Category Travel

Entries 15 Total

Chez Panisse last Friday

Jun 26, ’06 7:59 PM

I had a great dinner last Friday at Chez Panisse, with Bryan, his wife, and mother-in-law. It had been quite awhile since I’d been to CP, given everything that’s been going on over the last 18 months or so. It was definitely terrific to be back, and to find that the restaurant was as wonderful as one remembers. Critics who claim that it’s become boring are missing the point: Chez Panisse isn’t about novelty for novelty’s sake, or flash, but about amazingly subtle renderings of absolutely first-rate ingredients.

Case in point – the starting dish: an antipasto of eggplant caponata, slices of Parma proscuitto, and wild rocket (baby arugula) salad. Simple, utterly lacking in the novelty we often expect from “great” chefs, the dish was a triumph of simplicity and flavor. The caponata was the best rendering of the dish any of us had had (and my friend Bryan is quite exacting as a foodie-chef). It’s hard to explain — it lacked anything I can point to except that it was just amazing caponata.

The second dish was even better. A simple “ravioli al brodo” preparation typical of northern Italy, the “raviolini” were stuffed with a sheep’s milk ricotta with very subtle flavor and the pasta were floated in a sage-spring garlic brodo which was incredibly rich in flavor, yet utterly clear and pale. Bryan and I spent much of the dish trying to figure out how the broth was done — double stock, consommeed, etc. Again — it’s hard to explain, because there really were only a couple of ingredients here, and no flavor explosions, weird juxtapositions of preparations, or “deconstructions” that are so popular today. There was just amazing broth, and perfectly cooked subtle pasta with subtle ricotta cheese.

The main dish pleased everyone – Paine Farm squab with squab liver toast and a salad of endive, romano beans, and porcini mushrooms. Bryan’s wife Liza really likes liver, as does Bryan, so this dish was right up their alley, and I love grilled small birds.

I’d brought wines for the preceding courses: Raveneau 1988 Butteaux, and a 1991 Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf “Marie Beurrier.” The former was amazing — approaching maturity with lots of lemon cream, but still plenty of acidity and structure. Fortunately I have one more 1988 left — a Vaillons — which I’ll probably try in the next year or two. The Bonneau was incredible, especially for a tragically bad year like 1991. But then, Bonneau tends to do really well in many “bad years” due to ruthless selection and singular winemaking skill. The 1991 MB was beefy and dark, with barely hints of maturity in the secondary “spices” showing in the nose. Not even a hint of bricking or orange color even given the vintage. The wine had tremendous length and I could have sat much longer and just smelled its combination of beef, blood, and herbs. If this is the 1991, I can’t even imagine what the 1989 and 1990 MB and Celestins are like. Or when I’d open any of the latter. Fortunately, medical science is on the side of Bonneau fans.

The dessert was peach leaf, boysenberry, and nectarine ice cream “bombe”, presented in three stripes on a plate. Given the strict two-bottle wine policy (which we tried but were unsuccessful at circumventing), we were unable to try Bryan’s 1989 Chave Vin de Paille with this, but there will be other nights and other dinners.

Comments Off

Restaurant review: Coi, 373 Broadway, San Francisco

Jun 23, ’06 11:30 AM

Coi is the new project of Daniel Patterson and my friend Paul Costigan, located in a happening location on Broadway just east of North Beach. The name is pronounced (roughly) “kwahhh”, and I believe is an Old French word meaning “tranquil.” The restaurant certainly is that — superb and innovative food, mellow atmosphere, and friendly staff. I’d recommend visiting now before the reviews start rolling in and people “discover” Coi, because in six months it’s going to be tough to walk in the door and get a table.

Daniel Patterson is the former chef at Frisson, and Paul is coming from years of experience running Rare Wine Company in Sonoma, where I met him as a client. Paul also is an expert at jazz and blues history, and has an encyclopedic knowledge of both. His skills at creating atmosphere with the Jazz blend of structure, elegance, and yet studied casualness show in the casual yet beautiful decor, the music selections, and the wine list. Instead of aiming at the types of wine I’d typically purchased from Paul at RWC, the list is designed to present diners with wines which highlight the food but provide accessible prices. Paul is a master at explaining how the wines are selected to match the food, and if you’re wondering what to have you really should let him select a wine for your meal or course.

I went to Coi on two consecutive nights, to sample both the fixed-price dining room menu and the more relaxed (fuzzy pillow cushions!) lounge with its ala carte menu. I recommend doing both (especially if you’re local) because there are gems on both menus. In the dining room, a deconstructed ratatouille soup (with concentric rings of eggplant, red pepper, tomato) was excellent, but the highlight for us was the coriander-crusted duck breast, cooked sous vide and then finished off, with a reduction sauce. In the lounge, I strongly recommend the grilled vegetable bread salad, and the signature pork cheek stew. The latter went well with a Burgundy selected by Paul, and I finished with a Spatburgunder eiswein that was glorious — tart, sweet, with massive acidity on the palate.

