559940 Wed Sep 24 12:34:25 -0700 2008 9 3 California 0 4058552 This October there will be again five Chef Celebration events in San Diego. More details: http://www.chefcelebration.org/schedule.html I got three menus for them so far: Terra Restaurant: -Amuse- Basil Flan shallot rings, curry oil Jeff Rossman, Terra -First Course- Restyled Caprese Salad with heirloom tomatoes, opal basil vinaigrette and balsamic gelé Chris Walsh, Bite - Second Course- Marinated Hiramasa tempura Dungeness crab, bamboo rice, green curry Joe Magnanelli, Laurel - Third Course- Duck Confit and Foie Gras Tortellini on a nest of bitter greens, brandy cherries, candied pecans, English Stilton, port reduction Colin Maclaggan, Avenue 5 - Fourth Course- Dry Aged Beef Strip Loin oxtail ravioli, wilted greens, bordelaise sauce Victor Jimenez, Cowboy Star -A Dessert Duet- Quince Tart Tatin butternut squash ice cream Jeff Rossman, Terra Restaurant Gorgonzola Cheese Cake with grilled figs and zinfandel-tellicherry peppercorn syrup Chris Walsh, Bite Bernard’O Restaurant: FIRST COURSE Kumamoto Oyster and Santa Barbara Sea Urchin Passion Fruit, Orange Blossom Water, Compressed Cucumber Steven Rojas, El Bizcocho Restaurant ~ SECOND COURSE Blackened Scallop Candied Orange, Micro Green Salad Vincent Grummel, Vincent ‘s ~ THIRD COURSE Pheasant “Sous Vide” Stuffed with Foie Gras, Cardamom and Chestnut Mousse, Black Trumpet Mushroom, Pheasant reduction Patrick Ponsaty, Bernard’O Restaurant ~ FOURTH COURSE “Black Butterfly” Roquefort Blue Cheese Sauterne Aspic, Walnut Bread, Honey Comb Jonathan Freyberg, Bernard’O Restaurant ~ PRE- DESSERT Green Apple/Lemon Sorbet, Lemon Confit, Apple and lemon chips ~ DESSERT Croustillant Chocolate, Confiture de Lait Flourless Cake, Chocolate Crispy, Milk Jam Ice Cream, Caramel ”Fleur de Sel”, Gianduja Chantilly Loic Laffargue, Barona resort & Casino Mignardises Pamplemousse: Amuse Fall Heirloom compressed squash, Julien apple Pearls, bacon 1st course Bouquet of local lettuces, Warm Cabralles Vinaigrette Or Duck Schnitzel, pear apple chutney, Duck Confit Ravioli, Saba Reduction 2nd course Abalone with Ginger, Garlic and Brown Butter Or Corn Anglotti, Maine Lobster, Chanterelles and tangerine Main Course Proscuitto wrapped Boston Scallops, Black Mission Fig, Balsamic Syrup Or Loin of Lamb, Braised Shoulder, Sweet Potato Tart Or Dry Aged New York, Natural Braised Short Rib, Manchego Croquette, Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Truffle Braising Jus Three Flavors of Dessert Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta, Bitter Sweet Chocolate- Orange cake, Passion Fruit Sabayon Wed Sep 24 12:34:25 -0700 2008 13239 honkman 1 4058561 I just saw that Naomi Wise also wrote about it in the SD Reader: http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2008/sep/24/movable-feast-returns/ Wed Sep 24 12:38:41 -0700 2008 4058552 13239 honkman 1 4059790 I'm drooling.... Wed Sep 24 20:30:05 -0700 2008 4058552 10853 daantaat 1 4060004 $65 if anyone is curious about the price. Wed Sep 24 23:13:24 -0700 2008 4058552 53017 clayfu 1 4061130 I'm so grateful for this post. I would have been devastated if I missed this. The website has the full schedule (not all menus tho): http://www.chefcelebration.org/schedule.html Thanks! Thu Sep 25 11:11:09 -0700 2008 4058552 219435 pkt63 1 4076090 Thank you so much for posting this! I hadn't even heard of Chef Celebration until I saw this post. Jeff admitted tonight that it's organized by chefs, who don't have time to publicize it. :) The tortellini was the reason I was at Terra tonight, and let me tell you it didn't disappoint. The caprese was also very tasty (especially the balsamic vinegar finger Jell-O!) and the desserts were both delicious. But the tortellini was such an amazing combination of flavors; I was in heaven. Now I have to check out Avenue 5. Great job Colin! Who else was there? I looked around at one point thinking "I bet there are other Chowhounds here right now..." I was one of the two big dark-haired guys at the middle table along the wall from about 8pm until close. Donovan Wed Oct 01 23:33:33 -0700 2008 4058552 164734 debren27 2 4076939 My husband and I were there! Not sure I saw you...Only two guy-table I saw was right next to me by the window...? Anyway, I also thought the tortellini by chef from Ave 5 was the best dish of the evening. Just wonderful. The beef was also very nice, and I actually thought the pasta on that ravioli was better than the pasta of the tortellini, but the tortellini was still better overall. I love chard, but that chard was kind of boring with the beef...but that was my second favorite dish kind of tied with the amuse. Hard to compare an amuse to a beef main, but it was a fun dish with different flavors and textures. It was quite large for an amuse... My least favorite was actually the caprese. The flavors of the