To get it out of the way, McCrady’s blew my socks off. My expectations were very high - Opinionated About raved about the restaurant last October, various online fora reports were exceedingly positive, and I knew Chef Brock moved in circles whose food I respected. In terms of “wanting to return”, only Manresa and Urasawa would rank higher than McCrady’s right now (in the US, that is.) Yes, it was that good ¹.

The restaurant is a study in layers and contrasts - old and new - yet manages to incorporate it into something unique - “a sense of place” as Chef Brock says he is trying to achieve. The building sets a grand stage - built in the 1700s, it sprawls up, down, in, out, and around what seems like most of a city block - picture the Gangs of New York opening scene. With this setting, he could play alchemist or scientist, and both, as you’ll read, could be appropriate descriptions. The chemicals and laboratory equipment is rumored to be stockpiled in the back (I did not visit the kitchen) but the garden, and soon the animals, share the focus. An older, presumably conservative crowd, chows down on molecular food in a historic American city. The whole scene can be a bit incongruous at first.

I had read of the experimental nature of the food but it was the chef’s commitment to growing his own food, chronicled on his blog since last fall, that had me most intrigued. And here again we have this great juxtaposition - molecular chef and farmer. I don’t have the historical knowledge of Brock’s cuisine but I suspect the ingredients are fascinating him more than the chemicals these days. In fact, besides Kinch (whom Brock holds in very high regards) and Urasawa, I don’t know if there is anyone in the US that is as obsessed about the ingredients in their food. It borders on the fetishistic - which is perfectly fine in my book.

I would have given a full blow by blow of the food but I did my best Anthony Bourdain impression and got sufficiently hammered. Most of the dishes are pictured below and I’ll expound on them and the general themes they played into. I’ve included the full tasting menu after the post ².

Charcuterie

Home-made charctuerie and butter are presented in the beginning. Farm to table - and all points in-between. Travis Grimes, a sous chef, prepares the charcuterie from Caw Caw Creek milk-fed pigs. The plan is to begin raising the pigs on the farm - feeding them vegetable scraps, heavy cream, and peanuts. Might I also suggest acorns? This was a nice beginning with liberal spicing - a theme throughout the meal.

Cherokee Purple, Olive Oil, Housemade Ricotta
The charcuterie was excellent but these tomatoes made me pause - the vegetable garden was certainly no vanity project. The tomatoes were intense, bursting with acidity and sweetness, among the best I’ve ever eaten. They may have been compressed, given the concentration of flavor. Ingredients and technique - coaxing the best attributes out of the flavors.

Zucchini, Meyer Lemon, Yoghurt, Local Shrimp
The lemon tinge, on the edge of being too acidic, balanced the sweetness and creaminess of the other ingredients. You couldn’t call it bombastic but it was clear the chef would not shy away from well-balanced big flavors - the spicing in the charcuterie, the intensity of the tomatoes, and the lemon in this dish.

Poached Scallop, Fresh Coriander Berries, Mango Vinegar
This was just a beautiful dish that hit every button for me. The scallops were cooked sous vide in olive oil and presented in a modern style. Again, some strong flavors that were quite balanced. A Manresa-quality dish - sublime (I haven’t used this word in awhile Denise.)

Tuna, Miso Broth, Ramp Kimchee
At first, it might sound like another Asian fusion cliche but the ramp kimchee gave the dish a powerful, unique jab. The tuna quality was very high.

Coconut, Curry, Arctic Char Roe
I mentioned earlier that the chef ran in interesting circles and I would speculate this dish was born out of collaborative discussions. I first encountered a roe/ice cream dish while eating at Ideas in Food. The textural and taste contrasts are nothing short of genius - the pop of roe mixed with the creaminess of ice cream, followed by the salty and sweet interplay.

Ideas in Food Sourdough Ice Cream w/ Arctic Char Roe from Keyah Grande meal in Jan 2007.

Oyster, Ham Consommé, Cornbread
It would be hard to find a more haute southern dish than this - the mix of the oyster’s brininess and the consomme’s saltiness provided the backbone of the dish. Brock takes his ham seriously (can you say Alan Benton?) and I suspect it finds its way into more dishes than I realized.

Wreckfish, Corn, Beans, Black Truffle
At long last, the Tennessee truffle - almost. My search is not over yet - these were Perigord black truffles via Tennessee via Australia. Tom Michaels, the Tennessee truffle guy, worked with an Australian farmer, where the weather was perfect, for the truffles in this dish. I was very skeptical when I heard of “the Tennessee truffle” but these (Australian) examples were abundantly fragrant. They were 80-85% of the best truffles I had in France two years ago.

