You know the point at which inventiveness goes from "wow, this is unexpectedly brilliant" to "wow, this is actually really gross?"
I think that Heston Blumenthal has found that point.
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Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Restaurants. Show all posts
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Katie has been talking up the merits of St. Helena's Model Bakery, so I wanted to give it a try while we were up here. Feeling peckish, she, the Suitor, and I donned our raincoats this morning and made the quick jaunt over to St. Helena's main strip. Model Bakery was without a single empty chair when we got there, and the rain put a damper on any notion of a picnic breakfast, so we revised our plans in favor of the not-quite-as-packed Gillwoods Cafe down the street.
We didn't have to wait long for a table, but as it turned out, Katie and I would have to wait a while for food. We ordered the steel-cut oats, and the Suitor ordered an omelette. Easy enough. But after a minute or two, the server came back and told us that they were out of the oats, but that their granola is really very good. So after another minute of reviewing the menu, we both ordered the granola. I wish the server had thought to check with the kitchen before recommending the granola, because they were out of that, too--and had been for a couple of hours.
At this point, Katie and I decided that we'd sit with the Suitor while he ate his omelette, and then walk back over to Model Bakery to get a pastry to go. So, I sat with Katie and the Suitor and my really-not-very-good cup of hot chocolate*, and nibbled on some of the Suitor's wheat toast. Which was, to their credit, quite good. The rest of their food is supposed to be great, so I'll go back... but between the (lack of) food and the disappointing hot chocolate, I confess that Gillwoods and I have not gotten off to the best start.
I was optimistic about Model Bakery, though, and they came through. My peppermint hot chocolate was just the thing for a chilly, rainy day, and my ham and swiss croissant, while not the best I've ever had, was nevertheless very good. The other pastries looked delicious, to say nothing of the cakes and other delights that sat in the dessert case. I'm looking forward to my next visit.
Gillwoods Cafe
1313 Main Street
St. Helena, CA
707-963-1788
Model Bakery
1357 Main Street
St. Helena, CA
707-963-8192
* I know, I'm a snob, but hot chocolate made with Hershey's syrup just tastes awful to me.
Greetings from St. Helena! We're up here in the Napa Valley for the weekend, both for enjoyment's sake and to cheer on the Suitor's sister, who did the Napa marathon this morning. The Suitor and I were going to do it, too, but through various complications our training became a lack of training, so we traded our running shoes for our heckling cheering voices. I'm disappointed that I wasn't toeing the starting line this morning, but the advantage to not running 26.2 is that I'm not as concerned about what I'm eating. Or drinking. Pass the burrata!
Our first stop this weekend was Bottega, in Yountville, on Friday evening. It was busy, and we waited quite a while for our table (even though we had a reservation). While at the bar Katie perused the wine list, and concluded that our money would be better spent on cocktails than on wine. Fair enough. Sister #1 ordered a drink that escapes me at the moment, save that it was lemonade-based, and I had a basil gimlet with Hangar One vodka. (Katie was driving.) I'm not usually a vodka person, but I've been curious about Hangar One, so in the spirit of "maybe I just haven't tasted the right one yet," I gave it a whirl. After all, it had basil in it, so how bad could it be?
Not bad at all, as it turned out. In fact, it was probably one of the best cocktails I've had in my short alcohol-drinking lifetime. I don't drink a lot of cocktails, so what do I know, but whatever. It tasted really, really good. So good that it's probably best that I nursed it over the course of a couple of hours, or else I might have become a little more giggly than is generally advisable in public.
Eventually we were seated. We had all packed our appetites, and said appetites had been fed, watered, and fertilized by the wait for a table, so we were quick out of the gate with the antipasti orders. There was no question about the first one: burrata with artichokes two ways (lemon-braised and crispy). Mt. Tam might be my new favorite cheese, but burrata is a very close second. Why anyone thought that fresh mozzarella needed even more cream I will never know, but I can't say I frown upon their decision to take an already luxurious food and take it to even loftier heights of gastronomic Nirvana.
Where was I? Yes, antipasti. Alongside the burrata with artichokes and grilled bread we had prosciutto with some sort of herbed dough that had been fried and rolled in cheese. Not quite sure what that was all about, but it was tasty, if unexpected. Rather salty, though--to the point where the saltiness of the prosciutto didn't really register. There was also a cup of indeterminate pinkish liquid that accompanied the prosciutto and pasta fritta. I don't have much to say about it because it added little or no flavor.
Onward to entrees. I was disappointed by the scarcity of hearty vegetable fare, and seriously considered ordering the ribolita off the antipasti menu as an entree. Fortunately I was able to find an entree with some sort of healthy vegetable goodness, but first the other two entrees. For Sister #1, a wood oven roasted whole fish with Meyer lemon and citrus & fennel salad, which she enjoyed very much if I remember correctly. For Katie, roasted Cornish game hen with what looked like smashed purple potatoes. Apparently the hen was quite good, but the potatoes undercooked and underseasoned.
My balsamic-glazed quail, on the other hand, was overseasoned for my tastes. I'm not only interested in the sauce--I ordered quail because I like quail, not because it won the "which sauce will shock & awe my taste buds most?" contest. I think I'm becoming crotchety at the ripe old age of 26: I have no patience anymore for chefs who don't respect their ingredients enough to let the flavors shine through. Anyway, the "sauteed vineyard greens" were bitter but fresh-from-the-field tasty. There were also stewed apples underneath the quail. I love stewed apples, and I suppose these were well done, but they seemed out of place, especially with the balsamic flavor. Ah well.
So, we've gone from a high point with the cocktail to a mixed bag of "mmm" and "zuh?" with the antipasti to a "meh" with the entree. I was starting to think that my expectations were higher than they should have been, but then it was time for dessert. Now, in a way, my affinity for almost all things sweet make me an easily satisfied customer in the dessert course. You could bring me an ugly-as-sin, slathered-with-canned-frosting cake made from a boxed mix and I would love you forever. But at the same time, I've been spoiled with enough good food to have high standards for what I consider an excellent dessert. Bottega wins.
