San Diego Gay & Lesbian News has a regular dining-out column written by The Taste Buds, SDGLN's resident foodies. Today's review is by Sweet, one of our staffers who plan to keep his/her identity the best-kept secret in San Diego, and guest foodie Umami.

THE STEAKHOUSE AT AZUL LA JOLLA
1250 Prospect St., La Jolla, CA 92037
(858) 454-9616
Dinner from 5 to 9:30 pm Sunday through Thursday, and 5 to 10 pm Friday and Saturday. Lunch from noon to 4 pm Saturday. Brunch from 10 am to 2 pm Sunday. Lounge and patio menus differ from restaurant menu.
Website: azul-lajolla.com

The Taste Buds can be a jaded bunch, as foodies tend to be, so it takes something special to impress them.

Sweet and guest foodie Umami ventured out to The Steakhouse at Azul La Jolla and was eager to find out if the flagship restaurant of the Brigantine chain would live up to its vaunted reputation.

Oh, baby, it sure did!

We were ushered to a window table in the corner with a commanding view of the Pacific Ocean that stretched from La Jolla Cove to La Jolla Children’s Pool, where dozens of people were checking out the seals.

“Oh, wow! What a view!” Umami kept saying, until finally encouraged to embrace a larger vocabulary. “This is definitely a special-occasion place.”

The spectacular ocean view was tempered on this visit by the marine layer, which had already rolled inland and put the kibosh on a colorful sunset. But who cares? The soothing sight was matched by the smooth jazz piped into the spacious dining room.

Our server, Judy, was extremely helpful and a real pro who loves her job. She said she has worked at Azul for 12 years, “from the beginning,” and considered everyone to be a family.

Chef Carmen Lopez stopped by our table to explain the dishes and wine pairings she was preparing for us. Her dinner menu features 100% USDA Prime steaks and Kobe-style Wagyu Beef, along with seafood and shellfish for those who don’t eat red meat.

The starters

First out of the kitchen was Saint André Fromage ($12), a rich and buttery cheese that is more flavorful than Brie, served warm with honey bacon and garlic crostini. On the crostini, chef drizzled a 25-year-old balsamic vinegar that smartly counterbalanced the sweetness of the honey and preventing this dish from taking on dessert-like qualities like so many starters the Taste Buds have scorned this year. Both of us would recommend it to fellow foodies.

The starter was paired with a Sauvignon Blanc from Cakebread Cellars, Napa Valley 2009 ($14). The winery blends small amounts of Semillon and Sauvignon Musque to produce a more citrus tone. Hints of guava, grapefruit, lime, honeydew melon and golden apple make this wine a good, solid companion to the fromage.

The salads

Chef wanted the Taste Buds to sample two of her favorite salads, both quite different from each other.

The 1250 Chop Salad ($10) included finely diced cucumber, red pepper, green onion, avocado and artichoke hearts. The dressing was a lovely house vinaigrette, made with red wine. Everything was perfectly diced, showing off the chef’s knife skills. This was a hit with both of us.

The Roasted Beet & Heirloom Tomato salad ($11) was served with a basil oil dressing and burrata cheese. The rich and buttery Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream, is salty and complemented the beet and tomato, as well as the dressing.

For this course, the wine was a Nuthouse Pinot Noir by Argyle Winery in Oregon ($14). This wine is distinguished by the flavors of Oregon blackberries and Rainier cherries, plus hints of exotic Asian spices. Nice and smooth to the palate, the Pinot Noir was an elegant choice for the salads.

The entrée

At Chef’s request, the Taste Buds shared the Tomahawk steak ($89), a 30-ounce Kobe Beef behemoth served with mashed potatoes, corn bread and farmhouse vegetables. The bone in the rib eye gives the steak its trademark name.

Ordered medium rare, the Tomahawk was perfectly cooked, charred on the outside, and reddish pink in the inside to add extra flavor. The steak was sliced into strips that melted in your mouth. Chef sent out all six of her steak sauces: Creamy Roquefort, three peppercorn cognac, port-glazed shallots, sherry mushroom, classic Bernaise and Béchamel. All worked in harmony with the rib eye, although Sweet admitted to being more of a traditionalist and favored the always classic Bernaise sauce.

In addition, Chef produced additional sides of mac and cheese with bacon and creamed corn. The mac and cheese was very good, but the creamed corn was forgettable. The mashed potatoes were way too rich and buttery, leaving an odd after-taste.

The entrée wine pairing was a 2007 Red Bordeaux by Château Haut-Bergey in Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, in France ($90 per bottle). This likable red, containing about 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Merlot and flavored with black cherries and blackberries, stood up to the robust flavors of the Tomahawk steak.

The dessert

The Banana Crème Pie Cheesecake ($9) was a nice surprise, a clever reinvention. The graham cracker crust was fused with brown sugar and melted butter, making it fabulous and light. The cheesecake was very light and fluffy, beaten long enough to add air to the mixture. Freshly-sliced bananas topped the dessert.

The cheesecake rested on a caramel lattice, which not only was visually pleasing but also tasty.

The dessert wine was a 2008 Honig Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc ($13), sweet and rich, producing aromas hinting at apricots, orange peel, clove, honey and vanilla caramel, plus lemon and grapefruit.

Umami topped off the experience with an espresso ($3.75), gazing out the bank of windows at the night lights sparkling along the shore.

“Oh, wow! What a view!” Umami said for the umpteenth time. And who could argue with that! The food and the spectacular setting made for an unforgettable evening.