Beef Short Rib, Spin Rossa, Pickled Morels, Smoked Hollandaise

Jamison Lamb, Farro, Carrots from our Garden, Merguez
How seriously does Chef Brock take his garden? He’s harvesting his own farro! The lamb was among the better specimens I’ve had in the States - full of flavor.

Trefoil Cheese, Smoked Grapes ,Saba

Lemon, White Chocolate, Local Berries

Were there any regrets? Yes. Admittedly, I did not do my proper research before arriving. If I had, I would have absolutely requested his uni ice cream and foie gras pound cake!

McCrady’s is not a secret, particularly after Chef Brock was nominated for a James Beard award; but it could be called a treasure. As I mentioned earlier, my want to return is quite high. If I were making a top 10 US list, it would easily rank. If someone asked where they could go to experience something special and unique (in the US), it would make the top 5 list. And the restaurant should only get better. Why? The entire restaurant, and seemingly every employee, has bought into Brock’s vision - you can hear their excitement every time they talk to you - you can’t force, or buy, that kind of morale. It is also just Brock’s first year farming the garden; obviously, he should get better with each passing year. The Europeans have discovered Manresa but it won’t be long before Charleston becomes a stop on their culinary itineraries.

“It’s in the middle of nowhere” (in culinary terms of course) is an oft-heard complaint. It’s really not. One could make an excellent food trip with a few hours of driving each day. An example itinerary could be: Bacchanalia in Atlanta (on my to-do list), a 4 hour drive to Radius 10 (Nashville), 3 hours to Blackberry Farm (Walland, TN; I’ve been assured it’s much improved since my visit), 6 hours to McCrady’s, 5 hours to Skylight Inn (Ayden, NC) for the country’s best BBQ (as says my BBQ-loving friend), and 4.5 hours ending at Minibar (DC). Town House Grill (Chilhowie, VA), with Alinea and Tru alumni, could also be an option. And the south can be serious fun. In fact, I may be so inclined to take such a trip later this year, McCrady’s being the centerpiece, of course.

- chuck

1 - Chef Brock and I have exchanged emails and messages through various online circles. I let him know I was coming in for dinner. We even shared a few drinks afterwards. None of this changes my high opinion of the food.

2 - The Full Menu

A Tasting of our Charcuterie
Charentais Melon from the Garden, Benton’s Ham, Balsamic
Cherokee Purple, Olive Oil, Housemade Ricotta
Zucchini, Meyer Lemon, Yoghurt, Local Shrimp
Poached Scallop, Fresh Coriander Berries, Mango Vinegar
Coconut, Curry, Arctic Char Roe
Tuna, Miso Broth, Ramp Kimchee
Beets, Strawberries, Hazelnuts
Oyster, Ham Consommé, Cornbread
Wreckfish, Corn, Beans, Black Truffle
Foie Gras Bacon, Pain Perdue, Blis Maple, Apple Butter
Suckling Pig, Dates, Turnips
Beef Short Rib, Spin Rossa, Pickled Morels, Smoked Hollandaise
Jamison Lamb, Farro, Carrots from our Garden, Merguez
Trefoil Cheese, Smoked Grapes ,Saba
Lemon, White Chocolate, Local Berries
Chocolate, Cocoa Crisps, Mascorpone
Petit Fours

Momofuku Ko by The (amazing) Girl Who Ate Everything - they might be the last (and definitely the best) pictures of a Ko meal since photos are now prohibited. It’s (obviously) not a policy I agree with. I’ll stick to Momofuku noodle bar or Ssam for my NYC trip in August.

Combal.Zero by Opinionated About - I’m sure most of you read the OA blog too but I’ll link to it anyways - modern Italian food - that even Steve likes. Will Obama pick Jeb Bush to be his running mate?

Facil by very good food - I’ll be the first to admit that Germany doesn’t hold much interest for me (despite being of German ancestry, driving a Porsche, and drinking German rieslings as my go-to wine) but Trine’s excellent photos and write-up make me want to re-consider visiting Germany. I would probably rent a 911 Turbo and drive up and down the Autobahn all day at 190mph; and then adjourn for dinner around 8pm, if I’m still alive.

Ristorante Cracco by Luxeat - After a long hiatus, Luxeat returns to give us another haute Italian cuisine report. The reader that goes by “C” will certainly agree, but maybe I should try to make it to Italy next year. How will I find the time to make it to all of these places?

