Carolyn Tillie

I had a lot of dining recommendations for my trip to Scotland, but The Kitchin is the one I was looking forward to the most. Of my entire U.K. expedition, this was one of the two most memorable meals (the other being a grouse dinner I have yet to write up). A stunningly glorious meal as I am still recalling the most amazing razor clam I have ever tasted... Dampierre 1er Cru Cuvée des Ambassadeurs, Champagne, France N/V Amuse – Cauliflower soup with apple and crème Fraiche. A simple way to start a meal, but already showing bold moves to put a crème fraiche in a white, creamy soup. One would anticipate too similar textures being boring, but it was anything but. So often a cream of any vegetable soup tends towards the grainy, but this was absolutely perfectly smooth with a subtle base of coriander and the crème fraiche was not a hindrance in any way. The single beet root slice was eaten almost immediately and I regret not savoring it more slowly with the rest of the soup. Dry Riesling Donhoff, Nahe, Germany, 2007 Razorfish (Spoots) from Arisaig, served with diced vegetables, chorizo, and lemon confit. Largest razor clam I have every seen; eight inches at least in length. It was studded with the smallest brunoise I have ever experienced with only the bites of razor clam being slightly larger than the vegetables. I had initially dismissed any additional servings of bread as I did not want to fill up, but in experiencing the elegance of the creamy lemon confit beurre blanc, I requested more bread to get every drop. It was that good. Chardonnay Swamp Reserve, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, 2006 Snails & Bone Marrow – roasted bone marrow served with sautéed snails from Devon, Iberico ham, and Scottish grolles with quail egg. As with the razor clam, I was astonished at the size of the serving. In this case, the marrow was served “open face” with all the marrow easily accessible under the unctuous offering of snails, quail egg, and ham. My only complaint on the dish was that only a small toast bit was offered to scoop up the ample marrow, but I still had some bread left so all was fine. Intensely rich, the snails were not at all chewy with the addition of the Iberico ham being the only non-Scottish ingredient in the dish. Rich and satisfying, I knew I had to start pacing myself based on the confluence of flavors being presented. Trimbach Gewurtztraminer, Alsace, France 2006 Pig’s Head & Langoustine, boned and rolled pig’s head, served with roasted tail of langoustine from Anstruther, and a crispy ear salad. Inside was pork cheek and on top, fried pig ear. Bringing it all together was a collection of wilted lettuce greens, a creamy sauce akin to the most decadent tartare, and a rich circle of sauce. The langostine was perfectly cooked with no hint of being either under cooked and flabby or overcooked and hard. The thin layer of fried slivered pigs ears provided a great salt and textural crunch to the richness of the pig jowl. Pinot Noir Hautes Cotes de Beaune, Domaine Delagrange, Burgundy, France, 2006 Poached halibut from Scrabster, served with ink pasta and a samphire sauce. I have to admit that I am not sure what samphire sauce is. With bits of saffron, I can honestly say I have never had a more stunningly perfect hunk of halibut. The “asparagus of the sea” bites were a bright juxtaposition of crunchy delight next to the tender and smooth fish and vegetables. Hints of saffron brought the dish together. Mourvedre Yalumba, Borassa Valley, Australia, 2007 Venison – saddle of roe deer from Humbie, served with pumpkin, celeriac, roasted apple from Moira’s garden, and pepper sauce. A rather classic example of a protein offering with a root vegetable puree, a few slivers of vegetable that are fried to offer a crunchy texture, and some wilted greens. So incredibly tender Mas Ameil, Maury, France, 2007 Cheese; Gabietou (ewe), Trappes (walnut cheese), Mont Briac (South France), Criffel (Dumfries), and Ealisa Craig (goat). Gorgeous cheese cart and points on being offered a wide selection of Scottish cheeses. Recioto Della Valpolicelloa, Tommasi, Italy, 2006 Dark chocolate tart with served figs, chestnuts, and port ice cream. A perfect culmination to a fabulous evening. I have gotten tired of U.S. restaurants feeling the need to offer two and three desserts. One is fine for me and this was neither too sweet nor too heavy. I am only used to California figs and these Turkish offerings are milder and fatter. A note on service; the waiters and waitresses are definitely international – from Australia, Barcelona, and France. They were young, energetic, and provided impeccable service without being over-bearing. I had to laugh that two or three times my napkin slid off my lap to the floor. Before I could realize it, a brand new cloth was offered even though the "dirty" one that had hit the floor would have sufficed. The room is elegant and modern. I am glad I had an early seating for a Friday night, there were two large parties which arrived at 8:00ish made the room rather loud. But I have found a reason to return to Edinburgh to eat Kitchin's stunningly brilliant food. Pics on the Blog

