Back to Napa

Time for the annual trip to Napa, and that means that our first stop must be at Morimoto in Downtown Napa.  This year we arrived early and were able to take advantage of lunch instead of dinner, so I'm able to talk about different menu items than the ones I posted last year.

Wednesdays in Napa are very quiet, so we were able to dine while hearing what the other said, which was a challenge with last year's Friday night dinner.  Our waiter asked us if we had any questions about the menu, and I only had one "How do you decide?"  I had already been thinking about just ordering from the appetizers, and he actually recommended it stating that some of their most unique items are listed there.  He recommended ordering 3-4 appetizers and supplementing with sushi.  Okay, no twisting of my arm needed.

Morimoto has two tartares on his menu.  Last year we decided to try the hamachi tartare, but this year we went back to the tried and true toro tartare just because I prefer toro to hamachi.  Everything else about the dish is the same: perfect.  The tartare is served with nori paste, wasabi, sour cream, chives, guacamole, and a crispy sesame puff, along with a soy dipping sauce so that you can create the perfect bite.  Realistically, they are all perfect bites.

toro tartare – wasabi, nori paste, sour cream 

Next up was the wagyu carpaccio which I tried to convince my husband was absolutely awful.  My tease failed and I had to share the heavenly dish.  The beef was perfectly tender, just a hint of searing, and the sauce was the perfect compliment.

wagyu beef carpaccio – yuzu soy, ginger, sweet garlic

The kitchen decided to serve the sushi next since our remaining two appetizers were on the heavier side.  We are big fans of saba, so to see horse mackerel on the menu, we knew we had to try it.  We also really wanted to try the amberjack.  All of the sushi was fresh and simple.  The kitchen didn't add any sauces to the enhance or change the flavor of the fish.  There was, of course, soy on the side and wasabi served with the dish.  One thing to note: the prices listed on the menu are per individual piece of sushi and not per pair as is more traditional.  So be careful when ordering if you're worried about money.

Clockwise from top left: hamachi / yellowtail, aji / horse mackerel, kyu-ri / pickled cucumber, kanpachi / amberjack, saba / japanese mackerel 

There are no words to describe the next dish.  No words that could possibly give it the justice it deserves.  All I will say is this: I love the pig and I feel for those who are unable to eat pig due to dietary or medicinal reasons.  You might recall how much I loved the pork belly at Hinoki and the Bird.  Well, I only like it in comparison to this.  I never wanted this dish to end.  And when eating the congee mixed with the natural juices of the pork, along with jus, it made me happy that the dish wasn't over just yet.  Our waiter said that next time we need to order the sticky ribs, but I can't imagine them being better than this.

kakuni – ten hour pork belly, rice congee, soy-scallion jus

And for our final dish, we were served our hamachi tacos.  The wonton taco wrapper was light and airy and the fish was served very naturally  A light way to end our meal.

hamachi tacos – avocado, yuzu koshu, lime

I can't wait to go back to Morimoto try even more dishes (and have the pork belly again).  Having been to both his Napa and New York locations, perhaps its time to venture to Philadelphia and Waikiki to see what they have in store for me.

Hey Lucy!

First night in Yountville and we actually don't have reservations anywhere.  Mostly because we were wait-listed at The French Laundry, but also because with our having such a late lunch at Morimoto I wasn't sure what we would be up for.  As the night went on, the hunger pangs began to develop and I pulled open my Open Table app.  I had already identified the casual dining, no reservations needed restaurants, but my husband heard there was antelope on the menu, and off to Lucy at Bardessono we went.

The Bardessono hotel is located just off Washington Street behind Bouchon.  It was a nice night, so all of the diners (what few there were) were out on the patio.  The two-top tables are set up in such a way that the two diners sit next to each other facing the backs of the diners at the two-top in front of them.  The menu is simple and easy to read, but they hand you an iPad to select your cocktail and that was the biggest disappointment (or, only, to be frank) as it worked very slowly and delayed the ordering process.  I've seen this work at other restaurants, so perhaps they just need to work on their app.

