Ubuntu

[Reignking]

We've planned a trip to the area at the end of the month; I think this will have to make the list!

[Carolyn Tillie]

I go once a quarter and am looking forward to yet another trip on Memorial weekend.

And, yes, for me Fox was the clearly the most deserving of the Beard accolade.

[tsquare]

But have you seen him pole dancing? I couldn't help but read that story. Still, would love to try the place someday.

[Carolyn Tillie]

That's it. For me, there is no restaurant that continues to thrill and excite me the way Ubuntu does. It has become a religious experience and after a 4 1/2 hour lunch on Sunday, I feel as though I am worshipping at the Temple of Vegetables with High Priest Jeremy presiding over the liturgy. U.E. and A Life Worth Eating and I drove up yesterday, having specifically requested a tasting menu before our arrival. You'll be able to see U.E.'s pictures later, but here is the recap (those items in caps are from Ubuntu's own biodynamic garden).

Amuse - Vellutata Selvaggio, enriched with NETTLE - BORAGE condimento, foraged SORRELS, BLOSSOMS, etc... - stunningly composed soup spoon bite of creaminess goodness with a bit of crunch and the tease of the garden goodness we were about to explore.

1. Spring BRASSICAS and mushrooms a la grecque - LION'S RUN "bordelaise," BORDEAUX SPINACH, preserved lemon. The preserved lemon was barely detectable, but if that was the only complaint, than big deal. The bordeaux spinach was intense and paired well with the spicy brassicas.

2. 2x-shucked peas and GOLDEN SHOOTS in a consommé of the shells - white chocolate, 'CHOCOLATE' MINT, macadamia, PURPLE PEAS in the pod. This dish has changed a bit since I had it a year ago. Now with the consommé added tableside, there is a bit less of the clear broth to drench the fresh peas. Still studded with bits of chocolate and macadamias, the joy of this dish is that the specks of white chocolate melt in the back of your throat and provide a sense of creaminess without an overt chocolate flavor. Brilliant.

3. Seven degrees of 'FORONO' BEETS - hazelnut "soil," avocado, FICOIDE GLACIALE, rhubarb pickle. There is an cylinder of "tartare-looking" beets topped with what looks like a quail egg, but it isn't. And then there are quenelles and a dark gritty "soil." It is all so unctuous and rich and engaging.

4. Carta da Musica, our crisp Sardinian flatbread - topped with Ubuntu SPRING GARDEN, truffled pecorino. A standard dish, a beautiful hunk of paper-thin flatbread topped with all the colorful, bounty from the garden and long shavings of the pecorino, the truffled flavor from which gives a second layer of earthiness to the beautiful vegetables.

5. 'PURPLE HAZE' CARROT crudité with mimolette - spiced "crumble" of dried carrot pulp, peppery NASTURTIUM salad. A long log of orange carrot, topped with the beautiful Purple Haze carrots and bits of mimolette. The bit of heat from the nasturtium flowers gave a pleasant bite of heat which contrasted nicely with the sweet, sweet carrots.

6. 'REDHEAD' RADISH stew, roasted & raw - LEMONGRASS & creme fraiche broth, SOI RABE, sweet HERBS. Our first hot dish of the day and our second dish with a table-side pour of a broth. I thought the broth was based on coconut milk, but it was pure creme fraiche and the lemongrass which threw me. So intensely rich, the juxtaposition of the cooked and raw radishes not only provided complementary mouth feels, but showed just how varied the vegetable can taste in its different cooked forms.

7. A Savory expression of 'ORION' FENNEL scented with our vadouvan, 'DELFINO' CILANTRO, local citrus. Quite possibly my dish of the day. I am SUCH a fennel fan that to have it accentuated with their delicate vadouvan made for

8. Cauliflower in a cast iron pot - roast-purée-raw, our vadouvan, 'DELFINO' CILANTRO, brown butter toast. We asked to have this added as cauliflower is U.E.'s favorite vegetable. It was similar enough in taste to the fennel, but still well-loved and welcomed.

9. Arbuckle grits, our goat ricotta and the whey, "Midnight Moon" - Napa strawberry soffrito, FRAISE DE BOIS, assorted BASILS. First, we were happy to see that this was made with something other than Anson Mills grits. Not that Anson mills is bad, but Chef Jeremy told us that Arbuckle is being locally sourced (less of a carbon footprint) and ground to their specifications. Sitting on top of the bowl were beautiful little miniature fraise de bois but it was really when you scooped through to the bottom to pick up some of the strawberry soffrito did the richness of the creamy grits and cheese make one's head spin.

10. Strawberry Pizza "Margherita" - Napa strawberry soffrito, burrata, assorted BASILS, saba. A Life Worth Eating insisted on adding this in our tasting and we all wanted to taste the burrata. It had enough cheese and soffrito to be similar enough to the grits course, but it was still well-enjoyed and made me appreciate what a really good pizza could be.

11. A sweet expression of 'ORION' FENNEL - the garden's first 2009 HONEY, yogurt whipped with MEYER LEMON. Now I'm hard pressed to decide which fennel offering I liked more, the sweet or the savory. The shade of anise that exists in the fennel seemed more concentrated in the sweet version, but I have a feeling that it was because it was more on its own versus being accompanied by the vadouvan.

12. the SPRING FLOWER POT - LAVENDER custard, bee pollen crumble, rhubarb. A lovely version of Deanie's cheesecake -- instead of being served in a Mason jar, it arrives in a terra cotta flower pot and topped with fresh flowers. So amazingly beautiful and tasty.

The service continues to excel but what cannot be described and only seen in person is just how stunningly beautiful each dish is; in color and composition. Take a look at Ulterior Epicure's FLICKR account later as he is the one who took pictures. But I am thoroughly convinced that if I had only one restaurant to choose from for a last meal, this would be it.

[tsquare]

Just curious - looks from the first post that 3 people ate for about $100. Is this still the case or was that a light meal? Sounds so labor intensive, it is hard to imagine this can be a very moderate dining experience $ wise for such a lovely feast. No prices on line.

Thank you.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Just curious - looks from the first post that 3 people ate for about $100. Is this still the case or was that a light meal? Sounds so labor intensive, it is hard to imagine this can be a very moderate dining experience $ wise for such a lovely feast. No prices on line.

Thank you.

←

It was about $120 per person, including tip, but each of us had a little alcohol (sometimes a full glass, sometimes a taste).

[ulterior epicure]

Just curious - looks from the first post that 3 people ate for about $100. Is this still the case or was that a light meal? Sounds so labor intensive, it is hard to imagine this can be a very moderate dining experience $ wise for such a lovely feast. No prices on line.

Thank you.

←

It was about $120 per person, including tip, but each of us had a little alcohol (sometimes a full glass, sometimes a taste).

←

I don't think that's what tsqure is asking.

tsquare: yes, if you order a la carte, conservatively, three people could eat for $100 or less. Most of the dishes camp out in the mid-teens. Two people could easily share a pizza, which, I believe, is somewhere in the neighborhood of $14-$16.

[tsquare]

Thanks, just trying to get an idea of price. Sounds like $35-$120 depending on what / how you order, and wine! Still quite a bit less than The Herbfarm...

