San Diego Spotlight : Trophy’s Inscribed With a Menu of Average Talent

Should the black day ever arrive that a sports bore who once daily tormented the patrons of a popular Washington, D.C., watering spot by reciting the complete statistics of the 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates walks into Trophy’s Sports Grill, the patrons will be safe: The noise of the dozens of television monitors is sufficient to drown out any drone.

To the degree that any sports bar may claim to be the ultimate, this one in the new Hazard Center in Mission Valley comes close. It is a sort of high-tech videodrome, and the experience is not unlike visiting an appliance store with all the TV screens switched on.

The high-tech style continues to the decor, which is both sleek and comfortable, and the banquettes and tables are built high off the floor to promote the sensation of being seated in the bleachers. Former San Diego Chargers legend Lance Allworth and former San Diego Padres Rollie Fingers and Tim Flannery are among the principal owners, and a lineup like this explains the immense collection of trophies from every imaginable sort of event that lines the entry. Nothing on the menu, though, seems in the running to win a trophy at a major cooking competition. But the restaurant’s motto, “No Sore Losers,” is a reasonable guarantee against leaving dissatisfied. The list written by Chef Brian J. Ashe fits the case for the requirements of both casual bar fare and more serious eating. It oddly enough avoids such sports bar staples as hot dogs and chili, but ventures in several ethnic directions, including Mexican, Southwestern, Cajun and Italian.

The appetizers--the menu lists these under “Grazing”--certainly can double as snacks to be munched while gazing at one of the dozens of screens. It’s a better than fair selection, and the offerings include ceviche, roasted Italian sausage, steamed New Zealand mussels, the usual “spicy wings” and fried potato skins, a Santa Fe-style quesadilla dressed with black beans and grilled chicken and empanadas of pizza dough (baked in the restaurant’s wood-fired oven) stuffed with “blackened” chicken, mild chilies and cheese.

The popcorn shrimp, breaded rather than battered, are much better than the usual, a comment that applies equally to the mild, “Cajun” cocktail sauce served on the side. The potato chips, on the other hand, were somewhat oily and flat in flavor. Ask for some of the cocktail sauce on the side, because it does wonders for the chips.

The more formal dishes sampled provided the impression that the kitchen succeeds brilliantly at turning out average cooking, but no better. A bacon cheeseburger chosen from the long hamburger list (there are mushroom burgers, avocado burgers and a “Bajaburger” topped with chilies and Jack cheese) was enormously average, generously sized, reasonably juicy but nothing more, and the bun verged on the stale. The hamburger would seem the very cornerstone of sports bar cuisine, and these could be more distinctive. The hefty garnish included a small mountain of freshly cooked but pale, somewhat oily french fries and a good, creamy cole slaw.

The exceptionally meaty, very tender barbecued baby back ribs missed greatness on one point: The barbecue sauce had been applied so sparingly as to be present only as a suggestion, and the flavor was dull. Most places use too much sauce; the reverse condition is no more satisfactory. Again, the plate garnish verged on the Gargantuan, and generosity seems the evident rule here.

The carne asada looked to be a bargain at $7.95, and might have been had the kitchen used better meat; this was so tough as to defy the steak knife. The plate itself was well assembled and included tortillas, black beans smothered under melted cheese, Mexican-style rice and mild, fresh salsa.

The menu shows a sense of humor with the listing for agnolotti d’aragosta (ravioli stuffed with lobster), which is accompanied by the note “Go to Prego,” referring to the trendy Italian eatery that occupies a distant corner of Hazard Center.

There are several pastas, however, including the ubiquitous fettuccine Alfredo--this one purportedly is seasoned with herbs, which would make it something other than Alfredo--angel hair macaroni tossed with fresh tomato, basil, olive oil and garlic, and a seafood pasta that dresses spinach linguine with shrimp and mussels.

The kitchen bakes pizzas that take advantage of some of the other menu items, including the dubious carne asada and “blackened” chicken. A whole wheat pizza topped with tomato sauce, grilled vegetables and low-fat cheese is offered as one of several “heart smart” selections; other dishes in the low-fat and sodium category are chicken roasted with a basting of lemon and herbs and an Oriental-style chicken salad.

The dessert list is as American as apple pie, which it offers baked in a deep dish, optionally a la mode . There is also chocolate cake (when is the last time you saw plain old chocolate cake--not mousse, mind you--on a San Diego menu?), cheesecake with raspberry sauce, key lime pie, mud pie and a high-piled but undistinguished banana cream more notable for its size than for any ability to evoke nostalgic associations.

Trophy’s Sports Grill

7510 Hazard Center Drive, Mission Valley

296-9600

Lunch and dinner daily

Entrees $3.50 (for a grilled cheese sandwich) to $13.50. Dinner for two, including a glass of wine each, tax and tip, about $20 to $40

Credit cards accepted