L’Arpege by A Life Worth Eating - I’ve raved about L’Arpege many times in the past, and A Life Worth Eating might rave even more than I. I purposely left L’Arpege off the itinerary for my trip in two weeks (exchange rate, expense, & wanting to try different places) but his review is quite tempting.

Pujol and random tacos by Oishii Eats - and, finally, some beautiful photos and slice-of-life from Mexico City. I love tacos and I love ceviche; and I don’t know why I’ve only been to Mexico once, living here in California. Keep reading too - there’s definitely an original ending to the story.

Original content coming soon!

- chuck

1 - What restaurants you ask?

• McCrady’s (Charleston, SC) - quite exciting
• Manresa/Noma dinner - because I won’t make it to Copenhagen this year
• Fat Duck (UK) - my second visit
• Le Meurice (Paris) - a few people have highly recommended it
• Sa Qua Na (Honfleur, France) - some says it’s one of France’s best at the moment
• Ledoyen (Paris) - my truffle meal was excellent
• L’Ami Jean (Paris) - you can’t eat haute all the time
• L2O (Chicago) - everyone keeps telling me to go
• Alinea or Graham Elliot (Chicago) - we’ll see how the reservation game goes
• Blue Hill (NYC) - to compare/contrast it to Stone Barns
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns (NY) - a tomato dinner
• Masa (NYC) - it was that good last time, despite their recent price increase to $450/person before tax and tip
• Sushi Kaji (Toronto) - you have to eat somewhere in Toronto
• and then the Japan trip.

Most, but not all, of the dishes are shown below. The next Manresa meal is the Manresa/Noma (yes, that Noma) collaboration dinner in July - pen and camera will be ready.

Kisu and pancetta, perilla

Golden purses

Crispy mussel w/ nasturtium

Carrot “white satin” and foie gras royale

Sea bream, sashimi style, sesame, and olive oil

Horse mackerel with ginger, seaweed, and citrus ice

Mar y muntanya: sunchoke and wood ash, caviar

Spiny lobster with young garlic, basil

Abalone with algae emulsion, oyster tartar

Red tile fish and ramps on the plancha, button ceps

Kobotxas and stewed smoky white beans, ham fat

Wood pigeon baked in salt, asparagus “achillea millefolium”

Roast saddle of lamb with turnips

Carrot pudding cake and pomelo sorbet, pistachio praline

Spring apricot with fig leaf ice cream, noyau milk

Chocolate and coffee creme with cherries

- chuck

English Cucumber Sorbet
“Umeboshi” puree, Perilla Shoots and Compressed Cucumber

Something happened on this visit, my sixth over the past two years - the food began to click. Most, if not all, of the dishes were sufficiently restrained in the standard French Laundry style but there was a modernity to the plating and tastes - a lightness that might have been missing in previous visits. Was Corey Lee, the chef de cuisine, finally beginning to imbue his own style into dishes? This meal might be likened to Japanese kaiseki where revelatory dishes, and tastes, were not as important as all of the dishes, and their properties, considered as a whole. Was this the proper viewpoint for enjoying the meal? The whole experience was standard French Laundry with a slightly new (satisfying) twist.

Moulard Duck “Foie Gras Au Torchon”
Yellow peaches, Hazelnut, Mache, and Black Pepper Gastrique

A friend of mine, a L’Arpege veteran, came into town for the weekend so we decided on two meals - Manresa and The French Laundry. I thought they would provide an interesting contrast on what the Bay Area, and the US, has to offer in fine dining. Unfortunately, I came down with a cold a few days before the visit - horrible timing considering how much money I was about to spend on eating. Our table of four shared both menus - the Chef’s Tasting and Vegetable Tasting menus. I made liberal substitutions on my Chef’s Tasting and probably ended up with a Chef’s Vegetable Tasting. The pictures throughout the post capture many, but not all, of the dishes served that lunch.

Santa Barbara Sea Urchin “Tongues”
Sugar snap peas, Potato “Confit”, Red radish and Preserved ginger creme fraiche

I was excited to try The French Laundry coming into prime vegetable season for the Bay Area. I assumed the Vegetable Tasting would be a serious option since the traditional Chef’s Tasting menu rarely changes; and I wanted to compare the vegetable quality to places like Ubuntu and Manresa. There was only one mis-step in ingredient quality - morels. Local morels had just begun trickling into the farmer’s market but these had no purpose on a plate in any restaurant. A gnocchi dish, available on the Vegetable Tasting of course, would not have been out of place in a local neighborhood Italian restaurant - nothing extraordinary here - as the gnocchi was quite heavy.