I haven't done Flour & Water yet. But I frequent Anchor & Hope and ALWAYS order the sea urchin in shell with beurre blanc and crab. It is a MUST order. Also, when/if the lobster pot-pie is on the menu, that is incredibly rich and amazing!

I have often lamented the lack of a true yakitori here in San Francisco. And truth be told, we only have two izakaya in the city; O Izakaya which is close to me in Japantown and Sozai, in the Inner Richmond. It took me a long time to get to Sozai because of its location. I'm sorry it took me so long to get there and I genuinely wish it were closer, despite some minor shortcomings which I'll touch upon later. But first, the sake. We each ordered a sampler, giving us six different tastes; Yuki no Bosha, Dassai Nigori, Tama no Hikari Yamahai, Take no Tsuyu, Urakasumi, and Tengumai. They were all distinct and enticing, but the Yuki no Bosha was the smoothest and easiest one to get in trouble with. In ordering a lot of food, we were grateful that the owner guided us through the menu on what to order. We started with an assorted Sashimi platter as we were there the only night they serve sushi. The pieces were not cut perfectly, but the fish was fresh and good. Next came oysters and we loved the presentation; a bit of tobiko and a side of ponzu granita. This was delightfully innovative for the oysters, which were of great quality. A whole sample of yakitori came next; chicken gizzards, hearts, livers, thigh (negi-ma), and meatballs (tsukune). Not quite the quality of Shin Sen Gumi (my favorite in the state), but very respectable. Our next offering was a slow cooked pork belly shichimi which was out of this world. So tender and rich and very, very satisfying. Lisa always has to try whatever uni is on the menu, so a single nigiri order arrived. Ankimo was next in the offering and I'm sorry to say this was not of great quality. It seemed a bit on the grainy side for my tastes. Some vegetables were recommended and the grilled Japanese eggplant were a pleasant surprise. Grilled to give a sugary, candied exterior, it did not hide the succulent eggplant creaminess inside. Seeing how much we were enjoying the evening, the owner sent out a treat, the name of which I know not; squid brains in fermented squid gut sauce. The squid was tender enough, but the sauce was a bit too overpowering for me. We finished up with dessert; a sweet-ish unfiltered sake (came in a frosty, pin, bottle) paired well with chocolate ginger cake and green tea tiramisu. Now I was reluctant on the tiramisu; making it with a green tea flavor seemed rather contrived but both Lisa and I were pleasantly surprised. It was not as kitschy as I thought it would be. The chocolate ginger cake, on the other hand, was superb; decadent hint of ginger in the redolent rich chocolate. Not too dry, not too sweet, and although garnished with a berry sauce, would have been better with simple whipped cream. On the very minor downside to the restaurant, it is far from elegant. The tables are close together and the bizarre selection of 60s music in the background can occasionally glare a bit loud. But I don't need elegant or appointed to enjoy good food and the service was exemplary. And the good news is that just a day or so before, Eater announced that the Sozai owners and the chef from O Izakaya are going to get together for a third venue in the Mission. Hoorah! Pictures on the blog.

Part of the search problems might be that a portion of Lake Tahoe is Nevada, not California. For me, the ones I've eaten at which don't completely offend include Mirabelle, Plumpjack, and Lone Eagle Grill (only because they had elk steak!) The food is respectable and acceptable, but not exceptional, I'm sad to say.

