Cuisine:

• Californian
• Contemporary

Meritage at the Claremont Description:
Changes made in 2009 to the main dining room at the historic Claremont Hotel Club & Spa signal a changing of the guard at once literal and metaphorical. Executive chef Josh Thomsen (Nobhill Tavern) brings an entirely modern menu and dining concept to the hotel, and an extensive renovation has breathed new life into the famous spot. Funky wallpaper evokes the kind of vintage-meets-modern design best seen in Palm Springs. The most radical changes, however, are found on the far from old-fashioned menu, divided into two pages: a white wine page and a red wine page. Patrons read the menu horizontally for suggested couplings of entrées and wines. Thomsen has also done away with appetizers, instead offering every item on the menu as a small or large plate. Most dishes are solid, such as the crab cakes and short ribs, the latter melting off the bone. A flatbread topped with salmon, however, fails to taste like anything more than just that. We also recommend the seared scallops in a truffled nage. The wine list focuses on California winemakers and offers many options by the glass in full or half pours. Though the TCHO Chocolate Tasting is the most eye-catching dessert, it's the Medjool date cake, a small pyramid of spongy, moist cake served with eggnog gelato, that steals the show.


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