Seasonal Flavors for the week of December 7, 2010 & A Brief History of the Smoked Salmon Pizza

The Smoked Salmon Pizza special offered this week by Chef Romero is an homage of sorts to one of the most important dishes in American culinary history.  By the start of the early 1980’s high end dining was still dominated by heavy French classics and fussy steakhouses. Then Wolfgang Puck opened Spago in 1982 and everything changed.  With his decidedly light approach to French haute cuisine, Puck pioneered what would eventually be known as California Cuisine. His signature dish then (and still to this day) was a pizza with smoked salmon, caviar, and red onion.  The dish’s fusion of classically trained elegance with the casualness of pizza effected the American food world in ways that are still being felt today.  Chef Romero’s updates the dish by leaving out the caviar to focus more on the salmon and replaces the red onion with caramelized leeks for sweetness.  The dish will be available all weeks.

Smoked Salmon Pizzetta w/ caramelized leek, potato, dil & mustard crème fraîche

Black Lentil Soup w/ red onion, bacon & crostini

Arugula & Citrus Salad w/ asparagus, goat cheese & ginger honey vinaigrette

Grilled Hanger Steak w/ fingerling potato, celery root puree & ancho chili sauce

Blue Nose Bass w/ brussel sprout salad, pomegranate, crispyfennel & butternut squash puree