Over the course of the five days I made it to nine wineries, three restaurants, one very high class chocolate shop, a greenmarket, and cooked three dinners.
I don’t think that after just three restaurants that I can knowledgably compare east coast (NYC) dining to that of California, but I will try to make a few observations.
--The three restaurants we went to all seemed a little less formal and tight than restaurants that I would compare them to on the east coast. I visited Aqua, a Michelin two starred restaurant that seems to be the San Francisco equivalent of Le Bernardin, serving haute seafood in a very French style. While the service, food, and tableside preparations are what I would expect of a restaurant of this ilk, the clientele didn’t seem showy or particularly dressed up. I didn’t get the feel that I was eating at ‘some place special’ that I do when I go to a swanky New York restaurant with gussied up patrons. I don’t think this difference is good or bad, just different. I also give them kudos for serving yellowfin tuna much like a steak, accompanied by caramelized shallots, and ‘marrow potatoes’ new potatoes cut to look like marrow bones then fried in duck fat and filled with marrow—fantastic.
I also went to Bouchon in Napa and was pleasantly surprised by the light friendly, bistro ambiance that I found there. Bouchon is a Bistro, but it’s also a Thomas Keller Bistro, so I thought it might also be more formal than it actually was. Instead what I found was an incredibly relaxed, open place with simply fantastic bistro food.
While in Napa we also decided to drive by The French Laundry, which, although we didn’t see the inside, seemed a lot less formal than its New York counterpart, Per Se, which has been described as a ‘first class airport lounge for the world’s wealthiest businessmen.’ Due to its location (Napa Valley as opposed to the Time Warner Center), the French Laundry has a much more charming, rustic feel than Per Se and to me, seems like a much nicer place to spend 4-5 hours eating some of the best food of my life.
Note: I’m not able to afford a meal at Per Se or French Laundry yet, but the above observation is based on extensive reading about both places (I can dream right?)
I also went to a restaurant called Burma Superstar (fantastic name) serving up delicious Burmese food and not taking reservations. Nonetheless, I was happy to enjoy their 22 ingredient salad and some savory, perfectly cooked pork belly.
I also thought the SF greenmarket was fun though not as comprehensive as the summertime Union Square Greenmarket. They did have an excellent selection of produce and delicious tasting figs, but the meet, cheese and fish vendors didn’t have the greatest selection. It made me miss the Violet Hill Farms people and their ‘seriously good bacon’ as well as waiting in line early in the morning for my incredibly fresh long island fish.
San Francisco is clearly a very serious food city but I get the impression that they are not nearly as intense about their food as us New Yorkers. I think the laid back demeanor (which seems to translate to many aspects of West Coast life) probably has to do with the fact that their don’t get beaten down by severe August humidity or the cold of a Northeast Winter. I would hesitate to say that either scene is better, they’re just different.
Tomorrow: Wine
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