Restaurant Review: The Red Door

By David Nelson

Don’t open that door!
The advice shouted at the screen by generations of horror flick fans has yet to save a clueless character from the evil lurking a turn of the knob away. But it reminds that doors can swing wide to danger, adventure or mystery, or to such infinitely varied possibilities as the pornography percolating “Behind the Green Door” and the middle-American merriment of choosing among Door #1, Door #2 and Door #3.

In Mission Hills, a red door serves as a portal to pleasure. Opened in mid-summer by Rick Libiran, proprietor of Hillcrest’s Café Bleu (the man evidently likes to color-code his eateries) The Red Door is a distinctively named neighborhood bistro whose appeal should cut a wide swath through town. The door alone makes a bold crimson statement at the corner of Falcon and Washington streets, where Parallel 33 long traversed the latitudes with attitude, and for decades before that, Figaro served sumptuous pizzas on sparkling silver platters.

This particular door opens to a world that, one hot, late-August evening, brought to mind Newport, Rhode Island, a seaside playground known for its elegance. The series of diminutive rooms has been remade into a calm oasis of taupe walls trimmed in rich, brightly white woodwork – the antithesis, in other words, of Parallel 33’s caravan of colors. A curving, many-paned wall of windows faces the setting sun, which pries its way into the scene even when draperies are drawn to keep the rays at bay; after dark, servers circulate through the rooms lighting votive candles. Restrained and soothing, the décor includes ranks of wine bottles standing at attention on wall-spanning wood shelves.

Hard times favored Libiran when he sought a chef. Brian Johnston, a relatively young veteran of celebrated establishments like El Bizcocho, Top of the Cove and Star of the Sea (the latter two are history), held a top kitchen position at the San Diego Convention Center. When management cutbacks made him available, as it were, he gladly took over a kitchen that serves meals to couples and foursomes rather than hundreds and thousands. A versatile chef, Johnston has a fine hand for a casually chic place like The Red Door, where entrees on the “contemporary comfort cuisine” menu cost $12.50 to $19.50.

By and large, the flavors are considerably bolder than the décor, and Johnston freely uses auxiliary items like homemade relishes, onion marmalade and “house burger sauce” to make his dishes distinctive. He treated one evening’s black bean soup ($6.50) as a canvas meant to be brightened by a suave, spice-cooling spoonful of sour cream and a scattering of tart corn relish that added a burst of color to the murky puree.

Since Johnston knows San Diego well he offers several salads, including a “flash-grilled,” halved heart of Romaine ($8.5) that shares well and balances the smoky flavor with the sweet-tart-pungent effects of candied walnuts, julienned Granny Smith apple and Roquefort vinaigrette. He shows more interest in savory starters, however, such as Dungeness crab cakes with grilled vegetable salad and lemon aioli ($12.50), and a clever pairing of Manila clams and chorizo sausage cooked with white wine, garlic and tomato ($11.50).

“The sauce is so good you’ll want to lick the plate,” said the server of another starter, the shrimp Creole ($9.50). Served over crisp polenta in a piquant sauce of cream, white wine and Louisiana spices, the chewy-tender shrimp with crisply sauteed onion, celery and green bell peppers did tempt a guest to polish the plate.

The entrée list starts with an elaborate, half-pound burger ($12.50) whose accoutrements include a buttermilk bun and caramelized onions, and continues with Johnston’s family recipe for turkey meatloaf, served with macaroni and cheese and his own barbecue sauce ($13.50), and a vegetarian plate of sauteed asparagus with cilantro pesto, three-cheese polenta and white corn relish ($14.50). The menu consistently delivers on The Red Door’s promise of “contemporary comfort cuisine” with savory presentations like the Surf and “Cheeky” Turf ($19.50) of sauteed sea scallops and braised pork cheek with a silky roasted garlic “jus,” and a sensational, Iowa-bred pork chop soaked in a spiced brine sweetened with maple syrup and molasses ($17.50). Glazed mahogany-brown, the chop is slanted atop mashed potatoes and joined by sauteed squashes and a fine sauce of black figs and balsamic vinegar. The menu also offers cornmeal-crusted catfish, braised beef short ribs with a rich Cabernet sauce, and a grilled flat-iron steak sided with baked Yukon Gold potatoes and cracked black pepper sauce.

The server suggested flipping a coin to decide which desserts (all $6.50) to order, but the nods ultimately went to a warm brownie sundae with hot fudge sauce, and one of the best strawberry shortcakes in memory, sweet and sugary and just about hidden by a cloud of whipped cream. There are other possibilities to enjoy at The Red Door, including weekday lunch and a brunch menu served on Saturdays as well as Sunday.

David Nelson has written about dining in San Diego since 1980 for a comprehensive list of Southern California publications.

The Red Door Restaurant & Wine Bar
741 W. Washington St., San Diego 92103
619-295-6000
www.TheRedDoorSD.com