Drink and food orders were placed and we were asked if we wanted bread service.  I appreciated the question, as sometimes I don't and feel bad for the wasted bread that could have gone to needy people.  The bread was very good, probably from Bouchon, served with a room temperature butter sprinkled with black sea salt.  Then out came an amuse bouche fresh from their garden.  A simple spring roll with fresh vegetables in a ponzu sauce.  The ponzu must be made in house as it was very citrusy.  The spring roll was good, but even though it was small, the rice paper to vegetable ratio seemed a little off.

Ponzu spring roll from the garden

Now I am not the biggest carrot fan on the earth, especially not cooked carrots (nightmares of Hanukkahs past continue to haunt me of my mother's previously-frozen crinkle cut sweetened carrot "dish"), so I let the husband order the carrot salad.  Of course when it arrived there were jokes like "Would you like some carrots with your carrots?" and also, "You're going to start resembling Susan Dey from the Partridge Family."  The husband was quick to point out that some of the carrots were white (or yellow depending on your vision).  I believe those were the ones that were confited.  He said that it was the carrot chips that really made the dish as they added a much needed texture.

Freshly Dug Carrot Salad (confit carrots, carrot chips, curry shallot dressing, carrot fronds)

I, on the other hand, went for the "It's not a caprese" salad.  When you hear that the salad includes house-pulled mozzarella its natural to get excited.  Well, don't bother.  The mozzarella was dry and dense, and had a grainy texture to it.  When I have tomato and mozzarella salads I expect my mozzarella to be soft, to be what the markets call "fresh mozzarella."  This might have been fresh, but it simply wasn't good.  The tomatoes were fresh and tasted like garden grown tomatoes.  The basil had a very faint basil flavor and the balsamic was the perfect acidic bite, not too acidic and not too sweet.  I would have liked a little more salt on the dish, but that is a personal preference.

Ginaquinta tomatoes, house pulled mozzarella, basil, apple balsamic

Well, it started to get dark out before the entrees arrived and since I don't want to be one of those diners whose flash disrupts the entire restaurant, you'll need to forgive the next few photos.  Time for the antelope dish that brought us here.  I had a quick bite of the antelope, and it seemed okay to me.  The husband really enjoyed and wanted to gnaw on the bone right there in the restaurant.

Broken Arrow antelope chop, ratatouille,   tomato-ancho jus

I went for the lighter scallops.  It should be noted that the menu offers two sizes for their entrees: a 3-ounce and a 6-ounce depending on your hunger.  I ordered the 3-ounce, but I think I may have ended up with the 6 as that's what the bill said, and it looked like more scallop than I was expecting.  No real complaints here though.  The scallops were amazing.  Perfectly cooked.  Soft, yet warm centers.  Only downside was the dish came with more fresh tomatoes.  Don't get me wrong, I love fresh tomatoes, but I just had a whole plate of them as a salad.  I feel like I should have been told about this when I said I wanted to start with the tomato salad.  The corn pudding was good though I didn't want to combine it with the sherry reduction, as is what ended up happening.  But the scallops were truly the star of the plate.

Diver scallops, corn pudding, mustard  greens, pineapple tomatillo salad, spanish sherry reduction

The end of the night came and we decided to pass on dessert as we do have a lot of eating to do while we are here.  Thankfully right before the check came they brought us two small bites that perfectly capped the meal.  They were rocky road bars made with dark chocolate, so not too sweet.  The host told us that these are his favorite and the reason for his very slight belly.

Rocky road bars

The night was over and we walked back to our hotel pleased.  Was this the best meal I've ever had in Yountville?  No.  But it was a good meal and I would definitely recommend it.

These are a few of his favorite things

Time for the annual birthday steak dinner for my husband.  I was originally going to go somewhere else when a coworker mentioned to me that there were new restaurants at the Americana at Brand.  A quick Google revealed that famed chef Michael Mina had just opened a branch of his Bourbon Steak chain at the mall, and with a name like that, how could I pass it up!  Plus I've heard great things about Michael Mina, so this would be a good opportunity to give him a try.