The three of us split two desserts: the molten chocolate cake with caramelized hazelnuts and hazelnut creme anglaise, and the torta di riso (arborio rice tart) with Meyer lemon, huckleberry compote, and mascarpone cheese. Oh, they were good. So good. The creme anglaise had little bits of cacao nib in it, and the cake either was dusted with or had in it coarse grains of salt that offset the cake's chocolatey sweetness delightfully. And I would love to have that torta recipe. The huckleberries' tartness and brightness were perfect with the rich, subtly sweet tart.
The food, all things considered, was delicious; but what really made the evening was the great company. It's been too long since Sister #1 and Katie and I all had dinner together, and we had an uproariously good time. I haven't laughed so hard since I watched Ellen DeGeneres completely lose her composure on the phone with a woman named Gladys (YouTube video here).
All in all, I wouldn't put Bottega on a "must visit" list, at least not after this one meal, but I certainly wouldn't steer people away from it. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the meal was the awfully slow service, but I'm told that such sluggishness wasn't the norm for them. I'll be going back, and hopefully they'll be a bit quicker to facilitate my sampling of what they have to offer.V Marketplace6525 Washington Street, A9Yountville, CA707-945-1050
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Just prior to sunset Sunday evening, 15-20 chefs, wine makers and sellers, Pebble Beach Food and Wine event-related people, and various significant others arrived chez S. in Big Sur. After a little walking around, a little tour of the wine cellar, and a little champagne, we all caravanned to the Big Sur Bakery. The Pebble Beach event provided a few cars and drivers, so everyone had a ride with a designated driver, which was great.
Phil and Michelle (the Bakery's head chef and pastry chef, respectively) pulled out all the stops for this crowd. I don't blame them--I would have been terrified to cook for the likes of Thomas Keller, Gérard Boyer, and David Kinch--and can certainly understand why they shut the restaurant down all day to prepare. We knew they could hit it out of the park, and they really did. It was my favorite meal of the whole weekend, as far as the food was concerned, and my goodness, was there a lot of it.
Only one course (the first) was served individually. The rest were served family style, arriving in large bowls or plates, so that everyone could share and taste a bit of everything. The food was rustic, homey, comfort-food fare. It was the perfect dénouement to a weekend of flashy haute cuisine. I'm going to list each dish in the order in which it appeared, and as you read through, try to imagine our growing amazement as the food just kept coming and coming and coming.
1. A small piece of cod (caught fresh that morning by kayak) sauteed in butter with fine breadcrumbs (I think), with a dollop of sauce on top that tasted and looked like it had grainy mustard in it. Light, savory, delicious.
2. Tuna tartare with crostini (no doubt made of their own bread) and microgreens. The tuna was incredibly fresh, with ZERO fishy taste and a hint of sweetness that almost made it taste more like fruit than fish. It was a beautiful pink. I've never enjoyed tuna tartare so much.
3. Butter lettuce salad with shaved Manchego (one of my favorite cheeses) and a bit of fresh dill. Very simple, very mellow.
4. Watercress salad with artichoke hearts and lamb's lettuce. At least, I think it was lamb's lettuce. It was peppery, and looked a bit like clover.
5. Clams with cannellini beans. I'm not usually a fan of shellfish, but this was delicious. Who would have thought that I'd ever like clams?? Not I.
6. Sardines. Even some the world's best chefs hasn't been able to make me like sardines (Ferran Adrià already tried), so I won't fault Phil for this being the one dish of which I only managed two bites.
7. Squid in a light tomato sauce with spicy sausage and peas. This was one of my favorite dishes. I like just about anything that's spicy and involves tomato and sausage--even if it has SQUID. It was similar to another dish they usually have on the menu, squid in a spicy tomato sauce (a slightly thicker one), so I was pleased to see this arrive at the table.... despite its being only the second time I've eaten squid and enjoyed it.
8. Prawns with fava beans. The prawns were sweet and tasty, but the fava beans seemed bitter and a bit off. I usually like fava beans, too, so this was a little weird.
9. Roasted chicken. Simple, well prepared, and delicious. Perhaps a tad dry, but with wonderful flavor.
10. Yukon gold potatoes and roasted carrots smashed together, with roasted fennel on the side. This was another one of my favorites. I don't usually like cooked carrots, but the potatoes and carrots smashed together were out-of-this-world good. I could have eaten a whole bowl of them, but I kept myself to a spoonful. Okay, a large spoonful.
11. Venison osso buco. I had venison osso buco years ago at Pacific's Edge, and it was great, but this was better. The meat was so tender, pieces fell apart even as I tried to spear them with my fork. Perfectly seasoned, great flavor.
12. Garlic mashed potatoes with braised greens and shallots. I was starting to experience sensory overload at this point, but I love mashed potatoes, and their braised greens with some sort of allium are always good. Sure enough, this was fantastic.
13. Barley with butternut squash and... salsify? Everything in this dish was perfectly tender without being mushy, which--especially in the case of the butternut squash--seems like a fine line to walk. The salsify was yummy, too, as usual.
14. Grilled flat-iron steak with olive tapenade. This was very well put together: the meat was flavorful enough, and the tapenade applied sparingly enough, that the olive flavor didn't overwhelm the beef. Very well balanced.
Believe it or not, there was still dessert after all of that food--and oh, what dessert it was!
15. Michelle's famous-with-good-reason chocolate cake with whipped cream. That cake is to-die-for good, I kid you not. As if chocolate cake with cream weren't enough, before long we also had...
16. An orange marmalade and almond tart--with bowls of homemade butterscotch ice cream.
17. And then--and then!--came something that I've seen on the menu (and tried at least once), the lime curd tart. With homemade ginger ice cream. This was the only dish I didn't even try. After a slice of cake AND a slice of marmalade tart AND a spoonful of butterscotch ice cream (none of which I was even able to finish), I just didn't have room in me for lime tart, let alone tart with ice cream. I was sad, since lime and ginger are two of my favorite flavors, but I just couldn't do it. I was already worried that they were going to have to roll me out of there.
As for the wine: there was a lot of it, and a lot of different ones. Several people contributed bottles to the meal. I never had fewer than two glasses going at any given time. And it was almost all very, very good (except for one bottle of Montrachet which, tragically, was corked). I know there was another Montrachet, and I know there was an Opus One, and I think there might have been yet another bottle of 1982 Mouton... but in truth, I have absolutely no idea what most of it was. It was put in front of me, I swirled and sniffed, I drank, I enjoyed. And when we got home, I fell into a bit of a food coma.
