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LaSalette Restaurant Contemporary Portuguese Cuisine
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Just off the square in Sonoma, LaSalette is Wine Country’s very own slice of Portugal. Chef/owner Manuel Azevedo’s vision to bring authentic Portuguese food to our palate was realized when he opened LaSalette.
Its décor is rich with brown and gold hues, dark wood furnishings and a popular outside patio. Its intimate interior resonates with Portuguese music and lively aromas from the wood-burning oven. And with classic ingredients including fresh seafood, rice, African peppers, Indian spices and New World root vegetables, the food has a distinctive, rich style.
Azevedo frames his meals with “bites,” literally bite-sized offerings before and after the meal. So our first taste was soft herbed cheese and a thin slice of linguisa on a toasted round.
Our first course was a cheese and charcuterie plate of queijo fresco (house made farmer’s cheese, which was soft, mild and topped with a sweet tomato jam), Serrano Redondo (thin-sliced, cured Spanish ham) and white anchovies. It was beautifully presented on a small, wooden cutting board with a cluster of grapes and some raw almonds.
Next we ordered a Sonoma goat cheese empada, which is a circular, flaky puff pastry filled with melted cheese and shitake mushrooms, served atop wilted greens and a bright orange roasted sweet pepper coulis. Rich spices and earthy flavors predominated the dish, while the greens added a cooling effect.
The roasted beet salad had circular slices of both red and golden beets, topped with micro greens; a sphere of breaded, baked Laura Chenel goat cheese; and soft, sweet candied walnuts; all brought together with a tangy citrus vinaigrette.
LaSalette’s wine list has a healthy amount of Portuguese wines, categorized by style, along with mostly Sonoma County wines. We went for a 2007 Schug Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (red berries, hint of vanilla, smooth) and a 2007 Seghesio Pinot Grigio (pear on the nose; bright flavors).
The first entrée was a wild coho salmon served medium rare (moist and hot) with roasted sweet corn and sautéed collard greens, topped with a red onion and tomato relish. The second entrée was a tender pork tenderloin stuffed with a sweet mix of olives, figs and almonds, then wood oven roasted and sliced into medallions. It came with a cheese and potato puree, roasted Brussels sprouts and red beets and an earthy, savory port wine demi glaze.
For dessert we enjoyed the Arroz Doce, which is a family recipe for Portuguese rice pudding. Its rich, creamy texture was complemented by a crisp bottom and light, creamy caramel sauce. We also had milk and vanilla tapioca mixed with whipped cream and served atop a sweet, warm fig compote.
The final “bite” was a traditional Portuguese cookie that was more spicy than sweet. But even on a full stomach, it was very easy to eat.
