Terra

[From molinete's September 20, 2007 blog entry. Attendees: Trang, Tiff, Will, Eric, Henry T.]

This past weekend's Napa trip was great fun. We visited some cool wineries and even bought a few bottles of wine to take home.

The best part, though, was our dinner at Terra.

Terra is my all-time favorite restaurant. Naturally, there are other places I like better for specific types of cuisine (e.g., sushi), but Terra is by far the overall winner in my book. They do amazing California cuisine with very subtle Asian influences that's simply divine. Their sake-marinated Alaskan black cod is a great example of this.

I've tried several different dishes at Terra, and all of them were absolutely delicious. That's impressive because I find that at most restaurants, even some highly-rated ones, you have to know what to order if you want to have a great experience. But Terra's menu is strong across the board. Duck "three ways" is another of their tasty and beautifully presented main courses.

Of course we had to drink some wine with dinner too. It is wine country after all. Still, I'd had enough California wines for one day, so I decided to go with something different. I love red Burgundy, and they had this excellent Vosnes-Romanee - well-balanced, complex, and very sensuous. I was extremely pleased. On a side note, the sommelier really knows his wine.

After the appetizers and main courses we were pretty stuffed, but we went ahead and shared a couple desserts - tiramisu and stone fruit crisp with buttermilk ice cream. I also insisted that we get a bottle of my favorite dessert wine, Moscato d'Asti, since none of my friends had ever tried it.

It was a very satisfying evening. I was surprised that they had some empty tables on a Saturday night, but apparently not all that many people know about Terra. It's not one of those glitzy, high-profile Napa restaurants like The French Laundry, Martini House, Auberge du Soleil, or Bistro Don Giovanni. It's more of a place that locals and foodies go for an awesome dinner. I guess the upside is that it's easier for me to get reservations there whenever I want to go. =)

Insanely Good Food

On December 16, 2005, Brian and I resumed our dining tradition after many months hiatus. The restaurant of choice: La Folie. La Folie translates from French to mean craziness, madness, insanity, and absurd. Turns out that, the only absurdity to be found at this restaurant is how good their food is, and the high value of the overall dining experience.

Upon arriving, Brian and I had to wait for 10 to 15 minutes for our tables, despite having reservations. This was only a minor drawback since there were passed hors d'oeuvres while we waited. It was a nice touch, and the salmon crustini things were tasty too!

The restaurant itself is comprised of a bar and a small dining room -- seating no more than 40-50 people at my best guest. It was hardly a surprise that Brian and I had to wait for our table.

Brian's Selections:
Seared Day Boat Scallop on carmelized Cauliflower with a Coulis of Butter Lettuce
Butter Poached Lobter on a Butternut Squash/Sage Ravioli, Lobster Truffle Beurre Fondue, Celery Root and Apple Salad
"L'assiette de Boeuf": Beef Tenderloin, Braised Beef Short Rib, and Burger Rossini
(some sweet thing for dessert)

Trang's Selections:
Foie Gras Soup with Truffled Day Boat Scallop Ravioli
Sauteed Branzini with Truffle Gnocchi, Wild Mushrooms, and Jus de Poulet
Roti of Quail and Squab stuffed with Mushrooms, Crispy Potato Strings, and Natural Jus with Truffles
Warm Spice Poached Apple filled with Vanilla Creme Brulee, Pain d'Espices and Cider.

***skip forward two years***
It's 12/1/2007, nearly two years since Brian and I dined at La Folie, but the flavors and the experience are still vivid in my memory.

The foie gras soup I had was a very intriguing spin on foie gras. The soup is served with a small slice of seared foie gras in the center of the dish, with a single dumpling atop, and rich creamy truffled foie gras soup enveloping the dumpling and piece of seared foie gras. The soup, while rich, was perfectly seasoned and very inventive.

The next dish I had was the Branzini served with gnocchi. Since Brian and I dine at La Folie on an evening where the menu was truffle themed, both the fish and the gnocchi were enhanced with truffles. The Branzini was delightfully crispy and light, and the gnocchi was a perfect al dente. The unimposing sauce of wild mushrooms and truffles that was drizzled over the gnocchi left one wanting more.

The roti of quail and squab was also a treat. The dish was another creative dish, this time with squab stuffed in quail (or vice versa), and of course with truffles intermixed. Anyone who likes game meat, this dish is a god-send. The outside skin layer of the quail was again crispy, and the meat fragrant and juicy.

The final dish that I had really knocked my socks off. I am a huge fan of creme brulee as well as warm apple pie. The creme brulee at La Folie was served in a warm poached apple; I got the best of both worlds. The dish also came with a small tea cup of warm apple cider, a warm and soothing accompaniment.

After Brian and I had finished our four courses and were stuffed to the gills (I have never had to take home a doggie back at a nice restaurant, but I had to take more than half of my 3rd course home here), we were served petit fours!

One thing that did minorly detract from Brian's and my experience at La Folie was that the service didn't rival the quality of the food. The small dining room often resulted in wait staff bumping into chairs, and the seeming short-handedness made it difficult to get wait staff's attention when service was needed.

