Sunday brunch offers the combined charm of a special meal, relaxed dining -- and the prospect of not having to cook again for the rest of the day. The Secret Garden on Moorpark's quaint High Street easily fills those requirements.
The food is prepared by chef-owner Michael Bardavid, who with wife Laurea took over the restaurant several years ago. Bardavid's culinary experiences began in Lyon, France, and were honed at high-profile dining spots like Checkers, Ma Maison, Hotel Bel Air and Lake Sherwood Country Club before he became his own boss in Moorpark. The Bardavids took over from previous owners who had renovated the house-turned-restaurant and established its formal ambience.
The dining room still looks as though it were clipped from a Masterpiece Theatre series brochure, with its beautifully crafted 100-year-old tables from England, their handsomely carved legs impressive in any age. Multiple chandeliers hang from the decorative ceiling, and each table is fitted with a different style of polished wooden chair, each cushioned in matching pastel fabric. A free-standing silver candelabra with "snow" dusting its base adds a touch of whimsy.
Dinner service at The Secret Garden is often quite formal, and always knowledgeable. At brunch we found things more casual, with our servers' amiability making up for any lack of expertise. They were admirably prompt in refilling glasses and coffee cups, and meticulous in discreetly removing dishes at the proper moment.
The Sunday brunch is a three-course, fixed-price ($21.95) menu that rarely changes, Bardavid said, unlike the dinner menu that frequently does. Included is a choice of a glass of orange juice, Champagne or a mimosa.
We began with a Maryland crab cake and a baby mixed-green salad, both good choices. The petite crab cake was perched on a spicy slaw, with all enhanced by a light, silky sauce. The combination of the mixed greens with Gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts and sliced tomatoes had good texture and taste, but what made it all sing was the lemon vinaigrette that brought the accents into blissful harmony.
There are three outright breakfast entrees (eggs Benedict, egg-white frittata omelet and buttermilk pancakes with fresh raspberries and Grand Marnier maple syrup sauce) but we finally decided on more multi-use fare: grilled salmon with scrambled eggs, asparagus and caviar, and free-range chicken breast stuffed with asparagus and feta cheese.
I was particularly impressed with the fact that each element of each dish was prepared to just the right turn. The salmon was moist and tender but still had an exterior crisp from the grilling. The eggs were cooked to soft perfection, the thin stalks of asparagus maintained their crunch. A dollop of caviar added a salty overlay of flavor, and the chardonnay chive sauce was a wonder of smoothness.
The chicken, too, was served at its prime, tender, juicy and light of texture; maybe there is something to pampering on the free range. It arrived with an elegant balsamic sauce, "rosti" potatoes that resembled hash browns with a darker crust, and, to enliven the plate, bright orange baby carrots. It looked like a lot of food, but surprisingly it disappeared quite quickly.
Desserts were delicious. Feathery berry-stuffed crepes with whipped cream and caramel sauce were so light they probably needed the berries to hold them down on the plate. Floating island -- a puff of meringue over liquid custard -- completed the luxurious brunch.
Enjoying brunch in the garden is usually an option, but the day we visited the garden already was occupied by a shower and a birthday party.
We took a peek and saw tables under a large green awning that rolls down from the roof. The shower guests had good taste: They were eating the chicken.
E-mail Rita Moran at ritamoran@earthlink.net.
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