Now while I might be an amateur foodie, there are a few things I won't eat and one of those things is duck.  There is no rational explanation for why duck is considered a "forbidden food," so you just need to accept that it is.  Michael Mina is known for his duck fat fries, and they are served at his restaurants as an amuse bouche, so I was prepared to turn them away.  The server brought them much quicker than I expected and I felt guilty cutting her off with my "We don't eat duck!" declaration as she was starting to explain the dish, so imagine my relief when she said they no longer prepare them in duck fat.  Hallelujah!  I don't know what they were cooked in, and to be honest, I don't care either.  She explained the fry seasoning and dipping sauces too quickly for me to catch, so all I can tell you is that the middle sauce seemed like a Caesar and I didn't like it, but otherwise it was very tasty.

Amuse Bouche: a trio of fries not cooked in duck fat

For our appetizer we decided to go with the tuna tartare which is assembled tableside traditionally with a quail egg; however, quail is a "forbidden food" so we asked our server to substitute with a chicken egg.  It might have changed the taste a little, but I'm not sure how.  The plate comes with the diced tuna shaped in a circle and the accouterments on the side, but before you know it, its all mixed together and then shaped like a heart.  It took me a second to remember that the diced white pieces were pear and not onion, as that would have been overwhelming.  The dish was perfect and was served with the right amount of toast points.

Michael's Tuna Tartare (Asian pear, pine nuts, scotch bonnet, mint, sesame)

One of the unique aspects of Bourbon Steak is their bourbon cart.  The sommelier comes by and serves a trio of bourbons smoked tableside to accentuate ones particular flavor profiles.  When I first read that description I thought the smoking was particular to the individual diner, but its more about finding a flavor that will accentuate the bourbon.  Each flavor accentuator is smoked into the glass before the ounce of bourbon is added.

The Bourbon Cart

Tonight's trio were Rittenhouse Rye with Cinnamon, Elijah Craig with Star Anise, and Larceny with Orange and Lemon Peel.  As the drinks were for my husband, I can only tell you what he said which was that it was amazing how the smoke had accentuated the flavor of the bourbon, but he wasn't sure that it made enough of a difference.  Honestly, I think he was just excited to get to try three other bourbons.

The Bourbon Cart Trio

For our salad course my husband selected the beets.  I got an opportunity to taste a golden beet, and it was as good as it should be.

Heirloom Beets (cypress grove goat cheese, pistachio, golden balsamic)

I went with the garden kale salad, which is traditionally served with blue cheese, but I asked to be served without as blue cheese does not like me.  I'm honestly not sure what the chips on top were.  The salad was good, but honestly too large as I found myself tiring of eating kale.

Garden Kale (kumquat, golden raisins, candied pecans)

I wasn't sure what to order as I wasn't in the mood for steak and our server made the lamb sound so tasty, I couldn't refuse.  She said it was actually the dish that she recommends to foodies.  The dish is made up of two lamb chops, a lamb cigar, and lamb tongue.  The tongue was interesting, and I think, quite possibly, the first tongue I have ever eaten.  It was small, but I shared it with my husband.  The lamb cigar was heavenly.  It was, I believe, lamb shank rolled in a phyllo dough and fried.  And, of course, the lamb chops were heavenly, though I had to bring the bones home in order to get all of the goodness off the bone instead of embarrassing my husband in the restaurant.

Anderson Valley Lamb (medjool date, carrot couscous, harissa jus)

One of the specials that night was an American Wagyu Rib Cap.  My husband has loved this cut of meat ever since he first experienced it at Gordon Ramsay's Steak at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas.  He said it was exceptional.

American Wagyu Rib Cap

For sides my husband selected the lobster whipped potato.  This picture was taken after my husband served himself a spoonful.  I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but the whipped potato was looser than one would expect.  It was quite gloopy which you can sort of tell from the aftermath of a serving in the picture below.  Also, I didn't notice much lobster.  The flavor was good, but not what I would think of when ordering whipped potatoes.

Lobster Whipped Potato

For the vegetable he selected the Delta Asparagus, I think because he was curious what the seven treasures were.  He said the seasoning reminded him of something he would have gotten out of the freezer section of the grocery store.  I have to disagree with him as I thought it was fantastic.  One of the seven treasures is I believe a Chinese sausage cut thinly, but honestly I'm not certain.

