Sergio Jimenez visited Denmark and Iceland. Move to the suburbs of Copenhagen and Reykjavik and immerse yourself in the culinary art of one of the world's most famous chefs. Travel to the California coast to delve into the origins of the American farm-to-table movement. Jimenez has embraced the experience of his surroundings with the flavors of the world's freshest menus. Take notes. He took those notes home to San Diego.
Jimenez starts most mornings by strolling through the Chef's Garden at the Rancho Bernardo Inn, about 30 minutes north of downtown San Diego. He clears rows of tomatoes, rosemary, dill and figs. He rustles plants, selects ingredients for the evening menu, while an artist carefully mixes oils on a palette. Flavors are their colours. His canvas, front kitchen and table are located just a few steps from the garden.
Here, the 28-year-old chef unleashes his culinary creativity.
The tables take a while to arrive: a short drive from downtown San Diego, in the hills of its suburbs, through a residential neighborhood, on the beautiful grounds of Rancho Bernardo and on a balcony enjoying a gorgeous sunset. View of the valley below.
Increasingly, it's a record customers are happy to buy.
Daily delivery from the park
The Rancho Bernardo Inn opened in 1963 as a 30-room golf resort designed by Torrey Pines architect William Bell. In the decades that followed, the residential community grew around the course, hosting PGA and LPGA events, creating a loyal following and adding an additional 250 rooms.
Along the way, a group of visitors began frequenting the hotel's former restaurant, El Bizcocho, which underwent a $2.5 million transformation in 2013 to become AVANT. Ten years into AVANT's life, Jimenez is transforming the restaurant into a farm-to-table destination built around Southern California's endless growing seasons.
The Chef's Garden, located next to the golf course, bears witness to Jimenez's inspiration. “I usually go out to the park once a day,” Jimenez says. “I spend a few minutes looking at what we have, and choosing decorations for the evening. Then I work with the gardener and the team to select items for the mixology and kitchen program.
As Jimenez explores the garden, he stops to notice the ideas that grow: tiny grapes that could one day become famous wine, grape leaves that could turn into fragrant ash, ghostly sweet-and-sour apples, and cultivated eggplants. Just for an event. And linden leaves, whose oil has a “peppery smell.” Each is designed to bring a unique touch to California cuisine inspired by the Jimenez family's Mexican restaurant in Chula Vista.
"I want to do something unique and modern. I never want to follow tradition. I will not put crème brûlée on the menu for the rest of my life. I have to evolve, and I owe that to the visitors, as well as to them." My guests, and provide a different experience than what I have already experienced.
Unusual dishes with classic flavours
Having a garden puts Jiménez among a small group of chefs who have access to fresh ingredients out the back door. The profits can help transform a guest's evening.
Jimenez remembers one summer evening when a few customers were having a bad night. “You could tell they were having a bad day,” he said. “I create a special kitchen table so I can see people's reactions and know when someone doesn't value their time.”
“I hosted a chef's table in July and one of the guests didn't really see me in the first and second courses. At first, it was just the guy who made eye contact and engaged in conversation. But little by little I started talking and giving instructions, and once I told him one of the ingredients was guajillo peppers,” he recalled. One of the dishes he ate as a child.
“His eyes widened. She was happy and engaged and seemed to be attending it all night.
The dish was homemade risotto. Born from diners' desire to combine unusual dishes with classic flavors, risotto, a classic Italian dish, features a combination of the peppery and smoky flavors of Mexican chiles, reminding diners of their grandmother's cooking. "He didn't know what the ingredients were since he was a kid because his parents were half Mexican and half Italian," Jimenez said. “Then we reached the goal.”
A gathering place for San Diego chefs
Although Jimenez dresses in formal kitchen attire and makes no secret of his aspirations for the coveted Michelin star, he has come a long way since his early days at a neighborhood Mexican restaurant. He says San Diego is one of the best places in the world to enjoy garden-fresh food. And its culinary community is full of chefs and other creative cooks who create their own dishes from its many ingredients.
“We now bring in chefs from all over the world,” Jimenez says. “They're staying here and opening their own restaurants because they see the market and growth opportunities. They view San Diego as an untapped market for modern cuisine in a country that has traditionally focused on American and French gastronomy. Now we're seeing more and more of it, farm-to-table.”
For Jimenez, this influx of talent represents an opportunity to create and mix. AVANT often hosts collaborative culinary events that combine Jimenez's ideas, flavors from his garden, and the skills of San Diego mixologists, chefs, and chefs. The result is a calendar of events that doubles as a signature community festival and a proving ground for AVANT in its quest for a Michelin star. Jimenez says it's all about the flavours, as well as changing customers' appetites.
“Michelin doesn't care about serving you a $1,000 meal in China,” he says. “They care about the food.”
