5 posts tagged “wine country dining”

http://aswelikeit.vox.com/
Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Wine Country- Yountville, California

    The French Laundry *(19.5) !(5) $(240-300 includes service) 707-944-2380 for reservations taken up to 2 months in advance. www.frenchlaundry.com.  6640 Washington St.  at Creek. Lunch Fri.-Sun.11:30-1:00, Dinner 5:30-9:30 P.M. Nightly.
    Having just returned from a gastronomic dining experience in Paris, we wanted a taste comparison with the  pinacle of our local Michelin firmament. The essence of a Michelin 3-star restaurant dining experience is all about a place where each patron is treated like royalty and eats and drinks like a king; this definition fits the French Laundry perfectly. The hefty charge for dinner includes a plentiful, multi-course meal with lots of choices (including a tasting of vegetables in all their glory), so those people searching for a more simple experience should go elsewhere. Service is world class, beginning with their telephone personnel, front desk reception and pacing throughout the meal. One begins with a series of amuse gueules to enhance the appetite. These will frequently include some of the following: warm cheese gougeres, salmon tartare cornets, small tastes of exquisite soup combinations (perhaps green grape with garlic, cilantro and a purée of green garlic) and custard preparations (sometimes with truffles in an egg shell). At this point the actual menu courses begin to arrive. Refreshing salads might include roasted Hawaiian hearts of peach palm with green grapes, spicy pili nuts and Napa Valley verjus. Oysters and pearls show an exceptional balance between tiny oysters and oscetra caviar. A delectable sautéed Japanese blue fin tuna was served rare with a tomato compote and delicate greens from their garden. We loved the black cod with saffron foam sauce as well as the Louisiana white prawns with spaetzel and beets. These were followed by an outstanding foie gras, sautéed just right. Fortunately for us, black truffles were in season to perfume a fantastic al dente tagliatelle pasta; truffle courses incur a supplementary charge, but they are “to die for”!!! We loved the rich, sensuous courses of: quail with black truffle sauce, as well as the Elysian Fields Farm lamb with peas, morels and a bordelaise sauce. Next came the tasty cheese course followed by a ruby red grapefruit sorbet, “coffee & donuts” and a chocolate mousse with vanilla bean ice cream. We took the petits fours home to enjoy the next day. Their wine selection a nd service are world class as well. Corkage is $50.00 if you bring your own bottle. We considered the following to be a perfect wine complement to the food: start with the lovely house Champagne, followed by our own 1990 Latour Batard Montrachet and a half bottle of 1995 Chateau Rauzan Segla (Margaux). The decor of a converted manor home with delicate linens, wine friendly, elegant Riedel crystal, Bernardaud Limoges china service and Ercuis silver specially designed by Chef Thomas Keller complete the look and feel of elegance.

Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Healdsburg, Sonoma County

    Dry Creek Kitchen *(17.5) !(3.5) $(35-99) tel.=707-431-0330, Fax=707-431-8990 drycreekkitchen.com.  317 Healdsburg Ave. at the Hotel Healdsburg.  Dinner nightly from 5:30 P.M., Brunch= Fri.-Sun.
    Situated on the main street, across from the town square, the dining room has  a contemporary decor with soft colors, graceful arches and well-spaced tables with white table cloths. As you enter, there is a long bar on the left with a partially veiled open kitchen at the rear towards the right. A colorful, abstract painting by Bob Nugent graces the rear wall to the left of the kitchen. Tasty, warm gougeres are a welcome touch. The chef uses high quality, locally produced seasonal products including fish, game, meats and poultry; unfortunately, some of the plates are overly fussy and rich. Generous portions of five herb gnocchi (trumpet royale mushrooms, broccoli raab, Walla Walla onion “soubise”, pecorino) and milk-fed veal sweetbread “pot pie” (organic carrots, wild mushrooms,caramelized onions, marsala) were very tasty and filling. The bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin was delicious, but needed a simple starch for balance, rather than the accompanying currant-cous cous cake, braised chard, macadamia nuts and thyme jus. Fabulous tastes and textures in the duo of Painted Hills Natural Beef pan roasted coulotte and 60 hour short rib also needed a simple potato or rice rather than the overly rich celery root puree, roasted cauliflower and truffle jus. Tasty petits fours followed a toothsome caramel-walnut spice cake (Valrhona chocolate glaze, walnut ice cream, caramel mousse, candied satsuma segments) and terrific tasting of house made ice creams (vanilla, pistachio, dark chocolate) and sorbets (orange, grapefruit, cantaloupe) served in an ingenious 6-cup server. They have a fine selection of exclusively Sonoma district wines, and corkage is waived (maximum 2/table) if you bring your own Sonoma wine; otherwise it is $20.00/bottle. Service is efficient. Outside seating is available in good weather.

Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Windsor, Sonoma County

    Odyssey *(14.5) !(2.0) $(32-60) 707-836-7600 .  426 Emily Rose Circle (off the west end of McClelland Drive)  Dinner 5:30-10:00 P.M. Tues.-Thurs., till 11:00 Fri.-Sat .
    Close quarters is putting it mildly when  eating at this  simple but attractive local truck stop for dinner.  Make sure they don’t seat you on a chair with the bar behind you; even a sardine would have difficulty  getting  through.  Pleasant starters included roasted beet tartare with pine nut crusted goat cheese and a slightly underdone duck terrine with a pear-raspberry salsa. Then we split a crispy but yeast flavored ultra thin crusted margherita pizza with tomato, fresh basil and mozzarella. Fresh fish and vegetables were marred by overly saucing and spicing of the pan-seared local petrale sole with rainbow chard, roasted sun chokes and black truffle vinaigrette. We would have loved Daniel’s black truffle burger with braised short ribs and foie gras enclosed with beef sirloin, had it not been spoiled by  too much mustard saucing, requiring a fresh dry roll.  We skipped the interesting sounding Italian farmstead cheeses and went directly to an underdone, uninspiring apple tart. There is an appropriate wine selection; corkage is $20.00 if you bring your own.  It was a busy night, but the service was pleasant and efficient.

Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Forestville, Sonoma County

    Farmhouse *(18.5) !(4.0) $(42-100) tel=707-887-3300, Fax=707-887-3311 www.farmhouseinn.com.  7871 River Road at Wohler,  Dinner 5:30-9:30 P.M. Thurs.-Mon.
    Situated at the gateway to the Sonoma Wine Country, this charming country Inn and restaurant is most deserving of its 1-star Michelin rating. Reminiscent of many similar places we have enjoyed in France and Italy, the decor is charming without being too cute. Soft lighting, appropriate jazz and classical background music, appropriate glassware and utensils, as well as pleasant, knowledgeable wait staff all enhance the fine dining atmosphere. Even the fresh Della Fatoria bread with fresh, chilled unsalted butter is just the right touch. Fabulous starters included a perfectly seared chunk of Hudson Valley foie gras (poached quince, smoked duck breast, house made brioche, port gastrique) and a marvelous seared Maine diver scallop over a bed of heirloom squash risotto with roasted black trumpet mushrooms and a winter truffle beurre fondue. “Rabbit rabbit rabbit” was a very interesting rabbit trio of apple wood smoked bacon wrapped loin, roasted rack and confit of leg with whole grain mustard sauce, along with al dente fresh vegetables and fingerling potato. A nicely done, medium rare, Colorado rack of lamb came with baby artichokes, flavorful goat cheese mash potato and a bit too much of the black olive Madeira wine sauce. Make sure to save some wine and room in your belly to split one of their top notch domestic and imported artisanal cheese courses. Superb desserts of Valrhona chocolate soufflé with bourbon creme anglais and warm panatone bread pudding with poached winter fruit and Grand Marnier cream left us with a sweet taste in our mouth for the ride home. The comprehensive, reasonably priced California-imported wine list includes many fine selections by the glass or half bottle; corkage is $35.00 if you bring your own. We found a bottle of our own family 2005 Puccioni Old Vine Zinfandel (www.puccionivineyards.com) to be a perfect accompaniment to the meal. This place just keeps getting better and better; we can’t wait to return.

