Chefs are bringing bold, creative caviar moments to unexpected menus

When I think about eating caviar, I immediately envision Zsa Zsa Gabor. Dripping in diamonds, dining in an Yves Saint Laurent gown, head tilted just so, her holdered cigarette alit — I loved her unapologetically opulent lifestyle. Zsa Zsa famously fancied the finer things in life, but she was not alone in her love of caviar. Leona Helmsley reportedly ate a quarter-cup of caviar topped with crème fraîche on her scrambled eggs every morning. It’s also well known that Marlene Dietrich traveled with her own caviar stash in her suitcase over transatlantic trips (along with an abalone shell spoon), and that Winston Churchill feasted regularly on oysters and caviar. How else did he keep his girlish figure, after all?

While it may upset some culinary historians, caviar is no longer reserved for only society’s elite. Thanks to the creativity of modern-day chefs, caviar, the salt-cured roe of sturgeon and sometimes other fish, is showing up on menus, fancy and not-so-fancy alike. 

With enormous delight I am happy to share with you dishes currently on menus in and around our area. Some presentations are elevated, some are casual, but to be clear, all are wildly creative and delicious.

One dish that attracted my attention immediately is Stephane Voitzwinkler’s Caviar Tater Tots at Mister A’s. This is one of their best-selling appetizers — after all, who wouldn’t love an elegant play on the tater tot taken next level and topped with crème fraîche and briny caviar? While some go to Mister A’s for the view, in my opinion the best view is staring down the barrel of one of these babies.

At Le Coq in La Jolla, Tara Monsod, who also helms the kitchen at Animae, offers her house-baked baguette with a variety of options as an accompaniment to your meal. Get the caviar butter. I repeat, get the caviar butter.  

The Lion’s Share, one of San Diego’s sceniest restaurants after 10pm, does caviar casual. Chef Dante Romero’s popular Chicken & Caviar is a basket of tempura-fried chicken tenders served with a house-made crème fraîche ranch dressing peppered with caviar. The Lion’s Share serves dinner until 2am nightly, so you can often find your favorite chef bellied up to the bar having some Tito’s with his tenders after their own kitchen is long closed.

Caviar shows up frequently these days on brunch menus, because, well, it is an egg dish, right? I love Chef Eric Bost’s playful-yet-elegant Croque Madame at Jeune et Jolie in Carlsbad. Here, house-baked brioche is frosted with buttery bechamel, a layer of thin-sliced Iberico ham, and topped with Regiis Ova caviar. This dish is an indulgent and well-spent use of calories in my opinion.

At Caspian’s Rock & Roe, located at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas (hey, it’s only an hour flight), this caviar bar/speakeasy/rock-and-roll venue offers Pringles & Caviar Bumps. Need I say more? Well, I should add that their creamy version of French onion dip will have you asking for a second can of Pringles before you have even finished the first one.

Caviar shows up early, late, and frequently on the menu at Market Restaurant + Bar in Del Mar. Chef and Proprietor Carl Schroeder uses it often on the amuse bouche because the salty, briny pop and texture excites the taste buds, preparing you for your next courses. Here, he makes a phyllo shell that is filled with deviled egg salad and layered with house-smoked salmon and whipped dill crème fraîche. All is topped with Kilo Select Caviar and finished with lemon olive oil.

At newcomer Lilo, another kitchen run by Chef Eric Bost in Carlsbad, this elegant dish on Bost’s tasting menu places a quenelle of caviar over orgeat ice cream. This delicate offering is sprinkled with smoked celery root bushi and finished with fresh-pressed almond oil. Here, the essence of cool and smooth is paired with salty, slightly sweet flavors and finished with the texture of the roe. Palate perfection.

I have no idea why I was surprised to learn that caviar makes a menu appearance downtown at Petco Park. After all, this is the nation’s top-ranked ballpark that is even more famous for its Friar Faithful fanbase. Adding to the stellar lineup of the city’s best players in the San Diego food scene, the Petco Park culinary team hits a home run with their chicken nuggets and caviar appetizer, available on their catering menu.