The revolution will be veget-ized.
Following in the footsteps of the French Laundry and an increasing demand for haute herbivore dining, Michelin-rated Cyrus restaurant in Healdsburg has recently unveiled five and eight course vegetarian tasting menus, prominently showcased next to their regular tasting menu — charging the exact same price for both ($130 for eight courses, $102 for five).
Huh? Because for a whole lot of folks shelling out a fist-full of cash for a once-in-a-blue-moon destination dinner, the idea of missing out on foie gras, duck, lobster and (sniff) Waygu beef is, well, treason. If not worse. Seriously? Cauliflower soup over Thai-marinated lobster. Uh, right.
But not everyone sees it that way. An increasing number of high-end diners want critter-free eats for health, environmental and personal reasons. Keane says on a typical night the restaurant would get five or more diners wanting a meatless option to his carefully crafted omnivore menu. So he’d cobble together something — whatever he could adapt on the fly — and serve it. Not happily. Exacting in his process, Keane wanted his vegetable-only courses to have the same gravitas as his other dishes, and shooting from the hip each night was difficult for the kitchen staff to effectively manage.
In January 2009 the restaurant announced a vegetarian tasting option as one of two prix fixe menus. A la carte service has been discontinued entirely (yup). Diners can cross over between the two tasting menus at will.
Though it’s a change, it’s not quite the leap into the unknown one might think. Keane’s classic French cooking is studded with Japanese ingredients and flavors that lend themselves easily to plant-based dishes. His use of his farm’s own fresh produce and eggs, along with copious amounts of cream and butter make the meatless menu just as complete and impressive as the regular menu.
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Even BiteClub started drinking the Kool Aid. Not at first, but taste by taste of the clean, earthy and wild flavors of Keane’s winter vegetarian menu. While I hadn’t really given the veggie-version much of a second thought while doing the grand-tasting a few weeks ago (cha, right!), curiosity got the best of me while photographing the vegetarian menu.
These aren’t steamed veggies and tofu. Okay, in fact, they are, but in dressed a whole lot fancier. Keane uses the same sous-vide (a sort of slow poach in plastic bags) techniques, table side preparations, foams, complex flavor profiles and far-flung ingredients used on the regular menu. For example, a Japanese brine that coagulates his house-made soy milk into tofu in less than five minutes. While you watch.
The current menu includes cauliflower soup with capers and raisins; roasted beets with goat cheese, arugula and pistachios; a poached egg with Hijiki noodles, pickled Honshimiji mushrooms and sea stock; tofu with Kombu (kelp) scallions and yuzu; truffled red wine risotto with parmesan broth; verjus sorbet with quince Riesling soup (with crystallized picholine olives) and a dessert combination of tiramisu, a cappuccino filled orb surrounded by foam, caramelized fennel and espresso gelato.
So why are veggies the same price as the meatier menu? Keane says that the preparation involved is the same, if not more intense, for the vegetarian dishes as the standard menu. Which makes sense when you think about it. You’re paying for food as art. Not by the pound.
Compared side-by-side, there are actually dishes that I preferred on the vegetarian menu for their uncompromised flavors and careful preparation: the creamy poached egg and noodles for one, and the heart-breakingly good risotto.
Change can be a good thing. After experiencing the talents of Keane and those of Ubuntu, there’s no doubt that meatless dining can be miraculous. Just don’t take away my foie gras yet. Please.
Cyrus Restaurant, 29 North St., Healdburg, 707.433.3311. Make a reservation.
Himalayan Kabob and Curry House
When eating with friends, I make it a rule not to judge food too harshly. I’m there for the company, after all. Seems that reaching across the table to sample, then trash your pal’s carefully thought-out lunch tends to make people a little uncomfortable. Don’t ask me why.
That rule gets thrown out the window when I’m with other serious eaters. We snatch crumbs off each others’ plates, order as many items off the menu as we can afford and dish snarky critiques amongst ourselves.
So it’s a rare restaurant that gets a unanimous forks-up. But Petaluma’s spanking-new Himalayan Kabob and Curry House got our tongues wagging — and not just with Frances’ blazing-hot curry.
The spot on Western Ave., is a bit unfortunate, having seen the recent demise of two previous tenants, Three Blocks Off and the short-lived Vino Grigio. There’s a bit of deja-vu all over again, as fixtures (and even the etched glass door that stills says 3BO) remains pretty much the same.
With so few good Indian restaurants in P-town, however, the lengthy menu of mostly familiar curries, naan and tandoori may lead this reincarnation to a more permanent stay.
Less adventurous eaters get a solid introduction to the holy triumvirate of approachable Indian foods — chicken tikka masala, palak paneer (cheese in spinach) and vegetable curry at Himalayan. Dishes are well-spiced and rich with big chunks of meat and other goodies.
