Happy Halloween!

Hey everyone, I just wanted to wish all my foodie friends a happy, safe, and delicious Halloween! It's kind of rainy here in San Francisco, but I don't think the weather is going to dampen anyone's spirits.

So I brought some goodies to work:


Cupcakes! =) I bought that cute goodie box and mathcing cupcake baking cups from Tar-jhay. I swear, they have the most awesome things there. Star and I baked them because we just love cupcakes. =) I also made a batch for Bubuh and his roommates and they insisted that they were store-bought. How flattering is that? No, I baked them in my own oven at home.

SEEEEE, I utilize my kitchen sometimes!

=) Anyway, have a good one everyone!

Consuelo Mexican Bistro - They Like Me! They Really Like Me!

Restaurant: Consuelo Mexican Bistro
Address: 337 Santana Row, San Jose, CA
Phone Number: (408) 260-7082
Cuisine: Mexican
Date Last Visited: August 10, 2008
Dining Partners: Bubuh, Bubuh’s Mom, and Bubuh’s Dad

FYI: My Sweety K will be known as “Bubuh” from now on.

*Jo leaves her house, walks to the waiting car, and opens the door*

“Hi!” Me

“Hi! How are you?! It’s so good that you can come with us today!” Bubuh’s Mom

“So where are we going?!” Me

“Have you ever been to Santana Row?” Bubuh’s Dad

“No, I haven’t…” Me. I was kind of hesitant to say I have yet to go there because I didn’t want to admit I don’t venture too far from my safety bubble that I call San Francisco.

“Then that’s where we’re taking you!” Bubuh’s Dad

OhHhHhHhHhHhHhHh…I love Bubuh’s parents. For real! Some girlfriends say they “love” their boyfriend’s parents only to have a raging hate for them on the inside. But for me, I L-O-V-E his parents. They have always been so nice to me and have brought me to some of the most delicious places I have ever been to. If you don’t know this by now, Bubuh and I are soon to celebrate our 5-year “going out” anniversary in December of 2008. No, we’re not married. We just like to celebrate the time that we have been together. So in the five years of us going out, I have probably known his parents for 4 years and 11 months. Yeah, I met his folks really early in the relationship. Me and his dad can talk about food all day long - especially Mexican food. I still claim that him, Bubuh, and I were Mexican in our past lives. So of course on this day, he brings us to a Mexican restaurant for Sunday Brunch.


Consuelo Mexican Bistro is in San Jose’s gorgeous Santana Row. I love this place. I love the outdoor shopping especially because I can so tired of shopping in regular shopping malls. At least here, you can enjoy the sunlight and the fresh air. San Jose has great weather every time I go there and this was a beautiful and sunshiny day perfect for dining al fresco.


Tortillas fresh and warm for dipping
I love warm tortillas. These were light and chewy. So good with the sauces…


Dipping Sauces L-R: Mango, Chipotle, Salsa Verde
Visually they are so beautiful. My favorite was the mango. It was sweet and a little spicy. Really good. My next favorite was the salsa verde. Salsa verde is my favorite period on a normal day, but since the mango one was here on this day, it took 2nd place. I like salsa verde because instead of focusing on heat it’s more on the fresh side. I love the tomatillos and sweetness and tang they lend to the salsa. My least favorite and the one I ate the least was the chipotle. I’m tired of chipotle. It’s too deep and smoky for me. I like light tones instead. Chipotle is becoming overrated. Chipotle in chocolate, chipotle in my Jack in the Crack chicken sandwich, chipotle in salad dressing…enough with the friggin’ chipotle. You can say that about truffles too…but that’s another blog post.


Aguas Frescas of the Day - $2.50
Watermelon - the best I had ever had
I guess it was the combination of the heat, the walking, and the atmosphere that made me like my aguas frescas so much. There were pieces of melon that I could chew on and that was nice because it let me know that they used real watermelon. Sweet and refreshing - if they had free refills, I would have had at least three more glasses.


