With fresh sea breezes blowing across Point Loma in southern California, the Bailliage kicked off its first dinner of 2022 at a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand restaurant. Family-owned and operated Solare Ristorante was voted Best Italian Restaurant by San Diego Magazine. Italian Gambero Rosso “Due Forchetta" named it the Top Italian Restaurant in San Diego, and Wine Spectator gave it is Award of Excellence of Wine List.

The historic building which Solare calls home is located at Liberty Station once a major former naval training centre in the San Diego area. This iconic military complex stretches along San Diego Bay.

Bailli Marie Addario began the evening by introducing proprietor, Randy Smerik, the Bailliage’s Vice-Conseiller Culinaire, with his two sons Brian and Tommy who described the five courses.

On hand was award-winning winemaker Paolo Paoloni, originally from the Marches region of Italy. Paolo found the terroir in Mexico’s Guadalupe Valley complemented his Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Aglianico grape varieties. He mused that the land is similarly close to the sea that “even the mussels taste exactly the same”. All the wines therefore came from Paolo’s Vinos Paoloni estate in the Valle de Guadalupe.

RECEPTION

Reception with Paolo
Chardonnay 2021

MENU

Sicilian-style seared tuna
heirloom tomatoes, olives, capers
Sangiovese Dry Rosé 2020

Risotto
(using Vialone nano rice, Veronese IGP)
creamed with salted butter
Pecorino, Wagyu beef tartare, fresh blackberries
Sangiovese Grosso 2019

Solare house-made Piemontese tagliolini pasta
freshly-shaved Italian black truffles
Nebbiolo 2016

Tuscany-style chateaubriand
Angus beef chateaubriand sliced
and prepared Italian tagliata style
in a delicate Barolo sauce
Aglianico 2017

House-made torrone (nougat) panna cotta
infused with caramelized almonds
served with chocolate ganache

Both dinner and wine spoke fluently of Italy with courses considered to be a marriage made in heaven.

Marie Addario
Bailli