as i mentioned last year, i was going to my first michelin star restaurant,
cyrus, for flag day with my best foodie,
regina, as well as other food-loving companions (cyrus has also become the new tucker
anniversary tradition). this year for our annual pretentious flag day, we were set to go to
the restaurant at meadowood - a three michelin star restaurant in st. helena. other than french laundry, this is the only other california restaurant that has received three michelin stars. these are one of the few times i actually don't research and prepare myself for what's to come. i enjoy the surprise aspect - it also helps to not have overly high expectations, which i think makes the experience more satisfying.
before we went to meadowood, we decided to have lunch at
redd in yountville, which is a one michelin star restaurant. it was great to have an "appetizer" to what was to come later that night.
REDD
the space is very modern and cool. it was casual and approachable. we sat outside on lime green chairs in what was to be one of the hottest days i've experienced this summer, reaching 105°F. the food here is familiar, but done with those details that achieve michelin stars.
yellowfin tuna & hamachi tartare - this was light and refreshing, mixed with avocado and fried rice.
trio of foie gras - on july 1st, foie gras will be banned to sell, unless certified humane. which i am all for. so, in celebration for this delicacy, we ordered the trio, featuring a terrine (which was my favorite), mousse over a brioche, and a pate encrusted with pistachio. the flavor was gamey in all the best ways. a nice farewell dish.
shortrib sandwich - this was bbq-y, like a pulled pork sandwich. the bread was buttery and the onion rings (which i don't typically like) were perfectly seasoned.
butterscotch pudding - this was suggested to us by our server and i was intrigued. i love butterscotch pudding (the best i've had is from
butterscotch on the go) and am always for trying renditions from various places. as yummy as it was looking, the vanilla anglaise made the pudding runny, instead of the thick texture i enjoy. the crunchy bites of toffee were great, though.
strawberry tart - this was a sweet dessert and was so nice to have the strawberry sorbet to cool off from the heat. this dessert was fresh and classic.
of course, a trip to napa wouldn't be complete without a stop at
bouchon bakery for macarons.
THE RESTAURANT AT MEADOWOOD
what was different and interesting is that the menu is not presented. the dishes just begin to flow from the kitchen. i did say earlier that i enjoy surprises, but i would've like to take a peak or received a copy as a souvenir, which would've also helped me remember the parade of food we experienced that night. as you can imagine, since this is the highest rating a restaurant can get, the 8-course tasting was $225.
amuse bouche
crisp pillow - filled with formage blanc cheese. it tasted like a white cheddar cheez-it, bursting with cheese.
garden crudites - baby carrots & radish in a garden dip. the stems of these veggies are edible and were purposed to be used as scoops, but i would've preferred a knife or spoon.
geoduck & clam puff - recommended to take in one bite because it bursts in your mouth. it was delicious and earthy.
shrimp roll - this was kind of like a refined version of the shrimp balls you order from chinese restaurants.
brown butter balls - this was a little unexpected to serve a ball of butter, but it had a light sweetness. i can't remember what the puree was.
first course
yogurt with black sesame & shiso - this was really great, the photo does not do this dish justice. it had a serious flavor profile of sweet, salty, and tartness that worked really well together.
second course
cuttlefish with beans, avocado puree, & maitake mushrooms - light and salty. it had a little bit of a latin flair.
third course
shrimp & caviar - the shrimp as so tender and the caviar salty. the flower was also stuffed with shrimp, which was a nice surprise. again, this dish was a mix of sweet & salty.
fourth course
abalone, barley, & black garlic - i haven't had abalone since i was a child, and this was very good. the broth added intensified the flavor.
fifth course
sturgeon wrapped in leek - this was meaty and good. the overall flavor was light.
sixth course
new guinea hen - before this dish came out, we were presented with what the preparation consisted of. the bird is salted and surrounded by salty dough. this dish was very tasty and perfectly tender.
seventh course
steak & morels - this was my favorite dish. the steak was pure perfection (like
matt cain's perfect game for the giants, haha). it was incredibly juicy.
eighth course
goat milk - the trio included a soft cheese ball, hard cheese sliver, and butter with nori. i was so happy to have this course arrive. the butter was amazing.
tallegio cheese donut - we got an additional cheese tasting, which was topped with rhubarb and paired with a tasty german beer.
palate cleanser: moving onto the dessert course, we needed to clean out our taste buds with a citrus verbena snowball. so fun!
ninth course
dark chocolate mousse with creme fraiche ice cream & bruleed beets - this was so lovely. the ice cream was sweet and the mousse was silky. i loved the idea of using beets as dessert.
mignardise
forest bites - we got a box that rounded out meadowood's earthy theme. it consisted of dehydrated white chocolate green tea, cocoa nib ball, cinnamon wafer, caramel leaf, & honeycomb. it was fun to try each one.
to end the night, we were offered a souvenir of the order ticket used in the kitchen to time when each course needed to be ready, as well as a look inside the kitchen! it was a great way to get the whole experience. upon walking into the kitchen, we were greeted with a "happy flag day" from the chef, which was so funny! and, a happy flag day it was.
since we've exhausted the michelin star offerings in california, a trip to vegas, chicago, and/or new york are in the near future!
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