Both evenings were terrific, and they’re just getting started. If you find yourself in San Francisco (or are a local), try Coi while it’s still possible to get a reservation!

Comments Off

The ideal San Francisco hotel

Jun 23, ’06 10:43 AM

Thanks to my friend Bryan (the same guy who writes Soup Noodles, mentioned in the previous post), I’ve found the ideal base of operations while here in the Bay Area: the Hotel Rex, a block or so off Union Square. The Rex is a classic old San Francisco “small” hotel — sandwiched in the middle of a block on Sutter among other businesses and hotels, with only 90 or so rooms. But it’s perfectly located, well maintained, and has both wireless high-speed internet and (in many rooms) air-conditioning (don’t let them put you in the rooms ending with the number 15…none of them have airconditioning apparently because of the fire-escapes).

The Rex is also located near amenities: the (very surprisingly good) Borders books on Union Square, and the UPS store, which is necessary to ship back all the books I’ve bought so I can still make the “one carry on” rule at the airport. The Rex is also right down the block from the Hidden Vine, an underground wine bar in the 600 block of Post. The bar is very nice and the proprietors committed to a great wine experience. I didn’t find a lot to my taste on the menu, at least this time, but fans of domestic wines undoubtedly will.

Speaking of book stores, what’s up with Cody’s in Berkeley? Normally a staple of my excursions to the Bay Area, Cody’s had almost no books on the shelves. Are they moving? Doing inventory? Hanging up the shingle?

Fortunately, Black Oak Books (up Shattuck by Chez Panisse) has gotten even better. Their new section dedicated to philosophy and the history of ideas is both massive and brilliantly stocked. I managed, in half an hour of looking at every square inch of the section, in piling up some 20 books. Naturally, common sense or guilt or the lack of desire to explain the receipt to my financial advisor got the better of me and I pared the stack down to just “the essentials,” but somehow the essentials still included some Zygmunt Bauman, Robert Brandom, Charles Taylor, Robert Axelrod, Ian Hacking, Quentin Skinner, etc. Previously, I’d snagged some Rorty and some cognitive science at the Cal Berkeley student store (oddly better than both Moe’s and Cody’s right now), so I figured that was a good enough haul for now.

Today I’ve got to pack all these books up and ship ‘em to Seattle, where they’ll join their brethren in being tucked away so as to not spoil the staging at my house, to be read soon on the deck of the new house.

UPDATE: Cody’s on Telegraph is indeed closing in early July, after years of losing sales to chain stores and Internet sales, apparently. This is really a sad thing — one of my favorite things about a day in the Bay Area was shopping at Cody’s and then taking my purchases across the street to have a giant tossed salad at Cafe Intermezzo (which is fortunately still going strong). A moment of silence for the passing of a once-great book store….

Comments Off

Adventures in Culinary San Francisco

Jun 22, ’06 8:44 AM

I’m down in San Francisco for a couple of days, having a few meetings and seeing some friends. While here, I’ve had the pleasure of a couple of great meals, with more to come.

After arriving, I checked on Jardiniere, the French/Californian restaurant by Traci Des Jardins. Traci is probably familiar to fans of Iron Chef America, where she appeared in a battle this last season (and did some very interesting dishes). I’ve been going to Jardiniere since shortly after it opened, having experienced her cooking at a private dinner party and Chave Hermitage tasting back in 2000. I wasn’t disappointed – the food is still excellent at Jardiniere, and the wine list is superb: four separate Raveneau Chablis selections are available, for example. I was a little less thrilled by the signature short ribs, but I think this is mostly my issue: braised fatty meats, which can be incredibly tasty, are now the French equivalent of fugu for me — it may be a delicacy, but it can also kill me. So I tend to eat very small portions of it, and feel guilty the whole time. I suspect if I’d ordered the risotto I’d have been happier.

Tuesday I stayed with a friend up in Sonoma, who (despite a full-time career in the software industry) is one of the best Chinese cooks I know. He writes Soup Noodles, an occasional journal (with pictures) of his attempts to interpret and perfect various dishes. If you’re not hungry by the time you read his essay on Chicken with Red Pepper Shreds, there’s not much hope for you. His kitchen was recently remodeled to provide massive BTUs in the stove and dedicated wok burner, and to give him an excellent work flow. We relaxed a bit with the remainder of Monday’s 2003 Raveneau Butteaux from Jardiniere, and then he made a superb spicy halibut with ginger, garlic, hot peppers, and a simple soy/vinegar/rice wine mixture. Gorgeous despite its simplicity. He also marinated cornish game hens (knowing my weakness for small birds) in a big pot of “master sauce” (a topic about which I’ll be researching!), finished with some organic chicken livers to give the sauce body. We drank a 1971 spatlese with this (which regrettably I forgot to write down), and the dregs of the Raveneau.