Also worth a try are more exotic Himalayan specialties including daal and momos — soft dumplings filled with meat and vegetables. The restaurant nods to the non-ethnic-inclined lunch crowd with California-style salads and simple kabobs, as well.
Despite unfortunate cheap-o signage out front, the restaurant remains white-napkin casual inside. Prices are in line with higher-end curry houses in the region (Pamposh, Kabob and Curry and Sizzling Tandoor come to mind) with most meat entrees hitting the $10-$13 range. In the early weeks, service is still spotty, ranging from slow to doting.
There’s little else to complain about, however –even at a table of serious eaters. Seems this location’s karma is about to change.
Himalayan Kabob and Curry House, 220 Western Ave., Petaluma, 707.775.4717.
PS. BiteClub hears that Star of India in the McDowell shopping center has closed, to be replaced by a new Indian eatery. LMK if you know more.
Superbowl Bacon Wrapped Weenies
Without a doubt these are the tackiest, most horrifyingly ridiculous appetizers I could ever imagine. Until you eat them.
Everyone has pretty much the same reaction. Snickering at your bad taste. Then smelling the heavenly aroma of bacon and brown sugar. Then trying one. And finally being reduced to smacking their friends over who gets the last one.
The recipe is a classic, hailing (no doubt) from the era of aspic and cheeseballs. It’s childishly easy (one could drink several martinis while making them) and a crowd pleaser. So without further ado…
Bacon Wrapped Weenies
1 lb (or so) of cocktail weenies (Little Smokies are the best, but other types will work)
1 lb (or so) brown sugar
1 lb bacon
Toothpicks
Butter a casserole dish.
Preheat over to 325 degrees. Cut the bacon into thirds. Wrap each weenie with a slice of the cut bacon and secure with a toothpick. Pack the weenies into the casserole tightly. One layer only.
Cover the whole mess with brown sugar. The sugar should cover the weenies.
Place in the oven. Total cooking time is about 45 minutes, but check it from time to time, basting the sugar mixture over the weenies. When done, the bacon should be crisp and the sugar completely melted.
DON’T EAT DIRECTLY FROM THE OVEN. You’ll be tempted, but hot sugar and bacon fat isn’t something to mess with. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. For service, its not a bad idea to stir the mixture to make sure each weenie is covered with the caramelized sugar and bacon fat.
Restaurant at Bardessono
In the heart of Yountville, a restaurant mecca with almost as many Michelin stars as permanent residents, Chef Sean O’Toole is about to throw his toque into the ring. Or hard hat. It just depends on the day.
The 36-year-old was recently tapped to head the Restaurant at Bardessono, part of an ambitious project that includes a 62-room inn and spa designed to exacting green-building standards. Under construction since 2005 the 214,000 square-foot complex envisioned by a local winemaking family is expected to become the “greenest” hotel in America.
That extends to the O’Toole’s not-so-little corner of the property — a 92-seat dining room, state-of-the-art ktichen and kitchen gardens overseen by French Laundry produce protege Noel Lopreore— making good on the oft-made promise of restaurant sustainability. For the last several week’s the chef and his staff have donned hard hats and chef’s whites around the property as construction — and menus — are finalized.
Set to open February 2, 2009, the restaurant will serve three meals a day, focusing on locally-sourced American comfort food. The kitchen’s time is split between it’s obligation to high-end customers spending upwards of $600 per night at the inn (24-hour in-room service, private dining events) and a strong desire to reach out to the community (approachable breakfast/lunch price points, a 14-person communal dining table that won’t require reservations). O’Toole will also oversee a staff of more than 20, including former COPIA pastry chef Debbie Yee-Henen.
Opening menus read like a who’s who of local producers (a quality I’ve lambasted before for its over-earnestness). In Yountville, where sustainably-focused food tourists are likely to ask (or demand) a pedigree, it’s not off the mark. Sean gets extra cred for his close relationship with Lopreore, who’ll work to grow just what his kitchen needs — from 18 different types of basil to purple artichokes and a rare ghost chili.
Lunch includes a Hog Island Oyster Po Boy ($14), a locally sourced Pulled Pork Sandwich on Texas Toast ($13). Dinner ranges from Bodega Bay Halibut with Rose Finn Potatoes, Sausalito Springs Watercress, Iberico Ham and natural sauce ($27) and Petaluma Heritage Chicken (with stuffed cannelloni and braised winter greens) to Watson’s Napa Valley Lamb with coconut basmati rice, dried fruit and pineapple quince ($33) and Liberty Farm Duck with daikon radish, blood orange and bitter chocolate sauce ($31).