However, given the inventiveness of the food, and the exceptional taste, I would recommend La Folie to anyone who can't get a reservation at French Laundry. At the same prices as Gary Danko, you get a slightly more elevated experience for your taste buds.

Address: 2316 Polk Street, San Francisco, CA 94109
Number: 415-776-5577
Price: Four courses (with additional amuse bouche and petit fours) $75
Decor: 7
Food: 9
Service: 7
Value: 9

Chez Panisse - 7/22/2005

Menu according to someone not me:

• Halibut carpaccio with avocado and lime
  
• Ricotta gnocchi with garlic brodo and summer chanterelles
  
• Cattail Creek Ranch baby lamb with stuffed vegetables a la provencal and garden lettuces
  
• Plum ice cream profiteroles with plum caramel

I'm about 4 months late on this review, but here goes. People in attendance included Donna, Walter, Trang, Tiffany, Brian, and myself, in order of arrival. If I'm wrong about this, please blame my old age and rapidly deteriorating brain, and send all hate-mail to the proper address.

The night contained an in-depth and deeply philosophical discussion concerning what makes a restaurant "good" and worthy of recommendation, and I still believe that some measure of value is what is the most important, and I'd have to say that the famous Chez Panisse scored low on the value-o-meter at least on this particular night.

The food was quality for sure, and the presentation was pleasant, but there was a lack of variety due to the fixed menu and the main lamb course seemed mundane to some degree.

In fact, I'd have to say that the gnocchi was my favorite dish of the night, and although the main course was flavorful, there was no wow factor and I can't help but think that I could've had something comparable for far less hassle and price.

That being all said, this is one of the most famous restaurants in the area (or the country?) and I am convinced that a different night could bring different results.

Dinner Fiesta - 7/14/2005

From the street, Cascal's isn't a place that Tiff and I would give a second thought to -- the facade of the restaurant blends in with the rest of the block, the sign with the restaurant's name was unapparent. However, we had both talked about exploring downtown Mountain View more earnestly, instead of always dining at the usual joints. So, on our list was this mysterious tapas restaurant that we had both heard about.

Our quest first led us to Zucca's. We knew that there was a place on Castro that was a tapas restaurant. Tiff threw out Zucca's as a suggestion. At first, Zucca's seemed to fit the profile, having a handful of tapas dishes. However, it didn't seem quite right that it wasn't a Spanish restaurant. So, on the day of our dining engagement, I looked at the tapas options in Mountain View a little more closely, and realized that the more popular place for tapas was Cascal's. It had received pretty good reviews and had more than once been recognized as one of the best restaurants for "small plates" by Citysearch. So, we made last minute reservations to go there.

When I first stepped into the restaurant, I was slightly overwhelmed. There was no lack of color, sounds, or people! The decor was colorful and festive, perhaps even a bit over the top. Tiff made a comment that it reminded her of the decor at La Fondue, loud but in a fun way. The only difference was that Cascal's lacked the pretentious air of La Fondue.

Immediately, the staff greets you in the warmest, most welcoming manner. We were seated promptly (thank goodness for reservations!). All around us were many larger dining groups; everyone was having a great time. It added to the festive atmosphere, as well as the noise. Cascal's certainly wouldn't make for a good romantic spot, but I could see myself dining here with a group of friends, or perhaps joining co-workers for drinks and appetizers.

For dinner, Tiff and I had trouble deciding on one or two dishes, there being so many great options. Our solution to that problem was to order the sampler tapas platter which was comprised of Anchovy tapenade, Spanish tortilla, calamari salad, eggplant terrine, Serrano ham, chorizo leon, Spanish dried salami, cold shrimp, mussels vinaigrette, Mahon cheese, quince paste, olives, almonds, and marinated grilled asparagus. We ordered a small paella to round off the meal, and asked the waiter to start us off with a couple of cocktails. I had the mango-mint margarita, while Tiff chose the Mai Tai.

Not much to describe about the cocktails, other than that mine tasted, well, surprising. It tasted of neither mint nor mango. Rather, it tasted a lot like perfume, though not in an off-putting manner. The sampler tapas platter was quite a journey. There was a variety of tastes in this small platter. Tiff and I ventured around the sampler platter together -- some of the tastes were subtle, while others were much more bold. All in all, the entire platter fit together well, teasing and tantalizing your taste buds. In the end, Tiff and I agreed that both of our favorites was the Anchovy tapenade. It was the one with the most complex taste, at once salty and tangy, coupled with the nutty and subtly sweet taste of the toast.

Tiff and I were surprised at how full we were by the time the paella came out. The paella was good, though unremarkable. It tasted exactly how Tiff and I expected it to taste, I suppose.

Overall, Cascal's was an enjoyable dining experience. All said, the total came out to be about $30 a person. The service was warm and attentive -- we never once were low on water. With the great company, and fun atmosphere and decor, I have to say that the food did not stand out. But, I think I would definitely go back. It's one of those restaurants that I could really put on my list of regular haunts.

Address: 400 Castro Street, Mountain View, CA
Number: 650-940-9500
Price: Tapas Sampler Platter: $17; Small Paella: $19; Cocktails: $7
Decor: 8
Food: 6
Service: 7
Value: 8