[Food Snob]

Hi,

This is what I thought about my dinner here in April.

Please click here for full commentary and photography: HERE

On 28th September 2006, Bill Clinton, addressing the Labour Party Conference, introduced the idea of ubuntu to the British public: ‘society is important because of ubuntu…If we were the most beautiful, the most intelligent, the most wealthy, the most powerful person – and then found all of a sudden that we were alone on the planet, it wouldn't amount to a hill of beans,’ said the former president.

A couple of years on, Archbishop Tutu reminded them of it, explaining that this Bantu word from South Africa – its literal translation, ‘I am because you are’ – ‘speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness.’

One individual especially moved by this was Sandy Lawrence, a Miami-based businesswoman, who organised international conferences, attended by thousands, to educate investors about natural resources. Her work took her from the Unites States to Asia and to Africa, where she first learned of ubuntu. In 2005, after twelve hectic (but fun) years, she sold her company, International Investment Conferences, to private equity, before buying a ninety-acre estate in Napa on Mount George complete with its own winery, Lion’s Run.

A devout yogi and qualified instructor, she put her beliefs into practice here, hosting retreats at her home. One august evening in 2006, after her weekly Thursday night session, she attempted to arrange a vegetarian dinner for her guests. The best that local restaurants could prepare was shrimp risotto minus the shrimp. It was this, compiled with the fact that classes were growing too big for her house that first led her to entertain the notion of a restaurant/yoga studio. Shortly after, on a walk down Main Street, she stumbled upon a vacant building available for lease – it was love immediate. Only then did the concept quickly crystallise.

Although a meat-eater herself, after the difficulty Lawrence faced finding decent veggy fare anywhere nearby, she wanted to open somewhere able to satisfy such greener urges, but was sensitive to the poor reputation that the ‘vegetarian’ tag carried with it. That is why what she wanted was a ‘vegetable restaurant’. Thus, whilst keeping ubuntu always in her heart and her mind on living life without leaving ‘a large footprint on the landscape’, she sought ‘the most sustainable way to farm and produce’ the best possible produce. Discovering this to be biodynamics, she hired Jeff Dawson, assisted by Rose Robertson, to tend the two (growing-to-three)-acre garden, off Monticello Road, already part of Lion’s Run. This seasoned gardener, who had over ten years of experience in this specialised field, previously established gardens at Fetzer and Kendall Jackson Vineyards (encouraging that vintner to go organic) before becoming curator of Copia, the American Centre for Wine, Food and the Arts. The Napa legend believes biodynamics to be ‘another level of quality. [it] connects the plant to the earth and to the cosmos…an incredibly balanced system that takes the whole of nature into consideration.’

Lawrence also needed a capable chef who shared her sensibilities. Inviting several to audition, one stood out, ‘nail[ing] every single dish’, including a cauliflower hotpot with vadouvan that ‘landed him the gig’. His name was Jeremy Fox and he had come from Manresa. She offered him the job and a partnership. He accepted and made the ninety-mile move north to Napa from Los Gatos with wife Deanie, who had not just made the desserts at his try-out, but was chef de pâtisserie at Manresa too.

Even as a kid in Cleveland, Fox knew he wanted a restaurant; ‘my grandparents owned a pizzeria in Chattanooga; as a [child], I associated good times with eating in the restaurant. I didn't start with the intention of being a chef, but once I started cooking that was all I wanted to do.’ As a teenager, he moved to Atlanta, where he started his culinary career at the local Chick-fil-A. After a stint at Mumbo Jumbo, he entered the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University (then in Charleston). As he studied, he worked at Anson Restaurant, ‘where he got yelled at a lot’, but also realised ‘what good ingredients were for the first time’. In 1998, he left J&W, only a couple of classes short of acquiring his degree, to cook fulltime; he was to spend five years at Anson, which included a stage in Belgium at two-star De Snippe. In 2002, although (or maybe because of) growing up a fast-food-fiend on a Burger King diet, he ‘became obsessed with California cooking and the philosophy of using things straight from the farm’; he delighted in reading menus he had had Bay restaurants fax him. Soon enough, he realised the inevitable, he ‘wanted to [go] out to where all the vegetables were’. And so he did.

Fox arrived in California the week before nine-eleven and, initially struggling to land a job, eventually found himself at Rubicon in San Francisco. It turned out that serendipity had led him here. As he toiled at the meat counter, local girl Deanie Hickox made pastries. One day the two went for coffee together at Café Vesuvio – Fox still remembers the menu he cooked that service (squash blossoms stuffed with chard stems; chicken galantine, boned and stuffed with green garlic; and grilled peach panzanella). Four years later, having won over her whole family with that very same panzanella, they were married.

Not long after they became an item, the chef left Rubicon. Although he had his heart set on somewhere else – Manresa – he moved to Charles Nob Hill until 2003, when he finally landed a stage at his dream restaurant. ‘It was a beautiful kitchen. Everyone was so serious and the food was so beautiful. And people weren't running around and yelling – it was a lot different from a lot of restaurants I had worked in.’ He loved it. He wanted to stay permanently. Futile efforts to contact Kinch followed however, until Deanie advised him to ‘just show up’. Lucky for Fox, the day he did just show up, another cook failed to come in. He was given the job. So eager was he to work here that, although he already had some six years professional experience behind him, he willingly began at the bottom, ‘wash[ing] the wok and make[ing] staff meals’, ‘stay[ing back] late at night pitting fresh cherries after dinner service.’ Within only two years, he had gained experience at London’s St John and Royal Hospital Road (3*) and been made Manresa’s chef de cuisine.

Deanie too knew early on a future in food beckoned – not your average adolescent, when her parents were out of town, she would throw dinner parties for friends. After high school, she worked various non-kitchen related roles, but ultimately enrolled at the California Culinary Academy to study pastry. During her final months there, she started at Rubicon and met Jeremy. After he moved on, she soon did the same, joining Icing on the Cake in Los Gatos before joining Jeremy at Manresa, where, having initially helped out one day a week in the patisserie section, she became its head.

Both Foxes credit David Kinch as their biggest influence. Jeremy remembers that ‘he was never satisfied with what already knew. Even in his forties, he was hungry to learn and evolve.’ What motivated him was that ‘[Kinch] was well-known but wasn’t just turning out the food he was known for. He made me love cooking again and I think he took me under his wing pretty quickly.’ Whereas, Deanie claims Kinch ‘pushed me to experiment within the pastry realm…He would ask me to try things out, things that would never occur to me.’ The pair cites his creatively and complex layering of flavours as especially important lessons learned.

What attracted the couple to Ubuntu was, in large part, the garden. While neither a vegetarian (although Deanie was, before meeting Jeremy…), at Manresa both saw what an amazing advantage having one’s own biodynamic vegetable farm could be. The chef, who was once, ironically-now, celebrated for his annual whole-pig feasts, says that with the advent of Love Apple Farm, the kitchen’s focus quickly changed and ‘it was my job to make sure the vegetables got used...It was kind of a boot camp in learning how to use all of it and thinking in a way that made vegetables the main thing on the plate with everything else highlighting them.’

