So, it has been awhile since my last post, and it figures that the most exciting thing in my life, the most interesting thing worth writing about these days -- is food. Maybe I should rename this blog "All Eats Considered," as this seems to be a recurring theme.
Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting San Fransisco and Napa Valley. The city was great, but Napa was truly incredible. My brother, his wife and son, my mother and I traveled to Chateau Montelena, Sterling Vineyards and Cakebread Cellars. All were out of this world, but Montelena was really special. The tasting room was sort of hushed and formal, but the staff was friendly, and Tommy poured several good wines in addition to one 1997 Reserve Cabernet that knocked our socks off. Corey (my nephew) got a kick out of the air tram ride at Sterling, and Nate and I broke away from the group for a few minutes to sample some of the premium wine in the reserve room. The Reserve Chardonnay was incredible. We wound down with some very high quality wines at Cakebread, and headed down to Yountville for dinner.
For those who know me well, you know that Yountville is a sort of Mecca for me, as it is home to the French Laundry. It is next to impossible for a normal person (like moi) to get a reservation at the French Laundry, but anyone can walk around it a few (dozen) times to breathe in the atmosphere, free of charge. Right down the street is a little French bistro called Bouchon, which is owned by Thomas Keller, who also owns the French Laundry. I'm convinced that Bouchon is a place for people like me who weren't able to get the highly-coveted FL reservation, but still want to experience Keller's genius. Not surprisingly, dinner at Bouchon was awesome.
The big whopper of the trip, culinarily speaking, was not at Bouchon, but at Manresa in Los Gatos. Holy smokes. My new friend Ya-Roo invited me to take part in a 5 hour, 20 course experience. The only way I can describe this meal is to list the dishes that were presented to us and my basic thoughts on each:
- Radis au beurre (fresh baby radishes, which we rolled in whipped butter and gray sea salt. Tasted like spicy California dirt. Magnificent.)
- Gougeres (fantastic warm little cheese puffs)
- Cioppino jelly (crab, scallops and mussels in light saffron jelly, served in a half shell -- very fresh)
- Corn Croquettes (quite possibly the most delicious/sensuous thing I have ever eaten. These little guys just explode into creamy goodness when you bite into them. I think Chef Kinch must make a corn/cream gelatin which melts when the croquettes are fried so that the warm liquid oozes in your mouth. Amazing.)
- Strawberry with hibiscus and lime (pretty self explanatory -- very good)
- The Egg (Chef Kinch's signature dish -- a strange yet intoxicating combination of barely-cooked egg yolk, whipped egg whites and savory cream, sherry vinegar, chives and maple syrup. This is right up there with the croquettes. Maybe even better, because of its complexity.)
- Broccoli and foie gras royale (who knew that broccoli and foie gras were a perfect combination?)
- Sardines with tomatoes (my least favorite bit of the bunch -- the sardines were too fishy for my taste, but the flavor was balanced nicely by the tomatoes, which were slightly spicy)
- Japanese fluke with olive oil and chives (this was heavenly -- barely visible on the plate, the fluke was sliced so thin and the flavor was heightened by smoky white soy sauce)
- Strawberry gazpacho (again, fairly self explanatory, yet excellent)
- Rouget with couscous (wonderful white fish which I had not tasted previously, with perfectly prepared couscous)
- Abalone with pig's feet (one of the richest dishes on the menu -- delicious, but fortunately small)
- Sweetbreads, braised gem lettuce, corn pudding (for someone who isn't a huge fan of sweetbreads, this was pretty darned good)
- Roast pigeon, raspberries crushed with almond oil (mmm)
- Prime beef roasted in its own fat, garden peas (seared on the outside, barely cooked on the inside - delicious)
- Melon sorbets with yogurt (honestly, I don't even remember this one, but it was surely good)
- Summer fruit crisp, corn ice cream (the corn ice cream was the showstopper of this dish)
- Strawberry soufflé, lemon custard (don't remember this one either)
- Chocolate marquis, condensed milk ice cream (easily a great substitution for getting laid)
Now you can see why this was without a doubt the most incredible dining experience of my life. Thank you, Chef Kinch, and your staff at Manresa.
Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting San Fransisco and Napa Valley. The city was great, but Napa was truly incredible. My brother, his wife and son, my mother and I traveled to Chateau Montelena, Sterling Vineyards and Cakebread Cellars. All were out of this world, but Montelena was really special. The tasting room was sort of hushed and formal, but the staff was friendly, and Tommy poured several good wines in addition to one 1997 Reserve Cabernet that knocked our socks off. Corey (my nephew) got a kick out of the air tram ride at Sterling, and Nate and I broke away from the group for a few minutes to sample some of the premium wine in the reserve room. The Reserve Chardonnay was incredible. We wound down with some very high quality wines at Cakebread, and headed down to Yountville for dinner.
For those who know me well, you know that Yountville is a sort of Mecca for me, as it is home to the French Laundry. It is next to impossible for a normal person (like moi) to get a reservation at the French Laundry, but anyone can walk around it a few (dozen) times to breathe in the atmosphere, free of charge. Right down the street is a little French bistro called Bouchon, which is owned by Thomas Keller, who also owns the French Laundry. I'm convinced that Bouchon is a place for people like me who weren't able to get the highly-coveted FL reservation, but still want to experience Keller's genius. Not surprisingly, dinner at Bouchon was awesome.
The big whopper of the trip, culinarily speaking, was not at Bouchon, but at Manresa in Los Gatos. Holy smokes. My new friend Ya-Roo invited me to take part in a 5 hour, 20 course experience. The only way I can describe this meal is to list the dishes that were presented to us and my basic thoughts on each:
- Radis au beurre (fresh baby radishes, which we rolled in whipped butter and gray sea salt. Tasted like spicy California dirt. Magnificent.)
- Gougeres (fantastic warm little cheese puffs)
- Cioppino jelly (crab, scallops and mussels in light saffron jelly, served in a half shell -- very fresh)
- Corn Croquettes (quite possibly the most delicious/sensuous thing I have ever eaten. These little guys just explode into creamy goodness when you bite into them. I think Chef Kinch must make a corn/cream gelatin which melts when the croquettes are fried so that the warm liquid oozes in your mouth. Amazing.)
- Strawberry with hibiscus and lime (pretty self explanatory -- very good)
- The Egg (Chef Kinch's signature dish -- a strange yet intoxicating combination of barely-cooked egg yolk, whipped egg whites and savory cream, sherry vinegar, chives and maple syrup. This is right up there with the croquettes. Maybe even better, because of its complexity.)
- Broccoli and foie gras royale (who knew that broccoli and foie gras were a perfect combination?)
- Sardines with tomatoes (my least favorite bit of the bunch -- the sardines were too fishy for my taste, but the flavor was balanced nicely by the tomatoes, which were slightly spicy)
- Japanese fluke with olive oil and chives (this was heavenly -- barely visible on the plate, the fluke was sliced so thin and the flavor was heightened by smoky white soy sauce)
- Strawberry gazpacho (again, fairly self explanatory, yet excellent)
- Rouget with couscous (wonderful white fish which I had not tasted previously, with perfectly prepared couscous)
- Abalone with pig's feet (one of the richest dishes on the menu -- delicious, but fortunately small)
- Sweetbreads, braised gem lettuce, corn pudding (for someone who isn't a huge fan of sweetbreads, this was pretty darned good)
- Roast pigeon, raspberries crushed with almond oil (mmm)
- Prime beef roasted in its own fat, garden peas (seared on the outside, barely cooked on the inside - delicious)
- Melon sorbets with yogurt (honestly, I don't even remember this one, but it was surely good)
- Summer fruit crisp, corn ice cream (the corn ice cream was the showstopper of this dish)
- Strawberry soufflé, lemon custard (don't remember this one either)
- Chocolate marquis, condensed milk ice cream (easily a great substitution for getting laid)
Now you can see why this was without a doubt the most incredible dining experience of my life. Thank you, Chef Kinch, and your staff at Manresa.
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