There's a new chef in town, so I went to Fashion Island last week to see if he was living up to his award-winning name.
I'm talking about chef Grant MacPherson, the former executive chef for Steve Wynn, who opened the Bellagio, Wynn Las Vegas and Wynn Macau. Wooed by Fashion Island, he opened Rustica in June.
MacPherson took over Francoli's old spot. The space is practically unrecognizable, with red Murano glass chandeliers brought in from Italy, wood floors, a glossy subway tile wall behind the bar and a huge covered patio where you can dine while gazing at Nordstrom Court's new stone fountain, or just people watch.
The place was pretty packed when I arrived with a friend for a weekday lunch.
We started off with the Prosciutto Flatbread ($15), which starts with a fig and caramelized onion jam spread on the wood-fired flatbread. A layer of buttermilk blue cheese is then melted into that. A loose bed of arugula is sprinkled on top, followed by mounds of some of the best shaved prosciutto I've ever tasted, more delicate than salty. It's the perfect marriage of flavors.
I also tried the Wild Mushroom Soup ($8), a rich puree of cremini, oyster, button and portabella mushrooms swirled with cream, dry sherry and balsamic. Toasted hazelnuts were then dropped in.
We ordered the Rustica Salad ($15), which is big enough to split. The dressing was refreshingly simple, a mix of canola and olive oils and vinaigrette lightly flavored with Meyer lemons. It's the sort of salad you might order at a spa, loaded with thin-cut radishes, cucumbers and greens. Roasted corn adds a sweet, smoky flavor. And the chicken is roasted and pulled rather than arriving on top of everything in big, heavy grilled strips.
For dessert we tried the Chocolate Bread Pudding ($8). It was drier than the usual bread pudding. The house-made brioche is marinated in chocolate pudding and then popped back in the oven, so it's baked twice. I later learned that the pastry chef doesn't like his dessert soggy. Neither do I, so I enjoyed it.
My second visit was early on a Sunday evening, and not many diners were seated. My husband, daughter and I took a patio table and a waitress arrived presently with a basket of small square ciabattas and oil and vinegar for dipping.
We started with the Three Mushroom Risotto ($22). It was fantastic; rich and earthy with a variety of meaty mushrooms, royal trumpets, tiny cinnamon caps and juicy shredded oyster mushrooms. The rice was al dente and the dish creamy, with mascarpone swirled in.
We also ordered the Pappardelle with Manila clams and a light white wine and garlic cream sauce ($18). The pasta is house-made, extra wide and flat, fresh and delicious. But I thought the sauce was too light and could have used more flavor.
While the 42-ounce, 21-spice Cave Man Steak for $120 sounded enticing, we went with the 8-ounce char-grilled Angus Filet ($33). The meat arrives solo on a white plate, sliced and accompanied by a bowl of peppercorn sauce. It's a nice steak, simple and juicy, but not so good that it shouldn't at least arrive with a potato for that price.
We ended the evening with the Lemon Tart ($8). A thin shell that tastes like a butter cookie is filled with Meyer lemon custard and surrounded by strawberry sauce. My husband and daughter devoured it, but it was a little too sweet for me.
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