For Fox, who feels it is ‘every chef’s dream to have a garden at their disposal, to have things grown for them’ and who had left the East Coast over five years ago in search of vegetables, it was too good an opportunity to miss. Their garden, only six miles from the restaurant, yields forty-five or so crops, all interesting varieties chosen by Dawson and Robertson that ‘make sense’ commercially. Along with a small greenhouse, it provides about three-quarters of the kitchen’s needs, but this figure is growing always. Its harvest is currently supplemented with twice-weekly trips to Marin Farmers’ Market, asparagus from Roscoe Zuckerman, eggs from yoga student Connie Norwick, beans from Rancho Gordo as well as several more select suppliers. Produce from the potager is delivered at least three times a week, whilst the chef visits the plot regularly, claiming a walk in the garden as his greatest source of inspiration ‘seeing the state of each vegetable…allows me to create menus that I think are unique because they’re not based on my past repertoire or what I know goes well; they’re based on what I have and what my staff needs to do to prepare and transform [the produce].’

Opened in August 2007, Ubuntu itself is the personification of the owners’ green philosophy. Residing on ‘restaurant row’ in downtown Napa in the, nineteenth-century Kyser-Williams block building, the eighty-five seat former futon store has been redesigned and refurbished by architects, Michael Bauschke and David Berman, designer T. Beller and consultant Michael Dellar, who together have turned it into an exemplar of environmentally-friendly design. The façade – once metal, stucco and mission tile but restored in 1999 – suggests quintessential small town eatery. Creamy-corn-coloured Roman blinds of canvas swathe large windows which wrap the width of the frontispiece whilst pale powder and cobalt blue bands border and criss-cross its face; ubuntu is stencilled quaintly upon the glass. The interior is, in contrast, more polished and stylish, and surprisingly vast. Immediately through the door, one is met by a large sculpture of a recycled oxygen canister recast like a bronze bell. Beyond this, there is a twenty-foot long, twenty-two seat communal dining table refashioned from a fallen redwood that points to the open kitchen resting along the back. This stainless-steel square is the centre of considered activity, its centrepiece a large oven. Above it is the smell and sound-proof yoga studio, reached by a set of wide stairs on the far right; its frosted glass exterior offers only the outline of real life with just shadows and silhouettes visible. Along the left wall, stools surround the black bar backed with glossy shelves that carry the circa two-hundred strong wine collection, the majority of which are sourced from sustainable growers. Old Asian shipping containers, reincarnated as streaky, mottled wooden flooring contrasts strikingly well with walls of exposed stone and trestle ceiling that flash the room’s piping, girding and air ducts. Along with ample sunlight during daytime, there are six, oversized cylindrical drum pendants and a line of smaller tin lanterns that dangle over the central table. One’s attention is attracted by a large statue of four weathered ceramic ladies side-by-side (three standing upright, one on her head) entitled ‘Alternative View’ by Mark Chatterley. Against the beige-buff brick, injections of colour come by way of big collages, put together in France and comprising Lawrence and (yoga instructor Veronica) Vidal’s personal photographs; some boast inspirational messages, such as ‘make your heart big’. Chairs and tables, hand-crafted locally from reclaimed wood by Heritage Salvage in Petaluma, are coupled with two-tone rusty copper and grey banquettes that bound the walls. More recycled furniture can be found outdoors, where the patio furnishings all from the forties. The crockery is Heath and O! Luna with each naked table topped with a candle holder of different hue.

When Aaron and I arrived, we were warmly welcomed. Before menus were shown, the morning’s pickings were shown off: a huge cutting board bore oxheart carrots, purple artichoke, golden and purple kohlrabi, fennel, sage, thyme…Then, instead of the carte, Jeremy Fox told us that the kitchen had put together a tasting menu for us, should we like to try it. We did.

Aperitif: Brut Cuvée NV Domaine Cameros, Cameros, 2006. This local sparkling wine from Tattinger was fruity and gently acidic with long, velvety finish.

Amuse Bouche: NETTLE and LEMON BALM ice vegan ESCAROLE veloute, WILD SORREL; and marcona almonds, LAVENDER sugar, sea salt. Nettle, lemon balm and shiso granité arrived sitting in a small demitasse, which was filled with vegan escarole endive and asparagus velouté tableside. The coldness of the icy contents was tempered by the tepid, smooth soup whilst the barely bitter nettle-shiso-escarole combo was enlivened by equally lemony wild sorrel and melissa.

The signature toasted, milky Marcona almonds, laced with floral, sugary lavender and nicely seasoned, were addictive.

Le Pain: Sliced baguette. The artisan Model Bakery, located literally around the corner from the restaurant, supplied the chewy-crusted, bouncy soft-centred baguette. The French butter, brought in a small clay bowl, was decent.

Entrée 1: REDHEAD RADISHES andante dairy’s minuet layered with nori, black salt. On one side of the ashen, asperous slate plate sat a cluster of black salt grains, on the other, three brindled beads of Dijon mustard vinaigrette were set; betwixt these two, a terrine of Andante Dairy’s goat’s cheese and nori came nestled amongst Easter egg and redhead radishes, their flowers and hong vit. The minuet – soft-ripened goat’s milk triple-crème enriched with cow’s milk crème fraîche – was unctuous with an interesting flavour imbued by the briny seaweed that lent the cheese an almost blue taste as well as aspect. The peppery, crisp radishes, still intact and as if just removed from the soil itself, accentuated the rustic, bucolic sense. Black salt, or kala namak, was mild and woody whilst the Dijon dressing, made with sweet-sour Banyuls vinegar, was strong and tasty.

This was a brilliant dish with which to begin the meal. First, it was acutely evocative of not just the season, but the actual day – Easter Sunday. Ergo, the Easter egg radishes. This egg-y attention was then extended with the black salt, a condiment common in India, noted for a savour similar to hardboiled egg. Secondly, without saying too much too soon, it was the consummate introduction to Ubuntu – natural, informal, attentive, superficially rustic, intrinsically sophisticated and scrumptious whilst encompassing the chef’s nose-to-tail tenet. These ideas, which one will notice recur throughout the meal, will be developed further later.

Entrée 2: chickpea fries with romesco sauce, flowering ROSEMARY. Skinny chips of chickpea, their amber crusts encrusted with green herbs, came burrowed between small branches of rosemary laden with bright, periwinkle blossoms and alongside just as vibrant, scarlet romesco. These vivid colours and the flavours that followed instantly suggested the Mediterranean. Subtly spicy, almost sweet Catalan sauce, made with Navarrian piquillo peppers, sherry vinegar and smoked paprika also had crunchy almonds and nice consistency. The fries, hot, crackly-crisp and stunningly clean, were excellent. Their mild nuttiness enlivened with parsley, garlic and rosemary.

Entrée 3: 2X-shucked peas and GOLD SHOOTS in a consommé of the shells; White chocolate, CHOCOLATE MINT, macadamia. The image of an idyllic garden pond was mimicked by a pool composed of champagne vinegar suffused with consommé made from the shells of English peas that, having been shucked and skinned, floated atop as if water lily leaves whilst their golden shoots pretended to be bulrush, their rosy flower, a lotus and chocolate mint, canna petals; crumbled white chocolate and toasted macadamia littered the surface and a purple snap pea scaled the side of the bowl. The attention to detail was absolute with dark jade drips of mint oil, meticulously dabbed about the peas, feigning their watery reflections.

