Gastroville (finally) wrote their review of Manresa a few days ago, ending with “at this point in time Manresa is the place to head to in California for the high end of the cuisine.” I’ve only been eating on the high-end for a few years now but it’s nice to see my taste radar is well adjusted. They too were particularly impressed with the vegetables, proclaiming them presently on par with the mythical Chez Panisse and for the future – “we may be witnessing a historical process in California.”

I had my first Manresa meal of 2007 a few nights ago. Many of the dishes were repeats of earlier meals but I did manage to photograph the new dishes (and/or those I have not photographed before.) As usual, the meal was among one of the better meals in America that night. Notes are a bit scarce.

1.Fried oyster & Garden Veloute
The oyster gave a hint of sea while the veloute provided a rich earthy aftertaste. The balance and transition in flavor were masterfully done. Very Good.

Read the rest of this entry »

Oliveto held their annual Whole Hog Dinner this past week. It probably brings in more well-to-do foodies than any other Bay Area event. Throughout the dining room, you can hear culinary conversations (“Cyrus is better than Gary Danko” – well, I guess Ford is better than Chevy) as well as many of those “in the industry” talking about their latest restaurant adventures. This was my first Whole Hog, spurred in part thanks to my successful Special Risotto Dinner last year.

1. Salumi Platter
Oliveto has attained a mythic status among Bay Area restaurants for their salumi. Their original chef left to found his own salumi company – Fra’Mani. He still makes the salumi for the Whole Hog Dinner, preparing up to 24 months in advance to cure the meats. The salumi isn’t your average supermarket variety – it’s judiciously salted with very intense flavors. Gastroville claims the restaurant salumi is better than the Fra’Mani brand because it contains natural casings. Very Good.

Read the rest of this entry »

(this is a quick post regarding my meal during Oct 2006.)

I thought Senderens might be a decent diversion from the formal dinners that were planned for the remainder of the trip. A former 3-star chef takes off his suit and throws on a pair of jeans so to say – Alain Senderens changed the format of his Lucas Carton restaurant from a formal 3-star restaurant to a more fluid, less formal restaurant the allows him to let loose. It sounded like a good idea at the time.

1. Cream Foie w/ Basil & Olive Oil
Layered in a shot glass, cold foie @ bottom, warm basil, and an olive oil foam. Instant impact, this is what one expects/wants from an amuse bouche – this might turn out to be a great meal indeed. Very Good.

Read the rest of this entry »

(Note: This is a lost review from my September 2006 trip.)

One can’t eat 3-star meals all the time in Paris. My Troisgros meal in May was a big disappointment so I thought I would re-try the watered-down version of their cuisine at Table du Lancaster (at discounted prices, of course.) Michel Troisgros consults here so the menu reflects the citrus and acidic inspirations of their Roanne restaurant. Some reports say yay; others nay.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve added “cheaper” categories for the Bay Area and New York to better help everyone find restaurants for their price point. By cheaper, I generally mean restaurants that cost less than $75/person. The new categories do highlight a trend in my eating – I don’t eat cheaply often!