Meadowood in St. Helena

I had the pleasure of dining at Meadowood in St. Helena with my good friend Leigha Goetz, who happens to work at the restaurant. Meadowood has a very modern take on California cuisine in the Valley. They use big, bold flavors that are clean and sophisticated. I think there is much future for Meadowood to be one of the best restaurants in Napa.

Pillow with Flowers from the Garden

This was a little crispy pocket of fromage blanc and goat cheese mousse. It had a delicate crust and the cheese popped and oozed in your mouth. It was an ideal “one-biter.”

Baby Radishes in “Soil”

This was one of my favorite bites. The “dirt” they make is from dehydrated rye bread and it lightly coats the radish. The raw radish with the salty, caraway crumbs tasted earthy and natural.

Potato Puree, Herb Gelée, Crispy Potato Chips, and Potato Espuma with Ostera Caviar

A layered abundance of potato. I loved the crispy potato chips layered in between the smooth puree. The herb gelée had a nice contrast of bitterness from watercress and was topped with a briny kumamoto oyster and ostera caviar.

Hamachi with Braised Salsify, Salsify Mousse, Smoked Char Roe, Smoked Sesame Gelée, Radish, Miners lettuce

This was an interesting dish . The soft hamachi was lightly coated in the smoked sesame gelée giving it a silky, viscous texture. The salsify was slightly undercooked and I think it could have used some salt, maybe some Maldon sea salt.

Wagyu Carpaccio, Hamachi, Sea Beans, Ostera Caviar, Pickled Kohlrabi

This was one of the most beautiful dishes of the evening. I love the concept of a raw surf and turf with the Wagyu beef and raw hamachi. The sea beans offered a crunchy, salty, bite and gave the dish a nice contrast to the smooth meat and fish. The pickled kohlrabi was barely acidic and also crunchy which was well-balanced with the hamachi.

Sweetbread Cannelloni, Truffle Broth, Puffed Farro

The soft cannelloni was filled with savory, soft sweetbreads and was complemented by crunchy, fried sweetbreads. The fried sweetbreads reminded me of fried chicken or a chicken nugget. A really luxurious, indulgent chicken nugget. Topped with black truffles, it just reeked of earthiness. The broth was rich and intensely flavored of truffles.

Broccoli Soup, Scrambled Egg Espuma

The greenest soup I’ve ever seen and was amazingly light and tasted bright.

Giant Humboldt Squid, Quail Egg, Romanesco Stalk, Spot Prawn

Having squid in California is such a treat because it’s so fresh, clean, and tender. I loved the way they cooked squid by cross-hatching the squid and getting it crispy and light on the outside. The squid was an amazingly delicate. The spot prawns were firm and sweet and just barely cooked.

Foie Gras and Apple 4 Ways

The foie gras was presented in many different ways to showcase how diverse of an ingredient it can be. The best component of the dish was the crab apple and foie gras. The sweet and soft apple was literally stuffed with cured foie gras. It was accompanied by truffled apple compote. I loved the contrast of the sweet apple with the creamy and decadent liver.

Molten Parmesan Tortellini, Lemon Peel Puree, Castelvetrano Olive Tapenade, Crispy Artichokes, tomato confit, artichoke broth

This reminded me of the truffle explosion at Alinea. The tortellini was filled with liquid parmesan that bursts in your mouth. Crispy, fried artichokes and salty olives counterpart the soft and molten liquid pasta.

Lobster, Butternut Squash Espuma, Vadouvan Tuile

This was a very modern take on some classic pairings. We have all seen lobster paired with butternut squash and we have all seen squash paired with curry. In this tasting we had the sweet, firm lobster with the foamy and light butternut squash espuma. Vadouvan is a spice similar to curry and it gives the curry a musky and smoky flavor.

Goat Loin Poached in Whey, Goat shank, Goat Cheese

The goat had a very gamey taste, similar to lamb but the flavor was more pungent and pronounced. It was extremely tender and cooked to a nice medium rare. The goat cheese added a tang and light creaminess which contrasted nicely to the intense goat flavor.

Baby Suckling Pig, Tenderloin with Bacon, Pork Confit, Rack, Brussel Sprouts

An ode to the baby pig. This plate is similar to something we might do at Blue Hill at Stone Barns. Bacon wrapped tenderloin, pork confit, and rack of pork. All the meat was surprisingly sweet and very tender. The tenderloin was wrapped in crisp bacon that added nice smokiness and an extra layer of fat. The pork confit was tender but it could have been moister with some more fat. The rack of pork was moist and sweet. I literally gnawed on the bone to get all the juicy meat off.