Chilled Golden Corn Soup

The French Laundry is known for consistency and a few favorite repeat dishes did not disappoint. The foie gras, despite its $30 surcharge (on top of a $240 meal), is a must-order any time of the season. It has the smoothest consistency of any foie I’ve had. The taste can be somewhat variable, sometimes more intense than others, but this was among the best. The Marcho Farms veal tenderloin impressed me last visit but this visit’s piece was a reference piece for me. The season might come into play here - my last visit was last July and this visit was late May. The milk-fed veal probably changed slightly in taste, and possibly texture, thanks to the earlier season’s diet.

“Pinces de Homard Pochees au Beurre Doux”
Green Asparagus and One Thousand Island Dressing

The meal was not without its intensity, best expressed in a few vegetable dishes. The compressed cucumber sorbet had a concentrated cucumber taste. The “compressed” presumably refers to the preparation - compressing a fresh vegetable in vacuum (possibly with its own juices for even more concentration), freezing it, and then using it for whatever purposes. Ideas in Food has documented this process somewhere on their site. L2O’s Laurent Gras also wrote an informative piece about the process. The chilled corn soup took on a similar concentration and intensity, an ultimate expression of sweet corn.

Morel Mushrooms
Ramp top “Subric”, Pickled ramp bulbs, Mustard Vinaigrette, Glazed sweet carrots and French Laundry Garden herbs

And then there were ingredients that could be classified as exemplary. The sea urchin tongues, served at a time when they were just coming into season, were perfect. They had great structural integrity, delicious creaminess, and that slightest hint of sea. The peas served with the dish rivaled those of Ubuntu a week earlier - no small feat. In fact, all of the vegetable accompaniments to the various dishes were outstanding. There’s no question The French Laundry can deliver world-class vegetables during their prime seasons; there can be issues when vegetables are in-between seasons as last March’s meal (never posted) proved.

Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin
Yellow corn, Sweet peppers, Bluefoot mushrooms and Saucer Pimenton

And then there was dessert. Despite promises made earlier, my attention had faded by this point. None disappointed and the coffee and donuts is an all-time favorite - better than the Doughnut Plant.

“Brillat Savarin”
Medjool dates, Carrot ribbons, Parsley shoots and Curry “Aigre-Doux”

Gros Michel Banana Sorbet
Andante Dairy Yogurt “Granite” and Granola

Coffee and Donuts

“Fraisier aux Pistaches”
Licorice “Bavarois”, Silverado Trail strawberry sorbet and Blis Elixir

Coffee “Cremeux”
Chocolate granite, Baked “financier” and Coffee “Creme Anglaise”

Was it the season? A better understanding of the restaurant and its ways? An slightly updated approach to their food? Or a meal that was marked in the computer as “sixth visit?” Whatever the answer, The French Laundry is winning me over. I have two more meals coming up this summer/fall, with a third one possible provided I can make the necessary reservations. Its expense, and the difficulty in procuring a reservation, make it impossible to enjoy regularly but I am beginning to understand why Refined Palate likens it to home.

- chuck

1 - I hope this first paragraph does not lead to a demotion of my various search engine scores - a robot might indeed mis-interpret the context of a few relevant words.

Two weeks ago I noticed that traffic dried up. After some digging around, I realized Google had de-listed my pages because of spam. After more digging around, I realized that my blog was probably hacked, thanks to an outdated version of WordPress. And with a touch more digging, I found out that my host (Yahoo) was not updating Wordpress to the current versions.

Fair enough - I thought I would just update the blog. Silly me. Yahoo did not provide a mechanism to just update the blog. Fair enough - I will just move the blog to a different host. Silly me. Yahoo only archived the content in raw SQL files. After a bit of wrangling, I figured out how to convert them to the standard .SQL file.

I signed up for a new host - Dreamhost. They don’t have the best reputation but my blog will not bring their servers down; and I like their general system. I signed up. I import the database of content but nothing shows up. I start pruning unnecessary database tables til I reach the bare minimum - mainly, comments, posts, options, and links. Content starts showing up.

I log in to make some changes. Silly Me. I am locked out - “Permission denied.” After digging through countless pages, I finally find the gem - pjh’s post (2nd to last on this page): http://wordpress.org/support/topic/53261/page/2?replies=80#post-294408. Everything works.

