SiseFromm

We dined on the patio of Marché Moderne last Saturday, November 24th. Actually, Marché Moderne was really a sort of afterthought for us. We went to saddle up at the bar with Shaun at Pinot Provence but he was out of town. When we saw so many unfamiliar faces of a mostly new staff (following the mass migration of employees to Marché Moderne), we decided to take the pedestrian bridge across to South Coast Plaza and to the third floor to peek into Marché Moderne. Sure enough we saw lots of staff regulars and we were greeted like VIP's! Of course we took a great seat on the patio and were seated promptly even though the restaurant was full and we didn't have a reservation. We sat in Kim's section. As I mentioned before, Joy is great (and was on hand Saturday) and Kim is also fantastic. Sit in their sections and I'm sure you won't be sorry. We didn't take any photos (we're not usually restaurant photographers, a job our friend Justin is great at), but our meal consisted of: 3 Oysters - Spot Prawn & Foie Gras in Broth with Micro Cilantro Kona Konpachi with Avocado Gelee and Yuzu Sorbet - Tasmanian Trout with Creme Fraiche Spinach and Pommes Frites Braised Veal Cheek with Bacon Lardons and Morbier-Whipped Potatoes - Banana Custard with Coconut Cream, Bruleed Bananas and Sorbet With our first course we had a 2005 Red Burgundy and an exciting 2006 Gruner Veltliner. They were both well-paired with our respective dishes. The prawns were rich and served in an intensely flavored broth that was spiked with Asian flavors. The foie was poached and provided richness set against the broth. Holly's Kona was nice as well, but I didn't really get a chance to taste it because the flavors in my prawns were decadent and overpowering her delicate fish preparation. For the main Holly paired a 2005 J.M. Boillot White Burgundy with her trout and I worked on a bottle of 1998 Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon (we brought with us) with my braised cheeks. The morbier potatoes in the cheeks dish are a carryover from Pinot and were featured originally in Florent's Braised Shortribs dish. They're extremely cheesy and nearly gooey in texture. Wonderful. The cheeks were falling apart and richly glazed in braising liquid. A salad of very tender baby arugula was nice and peppery against such rich textures and flavors. The skin on Holly's trout was so crispy it was almost like cracklings. It was addictive and we started breaking it off and eating it like chips! The creme fraiche and the capers helped work against the oily trout and provided a bit of lift for such a fatty fish. I'm not sure what the pommes frites were doing on the plate, but I was happy to see them again since I've been having french fry withdrawals ever since our return from Napa. I can't recall our banana dessert very well. I loved it and we destroyed it quickly, I just can't remember all of the individual components. I mostly remember that butter pastry shell more than anything else. I strive to make such flaky and buttery pastry but never quite get it as good as this was. The food and our server were both top notch. Our major faults were with the minor details. Details that might not seem completely important, but weighed against our overall experience, definitely leave a mark. For one, our amuse bouche was delivered moments after we sat and before we even really had a chance to open the menus. My general experience is that it usually doesn't arrive until at least after we've relaxed for a few minutes and have ordered drinks. Bread didn't come until well into our appetizer course, and butter never followed. Worse, the baguette was completely rock hard and stale. It was kind of embarrassing actually. Our stems (both water and wine) had crusty bits on the base of the glass as well as up the side of the bowls. I'm not sure if it was because a residue was leftover after the washing process, if it was crumby bits from other people's hands, or because they simply weren't polished. Maybe it was a combination. Again, it was a bit disconcerting. All in all I rate our experience and food very favorably, but these little details would definitely be something, say, a Michelin inspector would be completely aware of during a serious evaluation process. Luckily, the food is still at a very high level and our servers are well-informed and seasoned professionals.

She's right! Those were great stops on our trip (thanks so much again, Mary, for putting that together for us). I think Booker is doing some pretty exciting stuff right now and they're just out of the gate with a first vintage release. L'Aventure is a great property with a great tasting room surrounded by hilly vineyards. What about Linne Calodo? We just had a bottle of the 2004 Problem Child and it's dark and brooding stuff with real Zinfandel spice. Has anybody heard anything about Jonata? Andy Erickson is the winemaker there.

You should check out Bar Keeper in Silverlake. If you're into vintage/retro barware and estate glassware, they're definitely a great stop. Plus, they're just a few doors down from Silverlake Cheese Store and directly across the street from Pazzo Gelato. Both are worthy stops.

