Quite a few reviews that I’ve read compare Cyrus favorably with The French Laundry, so given my imminent visit to the French Laundry, I thought I’d go check out this Cyrus upstart.

We had a bumpy start. Just a couple hours before, we’d wandered around Foppiano Vineyards, which leaves shoes looking like this…

I wiped them off as much as I could, and felt that it would be okay walking into “business casual” dress Cyrus for dinner with jeans and mostly clean shoes… Except that the moment we walked into the elegant restaurant, I saw that everyone else was in much fancier and cleaner dress.

As I tried to blend into the dusty peach paint on the walls, we were led down a hallway to the dining room, where the hostess stopped at a table with a phone. She picked up the receiver, and informed The Chef that we had arrived. So, yeah, apparently, it’s a direct line to the chef (EDIT: that is used to introduce every party as they arrive). I was so tempted to try out this line to The Chef (who was referred to often during the meal as such; his given name is Douglas Keane) myself during the evening, but I figured my shoes had already used up my Get Out of Jail Free card for the night.

Anyway, we were seated, and a Caviar & Champagne Cart was immediately docked at our table and accompanying menus placed in our hands. Would we like to start out with a bit of champagne and caviar? Hmm…. champagne was sold by the bottle, 4 oz glass, and 2 oz glass (even that was about $25, I think), and I don’t even remember how the caviar was served. So… Uh, no.

At this point, we were a little bewildered and uncomfortable. I thought that the phone call to the chef was a little over the top. I suppose that it would okay if he were to personally come out and greet us, but he didn’t do that for anybody (and normally, of course, wouldn’t be expected to) — instead, everyone got Amuse Bouches (which are great in any case). But then, to be set upon by the outrageous cart, I felt like it was a bad way to start off the night to have to refuse something.

But then… things calmed down and ascended… We enjoyed a wonderful meal — one that Chad said was among the best of his life. Basically, they have a very flexible prix fixed menu, from which you choose courses out of such categories as soups, foie gras, poultry, pasta and risotto, dessert, etc. You can have any number of courses between a three course meal for $58 to the seven course Chef’s Tasting Menu for $95. Edit: We were told that they adjust the portion size depending on how many courses you get.  Faced with so many alluring options on the menu, we deferred our choices to The Chef for the 7 course menu.

The food was fantastic. I’ve spoken of the Craveworthy Test before in which I try to think whether to highly recommend a restaurant based on whether I’d crave dishes, but there’s also the Perk Up Test, which Cyrus also passed with flying colors. For all of the dishes I had, the tastes and textures made me perk up and enjoy how wonderful food can be. So, I highly recommend it. And as far as comparisons to the French Laundry go, I can’t speak to that completely, but I know that it’s about half the price of the French Laundry and much easier to get a reservation. So, if you can’t get a reservation at the French Laundry or just don’t want to pay the price, consider Cyrus instead. The French Laundry has a 9 course tasting menu, but Cyrus gives so many extra dishes that I don’t you’ll feel deprived of those roughly two courses (though I’m sure TFL gives extra courses, too).

And just looking back at that last paragraph, you can tell that I’ve given a lot of thought to the French Laundry recently, and after having read a bit of the cookbook, I couldn’t help comparing them during the beginning of the meal… but that wasn’t fair to Cyrus, so I weaned myself off with references to the “Spanish Firehouse” before I just concentrated on the experience as it was.

Also, our servers were also fantastic — very accommodating, efficient, and friendly… and there were no more disconcerting maneuvers after the bumpy start. There was just good food, which I think mostly speaks for itself… (I was told that I’d be given a transcript of our menu at the end, but it was vaguer than I would have liked for some courses, so excuse the vagueness with some descriptions since I didn’t try to memorize anything at the time)

Amuse bouche with Asparagus Tartar and Rabbit.

Lobster Amuse Bouche.

Green Garlic and Buttermilk Soup. This — the third amuse bouche — was one of the best courses of the meal. I couldn’t believe how well the flavors came together. Genius.

Bigeye Tuna and Uni with Daikon and Carrot.

Thai Marinated Lobster, Avocado, Mango, and Fresh Hearts of Palm.

We had a course of Seared Foie Gras with Crispy Endive and Gingered Rhubarb, Vermouth Reduction at this point, but I must have forgotten to take a pic in my zeal to eat it.

This was my second drink of the night. The Waverly Place Echo had Hangar One Mandarin Orange Blossom Vodka, Chinese Five Spice Honey, Lemon Juice, Pixie Mandarins, Orange Flower Water and Seltzer.

Before that, I’d had the Thai Boxer with Charbay Tahitian Vanilla Bean Rum, Thai Basil, Spearmint, Cilantro, Lime Juice, Thai Coconut Milk, and Ginger Beer. It went very well with the Thai Marinated Lobster course, and made me wish that restaurants did cocktail pairings as well as wine pairings for courses.

Rice Flake Crusted Soft Shell Crab with Fingerling Potatoes, Thai Red Curry Sauce.