Picture perfect, summoning the spirit to disturb this portrait was a serious test. But the reward was worth it. Garden peas, which maintained only the slightest crisp resistance before melting in the mouth, were served with their own shells, shoots and flowers that effectively intensified the vegetable’s inherent sweetness. The chocolate mint, underlined by the minty oil, played on the traditional partnership between peas and this herb, whilst introducing the faintest hint of coco. White chocolate, grated on top, accentuated the peas’ sweet savour still more and offered creamy depth with only the minimum of substance. Further, white chocolate’s classic kin, macadamia, seasoned the dish, adding brittle then buttery texture too. The light, gently acidic champagne vinegar – possessing a trace of vanilla also complementary to the chocolate – aided by a little lemon juice, invigorated and refreshed it all.

Although an unexpected union of ingredients, the result looked, tasted and felt so true. Each flavour, distinct and precise yet in utter harmony, was integral to the piece. Each savour, singing a different note on the same chord, together proved a perfect chorus.

Entrée 4: carta da musica, our crispy sardinian flatbread; topped with the SPRING GARDEN, truffled pecorino. Upon a chunky cutting board crafted into the shape of a pig – with unabashed irony – rested a large, circular flatbread smothered with a colourful muddle of vegetables, flowers, leaves and stems intermingled with bright, white slivers of truffled pecorino and peppered with sea salt and Regina olive oil. Cutlery was unnecessary as Fox encourages diners to literally break bread with one another. Carta da musica or pane carasau, is a Sardinian staple conceived of centuries ago by shepherds as their sustenance during months spent away from home. Essentially twice baked, as is the custom, red pepper and rosemary were also added to the dough giving the crackly bread some woody heat. This was complemented and contrasted by all that the garden had given that morning. Golden frill mustard, sylvetta rocket, mandolined ribbons of radish, chrysanthemums…brought their own warmth; Bordeaux spinach, borage blossoms, pansies, carrots…countered with some sweetness; whilst subtle yet conspicuous Taggiasca olive oil presented fruitiness. However, what really stood out here were the curls of Pecorino Toscano, studded with flecks of black truffle. Creamy, soft and nutty, it was also, and most remarkably, full of earthy, musky flavour. These were probably the most powerful truffles I had tasted all year.

Entrée 5: roscoe’s asparagus, “virtual” egg infused with saffron; black trumpet and brioche terrine, SYLVETTA ARUGULA, preserved lemon. A trim smear of lemon-laced Sacramento Delta asparagus purée, embedded with various preparations of the same vegetable – whole tops with brioche crumb-coated bases, demi-spears, raw wafer-thin strips – preserved lemon rind, its coulis, sylvetta rocket and its flowers, faded into a trail of trompette de la mort caviar, itself implanted with similar elements as well as a brace of blanched asparagus pillars. Perpendicular to this lay a brick of Deanie’s brioche layered with more black trumpet and truffled pecorino besides an ersatz egg. A less-than-attentive eater may not actually notice that this is not a regular egg. Having been cooked sous vide, the white and yolk were separated then inserted, with xanthum gum, into separate whipped-cream canisters (with saffron also added to the yellow). The effect was an incredibly light, almost effervescent creation with all its original flavour plus a dash of spice. Being spring, egg had to be teamed with asparagus and thus the green had been incorporated raw, cooked, chopped, sliced, pureed and whole. Supplied by Roscoe Zuckerman, a third generation farmer of this veg, it was sweet, tender and so fresh. The truffled cheese made a welcome return with the earthy mushroom in the soft brioche. Tart lemon was an agreeable touch.

Purple tapas 1: ‘PURPLE HAZE’ CARROTS; raw with ‘carrot cake’ mousse, chips with mimolette powder. Purple haze carrots came in three forms – untouched baby roots, tops still attached; carrot crème coated in its own crumble; and sliced then fried with mimolette. The three heaps, although each composed of the entire carrot, each suggested just one particular portion of the vegetable as seen in its native environment; only together did they resemble a whole. The raw morsels, more stem than meat, symbolised the green blades that have burst out of the earth; the orange mousse, the taproot; and the dark chips, the soil. The tiny carrots were sweet and crunchy, the cream mild with cinnamon aftertaste whilst the fried, the most interesting, were nutty, sharp and caramelised. Although the mellow, nutlike mimolette went well with the carrot (their consonance uncovered by Fox by chance when attracted by the cheese’s matching colour whilst making gnocchi with this root…), the difficulty in eating the carrot cake mousse made this dish practically problematic.

Purple tapas 2: ‘VIOLET QUEEN’ BROCCOLI a la catalan 2009; pine nut, soy milk, golden raisin. Marinated in sherry vinegar, a single head of purple sprouting broccoli, its myrtle buds streaked with maroon, was inset with golden raisins, pine nuts, pansies, mint and sitting atop soy milk pudding, which reappeared on either end of the plate as two crescents studded with the same nuts and raisins whilst petite tears of red pepper coulis bordered one side of it. The pudding was rich yet delicate and smooth with an intrinsic nutty note that resonated with the vinegar and toasted pignoli. These were joined by raisins, a classic counterpart to the latter around the world and nowhere less so than Catalonia, where this marriage is most commonly celebrated with espinacas a la Catalana. The broccoli, substituted in for spinach here, was a textural treat – the crunchy stems, the succulent sprouts – all underscored with a slight sweetness that was drawn out by the juicy, plump pasa.

Purple tapas 3: ‘PURPLE VICIOUS’ ARTICHOKE confit miso “bagna cauda”, BASILS, black olive caramel. Two violet artichokes divided revealed veronese-viridian centres, ravelled down the stalk as if deliberately by gentle, edible thorns, and intricately crinkled buds, their leaves enfolded around each other, becoming paler and brighter, before returning to wisteria towards the final folds. Strewn over with alabaster scraps of parmesan, black (olive caramel) and beige (miso bagna cauda) beads as well as various basils ranging from amethyst to emerald, it was almost ethereal and as dramatically rustic as it was refined. The traditional anchovy element of this Italian sauce had been replaced by akamiso, whose strong nutty and salty savour made it a more than satisfactory substitute, whilst the customary Jerusalem artichoke and cardoon crudités were exchanged for their common cousin, the artichoke. The combination of this thistle with miso and the cheese provided plenty of umami and nuttiness.

Purple tapas 4: ‘PURPLE VIENNA’ KOHLRABI “nose to tail” violet mustard and CHARD STEM dipping sauce. A kohlrabi leaf, neatly squared, bore its own bulb wrapped in panko and deep-fried; tempura of its stem; onion brunoise; and a splash of olive oil. Upon a second, identical blade, stood a bowl of chard stalk dipping sauce imbued with moutarde de violette and containing diced kohlrabi and baby basils. The stem was crackly then chewy, if a little oily. Clean, crunchy and salty, the bulb was much better. The sauce was delicious. Made with violet mustard (one of my favourite condiments) – a mixture of black grape, mustard seed, wine vinegar and spices such as cinnamon and clove invented in thirteenth century Périgord that fell into fashion during the Belle Époque, but then fell out again – it was corse yet creamy, sweet yet tangy.

