Tasting Notes - FEB 2010

FEB was a pretty food intense food month with a weekender to Napa with The Professional Liar and The Much Better Half, a quick visit by The Meat Guy and a rather disappointing V-Day :(

02.05 - So we're kicking off FEB with a weekender in the Wine Country with The Professional Liar and The Much Better Half in spite of thunderstormy weather. First stop, Ad Hoc (The Liar's Fave Place in the Universe ATM) for Chicken & Dumpling Soup, Lamb Sirloin with Red Pepper Jelly, Sweet Potato & Black Garbanzo Hush Puppies and Sticky Toffee Pudding. As always, service was awesome and the fare was even better. Katie's suggested wine pairings were on point and she even brought me and The Liar a second helping of Lamb (and The Liar normally DISTAINS lamb)! Also worth noting - the ultra-picky Better Half seemed duly impressed with her pescatarian options (Veggie Dumpling Soup and Steelhead Trout). Off to a good start...

02.06 - Cross another restaurant off my 'On The Radar' List, I just went to Taylor's Automatic Refresher for "breakfast" @ 11:00 AM even though we've got reservations @ Bottega in 2 hours. ProTip: If you want to go to TAR and not wait in a horrific line, go @ 11 AM. Only 1-2 people in front of me. 2 hours later - a line 30 people deep even in the pouring rain. Is it worth it? Honestly...no. Prices are steep ($10 for my burger), the lines are insane and you're still waiting 10+ mins for your food AFTER you negotiate that line. Don't get me wrong, it's a DAMN good burger, but I'd MUCH rather grab an Ole Cheeseburger @ Nation's for a fraction of the price.

02.06 - So, yes, I double-dipped again by going to Bottega for lunch after TAR for breakfast (triple-dipped if you include my crossaint from Bouchon Bakery). Went 2 for 2 with The Much Better Half this trip - she loved the house cured olives and her Squash Filled Tortelli with Sage Browned Butter. I generally l-o-a-t-h-e polenta, but my "Polenta Under Glass" was easily the best I've ever consumed. The Professional Liar ate himself into a food stupor of EPIC preportions. Seriously, after he had the Burrata & Butternut Squash app and a Whole Roasted Dungeness Crab main he could barely communicate. He absolutely LOVED both his choices but had that total I-Can't-Believe-I-Ate-The-Whole-Thing thing going on.

02.06 - Third post today and we finished with a trip to Bistro Jeanty. Everybody had the signature Tomato Soup en Croute except for The Professional Liar who (still reeling from Bottega) opted for the ruffage of a Butter Lettuce Salad. He then wanted to stay away from "heavy" dishes like Cassoulet and Coq au Vin and opted for a "lighter" option, the Sole Meuniere - LOL. I'm not sure where they get their ginormous, mutant sole filets, but this was a truly massive portion of fish. On the upside, it was spot on and he finished it. The Much Better Half also had the Sole while I went for the Ham and Leek Quiche. Shockingly, The Hottie went for the Bone Marrow special...the same special they have EVERY night and she orders EVERY time they feature it as a special. I'm 3 for 3 on my restaurant picks so far!

02.07 - Finished the Napa Weekender with brunch @ Redd which was e-a-s-i-l-y the Most-Likely-To-Disagree-With-The-Better-Half place of the trip. Luckily, they were more than happy to make a quarter of their signature Breakfast Pizza prosciutto-less for her. Even better, the Sweet Onion Jam that came with the Pretzel Croissants was so OMGWTFBBQ good that we asked if we could get some to take home and left with a friggin pint of the tasty stuff! Other highlights - The Pork Buns, Chicken Hash and Lobster Club. Also, the evil bastards now have Dessert To-Go so, even when you're stuffed to the gills, you can take home a 1/2 lb. bag of Saltine Toffee with you (which, of course, we did). Bottom Line: I went 4 for 4 on my restaurant selections this trip although The Professional Liar said it felt more like 6 for 4.