The 36-year-old chef says it was sheer willpower that lead him to the Yountville kitchen, which seems kind of intense for a guy who commutes every day from Penngrove to keep himself grounded. But the sweet-faced O’Toole is serious goods: Michael Mina’s former right-hand man. Stints at Alain Ducasse’s MIX in Las Vegas, Quince, the SF Ritz Carlton and Masa’s. Weaver of flavor tableaus.
“I really wanted this–straight-forward food that’s part of the community. I want this place to be a muse for the muses,” he says without a hint of hubris, envisioning a neighborhood hangout where the likes of Chefs Richard Reddington, Thomas Keller, and neighborhood new(ish)comer, Michael Chiarello hang out after closing. Despite other big names having been tossed around, O’Toole knew Bardessono was where he wanted to be.
He’ll need that ambition. Amidst all the opening hype and excitement of a project eleven years in the making, it would be ridiculous to ignore the elephant in the dining room –in tough economic times and a crowded market O’Toole is facing some big challenges.
But as the dust settles and O’Toole gets that toque firmly (if figuratively) on his head, there’s no doubt he’ll have his eyes on grabbing a Michelin star (or two) of his own. And really, who says there isn’t plenty of room at the top?
The Restaurant at Bardessono, 6526 Yount Street, Yountville, 707.204.6000 www.bardessono.com
Super Bowl eats
Being a football fan is rough work, what with all that yelling and screaming at the television. It works up a powerful appetite. One that’s far bigger than mere clam dip and Ruffles.
So, forgo the easy chair and Fritos this weekend. We’ve got the region’s best spots to hang out this Superbowl Sunday. Places where you can quell your raging hunger, drink a beer and watch televisions larger than your refrigerator. Places with nice, fat hamburgers, piles of fries and, did we mention, beer? Lots of beer. How could you go wrong?
Top Pick: McNear’s Mystic Theater’s Super Bowl Sunday Party. All you can eat buffet and the game on a 40-foot screen. $20, $25. Doors open at 3pm. Petaluma.
Barley and Hops: Though the television over the bar isn’t huge, the beer list is. And that’s all that really matters, right? 3688 Bohemian Hwy, Occidental, 707.874.9037
Hopmonk: Big screen TV and buffet in the Abbey. Pre-game munchies include nachos, chips, pretzels, chili con carne, pizza. Beer brats, chicken wings, macaroni and cheese (and a whole lot of other delish artery-clogging goodies) at half-time, chicken wings. Post-game ice cream. 230 Petaluma Avenue, Sebastopol,707.829.7300
La Dolce Vita Wine Lounge: Class up your Super Bowl Sunday at Petaluma’s downtown wine lounge. Big screen live coverage of the game. 151 Petaluma Blvd S, Petaluma, 707.763-6363
Ausiello’s 5th St. Grill: Free appetizer spread, half-time spaghetti. With 17 televisions and a full bar, this is every fan’s dream spot. Stretch your legs at the outside patio, where you can eat, drink and let your pasty face get a few rays. Throughout the day, the grill will be fired up, serving the restaurant’s regular menu. Don’t miss the Lava Love burger, a big beefy hamburger with bacon, Swiss cheese and sweet-spicy BBQ sauce. 609 5th St, Santa Rosa, 707.579.9408
John & Zeke’s Bar: The friendliest place in Wine Country. 111 Plaza Street, Healdsburg, 707.433.3735.
Third Street Ale Works: Superbowl and Sunday sliders–mini burgers sold four for $5. 610 3rd St., Santa Rosa 707-523-3060
Russian River Brewing Co.: Pizza, beer and football. This Sunday, all-day drink specials: $3.25 for pints. 725 4th St., Santa Rosa, 707.545.2337
Beyond the Glory: All manner of batter-dipped and fried delights. Plus, 14, 42-inch plasma screen TV’s. Your husband may never come home. 1371 N McDowell Boulevard, Suite 130, Petaluma, 866.377.7389
La Strada to become Casa Del Mar
BiteClub has confirmed that the former La Strada restaurant on Stony Point and Todd Road in Santa Rosa will soon reopen as Casa Del Mar, a Mexican seafood restaurant and nightclub.
Curious neighbors and eaters have been wondering for months what was
going on with massive renovation. The former steakhouse closed a little
over a year ago.
Insiders say that the restaurant is set to open in mid to late February.
Casa Del Mar, 3660 Stony Point Road, Santa Rosa
PS. Inappropriate or racially motivated comments will be removed immediately.
Gung Hay Fat Choy
Happy Chinese New Year. Beginning January 26, the Chinese zodiac celebrates the Year of the Ox.
If you’re an ox (meaning your birth year was 2009, 1997, 1985, ’73, ’61, ’49, ’37, ’25 or ’13), you tend to be dependable, trust-worthy and patient, though stubborn and hot-tempered in an argument.