I do some dry runs - re-install the blog a few times from beginning to end - make sure I’ve got it down. I do. Set everything up. Great, time to switch the domain name from Yahoo to Dreamhost. This should have been trivial but something got screwed up - site was completely down for a few hours. Got it back up. Uh oh, my email no longer works - where is it? The old stuff is somewhere in Yahoo; the new stuff somewhere on Google (Dreamhost uses Google for their mail servers.) Get that straightened out. Resubmit my site to Google for inclusion into their search engine. Cross fingers. I can only hope the RSS feed still works.

Despite having had some success with computers, I often think they will be our downfall. I am more technical that your average person; and this whole process was quite trying, not to mention time-consuming. I don’t know what the average blogger would have done if they had been in my shoes?

The blog should be up and running, available everywhere. I have no less than six different accounts to administer (Dreamhost, Wordpress, Google Webmaster, Google Mail, Google Analytics, and Google Apps) - wouldn’t it be nice if Google actually made their products talk to each other? They may have a great search engine but, aside from Maps and Checkout, the rest of their products leave a lot to be desired.

As for Wordpress 2.5 - I don’t like it. The preview post feature does not work. The layout is less intuitive than before. Such is life.

But what about the food?

There will be a few posts coming up soon - The French Laundry, Manresa, McCrady’s, potentially a great sushi restaurant in Atlanta, and Ubuntu.

That should last until my London/Paris trip. Booked so far - Fat Duck, Le Meurice, Ledoyen, L’Ami Jean, and Sa.Qua.Na.

All is almost back to normal.

- chuck

Analyzing the food is nearly impossible. The meal, and its component dishes, are a system that can not be reduced to single elements - circular and inter-locking. The flavors are balanced, subtle, and fresh - despite some dishes approaching what could be a dangerous number of ingredients. Ingredients pop up in one dish as a primary flavor, recede to the background, and re-surface seven to ten dishes later as supporting cast. The meal is a journey with complex patterns.

I raced down to LA a day before a weekend of festivities (a friend’s bachelor party) so I could enjoy a meal at Urasawa. A trip to LA has nearly become incomplete without a visit. When I walked in, I saw Refined Palate sitting two seats down. There’s no better place to unexpectedly share a meal with friends. The sake and wine flowed freely (my hotel was a brief walk away!) for four hours.

Below is a sampling of the dishes. There were more cooked dishes and sushi - you can read the extensive list on Refined Palate’s Urasawa post. It is courtesy of her that I have descriptions below; my only intent was to take pictures and enjoy.

Okinawan Spring Seaweed - served with tiny, little shrimp and topped with Gold Flakes

Kinuta Maki - Red Snapper and Shrimp is laid on nori with shiso and then very thinly sliced daikon encases the fish to resemble a traditional maki roll. It is topped with finely grated yuzu and a slice of pickeled ginger.

Goma tofu, Kyoto-style - Tofu made from sesame seeds, stuffed with sweet Uni (urchin “roe”), topped with freshly grated wasabi and gold leaf, served in a light dashi seasoned with shoyu and mirin

Toro Tataki - Ohtoro, from Spain, lightly seared topped with Shiso no Hana flowers, Shiso buds, Radish and Gold Leaf

Uni Nikogori - Fresh Uni, Small Shrimp, Red snapper, Fish eggs served atop Yama no Imo (Japanese Mountain Yam), topped with Pure Gold Flakes.

Sashimi served in a hand carved ice bowl - consisted of Ohtoro, Red Snapper and Santa Barbara Uni placed in a manila clam shell. The wasabi is freshly grated, Hiro’s soy sauce is made by him.

Asami Age - a tempura “sandwich” of Fresh Bamboo, Shrimp Paste and more Fresh Bamboo.

Uni sushi - one of many sushi courses including, but not limited to, toro, kanpachi, tai with sundachi, spanish mackerel, squid, uni, razor clam, mushroom, kohada, needlefish, abalone, giant clam, scallop, spanish mackerel tataki, hokkaido beef (A5-10), baby shrimp, and eel.

Japanese Plum and Jelly

Urasawa is a top, if not the best, restaurant in America. It is no wonder it was voted #1 on the recent Opinionated About Dining guide. It is a must-visit for anyone that steps foot on the West Coast - your view of Japanese, and American, dining will be forever changed.

- chuck

Coi (SF) by A Life Worth Eating - Aaron and I shared a meal at Coi. We didn’t agree on all of the dishes, but we did agree on the best. Coi is better than many, if not most, San Francisco restaurants but it still falls short of what it should be. Aaron sums it up best by “impressed by its potential.”