02.08 - Yes, even by MY standards the last few days have been culinary overkill, but Jardiniere had their three-course Bocuse d'Or (i.e. the Culinary Olympics) Benefit Dinner tonight, so give me the Metamucil iv drip and bring on the food! Like their 'normal' MON prix fixe dinners, each course was paired with a wine that matched perfectly. I found the Brioche Rounds that came with the Foie Gras Terrine a little too dry/crispy for my taste (to the point that I thought it was MUCH better just spread on the french rolls they bring to the table) but that was the only 'miss' of the night - and a minor one at that. Truffle Stuffed Hoffman Hen and Basque Cake with Kumquat Preserves and Creme Fraiche Anglaise rounded out the meal. The latter paired SO well with the Ey Muscat that The Hottie wanted to just dunk the cake INTO the wine!

02.11 - Long story, short: The Meat Guy is up for the Holiday Weekend, so my culinary Tour de Force continues. Two things were re-enforced by going to the Ferry Building today. 1 - I CANNOT leave for under a Benjamin (SF Golden Dogs, Chicharones, Lardo and Cheese were the main culprits this time). 2 - The Meat Guy has his name for a reason. See if you can spot a trend in his purchases: Beer Sausage (topped with Kim Chi and Chicharones), Maple-Bacon Beinet, Housemade Sausage (purchased from a cheese vendor) and Spreadable Salami. Oh, and he had the Steak Frites @ Chez Papa Resto for lunch too (as did I).

02.14 - The Foodie is once again reminded why we dislike dining out on V-Day. The combination of annoying, photo-taking diners who only eat out once-a-year, packed to the gills dining rooms and in-the-weeds kitchens make even normally solid restaurants look like jittery opening night rookies. Such was the case at the Michelin-starred Madrona Manor. This place was my #1 Dining Experience of 2009 and I even lobbied for them to receive a second star during my Foodie Awards but they were really, r-e-a-l-l-y off their game today. Thirty minutes between courses (or visits from our server), wine pairings not poured for their respective courses were a couple of the culprits. I'm still giving them a pass...The Chronicle's Food Snob reported he had to wait an HOUR between courses @ his V-Day choice, so apparently it's an industry standard. Next year: romantic dinner for two @ home FTW!

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The Foodie Awards: 2010 PART II

A pox on you if you missed Part I of the 2010 Foodie Awards. Go read them now so you can be one of the kewl kids and don't end up sitting with the chess club in the crapeteria.

Like Part I, I'll add a new award each day this week. Unlike Part I, these are all new, shiny categories. Bon apetit...

FRIGGIN' AWESOME FRITES AWARD:

WINNER: HOBNOB

In general, Yelp is about as useful as a splotchy pile of steaming poo. This poo over here might be a different color or texture than the poo over there but, in the end, it's all the same sh|t. That being said, once you get thought the 'OMGWTFBBQ THIZ IZ THE BEST PLACE IN THE UNIVERZ!!!' and the 'This place kicked me out for no reason, the server stole my baby and the cook spit in my food and then ran it over with a car' bu||sh|t you will find a VERY common thread about HobNob: Order the Truffle Fries or you are a retarded noob. Even if you're there just drinking, you can't help but see order after order of these fries leaving the kitchen and being delivered to salivating customers. Imagine a substantial batch of piping hot fries pulled from the Fryolater then IMMEDIATELY dropped in a bowl with grated parmesan and truffle oil and tossed until well coated and then put into a serving bowl the size of Christina Hendricks breast (or a small chicken if you live in a cave and don't want to Google Christina Hendricks). As a result, the cheese has melted BUT then re-hardened so the fries are stuck to one another in tasty, crispy fry clusters, but not to the extent that they're overpowered by the cheese or oil. It's friggin' genius is what it is! And it comes with a super tasty Truffle Aioli to boot! Trust me, get whatever the nightly four-dollar drink special is and an order of Truffle Fries and you will be a very Happy Panda.

FIRST RUNNER-UP: BOUCHON

Now I've heard people crack on Thomas Keller's french fries, saying there's nothing 'special' about them. He||, I've even talked to a former employee who claimed they're little more than McD's frozen spuds fried up in peanut oil. To that I say,“I don't care...they're friggin' awesome dude”. Whatever is happening in the back of the kitchen @ Bouchon, it's French Fry Sorcery, because you have to look long and hard to find spuds better than this. Plus, there's very little in this world better than a cone of piping hot, salty pomme frites...especially at breakfast. I swear, if “The Most Important Meal of the Day” came with TK's fries then Americans would stop skipping breakfast. And, for what it's worth, Orson's Duck Fat Fries prolly would have had this spot but, inexplicably, The Foodie didn't go to Orson in 2009. INORITE!?!? I didn't believe it myself, but I checked out my OpenTable history and nada...my last visit there was DEC of 2008.