Tonight, he and I, his wife and her mother are going to Chez Panisse for downstairs dinner, accompanied by a couple of wines I brought for the occasion: 1988 Raveneau Butteaux and a 1991 Henri Bonneau Marie Beurrier Chateauneuf. The latter is a weak (to say the least) vintage in CdP, but in the hands of Bonneau we’ve had great wines and more to the point, they’re actually ready to drink — unlike his 1989 and 1990. The official menu for tonight at Chez Panisse is as follows:

An apéritif

Antipasto of eggplant caponata, Parma prosciutto, and wild rocket

Raviolini with ricotta, pecorino, basil, and yellow tomato sauce

Grilled Paine Farm squab with squab liver toast and warm salad of curly endive

and porcini mushrooms

Peach leaf, boysenberry, and nectarine ice cream bombe

We’ll see what last-minute modifications arise but altogether it looks like a terrific evening.

Comments Off

Restaurant review: Steps Wine Bar & Cafe, Friday Harbor, WA

May 29, ’06 11:58 AM

On this weekend’s trip to San Juan Island to look at houses, I had the good fortune of stumbling into Steps Wine Bar & Cafe, in downtown Friday Harbor next to Pelindaba (the lavender store and internet cafe). Steps is the project of Madden Surbaugh, a graduate of the New England Culinary Institute. His mission is to present local ingredients and change the menu daily, pairing the food with an excellent wine list. Although the list naturally has a full spectrum of Washington and domestic wines, Madden stocks white burgundy and Chablis, Bordeaux, red Burgundy, Rhone wines, and even the Rare Wine Company “New York” Madeira bottling.

I discovered Steps while looking through real estate listings online at Pelindaba, next door, and when I poked my head in during the afternoon to make a reservation (they only take reso for large tables, btw), Madden and company were busily prepping for the evening meal. I got a look at the wine list, and spied a large pan of Swiss chard being prepped for greens. I was hooked, and went back that evening. Madden and his staff took care of me, serving the last bottle of the Dauvissat Vaillons 2000 Chablis (turned out to be Jean Dauvissat, not Rene & Vincent, but it was still terrific with the food), and several tasty dishes. I started with the mixed greens dressed lightly with a thin gorgonzola, walnuts, and cranberries, and Madden followed this up with two perfectly tempura-battered Westscott Bay oysters presented on a drizzle of shoyu cream sauce. This was followed by the “main course”: two small plates of asparagus risotto (perfectly done, with local asparagus and the right balance of cheese and vegetables) and sauteed Swiss chard with sesame and shoyu (which was amazing — and I’m not a greens fanatic normally). I finished with a wonderfully flavorful scoop of orange marmalade ice cream, and staggered back to the Friday Harbor Inn.

Saturday night, after looking at property all day, dinner was a half-portion of the salad, grilled asparagus with a lemon-tarragon mayonnaise, and a “turnover” of Albacore tuna, orange oil, and olives inside puff pastry. I also snagged a little taste of the prawns with cardoons and artichokes, which I liked better than the turnover, and is something I hope to have next time I’m in town if Madden has it on the menu. The lime soup and a glass of the New York Madeira made an excellent finisher, after accompanying the meal with the Jasmin Cote Rotie (vintage 1999, if I recall correctly, and terrific after half an hour of decanter time — very meaty and roasty on top of the sweet black fruit core).

Friday Harbor has come a long way in culinary terms — from Herb’s and the Downrigger (both of which still exist) or the Pizza place (which no longer exists in the same form) near Jim’s Meats (“You can’t beat Jim meats”) — to places like Madden’s Steps. No longer is the Duck Soup Inn the sole culinary destination on the island, and that’s a great thing, especially if you like good food and find yourself in the islands. I’ll be back, and I’ll be encouraging all my friends to go when they’re in the islands.

Comments (7)

Memorial Day Weekend in the San Juans

May 29, ’06 11:32 AM

Now that the house is (almost?) ready to go on the market (our target is this week), I spent the holiday weekend up north looking at property. Friday and Saturday were spent on San Juan Island, and Sunday on Orcas. Today I’m spending in ferry lines of monumental proportions — the penalty for looking at property while the rest of the world is trying to vacation.

But the trip has been a really productive one. There’s a property on San Juan Island I’m going to pursue, possibly putting an offer on it this week after I get more information on taxes, septic system, and homeowner’s association assessments (like many places in the islands, the water system is community-owned and maintained). But if it all works out, the property itself is pretty amazing and — given a reasonable sale price for the Seattle house — within my range. I’ll post pics and other details once I actually plunk down earnest cash and make a formal offer.

On the job front, I’ll be at Microsoft for another month — to assist with some ongoing projects and transitioning part of my position to a new employee (whom I just hired into our Swedish subsidiary). The agreement is that I’m going to be working remotely much of the time, given the move and other stuff going on, but it shouldn’t matter much since coordinating with Olof in Stockholm is a time zone and phone/email challenge whether I’m in Redmond, Seattle, or Friday Harbor. Collaborative tools like Groove, Communicator (the industrial-strength version of Messenger), Sharepoint, and email work well, but there’s a basic time-zone thing that technology alone simply can’t solve for us.

Comments Off