Sukiyabashi Jiro (Tokyo) by Andi Hermawan - Andi has been to a number of impressive restaurants around the world; this report is from his one of his latest adventure in the very difficult to get into Ginza branch. Sukiyabashi Jiro is one of two sushi restaurants to garner three Michelin stars ¹ and Jiro trained the other, Sushi Mizutani. Lunch is supposedly a torrid affair clocking in at 45 minutes and up to $500+.

Manresa - The Mirazur dinner (Los Gatos) by Sweet and Sour Spectator - I wasn’t paying attention and missed a chance to reserve a seat at the Mirazur dinner. Many people are quite impressed by Mauro Colagreco and his incredible ways with vegetables - you can read the Gastroville report from last year. Steve from OAD also recently went and enjoyed it (he may even write about it some day.) I’m not convinced of the trading-dishes-in-the-same-menu concept, but Sweet and Sour Spectator enjoyed their meal.

Bau (Germany) by Julot-les-pinceaux - Germany doesn’t get much attention in the blog circles but Julot-les-pinceaux has eaten at a fair number of fine German establishments. This is an interesting report to read, partly to help solve his dilemma.

Peirre Gagnaire (Paris) by very good food and Gastros on Tour - Pierre Gagnaire, despite the roller coaster, is a must-do for any serious foodie. It’s interesting to read very good food’s first meal - the conflict and confusion. It can be a tough meal to digest (no pun intended), it does require you to reflect later, and it can sometimes yield the most outstanding meal ever crafted. I think she is also correct that Gagnaire is a journey most of all, where some dishes are probably not meant to shine, something akin to a Japanese kaiseki meal. I almost want to include it on my July Paris trip.

- chuck

1 - Rumor has it that a few others declined the stars and attention.

I’ve been to approximately 20% of the restaurants in their Top 100 list. I’ll post some comments for each restaurant with links to my reviews for anyone that is interested. Some of the reviews, from the old days, are quite embarrassing for their petulance and/or brevity.

#1 - El Bulli (Roses, Spain) - The Mad Scientist - The safe pick for such a list, it’s hard to argue there is a more influential chef in our times.

#2 - Fat Duck (Maidenhead, UK) - Master of Production - Another safe pick that is certainly deserving.

#3 - Pierre Gagnaire (Paris) - Best Meal of My Life and
Pierre Gagnaire (Paris) - Truffles and Value - I have eaten the best meal of my life at this restaurant.

#4 - Mugartiz (Errenteria, Spain) - A Beautiful Meal - Certainly a unique restaurant but probably placed a bit too high.

#5 - French Laundry (Yountville, CA) - Calculated Cuisine - Another safe pick and i’d argue it’s placed too high.

#7 - Michel Bras (Laguiole, France) - Near Perfection - I haven’t been in awhile but I’d rank it in the top 5 for perfect ingredients.

#8 - Arzak (San Sebastian, Spain) - Can the Daughter be King? - My meal left a lot to be desired.

#11 -L’Astrance (Paris) - Second Chances for Three Stars - Everyone, including people whose palettes I certainly respect, seems to be in love with this place - not me.

#17 - Jean Georges (NYC) - Bombastic Fantastic - Seems perfectly placed.

#18 - Alain Ducasse (Paris) - Time for a New King - My meal felt like the restaurant was on automatic.

#20 - Le Bernardin (NY) - A Michelin One Star Meal - I believe it was once deserving of this spot but Eric Ripert is spreading himself pretty thin these days.

#25 - Troisgros (Roanne, France) - Jeckyll & Hyde - It’s a favorite of many people, and probably deserving of a higher rank, but my meal was disappointing.

#26 - Can Roca (Girona, Spain) - The Master Revealed - Reasonably placed

#30 - Nobu (London, UK) - This is Fish? - This doesn’t belong on a list of the top 3000 restaurants in the world.

#44 - Etxebarri (Axpe, Spain) - Legendary Expectations - A surprising addition, certainly worthwhile, go before it loses its charm.

#45 - Les Ambassadeurs (Paris) - The Best Truffles for Last - Excellent ingredients but the food can be a bit narcissist.

#46 - L’Arpege (Paris) - Purity of Flavor - A huge injustice since this restaurant should be in the top 5.

#54 - Masa (NYC) - My Best Sushi Meal - Last year, I would have agreed with this position but I’d move it higher after my last meal.

#63 - WD-50 (NY) - Mad Scientist - Seems like a decent position for this restaurant of hits… and misses.

#66 - El Poblet (Denia, Spain) - A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Another egregious mis-ranking; this restaurant would make it into my Top 5.

#82 - Pic (Valence, France) - The Empress Has No Clothes - I would not rank this restaurant.

