment so that Allison could control the quality and freshness of her baked goods. The same energy and enthusiasm seems to permeate throughout the menu. On my first visit, I ordered a Tai Beef Salad which came with a pumpkin roll. The roll was reminiscent of what I came to love about Milton's bread, with just a hint of sweetness. The salad dressing was spicy and very flavorful. My companion ordered a vegetable sandwich which came on a freshly made baguette and a side of house made potato chips. She liked he sandwich and said the potato chips were crisp and fresh.
On a second visit, I ordered Eggs Benedict (breakfast is served until 3 PM). My plate was swimming in water from the poached eggs. I couldn't eat my English muffin or potatoes because they were soggy. But my companion said her French Toast made from brioche was delicious. The waiter apologized about my meal saying that the kitchen must have been rushed and did not drain the eggs properly. He offered to have the dish re-cooked. I declined his request. He took my meal off the bill and gave me a chocolate chip cookie to-go when he presented the check, which was very good.
Would I go back? Yes. It's a lovely green environment, although a bit noisy due to the high vaulted ceilings lined with barn wood. The restaurant is insulated with old blue jeans. Perhaps they should consider taking some old blue jeans and lining the ceiling with them to cut down on the noise.
The parking is a bit tight in their environmentally friendly lot with its edible filled planters. My friend narrowly escaped hitting a pylon while backing her compact SUV out of a space where the pylon had been conveniently mounted to protect the building from being hit by cars. It's only a mater of time before that happens, if it hasn't happened already. Maybe Claire's expects everyone who eats there to drive compact Hybrids. Or take the train.
Claire's on Cedros
246 N. Cedros Ave. (across from the train station)
Designed with the environment in mind, a Solana Beach bungalow was bought and revamped to create a space that reflects the owner's food philosophy: sustainability. What Terrie Boley and Claire Allison ended up creating, under the vision of architect Jean Louis Coquereau, is the Nation's first free standing restaurant that is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum certified by the U.S. Green Building Council.
Many of the recycled building materials came from buildings such as those demolished during the PetCo Park construction, which tells a story of its own. The interior design is rustic modern relying on recycled furniture from old restaurants. Table tops are resined sunflower seed hulls. The floor is made of recycled glass and porcelain, while the ceiling is recycled wood from old local barns and churches. Local and sustainable are recurring themes from the design to the food.
Terrie Boley, a software engineer, approached Claire Allison, a former baker with Milton's, about opening a restaurant. Having started and sold many successful businesses, Boley felt sure she knew what it took to make a restaurant succeed, even during hard economic times. With Allison's successs at Milton's making their bread renowned world wide, Boley felt confident that her partner would lead her down that path.
In the kitchen, everything is made from scratch. An onsite bakery was installed with energy efficient equipment so that Allison could control the quality and freshness of her baked goods. The same energy and enthusiasm seems to permeate throughout the menu. On my first visit, I ordered a Tai Beef Salad which came with a pumpkin roll. The roll was reminiscent of what I came to love about Milton's bread, with just a hint of sweetness. The salad dressing was spicy and very flavorful. My companion ordered a vegetable sandwich which came on a freshly made baguette and a side of house made potato chips. She liked he sandwich and said the potato chips were crisp and fresh.
On a second visit, I ordered Eggs Benedict (breakfast is served until 3 PM). My plate was swimming in water from the poached eggs. I couldn't eat my English muffin or potatoes because they were soggy. But my companion said her French Toast made from brioche was delicious. The waiter apologized about my meal saying that the kitchen must have been rushed and did not drain the eggs properly. He offered to have the dish re-cooked. I declined his request. He took my meal off the bill and gave me a chocolate chip cookie to-go when he presented the check, which was very good.
Would I go back? Yes. It's a lovely green environment, although a bit noisy due to the high vaulted ceilings lined with barn wood. The restaurant is insulated with old blue jeans. Perhaps they should consider taking some old blue jeans and lining the ceiling with them to cut down on the noise.
The parking is a bit tight in their environmentally friendly lot with its edible filled planters. My friend narrowly escaped hitting a pylon while backing her compact SUV out of a space where the pylon had been conveniently mounted to protect the building from being hit by cars. It's only a mater of time before that happens, if it hasn't happened already. Maybe Claire's expects everyone who eats there to drive compact Hybrids. Or take the train.
Claire's on Cedros
246 N. Cedros Ave. (across from the train station)
Solana Beach, CA
858-259-8597
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