The strangest thing about this weekend, though: despite eating SO much food, I think I actually lost weight. How the devil does that happen??
Saturday, March 29, 2008
The event was the Rare Wine Auction and Dinner. As is probably obvious, I didn't bid on anything, but I did enjoy the food, the wine, and the company. Katie, Papa S., and Mama S. were there, as long as their friends Mr. and Mrs. B. (not the ones who were at El Bulli, different B.), Mr. and Mrs. M., and another couple whose last name I didn't catch--we'll call them Mr. and Mrs. X. It was a raucous group (particularly Papa S. and Mr. B., and to a large extent Mr. X. as well), and I think we all had a grand time.
I met a lot of people, many of whose names escape me now, but a few of whom stick out for obvious reasons. As Katie and I walked in, we were introduced by Papa S. to Alain Passard. We met Tim Mondavi (son of Robert), Mme Boyer (wife of Gérard, who was cooking), and Jacques Pépin and his daughter Claudine; we also said hello to David Kinch and (from across the table) Thomas Keller.
There was much photography, even videotaping, and I'm sure there will be pictures posted somewhere. I might post some of them, we'll see. The event started off with a rather packed champagne reception, with various hors d'oeuvres. Katie and I did not partake of the champagne (1998 Veuve Cliquot), as we knew that there would be plenty of even better libations to come. And for reasons that will become clear shortly, it's probably a good thing we waited. We declined the fresh oyster and what looked like caviar with either pea paste or wasabi (I'm guessing pea paste, but one never knows) in favor of a small cup of mushroom soup and the famous Arpège egg. What is the Arpège egg? A sturdy egg shell with the top neatly removed, sitting in a small cup (in this case a tiny flower pot) and inside, a lightly poached (warm and runny) egg yolk with a drizzle of maple syrup and a dollop of sherry vinegar whipped cream. This is one of the few egg dishes in the world that I'm willing to eat. I had something similar at Manresa about four years ago (my, how time flies!) but I think this one was a bit better. The cream in particular was delightful.
And then into the dining room we went! Lots of tables, each with silverware and glasses for several courses. The tables were a bit crowded, but beautifully decorated with bamboo, orchids, and candles. Each place had a copy of the menu for the evening. I'll write up the menu first (with the dish, the chef, and the accompanying wine), and then say a bit about the dishes below. After each course was finished, the corresponding chef went up to the podium (which was also being used periodically for the auction) to say a few words. Boyer apparently doesn't speak much--if any--English, so he gave his brief address in French, but I'm happy to say that despite his speaking rather quickly, by that time I'd had enough wine that I understood each word perfectly.
Before (finally) moving on to the menu, I should note that at our table at least, there was some (*ahem*) cheating with the wine. Mr. X. had smuggled in a few bottles of his own--decanted into Perrier bottles (you're familiar, perhaps, with the extremely rare "Red Perrier?" HA!). There were also a few other bottles that somehow showed up, and I'll mention those as well. I didn't take sufficiently good notes on them, but they were all very, very, very good. And I must say, in the middle of the meal (after they had given us extra glasses for our extra wine, and before they had started taking away the finished glasses) the table had more wine glasses on it than any I've ever seen. If I'd had my phone with me, I would have taken a picture.
But first, the menu:
Saint Jacques Louise Passard
Alain Passard - L'Arpège
2004 Josmeyer, Riesling, Le Dragon, Alsace, France
Monterey Spot Prawns Fricassé & Aged Parmesan Lasagna
Philippe Legendre - Le Cinq
2004 Leeuwin Estate, Chardonnay, Art Series, Margaret River, Australia
"Forest Floor Hunting for Mushrooms"
David Kinch - Manresa
2005 Kosta Browne, Pinot Noir, Four Barrel, California
Roasted Duck, Fennel, Fruit Chutney & Verjus Sauce
Gerard Boyer - Château Les Crayères
1988 Château Mouton Rothschild, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
Snake River Farms Calotte de Boeuf Grillée
King Richard Leeks, Dried French Plums,
Yukon Gold Potato Mille-Feuille & Black Truffle Jus
Thomas Keller - The French Laundry
2002 Penfolds, Grange-Bin 95, South Australia
Tropical Fruit Pavlova
Coconut-Pineapple Curd & Pâte de Goyave
Claire Clark - The French Laundry
2005 Dr. Loosen, Riesling TBA, Bernkasteler Lay, Mosel, Germany
The first course was a seared scallop in a curry sauce. A bit heavy on the turmeric for my taste, and the parsley didn't seem flavorful enough to enhance the dish... but I love scallops, so I was still pretty happy.
The prawns were great. They were swimming in some sort of rich, buttery emulsion that had wonderful flavor. It was light, but at the same time heavy enough that I didn't feel like I wanted to spoon it up after I'd eaten the prawns. The prawns, though, were soft and tender; and the Parmesan "lasagna" (a round of fresh pasta made, I assume, with Parmesan) was delicious.
With these first two courses we had the first of the "off-menu" wines. It was a Montrachet with a huge nose, heavy on the tobacco. I don't know what year it was (it was quite loud in the dining room, with so many people talking AND a band playing right next to our table), but it didn't taste very young.
David Kinch's mushroom course surprised a lot of us, not because we didn't know he was so good, but because there were just a lot of surprising elements in it. Redwood jelly, for one! Yes, redwood as in the state tree of California. And it really was constructed like a forest floor: a muddy-looking (but delicious) spread on the bottom, crunchy breadcrumbs over the "mud," and crisp mushroom (or taro?) wafers that looked like dried leaves. Very, very tasty and creative.
I have to say that Katie and I were both disappointed with Boyer's course, the duck. I love duck, and I love fennel, and they were both good--but not great. The presentation was simple, which can be lovely, but in this case was just lackluster. I've never been to Boyer's restaurant, so I have nothing with which to compare the dish, but according to Katie it is not representative of his work. I assume she's right, both because she knows of what she speaks and because Boyer wouldn't have been at this event if this were the best he could do.