Pasta 1: our toasted BRONZE FENNEL casarecce pasta; whole FAVA PODS with their LEAVES and FLOWERS, pepper ‘tears’. Shallow pepper consommé surrounded fried fava pods on one side of the dish and short twills of bronze fennel and farro pasta, blanketed by its on emulsion, on the other. Over both, upright broad-bean blades and black-and-white blossoms, fennel fronds and its yellow flowers, plus rich red roasted pepper paste, were precisely positioned. The casarecce were light with nice, nearly nutty-sweet flavour whilst the flavoursome pods were very interesting and incidentally not dissimilar to al dente pasta. The broth beneath was mildly spicy and the various foliage, invitingly aromatic.

Pasta 2: BORAGE gnudi with brown butter and flowering SAGE; Shoots and seed pods of HON TSAI TAI: a red Chinese brassica. A quintet of gnudi quenelles, sat on a bed of hon tsai tai in beurre noisette, came scattered with a fragrant, colourful clutter of sage leaves, its pink and purple flowers, white and blue borage ones, hon tsai tai pods and crushed macadamias and almonds. Ricotta and borage blended together to form warm, moussy dumplings that were simply comforting to eat; the herb’s bright blossoms bettered its delicate flavour. The brown butter was rich, but cut by the lemony sage and sweet-mustard savour of the hon tasi tai. Nutty crumbs complemented with their crunch.

Pasta 3: yellow corn grits from Arbuckle with a slow egg; our goat’s milk ricotta and whey, AGRETTI, trumpet chips with SAVORY. Yellow grits are coarsely ground whole corn kernels that have been slowly simmered down like porridge. Fox mixes this resulting mealy paste with goat’s milk ricotta and whey, before plating it around a slow-cooked egg, nearly completely camouflaging it. Upstanding sprigs of agretti, as if growing from the grits evoked a moor scene; this sentiment consolidated by the damp-loving black trumpet chips and the sour whey (moorlands being characterised by acidic soils). Or, alternatively, it could just as easily have been a play on Southern-style big breakfast – grits, streaky bacon (mushroom chips) and fried egg. Sourced from nearby Arbuckle, where it is custom-milled for Ubuntu by Matthew and Erin Sweet, the corn was grainy and syrupy, flavoured mainly by the ricotta and parmesan. The egg added a richness that was balanced by tangy, salty agretti.

As we ate, Marty Cattaneo, chef de cuisine, came over. As if we seemed in need of further proof of the ingredients’ freshness, he mentioned how, the kitchen running low on radishes, he himself was at the garden picking the very vegetables we had enjoyed only plates earlier. However we felt before he had arrived, we were certainly convinced by the time he left.

Pasta 4: pane frattau: interpretation of a Sardinian classic; slow-scrambled egg, three FENNELS, strawberry soffrito, “music paper”. Pane carasau, the foundation of many of this island’s dishes, is indeed incorporated in pane frattau, which is loosely a lasagne wherein this flatbread, first softened, separates layers of egg, tomato sauce and pecorino that are baked together. Here, roasted fennel, resting in strawberry sofrito, is split into two and separated by scrambled egg embedded with torn pieces of this music paper. Along the rim, three cross-sections from the top half of the vegetable are dressed, like the bisected bulb, with its fronds and bright red and blond nasturtium blossoms. Spanish sofrito calls for tomato, but Fox, believing, as David Kinch does, in the affinity between that fruit and strawberry, cooks these berries for three days with garlic and onions, to create this punchy, sweet sauce. The egg was satisfyingly creamy and contrasted by the crisp chips. Nasturtiums were pleasantly peppery, but the fennel’s texture was somewhat soggy – somewhere in between crunchy and confit.

Dessert 1: brioche ice cream; buttermilk doughnuts, ALPINE STRAWBERRIES, strawberry consommé. Four plump little doughnuts, dusted in vanilla, cinnamon and sugar, tucked up in a napkin to prevent them from feeling cold, were partnered by alpine strawberries served in condensed cream with a scoop of brioche ice cream, over which, strawberry consommé was poured. Unsurprisingly, strawberries and cream suited one another very well – the precious frais de bois bursting with flavour – whilst the brioche ice cream was thick and tasty. Pineapple-like doughnuts or, more accurately, ‘doughnut holes’, were excellently fried, very light and full of vanilla.

Dessert 2: the spring FLOWER POT; LAVENDER ‘cheesecake”, bee pollen crumble, rhubarb, meyer lemon. A large tray teeming with lush foliage was laid before us. Nestled amongst these fresh leaves, twigs and sprigs were two terracotta flower pots, themselves almost overflowing, crammed as they were with blossoms every colour of the rainbow. It was beautiful. So beautiful. The lavender custard that crowned the contents could just about be seen through the florid spray of inflorescence, efflorescence and even simple flowers too. Plunging the spade spoon into the pot revealed on its removal sticks of rhubarb concealed under the surface. That first spoonful, full of floral, citrusy lavender, along with random calendula, mint and even viola, was deliciously spicy sweet. A second dip discovered bee pollen crumble beneath the rhubarb and, even further down, Meyer lemon mousse. Each subsequent scoop bore savours some mix of herby, creamy, sugary, sharp, crunchy, liquorice and peppery in promiscuous measure. There was perfect balance between the sweet cheesecake, tart rhubarb and sour lemon, whose twang lingered faintly after each bite.

Petit Fours: mini vegan carrot cupcakes; “cream cheese” frosting, tiny candied CARROTS. To end the evening, little carrot cupcakes, topped with soy cream cheese and confit baby carrots were presented. Moist and succulent, they were dotted with very sweet raisins whose intensity was assuaged by the dense vanilla cream.

The REDHEAD RADISHES, as said, were a revealing beginning. Carefully constructed (physically and by design) and deceptively simple, this deconstructed rustic French salad was an easy initiation to Ubuntu’s unique style. It was followed by the finest fries I have ever tried. 2X-shucked peas and GOLD SHOOTS, which Jean-Georges Vongerichten declares ‘the tiniest peas I've ever seen in my life…spring on a plate’, has become somewhat of a signature here – and justifiably so; this subtle dish was quite outstanding. The carta da musica is another ever-present, but less loved than the last course. What others have criticised however, I would rather compliment. Some have branded it impractical and untidy, but I did not mind the resulting clutter; in fact, I welcomed it. Of the tapas that came next, elements stood out, such as the miso “bagna cauda” and KOHLRABI “nose to tail”, but these courses did not reach the high standard set by the first few. The same comment can be made about the pasta, bar the BORAGE gnudi. This really was delicious. The arrival of the spring FLOWER POT was a special moment. At first, one is unsure quite how to approach it, how to eat it…if they can even eat it. The indecision lasts mere moments though – and after my first hesitant taste, I was quite ready to rip my shirt off and leap into the little jar.

