I found out about this spot because it was a featured restaurant in SJ Magazine about a month ago which I photographed and knew I had to come back just by photographing one of their desserts. (It looked that good). Also this gave me the opportunity to find out the history of the restaurant and how they prepare their food. All they had to say was homemade and I was sold!
I looked over the menu before I went and I decided to get the Gourmand Tasting Menu which consisted of six courses. This included a Amuse Bouche, which is a hors d'oeuvre dish smaller than a appetizer. Then a choice of appetizer, fruits de mer/salades, entree, cheese course, and dessert.
For my hors d'oeuvre they served me a sliced tomato from their garden with homemade balsamic and oil drizzle over a freshly sliced piece of mozzarella. That refreshed my pallet for the coming dishes and was a nice introduction on how they really stick to homemade; freshly and locally grown.
For my appetizer I had to get their Escargot Bourgogne because I had to see how it compared to my escargot experience in France at Le Mont Saint-Michel. Their escargot was so rich with a buttery garlic brandy base served with a piece of their homemade brioche toast. The escargot was just like I remembered, savory and melting in your mouth. The textures mixed very well and you had to get a little bit of everything on your spoon and the taste just exploded in your mouth.
The next dish I chose was the tomato salad because their garden grown tomatoes like my first dish was amazing. They were plump, juicy, and the perfect ripeness to cut up and eat with a basic balsamic vinaigrette with diced ricotta cheese and red onions.
The main entree I went with was Fish du jour Provencal which was grilled perfectly on both sides and not a single bone. (I hate bones in my fish, pet peeve) The cut of fish was very meaty (poultry...hmm..), if that makes sense and was paired with cooked zucchini, potatoes and tomatoes in a white wine broth.
After the main entree they brought out the cheese tray which was meant to clean the pallet. It was presented on this round, thick wooden cheese block. It consisted of artisan and farmstead cheeses served with their house made croutes, mustard, jam, and apple slices. It was a buttery, creamy goodness in my mouth. The mustard seeds in the mustard really gave it a spicy kick. To tone it down, pair a piece of the cheese on a croute with some jam on top. Then have a slice of the apple and do it all over.
My favorite dessert of all time is a french classic, creme brulee, which they had at the top of their dessert menu. I ordered that without question. It came out in the shallow porcelain dish with the perfectly fired shell of sweetness. Once you broke the surface, underneath was a creamy vanilla custard you scoop with the sugary surface and eat that in one bit. It’s sweet, crunchy, creamy all at once. The dessert though that I photographed before was their Apple Tarte Tatin which is just as good.
The whole experience of dining there was about 2 hours. The dishes were brought out in a timely manner allowing the food to digest. The portions were small but that’s usually how the tasting menus work. You end up feeling just as satisfied.
My overall experience was great and I would recommend treating yourself here once a year. Their menu is ever changing just like the seasons and their garden would also change with the season.
*FYI- These are my Iphone images, not my professional images. Thank you -Felicia (still copyrighted)
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