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Los Gatos chef David Kinch best in the South Bay

Gifted Gourmet

By Gifted Gourmet
in California: Dining

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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article from Metroactive

On the job, he has an intense, focused demeanor. His custom-designed kitchen could double as a laboratory. Not only is it clinical-clean, but the state-of-the-art equipment, such as the medical water bath for slow poaching and the exotic French-made stove, All-Clad pots and hanging copper pans, makes Sur La Table look underequipped.

Kinch is a chef's chef. He is not yet a household name outside circles of chefs and food lovers, but he continues to quietly, passionately and happily distinguish himself with his singular cooking style. And his cooking is unlike anything else in Silicon Valley

:biggrin:

The article is entrancing and discusses the way in which Kinch has risen to his current pinnacle as best in Silicon Valley ... enjoy this delightful read!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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rjwong

rjwong

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First, here's the discussion thread to Manresa Restaurant , owned by Chef David Kinch.

This article got me fascinated. My favorite part was how Kinch described himself as "anti-success":

"I do it because I still like to," he says. "I don't want to work in hotels. I don't want three restaurants. I don't want to do 500 covers a night. I don't want to be on TV. None of this interests me. Call me anti-success...but I just want to cook in my restaurant with my crew in my beautiful kitchen and make people happy."

What a refreshing attitude to have!!

Russell J. Wong aka "rjwong"

Food and I, we go way back ...

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glossyp

glossyp

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Thanks for posting the link. I really enjoyed the article and Manresa is now even higher on the list of places to get to on our next holiday.

"Eat it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." TMJ Jr. R.I.P.

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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Having enjoyed the pleasures of Manresa last year, and, having spent some time talking to David Kinch, I can personally attest to the veracity of the facts presented in this article: he is a phenomenon! :biggrin:

The kitchen is amazing, the way in which food is prepared and presented, service is exceptional: he has put together something special indeed!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Greg

Greg

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There is a nice spotlight review of Manresa by Josh Sens in the May issue of San Francisco magazine. The issue hit the newsstands this week. See page 127.

"Like a star working off-Broadway, David Kinch commands a stage far from the spotlight and waits for the crowds to come to him. What they find are dishes made with a scientist's precision, an artist's passion, and influences from both Spain and France." —Josh Sens

Sorry, the Manresa review by Josh Sens is not online, it is only available in the May issue of San Francisco magazine.

Visit Casa Gregorio :: C A S A G R E G O R I O

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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NY Times article on Manresa's David Kinch

Though many of Mr. Kinch's dishes have complex descriptions, it's easy to understand that, once on the plate, most rely on a single main ingredient with a simple accompaniment, like roast breast of capon with braised Italian chestnuts, and salt-grilled sardines on a warm potato salad. Sometimes he pairs two closely related elements that reinforce each other's flavors, like oysters with a briny-sweet sea urchin gelée, duck foie gras with stuffed duck neck, and green apple sorbet played off against spiced quince.

His is a pared-down approach.

When I ate his food, I knew that he understood food in all respects ... a good article!

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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ulterior epicure

ulterior epicure

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I was already planning on a trip out to Los Gatos (per eGulleters' recommendations) and was excited... but I opened up the the Times this morning to the delight of Fabricant's article!! Now I'm even more excited.

Is it terribly remote/difficult to get to? How long of a drive outside of S.F.?

U.E.

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

ulteriorepicure.com

My flickr account

ulteriorepicure@gmail.com

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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Now I'm even more excited.

As well you should be! Divine doesn't begin to describe it!

Is it terribly remote/difficult to get to?  How long of a drive outside of S.F.?

Not remote at all ... outside of a major city, San Jose ... look at Mapquest, or the like, for Los Gatos which is a small, lovely suburb ...

edited for Melkor's better directions ... see below post ...

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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melkor

melkor

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I was already planning on a trip out to Los Gatos (per eGulleters' recommendations) and was excited... but I opened up the the Times this morning to the delight of Fabricant's article!!  Now I'm even more excited.

Is it terribly remote/difficult to get to?  How long of a drive outside of S.F.?

U.E.

It'll take an hour w/o traffic. Figure two hours if you are trying to get there for a 7pm table. There are plenty of things to do down that direction, it'll be much easier to spend the day in Santa Cruz/Los Gatos/etc than it will be to fight with rush hour traffic.

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robert40

robert40

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I was already planning on a trip out to Los Gatos (per eGulleters' recommendations) and was excited... but I opened up the the Times this morning to the delight of Fabricant's article!!  Now I'm even more excited.

Is it terribly remote/difficult to get to?  How long of a drive outside of S.F.?

U.E.

It'll take an hour w/o traffic. Figure two hours if you are trying to get there for a 7pm table. There are plenty of things to do down that direction, it'll be much easier to spend the day in Santa Cruz/Los Gatos/etc than it will be to fight with rush hour traffic.

I guess I never had a chance in hell trying to make it to the airport in a half hour after dinner. :laugh:

Robert R

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samgiovese

samgiovese

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Is it terribly remote/difficult to get to? How long of a drive outside of S.F.?

If you are just coming to try Manresa, then I'd suggest trying to book flights in & out of Mineta San Jose International (SJC); if you will also be going to San Francisco and other points north, SFO or OAK would be better choices. Manresa is about 20 minutes (depending on traffic) from SJC via Hwy 880 and Route 17.

"A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."

- Dr. Hannibal Lecter

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Bux

Bux

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I found the Times article fascinating. Up until now, I've mostly know of Manresa through these forums. Alain Chapel in Mionnay and he Quilted Giraffe in NY in the eighties is quite a combination. I'm impressed that he found the connection and was able to draw from both. In the end, I get a sense of a very self directed chef with great integrity. For me, Manresa would be the best reason to visit California.

Robert Buxbaum

WorldTable

Recent WorldTable posts include: comments about reporting on Michelin stars in The NY Times, the NJ proposal to ban foie gras, Michael Ruhlman's comments in blogs about the NJ proposal and Bill Buford's New Yorker article on the Food Network.

My mailbox is full. You may contact me via worldtable.com.

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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More from the NY Times on David Kinch ... click here ... browned butter ...

At Manresa — with a contemporary, market-driven menu — soup, fish, abalone, sweetbreads, savory olive madeleines and pastry cream all benefit from the tantalizing effect of amber brown butter, made by melting butter and letting it reach what the French call the hazelnut, or beurre noisette, stage.

"Brown butter ice cream is a Manresa classic," Mr. Kinch said.

One can never have too much butter, as the article notes, nor too much David Kinch (my note!) :wink:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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Gifted Gourmet

Gifted Gourmet

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article from New York Times on confit

For Mr. Kinch, confit fits in with his approach to food, which emphasizes simplicity and purity of flavor. "The seasonings are so basic when you make confit," he said. "Just salt, pepper and some herbs. You do not change the flavor of the ingredient, but you wind up with texture that is often silky and rich, even after you've scraped off the cooking fat."  The confit technique transforms the chicken livers completely. To achieve this consistency, his technique is unusual...

Excellent article for lovers of confit ... :wink:

Melissa Goodman aka "Gifted Gourmet"

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