From the menu, you can choose two to four courses (in any order), or a seven-course chef’s tasting menu can be prepared for the table. And then there’s the wine list. Don’t even get me started. Not only is it extensive, it’s broken down into great detail. Choose one or go with the wine pairings for each dish—superbly designed by Chef Ken Frank, Sommelier Yoon Ha and Wine Director Scott Tracy. When we visitied, Ha brought bottles of the paired wines to the table with each course, then clearly explained their characteristics and how they went with each dish.
Our meal started with sashimi of Kona kampachi (almost clear flesh with a hint of shiso on top), atlantic fluke (with clover sprouts and a seeded mustard drizzle) and big eye (ahi) tuna with savory picked cucumbers, root vegetables and yuzu (sour Japanese citrus). This pure, sassy dish was paired with a very crisp 2007
Pichler Gruner Veltliner Federspiel from Wachau, Austria.
Next came a decadent, seared artisan foie gras with broiled fig, lime butter and toasted brioche, served with a sweet 2005
Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Sauternes—the play of sweet and salty between the dish and the wine was divine.
The
Creekstone angus beef tenderloin carpaccio was fanned out into a beautiful, dark flower with grilled king trumpet mushrooms piled on the center. Tiny fried cubes of potato added a hint of texture to the smoky/salty dish. It was paired with a 2007
Etude Rosé of Pinot Noir from Carneros, which enveloped the carpaccio like a blanket as it literally melted in the mouth. Along with that, we had the Maine lobster salad with sweet mango and bright lemongrass, served with a 2007
Pelerin “Les Tournesols” Paraiso Vineyard from the Santa Lucia Highlands, which was fruit-forward but also grounded rather than overwhelmed the dish.
The Wolfe Farms quail came with blue foot and morel mushrooms, spring onions and baby root vegetables—its flavors brought together with the 2006 Gevrey-Chambertin Les Champs Chenys from Domaine Gerard Raphet, a Burgundy chosen because the region’s terroir invokes tannins and earthiness that match the skin of the quail. This was probably my favorite pairing.
The West Texas “Nilgai” antelope came with a leek and black trumpet potato terrine with roasted root vegetables and red wine reduction. It had a sharp, peppery edge (which contrasted with the wine), with tender, bright meat served medium rare and well accented with the deep, dark sauce.
For dessert we chose
Cowgirl Creamery’s triple cream Red Hawk (
mmm), which came with golden raisins, bread and toasted almonds; and a delicious milk chocolate peanut butter terrine with a light banana sorbet and thin, toffee-like peanut brittle.