That pork belly from Redd is really something else. It's braised, crisped for service, then sliced. It is served with burdock root, frissee, brasing liquid, apple, chive, and "soy caramel". I'm really not sure where the "soy caramel" is, but I know the flavors in that dish are haunting and deep and have a long, lingering finish. I paired it with a Grenache from Spain and I thought it matched well. An earthy Pinot Noir might play off the burdock. When we went to Redd within a month of opening a couple of Decembers ago we had this same dish. I don't believe it's changed at all in that time. It's a house dish and the bartender says it will never go away.

Farm was an experience mostly for our travel companions since they were guests for the week at Carneros Inn. We stopped in and I perused the menu and wine list. I didn't feel there was anything spectacular at work, but it did seem like a nice atmosphere and we heard good things about the food. While they were eating at Farm, we were at Ubuntu. I wouldn't trade that for anything. Ubuntu was exciting and new and fresh and Farm seems to be serving up more of the same. Did it? Interesting. I can see why. They were also pouring the 2000 from the "library". Get some while you can. It's on their website I see. We have a ton of the 1998 and it's also drinking well.

I thought stars were taken into consideration for food, service, and wine?

Bistro Jeanty, less than a block away, also received 1-star. It's great and I love the atmosphere, but we've definitely had some service problems in the past and I would say from a refinement standpoint, Bouchon is delivering a more delicate and talent-intensive product. Of course, at Jeanty, I'll eat their roasted bone marrow all night long. I don't think, though, they would plate up salmon tartare with the level of sophistication they're achieving at Bouchon. So my answer is, yes, I do believe regardless of any chef association, Bouchon is absolutely deserving of their 1-star status.

Well . . . in that case, here are some more random pics: Bouchon: Mac and Cheese Gratin Bouchon: Justin & Melissa Bouchon: Holly & Jason Bouchon Bakery: Snacks for a day of Tasting (Sandwiches, Croissant, Cheese Danish, Cashew Nut Butter & Jam Sandwich on Brioche) Bistro Jeanty: Roasted Bone Marrow with Toasts and Bordelaise Bistro Jeanty: Steak Tartare with Chicken Egg Yolk, Toasts, and Fries Terra: Ravioli with Ricotta, Lemon, Chanterelles, and Pumpkin Tempura Terra: 2006 Aurajo Sauvignon Blanc Terra: Lobster Special (I forget what was with this one) Redd: Seared Scallops with Cauliflower Puree Redd: Hamachi Sashimi with Soy Beans and Cucumber Redd: 2006 Troup de Bonde Grenache Blanc (Tasty!) Shafer: Part of the infamous Shafer Hillside Vineyards for the "Select" Designate Wine Seavey: 2004 Seavey Merlot Carneros Inn: Tattinger Chair Carneros Inn: Lounging with Champagne by the Fire

I didn't actually write anything up on our visits to Ubuntu, Cloud View, Keever, Dean & Deluca, Chateau Montelena, CIA @ Greystone, or Farm @ Carneros Inn. I have a ton of additional photos of food, environment, and wineries, but I tried to keep it short and sweet and to let the pics do most of the talking.

It seems like the window between Thanksgiving and the new year is a tough time to open a new restaurant, but what do I know?

I think every one of our major winery visits were by appointment, but they weren't tough appointments to acquire. They just took some diligence on our part during planning. We booked two to three appointment-only wineries each day and left the rest of the day open for random stops. Just Google search the name of the winery and shoot the contacts an email or call by phone and I'm sure you'll be golden. I HIGHLY recommend stopping by Seavey. Keever in Yountville is newer and another one you shouldn't miss. Their 2006 Sauvignon Blanc is $18 and worth every penny. Unfortunately they only produced around 60 cases so bottle sales are limited to two. A massive bouquet of tropical fruit leaps from the glass.

