Mussels

Remember the mussels that I mentioned before in the Bouchon post... well these are the definition of what I love! Savoy, mildly spicy broth/sauce with steamed mussels. Serve with a little of everything. Fresh pesto made from basil picked from the garden on toast, strawberries from the stand down the road, padron peppers sauteed and served with salt, and steamed buns from the Oakland Korea Town. What a great family meal this turned out to be.

Bouchon - Yountville

The same week we went to Cantinetta, Eric has some friend from Chicago in town. And for a special "birthday" treat they took us out to Bouchon. Like Cantinetta, I had only been before for drinks (are you seeing a pattern here?). But I had heard great things from other people who had gone before. Plus, it's Thomas Keller. The same Thomas Kelller of French Laundry fame, which is actually right down the street. One day, I will get to eat there. If it's the last thing I do...

Anyways, back to Bouchon. Started off with a glass of sparkling. Delicious bread made next door at the Bouchon bakery with soft butter and pistachios. More ears of bread please!!



The atmosphere is very french cafe. A bit too dark for my taste and maybe the palm tree in the middle of the room was a bit off putting. But then again, that may have just been me because I was sitting closest to it and it kept tickling my ear.


To go with sparkling wine you MUST have oysters. I mean come on, do you think we are savages??? Half a dozen for $18. On the pricey side, but the best oysters I have had bar none. I loved how they were all from different locations and different types. Plus the raw bar was right next to our table so we were able to see them shucked just to our left.



Mussels were fantastic as well. I do like mine hot in a broth of stew, but this was delicious as well. I just wasn't falling over by the amazingness like I was with the oysters.

Charcuterie plate. The one thing I have noticed when people come from out of town to eat is how snotty we are starting to sound. There are things on this plate that would have been unpronounceable a few years ago, but Eric knows how to make now. The cured meats were fantastic. Everytime I have great meat I remember why I will never be a vegetarian again.



Great pick by the som. Told him we wanted something in the $30 range. He didn't balk at all, which was nice because of all the high priced wines they do have on their list.


Soft shell crab with lobster. My first experience with soft shell crab. Apparently, it is only available during certain times of the year because a soft shell is actually a normal crab that has grown out of it shell and had shed it. They are caught during the brief period of time where they are between homes, per say. Delicious, but still weird to eat crab legs with what appears to be it's "clothes" on.


Eric got the steak frites. Be still my heart. French fries fried in duck fat. Best fries I have ever had, and that is not a statement I made when I was drunk and hungry. Little slab of herbed butter on the steak. I'm pretty sure I though Eric had passed out because he was quiet for so long enjoying his classically french entree.

All in all, grrrrreat time at Bouchon. Service was on top of anything we needed and they never made us feel rushed or like we were being a nuisance. I hope I get to go back again soon.



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Cantinetta Piero

A few months ago Eric and I made a date night out of going to eat at the restaurant he works at. My only experience with the place were a few late night after dinner drinks in Yountville. Cantinetta makes for a really nice stopping point in your night. So when Eric's chef told him that he should come in and try out some concept dished we jumped at the chance.


Dinner started off with crostini topped with lardo and tomato paste. If you haven't experienced lardo before, you need to. It's a revelation in food. I had lardo for the first time about 5 years ago in Spain, and I've never been the same. Neither has my waist line. This is a bit more refined than dipping hunks of bread into lardo. This was all about portion control, and I wanted more! It was paired with a glass of Sparkling. Which, I have no idea. The waitress didn't specify. Also, the tomato sauce reminded me so much of apple sauce, a hearty savory apple sauce. So good with the lardo.


Second dish was a lobster mushroom with an egg drizzled in olive oil. So meaty and savory. Another one that left me wanting more.


Third dish was definitely off menu. Pasta medallions with grape leaves and fruit shapes imprinted into the circles. With parmigiano, morel mushrooms, and peas. This dish needs to be on the menu. The chef was developing it for a dinner he was putting on, and he hand stamped dozens of these.


Half way through we acquired a bottle of wine. And a great choice made based on my preferences in wine. Bold enough to compliment the food but not too over powering where it fought with all the unique flavor profiles.

Dulce pizza. One of the best things about Cantinetta is that they have their own wood fire pizza. Pizza's are made by hand and you can even watch while seated at the pizza bar. Dulce pizza is not usually my favorite but I gave this one a try. The main ingredients were grapes, walnuts, and dulce mozzarella. All super delicious apart, and amazing together.



Main courses were fighting for room in my stomach, but I made sure to leave a pocket open just for them. I had the steak and fingerling potatoes. I like my steak medium-medium well. I am a chefs enemy when it comes to steak, but I hate when it bleeds all over. What's the one thing I learned while Eric's been at culinary school? That if you rest your steak properly it won't bleed at medium. So I took a shot and ordered mine medium. And no blood in sight! Great flavors and a fantastically cooked steak.

Eric got the pork chop and veggies. It looked and smelled delicious. But I didn't get to try it because by this time I was stuffed.



Prosecco! What I thought was going to be the end of our meal. Delicious, not too sweet or syrupy.


Then came the deserts. Agh! Strawberries in balsamic with ice cream and fried pastries. To freaking die for.

Eric got the raspberries and peaches with sugar glass on a custard. It has a name, Eric would know but he's at work. Not my style, a little too perfumed for me. But he loved it. We are different desert people. Which works out great because I don't have to share.


And finally, the pièce de résistance, concord grape sorbete. Probably the most reminicent piece of this meal. It immediately brought back memories of being a kid and eating half frozen popsicle because it was so warm out that it is melting rapidly in your hand and you have to eat it as quickly as possible. Whew!

An amazing meal over all. I would recommend this place to all. Great food, that for me evoked a memory of home. There is nothing more than you can ask for in a meal.