Cook

We started off by ordering some Rombauer Chardonnay from the excellent selection of half-bottles on the wine list, then paired it with some fresh, crisp calamari that was lightly breaded and served with a generous amount of lemon aioli and a grilled lemon. Served very hot, it went great with the wine, which contrasted it with its smooth, round, buttery elements.

The soup of the day was a flavorful, hot minestrone, which had white beans, carrots, zucchini, onions and a dollop of fresh pesto along with parmesan cheese on top. For this course we also had the organic greens and roasted beet salad, which was both tart and sweet, dressed in a light sherry vinaigrette with a generous amount of mild, grated ricotta cheese sprinkled on top.

For our main course, we switched to a 2008 McCloud Sauvignon Blanc (crisp, lemon, mineral) and a 2007 Front Row Chardonnay (elegant, smooth, butterscotch). The first dish was a whole red trout (served without the head), which was pink in color and had a smoky, earthy flavor. It came with peppered baby arugula and some roasted fingerling potatoes, persimmons and sundried tomatoes. The Chardonnay lent a sweet contrast to the earthy dish.

The fish special was a grilled, thick filet of sturgeon with coarse salt and fresh Italian parsley with a lemon zest parmesan risotto. The citrus and fresh greens against the hearty fish and risotto created a great balance, and the dish went especially well with the Sauvignon Blanc, which gave it a clean edge.

Dessert was an incredibly creamy, delicious panna cotta with fresh berrries and a shortbread cookie. We also had a moist, flourless chocolate cake (not too dense) with whipped cream and salted caramel (which I thought made the dish). Both went great with a Taylor’s Tawny Port (leather, dark cherries, cocoa, caramel).

It’s rare that I clean my plate, but Cook made it easy to do so with every course.