Terrific Takeout: Barleycorn Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
Lobster Stuffed Mushrooms of Barleycorn above, and the fabulous Salmon en Courte below
Fresh Origins is America’s leading producer of Microgreens and Edible Flowers. Combining the benefits of an ideal climate with a deep passion for quality and innovation, Fresh Origins products are sought after by the finest restaurants and top chefs. The farm is located in the picturesque rolling hills of San Diego County, where the near perfect weather allows for production and harvest all year. Fresh Origins produces almost 400 Microgreens, Petitegreens, Edible Flowers, Shoots, Tiny Veggies™ and related items. Many are not available anywhere else, with new introductions nearly every month. Fresh Origins products are on top of the finest cuisine in the world! Fresh Origins supplies distributors of specialty produce who serve fine dining restaurants and resorts nationwide. There are also a few online sources of their products available to private chefs and home cooks. Read our first Culinary Queen interview with Kelly Sasuga:
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Barleycorn is a new hotspot downtown at 23 Park Place, owned by our pal Joe Donagher, previously featured in Peachy's Picks for Beer Authority. On our initial visit to Barleycorn, our gut reaction was we like this place even better.
We began with the delicately delicious lobster stuffed mushrooms in white wine garlic sauce, which confirmed that this a restaurant that only happens to have a bar, not the other way around.
They were extraordinarily appetizing, and you'll only want to share with very good friends!
We're still thinking about how beautifully this Avocado and Crabmeat Salad was presented! If you've been reading carefully you know that we love anything crabby and that adjective is a positive at Whom You Know, and the whole world is in love with avocados right now if they weren't before. This salad is a prime example of creativity done well without being ridiculously over the top. Avocado paste, tortilla shell, mixed greens, radish, tomato, cucumbers, garnished with yellow and red peppers (no, they are not m and m's) and yogurt dressing was simply divine. We liked every component of it.
This is far from any kind of bar food.
We were super excited to see the microgreens on the Salmon en Croute, our selection for the entree. Salmon and pesto wrapped in puff pastry served on a bed of sauteed spinach with a white wine caper sauce was presented so elegantly, we nearly hated to cut it open.
Every bite of succulent salmon was a symphony of goodness, and the spinach was a great choice as a highlight. The sauce enhanced the experience rather than overwhelming it. That can happen at lesser places, but not at Barleycorn. We know that Joe knows what he's doing!
Barleycorn is Terrific Takeout!
Happy St. Patrick's Day one more week!