Poached Local Egg with Fresh Grits, Asparagus and English Peas, Bourbon Verjus Sauce.

Strawberry Verjus Ice Lollipop.

Veal Loin with Sweetbreads, Leeks and Black Trumpet Mushrooms, Madeira Sauce.

Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses with Bread, Panforte, Grapes, and N. Cal Dates. Our server brought the awe-inspiring cheese cart to our table, and talked about each cheese as she selected them — after having first asked what types of cheese we like. We said every type, so we had a wonderful array of cheeses. She said that since I’m a student at CIA, she tried to pick interesting West Coast cheeses as well as some from further afield. As she placed the this amazing plate on the table, she said, “I may have overdone it.” Granted, we didn’t finish it all, but I’ll regret that for the rest of my life. Unfortunately, I can’t remember any of the cheese except for the leaf wrapped cheese from Sally Jackson and an amazing goat cheese from Petaluma that was made by Dante Creamery (or something similar…? Aldante? I can’t find any info about it online)

Mojito Soda intermezzo, which didn’t have alcohol, but instead a mojito syrup that the server spritzed with seltzer tableside. I love the metal straw.

Caramel Soup with Kettle Corn Sorbet and Chocolate Filigree and Crepes “Suzette” with Strawberries, Caramel, and Whipped Creme Fraiche. The Caramel Soup is a brilliant idea that I loved at the first bite, but got a bit weary of as I ate more. It basically makes the caramel sauce the main player of the dish, garnished with popcorn, chocolate, and sorbet. It was good and fun, but I think a bit too all out sugary. It needs more depth.

The crepes were a little odd. I didn’t really like having to navigate my spoon to multiple places across the plate to build a perfect bite. The strawberry component was good, but after the sorbet and caramel of the Caramel Soup, I wish that the crepes had different components than the whipped creme fraiche and caramel sauce; there could have been more contrast. Also, the crepes themselves were rolled into rather dry little spirals; I liked the moistening elements between crepe layers at Terra a bit more.

Mignardise. I know that’s Gewurztraminer Jelly on the bottom, but the other two, I can’t remember the details. They were all very good, except the jelly was a bit too cloying for me.

With our bill, we also got a cute little gold bag with some treats for later, but they were a little odd: Ginger Tootsie Pop, A Mini-Palmier with Hazelnuts, and an Apple Hard Candy. The ginger was way too strong and the palmier was boring and looked sloppy, but the hard candy was great.

It’s a little awkward for everyone when guests go into a cozy, friendly winery tasting room and don’t like any of the wines from a free tasting. Of course, there is nothing wrong with that, but at Foppiano Vineyards, I had a nice experience where we went through about 6 wines that I was unimpressed by until I had one that was one of the best I’ve had in recent memory. So, don’t give up, don’t feel bad about pouring out a sample if you don’t want to finish it, and don’t make excuses… Just keep an open mind for every glass because you never know what will turn up.

Foppiano specializes in Petite Sirah wines, but we also went through recent merlot, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and such during our tasting (they have whites, too). But then they brought out reserves for tasting. The 1986 Petite Sirah was amazing. Just a touch spicy, it had a rich, deep berry taste until it finishes with what I can only describe as a swirl of flavor in your mouth. It just seemed to develop and harmonize continuously for seconds after it left my mouth. And it made me realize just what seemed wrong for me with some of the wines we had tasted: they were too young and acidic. Even the 1987 Petite Syrah wasn’t quite ready yet. So, it turned out that the 1986 is peaking now — when I asked if it should age more, we were told “no” — and to have it with dinner that night.

By the way, we happened to randomly stop off here on our way from St. Helena to Healdsburg. It’s in the Russian River Valley area of Sonoma County, and it’s been a family run winery since 1896. You can take a self-guided tour of the beautiful grounds and vineyard, and I liked this picture in the tasting room (where they also have oil and sauce samples). And the grapes aren’t out yet, of course, but they’re in the works.

.

Edit: I have since revisited the girl & the fig.
In my recounting of our weekend eating adventures, I’ve saved the best for last: the girl & the fig in the town of Sonoma. Fantastic food. A comfortable and elegant setting. Creative and well-made drinks. Relatively reasonable prices. Great bread and butter. A friendly waitress. A cheese bar. An emphasis on the elusive fig.

This is how dining in wine country should be. Tasty, comfortable, and fun. We had a sunny window table that I wish I could rent as my second home.

We shared the Dungeness Crab and Salt Cod Brandade with Crostini, Chevre and Grilled Lemon to start, and admired its sweet fishiness mingled with the creamy chevre and grilled lemon juice. Chad got the third crostini topped with it, and I was happy to spoon it out of the ramekin.

I had a special: Hawaiian Tombo Tuna Sandwich with Caper Mayonnaise, Rocket, and Applewood Smoked Bacon. Ever since I had Tombo Tuna at the Ferry Buiding in San Francisco, I’ve been smitten by its juiciness and sweetness. Ahi Tuna usually has an unpleasant, almost metallic flavor for me, so I’m happy that Tombo is available for my tuna fix. Tombo is also known as albacore and even “white meat tuna,” so says here; so… basically, tuna comes in white meat and dark meat (if not others that I’ve yet to encounter). It was fantastic seared in this sandwich, and the flavor combination of sweet tuna, bacon, capers, rocket, and mayonnaise makes for an exciting lunch sandwich.