It was indeed a comprehensive menu and not every course was a sensation, but even these – into which category I would group the ‘PURPLE HAZE’ CARROTS, yellow corn grits and pane frattau – were simply weaker than others rather than disagreeable in themselves. On the other hand, I thought all the entrées a success and, more specifically, I would select 2X-shucked peas and GOLD SHOOTS, BORAGE gnudi and the spring FLOWER POT as my favourites; and I am glad to be able to (deservedly) include creations by both Mr. Fox and Mrs. Fox in that roll. The quality of these dishes – the best dishes – was tremendous. The first, conceptually was intoxicating; its taste at once recognisable and yet completely new. The gnudi were a gratifyingly good way of showing how simply the garden can improve classic recipes. The last was bliss.

What impressed me most may have been how evolved I found the restaurant. By that I mean, how articulate the cooking was, how good it could be and how concentrated, orchestrated and concerted the enduring effect or impact it left. ‘A celebration of vegetable-inspired cuisine’ – this simple statement is Ubuntu’s leitmotif and this ideology is infused into and effuses out of all that one finds and feels therein.

Once one enters and takes their seat, it is actually the space and the service, not Fox’s food, that gives the diner a first taste of what will come. Ubuntu is as modern and urbane as it is classic and comfortable. The sounding kitchen sets the tone, which is accentuated by the chitter chatter of diners, the clitter clatter of their cutlery and crockery – there is activity here. There is energy. As the restaurant revolves around the freshness of its ingredients and vitality of its garden, it is only natural that this vigour extends to the whole experience. Staff are animated and engaging. They are friendly, keen and very capable. Our principal serveuse, Mitsy, stood out with her consideration, considerable patience and thorough knowledge; she even managed to maintain her smile throughout the entire (six hours plus) evening.

Biodynamic vegetables are obviously the superior building blocks of intelligently, imaginatively designed plates that, having been prepared with exacting precision and attention, possess grace, balance and deliciousness. It must be mentioned that all capitalised items in dish descriptors are from Ubuntu’s own potager. The restaurant’s relationship with the garden, with the environment in general, is clearly at the kernel of Fox’s cooking. There is a bond not only of dependence, but of respect, reverence and affection too. These sentiments appear in many guises, every one intricately interwoven with every other…

Fundamentally, there is a cardinal deference for the season, but beyond this, it is in the little details that the produce can be seen to be esteemed most and treated most meticulously. Fox has confidence enough – faith enough – to serve radishes raw, untouched, straight from the soil: ‘it can take me two hours to clean thirty radishes. I look at them like jewels.’ His time at St John taught him all about ‘head-to-tail’, his pig dinners at Manresa expounded this education and all these lessons have not been forgotten here. ‘Before Ubuntu, I was really into pigs. I’d see the animal and think of what I’d do with all the different parts. Now I look at kohlrabi that same way.’ Those same radishes are served entire, their roots and stems still intact. The chef is always eager to utilise all elements of the vegetable, from root to tip – remember the carrots, recall the asparagus and of course the kohlrabi.

Fox applies a primitive and provocative aesthetic to dishes that is also really very attractive. Colour is possibly his most basic cosmetic. Bright, vibrant shades instantly make anything more appealing whilst simultaneously also suggesting life. Its effect is also one consequential to and causal of the already outlined flower-to-root point above and, accordingly, it is achieved organically through the flourishes of blossoms, herbs and micro-greens that decorate and substantiate plates.

Imitation, it is said, is the sincerest form of flattery. Thus is the chef’s cooking again complimentary to its source. Another, far more subtle, although perhaps far more poignant, way in which he plates is inspired by real life, by Napa’s surrounding scenery. In several dishes does he evoke the native landscape from which he derives his ingredients: ponds, marshes, the soil and even the window sill are all given appreciative recognition.

Dining at Ubuntu is definitely fun. The already discussed flowers are again influential – frequently given as gifts on special occasions – these are symbolic of celebration. Therefore the flora here, signifying freshness with its alluring hues, also adds festivity. There is also the inviting informality that is intensified by such courses as the carta da music, when guests, as mentioned, break bread together.

On several occasions, Fox encourages diners to get their hands dirty, literally – and indeed, eating with one’s hands is a challenging and clever concept, which engages the guest and makes the experience an interactive one. With it comes the simple gratification endemic to breaking any social taboo; then there is the joy of satisfying a primal urge in a primitive manner that comes before the self-deprecating giggle let loose when one imagines what others watching could be thinking. It is nearly needless to list that last thrill inherent with leaving a mess (that another must tidy).

There is a terrific invention and reinvention to be discovered here. Many of Fox’s recipes are rooted in Spanish and Italian tradition, but all refreshed in interesting and toothsome ways. Today, for instance, we sampled sofritto of strawberry and bagna cauda with akamiso for anchovy, but the chef’s creativity stretches to a whole range of other dishes that draw on his butchery past, although none of these featured during this meal. Controversially maybe, he offers such courses as an almost meat-mocking whole-roasted OXHEART CARROT stuffed with satsumas or a ‘BLOOD SAUSAGE’ slider – a mini burger built around a beetroot patty with Italian black rice, radishes, onion apple and sweet spices. In fact, the chef actually entered his vegan rendition into the hamburger contest at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival earlier this year (although he was informed he could not win the (meat-producing) sponsor's award). It is not unusual for vegetable-focused restaurants to include plates like these and I for one do not object to them – as long as they are done well. At Ubuntu especially, it is no surprise to see the chef wanting to show off the skills he was once celebrated for. Where Fox does draw the line though are stereotypically vegetarian foods like tofu, seitan and brown rice.

Ubuntu excites. The cooking here seems to be constantly evolving and evolving swiftly. Looking at dishes, speaking to others, the progress is patent. It is not just a case of new recipes being developed, but of old ones always being improved too. The garden is contributing more and more and it is seems to be inspiring Fox. Its infectious effects appear to have spread to the entire kitchen: having spoken briefly to both Marty Cattaneo and later, sous, Aaron London, we were struck by their enthusiasm, curiosity and excitement.

It is important to note that, even though I have made much of the innovation, the mental stimulation and evocative physical presentation of dishes, there was still felt to be another focus superseding all this – one on satisfaction. Everything done was directed at elevating one’s eating pleasure and the eating experience.

A final point which particularly gripped my attention throughout the evening was contrast. Used purposely, but found undevised too, this seemed a pervasive theme. Foremost, it was realised throughout the restaurant’s interior – wood against stone; eating against exercising. Then there was the juxtaposition seen with sophisticated cooking served in a casual setting, of rustic, natural plates dished out in a fashionable dining room – these plates themselves possessing strong textural plays with hot and cold, raw and cooked elements besides one another. One may even extend this thought to the chef himself. Whilst he did come to California seeking vegetables, he is a self-confessed junk-food junkie who built his career on meat and his personal tastes remain there still; and, after having the pleasure of meeting him, I can also say he seemed a mellow and relaxed individual. However, with all due respect, after so many scrupulously prepared dishes, such critical nicety, I expected to find someone different…I know not whom, but I fear that maybe only a prim and proper German automotive engineer with a penchant for naturalism and wearing white-gloves would have been capable of fulfilling my fantasies at that moment. That being said, later I did learn that Fox’s favourite piece of kitchen equipment is his pair of tweezers…

I have deliberately avoided any material discussion over the fact that this is a cuisine devoid of meats/seafood, not wishing to waste words on the merits or shortcomings of such. I only mention it now, with the hope of reminding any readers who are in need of it that when cooking is this thought-through, this pristine and this tasty, it is easy to enjoy just as it is.

