Ranch & Coast Magazine

Aptly perched atop the Plaza, Pacifica Del Mar has been a reliable mainstay for more than 30 years. at longevity is the result of quality cuisine and adaptability. No restaurant can not only last but remain culinarily significant — especially in a locale that's proved so challenging for so many of its contemporaries — without being willing to shift to meet diners' ever-changing desires. Pacifica's back-of-house has done just that, particularly over the past decade. e latest toque to take up the mantle and Pacifica's malleable MO is Matt Richman. Earlier this year, Richman returned to take over the kitchen where he served as a sous chef 18 years ago. In doing so, he's put his stamp on the menu in a variety of ways, while keeping its seafood-first ethos intact. During his time away, he operated his own restaurant, Pacific Beach's acclaimed Table 926, before filling high-level positions for a pair of hotel groups. Six months in at his old-slash-new stomping grounds, he has Pacifica's menu dialed in. Simplicity is at the heart of many of Richman's starters. Lemongrass poached jumbo shrimp cocktail, bluefin tuna poke, and carpaccio of hamachi show off the crystal- clean flavors of oceanic proteins. e latter is dotted with a sweet, applesauce-like gingered pear condiment plus brunoised Asian pear for texture. A seemingly simple spring vegetable salad is a verdant thing of beauty with English peas and fava beans bound together by whipped mascarpone and a touch of acidity from a sherry vinegar reduction. Richman's summer salad features burrata and grilled stone fruits. Crab cakes are a true test of any seafood-driven restaurant's mettle, and Pacifica's passes with flying colors. Sizeable with plump lumps of succulent blue crabmeat and just enough filler for a sturdy structure, they feature a buttery, toasty exterior and a faint zestiness reminiscent of Old Bay. Seafood entrées are split into two categories: classics and inspirations. A swordfish dish is certainly inspired and wholly original. A perfectly cooked steak is topped with a surprising sweet-tart kumquat marmalade and served atop kale, fingerling potatoes, and tender cipollini onions soaking up a positively delectable lemon beurre blanc. e accoutrements are so tasty they could make for a satisfying offering all on their own, though Chinese long beans rendered salty, tart, and funky by a fermented black bean sauce make for a stellar side. A classic Alaskan halibut dish is boldly seasoned and peppery on the palate but cooled by a tame, mildly sweet << @ranchandcoast ranchandcoast.com 60 JULY 2022 RANCH & COAST MAGAZINE Indulge dining

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