Fresh is a restaurant located in the center of a gourmet food market that specializes in local products made to feed and entertain. Chef and proprietor Lisa Hemenway has really put together something different that’s aimed at getting people to truly enjoy the bounty that surrounds us.
There’s a large wine and beer bar with plenty of stools, and eclectically decorated tables and surroundings. Ours had a centerpiece made up of a terra cotta pot topped with a green apple that had a fork speared into it. A bottle of drinking water had fresh mint in it (nice touch). All the while, you’re exposed to the market that surrounds you, but it’s not entirely distracting (unless you’re like me and want to jump up and shop for all the house-made and locally grown and produced items). There’s also a walk-up deli, espresso and dessert bar.
At the beginning of the meal, fresh bread was served with delicious olive oil dipping sauce (a bit of a kick with spices and herbs) and a dish of Buterfi—think sweet cream butter, but better for you. A small dish of warmed olives, grown on Hemenway’s property, was also included. I loved them with my glass of Mayo Estate Sparkling Brut, a wonderfully food-friendly sparkler that seemed to change with every dish.
The Thai prawn pancakes were grilled golden on the exterior, moist and herbaceous on the interior and served with fresh lemon, Asian dipping sauce, pickled red cabbage with ginger. The dish had a slow-building, enjoyable heat.
We ordered the baby spinach salad from the specials list (changes daily), and unless you want to split it, prepare to fill up—it’s huge. Ours had Sebastopol micro greens, pea shoots, blueberries, tangerines, grapes, candied walnuts (not too sweet) and creamy goat cheese, all lightly dressed with raspberry vinaigrette.
For the first entrée, we went for the grilled Painted Hills natural filet mignon (it practically melted in my mouth). It was decadently wrapped in bacon and served with buttery, rich garlic potatoes and grilled asparagus. It paired great with our server Mia’s selection of Italian Montresor Ripasso “Baby Amarone” (smoky nose, bacon and cherry). We also had a perfectly cooked, lightly spiced sea bass filet that was served with Chinese five-spice and citrus, topped with coconut polenta, a unique combination that worked very well. A bright salad of Asian slaw was a bonus between each bite.
For dessert, we shared a chocolate éclair (I love those) and a caramel pecan torte drizzled with dark chocolate and caramel. After we finished, we took some time to buy a few things we’d tried during our meal (most things on the menu are also available in the market). Fresh is foodie paradise for sure.
