The person who came up with the PB&J sandwich was one smart cookie. They took two ingredients that tasted good on their own and merged them into one cohesive bite. There are other great duos out there: Mac ‘n cheese, Jack and Coke, Jimmy Fallon and Justin Timberlake. But how far should chefs go for an ideal pairing? One executive chef is finding out.
Served at dinner, Twenty Eight’s combination begins with fresh Santa Barbara uni distributed over toasted country loaf. Garnished with micro greens, this would be perfectly good as is. Yet we were encouraged to scoop out the inside of our included marrow onto the toast. Fatty, salty and buttery, we realize this was a savory equivalent to dessert. Almost too indulgent to start with, this designated “small plate” was made for sharing. If Chef Jay Lacuesta’s other changes to the menu are as delicious, we have a lot to look forward to this year.
19530 Jamboree Road, Irvine (949) 852-2828; www.twentyeightoc.com.
A contributing writer for OC Weekly, Anne Marie freelances for multiple online and print publications, and guest judges for culinary competitions. A Bay Area transplant, she graduated with a degree in Hospitality Management from Cal Poly Pomona. Find her on Instagram as brekkiefan.