Delta Asparagus with 7 Treasures

Dessert was a difficult decision to make, but ultimately we selected the bread pudding.  The bananas didn't seem very caramelized, but I'm not complaining.  The bread pudding was the perfect consistency, and not very sweet, making the buttered rum sauce the perfect compliment.

Pastry Case Bread Pudding (caramelized banana,buttered rum sauce)

Bourbon Steak was the perfect restaurant for my husband's birthday dinner, and I can't wait to go back again and this time, try the steak myself!

A Trip Through the Chunnel

Our close friend decided to celebrate his birthday in Las Vegas and selected Gordon Ramsay's Steak in the Paris Hotel and Casino as the location for his birthday dinner.  I was skeptical having eaten at Chef Ramsay's restaurant at the London Hotel in West Hollywood as the portions were freakishly small and after having spent $200 on dinner, I still needed to take my husband through the drive-thru in order for him to have a complete meal.  But, this was not our birthday dinner so we stayed quiet about our concerns.

We walked through the casino to find the unusual entrance to the restaurant.  It reminded us of a tunnel, but no one said anything to us as we entered.  We checked in and were asked to spend a few minutes in the bar while our table was set up.  When we were called we were brought back to the inside entrance of the restaurant and at the point our hostess explained that when we entered the restaurant that we left Paris via the chunnel and were now in England.  That's actually kind neat, but maybe that should have been explained when we first arrived in England and not minutes later as an after thought.

We were escorted through the main dining room heading towards the upstairs seating when our hostess stopped us and pointed to the ceiling fixture in the center of the room.  She then explained to us that the fixture represents Chef Ramsay's hand movements.  No explanation of what movement his hand is making, just his hand movements.  Took everything inside me to not giggle as the hostess was explaining this to me with a straight face.  This was only the beginning of Chef Ramsay's displays of arrogance.

Chef Ramsay's hand movements as a ceiling fixture

We were seated upstairs and were directed to a bi-fold on the table containing the Hell's Kitchen Limited Edition Tasting Menu.  If everyone at your table orders the tasting menu for $145 per person (and its an all or nothing order) then you get to take home the accompanying autographed photo of Chef Ramsay.  Arrogance display number 2.

We were then given our menus that were engraved with the same representation of Chef Ramsay's hand movements, along with a logo of Chef Ramsay holding two knives.  Arrogance display number 3.  God forbid you forget for even a moment whose restaurant you are in.

The Wheel of Meat (my name for it, not theirs) is then brought to the table and each cut is introduced and explained.  We are also told that the meat is hand selected by Pat LaFrieda of New York and dry aged for 28 days minimum in his Himalayan salt room.

Wheel of Meat

The bread plate is then brought to the table and it was difficult to not eat each kind of tasty bread, but alas, I had to share.

I chose the English Chowder as my starter.  It was very yummy and not terribly creamy, and I loved finding the citrus pearls that popped in my mouth.

English Chowder (smoked haddock, scallops, fingerling medallions, citrus pearls)

Everyone else at the table ordered the onion soup.  I was able to have a taste of it and while it was very flavorful, I actually found it to be too sweet.  And for those who don't know, Welsh rarebit is cheese sauce on toast and has nothing to do with rabbit.

British Ale Onion Soup (Boddington's Pub Ale, caramelized onion broth, Welsh rarebit)

I have been a fan of Beef Wellington ever since I was a teenager when it was served as the main course at a wedding.  I have since even made it twice for Christmas dinner, once using a filet loin and once as individual wellingtons using filet mignons.  It is not often on restaurant menus due to its complexity, and as this menu states, the length of time required for cooking.  But I felt tonight that my dinner dates could wait the 45 minutes it would take for my Wellington to be prepared.  I actually think in the long run that the extended wait was a blessing as it gave us time to digest our soups and the bread.  While the Wellington was prettier than any version I've prepared, I was actually disappointed in the taste as I found it to be bland.  I'm not certain if any pate was coated on the meat as is traditional.  It simply tasted like meat inside puff pastry and I like my recipe better.

Roasted Beef Wellington, glazed root vegetables, potato puree, red wine demi-glace

My dish came with its sides so I allowed everyone else at the table to decide the sides and I simply had a taste of each.  Both the potatoes and the mac & cheese were yummy, but I felt bad as everyone else was so focused on their steaks that we left most of the side dishes behind.