After a handful of nice luncheons at Murray Circle, I was anxious to return for the Full Monty dinner. Accompanied by trusted dining buddy, Lisa, I apologize that the good camera was left at home and only the iPhone camera was available to document the evening. We opted for the full, eight-course Grand Tasting (they offer a four-course tasting as well). And after consulting with our server, determined that a shared wine pairing (1 to 2 ounce pours) would suffice for the two of us. Drakes Bay Oysters as a bisque, Dijon mustard "floating island," with watermelon radish. Served with Gaston Chiquet, Brut tradition, Dizy, NV. Two oysters were curled up and served next to a large, fluffy quenelle of mustard. The quality of the oysters was excellent, the soup portion was rich and creamy, and the influence of a hint of the mustard foam quenelle would have been nice, but the size of the quenelle overwhelmed the dish. I made the mistake of taking a large bite out of the quenelle because it was such a predominant ingredient in the presentation. After I realized how strong that component was, I concentrated more on the luscious bisque and juxtaposition of bright watermelon bits with just a taste of the mustard. Much, much better... The Gaston Chiquet was creamy and a perfect accompaniment. Gulf Prawns from the plancha, cherry tomatoes "aigre-doux," corn velouté, and basil popcorn. Served with Domaine de la Cadette, La Chatelaine, Vézelay, Burgundy, 2007. The wine was lovely with well-integrated mineral notes and complexity. The wine worked well with the corn velouté but sadly, the rest of the dish fell woefully short. We were both intrigued with the concept of basil popcorn and immediately tasted one, but were mostly disappointed. The prawns were not cooked properly and had a mushy texture which did not work well against the mushiness of the tomatoes. It was just a sad, sad dish overall and went back to the kitchen mostly un-eaten. Dayboat Halibut, grilled in fig leaves, sassafras, hazelnut, with sea urchin emulsion. Served with Michel-Schlumberger, La Brume Chardonnay, Dry Creek, 2006. I was not particularly thrilled with a second Chardonnay (there ARE other whites that work well with seafood!), but once I tasted the course, I didn't really care. Served alongside the halibut was sugar snap peas and hazelnuts and a parsnip purée. The urchin emulsion was served tableside and with Lisa's devotion to uni, we asked for a little extra. Everything about this course was brilliant; the halibut had been grilled and the perfect amount of smokiness was detectable against the unctuousness of the sea urchin. The snow peas provided a perfectly crisp brightness. This course certainly made up for the indiscretion of the previously served prawn. Squab and Lobster Salad served with mizuna and Zinfandel marmalade. Served with Fernand & Laurent Pillot, 'Tavennes,' Pommard, 2005. The imported pinot was very vibrant with a hint of wood and berry and was spectacular with the salad. This was the second winning course in a row. Considering the prawns were undercooked, I was a tad worried about the lobster, but I had no concerns on that regard. The richness of the lobster and the rare, succulent squab were great pairings heightened by the fresh greens. Excellent course. Grass Fed Beef, wood grilled, with potato gratin and baby carrots. Served with Robert Foley Vineyards Merlot, Napa, 2006. The wine was velvety and silky, true Howell Mountain characteristics of ripe berry and integrated spice. A very respectable offering, I wish I could get excited about simple protein courses. We were more interested in the perfectly round potato gratins and sauce. Don't get me wrong; the meat was excellent and perfectly prepared, but it was just meat. "Aria" cheese baked in rye bread, apricot-whiskey, grapefruit. Served with Alois Kracher, Beerenauslese Cuvée, Burgenland, 2006. A triangle of cheese baked in a thin sliver of (what I assume to be homemade) rye bread. So many high-end restaurants fall short on the cheese plate, offering nothing other than a few slices with the routine nut and dried fruit accompaniment. This realization was well-conceived and executed. The hint of rye worked so well with the warm, creamy cheese. Just a few bites of grapefruit and apricot showed amazing restraint and brilliance. Fabulous. Pink Pearl Apple Sorbet with Candied Fennel Cake and Fig Coulis. Served with Two Hands Brilliant Disguise, Moscato, Barossa, 2008. These little squares of fennel cake were scrumptious. This was a dessert I could get passionate about although the apple sorbet did not work with the sweet wine. Taking the miniature cakes on their own with the fig coulis and the wine was perfection. I could eat this several times over and wished I had stopped at this dessert. When we saw what the waiter was pouring, we asked for something larger than the small pours we had been receiving and were quite gratified that we were given a bit more. It was that stunning. "Coconut Joy" - Dark chocolate mousse, milk chocolate glaze, with toasted almond ice cream. Served with Kobalt Cabernet Sauvignon Port, Napa, 2005. After the bliss of the fennel cake, this dessert was incredibly mis-guided in its execution. In the center of the mousse was a disk of coconut nougat the size of a quarter. A few bites of the mousse were fine, but when we got to the nougat, the mousse had to be destroyed to extract the disk. There was no way to cut the disk so biting it was the only way to take a small bite, only to discover it was hard and chewy. Served alongside was a larger disk of coconut meringue studded with almonds. Apparently the kitchen was trying to recreate an Almond Joy or Mounds bar, but failed short. The Port tasted good though. Overall, it was a good evening. I'm not sure it was great. The successes certainly outweighed the detractions. I would go back for lunch. Price for full tasting dinner for two, one wine pairing, and tip: $300. Pics on the blog.

