Miró

Where: Bacara Resort & Spa, 8301 Hollister Avenue, (877) 422-4245, bacararesort.com

What: One of the finest dining establishments in the city, featuring Catalan fare with a modern twist on classic techniques.

How Much: Four-course prix fixe menu, $59 per person and up.

The dish: Miró is Bacara Resort & Spa’s fine dining establishment featuring new Basque-Catalonian cuisine. Named after Spanish artist Joan Miró, whose vibrant squiggles and colors decorated canvases in a Surrealist manner, the restaurant houses two of the artist’s original sculptures. Geometric shapes structure the restaurant’s contemporary interior decor in a similarly stylistic manner to Miró. The spacious restaurant boasts views of the Pacific Ocean as well as a luxurious outdoor patio for dining al fresco in the warmer months. An impressive wine list houses upward of 12,000 bottles of wine, spanning 13 countries and 75 international appellations. The wine staff’s knowledge of the list and the way that it fits the food on the menu is delightful, and staff members are always eager to recommend pairings for dishes from more well-known local selections to obscure varietals from pockets of Spain or France. A seared sea scallop appetizer is refreshing at the same time as it is mouth-fillingly plump. Sweet potato and mascarpone agnolotti with mushrooms and crispy Serrano ham is an entrée highlight for both originality and taste; plus Chef David Garwacki sources the majority of his herbs and produce from the resort’s nearby 1,000-acre ranch. Rich beignets for dessert are a decadent treat, crafted to confectionary perfection.