Fingerling Potatoes (parmesan, truffle) and Mac & Cheese (blue, cheddar, parmesan, truffle)

Admittedly I never had a taste of the asparagus, which is a shame as I love asparagus.

Grilled Asparagus (chanterelle relish, asparagus spears, aged sherry)

When we were shown the Wheel of Meat the server focused a great deal of time on the American Wagyu Rib Cap as the rib cap is rarely on restaurant menus.  The rib cap is also referred to as the tastiest part of the cow.  That was all the men needed to hear as both of them ordered it as their main course.  And while I was only allocated one bite, I must agree that it was yummy.

American Wagyu Rib Cap (beef marbling score of 9 or higher)

We did not order dessert that night as there was birthday cake waiting for us back at the hotel.  That said, we all left with our tummies filled to the brim - the complete opposite of my last Chef Ramsay experience.  I would strongly recommend Gordon Ramsay's Steak not only to any Celebrity Chef Foodie, but also to anyone who wants to enjoy a good steak while in Vegas.  It was a great experience and I'm proud to say that I was again able to withhold my giggling at the ceiling fixture when we were leaving the restaurant.

I left my Ferrari at home

I've been hearing for months (quite possibly since January when it opened) about Hinoki & The Bird.  NPH tweeted about it.  Bon Appetit Magazine named it one of the 50 best new restaurants in the US.  And recently during LA's Food & Wine Festival when asked what was his favorite restaurant in Los Angeles, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto refused to name a favorite as he has too many friends, but mentioned Hinoki.  So a night with The Bird was in order.

Their online reservations are through Urban Spoon and not my typical Open Table so when my husband asked what the dress code was I deferred to Yelp which said it was "dressy."  Yelp lied.  If the servers are wearing chambray shirts, rolled up jeans and Converse Chuck Taylors, and the chefs are wearing slate blue henleys, the restaurant is not "dressy."  I wouldn't say its casual either as you will be hobnobbing with LA's self-professed finest, so wear nice jeans and a nice shirt for guys, and heck, even for ladies.  Its not your clothes that will make you stand out - its your car.  Upon arriving at the restaurant there was a bright red Ferrari waiting to parking, and when we were waiting at the valet stand for our car it was an endless parade of BMWs, Porsches, Land Rovers, Range Rovers, and so on.  But personally I think the valet enjoyed driving my sporty Volkswagen.

We were seating outside on their spacious patio and I immediately starting looking up to see if they had a heating system installed in the rafters, and they do not.  This left me wondering how the restaurant will operate in the winter when most of its seating is outside.  One nice feature of the patio is the retractable awning which opened up as we were dining allowing us to "dine under the stars."  Though I have a feeling there were a few stars in the restaurant with us.  If for nothing else, I saw Meathead (aka Rob Reiner) at the valet.

Retractable patio awning

The menu is similar to the latest trend of small dishes, but they have small, medium and large.  Our server's advice was to get two or three small, maybe one medium, and then for us to each pick an entree and then share sides.  We decided to go with three smalls, two mediums, and one large with two sides.

First up was the marinated tuna which we were told was served sashimi style and is marinated in ginger and something else for about an hour.  That said, the tuna did not have much flavor and was overpowered by the accompanying items on the plate.  A disappointing way to start the meal.



marinated tuna, lemongrass salad

 

Next up was their famous lobster roll.  The exploding with lobster roll is server in a charcoal-enriched brioche bun.  The charcoal has little to no impact on the flavor, but makes the color of the roll unique.  Full of flavor, little to no mayo, bursting with lobster.  Looks like we're heading in the right direction.
 

lobster roll, green curry, thai basil

I won't deny it - I love crab.  I love crab more than I love bacon.  So whenever I see a crab dish, I order it.  And this crab dish was fantastic.  The crab was juicy and full of flavor, with mild spice, atop a nice crunchy toast.  Can I have three more please?
 

chili crab toast, spicy cucumber, coriander

Now it was time for the namesake dish.  Hinoki is a prized wood in Japan from a type of a cypress. The wood of this tree is nicely lemon-like scented and distinguished by its light color and straight grain. In order for the cod to absorb the scent of the hinoki, a sliver of wood is served atop of the dish smoking from a recent fire that was just put out.  Its a beautiful presentation and who doesn't love their meal being served on fire.  Once you put out the smoke, you get to enjoy the subtle flavor of the cod that has just the right amount of fat to keep it tender and juicy.  I personally found the sweet potato to be rather bland (though, see my thought on the roasted yam later), and was not a fan of the mushroom it was served with.  But the cod.....heaven.