I usually don't head towards the tourist traps in town and I have prided myself on steering clear of Fisherman's Wharf whenever possible (except for the occasional Buena Vista Irish Coffee). But with the discovery of Crown and Crumpet in Gharadelli Square, I may have to put up with the tourists for the occasional high tea. Decidedly pink in its décor, Crown and Crumpet is not your typical frou-frou tea house. There are no Victorian lace doilies or too precious white tablecloths. I will grant an excess of chintz, but the atmosphere is fun and bright and inviting. Lisa and I were charmed by the fact that along with the classic tea offerings, this establishment boasts an alcohol license, enabling them to serve sparkling wines as well as ports, Madeiras, and sherries. We started with splits of rosé Champagne and there was a definite desire to smuggle the deeply-etched Champagne flutes out in our purses. Despite the inviting selection of savories on the menu (sausage rolls, welsh rarebit), we opted for the Tea for Two, enabling us to sample a larger selection of treats. Six different tea sandwiches included an open-face salmon, egg salad, potted shrimp, sundried tomato with goat cheese, cucumber, and herbed cheese. We both commented on the high quality of the bread and the ingredients in the sandwiches. Lisa has dined at more tea shops in San Francisco than I have and this was some of the best she had ever had. The tea selection was several pages long with white tea, green teas, fruit teas, and more. We decided on an Assam and the Crown and Crumpet house-blend. The pots were large and we easily could have happily shared a single pot. Served with butter, jam, clotted cream, and lemon curd were freshly-baked and still-warm scones and crumpets. I don't ever remember an American tea shop offering fresh crumpets before and these were gobbled up immediately. Four scones were served; two with currants and two plain. About silver-dollar sized, at this point in our dining, we were getting full and we hadn't even gotten to our sweets. In the center of the sweets plate was a bowl of fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries). Surrounding the fruit were miniature cupcakes, brownie bites, lemon curd and blueberry tartlets, almond cookies, and chocolate chip cookies. Quite honestly, with the two ample pots of tea, most of the sweets and two of the scones were packed up and taken home with us. Attached to the tea room is a shop laden with enticing tschotskes; books, edible treats, jewelry, and whatnot. In the back of the shop is a sitting area complete with digital fireplace, inviting for intimate parties. This was not quite the hoity-toity Neiman Marcus under the Rotunda which would demand the wearing of an Armani suit, but at $21 a person for that dual tea service, Crown and Crumpet is more affordable, relaxed, and inviting. I'll be back.