Onion Crusted Bavette with Variations of Mustards and Onions

The steak appeared to be cooked to a beautiful medium-rare, however, it was a little tough. It was artistically adorned with mustard seeds and mustard flowers and was one of the prettiest plates of the evening. The spring onion it was served with was undercooked and cold. I wish there could have been some soft puree to contrast the hearty piece of meat.

Squab with Carrot Puree, Pistachio Paste, Candied Tangerine Peel, Cocoa Nib Torchon

The squab was tender with crispy, salty skin and a moist, rare interior. Squab is a very fickle bird and it has to be cooked with finesse. The succulent meat was served with a sweet carrot puree and it played a sweet and salty duet in your mouth.

Robiola, Guanciale, Almond Tuile, Spice Poached Prunes

You can’t go wrong with a big hunk of creamy, pungent Robiola cheese. It was ripened so the cheese was just becoming oozy and gooey. The fatty, salty guanciale paired with the poached prunes and it was like eating maple flavored bacon topped with velvety Italian cheese.

Stilton Cheesecake, Port Cherries, Port Wine Reduction

For having such a modern and contemporary menu, this dish was surprisingly classic. Stilton with cherries and port can’t be beat. The creamy cheesecake was topped with a line layer of gelée that melted in mouth. The acid in the port wine reduction and cherries added sweetness and distinction with the creamy, salty, pungent cheesecake.

Lemon Curd with Variations of Citrus and Pistachio

It tasted like key lime pie, just smaller and more acidic. It’s very refreshing and cleansing when the pre-dessert (amuse) has a lot of citrus and acidic notes. It prepares your palate for the rich indulgence to follow.

Dark Chocolate Custard, Smoke Huckleberry Espuma, Bay Leaf Ice Cream

The most interesting component of this dish was the smoked huckleberry espuma and surrounding the custard was a thin, crispy ring of tuile that tasted of pure smoke. The bay leaf ice cream was smooth and creamy, as any ice cream should be but had the floral characteristic of the bay leaves.

White Chocolate Foie Gras Ganache, Poached & Caramelized Banana, Black Walnut, Passionfruit

Definitely interesting. The ganache did not taste like foie gras but its intense richness indicated there was something more going on besides white chocolate. I loved the creamy decadence of the ganache against the frozen, pulverized banana.

Meadowood is a great restaurant that uses many modern techniques and ingredients while still staying to true the regional and seasonal cuisine of California. I can’t wait to go back during the harvest bounty in the fall to see what they’re doing next.

The French Laundry

It’s hard to give justice when describing a meal at The French Laundry. I have waited to eat at this restaurant for at least six years, and I know for many people that is not a long time but it seemed like an eternity for me. So when my friend Leigha called me while I was in New York and told me she had somehow managed to snag a reservation there, I immediately booked my flight for Napa Valley.

As many of you know, The French Laundry is unquestionably one of the best restaurants in the U.S. and some would argue in the world. This is a dining experience of a lifetime and I can see why they have sustained their reputation that they have today.

Even though I had food poisoning, I was determined to go and with the help of my friend Jackie Blanchard (previous cook at The French Laundry, now Sous Chef of Restaurant August in New Orleans) we were wined and dined like rockstars.

I bought The French Laundry cookbook about four years ago and have read it cover to cover, as most young aspiring chefs have. So when they presented us with canapés and dishes from the cookbook, it was like seeing a celebrity. It was honestly one of the most surreal experiences in my culinary life.

To start, we began with cornettos filled with salmon tartare. The cornetto was crisp and much more delicate than expected. Served with crème fraiche and the slight bite of chives.

Butternut squash porridge with black truffles. It was rich, indulgent, and a good reminder of why so many people love The Laundry. The free-flowing use of truffles.

The next dish was probably the most memorable and surreal dish they served, it made me giddy like a child on Christmas Eve. I have read and studied this dish more than one hundred times. And now it was sitting in front of me glistening in the soft light. Two precious oysters and a shimmering quenelle of caviar. This dish is the definition of extravagance.

Following the indulgence was a nice refreshing change. Korean clam served raw with permission and compressed cucumber and radish.