Huevos con Chorizo - $9
Three eggs scrambled, chorizo, onions,
and potatoes, black beans puree
Bubuh’s brunch entrée - there was a healthy amount of eggs on that plate. That brown, tortilla-looking thing that all the food is sitting on is a huarache. A huarache really means “sandal” in Spanish, but when you consider what a sandal is - like a platform for you to walk on, it kind of makes sense why this flatbread made of blue corn masa would be named the same thing. This edible huarache is a platform for all the food that is on top. I have also seen huaraches topped with salsa, cheese, and meat - topped as a tortilla would.


Desayuno Mexicano - $10
Chorizo and onion scrambled eggs,
potatoes, steak, rice and beans
In the car, Bubuh’s Dad raved about the steak and eggs. I wondered to myself, “What can possibly be so special about plain ol’ steak and eggs?” Frankly I pictured that bland-looking plate of a t-bone steak and eggs in a Denny’s menu. SO not appetizing. Oh dear, I totally underestimated what Bubuh’s Dad had to say. Forgive me. This has got to be the best steak and eggs I have had in my entire life. For $10?! Holy crap, that is a steal. Other places would charge at least $15 for this ginormous plate of food. You get your potatoes, beans with fresh cotija cheese and chorizo scrambled eggs, which are identical to the ones on Bubuh’s plate, as well as avocado, seasoned rice and the steak all on that huarache.


This was the best value because my plate was just a buck more than Bubuh’s and I got so much more food. The rice was perfectly cooked without being too dry. The chorizo eggs were lovely which that additional spice from the sausages. The steak was awesome. I loved how there were pieces of charred bits stuck to the meat from the grill. Everything tasted so fantastic together. Like I said before, the best steak and eggs I have ever had. And I can’t keep stressing how ridiculous the price is. $10!!! I couldn’t finish it, so I had Bubuh finish it (which he did with no hesitation).

I’m really surprised that I had such a great brunch in a place as frou frou shi shi as Santana Row. If I lived closer to San Jose, I would so hit up this place if I had a hankering for steak. Two thumbs way up for Consuelo’s brunch!

Miette Organic Patisserie - Money Well Spent

Store: Miette Organic Patisserie
Address: Ferry Building Marketplace, Shop 10, Embarcadero, SF
Phone Number: (415) 837-0300
Cuisine: Desserts
Date Last Visited: June 21, 2008
Dining Partner: Jenn


Yay, another expensive organic bakery to review. Hey before you go and roll your eyes, hear me out. The desserts here are fantastic. You get your choice of pastries, cakes, miniature to full-sized tarts, cupcakes, macaroons, and even homemade candies here. And no, they are not cheap at all. However, these are some of the best desserts I have ever put in my mouth.


They’re cases are lined with some of the most spectacular cakes, tarts, and desserts you have ever seen. By no means are they like what you would get from Charm City Cakes or anything, but the fact that they look homemade is what amazes me. They look so homey and they made me believe that the people who made these put a lot of love into making them look so brilliant.


These little buttermilk panna cottas were…well, little. I do have to say that they were delicious. The panna cotta itself was creamy. That’s all you tasted. Wonderfully fresh cream and a little bit of vanilla. There was a slight tangy tone because of the buttermilk, but I liked it a lot. The fresh strawberries on top added some sweetness and it went PERFECTLY with the silky panna cotta. P.S. If you return the glass jar it came in, you get $1 back.


Star is also known as Queen Cupcake of the family because she loves them so much. I got her two vanilla cupcakes - one with a strawberry frosting and the other with a regular vanilla frosting with sprinkles. I didn’t have one myself, but she did tell me that they were so light. I hate it when cupcakes are heavy. They’re supposed to be airy and should not take any effort to devour. These have Star’s approval.


Ohhh, the good stuff. All of these were so awesome. As a group, the strawberry crème cake was our favorite. The cream in the cake was sweet but not sugary sweet. It was light and had the perfect amount of strawberry in it. The cake itself was light as air as well. The banana crème tart was good also. Plenty of whipped cream and a nice banana custard. The lemon tart (my choice) was so yummy. It makes your mouth pucker the way it’s supposed to. The tart shell, which seemed to be made of some sort of wafer was very good. Overall…refreshing. That’s what I liked about it. It was refreshing.