IN THE CONVERSATION: ANY FRENCH PLACE THAT SERVES THEIR FRIES IN A PAPER CONE.

BEST QUOTE ABOUT THE GREEN/SUSTAINABILITY TREND:

WINNER: BARTON SEAVER (BLUE RIDGE RESTAURANT)

“You want to save the oceans? Eat more broccoli. Change the topography of your plate. Sixteen ounces of shrimp on a plate is not the best nutrition. And you don't have to eat farmer's-market organic broccoli or participate in some green revolution. Just eat broccoli. They have it at Wal-Mart.”

FIRST RUNNER-UP: NATE APPLEMAN (FORMERLY OF A16 & SPQR)

"In San Francisco the audience is easy. You put tripe in a bowl and tell them it's from a humanely raised cow and they're going to eat it."

IN THE CONVERSATION: DAVID CHANG (KING OF THE MOMOFUKU EMPIRE)

“I call bullshit on San Francisco ... There's only a handful of restaurants that are manipulating food ... fucking every restaurant in San Francisco is serving figs on a plate with nothing on it."

Yeah...so...I don't really have much to add here as those quotes r-e-a-l-l-y speak for themselves. I could quibble with Chang's oversimplified vision of Frisco, but he already took his lumps from the cranky locals with cyber-pitchforks. Plus, he does have a point: we're geared more towards Alice Waters and less towards Grant Achatz. It is what it is /shrug. Also, that “They have it at Wal-Mart” line is just effing priceless. It's like people that buy a third car and think they're being “green” by buying a Prius. Dude, you really wanna be green? Get rid of the other two cars or, better yet, walk more.

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The Foodie Awards: 2010 PART I

If it's FEB, it must be awards season, so it's once again time to give out some Foodies! If you're familiar with this blog then you know I visit a mind-numbingly, how-can-you-afford-that, dude-do-you-ever-NOT-eat-at-Michelin-starred-places number of restaurants during the year - it's just how I roll (c.f. NomNomNom 2010 and Foodie: A to Z). And, just like last year, awards are for restaurants The Foodie dined in in 2009 EXCEPT for The French Laundry. TFL is in a class by itself. The whole bringing-a-knife-to-a-gunfight thing. It just wouldn't be fair. Also, restaurants that received Foodies last year CANNOT repeat in the same categories this year. We want new blood...

This week I'll be posting an award in a returning category every day, and the following week will feature posts in all new categories. So, if you're the type of person who likes checking blogs daily for new stuff, you're in luck. If, however, you think it's a lame gimmick well...come back in a couple of weeks :p

HOTTEST HOTTIE HOSTESS AWARD:

WINNER: STACK

It should come as no surprise that a corporation that operates some of the hottest clubs in Vegas (The Bank, Haze and Jet among others) stocks their restaurants with some of the hottest front of the house personnel known to man. And this award could pretty much go to ANY of The Light Groups dining properties (particularly Fix) but since Stack is where we went, Stack gets the award. I could talk about the smoking hot blonde cocktail waitress that was 'filling' in as the hostess until the actual smoking hot brunette hostess showed up and the, third, equally hot front-of-the-house-manager-type who moved at speeds normal humans should never reach in heels, but I'll just leave you with this quote from the ZAGAT guide (circa 2009, since ZAGAT bailed on LV for 2010), “...service is mostly 'helpful', though some wondered if 'stacked referred to the hostesses' and not the layered mahogany decor”

FIRST RUNNER-UP: SIMON

Frankly, last year, it was a bit of an upset that NEITHER the Winner or First Runner-Up in this category was from Vegas. No such upset this year and, if you've EVER been to a Kerry Simon restaurant you know that, like The Light Group, you're going to have sleek, modern décor a kewl, club-like atmosphere and a young, hip staff. We went there twice last year and even though the hostesses were different both times, they were ridiculously hot both times. It's worth pointing out that for their SUN Pajama Brunch (where the staff all wears pajamas and the customers are encouraged to do the same) that the hostess outfit is an oversized mens dress shirt, tiny boxer shorts...and pumps. Now, either this offends you or makes you go “!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”. Either way, now you know and...wait for it...wait for it...Knowing is half the battle.

