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| - This has got to be the foodie deal of the century!
Multiple options for the tasting menu, all way under $100, with wine pairing options under $50, for dishes that approach the level of, if not quite reaching, French laundry. On top of that, all the additional amuse bouches was like having two other tasting courses. I literally counted that we had 12 amuse bouches...yes, 12! And really good ones! True, most of them were truly half a bite sized, but if they were any larger, I really would have exploded. They even gave me a glass of sparkling wine to pair with an amuse bouche...I mean, who does that??
To start, the atmosphere of the restaurant is old school, and initially a bit stuffy...but the waitstaff were all extremely pleasant (as should be for this level restaurant). Throughout the meal, they do their best to be invisible, but the space is a bit small so I couldn't help noticing now and then someone intently watching us as we were finishing a plate so that they could clear it away. Having said that, there was one time that my husband got up to go to the restroom, I looked down for one second, and when I looked back a freshly tied napkin was in the place of the dirty plate that had been there. That's stealth. You can see Mr. Binkley at the service window the entire time, so you know that every dish is getting checked by him before going out...which is always gratifying to see.
If you're a bacon lover, or even if you're not but are ok with bacon, you have to try the applewood smoke bacon bourbon drink. It's amazing, and a great way to start off the evening. They serve it with a single large ice cube that fills the glass with applewood scented smoke (you can really smell it), and the bourbon really had a nice subtle smoky bacon flavor. They serve it with a garnish of sugar coated bacon on the side, which I could have done without, or would have enjoyed more if they had cut down on the sugar. It was like trying to eat a block of sugar with the bacon trapped way inside...perhaps I was supposed to stir it in the drink? Oh well, I still enjoyed it immensely.
We each chose the 5 course tasting menu that included both a meat and fish, and excluded the cheese plate. However, before our first dish, we were given an onslaught of 4 amuse bouches! A small cup of curried pear soup, a complex plate of duck pate with toast, a spoonful of chilled granita like fruit, and a miniature (I mean really mini, the size of a quarter) sloppy joe. After that, they slowed down to 1 to 2 amuse bouches between each plate. They really like to plate to dramatic effect, but it makes the whole experience more fun.
I'm not going to go into any detail about our courses since the menu changes daily, but I thought every plate was spot on. Each dish is intricately plated and though some look like works of art, others aren't quite as pretty, but still taste fantastic. There are so many ingredients to each dish, that occasionally it's a little confusing as to what might be the best way to eat it, but I often just shovel everything into my mouth, and all the flavors would complement each other. The seafood was delicate, the meats were perfectly cooked in bite size portions (the mangalitsa pork was served 3 ways on the plate). All the dollops of sauces and garnishes were flavor packed. The desserts were lovely and not too heavy.
I was pretty smashed by the end of the night, after 6 glasses of wine, but I still remember most of the evening! Having recently moved from the Bay area, and eating at some of the highly rated restaurants there, including French Laundry, this really is just as good at half the price. I will definitely be making many an excuse to eat there again. It's definitely taken away a little of the sting of having to leave San Francisco.
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