tomatoes and mozzarella were not quite there, to me. Just ok. I liked the balsamic gelee, but I think it is done better in the traditional prep, where you get the balsamic over the whole thing, rather than in intense pockets with only a few bites. The fish dish was nice, if a little pedestrian compared to some others. The green curry rice could have been more intenself flavored if you ask me...but it was nice. For dessert, Jeff/Terra's tatin was delicious and fun with a definite spicy edge. And butternut squash ice cream tastes a lot like pumpkin pie ice cream. Yum! Now, the gorgonzola cheesecake was very bold. It was very gorgonzola-y...Walsh did not bury that flavor in sweetness at all! So, I found it really interesting but, it was just too much...the cheesecake was actually a decent size and I couldn't take the flavor for quite that long...they should keep something that bold a little smaller. Most wines they served were nice. I esp. liked the fume paired with the amuse. The cabernet with the beef was just meh. It was fun to talk with Jeff a bit. He seems really into the cause. We had a great time. Definitely want to try another one this month! oh, although Jeff did mention something about the Trattoria Aqua one getting cancelled.... Thu Oct 02 09:58:39 -0700 2008 4076090 219435 pkt63 2 4079554 Ave 5 is well worth checking out Fri Oct 03 10:29:39 -0700 2008 4076090 31795 ibstatguy 1 4077505 Two of us were at Terra last night and it was a very civilized evening. We thought all of the courses were more than ample. Perhaps the one failing? The basil flan was very rich and portion could have been smaller but nothing was left on the plate. Crunchy shallot rings were a nice counterpoint to the creamy flan. Amused me to the max. The caprese was delightful with sweet heirloom tomatoes, the gelee was just enough tease and didn't overpower the dish, ditto for the cheese. The presentation in a low ball glass bowl got high artistic marks. Very refreshing as only a caprese can be. The Hamachi was the best of show in my fish loving opinion. I was surprised at the almost entree size but savored every bite. It was seared exactly right, tasted like it just rose out of the sea. The green rice was nice and had it been any stronger would have overpowered the fish. Nice splurts of roe added oomph to the rice. The tempura didn't excite me. Bitter greens worked well with the tortellini. My partner thought the pasta was overcooked but I thought the duck was a bit dry although the ingredients in this dish complemented one another. The beef was cooked (or not cooked) to absolute perfection with just enough tasty fat. Two good sized slices accompanied the ravioli which could have stood on its own as an entree. The kale was undercooked. Why is that always the case? Cigar and brandy is my dessert of choice but in this case, the quince tart and squash ice cream ran a close second. Terra has always been my favorite for their inventiveness with veggies and this was way over the top. Lovely strips of crisp fried ginger added to the dish left such a great lingering taste that I couldn't eat the cheesecake. The two items made up quite a large serving for a finishing course but were indicative of Terra's unique take on sweets. I took one bite of the cheesecake (yes, yummy gorgonzola(y) but a bit too filling) before I attacked the veggie tart and ice cream. This was a lovely meal in a very pretty dining room. Jeff was an attentive and relaxed host and circulated throughout the dining room all the while assuring that everyone was pleased with a very well thought out and well executed meal. I'm glad I didn't miss this year's gala and hopefully will attend at least one of the others this month. Thu Oct 02 13:15:32 -0700 2008 4058552 23178 P Macias 1 4078488 Ferreted out the Thee Bungalow menu for 10/28. No luck on Trattoria Acqua yet. http://www.cohnrestaurants.com/cohn/emails/october/TB_ChefCelebration.pdf First Course Roasted Beet Salad humbolt fog goat cheese Danny Bannister, Red Marlin HUGEL, Gewurtztraminer, Alsace, 2006 Second Course Pan Seared Barramundi red kuri squash caviar, cardoons, lobster vin blanc Davide Warner, JRDN at Tower 23 SANFORD WINERY, Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, 2006 Third Course Smoked Tenderloin of Beef truffle mushroom risotto, mascarpone cheese,warmed asparagus, cognac mushroom demi Juan Flores, 3rd Corner RODNEY STRONG ESTATE, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley, 2005 Fourth Course Herb Marinated Australian Lamb orzo pasta, ratatouille, goat cheese, eggplant puree, black olive jus Brian Freerksen, Paradise Point GREEN POINT, Shiraz, Yarra Valey, 2005 Fifth Course "Parfait Trio" white chocolate, pomegranate, espresso Paul Niles, Thee Bungalow COCKBURN's, Special Reserve, Porto, NV Add Wine Pairings for $30.00 Thu Oct 02 21:16:22 -0700 2008 4058552 164734 debren27