544104 Wed Jul 30 18:37:01 -0700 2008 9 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 3916931 Over the weekend I agreed to meet a new friend for lunch in the East Bay. I was thinking something innocuous and friendly, like Fat Burger or some other unknown local eatery. Joe picked me up a BART and had other ideas; Napa’s famed Auberge du Soleil. Wow. All the years I lived in Napa, I had only had an occasional glass of bubbly or attended some private, catered event at the institution. I had never eaten off their menu… We were seated on the terrace overlooking the valley that had been my home for so many years. There was some debate on how many courses to order and Joe forged through with one of my favorite philosophies: Order whatever you want. What a joy! Thankfully, bites were shared across the board so I got a good sampling of a fairly extensive menu. Joe was very sweet in letting me order the wine and considering the lovely warm weather, I opted for a 2002 Dr. Loosen Riesling which was lightly sweet with delicate hints of a floral aroma and a perfect balance of acidity. Overall, it was a great wine to pair with our day’s offerings… Joe started with Shrimp Tempura with pickled vegetables, crunchy scallop, and soy vinaigrette. The vinaigrette was creamy versus a classic oil-and-vinegar style and made a great accompaniment. The batter on the tempura was a bit thick and cakey for my taste, but the scallop was encased in shredded filo was delightfully light. Overall the Asian flavors were well-executed and the contrast of textures quite nice. Sautéed foie gras with cherries and torchon with honey gelée served with brioche. The torchon was a fairly standard offering except that it was served on some powdered lemon verbena along with the gelée which made the offering light and refreshing. This juxtaposed with the perfectly seared foie and the scrumptious cherries which was a magnificent offering. Poached lobster salad with bibb lettuce, almonds, haricots verts, and curry vinaigrette. This was a stunning concoction and was made most remarkable by the Loosen wine pairing. The lobster was perfectly prepared and not overly chewy with the curry being just spicy enough to entice. Great Sunday afternoon offering and I could have happily finished my meal right here. Monterey Bay squid salad with chick peas, roasted peppers, and Picholine olives. The squid were excellent and had nary a tendency towards the rubberiness that can be so prevalent with cooked squid. The saucing was nice with a bit of mustard grain in the vinaigrette. What did not work at all were the olives which I don’t believe were Picholine at all, but tasted like overly brined green Martini olives. They overwhelmed the delicacy of the squid. Wild shrimp risotto with heirloom tomatoes, and a tarragon and basil emulsion. I believe by reading the description of the dish that a prevalence of shrimp might have existed. While minimal in actual bites, the overall flavor was delightful and elegant. The tarragon/basil ring which surrounded the creamy concoction provided a bright, complex juxtaposition against the richness of the rice. Day Boat scallops, sweet wine corn, wild mushrooms, Prosciutto nage. My main offering of the day was the scallops which were monstrously huge with a great crispy exterior and very tender, succulent interior. They were sitting atop bites of very fresh corn and earthy mushrooms. The Prosciutto nage made for a very rich dish and I was having difficulty finishing the bites. Happily, Joe helped out. Weakness reigned when it came to order desserts. I was torn between and two and Joe was torn between two and with one overlap between our choices, Joe ordered all three much to my delight. Crispy filo-wrapped chocolate dumplings with tarragon ice cream and arbequina olive oil. What called to me about this dessert was the tarragon ice cream and it did not disappoint. The warm, crunchy pockets exuded rich, creamy warm chocolate that was so well complemented with the tarragon ice cream and occasional swath of olive oil. Delectable. Fromage blanc cheesecake, blackberries, hush puppies, and bay leaf jus. This might have been the winner of the day just for the bay leaf jus under the macerated blackberries and startlingly inventive hush puppies. Honestly, I didn’t give a hoot about the cheesecake. We had a bit of a battle over who was getting the last berry and hush puppy. This dessert was inventive and with the addition of the herb was brilliant. Blueberry peach tart with oatmeal streusel, verbena ice cream, and Banyuls gastrique. Of the three, this was to most pedestrian and uninspired, except for the verbena ice cream which heightened the dish. It was very well prepared with an excellent crust, but nothing ground breaking other than its comfort-food quality. Overall, the offerings were fascinating and well-prepared, but it was the desserts where the envelope got pushed. For me, out of the savory dishes, my seared foie and curried lobster salad were the most memorable. A truly beautiful day and the beginning of a great friendship! Pics on my blog. Wed Jul 30 18:37:02 -0700 2008 16933 Carrie 218 1 3917137 So you sorta, kinda, maybe agree with Mr. Bauer. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/22/FDOE11OQSH.DTL Wed Jul 30 19:50:03 -0700 2008 3916931 105235 wolfe 1 3920812 Finally ... a detailed report about the place. Very nice. We can fear it no more. I had read the current chef was pretty good.Thanks for confirming that. Thu Jul 31 22:17:17 -0700 2008 3916931 10264 rworange 1 3922209 How much was the bill for lunch and wine, Carrie? $360 including tip? That's my guess after looking over the menu online. I realize you may not have seen the bill. Thanks for the detailed report. Glad you had a nice time. Fri Aug 01 10:58:42 -0700 2008 3916931 18222 maria lorraine 2 3922651 Sorry, ML - it was a "date" and I didn't see the tab! The foie was expensive and the bottle of wine about $100. Does that help? Fri Aug 01 13:13:42 -0700 2008 3922209 16933 Carrie 218 3 3922749 That's what I figured as I did my tally looking through the menu online. I bet I'm close. That's a lot of money for lunch. But I suppose Mr. Lunch thought you were quite a girl. We spent $375 on dinner (this was a few years ago) and the meal was average at best. I've since returned for Richard Reddington's food when he was there (good, but worth that money? -- no), and another time with the same response -- good not great, and a lot of money. I always take the flavor/price ratio into consideration. Sounds like Curry is doing some good things there. Fri Aug 01 13:43:21 -0700 2008 3922651 18222 maria lorraine 4 3923192 Mr. Lunch ended up being married so all he got was a nice meal and the pleasure of my company for a few hours. In retrospect, adding it up, I'm not sure it was worth the money, had I been paying. It was very good, but I am being far more value-conscientious these days and am secretly pleased the lunch did not come from my pocket-book. Regardless, I'd go see Curry for his curry <grin>! Fri Aug 01 16:46:40 -0700 2008 3922749 16933 Carrie 218 5 3923208 I'd really like to have an interesting off-Chow conversation now! In any case, glad you enjoyed your meal and didn't have to pay. In all honesty, if I was paying, I'd prefer to go to Cyrus or someplace really amazing for that amount of money. Fri Aug 01 16:52:03 -0700 2008 3923192 18222 maria lorraine 1 3922517 I know the food at Auberge du Soleil has gone up and down over the years, and I know it's expensive, but I remember a Thanksgiving afternoon meal on their patio with a view and atmosphere that people would come from around the world to experience. I think it's an important "once in a while" place where you hope the food will be as good as the prices should reflect, and if not then it's a great experience anyway. Fri Aug 01 12:34:38 -0700 2008 3916931 10724 Mick Ruthven 1 3924195 Sounds great but really overpriced. thx for the report. Sat Aug 02 08:02:55 -0700 2008 3916931 10246 choctastic