On our trip to Sausalito/Calistoga this summer we had the opportunity to eat at the renowned Chez Panisse...
Cafe. Though we tried to get in to the ground floor restaurant by calling exactly a month in advance, as allowed, our efforts were futile and we ended up in the cafe with no regrets. I've been looking forward to eating here for years, and the place was better than I could have imagined. After walking the narrow stairs past the main dining room we entered into a the cozy cafe with the feel of a European bistro. Greeted by the maitre'd, we were taken to our quaint table in the back walking past bustling waiters and the open kitchen complete with wood-burning oven and hanging copper pots. The place has a lot of charm and character, with a friendly staff and stellar service. We started with a little gems lettuce salad with fresh from the market greens and fennel sausage and red pepper pizzette with a perfect crust that I'm sure has been perfected over the decades. Our entrees consisted of baked hand rolled pasta with chantrelles and creme fraiche and beef pot roast with market vegetables. The pasta was fresh and al dente, the crispy top contrasting with the creamy inside and tender roasted mushrooms, this was a perfect dish and one that I will no doubt try to duplicate. The roast was fall off the bone and seasoned perfectly with tender vegetables, as it should be.
We finished the meal with a fig tart (again, perfect crust) and fennel ice cream.
This is not nouveau, fine dining cuisine. This is fresh, quality product cooked simply, perfectly, highlighting the seasonal produce and organic farm-raised meats. There is a respect in the cooking here, a respect to the earth and what it has provided for us. It was a humbling dinner and an inspiring one. Coming from LA where there is a trendy new restaurant popping up each week with quenelles of foie gras ice cream, lavender foam, and liquid olives, this was a refreshing dinner reflecting on a simpler, more
refined way of life.
