Cyrus - Valentine's Day Lunch

[Sharon S.]

I have been wanting to go to Cyrus in Healdsburg since they opened. Yesterday was the first time they have opened for lunch and we thought it would be a great opportunity to have a long boozy meal and drive home in the daylight. Long it was - 12:30 seating - we departed at 3:30. They offered the same menu as for dinner, either the 5 course tasting meal ($105) or the 8 course tasting meal ($130). All can be supplemented with shaved truffles ($15 for each dish) or you can start with Champagne and caviar which we did not indulge. I got the five course and my valentine got the 8 course. We also had the wine paring which was $70 each for the five course. It pushed over $400 with tax and gratuity. Like others have mentioned previously the atmosphere lives up to it's 3 stars from Michelin, but it borders on pompousness. We were pretty much given the cold shoulder by the owner/maitre de Nick Peyton - we watched him chat up other tables in the room. All but one were couples. The menu was similar to the one on the website: Canapes, amuse bouche, Delicious, fresh Thai marinated lobster, seared fois gras (me -loved it, buit did not love the star anise broth it was drowning in) my husband had the gnocchi with brussels sprouts (he adored this dish). Black Bass w/bacon braised cabbage, pinot noir fumet (exquisite). A sorbet palate cleanser of prickly-pear and wine, Poussin with spring onions and green garlic (just okay), Lamb Roulade (wonderful - so tender, not strong). Wagyu beef with lotus, oxtail umeshu consomme (I tasted this and swooned). Three cheeses from the cheese selection - ash covered goat cheese, 14 year aged guyere and a wonderful Oregon blue cheese. Verjus sorbet, five spice cake and tirimisu and cookies and candies and a brownie packed for home. The wines were all white - dry reisling, soave, pouilly-fusse, syrah - the only local and the only red, mosel, dindarello. I cannot commend the service enough, it was flawless. I do agree with others that the amount of wait staff made it seem very active and did not allow for a very calming experience. I highly recommend Cyrus for a special occasion.

[lizziee]

For the record, Cyrus is a 2 star Michelin restaurant. The only 3 star is the French laundry.

[rworange]

Nice report. Good to hear they measured up on Valentine's day where so many restaurants fall apart. Then again they probably always have a full house so it may have just been business as usual.