Four of us went to Regalito and ate through almost half of the menu. Ordering a carafe of white Sangria, we settled in with two appetizers; Quacamole con Tostadas and Papas con Chorizo. The quacamole is ample with fresh salsa and served with whole fried corn tortillas. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would considering I'm not a huge fan of salsa (I'm getting better at this). But the fried potatoes with the chorizo, queso fresco and crema was a clear winner amongst all of us. I could eat a whole plate of this... Another carafe of the fabulous sangria came with the four entrées of the evening. One special of the evening, roast lamb with New Mexico chili sauce, Enchiladas Verdes, chile relleno de Calabazas y Maiz, and Cochinita Pibil. The enchiladas were served with whole pintos and fine, but too cilantro-laden for enjoyment by yours truly. The Chile Relleno was my order and was stuffed with queso Oaxaca, squash, corn and garnished with ranchera sauce and cream. I could tell that it was good, but a bit on the spicy side for me. I also ordered a side of carnitas just because I tend to always want to taste a restaurant's carnitas. It was very good and served with some black beans. The lamb was very tender and quite rich. But for me, the dish of the evening was the Cochinita Pibil; slow-roasted, banana leaf wrapped, citrus and achiote marinated pork with habanero pickled red onions. LOVED that dish... Two desserts were shared over coffee; the churros with hot chocolate and Capirotada, warm bread pudding with apples, raisins, nuts & jack cheese - topped with Mexican vanilla ice cream. The bread pudding was HUGE and while I enjoyed the caramel sauce, it was a bit on the gummy side. Everyone loved the churros as well. They were obviously very fresh, but a still a bit gooey on the inside, I thought. The hot chocolate was superb. With tip, $50 a person.

Since you've been to The Slanted Door before, why not go there for lunch instead? Then you can have two amazing new dinners... I love Ame but I have gotten to the point where I don't eat anything beyond the crudo. Their cooked mamal protein dishes just bore me, I'm sorry to say. But I am very happy making an entire meal out of various fish courses and you should definitely order Lissa's Employee Meal. My other consistent Go-To restaurant that I bring visitors is Aziza. It NEVER ceases to impress and there is nothing like it anywhere else. It would make for a lovely birthday dinner...

I was fortunate to have a friend stop by on a drive-through from Los Angeles to Seattle -- and that he arrived at 10:00 p.m. in the evening as it gave me a chance to recommend Nopa up on Divisidero. It is one of the few late-night dining joints in the city. We shared the much-lauded hamburger which I thought was very good, but not quite as opulent as the one I get at O Izakaya. It is served with pickled onions and house-made French Fries. Three of us also ordered and shared the broccoli di ciccio with shelling peas and anchovy. None of us were blown away with this dish; good, but not amazing. Lastly, we decided to share the dessert of toasted Johnny Cake with sautéed summer apples and bacon brittle ice cream. Honestly, this dish was all about the ice cream which was amazing. Otherwise, the Johnny Cake was essentially dry and the apples did nothing to bring the dish together. In fact, we left bites of cake and apple, just wanting the ice cream. As many have indicated, this place is LOUD. Surprising that with such vaulted ceilings, no one has thought to hang large tapestries or textile artwork. It would certainly help the volume. At almost midnight, the bar was still bustling with lots of 20-somethings. I thought it might be nice for me on those rare occasions to sit at the bar and enjoy a late-night snack, but I am definitely outside their demographic and I would probably feel out of place. Other than the fact that it is great for late-night food, I am not sure I would want to go back.

Makes perfect sense. That little strip not only provides the joy of Tartine's Morning Buns, but also BiRite Ice Cream's Salted Caramel and the BiRite grocery store's house-made paté (my favorite in the city). I don't go out of my way for Delfina pizza, but have been there often enough to enjoy...

Which Delfina did you go to? The one in the Mission has been consistently better than the newer one on Fillmore...

Morton's is right on Union Square and is very good. A few blocks away is Harris for steak. In the Westfield Mall is Lark Creek Steak. Quite honestly, I can't tell them apart. To me, we have good grass-fed beef at all these restaurants and they are all prepared exceptionally well, so they run a dead-heat for me. What kind of Chinese food are you looking for? That will help determine where to send you; dim sum? Cantonese? Szechuan? XLB? We have a HUGE Chinese community with various pockets of the various regional cuisines all over the city (including in Chinatown -- which does have some very good food).

