Ad Hoc Thursday 12/7/06

[joeinsf]

We had a great meal.

The food wasn't avant garde, but that is well down my list of priorities. The ingredients were really top notch (baby beets, kurobota pork, etc.), the seasoning was spot on, the dishes were perfectly cooked (pork loin with a trace of pink) and the portions were more than generous. The wine list is very fairly priced (unlike, say, the Laundry) and all four bottles were good, distinctive and American. Whoever put the wine list together has done an excellent job.

We had:

- Salad of baby red and golden beets with oil cured olives of some sort, endive, fried parsley, golden raisins in a cumin vinagrette. Tasty, interesting salad.

- Kurobota pork loin. Crispy rendered fat on the outside, a hint of pink through the middle and perfectly salted.

- Red hawk cheese (not too pungent), some small pickled apples whose name escapes me and some candied pecans. Probably my least favorite course, but still good.

- Apple and cranberry crisp with vanilla whipped cream. As good a crisp as I've had and I've had a bunch.

I hesitate to call a $45 prix fixe menu a good value, but I have quite a few disappointments in the Bay Area for quite a bit more money. I'll be back as long as they continue to execute.

[ML8000]

Ahh..the Kurobota pork sounds great. The thing I found was after drinks, wine and tip...it was almost $80 per/person. The drinks and wine sort of sneak up on you.

[katg]

Thanks for the report. i'd eat everything you listed. bf and i are headed up there for a long weeke and toward the end of month and it's definitely on our list.