Free Southern California Cooking from the Cottage by Jane Stern Page B

small restaurant now called the Cottage began. Known as the Columbine Cottage (many of La Jolla’s first homes were given names), its exact beginnings are unclear, but it is believed to have been built on Prospect Street and moved to its current location on Fay in 1914. It was common in the early days for houses to be moved to new lots, so much so that one bit of local folklore tells about four ladies playing bridge inside the Parker House while it was being moved, going to the window periodically and waving to those they passed! The first residents of the Columbine on Fay were the Howard Family, who took possession when their old house was moved around to Kline Street. The Howards were prominent early residents of La Jolla; he was a general practitioner and the town’s second doctor; she was President of the La Jolla Woman’s Club and the force behind ornamental plantings along the coastline. The Cottage remained the Howard family home into the 1940s, and a private residence through the 1950s. “Every now and then, one of the kids who lived here will return,” John Wolfe says. “He will walk around the restaurant and tell me, ‘This is where the kitchen was . . . and here was my bedroom.’”

    For several years after it was a private home, the Columbine Cottage housed the Village Pet Shop, which was known for a talking parrot who greeted customers from his perch on the patio. John and Laura Wolfe are not entirely thrilled with those old-timers who come to the restaurant and remind them that this is where they used to buy their dog food. “I tell them we got rid of the bird seed last week,” Laura jokes.
    The pet shop was succeeded by an Austrian pastry shop, and in the 1980s it became a breakfast-and-lunch café known as the Cottage. It was then that the ceilings were raised and windows and skylights added. While there can be no question that in many ways the Columbine has changed dramatically from the way it was one hundred years ago, it remains true in spirit to its original bungalow ideals: cozy and comfortable, simple yet stylish.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CLUB
    T he avocado in this recipe really makes it a Southern California sandwich. When selecting your avocados, try to get the Hass avocados. They are the best for flavor and texture.
    8 slices bacon
    Â½ cup mayonnaise
    12 slices whole wheat bread, toasted
    12 slices smoked turkey
    4 slices Cheddar cheese
    1 ripe avocado, sliced
    2 large tomatoes, sliced
    4 lettuce leaves
    In a medium sauté pan cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on a paper towel. Spread the mayonnaise on one side of each slice of bread. To assemble each sandwich, layer 3 slices of turkey on each of 4 slices of bread. Add a slice of Cheddar cheese and top with another slice of bread. On top of that, lay the bacon, avocado, tomato, and lettuce in that order. Top with 1 more slice of bread. Cut into triangles. Serve with potato salad, coleslaw, or pasta salad.
    MAKES 4 SERVINGS

FIRE-GRILLED SWORDFISH CLUB
    W e only recently added fire-grilled swordfish to the menu, discovering that customers especially like it in the summer. It is an easy recipe for the grill.
    4 (6-ounce) swordfish fillets
    Olive oil
    1 tablespoon lemon pepper
    12 slices bacon
    Â½ cup Homemade Tartar Sauce (page 125)
    8 thick slices sourdough bread, toasted
    4 lettuce leaves
    2 large tomatoes, sliced
    Heat the grill or griddle to high. Brush the swordfish heavily with olive oil to prevent sticking. Sprinkle both sides of the swordfish with the lemon pepper. Grill the swordfish until done, 4 to 12 minutes depending on size, turning once. Be careful not to overcook. Set aside and keep warm.
    In a medium sauté pan cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside on paper towel to drain. Spread 1 tablespoon tartar sauce on each slice of bread. Top 4 slices of the bread with the lettuce, tomato slices, swordfish, and bacon. Top with the remaining slices of bread. Slice on the diagonal. Serve with