MOST BANG-FOR-YOUR-BUCK:

WINNER: JARDINIERE (MON PRIX FIXE DINNERS)

I'll admit it...I've been holding out on you. Not intentionally, mind you, but for some reason I've gone to at least a half-dozen of Jardiniere's “Themed” Monday Dinners and never really mentioned it in the blog. My Bad. There are a lot of things to like about these dinners, but number one with a bullet has to be the price: Three courses, $45 and that INCLUDES a wine pairing with ALL three courses (yes, even the dessert) from their extensive cellar. The bizarre thing is that this is a place where a main EASILY runs $30-40 on a regular day and I'm not talking a kobe beef or lobster main either. I'm talking Steelhead Trout with Savoy Cabbage, Rose Finn Potatoes and Rock Shrimp - $36. And since you'd be hard pressed to find ANY decent wine for nine bucks, that one course with a glass of wine is going to cost you more than the ENTIRE three-course menu on a MON. I'm honestly not sure how they do it.

The other kewl thing is that it's the ONLY menu they have AND they always have a “theme”. To give you an idea, I've been to a Tiki Dinner (with Smuggler Cove's Martin Cate as guest bartender), A T-Day Dinner (described as a “Plymouth Dinner”...but it was Thanksgiving), A Swedish Holiday Dinner (that coincided with St. Lucia Day) and a German Dinner that was paired with rare, obscure beers instead of wines, among others. So, basically, you're trying a lot of stuff that has NEVER been on the Jardiniere Menu and won't EVER be on the Jardiniere menu. It's almost like being in an Iron Chef/Top Chef event where you have top flight chefs doing things out of their comfort zone...and it's awesome! How many other times are you going to get the chance to see a chef the caliber of Traci des Jardin's re-create a Pu-Pu Platter?

Anyways, it's a steal, It's got a Zagat , it's a gorgeous Pat Kuleto designed restaurant AND since they don't serve anything BUT the $45 special on MON, there's zero chance of feeling like you're a bottom feeder that the help will look down upon – EVERYBODY'S having the exact same thing :D

FIRST RUNNER-UP: ONE MARKET (THE WEEKLY BEAST)

So in contrast to Jardiniere running their special menu on the s-l-o-w-e-s-t night of the restaurant week, One Market has their steal on the BUSIEST nights: FRI AND SAT. The Weekly Beast features “Dining from Head to Hoof” of a different animal each week with five courses for $49 (and a mere $20 more for wine pairings). They haz a . It's a steal. Make your OpenTable reservation now...I'll wait...

…

Anyways, even though five courses of a single animal (and, yes, even the dessert) might sound overwhelming, it's not. While some courses will feature the protein front and center (like Spit Roasted Leg of Lamb with a Coffee Rub and Black Trumpet Mushrooms) others will use the animal in a more supporting role (Sheep's Milk Ricotta Gnocchi or a Sheep's Milk Ricotta Tart with Mandarin Honey Gelee). I've personally had the Lamb and Pig but the promotion also includes boutique beasts from local ranches and farms including Duck, Rabbit, Goat, Suckling Pig and Steer. Now aren't you glad you've made your reservations already?

IN THE CONVERSATION: MICHAEL MINA (PRE-THEATER MENU)

DON'T MOVE MY CHEESE AWARD:

WINNER: JOEL ROBUCHON

The Hottie has this habit of saying “I'll take one of each, please”. It doesn't matter if she's in a Tory Burch Boutique, Sephora, Bouchon Bakery or BevMo. When the help asks her what she'd like, more often than not, that's her joking response. So when we were @ Joel Robuchon in Vegas with The Meat Guy and our server brought out the cheese cart that had 26 different french cheeses (which he described each in detail – what region of France it was from, what type of milk, how it was made, etc.) The Hottie gave her “normal” response. Except we were @ a restaurant so he thoughtfully laid out the cheeses on multiple plates, organizing then by their type and we tried twenty-six different french cheeses in the middle of a tasting menu. I couldn't make this sh|t up if I tried!