Refreshing followed by decadence. Egg custard with black truffle ragout and potato chive chip. Another signature dish and every bit as good as it sounds. Leigha’s custard was smooth and creamy, mine fell short however and was slightly overcooked. The truffle ragout was savory and rich and the chip is simply beautiful.

Then came the offal! Calves brain with mustard aioli and frisée. I love brain. I know most people are repulsed by it but there is something delicious about the gelatinous consistency that just melts in your mouth.

Hearts of palm with cashews. This was my least favorite course. I do think it’s a rarity to enjoy fresh hearts of palm because most people don’t get the opportunity to enjoy it. However, I didn’t think there was much depth to the dish.

The exploitation of truffles. This was one of the best things I have ever eaten. Period. Fresh tagliatelle with white truffle foam and shaved black truffles tableside. How can you not love when someone shaves fresh black truffles over your pasta?

After my heart had melted from the over indulgence of truffle, we were presented with a filet of turbot and were informed that the chef would be carving it inside the kitchen. It was accompanied by a rich Bordelaise sauce and crispy skin. I wish they would have served a larger piece of the crunchy skin.

Boudin Blanc. However this boudin blanc was made with scallops. Served with beets, crispy potatoes and onion.

The foie gras course was the most anticipated course of the evening. It was presented with six different kinds of salt ranging from the classic fleur de sel to red Hawaiian sea salt. The foie gras was garnished with orange, poached cranberries, and chestnut purée. As I’ve stated before, I love a good homemade brioche. This brioche was utterly irresistible. It melted in your mouth and was delicate and light. I could have eaten 5 more pieces.

The only meat we were served was veal tenderloin garnished with a curry flavored sauce and cauliflower. It was definitely delicious but I wish we had been served more than one meat course (coming from the girl that had food poisoning throughout the entire meal).

Pictures of my half-eaten cheese course that consisted of Stilton, candied walnuts, and blood sorrel. Though it’s hard to mess up Stilton cheese I found this course to be the least inspiring or innovative. I am a firm believer in the classic but this one felt slightly less contemporary.

Our dessert amuse was their version of a “dark and stormy.” Though I found it to be refreshing, Leigha was not a fan.

Did I mention we had the wine pairing (hence the progression of blurry photography)? Our chocolate course had some chiles and limes. Forgettable or maybe it was the booze?

Lastly we were served a Bakewell tart adorned with pomegranates and a quenelle of crème fraiche. The pomegranates gave a nice crunch and acidity to the rich tart.

I would say the pastry side of the meal was the weakest aspect. Even though, I have many criticisms it was still one of the best meals of my life. I believe if you are a chef (and in my case an aspiring chef) you always have to think about what you would do differently. You have to ask yourself, “How could I make this better? What didn’t I like about this dish? What did I like? Why?” I am never trying to be harsh when I review restaurants but I try to have a critical eye. It’s important to constantly be questioning what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. This can be said not only in the culinary world but in other professions as well. You should always be striving to make it better, to improve and grow. I believe that’s why The French Laundry is so successful. They’re always looking for new ways to improve and learn.

I can’t wait to go back to The French Laundry. And next time I won’t have a bottle of Pepto Bismal in my tote.

The Wine Country…Without the Wine

As I made my way to from Napa to Sonoma County, I couldn’t help to feel giddy. I was in one of the most beautiful places in the county and above all it is the epicenter of food and wine in the United States. As I curved around the hills of the wine country, I noticed all the magnificent vineyards and couldn’t wait to reach the Chateau to taste my first glass of California Cabernet Sauvignon.

I started to descend down the hill when I suddenly began to sweat. Maybe it was the altitude, however I couldn’t be that far up. I was probably feeling a little nauseous from the twisting and spiraling curves on the road. Soon, I felt the blood draining from my face. “Well, that’s strange,” I thought. “Maybe the egg white omelette I ate this morning doesn’t agree with me.”

I drove past a small creek on the side of the road, I glanced out my window, it looked serene and picturesque. “What a beautiful drive,” I thought to myself, “definitely one of the prettiest drives I have ever been on.” Seconds later, I abruptly swerved my rented Chevy Malibu off the side of the road and flung open the door. And next to that picturesque creek, I gave up my breakfast.

Only I could get food poisoning in Napa, where the purpose of my trip had been to eat and drink my way through the valley.

Napa Valley

Eating my way through Napa. Stay tuned for all the delicious details!