Some of you noticed I was in Napa a couple of weeks ago for 5 days of eating and tasting my way through the area. As usual, we had a blast. I forget just how beautiful the area is and am reminded every time I go back when I'm greeted with seemingly unending vineyards and valley and mountain scapes. I felt lucky to wake up each morning in Yountville. Below is a quick photo tour of some of our highlights. Restaurants: Bistro Jeanty - As usual, Bistro Jeanty was lively, loud, and fun in a great, old-school French way. Our server was pretty bad, but the kickass busboy made up for his typical absence. The bone marrow with toast and bordelaise was the highlight of the meal but the dining room was too dark to really capture most of the meal. Daily Specials Crudite Terra - Terra, unlike Bistro Jeanty, is so quiet you can hear a pin drop. This was our first time to the restaurant. The wine list was approachable and we had a great conversation with the Somm about a bottle of 2006 Araujo Sauvignon Blanc we ordered. My sweetbreads were outstanding but I thought the endive was a bit overpowering for the delicate texture and flavor. Terra Menu Carpacio of Hamachi Miso-Glazed Black Cod in Shiso Broth Skewis Pinot Noir with Dinner Bouchon - I know Bouchon has taken some beatings lately at the hands of mixed reviews, but I can't really say enough good things about this restaurant. Everything we had was delicious. Service was perfect. Bouchon Restaurant Cocktail Menu Oysters Salmon Tartare Frisee Salad with Poached Egg Steak Frites Passionfruit Jelly Bouchon Bakery - Again, as with Bouchon, I think the bakery has also taken some beatings by way of poor reviews. As with the restaurant, I can't really say anything bad. The ham and cheese croissant, grilled in a press, is my favorite breakfast. Morning Case Morning Case 2 Redd - Redd is my wife's favorite, and after eating there again it's obvious why they received that star. They're really on point and offer a refreshing and modern take on food in the mostly French-influenced Napa Valley. The pork belly is as close to a perfect dish as I can imagine. The Restaurant Pork Belly with Burdock and Soy Caramel Tuna & Hamachi Tartare with Sticky Rice Dessert Wineries: Shafer - Shafer was an interesting experience. Most of our tastings were at smaller, lesser-known wineries. Shafer gave us the full-blown winery and tour experience. Their grounds are unbelievably beautiful. The winery is modern and clean and the famous hillside vineyards are exciting to see in person. We tasted through all of the current offerings, with a bonus 1993 Hillside Select. Scrumptious. Drink 'em if you got 'em. The 1993 is in perfect shape. Shafer Winery Tasting with John Shafer Lamborn - Lamborn is a relatively obscure winery at the top of Howell. They're known mostly for an estate Zinfandel they've been doing for awhile, but they're now on their second vintage of Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon made by Heidi Barrett. Lamborn Entry Tasting with Mike Lamborn 2005 Lamborn Zinfandel Lamborn Cabernet Sauvignon (2004, Vintage II) Seavey - Seavey continues to remain one of our all-time favorites. Philippe Melka has consulted with them for over 10 years now and that little mountain vineyard of theirs produce some of the most concentrated and amazing juice in the area. The Merlot is outstanding and the estate Cabernet Sauvignon is top notch. If you can get your hands on that Chardonnay, I highly recommend it. Seavey's Original Farmhouse Structure Mary Seavey Bill Seavey Seavey Barrel Room Pina - Pina got some recent press when their 2004 Buckeye (Howell) vineyard scored a whopping 94-points from Robert Parker. Lucky for us we've been buying since the 2001 vintage and we're now stacked with a ton of bottles from their original vineyards and their newer properties in Yountville and Rutherford. Too bad for us the winemaker through the 2006 vintage, Ted Osbourne, was let go. I don't know what happened, but it seems to be a sore subject. Check out Ted's new project, Olabisi. Petite Sirah, Chardonnay, and old-vine Zinfandel. They're scrumptious and affordable. Chuck from Pina (now also making his own wine under Trahan label) Pina Barrels Clark-Claudon - We discovered Clark-Claudon when Mike from Hi-Time Cellars recommended the 2002 vintage to us last year. It's truly great stuff. Tom Clark and Laurie Claudon are awesome. Ex-hippy peace corps types. Plus, they make beautiful wine. Tom Clark Sampling the 2006 from Barrel Entry to the Miner Family Caves, where Clark-Claudon is Barrel Aged Neal Family - Neal is my buddy's favorite winery in the area so we paid tribute to him by visiting for a tasting with the winemaker. The two single-vineyard wines we tasted (Chafen & Wykoff) were off the charts. Plus, we learned about their software solutions to vineyard management. Talk about hi-tech. The Winery Cleaning the 2007 Fermentation tanks Neal Caves Keever Unfortunately we didn't get any real usable photos from our tasting at Keever, Cloud View, or Olabisi. I'm sure you're punch drunk as it is from the mountain of photos posted above.

That's the dish I was talking about in my earlier post. I loved it! I'm still trying to figure out how he smoked the grits. I should have asked him when he came out to our table. I'm imagining a cold-smoke process but who knows?