#84 - Ledoyen (Paris) - The Harmony of Modernism - Another egregious mis-ranking; this restaurant would make it into my Top 10.

#85 - L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon (NYC) - Midtown Michelin Meal - About right, good and competent, but nothing too special.

As with any such list, there will be egregious omissions and some disagreements. There are three that instantly come to mind, including America’s two best restaurants.

Manresa (Los Gatos, CA) - The Spoils of Winter - The best restaurant in America, on the same level as French Laundry, Per Se, and Jean Georges.

Urasawa (LA) - Better than Ever with Real Kobe - The other best restaurant in America, depending on my mood.

And, finally, the complete omission of Japan certainly should raise a few questions as to the validity of their proposed list of the world’s best restaurants.

Next week - the food reviews should return.

- chuck

Aqua (SF) - I had intended for this to be a proper review but it really doesn’t warrant it. 2 Michelin stars? Expensive food for the business crowd that’s ok if someone else is paying. The quality of fish, for a seafood-focused restaurant, is average. A hamachi sashimi was completely overwhelmed by grapefruit slices. Abalone served with pork belly was muddled.

Boulevard (SF) - A good meal in a convivial atmosphere that can be enjoyed with friends - but nowhere near great. It is over-priced for the quality of the food and over-rated within this city. We sat in the wine cave and it provided a nice bit of anonyminity and seclusion. For a mostly ingredient-first cuisine, I found the ingredients fairly average.

Canteen (SF) - Another restaurant I don’t understand. My first meal was good but a second visit left me wondering why people are going crazy over good, but very average, food. You can get the same meal at countless other places within San Francisco - why hassle with reservations in this tiny restaurant?

The Village Pub (Woodside, CA) - The VC haunt, at VC prices. They try to be a touch fancier than your typical ingredients-first Bay Area restaurant but you have to pay for that privilege. They make a big deal about their relationship with SMIP Ranch, but the food options lacked many vegetable choices. For the same price, we could have eaten at Manresa.

Spruce (SF) - The sister restaurant to Village Pub - slightly better but very over-priced. The food was better here, low one Michelin star territory, but it lacks much punch. You could be eating at any number of places in the country. But you will immediately remember where you are when you get that bill.

Pizzeria Picco (Larkspur, CA) - A nice lunch stop on the way to Napa or Sonoma. It gets a touch hot outside in the sun but the pizzas are pretty good. The crusts were a little soggy but I’d give the pizzas a B+. The much-vaunted Straus soft-serve ice cream was slightly disappointing, with the El Rey chocolate edging the olive oil with sea salt.

Seaweed Cafe (Bodega Bay, CA) - Pretty average seafood for a restaurant claiming to be seafood-focused. A salmon tartar was overpowered by ginger and spice; grilled sardines were very good; and black cod, that silky lovely fish, was overcooked. For the money, they are many better options throughout the Bay Area. If you find yourself in Bodega Bay, with nothing to eat, it’s probably your best option.

Wild Flour Bakery (Freestone, CA) - A welcome spot tucked deep in the Sonoma back trails. Their sticky buns are humongous, gooey, and not too sweet - perfect. A fun little place that is perfect to stop in for a snack.

- chuck

At its best, the restaurant is undoubtedly a delicious expression of the local lands. In the San Francisco Chefs profile, the article state that Cal’s kitchen has an open-door policy for local foragers who want to bring their ingredients to the restaurant. Cal also maintains a personal garden/farm with many types of forgotten vegetables and fruit. You can’t get more local than that. The cooking is meticulous and careful - addition by subtraction - reeling back everything until the only necessary ingredients are left. It is a highly articulated expression of that now common cliche - “California cuisine.”

A (blind) chef’s tasting menu was available but the a la carte options sounded too appetizing. Given my enjoyment of this meal, the next one will be courtesy of that tasting menu.

Pea Shoots & Avocado Vichyssoise
This was a cool introduction to the meal. The vichyssoise had an intense pea taste, balanced by the avocado’s creaminess. Of course, it did not hurt that pea shoots have become my snack of choice this spring, displacing fava greens. This dish was the epitome of Northern California spring.

Nantucket Bay Scallops ceviche, meyer lemon, cilantro, avocado
Despite a creeping distaste for scallops (that I can’t explain), this dish was a stunning follow-up to the vichyssoise. The scallops had their requisite sweetness and the scallop / olive oil had a pleasant viscous texture in the mouth. However, it was the “less is more” approach to the meyer lemon and cilantro component that elevated this dish; the tastes were there, just within reach, enough to highlight the scallops, but restrained in a remarkable way. It reached the heights of minimalism that only Manresa and L’Arpege do for me.

