Mike Dunne: L of a restaurant

When L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen opened a year ago, the wine selection was provocative but the menu was stilted.

I felt the focal point would be the scene and the wine, the food an afterthought.

But when we stopped by recently to scout L for a possible column on dishes at wine bars, I was pleasantly surprised by the range, inventiveness and authority of the food.

In Ame Harrington, the chef since the start, L has one of the region's more determined talents, I came away convinced.

I also came away persuaded to return soon, which we did the very next night, largely because a neighboring diner was so excited about his burger he wouldn't or couldn't stop chewing it as he told us about it.

The next night, I saw why. The "L Burger," as it is simply listed on the menu, shows with power and finesse just what sort of cook Harrington is – imaginative but controlled, subverting tradition just enough to give the familiar her bold touch.

With the burger, she combines muscle and song, the former in the richness of the patty and the density of the bun, the latter in the mint, caper and fennel aioli on the meat, and the bite of horseradish in the aioli with the fries ($12).

The meat, a thick, juicy and sweet mix of pork sausage, lamb and beef, was topped with the mild Spanish cheese manchego and the nutty French green mâche, making for a meal both hearty and bright.

"Trust your chef," says the menu, which while not long nonetheless offers variety and adventure. When you put your trust in Harrington you are rewarded with dishes that combine intricacy with muscle. She's a technician with a farmer's soul, transforming locally produced ingredients into dishes of complexity and assurance.

She's grounded in the French culinary arts, but ranges all about the Mediterranean, Latin America and California for inspiration. The North African hot sauce harissa and a robust hummus are just the spirited music a colorful mix of marinated carrots and red peppers needs to come alive with the energy of a Moroccan belly dancer ($8).

The naturalness and relief of a European beach vacation was seized in a thin-crusted pan-seared pizzetta topped with the austere richness of Serrano jamon and the soothing sweetness and tang of goat cheese, mozzarella and Parmigiano ($12).

While much of Harrington's cooking is involved and inventive, she also knows when to lighten up. A fresh, moist, thick cut of seared halibut was allowed to strut its stuff with little adornment, though the lentil salad, celery and fennel with which it was served chimed in with just enough sharp notes to enliven the arrangement ($17).

And her rillettes of duck confit was classic French all the way, the dark shreds of meat covered with a shimmering golden slick of fat infused with Madeira, garlic and thyme, the frightful richness of which was cut with slices of pickle ($11).

While Harrington's cooking is deliberative and serious, she also has a playful side. She adores micro-greens, and tosses toy sprigs of cilantro, arugula and the like onto several plates.

And she's a true friend of nut farmers, showering walnuts here, almonds there. Guests are greeted with the most curious and personal snack in town – slices of baguette, a small saucer of olive oil, and a plate of "L dust," a Middle Eastern blend of toasted hazelnuts, almonds, coriander and cumin; dip bread in the olive oil, then in the nutty mix, and then wonder what wine best would go with that combo. (Sherry comes to mind, but it isn't on the wine-by-the-glass sheet, though several other promising possibilities are, including prosecco, riesling and a dry muscat from Italy.)

The power and rhythm of Harrington's cookery doesn't build, but starts off intensely and just never lets up, remaining high pitched right through dessert, which can be as buoyant as a chilled strawberry consommé ($8), as giddy as housemade churros with a side of satiny melted Valrhona chocolate for dipping ($8), and as staggeringly rich as bread pudding lush with chocolate, cherries and vanilla-bean gelato ($8).

About the writer:

• Call Bee restaurant critic Mike Dunne, (916) 321-1143. Read his dining blog at www.sacbee.com/appetizers. Back columns: www.sacbee.com/dunne.