Mediterranean seafood, South American wine and a tea tree from Balboa Park – an international experience awaits diners at Pala’s new Cave restaurant!

Where in San Diego County can one find salmon and shrimp from the Mediterranean Sea, Quail Eggs, Truffles, Kimchi, and one-pound Australian Lobster – all on the same menu? The new Cave restaurant at Pala Casino Spa & Resort!

Luciano Cibelli, executive chef, is Italian by birth. Growing up in Milan, he began to cook at a young age, with a collection of family recipes to keep him busy. He then moved to other areas in Europe, perfecting his skills while working as a chef. Pala welcomed him in 2002, and he opened and ran Mama’s Cucina Italiana. This year Mama’s was replaced by the Cave restaurant, lounge and underground wine cave. (The wine cave houses 487 labels including wine from Italy, France, Spain, New Zealand, South America and California.)

"We took Mama’s to the next level," he said. "Now it is not only Italian food, but Mediterranean, with less pasta and more protein – fish, shellfish, meat, and poultry."

When the Cave was built, the pasta machine was moved to the back, but it is still in use daily with five types of pasta produced. The former pasta room is now a private dining room.

The Cave’s menu is written in a style similar to a shopping list. Chef Luciano wrote it in such a manner – listing ingredients – so that there would be no ingredient surprises when the food was served.

Inventive and extensive are perfect words to describe the menu, which starts with Small Bites such as "Chicken Liver Cognac Pté," then moves to Bites, with dishes such as "Beef Tartare with Quail Eggs and Multigrain Toast." In the Charcuterie column, guests will find delicacies such as "Prosciutto San Daniele with Duck Salami." Other menu sections include Pasta, Sides, Flat Bread, Salad, Appetizers, and Large Bites.

In the Large Bites section, diners will discover many fine entrées including a marvelous "Garden Patch" dish that includes barley, quinoa, spelt, wild rice, and beet puree.

Guests will always find fresh ingredients on their plates. "I firmly believe that to make good food you have to start with the best ingredients," Chef Luciano explained. "You then have to use your skills to respect those ingredients and make sure you bring the best flavor out of that ingredient."

His experience and background – traveling the world for 24 years and observing a wide variety of culinary cultures – has honed his skills to a fine edge.

"You fuse all of these experiences together and the creativity comes. Sometimes I just look at ingredients and I already know how it is going to taste," he noted.

"I am very proud of the food I offer to my guests. They are my friends – some have been coming here for 14 years," he explained. "You have to be careful because when you serve the food, then the guests tell their friends about it and you want the friends to have the same experience as they have had. Consistency is the key to our success."

Chef Luciano is very proud to serve his guests Mediterranean

Shrimp. He became familiar with the crustaceans growing up in Italy, but they are also found off the coast of Spain. It is the Spanish shrimp that are served occasionally at the Cave. He mentioned that the fish/crustaceans that live in the Mediterranean have more flavor due to the high salt content of the water, which is higher than the oceans. However, this does not make the fish/crustaceans taste saltier – just more flavorful.

Each week he orders something different from the Mediterranean Sea – razor clams, octopus, red mullet, or the impressive red shrimp.

It only takes 20 hours from the time the shrimp are caught off the coast of Spain to the time they are delivered to the Cave! The fisherman catch the shrimp, and they are flash frozen aboard the boat. Then, while the boat is still at sea, the shrimp are loaded onto a helicopter. The precious cargo is then flown straight to the airport where it is placed on a jet bound for LAX. The shrimp is then trucked to Pala.

"I place my order on Wednesday and by Thursday night I get it," Chef Luciano explained. "In the past this would have been available only to the elite, but now it is available to anyone."

The shrimp that I sampled was swimming in the Mediterranean Sea about 20 hours before it was on my plate. In fact, the delivery man and I entered the restaurant at the same time.

Shrimp preparation is simple – on the grill with olive oil and fresh herbs. It had a remarkably clean flavor, with no fish taste at all. I expected it to taste like either shrimp or lobster, but it had its own flavor. It was like I had just discovered a new kind of seafood – and it was delicious.

Chef Luciano recommended "Illumination Sauvignon Blanc" from Quintessa in the Napa Valley as a wine pairing. The tropical fruit aromas were a perfect complement to the shrimp.

The Cave’s commitment to excellence is not limited to seafood, but extends to all of their food. The restaurant uses local fertilizer-free and pesticide-free farm-raised vegetables, which vary with the seasons. Also, nothing served at the Cave is raised in an artificial green-house environment.

The establishment’s decor is punctuated by an astounding piece of art that had a 100-year-old life as a tea tree in Balboa Park. The tree was cut down when it died, and Chef Luciano discovered it gathering dust on the floor of an artist’s studio. (The artisan had used some of the wood to make plates for the Cave.)

Chef Luciano saw its potential and was moved. "What would it look like if it were sanded and vertical on the wall? He asked the artisan, who then spoke with his wife, a designer. The result of that three person exchange are the wall hangings in the Cave.

It was a dead tree – on the floor – that nobody cared about. They were going to throw it away. Chef Luciano Cibelli rescued it. Now, when guests are savoring their superb Mediterranean food and fine wines, can also enjoy the artful curves of this 100-year-old tea tree.

The Cave restaurant is located in Pala Casino Spa & Resort, 11154 Highway 76 in Pala. Phone (877) WIN-PALA (946-7252). Hours are Sunday through Thursday 5 to 10 p.m .; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m. Learn more at www.palacasino.com.