out and about: george's summer menu

societe: the harlot

casamigas blanco mule

Backstreets back again, or rather, george’s changed up their menu for the summer season, and so of course we are back at it to taste all the new things. And there are definitely some highlights for summer.

We started our meal with a beer and a mule, and just took in the first sign of the sun we’ve had in not-so-sunny san diego in the last several months.

salmon tartare: asparagus, smoked roe, sauce gribiche, lavash

You know how much we loved the last salmon tartare iteration; so we were tentatively worried we wouldn’t like this one as much.

The thing is, the more you ate it, the more the flavors stood out, and the better and better it got, until I’m convinced I need this dish on the regular.

I’ve never had a sauce gribiche before, which, if you didn’t know, is a cold egg sauce. It’s got emulsified hard-boiled egg yolks, hard-boiled egg whites, mustard, vegetable oil, pickled cucumbers, capers, parsley, chervil and tarragon. And oh my goodness peeps. It’s delish. I feel like it’s almost like making your own mayo base, but with using hard-boiled egg yolks v/s the whole raw egg. I’m definitely experimenting with this sauce.

local tuna crudo: yuzu ponzu, avocado, cherries, ginger jelly

Thank goodness for cherry season, because george’s brought back this perfectly packed blue fin tuna bite.

Our only complaint was that there wasn’t more for us to have.

You might think the ponzu would over power the freshness of the fish, but somehow it simply served to enhance the natural flavor without feeling “saucey.”

If you get anything on the menu. Get this. Period.

hokkaido scallop crudo: peach gazpacho, habanero, cilantro oil

Here’s where we differ. I’m a sucker for raw scallops. Especially if they are from hakkaido, japan. The absolute best. The hubs however? He likes his scallops cooked. We will both eat them either way, but we have our definite side of the street.

Guess who won this one.

I really liked the combo of fresh scallop with cucumber and peach. And the habanero added the perfect heat. The crunch of the onion, and the cilantro oil worked to bring it all together.

mussels: tokyo negi, white wine-mustard cream sauce, grilled bread

So in the battle between restaurant shellfish; I’m typically a clam girl. I find that mussels can be hit or miss. There are very few places that I will even consider ordering them in the first place. Georges is one of those place… and oh my goodness guys, this iteration of their mussels is beyond delicious.

To start with, tokyo negi are onions. They look similar to green onions, but are much sweeter, and dare I say, more leek like? Regardless, they are delicious, and in this wine-mustard sauce? Perfection. This is one of those broths you could drink and never tire of.

Guys, get the mussels.

crispy shrimp: mojo aioli, spicy pickled peppers

The last dish we tried was the crispy shrimp. We had no idea what to expect. We enjoyed the crispy shrimp at sandpiper when we tried their spring menu, so were thinking it might be similar.

It wasn’t. There was no sticky sauce poured over the shrimp here. Just a delicate dusting of panko and spices. No heavy breading here. Just enough crunch, to be able to call it crunch.

Paired with a mojo (cilantro and garlic heavy) aioli that was the perfect balance to the spicy pickled peppers. I loved that the spicy element was separate versus incorporated into a sauce, it made for a great bite.

You know we’ll be back before this menu disappears.