Alongside the '05 Kosta Browne and '88 Mouton we also had a '59 Mouton. The '88 was pretty good (if a bit young, I think--still pretty fruity, or maybe it was just fruity compared with the '59), but the '59 put the Kosta Browne to shame. Katie and I took one or two sips and didn't touch it again. I'm sure it would have been great on its own (very spicy, interesting flavors), but next to the Moutons, it was like drinking something that wasn't even wine.
Keller's dish was quite good, though again, probably not representative of what he can really do. The beef was tender and well cooked (rare, though, not well-done), the leek was soft and delicate (and went surprisingly well with the dried plum), and my favorite part of the dish was the potato mille-feuille. It was closely packed layers of potato, cooked until perfectly tender, then sliced into squares 2 x 2 x 0.5", and seared in butter on all sides. Delicious.
Dessert was fabulous. There was a minced tropical fruit salad, a guava gelée (which was good, but not my favorite), a smear of the coconut-pineapple curd (amazing!!) and a perfect dollop of meringue that had been baked until just crisp on the outside, and cooked-but-still-soft on the inside. Paired with the coconut-pineapple curd, it was just heavenly.
The official dessert wine was far too sweet for my taste. I usually like Riesling, but this was just too sweet for me. The '49 Sauternes that we had, however, was divine. Really like liquid gold. It was a beautiful golden orange color, with orange blossom notes, a slightly syrupy consistency, and just the right amount of sweetness. The depth of flavor of the Sauternes was enormous compared with that of the Riesling (which tasted disappointingly flat).
There were mignardises at the end of the meal, but we were so satisfied with the meal (and rather eager to go back to our room) that we passed on all but one of them--I just couldn't resist the tiny carrot cake bite that I recognized from the dessert tables at the French Laundry open house we attended back in December. All in all, a delicious evening, and my stomach muscles are sore from all the laughing we did. Good times, and a real treat.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to get ready for this morning's cooking class/demo with Todd English. This afternoon I have a class with Charlie Trotter, and tomorrow, chez Katie et al., a champagne reception with some of the chefs (Keller, Boyer, Passard, etc.). I'll be sure to write about all of it! Hope everyone is enjoying his/her weekend.
ETA: I forgot... we also had a 1982 Mouton. Good times were indeed had by all.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Notes and impressions from Friday evening at the Pebble Beach Food and Wine event. Stay tuned!
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Almost as shamefully overdue as my Thanksgiving post is my French Laundry post. As is the case with all of my extravagant foodie experiences, I went with Katie and Papa S. (of El Bulli and Cal Pep fame). It was an open house type of event, rather than a sit-down meal, but we certainly didn't go hungry. Before I dive into the food, though, let me just say that Yountville (especially the French Laundry building) is fracking darling. Same with St. Helena. And the whole area made my heart go pitter-patter for the French countryside. If I ever leave research, sell out to Wall Street, and make my first ten million, I'm getting a little cottage up there.
Okay: the food. Our first treat walking into the courtyard was the "ice cream cone:" a small, almost-bite-sized cone-shaped wafer with a tiny dollop of crème fraîche in the bottom, and a teaspoon or so of most delicious salmon tartare on top. I'm not usually a salmon fan, but this was quite good.
Next up, also in the courtyard: smoked sturgeon with thinly sliced red onion on brioche toast. I was supremely skeptical of this one, as it was creamy and just not very appetizing, but it was surprisingly good. What can I say, when I'm somewhere like the French Laundry, I'll eat pretty much whatever they put in front of me. And hey, sometimes I'm pleasantly surprised!
What we really wanted next was the sous-vide roast beef sandwiches (see also: NYT Magazine, 14 August 2005), but they weren't quite ready yet, so we ventured inside. In the main room on the first floor was a spread of potted food, and in an adjoining room was a table (tower, really) of bite-sized desserts: petits fours, mousses, cakes, cookies, and so on. There would be time (and room) for dessert, but not just yet. At the moment we wanted some of that potted food. The table on the first floor being rather crowded, we sought satisfaction on the second floor, where there were identical spreads of potted food and desserts. The potted food was unattended. Score!
And what excellent potted food it was: duck confit, pork terrine, chicken liver hâché, and foie gras, all with various crostini and accompaniments (a delicious apple relish, cornichons, and pearl onions). My favorite was the pork terrine, but the foie gras was fantastic as well--not since l'Ami Louis have I had foie gras that good.
By the time we had finished with (round one of) the potted food upstairs, Papa S. had arrived, so we went down to meet up with him. We found him, naturally, in line for the roast beef sandwiches. The line moved past a popcorn machine that was turning out delicious-smelling popcorn (onto which the attendant sprinkled black truffle salt), as well as another "ice cream cone" table. Katie and I were the victims of an egregious act of cutting. We spent the rest of the wait giving the perpetrators the evil eye, and expressing our outrage (quasi-) sotto voce. Especially when it looked like the offending party was going to get the last of the sous-vide roast beef. Scandal! But all was made right in the end: we got the first slices of a new, steaming hot piece of beef. These slices were placed on Bouchon bakery rolls, and we garnished them as we wished. Options included mustards (smooth and whole-grain), horseradish mayonnaise, tomato paste, thinly sliced onion rings, and lettuce (and maybe more--I can't remember). I went with whole-grain mustard, tomato paste, and lettuce. The sandwich (in particular, the beef) was as heavenly as I was expecting, having heard about it continually for weeks (months, even). Describing it as "tender" is grossly inadequate--it practically melted in your mouth. I could see why Katie and Papa S. had been going on about it.
In the end, we also sampled several of the desserts, as well as the hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows, but the sandwiches--confession time: I had two--were the main event. All in all, a delicious afternoon. I even got to meet, or at least shake hands with, Thomas Keller himself (he's taller than I expected). I'm very much looking forward to going back at some point. And when I do, I promise that the write-up will be more prompt than this one was.
Saturday, December 15, 2007
A write-up of the French Laundry. Yes, that French Laundry.
Christmas is coming a little early for this foodie.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
When we were planning this trip, Katie’s dad, Papa S., said that he wanted to take us to “some great tapas bars in Barcelona.” Well, we only ended up going to one, but we went there twice, and we were perfectly happy not going to any others. According to Papa S., Cal Pep is Thomas Keller’s favorite restaurant (aside from his own), so you can be pretty sure it’s quite good.