Considering all your wonderful qualities, not to mention that this is YOUR year to shine, friends and family are pretty much obligated to treat you to dinner.
Here are some favorite local choices for Chinese food. Don’t see your fave? Add it!
> Fresh China: Authentic, fresh Chinese
> SoCo’s Chinese Buffets: Chopsticks up!
> Your fave local Chinese restaurants
> China Room: Still solid
> Hang Ah Dim Sum
Giovanni’s Pizzeria
Friday is, without fail, pizza night at our house.
Ignoring a week of refrigerated left-overs threatening to spoil before sunrise, we glibly aim for the nearest pizzeria and stuff ourselves silly. Thin crust, New York style, wood-fired and deep dish hold equal esteem. Even better are the spoils of our feast on Saturday morning. Preferably cold.
A newcomer to our rotation is Giovanni’s Pizzeria which recently opened in Cotati. It’s everything a hole-in-the-wall ‘za spot should be — concrete floors covered in flour, a couple small tables with wobbly chairs and a kitchen full of 20-somethings throwing dough and racing out the door with delivery orders.
The menu is refreshingly simple: Ten pizzas that start with cheese and pepperoni, venture into meat-lover combos, throw a bone to the dorm-room munchie crowd with “Maui Wowie” (Hawaiian) and BBQ chicken with ranch and end up with a classic margherita.
The crust is somewhere between the crisp snap of thin and the doughiness of thick crust with the best of both. No big surprises on the do-it-yourself topping list. A handful of pasta dishes. Green salads. Breadsticks.
Prices range from $14.95 for a large cheese or pesto to just under $20 for a large Meat Madness — a worthwhile price for an evening’s entertainment in tough economic times. It’s a crying shame the restaurant is only open until 9pm, cause they’d do a brisk business after last call. We hear it has something to do with the landlord upstairs…
Giovanni’s isn’t transformative pizza, nor is it gourmet. It’s just good, straightforward Friday night grub served up hot, fast and friendly.
Giovanni’s Pizzeria, 8270 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati, 707.664.8460.
Check out some of our other favorite Pizza Spots from the Great Pizza Poll. What’s your favorite pizza spot?
Fancy Food Show 2009: Your edible future
Food nerds get a bit wiggly in the knees when you mention the Fancy Food Show — two gut-busting events held each year (in NY and SF) that have a major impact on what turns up on your local store shelves. Call it a crystal ball to your food future.
Hundreds of purveyors — small and large — from around the globe cram into the Moscone Center hawking the latest and greatest specialty products. At the West Coast show, there’s a dense concentration of artisan purveyors from Northern California and specifically Sonoma County.
It’s easy to see the obvious…lots of chocolate, tea and BBQ sauce. What’s not so obvious are subtle changes in what’s emerging–the little guys who are latching onto the next cultural zeitgeist.
Stay tuned for my interviews with some new faces on the SoCo scene, but meantime, here’s a peek at what’s on the rise, on the wane…and just plain weird.
Continue reading “Fancy Food Show 2009: Your edible future”
Upcoming openings
Lots of reasons to celebrate as a bevy of restaurants open (or prepare to open). Boathouse Sushi will open a second location in the former Porter Station BBQ restaurant (2360 Mendocino Ave.) in Santa Rosa. Word is that the restaurant will open sometime in March. Cafe Des Croissants will open a new outpost at the former Montgomery Village Wolf Coffee shop in Santa Rosa, bringing their number of locations to four.
Downtown’s bustling with the upcoming openings of two highly anticipated restaurnts. GG’S Earth and Surf Restaurant is set to open the first week of February. Trevor Anderson, most recently of Calistoga’s Solage Spa, has been named chef, though the restaurant is the brainchild of local foodie Suzan Fleissner. The restaurant will stay open from 10pm to midnight on Friday and Saturday, offering a late night menu — something Santa Rosa continues to need. The windows have been uncovered at downtown’s Rendez-Vous Cafe on Fourth Street, a promising sign that they’re about to open as well. Finally, Cafe Azul has opened in the former Sonoma Coffee Company location (521 Fourth St., Santa Rosa). The menu is currently limited to coffee, espresso drinks and pastries, but they hope to expand to more food service in the coming months.
Other restaurants on the horizon include Jackson’s, the much-anticipated second restaurant of Syrah chef Josh Silvers, Jack and Tony’s Restaurant, also in Railroad Square and The Restaurant at Bardessono in Yountville.
Finally, I’m still trying to suss out what’s going on at the former La Strada after a bevy of inquiries. Construction continues on the space, but so far no word on who’s building. I’ll keep tracking that one down.