Poached eggs, applewood-smoked bacon, onion, carrot, scallion. $15
The Girl & The Fig, Sonoma CA
This was very tasty. The duck confit had great flavor and the hash was beautifully made. The grilled scallion was a nice addition!
Mission San Francisco de Solano. This old church is just a block from The Girl & The Fig. It is the northernmost Alta California Franciscan mission.
Slices of beautifully smoked duck breast. The thick layer of fat tasted SO good! The slices had a great smokey flavor and were very tender and juicy. 7-item Tasca tasting plates $34
LaSalette Restaurant, Sonoma CA
Lobby and lounge area, The Lodge at Sonoma Renaissance Resort & Spa. This is one of the nicer Marriott properties I’ve stayed at. Even the lobby is nice and cushy!
Duck breast, shiitake mushrooms and crispy vegetables in a spicy hoisin sauce, steamed then sauteed until crisp. $9.95
Grand Lux Cafe, Las Vegas NV
Loved these potstickers – great duck flavor and beautifully cooked. Maybe the wilted parsley sprig on top could have been omitted, but whatevs. Noms!
Cornbread, cavolo nero, bean puree and barrel-aged maple. Chef’s Tasting Menu $270
The French Laundry, Yountville CA
This tasted amazing, but I wish that the duck skin had been seared. The fat underneath was pretty thick and it was difficult to cut and chew through. A good sear would have made eating it a little easier. The cornbread cubes were perfectly cut and were SO flavorful. I was afraid that this dish was gonna be too salty, but it was perfectly seasoned.
Signage at the front of the restaurant.
Chopped roasted duck mixed with rice powder, red onion, cilantro, chilies, chili powder and a lime based salad dressing. Served with iceberg lettuce cups. $9.95
Lers Ros Thai, San Francisco
This duck larb was AMAZING! I’ve never had duck larb before, and this was delicious. I envisioned the duck being minced like chicken larb, but it was chopped into chunky pieces instead. It had the traditional larb flavors, but the addition of the dark flavors from the moist and tender duck put it over the top! This was the highlight of our meal at Ler Ros Thai. The other dishes fell flat. 😦
7×7 Magazine’s The Big Eat San Francisco: 100 Things to Eat + Drink Before You Die – 2011, 2012, 2013
Johannes Restaurant, Palm Springs CA
Ok, the title of this blog entry is a little unfair, but I wanted to vent a little bit. I actually had a very good experience at Johannes. The service was excellent as was the food.
But I’m just gonna go out and say it – I hate super dark restaurants!
For me, part of an amazing dining experience is being able to actually see what I’m eating. For instance, my duck appetizer tasted great and I’m sure it looked amazing – BUT I COULDN’T SEE IT! I really wanted to see the amazing roasted duck against the dark lentils and the beautifully drizzled raspberry vinaigrette. BUT everything looked just like a dark lump. I tried positioning the candle to get better shots to no avail. What you see on this blog is WAY better than what I actually saw in person!
How does a dimly lit room improve my dining experience!? I can’t see my food. I can’t see my dining my guest. I CAN’T SEE ANYTHING!!!
This is becoming such a pet peeve for me that I’m tempted to decline my next reservation if I enter a restaurant and see that it’s lit like a Paleozoic cave! Just wait, I’m gonna do it! This is ridiculous!
So in conclusion, I enjoyed my dinner but it was a little overpriced considering that I couldn’t FULLY enjoy my meal.
Lillet blonde. Over ice, orange zest. $9
Grey Goose vodka martini up with olives. $11
Pimm’s cup, lemon juice, over ice. $9
Brussels sprouts salad (special). Lemon juice, olive oil, pecorino cheese and walnuts. $12
Very bright and refreshing. This was a simple salad that you can easily make at home. I think the hardest part would be leafing the brussels sprouts, probably very labor intensive.
Honey and soy glazed duck breast. Sliced roasted duck breast, Beluga lentil salad, tiny greens and raspberry vinaigrette. $11
My favorite dish of the night. It was served cold and tasted amazing. I’m sure it was beautifully composed, but I really couldn’t see much of it. The dark duck on the dark lentils looked like a black blob in the restaurant. The flavor were great and the textures were fun.
Australian grass fed kangaroo loin. Glazed bosc pear, veal bacon, walnuts, orange, cranberries, broccolini, juniper merlot reduction. $29
The kangaroo didn’t taste as crazy as I thought it would. I guess the chef recommends it served medium rare, but this came out pretty rare. I wish I would have ordered it medium instead. It was very tender and the reduction tasted great. The bosc pear came out super hot and delicious, and I loved the mixed topping.
New Zealand grass fed young lamb rack. White beans, zucchini, tomatoes, grilled green onions, triple Dijon mustard sauce. $36
Wow, you get a LOT of lamb – 6 ribs of it! This was very delicious and super tender. I wish the grilled green onions weren’t on the plate though. They seemed too clunky for an otherwise beautiful plate.
Baguette and pesto butter.
Served with bok choy and rice. $7
Hung To Seafood, South San Francisco
Another large and yummy dish. The bok choy and rice are great for soaking up all the yummy juices and fat from the meats. I wish the duck skin was a little crispier, but it still tasted great!
Crispy boneless duck with snow peas, pineapples, bell peppers, carrots and basil leaves sauteed in red coconut curry. $15
Krua Thai, San Francisco
Fried duck in a yummy curry – how can you go wrong?! I love when the cut the carrots with the scalloped edges. It makes for a more interested presentation.
Large leg and thigh served with succotash, corn, tomato, shelling beans and basil. $40 for 4-course dinner.
Reform Club @ Specchio, San Francisco
This dish was one of the highlights of this pop-up dinner, partly because it was a full sized portion. The other courses were tiny! OK, the duck was also delicious and it was beautifully plated. I also loved the succotash. The bright vegetables were a great counterpoint to the rich duck. The skin on that duck was SO good and crispy, noms! One guy at our table contemplated ordering another portion. He was a big fellow and he was starving, poor thing…
Bisou, San Francisco
There’s a whole lot going on here! And I’m not sure if it all worked together. Chicken AND duck confit, lime coconut milk jus AND a nut sauce? Everything tasted good separately, but perhaps this is a good example of overkill. Tim Gunn would certainly have suggested some editing!
Vittle Monster 