We first went on Saturday evening, the night before our big lunch at El Bulli. Papa S. wasn’t yet in Barcelona, so our party consisted of Mama S., Katie, Sister S., and me. The restaurant opened at 8, and we were instructed by Papa S. to be there by 7:30 to wait in line (they don’t take reservations). We took a cab from the hotel and after a good 10-15 minutes of wandering semi-aimlessly around pedestrian-only streets and squares, and Katie’s patient efforts at getting directions from shopkeepers (which was brave of her, given that pretty much everyone spoke Catalan rather than Spanish), we found it.
It was easy to miss. The sign was small and half obscured, and to be honest, it really didn’t look like a restaurant. Other than the tiny sign, there was no indication that the small space behind the rolling metal door was anything more than a storage space for the adjacent business. But as we walked up, we saw that written on the door were their hours, and in front of the door were a few people already waiting. We joined them in line and got to talking, as they were from Boston. As the time neared 8pm we saw the line grow until it must have had at least 35 people. We were glad we got there early, especially once the door opened and we walked in.
There are not many seats to be had in Cal Pep. There are a few in a back room, and about 20 at the bar in the front. The latter are the desirable ones, as behind the bar is where all the action takes place. All of the food is made directly in front of you. It’s loud, it’s fast-paced, it’s somewhat chaotic, and it’s immensely enjoyable. And those 35+ people? Well, not all of them got the first seating, so they—and all of the other people who arrived to wait while we ate—lined up directly behind us.
That’s right, there are people standing right behind you while you eat, waiting for you to finish. But there’s so much going on right in front of you, both behind the bar and on your plate, that you completely forget they’re there.
The consensus after our hour-long meal (which felt like about 15-20 minutes) was that “it was like doing drugs.” They didn’t speak English, we didn’t speak Catalan (and only Katie spoke some Spanish), but we got along just fine. People threw plates of food at you and half of the time you didn’t quite know what you were eating, but they said “it’s very good! Try it, you’ll like it!” (Or at least that’s what they seemed to be saying.) Eventually, with or without prompting from your dining companions, you just put it in your mouth and discovered that yes, you really did like it. Even if you weren’t sure what it was. Things were very hot, sometimes greasy, deliciously salty, and very fresh.
Everyone starts with a plate of olive oil and tomato-smeared toasted bread (yum) and then moves on from there. We didn’t know what to order, so there was lots of pointing and requesting what other people had, and they did a fair amount of just putting stuff in front of us. The food was nicely complemented by the two or three cervezas we each had.
The first thing we ate, other than the olive-oil-tomato-bread, was small roasted peppers. They were roasted whole, dumped on a plate, and salted before being placed in front of us. They were amazing. Each one was lightly charred in a few places, and they were best before they cooled and went limp (but even then, they were wonderfully tasty).
There was also fried calamari, which was delicious. I’d never been brave enough to try it before, but I figured if I didn’t like it here, I wouldn’t like it anywhere. The breading was a very light (finely ground cornmeal, I believe) and we saw the whole process from beginning to end. The squid were sliced at a prep table, dredged in the cornmeal, and tossed in the fryer, all right in front of us. They came out of the fryer and went right onto the plate, got a generous few pinches of salt, and were passed right over to where we were sitting. There were also small shrimp, also dredged in cornmeal and fried whole—and you were meant to eat them whole, head included. I ate a few and they were a little fishy for my taste, but Katie and Mama S. really enjoyed them (Sister S. is vegetarian). We also got a spinach and chickpea sauté for Sister S—we had asked for something vegetarian, but amusingly enough (at least to everyone except Sister S.), they put bits of bacon in it.
There were fried artichoke hearts, which were awesome, especially because they were fresh artichoke hearts, not the canned kind. They gave us some sort of potato, egg, and cheese galette that was smeared on top with a garlic aioli. And one of the best dishes of the evening was pork sausage with white beans, cooked in and drizzled with a port reduction. We also got to try the tuna tartare that the Boston folks (seated next to us) ordered. It was excellent. Finally, dessert: fresh woodland strawberries (the little ones) in a liqueur and topped with fresh whipped cream. Yummm. All in all, an exhilarating experience in sight, sound, and taste.
Three nights later, our last night in Barcelona, we went back—this time “we” being Katie, Papa S., and I. We arrived somewhat later (10pm), and stood around behind the diners drinking a great wine (another Vega Sicilia Unico, a nonvintage one that—if I understand correctly—is only available in Spain), and eventually were seated at the counter. This time we had a better idea what to order, and we also had Papa S. with us, so the meal was somewhat less chaotic in terms of what we were eating. We had the peppers, of course, as well as the potato galette, the calamari, and the sausage with beans. But we also had some awesome potato croquettes and some enormous prawns that were grilled whole, with the head and shell and everything, and then served for us to disassemble ourselves.
We also ended up with some tiny little smelt that had been breaded and fried, and were surprisingly fun (and tasty) to eat. They were like little French fries, except that they were fish. We shared the prawns and smelt with the women seated next to us, who in turn shared their dish of baby octopus with chickpeas (not my thing—too fishy—but I can understand how it would have tasted good to folks who didn’t mind the fishiness). Once again we got the strawberries with cream for dessert, but this time they gave us a little something extra: three espresso cups filled with different kinds of whipped cream. One was lemon, one coffee, and one seemed more like a custard that had been whipped. All were delicious.
If you are ever in Barcelona, I highly, highly recommend that you stop by Cal Pep for an evening. It’s not a fancy dining experience (the placemats are paper, and the service is very rushed—but in a fun way), but you’ll have a great time and eat some fantastic food.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Our first night in Paris Katie and I went to la Petite Chaise, which is where my grandparents and I ate one evening when they visited me during my time studying abroad. The second night, though, Katie's dad got us a table at l'Ami Louis. That meal was by far the better (and longer) of the two, though I'm still fond of the soupe à l'oignon gratinée at la Petite Chaise. It's a tiny restaurant, very cozy, and a lot of fun.
