The meal was as good as the last – Alex & Aki are some of the better chefs in the country. For creativity, I’d say they are right up there w/ Ludo (former Bastide) – their food is more grounded in real flavor than, say, WD-50 or Moto. The other difference is ingredient quality – they are using top-notch ingredients whereas the other experimental places skimp on that front (and hopefully they can keep this up w/ their next venture.)

1. Sourdough Ice Cream – wild arctic char roe, blueberries, red mustard
Very creamy ice cream – slight sour note followed by a creamy saltiness thanks to the roe. Meanwhile, the blueberry’s acid and the sharp mustard leaves cut it. Wonderful texture as it turns from creamy to the popping roe. Excellent.

2. Raw Nantucket Bay Scallops – cranberry-horseradish, walnuts, black pepper
The scallops and walnut played off each other perfectly – both texturally and their differing sweetnesses. The cranberry-horseradish dressing completely overpowered the dish so i left it off. Excellent.

3. Key West Pink Shrimp Salad – condensed milk dressing, sorrel, tender cocoa nibs
The shrimp was compressed; this wasn’t the disaster of compressed crab at WD-50 a few weeks ago but I think shrimp (and crab) should be served in their natural satisfying state. The cocoa nibs gave the dish a touch of earthines and countered the sweetness of the shrimp – I would add a few more so they last a few more bites. Again, the dressing was too overpowering and I left it off. Ok.

4. Sunflower Seed Risotto – perigord truffles, applewood smoked bacon, jalapeno
This should always be included on their tasting menu – a bona fide signature dish. The ‘risotto’ is sunflower seeds but it exactly resembles some of the best risottos I’ve had at L’Arpege, Manresa, and Olivetto. This truffle version was better than the previous crab version – nice earthiness upfront, slight smokiness throughout courtesy of the bacon, a very subtle jalapeno towards the end, with the sunflower taste lasting for awhile. Excellent.

5. Foie Gras Torchon – huckleberry ribbon, violet pop rocks, yuzu powder
The most “exciting” dish I’ve had all year – right beside the gymnastics of Mugaritz. The foie was of higher quality (though not quite French Laundry or Manresa quality) but the sweet pop rocks bounced around the mouth like fireworks, constantly cutting the fat. Some might say gimmicky, but it worked perfectly. The ribbon had an intense taste and it served as a more traditional taste pairing w/ the foie. Excellent.

6. Broiled Japanese Eel – hot foie gras sheet, apple-olive relish, beaufort cheese, sherry vinegar aged in whisky/maple syrup barrels
I was a little worried about this dish because the sheet from the last meal wasn’t my favorite (nor am I the biggest fan of eel.) The sheet wasn’t nearly as plastic-y as last time and it paired nicely w/ the eel. The relish had enough acid to cut through the fattiness and the syrup (not pictured) gave the whole dish a satisfying sweetness at the end. Very Good.

7. King Salmon – foie gras consomme, morel mushrooms, red wine
My favorite dish of the night – this was a Manresa quality dish. The morels were perfectly preserved from the spring – they were as good as the morels I had in May in France. The earthy richness of the morels sublimely paired w/ the fish’s richness. The foie consomme, very subtle, gave the dish some body and a very calm mellow finish. Excellent.

8. Seared Scallop – prosciutto cavatelli, banyuls vinegar, artichokes
The most straight-forward dish of the night (or seemingly so) – good crust, scallop just a touch overcooked, the prosciutto cavatelli wasn’t doing much for me. Ok.

9. Turbot – grape-chipotle, fermented black bean-eggplant, spiced macadamia nuts
Some Tom Aikens-style plating with possibly the same taste reaction too. Every ingredient was great on its own but I failed to see how it all combined. The grape-chipolte was too strong for the fish; I just ate the fish w/ the spiced nuts (great bar food!) Ok.

10. Chufa Nut Crusted Lamb Sweetbreads – papaya–caper sauce, pickled chufa nuts, kaffir lime spinach
Probably better if served half this size. The lime spinach was brilliant – intense and acidic – it helped balance the fat of the sweetbreads. Good.

11. Crispy Pork Belly – smoked apple pudding, porcini mushroom marmalade, shiso
Very crisp outside, the marmalade did its best to cut through the fat and balance the dish. Good.

12. Prime Sirloin – pecorino-edamame mosaic, summer savory, smoked tomato jam
Very tender, quite rare, nice grass flavor. The excellent pecorino-edamame mosaic really brought out the grassiness of the beef. Very Good.

13. Morbier – persimmon puree, lemon chanterelles, olive crumbs
Ok, everything good on its own, but I might prefer straight cheese. Ok.

14. Chocolate Terrine – pistachio, red carpet clover, vanilla salt
Mmmmm… I’m not a big chocolate dessert fan but this was delicious. The terrine had a wonderful velvety texture – the texture itself was a perfect ending for the meal. But the sea salt really made the dish sing. In fact, I requested more salt (about 3x as much as you see in the pic) because each bite needed its fair share. Very Good.