In all, I spent about $30 for just the items you have read about in this blog – each dessert was about $3. I know it’s not cheap and you probably think they are ripping you off, but considering how good the desserts tasted and how they use quality ingredients, it’s all worth it. The employees of the store are very nice and pack everything with so much care - from lining the take-home boxes in pink tissue paper to using color coding stickers to indicate which of the items needed refrigeration. This place is so cute, and I will not hesitate to come back and have another buttermilk panna cotta.

Foodbuzz Publisher Community Launches -- I <3 FB!

As many of you know, and probably how you found me in the first place, I am part of a fabulous foodie community called Foodbuzz. I have been a member of FB since July of 2007 and they have treated me so well! FB has sent me to different events around San Francisco to educate me and help me with my networking. The staff are so friendly and are the greatest people to work with. I can't imagine where I would be without the leverage FB has given me in the past year and a half.


Restaurant dining is my passion and this is a great place for me to share my thoughts and pictures of the places I have visited as well as get feedback from other foodies like me. It's so awesome.

This October, Foodbuzz officially announced their public launch and I want everyone to know about it. If you want know how this website works, CLICK HERE. There is a very cool video on that page that will go into the details.

In the meantime, I want to congratulate the staff at FB for all their hard work. Y'all have my dream job, seriously.

I <3 FB!______________________________________________________
PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Allison Costello
Ketchum
allison.costello@ketchum.com

Doug Collister
Foodbuzz
doug@foodbuzz.com

LAUNCH OF GLOBAL FOODBUZZ BLOGGER COMMUNITY

LEVERAGES REAL-PEOPLE, REAL-TIME POWER OF FOOD PUBLISHING

San Francisco – October 13, 2008: Foodbuzz, Inc., officially inaugurates its food blogger community with more than 1,000 blog partners, a global food blogging event and an online platform that captures the real-people, real-time power of food publishing in every corner of the world. At launch, the Foodbuzz community ranks as one of the top-10 Internet destinations for food and dining (Quantcast), with bloggers based in 45 countries and 863 cities serving up daily food content.

“Food bloggers are at the forefront of reality publishing and the dramatic growth of new media has redefined how food enthusiasts access tasty content,” said Doug Collister, Executive Vice President of Foodbuzz, Inc. “Food bloggers are the new breed of local food experts and at any minute of the day, Foodbuzz is there to help capture the immediacy of their hands-on experiences, be it a memorable restaurant meal, a trip to the farmers market, or a special home-cooked meal.”

Foodbuzz is the only online community with content created exclusively by food bloggers and rated by foodies. The site offers more than 20,000 pieces of new food and dining content weekly, including recipes, photos, blog posts, videos and restaurant reviews. Members decide the “tastiness” of each piece of content by voting and “buzz” the most popular posts to the top of the daily menu of submissions. Foodbuzz currently logs over 13 million monthly page views and over three million monthly unique visitors.

“Our goal is to be the number-one online source of quality food and dining content by promoting the talent, enthusiasm and knowledge of food bloggers around the globe,” said Ben Dehan, founder and CEO of Foodbuzz, Inc.

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The Foodbuzz blogger community is growing at a rate of 40 percent per month driven by strong growth in existing partner blogs and the addition of over 100 new blogs per month. “The Foodbuzz.com Web site is like the stock of a great soup. The Web site provides the base or backbone for bloggers to interact as a community, contribute content, and have that content buzzed by their peers,” said Mr. Dehan.

Global Blogging Event

Demonstrating the talent and scope of the Foodbuzz community, 24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs offered online food enthusiasts an international, virtual street festival of food and diversity. The new feature showcased blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz partner bloggers chronicling events occurring around the globe during a 24 hour period and included:

Mid-Autumn Festival Banquest (New York, NY)
The "Found on Foodbuzz" 24-Item Tasting Menu (San Francisco, CA)
Aussie BBQ Bonanza – Celebrating Diversity (Sydney, Australia)
The Four Corners of Carolina BBQ Road Trip (Charleston, SC)
Criminal Tastes – An Illegal Supper (Crested Butte, CO)
From Matambre to Empanadas: An Argentine Dinner (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
A Sweet Trompe l’oeil (Seattle, WA)


“24 Meals, 24 Hours, 24 Blogs” captures the quality and unique local perspective of our food bloggers and shared it with the world,” said Ryan Stern, Director of the Foodbuzz Publisher Community. “It illustrates exactly what the future of food publishing is all about – real food, experienced by real people, shared real-time.”