We started off with the terrine of foie gras. Now, I'd had foie gras several times before, and always felt rather iffy about it. It's one of those things where I knew it was widely acknowledged to be special and tasty, but I couldn't really bring myself to embrace it fully--I just didn't think it tasted all that great, but I would eat it when it was put in front of me. This, however, was another story. Maybe it was the delicious toasted bread that made it for me, but it was like no other foie gras I've ever had. My rather hesitant enthusiasm was nothing to Katie's, though, and she ate two slices to my one.
Next up was the roast chicken, which we split. What an awesome bird that was. I have a new standard to live up to with my own roast chicken efforts. They brought each of us a leg and half of the breast, and what with the sides of mushrooms (the most delicious sautéed whole mushrooms I've ever had--they must have used an obscene amount of butter) and frites (a veritable mountain of them--we only managed to finish half), by the time we finished our plates of chicken we were thinking it was a good thing that we only had dessert left. (Katie was joking that they'd have to get a dolly and roll her out of the restaurant and back to the hotel.) But no! When they said it was a whole chicken, they really meant it was the whole chicken, and they came back with the wings! And this was not a small bird, either. It was a good thing the chicken was so delicious, because otherwise I don't think we would have managed it. But we did--after all, we were in training for lunch at El Bulli (which would take place three days later), and we had to be sure that our stomachs wouldn't cry "uncle" midway through that much-anticipated meal.
Finally, though, it was time for dessert. We didn't skimp, we ordered the chocolate cake AND the fresh berries. The cake wasn't so much a cake as a thin dacquoise with a thick layer of chocolate mousse on top, dusted with cocoa powder. Yummmm. The berries (blackberries, blueberries, and raspberries) were the most delectable ones I've had since picking fresh ones in my parents' garden last summer. And we got a little bonus when we asked the table next to us what on earth they were eating. Katie and I had never seen such things before, but apparently they were mangosteens, and the people at that table generously offered us a couple to eat ourselves. They were amazing. Talk about a transcendant fruit. I would love to find them again, but I have no idea where to get them in the US--or even if they can be found. Anyone have ideas?
Yes, I really went. And yes, it really was life-altering. It was like nothing else I'd ever experienced, and there's no hyperbole in that statement. I have, in fact, never seen, felt, heard, or tasted anything else like it.
First, the cast of characters. For purposes of (relative) anonymity, and because I don't have the participants' permission to use their real names here (with the exception of Katie, who comments here), we'll use the last initial. I was traveling, mostly, with my dear friend Katie and her family: Sister S., Mama S., and Papa S. Their good friends Mr. and Mrs. B. joined us for lunch at El Bulli.
We were staying in Barcelona and drove up to Roses the morning of June 3, to arrive at 1pm for a 1:30pm lunch reservation. Once we passed through the town of Roses (which appeared to be a beach town much like Santa Cruz, CA) the road got a bit more interesting. It was one lane (but two-way traffic) winding its way up and along a hillside. There were also a few bicyclists and hikers to contend with on the road. It was beautiful countryside, though, and reminded all of us of California. Lots of chaparral, with a few vineyards here and there. We were also right on the coast, so there were some lovely views:
We arrived early enough that we were able to take a peek into the kitchens and see the staff at work. Now, I haven't seen many kitchens at high-end restaurants (just the one at Chez Panisse), but the one at El Bulli was impeccably clean, calm, and orderly. I was impressed. The rest of the restaurant was beautiful. There was gorgeous stonework and ample natural light, and we had the pleasure of beginning our meal out on an idyllic little patio. Our table was sheltered from the wind, the star jasmine was blooming, and the weather was perfect.
Okay. Now the food, in the order in which we had it. For each item/course/dish I'll give what it was called on the written menu (which we received only at the end--everything was a surprise), some description, and whatever other thoughts I have. At the end I'll list the wines, which were also written up on the menu we received (good thing, 'cause my notes didn't write down all the vintages, etc.). We started out on the patio, and had the first several courses before going to our table inside.
1. "Cosmopolitan-mallow." Quite a start to the adventure. They put in front of each of us a small bowl with several little dollops of what looked like beaten egg whites. Each dollop had some lime zest on it. We were all about to pick up our spoons when someone came around with little carafes of slightly thick, reddish liquid and poured some into each bowl. We were informed that the dish was a cosmopolitan. And indeed, it was. The red liquid was cranberry puree with vodka, and quite possibly some orange liqueur as well. I have no idea what the white dollops actually were, but they were pretty cool, and it all tasted great. The vodka was quite strong, and we were already drinking champagne, so by the time we finished some of us were feeling a bit woozy.
2. "LYO fruits." These were actually freeze-dried Chinese gooseberries. Very light, very tart, and rather strange-looking. Some of us loved them; others didn't like them so much. Personally, I thought they were great.
3. "Golden nuggets." These were amazing. Definitely in the running for favorite dish of the afternoon. We were instructed (yes, they told us how to eat everything) that they must be eaten in one bite. They had a shiny, golden coating that looked a lot like (and actually was) caramelized sugar. I don't know what I was expecting to taste/feel when I bit into the "nugget," but it wasn't what I got. It was crunchy, but not uniformly so--it had little bits of something in it. And it tasted like--get this--cumin and coriander and other spices that go into curry powder. The sweetness of the caramelized sugar coating very nicely balanced the spice and slight saltiness of the inside. Awesome.
4. "'Tile' - sweet corn and banana." Essentially a very thin, lacy, rather crisp crepe that tasted like banana. Delicious.
5. "Beetroot and yogurt meringue." These things were very interesting. They were little magenta-colored, donut-shaped things dusted with powdered sugar. They looked like they'd probably be cakey (we didn't know about the "meringue" part of the name at the time), or maybe a bit gummy. Nope! They were very light, and when you put them in your mouth (whole, as instructed) they were the airiest, most delicate meringues I've ever tasted. There was sweetness and red flavor from the beets, and tanginess from the yogurt.
6. "Salta 'catanias.'" Mmm, chocolate. Little truffle-looking things dusted in cocoa powder. They had a solid shell, so they felt like truffles, but they weren't exactly truffle-like inside... they were liquid! With bits of walnut. Very, very surprising. And yummy.