Oh, and P.S., added bonus: during breaks between courses you can stick your hinoki into the votives on the table and enjoy more of the sweet smoke.  Our server told us this was a common occurrence.
 

hinoki scented black cod, sweet potato, pistachio

This next dish can only be described in one simple phrase: heaven on earth.  Now yes, I love pork.  And yes, I love pork belly.  But this, this is something completely different.  I will no longer be able to view any other pork belly the same way.  All other pork bellies will be compared to this.  This was so good that I started to cut it into small bites that I chewed as slowly as possibly to enjoy every scrumptious bite.  The greens are a waste of space on the plate, as are the radishes and sesame brittle served on top, and the sauce on the plate is bitter.  But the pork I will dream about for years to come.
 

caramel braised kurobuta pork belly, radish, mustard greens

 

My favorite cuts of beef are skirt steak and hanger steak, so we obviously had to order the skirt steak and I have to say, I was disappointed.  Now true, being served after the pork belly was an injustice to the steak, but even if I hadn't just had heaven on earth I think I still would have found the steak to just be, in a word, Eh.

miso marinated skirt steak

So its a good thing that we ordered the roasted Japanese yam. The texture was gummy, but in a good way, with a slight sweetness. It was served in a Japanese take of a traditional American style with lardons that better resembled thick bacon bits and crème fraiche instead of sour cream.  It also had julienned slices of a mild chili on top.  To me, the toppings were unnecessary as the yam could stand on its own.  And the roasting made a perfect bark of the skin that wasn't too hard to cut through, but gave the yam a campfire taste.
 

roasted yam, crème fraiche, lardon

As for the mushrooms, I found them chewy and not very good, but my husband enjoyed them.  It was served with a yuzu koshu which is paste made from chili peppers, yuzu peel, and salt, which is then allowed to ferment.   It had a very strong flavor and reminded me of a mild wasabi both in color and taste.
 

braised shitake mushroom, yuzu koshu

When our entrées were complete we were greeted by the manager, Nick.  Normally I wouldn't point this out as I often find the manager stopping by to be an unnecessary disruption, but Nick handled it differently from any other restaurant manager I have seen.  Nick approached us and asked us if we had any favorite dishes, which got us talking about the pork belly and he told us that the chef orders a special cut that has less fat, but more flavor.  Since we had been seated next to the pastry kitchen we had watched desserts being assembled all night and he asked us which appealed to us.  With that he was able to explain why the cotton cheesecake was called just that (whipped egg whites folded in in a traditional Japanese style giving it more of a texture of a sponge cake but still with the cream cheese flavor).  Only once we decided on our dessert and he said he would place it for us did he then introduce himself and offer to be of any other assistance.  Not a disruption at all, and quite a pleasure.  In fact, Nick made sure to deliver the cheesecake to our table himself. 

As I said, we had been watching the desserts being assembled all night, so we were anxious to find out what made up every little bobble on the plate.  The cheesecake was exactly as Nick had described, and it was covered with a crumble that I'm assuming was intended to resemble a graham cracker crust.  It was served with fresh strawberries and rhubarb, and two pieces of thinly-sliced dried rhubarb which I wish I could buy in bulk.  There were three dollops of raspberry cream and a dome of a raspberry mouse.  But the strawberry Greek yogurt ice cream was quite simply the icing on the cake. 

cotton cheesecake, rhubarb, raspberry cream, strawberry yogurt ice cream

All in all the meal was a good experience.  A couple of misfires, but also some dishes that were some of the most amazing food I have ever had.  We will likely go back again as the pork belly is calling to both of us, but probably not for a while as too many other restaurants are calling for our attention.  Of course next time I might arrive in our Toyota just to really mess with all of the socialites.