Maine Lobster tartare, white miso glazed tangelos, manila mango, mustard green
Given the strength of balance in the scallops, I thought this dish would be equally impressive. However the white miso and mango flavors were somewhat cloying, overpowering the sweet lobster. This dish was still good but it didn’t reach the heights of the scallop above.

English Pea Risotto, morel mushrooms, chervil butter
I had reservations about ordering risotto (a roll of the dice in any but the very best restaurants) but the lure of peas and morels was too great to overcome. My worries intensified when the dish arrived, a small film had developed on the top - here we go, another gloppy risotto. How wrong could I have been? This was another true taste of spring. The risotto had the right consistency and the chevril (and hints of mint), again, broke through and gave the dish a perfect brightness.

Red Abalone slow cooked, white asparagus, sauce ravigote
Nice, tender, and meaty abalone with a great crispy outside; the sauce ravigote adding the slightest hints of acidity. The asparagus were not a revelation, nor the eggs; but they were fine accompaniments to the abalone.

Dungeness Crab “Cannelloni”, satsuma mandarin, local hass avocado, ginger emulsion
The chef obviously has a love for seafood and citrus; I can only wonder how great a meal must be during prime citrus season (one month earlier.) Crafting one’s own menu, it is also easy to order one too many of these dishes - and this was it. The avocado portion of the cannelloni felt like it had been resting in the refrigerator all afternoon (even the Fat Duck is prone to this practice) and its texture tempered my enthusiasm for the dish. The mandarin and ginger emulsion continued the ‘hardly there but just enough’ theme; this would have been a strong dish if not for the avocado.

Foie Gras seared, caramelized bosc pear, almond, verjus infusion, thyme
Considering the size of the previous courses (small), this foie gras dish seemed rather large in context. It may have been a bit too much; a heavy bridge into the heavier courses. Nonetheless, the pear and thyme proved to be excellent accompaniments. I rarely eat foie gras with sweet foils, choosing to savor the creaminess alone, but this remarkably sweet pear gave the dish its identity.

Bacon and Egg slow cooked duck egg, black trumpet, duck prosciutto
A nice hearty medley of ingredients - a dish that could have ended the meal. The egg was quite rich and fresh; its egg yolk a bright orange. The crisped bacon and prosciutto provided a great salty crunch with each bite.

Sonoma Duck, fava, morel mushroom, wild onion, parsley root puree
This was a competent dish, cooked perfectly rare to medium rare, but it was probably too much by this time of the meal - no fault of the kitchen since I composed the menu. The morels were muddier tasting than those found in the risotto. I ordered this thinking the meal needed to end on an obligatory meat note but the egg/bacon dish above would have been a better conclusion.

Palette Cleanser with Pop Rocks
The flavor of the sorbet is long lost but the memory of those pop rocks are still bouncing in my head. These pop rocks had a major punch, popping for up to a minute or two! Pop rocks seem to be the newest trend (where did I first see them?) in desserts but these were certainly some of the more potent.

Oak Tree
This was a strange conceptual dessert that tasted good. The ice cream flavor was supposedly “oak” but I’m not sure what that means - I forgot to ask - and though I’ve forgotten the taste, it did not overly remind me of oak trees. The strawberry sorbet was vibrant and sharp and the mini donuts crisp and gooey on the inside. Everything tasted great on their own terms, but I did not understand the conceptual grouping.
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Springtime, Carmel Valley, California, April 2008 - this meal. It showcased the burgeoning of spring and the winding down of citrus. The ingredients were allowed to shine though, gently coaxed for maximum flavor. The next time a Julot-les-pinceaux asks me for a restaurant recommendation “uniquely California”, I might have the perfect answer ¹.

The Bay Area Michelin guide did not make it as far south as Monterey and Carmel; but Marinus did score very high in the recently released Opinionated About Dining guide, ranking behind only Manresa and The French Laundry in Northern California. If every Marinus meal hits the highlights of this one, that is an absolutely correct assessment ²

- chuck

1 - Obviously, as you read the review, not everything is local. I’m not an expert on Northern California seafood seasons but, given the exemplary Monterey Bay catches, I’m sure Marinus uses local seafood whenever possible.

2 - I would also put Sawa and Quince slightly above it, but it certainly ranks as a Top 5 Northern California restaurant. If you are in Carmel, Pebble Beach, Monterey, or Big Sur; it’s a must-do restaurant.