845 Main Street in Half Moon Bay, CA
650-726-4090
Located in the heart of quaint downtown Half Moon Bay, Cetrella captures the spirit of this storied Peninsula community. Occupying what was once the headquarters for the Half Moon Bay Growers Association, the ties to local farmers and fishermen remain strong and the building’s heritage as a community gathering place lives on with Cetrella.
Since opening, Cetrella has received critical acclaim for its cuisine and was also awarded Restaurant of the Year in 2005 by Santé magazine. Joining n September of 2008, Executive Chef Blair Warsham brings more than 10 years of experience to Cetrella and previously held positions at several well-known Bay Area restaurants. “In Half Moon Bay we are lucky to have access to many local farms which I like to recognize on Cetrella’s menu,” Warsham says, adding, “I let the ingredients from these farms speak for themselves.”
The Cetrella kitchen creates virtually everything in-house, from producing its own charcuterie, smoking its own fish, baking its own bread and making pasta to creating its own ice creams and sorbets.
The wine list at Cetrella has received the prestigious “Award of Excellence” from Wine Spectator each year since 2004 and the restaurant has been recognized by the local community in the Half Moon Bay Review as having the city’s best bar/club, cocktail & wine selections in a reader’s poll. The list, containing more than 400 global selections, complements Chef Warsham’s Mediterranean-inspired cuisine.
Sample Menu
Appetizers
Wild Arugula & Calif Bosc Pear Salad
Cypress Grove fresh goat cheese, toasted walnuts, wild flower honey vinaigrette
Butternut Squash n’ Pumpkin Soup
Smoked paprika, spiced pumpkin seeds rosemary
Hawaiian Hamachi Tartare
Mediterranean cucumber, Baia Nicchia Farms cherry tomato vinaigrette
Main Courses
Wood Oven Fired Fall Vegetables
Heirloom Kabocha, butternut and patty pan squash, couscous, cardamom-scented yogurt, spiced pumpkin seeds, house-made flatbread, Romano beans
Devils Gulch Rabbit
Confit of leg and roasted tenderloin with orange-scented wild rice, Bloomsdale spinach & natural jus
Seared Cypress Island Salmon
Lobster saffron broth, shaved fennel, manilla clams, sauce rouille
Desserts
Warm Scharffenberger Chocolate Cake
Hot chocolate ice cream, bitter-sweet toffee
Orange Creamside Crème Brulée
Served with Valencia orange shortbread
Upside Down Pumpkin Cake
Cranberry, caramel and walnut topping with brown butter ice cream
Peach Tarte Tatin
Vanilla ice cream, fresh blackberries
Featured Recipe
Moroccan Spiced Lamb Chops
Ingredients for Moroccan Spice:
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tsp cumin seed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
¼ cup mint, chopped
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbl honey
2 tbl fresh lemon juice
2 tbl red wine vinegar
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
Procedure:
Toast and mill cumin and coriander, blend all other ingredients and set aside. Go to your nearest specialty foods market and ask for Domestic Lamb Racks (4 bones per person.) Season lamb rack with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, then grill fat side down for approx. 6-8 min. for medium rare. Once desire temperature and doneness are reached, brush liberally with Moroccan Spice. Let rest for 5 min. If you do not have a grill, sear lamb rack over medium-high heat and finish in a 500° oven for approx. 3-5 min.
For Presentation:
Slice and serve over favorite accompaniments such as cous-cous, eggplant puree or ratatouille.
Recommended Wine: 2000 Joseph Phelps Insignia (vintage subject to availability)
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