I did, by the way, snap one single photo before our camera battery completely failed. Just for kicks, here's the base of that Broccoli soup just before the server poured in the velvety-smooth puree: This is the Romesco, Broccoli, Pine Nut, Pine Nut Custard, and Golden Raisin base.

Interesting notes and seemingly contrary to our experiences. The mussels were fresh and we had frites on three separate occasions . . . all were crisp and golden with a crunchy exterior and fluffy interior. A compound of sorts in the form of lower-income apartments/condos is being built directly behind Bouchon. According to one of the bartenders at Redd, Keller is building them to help offer housing options for his employees and to set up better cross-training among his staffs in New York, California, and Las Vegas. Has anybody heard about an exchange program between all of the various Keller institutions? Is there a policy in place for continuous training and re-training if you work in his kitchens? Was the bartender at Redd off his rocker? This conversation is moving away from the Michelin results, but I suppose it's still relevant given we're talking about consistency among a 1-star restaurant.

Mussels with saffron, white wine, and dijon was among the many dishes we ordered last week. Other standouts included Garlic Sausage with Lentils and Pearl Onions, Salmon Tartare with Egg, Capers and Creme Fraiche, Shortribs with Potato Puree and Glazed Vegetables, and Salmon Rilletes with Toasts. All are classic staples of the restaurant but they were all delicious. Perhaps our experiences have been so pleasurable and memorable because we sit at the pewter bar 75% of the time and make nice with the bartenders. Several freebies made their way to us, including a bevy of beautiful Atlantic oysters and some stunning 1991 Duckhorn Cabernet Sauvignon.

I've been to Bouchon (Yountville) over a dozen times in the last two years and I can't recall a single problem we had with service or food. It's the most consistent restaurant I've ever been to and I'll sing her praises all day long to anybody that will listen.

The rest of the trip was awesome. I'm waiting for a massive batch of photos from our trip photographer. He snapped a million of them so I'm sure there are some gems. I was planning on writing up a full report of our experiences. We found some awesome winery gems.

Any new information on when Crow Bar is opening? The website still lists the grand opening event as "TBA".

Our meal at Ubuntu last Friday was brilliant. Unfortunately, our camera quite literally ran out of batteries right when the first course dropped. That's a real shame because aside from being delicious and soul satisfying, the dishes were artfully done. Our meal consisted of: Grilled Farmer's Potatoes, Fennel, Fennel Puree, Sherry Vinaigrette Broccoli Soup with Pine Nuts, Golden Raisins, Romesco, and Pine Nut Custard Roasted Root Vegetables, Farro, Squash Puree, Baby Herb Salad Barbecue Brussels Sprouts, Speckled Corn Grits, Celery Root, Spicy Apple Barbecue Sauce Cauliflower (Pureed, Roasted, Raw), Vadouvan Spice, Brown Butter Toasts We wanted to order dessert, but we were done for and couldn't stand eating another bite. All in all, our experience was exceptional. The wine list was approachable, our server (Randall) was on point, the food was nourishing and delicious, and an all vegetable meal was a welcome reprieve from the daily onslaught of French food in the Napa Valley. The standout dish, by far, was the Brussels Sprouts. They were glazed and smoky atop a base of creamy and smoke-spiced base of American grits. The celery root was just barely al dente and the apple barbecue sauce was sweet, tangy, and spicy. It was so good we nearly ordered a second one. Great restaurant!

This is precisely why I've completely avoided the Vegas incarnation. For me, Bouchon is Yountville. That tiny, main street town plucked from a storybook is the only place I'll ever associate with the restaurant. Going to the Vegas version would be a sort of blasphemy to me.

Bouchon Yountville did receive a 1-star rating. Deservedly so. We were there three times over the last week and they're operating at a very high level. Amazingly high.

That list is a little shocking! Of course I didn't expect any 3-star ratings for Los Angeles, but I'm very surprised that several restaurants are missing from the 1-star category. No Lucques or Campanille? No stars for Bouchon Las Vegas? Wow.

I read about this joint. I can't remember where, but maybe in the Daily Pilot newspaper? I contacted them by email to find out if they were taking reservations. I'm definitely going to check them out soon enough.

We've got reservations for Ubuntu later this week. I don't think I'll have a photo report to post, but I'll definitely list my thoughts here once we return from our trip and have some time to decompress. I'm really excited about this restaurant!