It's high season at Napa Valley for foodies and oenophiles and we tend to have our share of hosting out of town visitors. Last night, then, we went with said visitors to one of Napa's best, the Restaurant at Meadowwood. I'm posting pics below of their various presentations as the staff there are artists, as led by Chef Christopher Kostow (what else would you do with a philosophy degree but become a chef!?). But, look, too at the bibliophilic pic below -- would that be a good way to serve food? Fried kale on an open book? But maybe that's inevitable in an age where (snort) bookshelves are arranged by the color of book spines...
[black olive meringue]
[fried kale]
[whipped yogurt wild plum umeboshi shiso]
[asparagus surf clam smoked goats butter]
[kohlrabi glazed in its own juice rye porridge mustard]
[sea cucumber wild onions whipped bean brown butter seaweed]
[cod soy wild radish]
[from the kitchen to show the way the next two dishes are made]
[poussin broth]
[pussin baked in bread grilled rage yeast]
[olive oil coconut barage]
[can't recall; drank too much]
[contralto castelfranco "ham" (marinated radicchio)]
[missing pic: silken chocolate panettone]
[praline with gold leaf glitter]
Ironically, I failed to take a photo of the best course, served after the chicken: aged beef shiitake fermented turnip. (Sorry Peep)...
Wines served:
2010
Peter Michael Mon Plasir
2004
Philip Togni
1982 Vega Sicilia Reserva Especial (wine in decanter at top of post)
2001
Sasseti Brunello di Montalcino
Among the influences on Meadowwood's menu is the inspiring "molecular gastronomy" approach innovated by Ferran Adria of El Bulli. Coincidentally, or synchronistically, his book is near the top of my To-Read List!
WHAT THE HECK WITH THOSE BOOKS ARRANGED BY COLOR!
ReplyDeleteThat's so wrong those books are not being loved. Or read.
xo
ps. I was flummoxed by all your food descriptions and even the wine decanter! Yikes.
ReplyDeleteThe best part about the food was not being bloated from all the tastes (coz the portions were so teensy!). Which was why my subsequent dinner was all about pizza!
ReplyDeleteBut, yes, I take personal offense at that bit of arranging books by color. I hadn't known, until the linked article, that the "trend" began as just a decorating idea for some magazine ... sadly, the trend makes sense given the stats of how few books exist in American households (even before the trend to e-books)...