After a seven-month closure for renovation, the fine dining space at The Lodge at Torrey Pines is once again serving, with new menus for all meals.
AR Valentien, the signature restaurant at The Lodge at Torrey Pines, is officially open to the public today, May 9.
The Michelin Guide-listed restaurant closed for renovations in October; it now boasts an enhanced kitchen and new menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
AR Valentien’s new kitchen features an expanded and modernized culinary workspace for Executive Chef Kelli Crosson and her team. The transformation includes the addition of several specialized areas such as a dedicated pastry kitchen, butcher shop, banquet kitchen and beverage station, as well as major equipment upgrades, advanced lighting systems and other improvements.
Crosson’s new menu is imagined as a tribute to California’s seasonal bounty and a continuation of AR Valentien’s farm-to-table philosophy.
The new menus include ramp and asparagus soup with warmed Dungeness crab and lemon crème fraiche; crispy skin kanpachi with a warm salad of Bloomsdale spinach, English peas, pancetta and sorrel; a green garlic risotto with morel mushrooms, parmesan and pickled garlic scape; and mouthwatering desserts like Chèvre cheesecake with blueberries, red wine and pink peppercorn Chantilly.
Crosson will also bring back a monthly Chef’s Tasting Menu, spotlighting a hyper-seasonal ingredient. For May, Crosson is featuring spring berries with a multi-course experience including roasted Mar de Bois strawberries, lightly cured black cod with blueberry agrodolce, California lamb roulade with blackberry compote and raspberry hibiscus mousse with poached rhubarb and raspberry sorbet.
Popular Valentien signature dishes like the roasted Liberty Farms duck breast and confit leg and housemade charcuterie, remain on the dinner menu.
AR Valentien also welcomes Schuyler Munroe, advanced sommelier and new restaurant manager. The restaurant’s award-winning, California-focused wine list – with more than 250 selections by the bottle – has been thoughtfully curated to pair with the evolving seasonal menus.
“AR Valentien has always represented a refined, authentic approach to fine dining in San Diego,” Crosson said in a statement. “Our goal is to make every visit feel like a true occasion, rooted in warm service, seasonal flavors and an atmosphere that can only be found here.”
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