JiRaffe Reaches New Heights

First there were two, chefs/partners Josiah Citrin and Raphael Lunetta, who opened JiRaffe four years ago. Then there was one, when Citrin left his childhood friend and surfing buddy to open his own, more formal restaurant in 1998. Judging from meals I’ve had at JiRaffe recently, maybe one is better than two. Since Lunetta has been on his own, the 33-year-old chef has found his own style.

He is at his best when he celebrates the more casual side of California cuisine, and the wonderful produce from the Santa Monica farmers market just down the block. The cooking is more precise now, and service has improved from the days when two forces ran the show. (Citrin’s new place, Melisse, is only a few blocks away.)

JiRaffe remains one of Santa Monica’s busiest restaurants. That’s where the small bar Lunetta recently installed in the front corner comes in handy. It’s a place to wait for your guests, or, if things are running a bit late, to sip any of the wines from the long list of wines by the glass.

We luck into a brilliant French waiter one night, an odd character with wispy bleached hair. Hearing his accent, someone asks where he’s from.

“Paris!”

“Why are you here?” we ask.

“Love brought me here,” he laughs. “But then love went away again.” End of story. He flawlessly recites the somewhat complicated specials--complete with prices, which I appreciate. (No one likes finding out later that the specials are double everything else on the menu, which is not to say that’s the case here.) He makes them all sound so appealing that we order three of them.

A trio of huge day-boat scallops--menu-speak for seafood harvested by boats going out and returning the same day--make a lovely first course, played against earthy lentils and a swath of silken lobster sauce. Pristinely fresh, these sweet, meaty scallops are a treat. One of JiRaffe’s signature dishes, but not always available, is seared foie gras in pistachio crust. It’s a generous piece of fresh Hudson Valley duck liver, beautifully cooked and encrusted with chunks of pistachio. To offset the liver’s richness, Lunetta pairs it with miniature baked apples that are both tart and sweet. Though the sauce may be a touch too syrupy, this is one of the best foie gras dishes around.

Salads are always a plus here, not only because of the quality of the ingredients, but also because they’re dressed with a light hand, and not always with the same vinaigrette. One favorite is the wild mushroom salad, which usually includes feathery baby frisee, shaved Reggiano, Portobello mushrooms and whatever wild mushrooms are in season. Another good one is the roasted pear salad strewn with toasted hazelnuts and shaved Fourme d’Ambert blue cheese in a sherry vinaigrette, or the ruby beet salad layered with caramelized walnuts and a mild, creamy goat cheese.

Herb gnocchi has been on the menu since Day One, but it seems particularly well-conceived lately: served in a splash of nage (broth) with tiny, barely cooked and brilliantly fresh rock shrimp and baby turnips. Pastas, such as farfalle (butterflies) with a vibrant medley of vegetables extravagantly sauced in a white butter pesto, are definitely in the California spirit. The filling in the wild mushroom and leek ravioli tastes like a marvelous dusky mushroom cream. Drowning in a rich, buttery porcini sauce, it’s something wine critic Robert Parker might be tempted to call “hedonistic.” I have to say, though, that the pasta is so stiff it works against the plushness of the dish.

Lunetta has a fondness for seafood--not surprising from a surfer chef. Pan-roasted dorade is as crisp and flavorful a fish as you’ll ever come across. It’s set on a bed of springy capellini drenched in thyme-scented truffle sauce with peeky toe crab, pearl onions, black chanterelles and baby artichokes mixed in. I’m not big on Chilean sea bass but Lunetta’s version works nicely. The flesh is firm and meaty, almost like monkfish, but sweeter. Pancetta wrapped around the fish teases this dish into something interesting. One time the special is Dover sole. The waiter deftly separates the flesh from the bones with two spoons, all the while holding the plate aloft. The fish is extremely fresh and delicate, although the citrus sauce, as much as I like the taste, is applied so generously that it overwhelms the fish.

I’ve always enjoyed the grilled pork chop with smoked bacon, wild rice and a cider sauce. New York steak is good, too, heavily coated with peppercorns. I usually don’t want my steak served sliced, but it’s cut nicely here into thick, oblique slices. A veal chop special gets the same treatment, which seems odd. You’d think they’d want to show off that big chop. Instead they’ve truncated it, leaving the bone and serving it with fresh Brussels sprouts, a terrific combination. It’s a perfect veal chop, except for the sticky brown reduction, which it doesn’t need.

Roasted venison is fabulous, sliced two fingers tall, blood rare at the center. The game revels in the counterpoint of a tart-sweet sauce, though there’s a bit too much of it.

One secret to running a successful restaurant is turning the tables on a busy night. No problem; JiRaffe has that down pat--but on a crowded weekend night, the food arrives almost too quickly. For some A-types, this would be heaven, though I’ve been tempted to ask the kitchen to slow it down.

Lunch is a pleasure at JiRaffe, with the sun streaming in those tall windows and a crowd that’s a mix of fashionistas, business people and laid-back beach types. In addition to the a la carte items, there’s a fine three-course menu for $14.95, which offers several choices for the first two courses.

Sandwiches are ideal. Made with fluffy, but not too tall, focaccia bread, they’re embellished with thinly sliced red onion, tomato and greens. A special grilled steak version features thin slices of rosy rare beef, and the chicken breast sandwich is moist. Both come with a gutsy potato salad in a piquant whole-grain mustard dressing. There’s a saucy quesadilla stuffed with chicken and cheese that’s paired with a bright avocado salsa, and a terrific grilled shrimp salad with a pale green pesto that looks innocent enough but packs a pugnacious punch.

The food comes out in a snappy fashion, though occasionally the service can be leisurely. JiRaffe has valet parking at lunch, so it’s easy in, easy out.

Desserts are another bright spot. Pastry chef Artemio Sanchez slathers creme brulee on pastry crust. Speckled dark and blond, it’s eccentric but satisfying, if somewhat too sweet. Caramelized banana tart wouldn’t faze a sweet tooth, but the rest of us might find it cloying. The best dessert is still the warm chocolate truffle cake. As if that’s not enough, Sanchez gilds the lily with good vanilla ice cream and a chocolate sauce. The whole is crowned with a dark chocolate cookie in the shape of the Eiffel Tower.

The menu logo is a giraffe morphing over four or five clever drawings into the Eiffel Tower. When Lunetta reins in his natural exuberance and pares dishes down to fewer ingredients, he can turn out California cuisine that expresses Southern California to a T. It’s been fun to watch JiRaffe grow up. Not that it’s exactly sedate, just more mature. The chandeliers Lunetta added to perk up the decor aren’t what did it--it’s the confident cooking.

JiRaffe

502 Santa Monica Blvd.,

Santa Monica,

(310) 917-6671

cuisine: California

rating: ** 1/2

*

AMBIENCE: Two-story corner bistro with a mezzanine. Decorated with giraffe art and glittery chandeliers. SERVICE: Competent and friendly. BEST DISHES: Roasted pear salad, herb gnocchi with rock shrimp, wild mushroom salad, pan-roasted dorade, pancetta-wrapped bass, grilled pork chop, warm chocolate truffle cake. Dinner appetizers, $8 to $14. Main courses, $19 to $26. Corkage, $10. WINE PICKS: 1999 Chalone Chenin Blanc “Chalone Vineyard,” Monterey; 1998 Chateau du Cedre Cahors, Southern France.

FACTS: Lunch Tuesday to Friday. Dinner nightly. Valet parking.

Rating is based on food, service and ambience, with price taken into account in relation to quality. ****: Outstanding on every level. ***: Excellent. **: Very good. *: Good. No star: Poor to satisfactory.