About Foodbuzz, Inc.

Based in San Francisco, Foodbuzz, Inc., launched its beta Web site, foodbuzz.com, in 2007. In less than a year, Fooduzz.com and its community of over 1,000 exclusive partner food blogs have grown into an extended online property that reaches more than three million users.

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Crown & Crumpet - Afternoon Tea with My BCF’s

Restaurant: Crown & Crumpet
Address: Ghirardelli Square, 900 North Point St, E207, SF
Phone Number: (415) 771-4252
Cuisine: Tea Rooms
Date Last Visited: October 12, 2008
Dining Partners: Star and Rox

I found this place purely by accident when my coworker Fuega and I went to Ghirardelli Square for a business dinner at Ana Mandara, and I am so glad that we did. We discovered Crown & Crumpet on a Wednesday…Star, Rox and I came here the following Sunday. Can you tell that I was extremely excited? I actually called them right away after setting foot in here and didn’t tell them exactly where we were going, so this was a big surprise for both of them.


This has got to be the cutest place I have ever been. Pink and white checkered floors, flowers everywhere and PINK PINK PINK! It really felt like we were in Alice in Wonderland. You will notice that each table has a little sign saying that everyone sitting at the able must spend at least $8.50. Wow. I never knew places could do that. With the prices here however, that was not hard to do. It is on the pricy side.


With the flower table cloth, the quotes on the teapots and saucers, and teapot-shaped tea steeper basket-stopper, I fell in love. The service was fabulous also. They came every so often to check up on us if we had any questions.


The Sunday we went was during Fleet Week. The entire square was almost empty because all the Fleet Week-goers were along the water and wharves waiting for the planes to fly by. It was all good for us because there was no one else in Crown & Crumpet. More attention for us! We also sat at a table by the window so we could see the planes. I absolutely love the star-shaped sugar cubes. There were also hearts and roses. How adorable.


I’m not much of a tea drinker, so I got a cup of hot chocolate ($5). Oh my goodness, hot chocolate is not usually a drink where I go OMG, but this is one of best hot chocolates I have ever had. The whipped cream on it made it thick and creamy. I am always worried that hot chocolates I order will be too chocolaty, but this was PERFECT. =) Red heart sugar cube.


We ordered the “Tea for Two” and tried to get mimosas but unfortunately for us, they didn’t have their liquor license. Boo. Above is Star pouring one of our teas. The “Tea for Two” includes two pots of bottomless tea. So if you had the time and the stomach, you can probably stay here all day just sipping tea.


Our choice of teas was a Strawberry Fields Green Tea (above) and a Peach Crumpet White Tea (below). I know I said earlier that I am not a tea drinker, but tell me why I had 4 or 5 cups. I guess I didn’t like tea before because the only tea was exposed to was boring Lipton tea. Now, I can appreciate different kinds.


The “Tea for Two” includes:
3 warm homemade scones with clotted cream, jam, lemon curd
selection of 8 tea sandwiches
8 homemade sweets & treats
2 toasted crumpets with butter
2 large endless pots of tea
$42


Oh the tea sandwiches. Perfect little sandwiches with the crusts cut off. We got two cucumber and cream cheese, one egg salad, two pear and bleu cheese, one smoked salmon, one basil chicken salad, and one ham and cheese. All were very good, but unless you are totally brain-dead when it comes to cooking, there should be no reason why you wouldn’t be able to make these yourself. They are ridiculously easy to make and they probably cost 2 bucks in ingredients. A bit of a rip if you’re thinking cost-wise, but they did add to the default daintiness that you’re supposed to feel at a tea party. I tried to steer away from the bleu cheese and pear, but I had to try it. Surprisingly, the bleu cheese they used was not strong at all. That pungent taste is what I can’t stand, but they used a much milder one. I appreciated that very much.


