Mistral: Romance and Sunsets and Of Course, Food!

My sister recommended that we eat at Mistral which is located at the Loew's Coronado Bay Resort, where we stayed. I checked out the menu and it seemed like a perfect idea. Chef Patrick Ponsaty came by our table and with my request, I asked him to recommend our menu based on his favorites. With the sunset overlooking the San Diego Bay, this couldn't have been more romantic. Here's the scoop:

Amuse bouche was a cold asparagus cream soup with duck confit and a garlic crouton. It was in a cute mini mug and eaten with a spoon. A pretty great start to a nice meal.

This appetizer has to be one of my all time favorites. It was just beautiful when presented. The bright colors really struck me and I almost didn't want to touch it. Almost. It was a split blue prawn on a bed of truffle ricotta cheese stuffed canneloni. It was topped with heirloom tomatoes, artichoke, sliced fennel and a light tangy sauce. 

Next came the entrees. My husband's entree was a daily special. It was bacon wrapped monkfish on a bed of green lentils and topped with a chick pea cake. I of course had to taste it. The texture of monkfish is like a shellfish, firm and full of flavor. With the bacon, a perfect combination.

My entree was sea bass. It was sauteed with a carrot-orange emulsion on top. It had lavender honey braised endive and an orange blossom mousse. The flavors were fresh and the mousse was delightful. Despite the sea bass being a bit overcooked, I was really impressed with this dish.

And then there was dessert. I was so full but dessert was necessary. I opted for a lighter dessert vs something chocolatey.  Roasted Peaches.  Peaches weren't very sweet, but they nicely offset the very sweet meringue and sauterne aspic. Served in a mason jar was lavender-rosemary ice cream, topped with a peach type jam (sauterne aspic- which is typically meat based and a gel. I believe this was termed loosely) and topped with a flambéed meringue. Eaten with the peaches, it was delightful.  

I'd love to go back every week and try something off this menu. It was so interesting.