http://aswelikeit.vox.com/
Cuisine=*(0-20) Ambiance=!(0-5) Price=$(Simple-Full)
Approximate Price per person excluding tax, beverage + tip=$. Simple=appetizer + main course; full= best available multi-course meal.

As We Like It has been serving the gastronomically enlightened community since 1989.

    Wine Country- Yountville

    The French Laundry *(20) !(5) $(240-300 includes service) 707-944-2380 for reservations taken up to 2 months in advance. www.frenchlaundry.com.  6640 Washington St.  at Creek. Lunch Fri.-Sun.11:30-1:00, Dinner 5:30-9:30 P.M. Nightly.
    This is the essence of what a Michelin 3-star restaurant experience is all about: a place where each patron is treated like royalty and dines and drinks like a king. The hefty charge for dinner includes a plentiful, multi-course meal with lots of choices, so those people searching for a more simple experience should go elsewhere. Service is world class, beginning with their telephone personnel, front desk reception and pacing throughout the meal.
    One begins with a series of amuse gueules to enhance your appetite. If there are two of you, each will receive a different taste for variety. These will frequently include some of the following: warm cheese gougeres, salmon tartare cornets, small tastes of exquisite soup combinations (perhaps a mushroom-pomegranate base under a squash puree), custard preparations (sometimes with jidori hen egg and/or truffles), white sturgeon caviar variations and an otherworldly Kahala sashimi-type fish preparation whose fresh smoke excites the senses when the transparent cover is lifted. At this point the actual menu courses begin to arrive. Refreshing salads might include Santa Barbara peaches or fennel bulb and satsuma mandarins with arugula leaves and Nicoise olive oil. Delectable oil poached blue fin tuna was served rare with a tomato concassee and delicate greens. Marvelous preparations of perfectly butter-poached Maine lobster tail (caramelized cipollini onions, sunchoke puree, scallion “Emincee”, hazelnuts and coffee-chocolate emulsion) were followed by outstanding foie gras dishes (for a $30.00 supplement, one sautéed just right, the other “au torchon” with meyer lemon relish, Tokyo turnips, watercress and Granny Smith apple puree). Fortunately for us, white truffles were in season to top our carnaroli rice risotto and tagliatelle pasta; these dishes were “to die for”!!! We loved the rich, sensuous courses of: all day-braised Kurobuta pork belly with mustard seed glaze, roasted hearts of romaine lettuce and celery root puree, as well as the rabbit shoulder with exquisite mashed potatoes. Another very special experience was tasting the grilled-rare sirloin of Kuroge beef from Shiga with hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, thumbelina carrots, wilted pea tendrils and caramelized garlic sauce (for a $100.00 supplement). At this point in the evening we were so full that we skipped the cheese course and went directly to desserts of a wonderful chocolate soufflé with caramel ice cream and chocolate sauce, as well as a chocolate mousse pavé with pistachio ice cream and sour cherries. Some strong double expressos prepared us for the drive home.
Their wine selection a nd service are world class as well. Corkage is $50.00 if you bring your own bottle. We considered the following to be a perfect wine complement to the food: start with the lovely house Champagne, followed by our own 1992 Remoissenet Montrachet Thenard and a half bottle of 2000 Chateau Palmer (Margaux).
The decor appearance of a converted manor home with delicate linens, wine friendly, elegant Riedel crystal, Bernardaud Limoges china service and Ercuis silver specially designed by Chef Thomas Keller complete the look and feel of elegance.
Even the sound of Christmas carollers singing at the entrance a few days before Xmas was a special treat.