When selecting an evocative name for a business, most restaurateurs are inclined to go for something that hints at rural and pastoral. Call a place “The Farm,” “Ed’s Orchard,” or “Sally’s Seafood Dock” and you evoke images we associate with pure and wholesome environments.
The owners of a restaurant in Carson apparently have a different philosophy, because they named their restaurant The Refinery. Maybe it’s just me, but when I see those extravagantly piped towers spouting flaming gas, I don’t get hungry. Nevertheless, when I learned of the restaurant’s existence, I had to go there just to see what they serve.
Some of you reading this are probably wondering if this column is a hoax, because you have never heard of this place. I hadn’t either; I ran across it while looking for something else. It is inside the Doubletree Hotel by the Carson Civic Center. It has no exterior signage, as well as no Facebook presence or Yelp reviews. For a place that has been in business for more than two years, that’s a remarkable level of invisibility.
The restaurant is off the lobby next to a lively bar. It has the nice but anonymous look you expect from hotel restaurants. The menu is surprisingly eclectic, offering what is accurately described as “California Asian Latin Fusion.” You can get Korean style or traditional buffalo wings, housemade guacamole, street tacos, or honey ancho chili glazed salmon, all pretty ambitious given the location.
After considerable deliberation my wife and I decided to start with a cup of clam chowder and a boursin quesadilla; the quesadilla paired French cheese and mozzarella with sautéed mushrooms, caramelized sweet onions and tropical salsa. We asked for a dollop of the guacamole on the side because we wanted to try it. Our server, Norma, obliged at no extra charge.
Our expectations were modest, but both starters greatly exceeded them. The chowder had been described as award-winning. When I questioned this I was told that it did indeed win a local chowder cook-off. It probably deserved to, because the lightly herbed rich broth had a silky rather than floury texture, decent amount of clams and enough potato to add interest without making you think it was there for filler. I like mine a little more peppery, but that can always be added and I’d have this again.
The description of the quesadilla told me it wasn’t going to be traditional, but as it turned out, it was very good. The flavors were fresh, the spinach lightly cooked so it still had an appealing texture. The guacamole was average, but it made a nice dip when a little variety was desired.
For mains we selected a plate of granola and chili crusted ahi tuna and an impressively thick pork chop that had been marinated with hoisin sauce and put over a medium-hot Chinese mustard sauce. The chop was served with mild garlic mashed potatoes and ginger braised red cabbage, and it made a pretty plate as well as a balanced meal. The chop itself was well cooked with a combination of smoky, sweet and spicy flavors. I should note that this entrée ran $21, a modest price for a lot of good food.
The tuna didn’t quite hit the same mark, but it was close. Crusting the fish with sweet granola before searing was a clever idea, but they were a bit timid with the chili so the balance was slightly off. It was a good piece of fish. It was served over a mix of sautéed arugula and spinach along with rice and what was described as a tropical fruit chutney but was really a mango and fruit salsa. The sweetness of the granola and the salsa weren’t exactly the right pairing, I can’t say why. I might have preferred this with the chutney that was actually described on the menu.
With our meal we had glasses of wine from the serviceable list. You won’t find any obscure vintages here, but you’d hardly expect to. They offer decent mass market brands at very fair prices and that suits the place.
A few desserts were offered, but none struck our fancy and we were full anyway. Dinner for two with starters and three glasses of wine ran $96, of which $60 was food, a remarkable deal for a pleasant experience. I still won’t salivate when passing that refinery I can see from the freeway, but would willingly come back to this one for another bite to eat.
The Refinery is inside the Doubletree Hotel at 2 Civic Plaza Drive in Carson. It is open at 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Mondays through Sundays. There is a parking lot, wheelchair access, full and bar. Corkage is $14.
Details: (310) 830-9200; https://tinyurl.com/ydgcoo95