We started with the sampler of beignets; three sweet (plain with powdered sugar, chocolate-filled, and apple filled) and one savory, filled with crawfish. Surprising to me, the crawfish was the clear winner and I could make a full meal on these! Three of shared each other's entrées; a home-town fry with bacon and ham served with cheese grits and a biscuit. I ordered a special of the day; a frittata with crawfish, andouille sausage, and shrimp topped with cheddar cheese (also with grits and a biscuit). A third of us ordered the shrimp po-boy with slaw. A very hot day, we were thrilled with the house-made watermelon ice tea with a hint of basil. We were incredibly impressed with the food, despite the hour wait for a table. The biscuits (with house-made strawberry jam) were monstrously huge. All of the food was ample and after sharing the beignet sampler, I was the lucky duck to be able to take home most of my frittata, a whole biscuit, and almost 2/3rds of the grits -- all of which were greatly appreciated the next day. Now I just have to figure out the best time to go when there isn't a line -- just to get the crawfish beignet!

Sorry, not from me... I cut my teeth on Mexican food when living in San Diego and dashing across the border. I did okay eating Mexican when I moved to Los Angeles, but the further away I moved from the border, the less enchanted I was with my findings. Probably the only place I don't mind (but which I don't think is very authentic, but "California-ized") is Tacubaya on 4th in Berkeley.

I worked a festival at Fort Mason all weekend and ate at Greens twice. Having eaten there at least once a year for the past twenty years, I wish I could recommend Greens. I find it rather stodgingly stuck in the past as far as vegetarian food goes. Perhaps it is because Ubuntu has pushed so many envelopes of vegetarian cuisine, that I am surprised Greens has not followed suit. Their dishes seem so incredibly 1970s mainstream vegetarian; there is nothing to show a sensibility to changing flavor combinations or a refinement of techniques. To me, Greens is a clumsy reflection of what it once was.

And I can't go there without getting the sea urchin...

For starters, I would strike Aqua off the list as Laurent Manrique and the bulk of the staff has recently walked out (rumors they will close soon). I am also not huge fans of Danko, Mina, or (sadly), Coi. Danko has not changed their menu in five years which is my biggest complaint. They are very solid if you only dine there once. Mina is radically inconsistent with abjectly bad wine pairings. And on my recent visit to Coi, the dishes which were misses were remembered more than those which were hits. Actually, for me, the same can be said of my last Chez Panisse visit -- there were too many off dishes. Have you considered Aziza?

That might have been one of my meals.... I met Chef Jeremy years ago when I arranged a Pinot tasting for 20 people at that "other place" and the head chef was traveling or away. Sous Chef Fox was at the helm for the evening and I believe I met him for the first time when he brought the pig out to the guests to show off what they were going to be eating that evening. That meat meal blew us away so it has been that much more gratifying to watch him hone his craft in his own restaurant.

I haven't been since last year, when it was $300 without drinks, tax and tip. I don't know if it has gone up, but its worth it. ← My tab a year ago with only one of us drinking sake (premium, I'm sure) came to about $500 a person.