7. "Salty chocolate with cassis, yoghurt, and pistachio." These were little tile-like things, with dots on the top that made them look like oversized flat Lego pieces. I don't think I tried the pistachio one, but the yogurt and cassis ones were quite tart, especially the cassis one.
8. "Parmesan 'airbag.'" I loved this one. It was, essentially, a large, smooth, ultra-refined cousin of a Cheeto (without the weird cheesy dusting). Crispy on the outside and hollow on the inside, with a fantastic flavor of Parmigiano Reggiano.
(At this point we headed to our table inside. A number of us commented on how nicely things were spaced out inside the restaurant. Nothing was cramped, and there were only a few tables in our room.)
9. "Pistachio sponge cake with acid milk mousse." We were instructed, again, to put it in our mouth in one piece. It looked soft and squishy, but when we bit into it, it crumbled and was quite dry. The acid milk mousse was spooned on top and eventually made it less dry. Pretty good, but I think this one was heavier on the interesting texture than the intense flavor.
10. "Sesame brioche with miso." This looked like a greyish brown sea sponge, and had a dollop of miso paste on top. It was soft and spongy, and had a great toasted sesame flavor to it.
11. Grapefruit sections. This didn't end up on the written menu, so I don't know what they were called. But they were grapefruit slices, frozen on the inside and dry (but starting to melt) on the outside. They still held their shape and definition (even the little vesicles inside), so I sort of wonder if they weren't frozen by being dunked in liquid nitrogen or something. I certainly wouldn't put it past them to use that sort of method!
12. "Fresh pine-cone and pinions dacquoise." If I remember correctly, the pine nuts were locally grown. The dacquoise was more like a meringue, and it was piped into two large disks that sandwiched a layer of pine nut butter. Pretty tasty.
13. "Flowers paper." This was quite possibly my favorite item. When we went into the kitchens before we began lunch, Mama S. and I both noticed what we thought looked like a cotton candy machine. Sure enough.... a large folded piece of beautiful paper was placed on each of our plates. We were told to eat what was inside right away. What was it? Two sheets of cotton candy, with edible flowers in between. Amazing.
14. "Tiger nut milk flowers." Mr. B.'s guess was that these were done with a pacojet, and I think that's pretty plausible. It was some sort of liquid (hmm, maybe tiger nut milk???) that had been frozen, but not entirely frozen solid. It seemed like it had been frozen, shaven into tiny bits (hence the pacojet speculation), and then pressed into a little flower-shaped mold. It melted pretty much as soon as you put it in your mouth. I was a little so-so on the taste, but the concept was cool.
15. "Tangerine bonbons, peanut and curry." If I remember correctly, this consisted of two little bonbon-type things, one peanut & curry flavored and one tangerine flavored. Excellent pairing.
16. "Raspberries fondant with wasabi and raspberry vinegar." These raspberries were frosted in some way and had wasabi bits on top. Again, an excellent pairing. The raspberry vinegar was drizzled over the top by the staff.
17. "Oysters yoghurt with px in tempura." I'm proud of myself for finishing this one. I am finicky, and often often squeamish, about seafood, and I've always shied away from oysters as the sort of thing that I would really dislike. But my policy at fabulous restaurants is to eat (or at least try) whatever they put in front of me. There were two parts to the oysters: the first was three oysters on a mini skewer, grilled with elderberry juice. Those were actually not half bad. A bit gummy in texture, but the flavor wasn't very fishy. The oyster yogurt, which came in a little espresso cup, was a different story. It was definitely a stretch to finish it, but finish I did. And then I gladly moved on to the little tempura bite, which despite saying "px in tempura" was actually, according to what they said when they put it in front of us, sherry tempura. I quite liked it--but then again, just about anything would have tasted good after oyster yogurt.
18. "Haricot bean with Joselito's iberian pork fat." Wow, this was good. This got many people's vote for best dish of the day. The texture was incredible. The "bean" couldn't possibly have been individual beans. There were two bean-shaped things, but they had to have been formed in the kitchen (rather than in the pod). They were larger (2"?) than any beans I've ever seen, and very smooth and soft. The pork was in thin slices on top of the beans, and added a nice saltiness.
19. "Dashi with miso caviar." Apparently "dashi" is a kelp-based broth that's used in miso soup. The "caviar" were not, in fact, caviar... but you wouldn't have known it based on how it was served, and how it felt in the mouth. They served it out of a caviar tin with an ivory spoon, and I have no idea how they did this, but it really did feel like caviar. Pretty amazing.
20. "2m parmesan spaghetto." This. Was. Awesome. It was part of the repertoire some years back, and despite the fact that they never repeat dishes from year to year, Papa S. (who had had it when it was on the menu) managed to get them to bring it back for our meal. It was fantastic. A 2 meter long noodle made of Parmigiano Reggiano! I found an archived picture on their website:
21. "Anchovy and ham with yoghurt yuba." Not a huge fan of this one, I have to admit. Anchovies are really not my thing--I suspected as much before I tried them here, and this dish confirmed it. I remember not being sure where the ham was in the dish, but the yogurt "yuba" (which is a soy product) was kind of interesting.
22. "Tomato couscous with oil-olives, basil, and parmesan cheese." Pretty cool. The "couscous" was a little dry, but intensely flavored. The basil element was actually something frozen and partially melted... no idea what it was, but it was delicious. And the parmesan? That was the most puzzling element of the entire meal. It was parmesan water. A little flute of pale, cloudy liquid that tasted like Parmigiano Reggiano. Wow. None of us could figure out how they did it, but it was very impressive.
23. "Risotto of citrics." It seemed to me that the "risotto" wasn't a true risotto at all (there wasn't even any rice in it) but rather a small puddle of the little vesicles that make up a section of a citrus fruit (in this case, mostly grapefruit. They must have been meticulously separated one by one, and then heated so that they were warm, but not to the point of breaking. And there was also some coconut mash dabbed along the edge of the plate, along with some sesame seeds. Very interesting combination of flavors.
24. "Gnocchi of polenta with coffee, safran yuba and daisy buds." I loved these. The gnocchi were excellent--a fantastic texture--and the bits of coffee sprinkled on top worked very well.