Overall, this review follows the pattern of many that I write – good beginnings, excellent middles, and then it all tapers off at the end. I rarely get that soft landing where the richer dishes don’t sink everything. It could be my taste preferences, diminishing returns, or just getting full – hard to say.
Nonetheless, this was an excellent meal:

• They know how to make ice cream (recall grilled potato ice cream last time, sourdough this time)
• The risotto is worthy of being a signature
• The foie/pop-rocks could be a second signature
• The salmon/morels dish was sublime

While there is a fair amount of experimenting going on (and some might say “what for”), the meal doesn’t take on the R&D feel of El Bulli, Moto, or even WD-50. Instead, it’s a more “organic” (my word, maybe not the right word) cuisine that strives for flavor as its end result. They could use some editing but that will probably come as more people experience their food. As I try to sort these different restaurants out, it seems most aligned w/ my meals at Alinea and Mugaritz – lots of experimenting, some fun & new stuff, but food that generally tastes very good.

Can’t wait for their next place…. For now, you can read their adventures in their Ideas in Food blog.

- chuck

It nearly works the same way for food too. Top chefs from around the world hear LV’s cash registers and get invited to open an outpost. However, don’t expect to properly experience the chef’s cuisine in LV because it works just like New York, New York – it’s an often watered-down mechanized version of the food fit for the average American palette.

Alex is one of the lone exceptions. His LV restaurant is his only restaurant and he cooks there. I ate here on the 2nd-to-last meal of the road trip. I was expecting something a lot richer (from previous reviews) than I got. Went w/ the tasting menu.

It was a good meal but overpriced at $175. If i went back, I would create my own tasting menu that focused on the richer side of things – namely foie gras.

1. Carpaccio of Red Prawns w/ Sea Urchin, Celery, & Osetra Caviar
Pretty good, nice sweet prawns, but this dish didn’t have the impact of the similar L’Arpege I had a few months ago. The urchin’s creaminess should have offset the caviar a bit more. Good.

2. Roasted Sea Scallop w/ Savoy Cabbage, Pancetta, & Black Truffles
Very good, it’s hard to go wrong w/ ham/scallop combination; and black truffle bits generally don’t hurt. Very Good.

3. Saute of Foie Gras w/ Pomengranates, Aged Balsamico, & Butternut Squash
Very good, it’s foie.

4. Wild Turbot w/ Cauliflower Puree, Red Wine Sauce, & Porcini Mushrooms
Probably the least impressive dish, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t cooked on the bone. Fish was also slightly overcooked. Ok.

5. Wagyu Beef w/ Potato Gnocchi, Parmigiano, & Bordelaise Sauce
Good, I find myself wondering if I’m the only person who might prefer (good) regular beef over wagyu? I think they probably overcooked mine too but, hey, that wine was pretty good

The place was only half full on a Fri night but I suppose it’s a gigantic room. I’d try it again but I would be a lot pickier about what I ordered.

- chuck

Like a great Michelin-starred French restaurant, Keyah Grande is tucked far away on a hill in the middle of nowhere. It’s located a few miles outside of Pagosa Springs, Colorado; a city apparently famous for its hot springs. As you drive down the road, there is a only a large gate with the letters – KG.Press the call button, the gates open, and you drive 2-3 miles down a dirt road up the hill. Twisting and turning until suddently:

An ultra-modern hotel sitting on top of the hill amongst all of the woods. Walk inside and immediately there’s a Chihuly – they aren’t cheap. The 7 rooms are named after countries and decorated with furnishings from the namesake.

This is Japan:

and its view:

after reading his blog. This was the sort of place I was hoping to discover on my road trip across the country – hidden jewels off the beaten path that I may not make it to anytime soon. He had agreed to do a tasting menu of 11-12 items; upon sitting down, the tasting menu had 19 items. All right – my kind of place….

1. Vinegar Martini w/ Spruce, Walnut, Noble Sour Vinegar

A big bang with powerful, integrated flavors that completely enveloped your mouth. It might have been a touch too cold but the tastes set the tone for the meal – intense flavors would rule. This was a Bastide-quality dish. Excellent.

2. Grilled Potato Ice Cream w/ Smoked Wild Char Roe, Golden Purslane, & Chives

The ice cream was a touch icy but it had an incredible grilled flavor. The grill and smoked flavors danced around in your mouth after the ice cream melted away. You can read more about the preparation of the roe here http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_food/2006/10/ wild_char_roe.html]http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_fo…d_char_roe.html . Excellent.

3. Tuna w/ Comte, Red Ribbon Sorrel, & Onion Syrup

High quality tuna. The dish started sweet from the syrup, gave way to the firm texture and iron of the tuna, and ended with the saltiness from the comte crystals. The dish tasted great but I’m not sure if all the ingredients were necessary. Very Good.

