Located on the ground floor of The Harbor Club’s West Tower, directly across the street from the San Diego Convention Center, Galileo 101 has become a popular upscale dining venue for out of town visitors, conventioneers and locals alike. It’s well appointed motif helps to accentuate the modernist influences of the building’s overall architecture, and provides a refreshing ambiance that is situated adjacent to a beautifully landscaped promenade offering access to the downtown trolley system.
Recently, however, the restaurant has managed to attain a new level of innovative excellence that is even likely to raise an eyebrow on those who dine there regularly. Driving this ardent quest for the sublime is former Chicago resident, partner and Executive Chef, Danny Salgado, a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America and a former Chef with the Marriot Hotel group.
In a marketplace that is continually striving to reach new heights of perfection, Chef Salgado comes well equipped to meet the challenge with an avant-garde approach that surprises and delights his guests time after time. Outside of the kitchen, the service you will receive at Galileo 101 is second to none. Our attentive waiter, Allan, happens to be a longtime favorite who has been deservedly promoted to lead the wait staff in its uncompromising efforts to consistently please each diner that visits their restaurant.
On a recent visit, he started us off with a couple variations of the bar’s specialty cocktail, the Martini. Chosen from a long list of eclectic contenders, Allan suggested that I try their exotic Basil Lemon Drop Martini, and my guest, the Lost in Malibu. This extraordinary assemblage of libations was put together and perfected by the Manager, Shane Dudley, who also boasts nearly a decade and a half of experience as a first class mixologist.
My guest’s ‘Lost in Malibu’ was a subtropical rhapsody of darkly rich Myers Rum, Malibu Rum, Chambord, Banana liqueur, muddled oranges and pineapple juice. In fact, this drink is so refreshingly fruity that it might be very easy for some to forget that its beguiling concoction of liquors will also have a potent effect on the senses; particularly if several are consumed.
The Basil Lemon Drop Martini that Allan delivered shortly thereafter was amazingly aromatic. Absolut vodka, fresh muddled lemons and basil are served together in a sugar rimmed glass with a fresh basil garnish. It was astoundingly cool, invigorating and abounding with the airy fragrance of an herb garden.
A few moments later, we were brought a little of Chef Salgado’s ‘Bloody Mary Sorbet’, which was ringed with thick droplets of premium balsamic vinegar and topped with mini-sized basil leaves that had a surprisingly intense bouquet. Small in size but immense in flavor, the icy, spicy tomato concentrate was offset perfectly by the herbal essence of the microgreens. Along with it, crusty warm sourdough bread was served with an absolutely fantastic Guajillo chili and garlic butter that had a dense, earthy flavor without being overwhelmingly hot.
Since our intent was to sample numerous small portions of various items, we started our meal with several selections from the list of appetizers, the first of which was their Ahi Tuna. Quickly seared in an ultra hot skillet and served up with a delightful avocado mousse, exotic fruits and a heavenly papaya coconut sauce, this slightly rare nugget of sashimi grade heaven is truly the epitome of Pacific Rim cuisine. Paired with a fine South African petit Chenin Blanc and crisp Pinot Grigio from northern California, my guest and I agreed that it was a presentation fit for royalty.
Next, came one of Chef Salgado’s most stunning creations of the evening. A large, perfectly seared U-10 diver's scallop was served atop a clump of tender Osso Bucco that was still tethered to the bone and then lavishly surrounded by sautéed spinach and a rich veal demiglaze. To some this might sound a bit adventurous at first, but let me assure you that the Chef’s instincts were right on the money; the dish was utterly phenomenal. With it, we both enjoyed a smooth and velvety 2004 Razor’s Edge Shiraz from Australia. It was a wine infused with the aged flavor of oak, and was a particularly appropriate mate to the lamb and veal juices as well as to the slightly caramelized crust on the bottom of the scallop.
To continue our epicurean foray, Allan brought us a plate of Waygu Beef Carpaccio, which offers a delicate assemblage of wafer thin slices of prime beef garnished with caper berries, a petite fillet of white anchovy, quail egg and consume gelee sprinkled with an old world, hand-pressed olive oil and a pinch of Australian Murray River salt.
As a foil, we were served small squares of cherry angel food cake that were crowned by generous portions of pâté de foie gras and accompanied by tasty raspberry compote that was bursting with the explosively fresh flavor of the fruit.
Allan then delivered the final course before our entrées; a deliciously different Caesar salad with a dressing that had been spiked with just the right amount of chipotle chili. With its crisp, cool leaves of romaine lettuce, it proved to be the perfect palate cleanser.
The first of our main courses was the Sturgeon; a rare gourmet seafood treat that is readily available in the San Francisco Bay area, but not common to southern California. Its thick, delicate texture topped with a domestic sturgeon caviar was extremely satisfying and was especially delicious when served alongside the olive oil poached tomatoes, Russian fingerling potatoes, braised Swiss chard and resonant veal reduction that came with the dish.
We later sampled the fine Irish salmon, which had a robust yet refined flavor and was teamed with delicious creamed leeks that were garnished with bits of applewood smoked bacon and plated with an elegant sauce made from imported fois gras and red wine.
The crowning moment arrived as Allan grandly presented us with our red meat dishes; a spectacular plate featuring a juicy rib of Colorado lamb on a small pile of carefully shredded leg meat that had been roasted for over 12 hours, and a freshly made ratatouille. We also tried the Kobe Zabuton, a beef lover’s delight that was served along with a terrific three cheese potato cake and a blue cheese bacon vinaigrette.
Both meats were magnificently prepared and incredibly tender. When we savored them along with a few glasses of fine, oak laden 2002 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley, a harmonious carnival of flavors began to dance across our palates as my guest and I enjoyed the final crescendo of our superlative dining experience.
After a few minutes of tableside relaxation, we strolled from the dining room with satisfied smiles on our faces. It was obvious to us that Galileo 101 had now evolved to a plateau that surpassed even the previously high standard of cuisine that was its hallmark when the restaurant first opened its doors.
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