25. "Asparagus in different cooking times." Very interesting. Five little white asparagus tips (~2" long) all cooked to different degrees, and all with different flavors/sauces. In my notes I only wrote down the three flavors I could readily identify: lemon, anchovy, and peanut. The peanut one was actually my favorite!
26. "Liquid won-ton of mushrooms." The best part about these, aside from the interesting texture of ravioli-type things that were actually liquid inside, was the tiny mushrooms that were scattered on top. They were baby Basque mushrooms that were no more than a quarter inch in diameter. Very cool, and very tasty.
27. "Almonds ravioli." The ravioli (which none of us could say really tasted a lot like almond) were accompanied by a single half cherry with a dab of hot mustard where the pit would be. Yum.
28. "Sea cucumbers with kalix - sea lettuce and salicornia." I was surprised by how much I liked (or rather, didn't dislike) the sea cucumber. It was probably the most random food I've ever eaten.
29. "Shark fin with shimensi." If I remember correctly, it wasn't actual shark fin, but something made out of chicken stock.
30. "Eel-beef marrow with mustard leaf." Wasn't such a huge fan of the eel, but the beef marrow was interesting, and the accompanying cucumber seeds wrapped in mustard leaf made for a nice pairing.
31. "Hare juice." Salty, earthy, gamey, and yummy. There was an apple gelée in the center that went nicely with the hare flavor.
32. "'Torta Canarejal' with red fruits." I had to consult my notes to remember which one this was, because there was little that was torta-like about it. There was kirsch air (yes, air--it was very foamy), warm sheep's milk cheese that was spooned onto the plate at the table, raspberries, and little bits of fennel paste at opposite sides of the plate. Yum.
33. "Sweet frost fruits." I quite liked this one. It was blackberries in a light, soft, meringue-like pillow that had been cut open to reveal the fruit. Then at the side there was a little eyedropper of blackberry alcohol that we were meant to drizzle over the rest of the dish. The blackberry flavor was lovely, and the texture of the meringue was great.
34. "Moon." Another one of my favorites. It was a 4x4" square of what looked like chocolate mousse, but it was dusted with cocoa powder and had an imprint in it... that looked like it came from a moon boot! And off in a corner there was something that looked like moon rocks, etc. It was delicious. And at various points underneath the mousse there were different flavor enhancements, like raspberry, mint, peanut, and cardamom (my favorite). Cardamom + chocolate = awesome combination. I am totally going to make cardamom truffles.
(For the rest of the meal we were back outside on the patio. These last two dishes weren't on the menu, but they're in my notes so I thought I'd include them.)
35. Tangerine jelly square with green tea and mint. This was a green tea biscuit-like piece (I mean biscuit the way Brits mean it, not the way folks from the South mean it--it was sort of a thick wafer type thing). It had a little tangerine gummy/jelly square on top, and a bit of mint. Delicious. I do love tangerine...
36. Hands. Little stainless steel bowls with chocolate-covered dried fruit inside, and with inflated latex gloves fitted over the rims. When the bowls rocked from side to side, the hands waved "goodbye." Very cute.
And that, after about five hours, was it! Now for the wine list:
Clos du Mesnil 1992
Krug @ Champagne-Reims
Que bonito Cacareaba 2005
Benjamin Romeo @ Rioja
S le Mesnil 1982
Salon @ Champagne-Le-Mesnil-sur-Oger
Corton-Charlemagne 2000
Jean-Francois Coche-Dury @ Corton-Charlemagne
Meursault Les Perrieres 2000
Jean-Francois Coche-Dury @ Meursault
Vega Sicilia Unico Gran Reserva 1987
Bodegas y Vinedos Vega Sicilia @ Ribera del Duero
PX Solera 1830
Alvear @ Montilla-Moriles
Each and every one of the wines was fantastic, as they always are when Papa S. (and I assume Mr. B.) has anything to do with it. Katie and I were fortunate enough to be born in what was a very good year for wine, and although Sister S. has a less wine-friendly birth year, Papa S. was still able to find a fantastic wine in honor of that year. I should note that the year on the Solera is not, in fact, the vintage. There really isn't a "vintage," per se, for that one. According to Papa S. and Mr. B., the 1830 really only has a minute amount of the actual 1830 in it. They've been adding to it every year since then, so it's largely made up of more recent years. But it was like no other wine I've ever had. It tasted like very rich raisins, and was very thick, sort of the consistency of chilled maple syrup. Delicious.)
Sunday, May 29, 2005
I should start off this post by saying that this most recent trip to New Orleans improved my opinion of the city in one respect, and probably only one respect: food. The city is still as smelly, sleazy, hot, and humid as I remember it being; but my verdict on the city's restaurants has experienced a major shift. My only other visit to the city was for a volleyball tournament when I was 15, a point at which I was a very picky vegetarian, wouldn't touch seafood with a 10-foot pole, and was going through a thoroughly anti-fried-food phase. Needless to say there wasn't much for me to eat, especially at the restaurants we (we = 10 teenage girls, two coaches, and a smattering of parents) frequented.
Now a confirmed foodie who will try anything at least once and actively seeks out interesting food, I had a very different dining experience this time around. Armed as I was with Gourmet's restaurant picks for New Orleans (organized in four categories for your convenience: high end, budget, hot spots, and local favorites), more often than not I was the one who got to decide where we were eating dinner. Gourmet did not disappoint, and on more than one occasion I was seen with a decidedly euphoric look on my face--in other words, grinning like an idiot. I've listed the restaurants I liked and would recommend. A few of them (e.g. Cuvée) also deserve their own review, so stay tuned for some pure foodie bliss.
Court of Two Sisters (recommendation from Antoun, not Gourmet)
613 Royal St.
French Quarter
504-522-7261
Lola's (Gourmet listing here, and my own review coming soon)
3312 Esplanade Ave.
Mid-City
504-488-6946
Cuvée (Gourmet listing here, and my own review coming soon)
St. James Hotel
322 Magazine St.
Central Business District
504-587-9001
What I ate:
Napoleon House (Gourmet listing here)
500 Chartres St.
French Quarter
504-524-9752
La Côte Brasserie (Gourmet listing here, and my own review coming soon)
Renaissance Arts Hotel
700 Tchoupitoulas St.
Warehouse District
504-613-2330
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