At the evening’s end, having just devoured our desserts, we were immediately depressed: we did not want dinner to finish. Mustering sufficient nerve, I was volunteered to ask the chef for more. But alas, the kitchen had, unsurprisingly given the late hour, already closed. However, in hindsight, it was actually a rather fitting finale. After all, is not the hallmark of a great restaurant to leave you wanting more?

[Carolyn Tillie]

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!

[Food Snob]

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!

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Well, the concept and how well it is implemented makes it all rather irresistible to be honest.

I envy you!

Ubuntu indeed seems to be getting better and better and so quickly too. You can see the evolution just from Chuck's photos!

It is very exciting viewing.

[Reignking]

While I found the food truly interesting and yummy -- that pea dish was fantastic and brilliant -- the service and atmosphere was awful when I was there.

It really detracted from the experience, and I'm usually not bothered by things like that.

And the dessert was not good at all -- granted, I was taking a chance on beet caviar with geranium soda and orange sorbet, but it was not good. The soda portion was intriguing, but the "orange creamsicle" did not come together at all.

[Carolyn Tillie]

And the dessert was not good at all -- granted, I was taking a chance on beet caviar with geranium soda and orange sorbet, but it was not good.  The soda portion was intriguing, but the "orange creamsicle" did not come together at all.

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

[ulterior epicure]

While I found the food truly interesting and yummy -- that pea dish was fantastic and brilliant -- the service and atmosphere was awful when I was there.

It really detracted from the experience, and I'm usually not bothered by things like that.

And the dessert was not good at all -- granted, I was taking a chance on beet caviar with geranium soda and orange sorbet, but it was not good.  The soda portion was intriguing, but the "orange creamsicle" did not come together at all.

←

What about the service and atmosphere did you find "awful?"

[Reignking]

Seeing this thread finally got me motivated to review it at another web site. Since I had only been once, I hadn't mentioned it, but I have since read others' issues about service.

The service:

On a Wednesday night at 8, in May, the restaurant was barely half-full.  So, there was no excuse for bad service.  This place has very high ceilings, so the place is quiet.  The two of us were seated against the wall, between two other tables, when there was plenty of room elsewhere.  It was very uncomfortable, as we could hear everything the people next to us were saying.

After waiting 22 minutes to get any service (yes, I was staring at my watch, because I wasn't talking much because I didn't feel like having everyone listen to me), we ordered our wine from the wine list.  I wasn't a fan of the wine list; there were not many price points.  Plus, we were given the wrong wine glasses (hey, this is Napa, not a dive bar).

The food was very interesting and sometimes brilliant; however, the overall experience was uncomfortable. Luckily, I think service is something that could be addressed easily.

[Carolyn Tillie]

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.

[faine]

I'd also like to know more about why you found the experience negative. In my experience, Ubuntu definitely has a more casual atmosphere then many restaurants in its caliber - was that an issue?

Price wise, we've found Ubuntu to be a real deal for the quality of food offered. It can get spendy if you end up in essence ordering the menu - which we've done before, because it's almost impossible to resist. You get into a kind of fugue state where you just want to know what the hell is going to come out of that magnificent kitchen. Ubuntu also possesses an incredible ability to turn avowed carnivores to the Dark Side, at least for brief periods of time.

As an addition to the Ubuntu reports here, this is what I ate (and thought) last time I was there, in January.

We began with a lovely salad of light fried sunchokes and what I believe was a brussel sprout/choke' puree underneath, accompanied by microgreens and some exquisitely small white radishes. This is a nice, thoughtful composed salad and a good way to start a meal here - one advantage of Ubuntu is that portions are small enough that one can order just about the entire menu (and you will want to.)

Next was homemade fregola in a "french onion" broth, accompanied by quenelles of sweet onion and leek ash and a touch of parmesan. This had the nice earthy chewy flavors of good French onion soup, minus the beef stock and the hard raft of cheese and bread: a real revelation. The chewy, squidgy little pasta beads reminded me of a grown up variant on alphabet soup: this is what you think of when you think winter comfort food, sans the pork bits.

Ubuntu's cauliflower in a cast iron pot with vadovuan and "couscous" is the restaurant's killer app, the menu item that Must Appear at all times or There Will Be Consequences. For good reason: it tastes like nothing you've ever tried before in a really exquisite way: sort of like a creamy, cheesy, buttery dip composed out of cauliflower. The cauliflower is pureed, turned into texturally seductive "beads" and sliced raw: the contrast in textures and temperatures in this dish is something to remember. Ignore the too-hard toast points served with and just scrape this mofo out of the pot (perhaps while menacing your dining companions.)

Next was a sauerkraut and emmental pizza, with apple garlic confit and caraway. This oh-so-German winter special was pretty tasty, although I am no pizza lover: the kraut added an unusual and slightly fermented taste to the rustic, chewy dough and emmental cheese. It almost reminded me of eating a flat meatless Reuben sandwich. I am no vegetarian and will state with confidence this would be much improved by large quantities of fennel sausage.

This was a carrot gnocchi with Parmesan cheese and fragrant spices: a beautiful dish to look at. How did it taste? Like extremely high end Kraft macaroni and cheese, and I assure you this is a good thing. The soft, gentle flavor of mac and cheese was cut through by the fruity aspect of carrot and the subtle but prevalent spices: I don't tend to like mac and cheese but I can make an exception here. This is a rich dish and I tend to prefer my food more structurally complex, but this is ideal comfort food for the petty bourgeoisie set.

We also tried a dish of smoked grits with hickory and apple BBQ'd brussel sprouts with a kimchi of the leaves - and my camera decided to eat the photos. It was a nice dish with a pretty dense hickory smoke flavor, although a bit more overt then I prefer. The BBQ'd brussel sprouts were interesting and tasty, and I like the astringent and fruity apple-greens kimchi served on the side.

Ubuntu's Deanie Fox makes some interesting desserts, and I advise even the sweet-shunning crowd to pick something out from the menu. I chose the <strong>white chocolate ice cream with seasonal fruits and citrus sorbet:</strong> an ideal dessert for my citrus loving and sugar-shunning self, with a great interplay between fresh fruit, slushy sorbet, and smooth and melting ice cream. The presentation was also gorgeous, although the bowl was badly weighted: don't eat this too quickly or the person sitting across you may end up wearing it.

We finished up with a few miniature vegan carrot-cake cupcakes, in accordance with the current completely insane cupcake trend. Note the adorable little candied carrots up on top. These were super moist and also super sweet: a bit much for me, although I liked the yogurty tang of the cream cheese dressing. The vegan cupcake continues its unstoppable march across American gastronomy, and I won't stand in its way.

[Carolyn Tillie]

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.

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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.

[Reignking]

I'd also like to know more about why you found the experience negative. In my experience, Ubuntu definitely has a more casual atmosphere then many restaurants in its caliber - was that an issue?

It definitely is meant to be more casual -- you have communal tables, and kids are more than welcome. It is nice to have an interesting dining experience that's a little more casual that usual.

