What can I say about Chez Panisse? Nothing. Sometimes pictures are better than words. Most of these pictures were taken by Matt Kim. I am joined by Cheri of Seoulberry and her sister. Oh, and while Matt and I were waiting at the upstair's bar, we did happen to see Alice Waters sitting at one of the cafe tables (I was too chicken to go up and talk to her...I mean polite to interrupt her.)
We started with a nice 2007 Broadley Pinot Noir: a light fluffy wine with a bit of cherry and licorice.
First Course: Warm Goat Cheese Salad Chez Renee. The cheese had just the right amount of skill and heat added to it so it remained in a semi-solid, semi-liquid suspension. The best part was that Matt doesn't like cheese, so I gladly took it off his plate. The vegetables were perfect little jewels that were used to paint the plate and then were to be eaten. I adored the radishes.
Pan-seared king salmon with summer squash and squash blossoms. A classic example of an Alice Water dish. I say classic, because everyone has copied this concept, so I've had a production line facsimile of this dish at other places. The original helped me see why so many restaurants have copied her style of cooking.
Grilled Sonoma Liberty Duck Breast with Green Beans, roasted figs, and balsamic vinegar. I loved the fig on this dish and the duck tasted like sunshine, long walks, and a full life.
Ile flottante with plum caramel and summer berries. The icecream was exquisite and so were the berries.
Sugared Currants and Chocolates as an after dinner treat.
Interior shot of Chez Panisse.
A group shot with everyone. To the far left is Cheri, then me, Cheri's sister, and Matt.