A Peachy's Pick Since 2015, Monument Lane Spring 2017 Our Coverage Sponsored by Fresh Origins
From the Whole Roasted Pennsylvania Brook Trout to the Roasted Heirloom Carrots, Monument Lane continues to outshine its competition downtown with another monumental dinner performance
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:
For more information about Fresh Origins, visit their website at
If you are interested in an authentically delicious dinner where intrinsic flavors of food shine in intelligent combinations, you should go to Monument Lane. Owned by our friend Josh Frum, Monument Lane continues to impress us.
Monument Lane was most recently featured a year and a half ago in Winter 2016:
and it has been a Peachy's Pick since 2015:
Monument Lane opened in 2011.
This spring, we began with a beacon of nutrition: Watercress and Spinach Salad. Peachy loves salads and they are always a required component, and what made this one stand out were the amazing pickled green strawberries, one of the most exciting edibles we've found recently. Of course there is watercress and spinach, and the lush strawberries are also joined by gouda of ideal density. Ms. I Do Not Like Salad Dressing Mostly Ever believed that the Leek Vinaigrette boasted the correct amount of tartness and was not overdone (salad dressings are often way overdone or do not add to the salad.) This salad luxuriates in this dressing. Eat and learn if you are a salad dressing creator! Josh is quite bright and having graduated from Cornell, Josh and his Ivy intelligence are in every bite of dinner.
Avid readers know that Peachy is crazy about Rabbits, and everyone knows rabbits are crazy about carrots. You need to meet the Roasted Heirloom Carrots, just perfect for a cloudy temperate day like today. The roasted quality yields great flavor and Monument Lane makes vegetables magnificent, fresh, majestic and exciting. Yogurt, pecans and especially the brilliant dill add to the party.
Grilled asparagus arrives in style dusted with a basil and green garlic emulsion which completely wowed us. A crispy farm egg accentuates some protein that joins the smart, crunchy lines of green. The diameter of the asparagus is perfect and these are robust.
Monument Lane understands how to be creative yet balanced. Meet the Fluke Tartare, under "For the Table." Atlantic Fluke is paired with asian pear radish that is entirely refreshing further pumped up by ginger dressing. Each chip that dives in feels lucky, but not as fortunate as your stomach!
The flavor of the Grilled Baby Artichokes was our favorite appetizer with aioli and tarragon. If you listen closely you'll hear it say eat me!
We continue to believe that the focus of any dinner is the entree, and we always want to see the entree lording over the rest of the meal. The Grilled Happy Valley Skirt Steak is tremendously flavorful and and the onion jus elevates the flavor to superlative, a feat rarely achieved by those outside the steakhouse realm. Fingerling potatoes get two thumbs up by someone who's eaten them in Ireland. Sauteed spinach rounds out the meal quite nicely. And since this is Happy Valley steak, is it watching the BBC before it's grilled?
The Whole Roasted Pennsylvania Brook Trout is just lovely and fresh, and we like how it is an entire fish. A fish entree should always have a whole fish in our humble opinion. Broccoli rabe and baby fennel are terrific accents as well as the creatively inviting saffron-honey.
Our favorite vegetable all spring is without a doubt this Spring Bean Succotash with creme fraiche. Where has it been all our lives? How come it took this long for us to see succotash on a menu? You need to try this absolutely.
It is smiling at you:
Finally, do not ignore the Dark Chocolate Pudding. Candied pistachio, creme fraiche, tasted cake crumbs and sea salt join this dessert extravaganza that obviously will make every chocoholics day.
Monument Lane continues to be Highly Recommended by Whom You Know.
