Upgraded Rancho Santa Fe Bistro offers a variety of new menu options, wine selections

By Karen Billing

The Pantry in the RSF village is now Rancho Santa Fe Bistro. Not only has the name changed, but there are have been several tweaks for the village eatery — it is open for breakfast on the weekdays and brunch on the weekends, there’s a full slate of healthful smoothies and juices on the expanded menu, and a happy hour and high tea to cap off busy weekdays.

Mozy Jahanguiri purchased the restaurant in January and went to work, renovating and deep cleaning the inside, and installing a new, glossy wood wine cellar to house over 2,000 bottles of French and American wines. He also installed new restrooms.

He gave the restaurant the look of a “warm,” French bistro with antique touches. He is currently working with the Art Jury on revamping the patio area.

Jahanguiri is hoping that his restaurant will be a place people feel very comfortable coming to and he hopes to forge friendships with regulars.

“I think we’re going to be a great neighborhood restaurant, you don’t have to be fancy,” Jahanguiri said.

Jahanguiri has run restaurants in Chicago, Minneapolis and Dallas. Photographs and awards from his past successes are framed on the wall behind the front counter, where an impressive new cappuccino machine sits.

After his initial foray into the restaurant business, Jahanguiri went back to school to get his MBA and became an advisor to Southern Methodist University.

He decided to get back into restaurants when he relocated to California from Texas to be closer to his 24-year-old son who served two tours in Afghanistan as a special forces Marine and is now attending Palomar College.

In the mornings, breakfast will be served at RSF Bistro from 7:30-10 a.m. on the weekdays, and brunch will be offered Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Breakfast options include all organic eggs and fresh local vegetables. Try some fresh fruit in their homemade organic yogurt or oatmeal.

“People in this area like to eat healthy so we’re serving all healthy, fresh food,” Jahanguiri said.

The smoothies and juices are an interesting new touch for the restaurant. The Alicia Chocolate PETA Supreme has veggie protein powder, bananas, strawberries, flax, spinach and chocolate hemp seed milk. Another packed smoothie, the Kam Sifu, comes with veggie protein powder, kale, strawberries, goat’s milk yogurt, dates, almond milk, cinnamon and flax.

A juice humorously named “Chuck Norris Beat the Blues” is a mixture of beet, celery, carrot, kale and garlic.

The Bistro will also be the spot for high tea and happy hour, weekdays from 3-6 p.m. Appetizers such as baked brie and grapes, and desserts like key lime tart or pastries can be paired with a pot of tea for $8, a $4 beer or a $5 glass of house wine.

“(The happy hour) will be good for people who work here or for people to meet over high tea,” Jahanguiri said,

With the lunch and dinner menus, Jahanguiri has aimed to beef them up with more entrée options. Now in addition to sandwiches and salads for midday munching, there are entrees such as beef short ribs, grilled salmon, blackened tilapia and shrimp scampi.

“The chicken avocado wrap has been very popular, as has the Cobb Salad,” Jahanguiri said.

Jahanguiri said people told him they veered away from the restaurant for dinner in the past because there weren’t enough options. He’s tried to change that by serving up entrees such as chicken piccata, pork chops, duck breast, grilled salmon, veal loin, filet mignon and aged prime New York steak.

Additionally, making use of that new wine cellar, there are over 70 wines on the menu at a variety of price points.

Rancho Santa Fe Bistro is located at 6024 Paseo Delicias, #C, RSF, 92067; (858) 756-1221.