Best of 2000: Best Crème Brûlée

Adams Avenue Grill
2201 Adams Avenue,
University Heights
(619) 298-8440

When Julia Child visited San Diego recently, she announced that crème brûlée was a faddish food that didn't appeal to her. Yet it remains an after-dinner favorite with diners because it's smooth, creamy, slides down with ease, yet never leaves you feeling bloated. Crème brûlée is richer than custard, and the crusty top is often achieved by using a blowtorch to caramelize the sugar. Restaurants vie for different ways to enhance this dish -- it's equally good for breakfast or lunch -- but the Adams Avenue Grill has come up with a winner. The chef-owner, Tim Klepeis, who tries to enhance his dishes with fresh herbs, couldn't find a use for lavender until he thought of heating lavender buds with cream. After the cream cools, it's passed through a fine sieve and combined with egg yolks and sugar. The result is a lavender crème brûlée that is subtle, with a unique, light flavor. Fresh lavender leaves decorate the top of the baked cream.