Elemental, My Dear

WEST COAST SIPPIN': California Café's flight of white, red and ros wines.
Photo By: Michael T. Regan

With fire-, water- and air-inspired cuisine for burned-out mall shoppers, California Café gets down to earth.

by Maxine Keyser

Many times, having shopped till I dropped, I have dropped into the California Café in the King of Prussia Mall. I always had a pleasant lunch and enjoyed the funky, laid-back feel of the place, with its splashes of color on the walls, floating ceiling and abstract light fixtures, and with the curved banquettes giving ample views of the open kitchen. So stopping in one evening for dinner really gave me a jolt. I just never knew that, firstly, the food was so serious, and secondly, that they had an obvious broad interest in wine.

The lights were dimmer, the bar was busy, and the dinner menu appeared intriguing. It's divided into "Small Plates," under headings with descriptions such as Leafy, Savory, Sassy and Lively; and "Main Plates," divided according to the elements — Earth, Air, Fire,Water. From leafy, I ordered a roasted Castroville artichoke with a saffron aioli dip, a dish that, to me, evokes California. Sucking on the meaty leaves that could only come from Castroville, the artichoke capital of the world, I tried some liquid therapy in the form of a pomegranate margarita, very tangy and pretty and made with Sauza Conmemorativo tequila, but I prefer my margaritas standard and my martinis plain and dry. More California dreamin' ensued when I started on the artisanal cheese plate, for there were my favorites — Humboldt Fog and Point Reyes, with dried and fresh fruits on the side and good focaccia and dal bread.

I was feeling very mellow, and my companions and I ventured farther. Between courses, we also talked to executive chef Michael Powers with his general manager Frank Campbell, manager Joseph Amrani and sous chef David Butler, the restaurant's original power team. Powers is back at the helm after various visits to other California Cafés — there are 11 across the country at this point — and found that the California ethic ties in very nicely with Slow Food. He cooks seasonally, which means the menu changes constantly. He also buys locally as often as possible and disdains pesticides. As for the wine list, he champions the selection, which is reasonable. It includes flights of three wines, half-bottles (unusual for Pennsylvania) and plenty of wines by the glass. The list is also divided into descriptive categories, but, tired of all the adjectives, I went for a Frog's Leap sauvignon blanc that was superb with my next course — pristine Malpeque oysters served with wasabi cocktail sauce and a mignonette.

After the metallic tang of good oysters, a bowl of butternut squash soup tasted great. It was not too sweet and benefited from the dollop of creme fraiche and sprinkling of pumpkin seeds that topped the steaming soup.

A main-plate order of the crab cakes, which are listed under small plates, seemed just right at this point. I found them crisp and meaty, and I loved the grapefruit fennel slaw and orange vinaigrette that provided a cool, citrus astringency against the sweetness of the crab. More crab crusted the tilapia, very tropical in a lush coconut curry sauce, and it was accompanied by a tropical fruit salsa and whipped yams. I note the ubiquitous ahi tuna and mahi-mahi, and also the appearance of some heavier meats, like grilled cowboy steak and lamb shank for those with more appetite. There are pastas, too, like ravioli with Italian sausage and fettucine with smoked duck, mushrooms and jalapenos. (How California is that?) Don't forget a designer pizza with smoked salmon and Boursin cheese straight from the oven.

Pastry chef Rachel Boyes offers a number of attractive possibilities: A tiramisu with Bailey's, Frangelico, espresso creme anglaise and chocolate sauce is too much for me, but I like a warm pear and cranberry streusel with delicious creme fraiche ice cream. Aside from the usual molten chocolate cake, she makes the most of the seasonal ice creams and sorbets. Pumpkin ice cream almost destroys me and stops me from ordering from their large selection of single-malt scotches and dessert wines. I am just sated.

California Café is not just for daytime — although, incidentally, they are featuring a daily bento box with four samplings from Monday through Saturday. This is a destination dining spot with very streamlined service and an able and involved chef. And think of how much damage you could do at Bloomie's between courses.

California Café The Plaza at King of Prussia 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia 610-354-8686

Lunch: Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Brunch: Sun., 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner: Mon.-Thu., 5-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 5-10:30 p.m.; Sun., 3-8 p.m.
Appetizers, $3.75-$11.95; entrees, $9.75-$29.95; lunch, $8.75-$15.75
Wheelchair accessible.
Smoking not permitted.
Reservations suggested.
All major credit cards.