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Where fine dining is really fine

Sommelier Greg Frech gets the details right before dinner service at The WineSellar & Brasserie in Sorrento Mesa.
(Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)
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Nothing symbolizes fine dining like a white tablecloth.

More than just a crisp fabric, the white tablecloth is a restaurant’s unstated contract with its clientele, a promise of elevated dishes, world-class wine lists and superior service.

In this era of salvaged-wood, communal-table, shared-plates casual eateries, the white tablecloth is this first thing to be jettisoned. Too stuffy, too snobby, too old, the thinking goes.

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Let it be said, we crave our housemade sausage boards as much as the next hipster and celebrate this era of democratized dining. There’s enough room for everyone at the table.

Pascal Lorange’s new all-white restaurant Crudo, in Carmel Valley, reflects this modern reality. Crudo offers bar-height tables, a communal table, a casual lounge, patio seating and a section in the middle of the dining room with white tablecloth four-tops.

Lorange told U-T dining reporter Pam Kragen that he wanted to accommodate diners’ different preferences but not completely do away with tablecloths, for those still looking for that fine-dining feel.

And that feel is more than tactile — it’s all the intangibles that come with it. Pampering, but not preening, deferential, not obsequious treatment, a knowledgeable, confident service staff that anticipates what you want even before you know it yourself.

That’s why we will always embrace the white tablecloth restaurant, where going out to dinner is a conscious act, something to anticipate and savor.

When done right, you can strike gastronomic gold by going white. Here are five place that do it right.

The Ultimate: Addison

Put aside, if you can, the superlative cuisine and mind-boggingly deep wine collection — it’s the Addison experience that wraps you like a cashmere cocoon that you never want to take off.

From the moment the valet greets you by name, to the purse stools, (untouched!) napkins gently placed onto your lap with a tweezer to the parting goodie bag treat, your time at Addison feels more like a spa retreat than dinner.

At the Grand Del Mar, 5200 Grand Del Mar Way, Carmel Valley. (858) 314-1900 or addisondelmar.com

Does food taste better on a white tablecloth? The Hamachi Tataki with Meyer lemon puree, parsley, radish and Togarashi at The WineSellar & Brasserie.
Does food taste better on a white tablecloth? The Hamachi Tataki with Meyer lemon puree, parsley, radish and Togarashi at The WineSellar & Brasserie.
(Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune )

The Grown-Up: WineSellar & Brasserie

For more than a quarter of century, Gary and Lori Parker have been catering to San Diegans with sophisticated food and wine palates. The WineSellar & Brasserie is understated luxe, appealing more to demanding, globe-trotting oenophiles than those interested just in the trappings.

After all these years, the couple’s commitment to fine dining couldn’t be firmer. In fact, the Parkers just doubled down on it by hiring chef Luke Johnson, whose impressive pedigree includes cooking under Josiah Citrin and Grant Achatz at the fine-dining meccas of Mélisse (Santa Monica) and Alinea (Chicago), respectively.

9550 Waples Street, Suite 115, Sorrento Mesa. (858) 450-9557 or winesellar.com

The City Sophisticate: Grant Grill

San Diego’s beachy vibe washes away as soon as you step into the Grant Grill. The contemporary, urban-chic dining room draws you into a supper club mindset, where the cocktails are as pretty as the stilettos click-clacking on the dark wood floors and the enveloping booths are occupied by couples you imagine to be on a rendezvous.

Executive chef Mark Kropczynski and beverage director Jeff Josenhans effortlessly send out glamorous creations not just worthy of the setting, but elevate it.

At the U.S. Grant Hotel, 326 Broadway, downtown San Diego. (619) 744-2077 or grantgrill.com

The Icon: Mr. A’s

When a restaurant is the setting for some of the most important moment in people’s lives, you can bet the staff excels at service and the details are just so.

Prom, engagements, anniversaries, monumental birthdays, they’re all celebrated at Mr. A’s, with its stunning views and consistently cosmopolitan gourmet fare from chef Stephane Voitzwinkler. The always charming owner, Bertrand Hug, is a one-man, French accented poster boy for the delights of fine dining.

2550 Fifth Ave., Bankers Hill. (619) 239-1377 or asrestaurant.com

The Instant Classic: Ponsaty’s

Master French chef Patrick Ponsaty’s epynomous spot in Rancho Santa Fe made a marvelous debut recently and is the only restaurant on this list without white tablecloths. Ponsaty’s are black.

The interior of the sexy dining room is bathed by soft, twinkly light from the bespoke chandeliers; an imposing wood frieze wall, brought in from New Orleans, lends an enchanting air. The impeccable cuisine is plated like art, the service sharp.

Ponsaty’s is a wonderful addition to San Diego’s thriving fine dining scene.

6106 Paseo Delicias, Rancho Santa Fe. (858) 771-1871 or ponsatys.com

Twitter: @sdeditgirl

michele.parente@sduniontribune.com

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