I repeatedly said that for me, going to Ubuntu is like going to church; my spirit is awakened, wounds in the soul are healed, and exaltation is experienced. I went in yesterday on the tail end of a very bad day and left with a sense of spiritual renewal. It is quite frankly, my favorite restaurant in the world and with the exception of one course (the carta de musica), every single dish that was served was brand new to me so my sense of wonder at the artistry coming from Jeremy and Deannie Fox continues to appreciate. As usual, I called ahead to pre-order a tasting menu (not yet available on a day-to-day basis, I understand, but something planned for the future). So what was served may not be on the standard menu... My biggest regret is that my new camera dysfunctioned by the fourth course. Hopefully the guest I was dining with will give me a link to his photos since I have so few. When we arrived, I ordered a bottle 2007 Seps Estate Napa Valley Viognier for the first part of the meal. For the latter part, I brought with us a bottle of 1978 Château Beychevelle, Saint Julien. The Viognier proved a perfect pairing for the "cold" dishes and by the time our hot dishes arrived, the age and softness of the Beychevelle worked excellently as well. 1. Cool 'Athena' MELON and LEMONGRAS purée with whipped coconut milk, 'diva' CUCUMBER, basil seed "caviar." A year ago I had the slice of melon which had been brûléed in a different, watermelon-based soup. Now it was paired with a creamier coconut milk soup but heightened with the basil seed caviar and cool, crisp cucumber. A beautiful start. Immediately after our soup, our utensils were whisked away and we were told the next few courses were to be dined upon with our fingers. 2. Crunchy RADISHES, crème fraîche with nori, mustard-banyuls, HONG VIT, and black salt. Served on a hunk of sheet rock, the radishes were laid out atop the layer of decadently-scented crème fraîche. We had great fun scooping up the dressing with the radishes and when the vegetables were gone, scooping up the dressing with chunks of bread. 3. PADRONS with flowering 'banana' MINT, chickpeas in Napa Smith ale, sauce romesco, smoked maldon. This was a two-part dish; sweet fried peppers were topped with fritters of clustered, fried chickpeas. Served alongside was the Romesco sauce. I'm not sure which were enjoyed more, the pure essence of the padron peppers or the batter-encasing chickpeas. 4. Carta de Musica with virtually the entire SUMMER GARDEN, barely dressed with 'round pond' olive oil, lemon and sea salt, truffled pecorino. Eating this without utensils was a new experience; more visceral and personal. Instead of the usual long, silvers of Pecorino cheese, now the slivers were rolled up into rounds and it made it easier to scoop up the bounty of fresh vegetables. 5. A simple slice of 'gem' avocado, 'cape' GOOSEBERRY, local sea salt, cast-iron bread. A whole version of this avocado was served so that we could see just how monstrously huge it was and our charming waitress delivered it as "Av-foie-cado" has it has the highest fat content of any other type of avocado. Simply served, we were given large slices served next to a simple Cape Gooseberry and preserves. We would take a chunk of the avocado and spread it on the warm, salty flat bread which was served in a warm, cast-iron skillet (yes, at this point we were given our utensils back!). I was reminded of an anecdote where someone was served a simple peach as a dessert at Chez Panisse and now understand how the brilliant fresh taste of a single ingredient can be so impressive. 6. 'Forono' BEETS baked in a ROSE GERANIUM salt crust, 'alpine' STRAWBERRY, pistachio with soy milk, AMARANTH. Before this dish was served, the waitress brought out a Le Creuset cast iron skillet to show us the decorative smiley face that had been designed in the salt crust. When plated, we were each presented with quenelles of roasted beets, plated with the unctuous sauce and contrasted delightfully with the small, powerful strawberries. 7. 'Oxheart' CARROT mille feulle, NASTURTIUM panade, purée of peach and 'noyau', peppery NASTURTIUMS, 'delfino' CILANTRO. The 'noyau' was their version of a spicy mayonnaise. So much creamy goodness in this beautiful dish colored all with orange -- from the carrots to the peaches. So rich, the nasturtium panade was an amazing complement to the richness of the carrots and peaches. 8. Chowder of barely formed BEANS & SUNFLOWER hearts, 'luscious' CORN, barigoule, TARRAGON, future sunflower seeds. I was getting full but this dish simply blew me away. A plate of of the beans and sunflower hearts was presented and the sauce was ladled tableside from yet another Le Creuset pot. 9. A 'sunburst' SQUASH, named "Merrick" by Chef Jeremy, with young COURGETTES scented with our vadouvan, BASIL. It was over this dish that the four of us dining bonded. Our server brought "Merrick" out to introduce us before he was prepared. Named after the Elephant Man, John Merrick, he was a mis-shapen squash of incomparable beauty and guile. Being one who names her creations, I had an affinity to Merrick and all that he stood for; Jeremy's garden, the transmutation of the basic into the extraordinary, and the personalization of the intimacy of the ingredients. Once served, Merrick was plated alongside some miniature versions of himself, smaller courgettes and paper-thin slices of the squash, fried and served alongside the steak-like portion of Merrick. The vadouvan was the perfect choice to supplement the sweetness of Merrick with the well-integrated aspects of basil that did not over power. 