Oh scones. I’m so spoiled. Whenever I’d visit my mom’s place of employment at the RC or would stay at an RC, I would always find my way to the Club Level where she works. Every morning, there would be scones, clotted cream, custard and strawberries waiting for me on the presentation tables for me to make my strawberry shortcakes with. I haven’t been to the RC in a long while, but these scones brought me back to the old school. Buttery and tender and perfect with the accompaniments that you will see in a moment. Every baked good is made in-house, except for the crumpets, so that being said, the scones were extraordinary.


This was the first time I had ever had a crumpet. I think the first time I had ever heard the word “crumpet” was on some television special that displayed different game show bloopers from around the world. I remember a Family Feud show and the player said “crumpet.” I always wondered what they looked like. I thought they were cookies of some sort, but they are a cross between an English muffin and a pancake. I’m pretty sure they are cooked the same way as a pancake, but it was stiff like an English muffin. Even without a slathering of butter, they were so buttery delicious.


Accompaniments for our crumpets and scones. Clockwise: lemon curd, butter, strawberry jam and clotted cream. My favorites were the lemon curd (duh) and the clotted cream. I just loved the lemon curd with the scones especially. Buttery goodness with creamy tang. Magic. Pure magic.


For the bottom tier, we have the sweet treats. One strawberry tartlet, one brownie, one shortbread, two madeleines, two chocolate cookies, and a “fairy cake.” My favorites were the chocolate cookies because I liked the sugar crystals rolled along the outside.


Just a recaps of what we had. My favorite sandwich was a toss up between the smoked salmon and the basil chicken salad. Star called the “fairy cake,” Rox had the brownie, and I had the tartlet. I was surprised that I didn’t like the tartlet. I liked the strawberries, but there was something in the custard cream that didn’t taste right. Star said it was cheese, but who knows. Finally the chocolate cookies. Those brown sugar crystals look like the stuff that comes out of the Sugar in the Raw packets. I wouldn’t be surprised if they were.


Soon enough, it was time for the check. At this time the flight shows ended and people started streaming into the shop and into the square from the wharves and Aquatic Park. I did find it interesting to have my little spot of tea with the sounds of turbo engines flying over our heads. I made a comment and I’m probably going to go to Hell for this: this is what it sounded in England in World War II. Yeah, I’m going to Hell. (haha)

I LOVE the little candy bracelets that came with the check. Each bracelet came with a pink candy crown on it. Wow, we really felt like little princesses. Even though I am almost 25 (eek), I felt like a little girl in here. Everything was pink and so girly! I never really was a girly girl growing up. You can ask anyone who knew me when I was a kid. I was a TOMBOY. I would rather play with a football than with a tea party set, but I think I’m making it up as I am growing older and becoming more in touch with my feminine side. (hehe)

So did I like this place? Oh yes. I am not quite sure how often I’m going to come here since it is on the pricy side. It was about $50 for the Tea for Two and the hot chocolate. Not cheap. Matter of fact, I was talking to Star today and I told her that we should make up our own tea party at home. By the way, Crown and Crumpet gets their teas from Lupicia. I’m pretty sure there is a Lupicia store at Stonestown Galleria by SF State if you Bay Area heads were wondering.

So if we got our tea from Lupicia and make the sandwiches and desserts, that leaves us with the scones and crumpets. Where would I be able to get those? If you know, give me a holler. Otherwise, this place is so cute and so full of life and positive energy. You should have seen the look on Star and Rox’s faces when I walked them in here. We passed by Kara’s Cupcakes, and they probably thought that was where I was bringing them because they are suckers for cupcakes, but no. I led them further into the square and made them squeal in joy like they were 5 years old again. Yes, you tend to lose your sense of age in this place. I think anytime I want to feel cute and girly, this would be the place to go. Perfect for a baby shower, teatime for Mommy and daughter, or birthday. Speaking of tea sets, there is a little retail shop by the entrance where you can get pretty little cupcake cups for baking, cupcake cookbooks, and my favorite thing of all in there - a little tea set for your little princess.

Star said she would have her birthday here and really hopes this place does well. I hope it does too…I mean, where else would you have crumpets and tea in a place with pink and white checkered floors?

La Folie - Happy Deuce Deuce, Star!

