We started off by ordering some Mirror Pond Pale Ale (Bend, Ore.) and Huge Bear Sauvignon Blanc (Knights Valley; citrus/lemongrass, excellent mouthfeel and a long finish). Some housemade, soft rosemary focaccia was placed on the table with a spicy olive oil dipping sauce with crushed red peppers and rosemary—a great start to the experience.
The first appetizer was baked Cypress Grove “Truffle Tremor” goat cheese (plenty of it) in a rectangular, golden puff pastry. It was served with fresh Hector’s honeycomb, lightly dressed greens and Zinfandel poached pears. The combination of each ingredient in one bite (with the pears as a palate cleanser in between) was an absolute delight.
The grilled lamb meatballs had crisp edges and were rare in the center, served with tzatziki (a Greek-style yogurt dip with cucumbers; great as a contrast to the meatballs’ building heat), salsa verde, calamata olives and toasted pine nuts on top.
The entrées were just as excellent. We first had the marinated grilled hangar steak, which we ordered “as rare as you can get it”—and it was. Salted and peppered on the exterior, it went well with the Truchard Cabernet (Carneros; a cool climate Cabernet with dark fruit, minerals and firm tannins). It was served with fresh baby carrots cooked with butter and herbs and duck fat fries that were hot, really crunchy on the outside and came in an overfilled stainless steel “bucket” on the plate. A béarnaise sauce rounded out the delicious dish.
The pan-seared California sea bass (the fish special for the evening) had golden-crisp edges and a moist interior with a hazelnut romesco sauce that really brought the flavors to life. Served with celery root slaw and golden roasted new potatoes, it paired well with a Mac Murray Chardonnay (Russian River Valley; lush with a long finish).
The portions for every dish were generous, yet somehow we found room for the coconut cream pie for two. Served whole, its flaky, perfect crust was filled with rich coconut custard, piled high with whipped cream and topped with toasted coconut and Valrhona chocolate curls. Hot Box has some really hot stuff.
