Hype! Hype! (Review of Searsucker, Gaslamp)

(a non-toddler-oriented review tonight!)

I've been on a "Don't believe the hype!" kick of late. Here are some recent buzzy places that have disappointed:

--Banker's Hill Bar and Restaurant (heavy/fried, a little boring...Carl Schroeder, I love you at Market but not here!)

--Bice (meh...not the second coming of Italian food)

--Bencotto (tasty enough, made me sick after...still wasn't the second coming)

--Cucina Urban (MuseumGirl, I know you love it and I only went once, but the food I had was only ok and the service was horribly slow)

So am I suspicious of hype? Hell yeah! (though there are exceptions: Urban Solace and Alchemy, both buzzy, were super-delish)

That leads me to Searsucker in the Gaslamp: tons of buzz, open for 3 weeks now. Created by Brian Malarkey (of Top Chef 3 and Oceanaire) and James Brennan (of Stingaree and other restaurants/nightclubs). Tried Malarkey's food at Oceanaire once: very meh, very don't-believe-the-hype-ish. Food at Stingaree: very boring (though the club itself was hella-fun the one time we went pre-ST). Should note I have also been suspicious in general of Top Chef contestants at this point. After being very excited to try that TV-delicious-looking food at Oceanaire and at Absinthe in SF (Chef Jamie from a few seasons ago), both were meh....I started to think the TV "Top Chefs" were not really great chefs, but only the most telegenic and drama-inducing (which no doubt plays some role in casting).*

BUT HERE'S THE RUB: Ladies and gentlemen, may I say that SEARSUCKER SHOULD BE BEST NEW RESTAURANT OF 2010. Super-delicious food, great vibe, great cocktails, very nice and efficient service....plus you get to watch the TV star himself expediting the food in the open kitchen. High drama....yummmy....what more do you want...and at reasonable prices in the Gaslamp?

And this is on top of my eating veg. there, which could have been very boring!

I had:
--Peter Rabbit cocktail (Pimm's, basil, carrots and some other cool and delicious stuff: hell yeah!)

--mushrooms, truffles and burrata (super-yum)

--free popovers sent out "compliments of the chef" (super-yum again: they were as good as the popovers at Arterra in the Carl Schroeder days)

--eggplant, mozzarella and tomato dish: not a real parmesan, but outrageously yummy: the eggplant was not cooked exactly as I would like it but the textures and flavors of this dish were truly to-die-for

--one $12 glass of super yummy pinot noir.

Prices were super-duper reasonable except for the alcohol. It was very high quality but I still don't like to pay $24 for two drinks. (Given how many places charge $12 for bad wines or boring cocktails, though, I don't want to press this point too much!).

As for CH, he may not be ready to give the place any awards but he also enjoyed it (remember he does not get very excited about food). I asked him for a quote on his salad: "Mediocre at best." However, his entree (a chicken dish) was "very tender and good." In all "he would come back." High praise from the husband!

My faith in Top Chef (and Brian Malarkey) is restored!! (This adds to the wonderful experience MuseumGirl and I had when we hit Craft in LA (Tom Colicchio's restaurant) at a conference several months ago. Ridiculously good....and crowd-pleasing (if I recall we ordered one dessert: and were given a pre-dessert, a dessert, complimentary cookies, and then a morning pastry to go to share with the folks at home!).

SO VIVA THE HYPE FOR SEARSUCKER!! My friends, get thee there on date night!! But I'm hoping this is a place that will be around for a long while. Very few are the places that make me want to go back soon to try more of the menu as opposed to trying the next hot new place....I love Alchemy too much to move it off its perch in my heart, but Searsucker will draw me back soon! (And it was fun to sneak over to the chef at his public-arena post and to tell him how much FoodGirl loved it and what a hit he has on his hands!).