Restaurant: La Folie
Address: 2316 Polk St. at Green St., Russian Hill, SF
Phone Number: (415) 776-5577
Cuisine: French
Date Last Visited: September 25, 2008
Dining Partner: Star


I remember a couple of months even before Star’s birthday me asking her what she was going to do. Star and I have been to a couple of the best places in San Francisco, so I knew that her birthday had to be special. I caught an episode of Check Please Bay Area with La Folie and I immediately put it on the list of places to go. Since this was a special occasion, this was perfect timing.


Classic Cosmo but I requested a Mandarin orange-infused vodka. The one I had at Arcadia was better.


BREAD…

and BAH-TAH! =)

I love French Bread

Amuse 1: Melon Soup
with Heirloom Tomato Sorbet Topped with Chervil
For our first amuse, I was surprised that we were going to start with something sweet. Wonderfully sweet melon and sweet tomato sorbet. It was nice and cold and got us ready for the rest of our meal.


Amuse 2: Egg Yolk with Leek Cream Soup Served
in Shell with Brioche, and Potato Crisp
All I can say about this is WOW. The egg yolk was left runny so it combine with the onion-y soup in the most luxurious fashion. Think of the warm, velvety yolk swirl into a savory cream. Delicious. The crispy brioche was the perfect utensil to dip into the soup and the potato crisp, which was like a chip lent a nice saltiness to the otherwise soft and delicate soup.


Pan Seared Day Boat Scallop on a Sweet Onion Puree, Dungeness Crab Broth, Crispy Pork Belly with a Radish Salad
On any given night, there are two ways of eating here at La Folie. You go the a la carte way that Star and I opted for on this night. Or you can go for the prix fixe menu - the choices are already made for you. Our server, Dave, let us know at the beginning of the meal that we can choose any of the dishes on the prix fixe menu as any one of our courses. I took that offer and borrowed this from the prix fixe menu as my starter.


Wow (part deux). The scallop had that fantastic seared on the outside, but once I cut through that barrier, I found my way to the warm, but rare meat. It was so sweet and perfectly cooked. The scallop sat in a sweet onion puree and a foam made with crab juice/stock. Crabs have juice? Supposedly so. The flavor of a scallop is delicate already and the worst thing they could have done was to overpower it with sauces. The sweet onion puree was just right in flavor and viscosity. The crab foam, which didn’t really scream “crab” to me added some saltiness.


Pork Belly. The scallop was incredible and to have this alongside was completely over the top. By the time this reached me, it wasn’t crispy, but it was delicious anyway. It really reminded me of some really fatty Peking duck. I would not be surprised if they used the same spices to flavor this pork belly. Since the pork belly was so fatty, a nice radish salad gave me some crunch to balance out all the textures. This was superb.


Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Caramelized Peaches, Spiced Peach Consommé *10.00 supplement
One good reason why I took Star here was because there was foie gras on the menu. Star loves foie gras and she said that this was the biggest piece she had ever gotten. I agree, it was rather huge. It sat on some warm peaches and a syrupy broth. I liked the combination of fruit with the fatty liver. I had a bite even though I don’t do foie gras, but I can tell you that it was very good. I wouldn’t have a whole plate of it, but from what I sampled, the texture of the foie gras was so luxurious. I can see why Star adored this dish.


Our server suggested a dessert wine to go with the foie gras. I didn’t have any of it, but it was very fruity in smell and almost reminded me of some concentrated apple juice. Star didn’t really care for it.


Rôti of Quail and Squab Stuffed with Mushrooms, Wrapped in Crispy Potato Strings, Natural Jus with Truffles
Star’s entrée - Visually it reminds me of springtime and Easter.


I was concerned that Star wouldn’t like this because she had never had squab before and she was afraid that the quail would taste too gamey. Also, I was uneasy about how rare the meat was. I already risked it with the rare duck meat from Michael Mina, and isn’t every talking about eating poultry only if it is cooked all the way? I am happy to report that the meat was surprisingly light. Both the quail and squab have a different flavor and texture from chicken. If you haven’t tried those types of poultry meats, you should.


Quail Egg on a Sweetbread Pancake
Like I said before, this plate reminded me of Easter. It actually looked like an Easter Basket because of the way the potato looked like well, a basket. The vegetables were so colorful and this little egg was so cute. I loved the touches that were made to make this dish look and taste beautiful.