As I mentioned, we were ignored for 22 minutes. Our waitress was inattentive, and the restaurant was only half-full. And it was terribly uncomfortable because it was so quiet that you could hear everyone else talking (but that's an issue with the atmosphere, not the service). It was awkward.

If you have the tasting menu, you are going to have the best service (I would hope!), so I doubt that our experiences could compare.

[Food Snob]

@Carolyn Sounds exquisite. I am green with envy (everyone get that?)

@Reignking Sorry to hear about your visit. Obviously there is not much I can say.

Each of us can only comment and judge by what we experienced.

And from my experience, I would just like to add that having dined here on Sunday, I ate at Oud Sluis, a three Michelin starred restaurant in Holland on the Wednesday following, and Ubuntu (the informal, no starred Californian) was better for food, service and atmosphere...and probably around a quarter the price.

In fact, that meal only emphasised how good Ubuntu was.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Food Snob (log)

[Reignking]

Despite the shortcomings -- most of which could probably be overcome -- I would try it again (my wife, less likely, though!).

The food is extremely creative, intriguing, and surprisingly affordable. It's one of those places you would want to try many times to see what he comes up with next. That pea dish that I had was quite memorable.

Most interesting was the chef's background. While waiting in life for the bathroom, I was reading a review of his that mentioned he used to have a 14-course pig-focused meal (at other place, obviously!). To go from extreme to the other is a demonstration of his talent.

[ulterior epicure]

While waiting in life for the bathroom,...

Gosh, it makes me think about Heaven differently...

Reignking, I'm glad to hear you've kept an open mind about this place. Every restaurant has an off day or service. It doesn't make it right for the paying customer who happens to walk in during those times. But, I (and many others here) have had wonderful experiences at ubuntu. I hope you will give it a second try.

Edited August 4, 2009 by ulterior epicure (log)

[Reignking]

While waiting in life for the bathroom,...

Gosh, it makes me think about Heaven differently...

Reignking, I'm glad to hear you've kept an open mind about this place. Every restaurant has an off day or service. It doesn't make it right for the paying customer who happens to walk in during those times. But, I (and many others here) have had wonderful experiences at ubuntu. I hope you will give it a second try.

←

Ha! I'd go back and edit that, but I can't now.

Well, it is doubtful that I will any time (being on the east coast). Also, I usually hesitate to ever say anything about service (unless it is really bad, or really exceptional) but I had been reading about others' similar experiences.

I could only hope that such an adventurous restaurant were here in Atlanta (Dynamic Dish maybe?), but I don't think we have the quality of produce here that would make it as interesting.

Edited August 4, 2009 by Reignking (log)

[Carolyn Tillie]

I was reading a review of his that mentioned he used to have a 14-course pig-focused meal (at other place, obviously!).  To go from extreme to the other is a demonstration of his talent.

←

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.

[ulterior epicure]

Gosh. Life has gotten busy for me. I just now realized that I never bothered to actually give my version of the story - the story being a meal that I had with Carolyn Tillie and tupac at ubuntu in late May.

CLICK HERE to read the entire post with photos.

Every now and then, a restaurant experience up-ends my life in the best possible way.

My meal at ubuntu is the latest to join that short list of memorable meals.

Undeniably, ubuntu is a vegetarian restaurant. People seem to make sure that’s the first thing you know about it. No meat or meat derivatives are used in any of Chef Jeremy Fox’s or his wife Deanie’s cooking.

But ubuntu is not just an extraordinary vegetarian restaurant.

ubuntu is an extraordinary restaurant full stop.

I was, for a time, skeptical.

The restaurant’s praises have been sung from coast to coast.* Everyone I know who has eaten there emotes excessively about it. Even friends abroad have claimed it to be the best of the Bay Area.

Quite a few perennially praised restaurants I’ve visited have turned out too good to be true.

ubuntu, thankfully, did not.

Fox and his team are producing some of the most refreshing food I’ve encountered in a long time.

...

Chef Fox unlocks the world of vegetables with astounding facility. He sees in vegetables what the common do not and, in a manner that’s easily digestible (mind the painful pun), brilliantly passes his insight along to his diners through his cooking.

For example, he draws a seemingly intuitive, yet unexpected connection between the natural, caramel sweetness in carrots and Mimolette (“‘PURPLE HAZE’ CARROT crudite with mimolette”). The marriage seemed so obvious (I mean, there IS a relative known as “carrot cheese”), I was left wondering why I hadn’t thought of or encountered the couple before. I loved the fact that the entire presentation was edible, from the log-like carrot stand to the baby carrots “sprouting” from it – a more organic way of presenting vegetables than at Blue Hill at Stone Barns.

The radish – that ever-awkward root – Fox makes noble by roasting them and serving them with an intensely fragrant and spicy broth (“‘REDHEAD’ RADISH stew, roasted & raw”).

Of all the dishes we had, this one left the deepest impression.

The thick broth was fragrant with lemongrass, herbs, and lime zest; complex; packed with flavor; and boldly spiked with an aggressive heat that was cleverly balanced out by a quenelle of crème fraiche that slowly dissolved into the soup. It was like Southeast Asia distilled into a bowl. I asked Fox if any thickener was used in the broth; he said there wasn’t. I was a little surprised given its viscosity.

The interaction between the flavors in the broth and the roasted radishes brought out savory, sweet, and bitter flavors I never knew existed in radishes.

And nettles, that obstreperous spring weed, Fox tames by using it to enrich a creamy, savory sage velouté (“vellutata selvaggio“). That intensely flavorful soup – our first course – was brightened with fresh sorrel and borage.

...

The “2x shucked peas…,” on the other hand, was nature denuded. It featured a magnificent bowl of silky, double-shucked peas accompanied by golden pea shoots, purple snaps and shucked, but unhulled peas. Toasted bits of macadamia nuts, chocolate mint leaves, and finely shaved white chocolate garnished the peas, and a clear pea consommé made from the shells was poured tableside, along with a drizzle of emerald-green mint oil.

This dish stood at a crossroad in the garden. Fox not only celebrated a traditionally successful marriage – peas and mint – but playfully added to it an unexpected third element: chocolate mint. Fox mirrors nature – subtly – with shavings of white chocolate and a drizzle of mint oil. The white chocolate provided a faint touch of creaminess that steers this dish away from being too watery. Toasted and chopped macadamia nuts, another white chocolate friend, provided textural contrast, along with golden pea shoots, crisp purple snaps, and meaty, unhulled peas.

...

Our 12:30 p.m. arrival time left us walking out near 5 p.m., and I relished every minute of it.  Jeremy and Deanie Fox joined us, briefly, after our meal for a chat.

Without a doubt, ubuntu is one of the most exciting restaurants I’ve visited this year. It revived me. Even with the swelling numbers of “farm-to-table” restaurants in the U.S., there really is no other restaurant I’m aware of that is doing the same type of food as ubuntu, not to mention with this high level of thought and care.

Hopefully, my regular readers know that this is a shill-free blog.  I’ve made my disclosures; do what you will with them.  If, for whatever reason, you don’t visit ubuntu, just know that you may be missing out on one of the best restaurants in the U.S. right now.  I’m already planning my return.