We visited the Restaurant on an unusually warm, crystal-clear February evening and sat on the patio. We started with a couple specialty cocktails and enjoyed our “welcome bites”—first some herbed salmon on a potato chip, then (after we ordered) a green garlic panna cotta with Dungeness crab, grapefruit and crispy garlic root.
The menu is set up for guests to order three to five courses (including either cheese or dessert), or one can opt for Executive Chef Robert Curry’s tasting menu. We chose four courses. First was a brilliant green watercress soup, served hot with a seared Nantucket bay scallop, croutons and Meyer lemon crème fraîche. Along with this we had the poached Maine lobster, which had three terrines of chilled lobster with peeled orange slices and chopped apples, with a swath of hibiscus and powdered brown butter.
A 2005 Lang and Reed Cabernet Franc (earthy, dark fruit) and a luscious Paul Hobbs Chardonnay accompanied our next courses. First was melt-in-your-mouth seared ahi tuna with crisp tempura vegetables topped with seasoned Dashi and basil seeds and accompanied by glazed pork belly (meaty, tender) and fresh greens. The tai snapper had crisp edges with a tender/moist interior, forbidden rice, baby bok choy and turnips with a spicy lobster sauce that had a wonderful, building heat to it.
Our third course was potato gnocchi topped with thin-sliced wild mushrooms, fresh pea shoots, plenty of parmesan nage (foam) and rich black truffle shavings. The Liberty Farms duck was served medium rare and sliced into medallions (except the leg) with crisp skin coated in a Meyer lemon glaze, hand-foraged wild rice with seared foie gras, tender baby artichokes and a drizzle of reduction sauce and fruit purée to the side. I look for these flavors together with duck, and this was one of the best I’ve ever had.
Between dinner and dessert came coconut custard with fingerlime pulp (it pops like tobiko), a fun blend of sweet and tart from Executive Pastry Chef Paul Lemieux. We went for crisp filo wrapped chocolate dumplings, which came with tarragon ice cream and Arbequina olive oil. A dish of candied nuts, truffles and caramels finished the meal, as well as a gift-wrapped package of candied jellies.
The Restaurant is an absolute luxury without pretense, with artful presentation and atmosphere (sculptures and artwork are placed throughout the property) and friendly, informative service that anticipated our needs at all times.