10. Freshly-dug POTATOES, roasted then crushed, SHISO salt, garlic butter with lemon and miso, FICOIDE GLACIALE, smoked NETTLE. This was yet another dish that was shown to us before it was plated and served; three roasted potatoes, a Peruvian purple, a French fingerling, and a Rose (Klondike?) potato. Showed whole, they were trussed up with herbs but once served, were chunked alongside the ice plant and smoked nettle. Served as a dipping sauce was the miso butter. I had to fight the temptation to just dump the dipping sauce all over the potatos, but it was great to taste the flavors of the potato au natural. I was getting full but these were so hard not to eat. 11. "French Onion Soup," heirloom ALLIUMS, Deannie's brioche, LEEK ash, "midnight moon." I was fairly convinced at this point that I was going to burst, but the serving of miniature Staub pots with the aroma of the melted Midnight Moon cheese drew me in. Small roasted onion were hidden under generous slices of Deannie's brioche which were topped with the melted cheese. There was only a hint of broth as the true joy of a French Onion Soup is the cheesy crouton after all. They essentially did away with the complication of cutting through cheese toast that is on top of a bowl of soup by doing away with most of the soup and leaving all the rich oniony, cheesy goodness. I have to emphasize the progression of dishes, from cool and light to hearty and satisfying was brilliant. At the beginning, one of my guests expressed concern about the small servings; he was worried that he would still be hungry, eating nothing but small plates of light vegetable dishes. By the time we were in the middle of the chowder, his fears were assuaged and I had to caution him that we still had a way to go. ------------------ 12. STRAWBERRY-hibiscus popsicles with 'chocolate' MINT. Served in a small shot glass, this was more of a clean, inviting palate cleanser. A juice with a bit of spritzer and yoghurt with the juice, small bites of tapioca were gems of strawberry flavor nestled on the bottom of the glass. 13. Stuffed SQUASH BLOSSOM fritters, stuffed with 'santa rosa' plum jam, NASTURTIUM ice cream, HONEYCOMB. The Fried Dough Ho in me was more than thrilled with this offering. The squash blossom was stuffed with jam, fried, and served on top of the ice cream. It was easier to go back to our earlier utensil-less fashion by scooping up the ice cream with the squash blossom and eating with with our hands. 14. Chocolate and BLACKBERRY soufflé with chocolate brittle and NASTURTIUM ice cream. Our server was downright giddy with the surprise ending as this was apparently a last-minute change to what had been planned for dessert. Perfect soufflés which were not too sweet were studded with fresh blackberries. I think the strength of this otherwise simple dessert was the fact that they were not overly sweet and the bites of fresh fruit were unexpected bites of richness. They were served with more of the nasturtium ice cream, a scatter of more berries, and sheets of chocolate brittle. But for me, it was all about the soufflé. A few pics on the blog.

Sorry, I've never been...

Reignking, I am confused; you have described bad service without specifics and then said the experience was uncomfortable. Can you elaborate, please? It is just an oddity that I have never heard happen at Ubuntu.

Go to Canteen for lunch (much better than One Market). The biggest problem is that there is NO place for late, late night eats of any worth. The only thing open late in that 'hood are diners. Unfortunately, this town rolls up the carpet too early. If you are willing to take a cab, you can head to Nopa on Divisidero; they serve late...

Hmmmm.... I haven't had that dish yet.

Food Snob, so glad you enjoyed your experience! Ubuntu is consistently my favorite restaurant west of the Mississippi. I would like to say that of Urasawa, but I have only been there once and my Death Row meal would consist of sushi from Hiro and vegetables from Jeremy. I make a point of going to Ubuntu at least once a quarter just to see the progression in their craft with the bounty that the seasons have to offer. In fact, I'm headed back up this Sunday. My last visit was with Ulterior Epicure and A Life Worth Eating. It has been a thrilling ride to have been party to Jeremy and Deannie Fox's improvements and success since my first post in November of '07. This is a continual congratulations to the Foxes and to looking forward towards their cookbook!