FIRST RUNNER-UP: MADRONA MANOR

Honestly, I though that Josef had this one in the bag UNTIL The Hottie pulled her little “I'll take one of each” stunt. Seriously though, if you should ever have the good fortune to find yourself @ Madrona Manor do NOT opt out of the optional cheese course. Not only is their resident cheese expert a character-and-a-half but he is RIDICULOUSLY passionate about his cheese. I'm talking about a wide variety of domestic and imported cheeses and insane knowledge behind them. He||, he even had a wheel of cheese that the local artisanal cheese-maker made exclusively for him (that, of course, he was sharing with his guests)!

IN THE CONVERSATION: GUY SAVOY, QUINCE, DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON, CYRUS

RESTAURANT THAT MOST DESERVES A MICHELIN STAR (BUT DOESN'T HAVE ONE)

WINNER: BOTTEGA

I like this particular category because, frankly, I nailed it last year by calling on Luce to get a Michelin Star...and it did! I also called for Bouchon (Vegas) and B&B Ristorante to get stars but, since Michelin bailed on the Las Vegas guide this year, we'll never know if I was right about them as well. No matter, I can happily rest on my Luce laurels for now.

To me, Bottega is an easy call for a star and, frankly, I was surprised they ended up with merely a mention. Granted, Michelin isn't big on giving out stars right out of the gate, BUT that didn't stop them from giving Commis a star in it's first year of operation. Anyways, the chef has a pedigree, it's located in the epicurean center of the Wine Country (if not all of California), has a solid wait staff, interesting and colorful décor and, most importantly, incredible cuisine that elevates antipasti and pasta to something otherworldly. It's the Adriana Lima or Marisa Miller of the Italian Food Scene – it's what all the other Italian Ristorantes and Tratatorrias want to grow up to be.

FIRST RUNNER-UP (TIE): MADRONA MANOR & QUINCE

Yes, they both ALREADY have stars but, dammit, they both deserve more! I'm not saying they're French Laundry/Joel Robuchon level, but they both need that second star. I've been to more than enough starred places to have a good feel for what separates a one-star place from a two-star place and both Madrona Manor and Quince have “it”. Superior fawn-all-over-you service (which isn't supposed to play a part in the rating...but it does) and breathtaking locations (Quince is now in the old Myth space on Pacific and Madrona Manor is a gorgeous mansion built in 1881 on 8 acres of grounds in Healdsburg) certainly help the cause, but both feature the type of refined, creative, OMGBBQ cuisine that The Guide tends to drool over. Seriously, if either place DOESN'T get a second star in 2011 I'd be surprised.

IN THE CONVERSATION: THE DINING ROOM AT THE RITZ-CARLTON

MOST DISAPPOINTING DINING EXPERIENCE:

WINNER: THE BAZAAR

If you read my rant back in June, you could see this one coming the proverbial mile away. I was really, REALLY excited about going to Jose Andres' L.A. Hotspot, but it blew chunks. Not the food, mind you. What little of it I had was tasty and inventive, but virtually EVERYTHING else was a pricey (but really pretty) clusterfuck. From seating us an hour after our reservations, to there being nowhere to sit while we were waiting because there's a club in the middle of the restaurant, to closing the kitchen on us because we had to wait so long and service was slow (and inaccurate) on top of that. Worst of all, we weren't an isolated case. There were plenty of other people with the same experience which simply says to me that they think they're hot sh|t and don't really care. I'm quite happy that they didn't get a Michelin Star or I would have had to change the name of the blog to I Can Haz Good Yelp Ratingz and that name sucks almost as hard as their front of the house.

FIRST RUNNER-UP: CYRUS

It pains me to say this because, much like The Bazaar, I really, REALLY wanted to like Cyrus, but the experience simply didn't match the hype – and that was the crux of the problem. Now, don't get me wrong, Cyrus is an awesome restaurant that deserves to be mentioned among the best restaurants in NorCal, the problem is that SO many people talk about it being the equal (if not superior) to The French Laundry that, well, I expected something the equal to TFL and it simply wasn't there. And since this isn't the 'Worst Place I Ate' but, rather, 'Most Disappointing', it sadly qualifies. The champagne/caviar cart that started the meal was awesome and the flaming rum sauce that got tossed on the first dish was a spectacular touch but, after that, the courses were either unmemorable or what I DO remember was bad (like the Kobe Beef dish that was a total waste of Kobe Beef). Sorry, but at least I'd go back and give it another shot (unlike, The Bazaar which The Hottie wants to Die In A Fire).

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