Had I arrived to El Bizcocho wearing anything less prim than a sport coat and dress slacks, I would have ducked under the baby grand piano in the foyer and asked one of the tuxedo-clad waiters to order me a fashion ambulance. While other fine-dining restaurants in the region create unconvincing façades of tense formality, the award-winning El Bizcocho adheres to a genuine level of high decorum that’s true to the core and doesn’t waver. In other words, save the Dockers and deck shoes for a crawl through the Gaslamp Quarter.

Situated in the fiercely charming Rancho Bernardo Inn, the restaurant presents a formidable challenge to others who try copying its plushy ambience, ingenious cuisine and tome-like wine list. Service is also impeccably above average, with a guest-to-staff ratio of 20 to 5. It’s the kind of place where you’ll want to come for those very special occasions that demand gastronomical excellence and dignified comfort.

A revised menu injects California buoyancy into a repertoire of dishes previously steeped in heavy French tradition. But thanks to Chef Gavin Kaysen, a resourceful vindicator of seasonal fare, the road to lighter contemporary meals seems conquered with the use of local produce, fresh fish and weightless sauces.

Skipping over Kaysen’s well-devised summer tasting menu, my dining companion and I took a freewheeling approach to our meal, starting with a first course of Dungeness crab molded beautifully with daikon radishes and micro greens. The flavors allied perfectly to the intricate plate presentation, which included a moss-colored puddle of English cucumber en gelee with sprigs of fresh dill embedded into it.

If the crab didn’t leave me lost for words, the Jerusalem Artichoke Soup took the prize for completely shutting me up. Unless I beat young Chef Kaysen over the head for the recipe, it could take months before I forget this creamy and wonderful puree, accented with apple-smoked bacon, black truffle oil and sautéed morel mushrooms.

The chef’s keen ability to marry flavors with multiple ingredients remained evident throughout our main courses as well. The roasted La Belle Farm Duck Breast, with caramelized white peaches and wilted watercress, matched in elegance the pearls around my companion’s neck. I chose a mainstay entrée that our veteran waiter said has been on the menu at least 17 years – Seared Veal Medallions bathed in a morel mushroom sauce and accompanied by a crafty bundle of tender baby carrots and asparagus.

Both dishes with their succulent meat and stupendous flavors reflect a brand of haute cuisine that may be lost to California’s merry-go-round of Asian-fusion fare. Let’s not forget what a dab of cream and rich stocks can do for farm-fresh victuals when they’re applied this judiciously, in a French manner that pays respect to the proclivities of southern California gourmands.

Well, at least until dessert is served. My companion vouched for the restaurant’s soufflé of the day, inscribed with Amaretto and loaded with a zillion worthwhile calories despite its deceiving wispy texture. I chose a semi-flourless chocolate cake moistened ardently with a fine chocolate sauce and cinnamon ice cream.

Sheer bliss extends to the restaurant’s wine list as well, a 65-page treatise brimming with Bordeaux, Pinot Noir, Riesling, port and scores of exclusive labels that will keep oenophiles glued to their stemware.

Additionally, for appetites that shift with the season, Kaysen’s new four-course tasting menu sheds most of the cream that is used sparingly in his regular dishes and replaces it with vinaigrette, sage broth and mustard jus. The summery lineup includes Day Boat Scallop Tartar, Seared Spotted Skate Wing, Milk-Fed Veal Medallions and Lavender Scented Panna Cotta. The cost is $55 per person, or $85 with paired wines.