4. Madagascar Prawn w/ Clear Buttermilk, Celery Leaves, & Brittle Curried Cashews

Cooked perfectly, just a touch cold in the middle. The brittle tasted gingerbread-like; it was possibly too sweet but perfectly satisfying. You could control the amount you ate w/ the prawn – put less – and you have an interesting play on the sweetness of the prawn & brittle. You can read more about the brittle here http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_food/2006/10/ curried_cashew_.html]http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_fo…ed_cashew_.html . Excellent.

5. Beer Battered Cuttlefish w/ Thai Basil, Liquid Chorizio, & Yuzu Disc

Nice frying (nothing like the heavy hand @ Senderens a few weeks ago) where the chorizio gave the dish some depth and the yuzu’s acid cut through the grease and gave everything a bit more brightness. I would suggest cutting the portion size to half. Very Good.

6. Mozzarella Yuba w/ Ginger-Scallion, Passionfruit, & Ground Olive Gomasio

The “mozzarella” was satisfying but unsure of the dipping sauce. One of my least favorite of the night. However, that might be because I didn’t know what yuba was. Turns out it’s made by soybeans – well, it tasted and felt like mozzarella. Ok.

7. Sunflower Seed Risotto w/ Jumbo Lump Crabmeat, Matsutake Mushrooms, & Fiore Sardo

A nicely cooked risotto (more watery ala L’Arpege or Manresa) with a great pure sunflower seed aftertaste that also enveloped your mouth long after the rice was gone. The matsutake gave it an earthy backbone. This was good enough for me. The crabmeat detracted from the dish for me because the risotto was done so well. Very Good.

8. Warmed King Salmon w/ Pistachio Cotton Candy, Watercress, & Jalepeno-Apple Dressing

It sounds like WD-50 territory but this dish worked rather well. Salmon cooked right, the cotton candy lent a touch of sweetness to the fish with a nice nutty aftertaste. The watercress and dressing gave it a small bite. You can read more about the cotton candy here http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_food/2006/10/pistachio_cotto.html]http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ ideas_in_fo…chio_cotto.html . Very Good.

9. Petrale Sole w/ Foie Gras Bacon, Woodear Mushrooms, & Membrillo-Tomolive

I don’t remember the fish but the foie gras bacon was velvety, decadent, and utterly delicious. It had a smoky aftertaste that lingered in the mouth; the tomolive giving it all some body. Excellent.

10. Turbot w/ Tamarind Cavetelli, Olive Leaf Arugula, & Black Radish

This dish flirted with perfection in a way that maybe only Manresa or Urasawa does for me. Delicate, the arugula gave it just enough bitterness with the radish adding a bit more kick at the end. Excellent if not for the cavetelli which muddied the dish. Here’s the recipe for the cavetelli http://ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_food/2006/09/tamarind_cavate_1.html]http:// ideasinfood.typepad.com/ideas_in_fo…d_cavate_1.html . Very Good.

11. Potato Gnocchi w/ Foie Gras Consumme, Red Mustard, & Argan Oil

Gnocchi was so light it was foam-like (some people might object?) sittng in the essence of foie broth. Very Good.

12. Slow Cooked Pork Tenderloin w/ Butternut Squash, Marinated Leeks, & Olive Caramel

Tender, but the meat lacked flavor. Ok.

13. Braised Lamb Neck w/ Whipped Baked Potato, Young Marjoram, & Roasting Jus

Meat was salty but still retained a decent texture (i hate mushy meats) and taste. Whipped potatoes were too airy – took out their satisfying aspect. Ok.

14. Hangar Steak of Grass Fed Beef w/ Hollandaise Sheet, Preserved Perigold Truffles, & Broccoli Florets

The hollandaise sheet was a bit weird (texture-wise) – beef had a satisfying flavor. I’m no truffle expert but the combination of the two was successful. Good.

At this point, the wine took hold and the notes are either illegible or non-existent.

15. Fourme d”Ambert w/ Smoked Dr Pepper, Chorizio Poached Pear, & Epazote

You can read about this on their blog

16. Hot Cheesecake Ice Cream w/ Port Melon Condiment & Grains of Paradise

17. Artichoke Cake w/ Blis Elixir & Rose Water Panna Cotta

18. Vahlrona Chocolate Brownie w/ Parsnip Ribbon & Ice Cream, Tart Cherry-Kola Nut

19. Coffee and Biscotti as Bubble Tea

Overall, I haven’t been this impressed with a first-time visit to an American restaurant since Bastide or Momofuku (and I had high expectations for this meal.) I can’t wait to go back. The meats dragged a bit but these two can cook with the best of the US. The menu reads like WD-50 but the food tasted more organic – take Manresa’s focus on flavor and mix in some WD-50 technique and pairings to extract and intensify flavors.

This is a destination restaurant – as my title suggests, I’d give it 2 French Michelin stars. The inn is beautiful and opulent, and the food is up there with the best in the US. I’d definitely put it in my top 10 and it’s possible it could break the top 5. I may go out of my way to try it again on my return trip across the country.

If you go, you should contact the chefs through their blog http://www.ideasinfood.typepad.com

- chuck