Tasty Haven for Those Seeking a Good Meal

The Michelin Guide, the “Bible of eating” for French motorists, identifies those restaurants it deigns to mention with a variety of symbols, among which one of the most prized indicates “ Vaut le voyage ,” or a destination in its own right that is “worth the trip.” Every Frenchman, even those but moderately ravenous, immediately understands that no torrent is too deep to be forded if a restaurant so designated waits on the other bank.

In North County, a handful of restaurants certainly qualify as destinations and offer a cuisine that justifies the moderate exertion that most expeditions hereabouts require; given the local road system, very few places are hard to reach anyway.

Then there are those places that are good if you’re already in the immediate neighborhood. Among these is Jesse’s La Gondola in Rancho Bernardo, an oldfangled sort of eatery that, thanks to an enthusiastic recommendation from a regular patron, became the destination of a long freeway journey during one of the recent deluges. Jesse’s bright lights glowed with a special warmth through the sheets of rain, and the aromas that sailed (they were far too forceful to drift) from the kitchen brought the nose to attention--but even so, most of us wouldn’t be likely to hop into the car during a downpour just to taste Jesse’s menu of American, Italian and Mexican fare.

If you happen to be in Rancho Bernardo anyway, and hungry, this unimposing establishment offers a fairly comprehensive menu at reasonable prices. Beyond this immediate attraction, Jesse’s La Gondola holds a certain interest as an artifact of home-grown Americana--it combines the atmospheres and menu stances of old-fashioned diners, lunch rooms and coffee shops--that does not seem fated to persist much longer.

But if a quick lunch of supper of chef’s salad, spaghetti and meatballs or chiles rellenos sounds appealing, Jesse’s prepares these and dozens of similar dishes competently, and sometimes with a bit of panache.

The restaurant in some ways belongs to the “home cooking” school, which is fading fast and may be missed by members of future generations who would like an occasional BLT (Jesse’s also makes grilled cheese, Monte Cristo and tuna salad sandwiches) as an alternative to the omnipresent burgers and tacos of American fast foodery. The decor, such as it is, includes a small mural of gondolas plying a Venetian canal and might be described as “coffee shop eclectic,” and the 1940s seem to live on over the sound system, on which Bing Crosby and Gene Kelly take turns crooning old favorites. (When is the last time you heard “The Bells of St. Mary’s” in a restaurant?)

The tripartite menu of simple, standard American, Italian and Mexican fare is uncommon, to say the least, but the kitchen seems to have equal ability with all three. The cuisines are likely to get mixed in the course of most meals, anyway, since dinners start with a basket of hot, just-fried tortilla chips (notably grease-free, by the way) and excellent, moderately fiery salsa. These are likely to be followed by split rolls, also hot, that have been spread with garlic butter and grilled and are served with a shaker of Parmesan so that you can build your own cheese toast. The transition from Mexican to Italian motifs is not jolting on these premises.

Italian dinners include the choice of soup or salad, and Jesse’s all-American vegetable soup, jammed with friends from the fresh produce section and ragingly hot, was satisfying to the bottom of the cup. This brew presaged a plate of veal scaloppine with Marsala and mushrooms, cooked a little roughly but nonetheless quite good, and tasting forcefully of wine. The side of spaghetti and tomato sauce followed the standard pattern and was just fine.

On the Mexican side, the beans seemed the most successful part of a heavily laden plate of carne asada ; the meat, extremely thin, seemed a little greasy, as did the Mexican-style rice. The dessert choice of Jesse’s home-made lemon meringue and apple pies brought the meal full-circle; the apple pleased with its rich crust and strong cinnamon flavor.

Other dinner choices range from baby beef liver with onions to veal parmigiana, spaghetti carbonara , lasagna, tostadas, burritos, enchiladas and cheese crisps, styled as “Mexican pizzas” and available with a variety of toppings.

Jesse’s La Gondola

12475 Rancho Bernardo Road

Calls: 487-3564

Hours: 9 a.m to 8 p.m. daily

Cost: Except for veal dishes, prices top out at $6.95; dinner for two including a glass of wine each, tax and tip, about $20 to $35.