“Le Boeuf,” Beef Tenderloin, Braised Beef Short Rib, and Burger Rossini with Truffle Madeira Sauce *15.00 supplement
=) My menage a trois of viande. Yes, I had to have this. I love meat.


Tenderloin Cooked to Medium Served Atop Haricot Verts
This tenderloin was awesome. It didn’t feel like I was eating meat. It was tender and seasoned well. =) Yes, it was so good. I noticed that there was no major starch on the plate - hey, I’m a meat and rice girl - but the green beans were perfect with the steak. I didn’t miss the carbs at all.


Mini Foie Gras Hamburger with Lettuce and Tomato on a Bun
This was the cutest little burger ever. Our server told us that there was foie gras mixed into the hamburger patty, which was also very tender. The tomato inside was so cute with its scalloped edges. It was a bit tricky trying to eat it as a hamburger. I ended up dissecting it and eating it with my fork.


You know the short rib is good when it tears apart in shreds like this. I didn’t need a knife. I probably didn’t even need my fork. There was a deep flavor in the short rib and it felt nice and lip-smacking good from the fat and dissolved connective tissue you can see in the picture. It was so tender. Phenomenal. Hands down, the best I have had ever.


Palette Cleanser - Cardamom Pudding and Pluot Granita
I was not expecting for this to come out, so it was a treat. The cardamom flavor of the pudding reminded me of a kulfi that I had at an Indian restaurant a few months ago. I usually look over desserts flavored with spices and herbs because for some reason I think herbs and spices are only for savories - except holiday pies however. Yes, I think I should try knocking that wall down. Anyhow, the pudding was very good and combined with the granita made with a fruit that is a cross of a plum and apricot was very interesting and something I ended up enjoying very much.


“The Sunset” Warm Bittersweet Chocolate Fondant
with Vanilla Crème Anglaise and Brandied Dried Fruits
I don’t know how I managed to do it, but I ate dessert also. This is a version of a cake with a warm and running center. I was afraid that it being bittersweet that it would be a bit bitter, but I found it just right. I am not quite sure what the top consisted of and I was disappointed that I didn’t get ice cream which the menu indicated I would get. Maybe the ice cream melted into the crème anglaise? I didn’t care for the dried fruits. The dessert was very good, but it’s not extraordinary.


“Baked Peach Melba,” Peach Ice Cream,
Raspberries, Earl Grey Tea Sabayon Mousse
Star’s dessert looked so pretty complete with its candle and “Happy Birthday” sign made totally with chocolate.

This was the Earl Grey Tea Sabayon. At first, I thought it was a tiramisu, but instead of espresso, I tasted tea. It wasn’t particularly sweet either, but interesting.


That huge beehive, baked Alaska thing housed raspberry sorbet, some sort of cake among other things. The outside reminded Star of marshmallows which made sense because all marshmallows are made of are whipped egg whites. A dessert I would usually ignore on a menu, but I am glad I had tried it.


Oh my goodness, they should have known better than to shower us with more free treats. I adored the canelles with their custardy interior and rather hard exterior. Those tiny little madeleines were filled with luscious chocolate. I didn’t eat anymore because I was about ready to burst.

Chef Roland Passot has given me one of the most wonderful dining experiences I have had in my life. I can say that this is up there in the ranks with The Dining Room, Gary Danko, and Michael Mina. You know what? I think this is one of my Top 2. For real. I am not kidding. The space is absolutely beautiful. It’s a rather small restaurant and the dim lighting and velvet curtains makes for an intimate experience. Because this was a special occasion, Star and I took it upon ourselves to look like a million bucks. However, toward the end of our meal, a couple in jeans and flip-flops came in with their baby stroller. I guess there is no definite dress code. Maybe it depends on the diner, but I mean it’s a beautiful restaurant why not look beautiful along with it?

Anyhow, I had a wonderful time here. The service was outstanding. They were not pushy or rushing. Our server Dave was great even stopping to talk with us about things other than the food. FYI: I made my reservation on OpenTable, and they do request a credit card to hold a table. All around, such a great restaurant. I don’t think I’m going to make this a restaurant I go very often because of the price point, but for special occasions, this the place to do it.