As much as I loved my tuna, Chad’s Top Sirloin Burger with Cambozola, Bacon, Grilled Onions, and Matchstick Fries made me jealous. So jealous. It was perfectly cooked to medium-rare, and so juicy and flavorful. And again, the combination of flavors of the whole sandwich made one swoon. I don’t know where they get their bacon from, but it’s phenomenal (I’d guess Niman Ranch, but it’s never tasted like this when I buy it). They get their Dutch roll from a bakery nearby, and they’re brilliant; not only naturally pre-cracked on top, they are somehow toasted so that they are just a little buttery all around. The onions were suitably soft and slightly sweet, and I liked that they are served on the side so that you can use them as you see fit, rather than having them arrive all piled up, dripping and slippery on the burger. And the crispy matchstick fries with herbs were the icing on a great dish.

Chad got the fabulously refreshing, creamy, and just heavy enough Meyer Lemon Cheesecake with Blood Orange Sauce and Sweetened Creme Fraiche. We both fell in love with it (even though that sugar garnish is not good eating). Then he tried my dessert… and proposed a trade.

I wasn’t quite prepared to part with my Warm Fig & Thyme Crisp with Fig & Port Ice Cream, so we ended up putting both dishes in the center of the table and sharing. The crisp was so soft and buttery, and especially with the ice cream, had a mixture of deep and sweet flavors. The only problem was that we couldn’t taste the thyme, but we were okay without it. I admit I had a quixotic dream of having (terribly out of season yet amazing) fresh figs in this crisp (which I will try to make someday), but they are indeed dried and make for a dessert that all fig newtons only wish they could be.

They had each dessert paired with a liqueur on the menu, which I would have gotten if I hadn’t had two wonderful cocktails earlier in the meal. “The girl & the fig” had Kleiner Fig Vodka & Framboise for a sweet fruitiness, while my “the fig & the girl” had Kleiner Fig Vodka & Campari for a bitter fruitiness. Both came with brandied cherries on skewers. After a Kir Royale, Chad had this beautiful and delicious “the girl & the gaucho” mojito with a float of Myer’s Dark Rum on top.

I’d like to try the brunch and dinner at the girl & the fig, but it will long remain where I’d like to be on a sunny Saturday afternoon with only food and drink and pleasure on my mind.

A note on prices: while main courses for lunch, from sandwiches to Provencal seafood stew, are reasonably priced between about $10 to $22, the median of appetizers is about $13… I prefer it when starters are less expensive than mains, but I guess most, especially the cheese plates, are meant for sharing.

Add’l Edited Note: the girl & the fig reminded me of both Bouchon and Chez Panisse Cafe — I suppose because of their prominent French roots, but it was more casual than Bouchon (and with more California touches for a French Bistro) and more consistent than Chez Panisse Cafe (both seem to especially believe in letting great ingredients stand out for what they are).

My visit to Wild Flour Bread last month changed not only the way that I think about bread, but also the way that I think about my schedule. It’s only open Fri-Mon. If I plan on being in LA for two weekends in one month, my first thought is “That’s two weekends I can’t go to Wild Flour Bread.” (Though my next thought, which cheers me up some, is “That’s two weekends I can go to The City Bakery.“) I also think about every Friday and Monday coming up, and whether I can get there to try its pizza, which is served only on those days. I haven’t managed it so far. (6/5/06 Edit: I finally did manage it, but it turns out that they no longer make pizzas)
Anyway, with a lot of excitement and a slight fear that it might not live up to our first visit, Chad and I drove an hour and fifteen minutes on Sunday solely to eat Wild Flour Bread.

We were not let down. We were just as amazed by the bread as we were during our first visit.

The newest revelation that we had, which I think even trumps their sticky bun, was the Egyptian.

Its simple description of “pear, fig, ginger, walnuts” doesn’t prepare you for the fact that it’s an orange-tinged cousin of the sticky bun. Gooey, full of flavor, still warm, chock full of sliced pear and candied ginger and dried figs and whole wheat, about the size of a hardcover book, it was delicious. A thick kind of orange-colored syrup or jam also swirled through some of the pastry, much like the cinnamon swirl in a sticky bun, but this had the added effect of caramelizing into a chewiness on the edges, which was as prized as anything I can think of.

And sure, it was sweet, but it’s not as sweet as its appearance or ingredients would suggest. It’s just sweet enough. I think that the whole wheat helps to mitigate the sweetness of the sugar from the fruits. It looks like this inside.

We also tried the ladder-shaped Goat Flat, full of goat cheese, herbs, and onion. Perfectly flavored, with a satisfying crisp crust and a chewy crumb.

Oddly enough, the cheese inside was orange… I should have asked just what kind of goat cheese they use.

Their orange and white chocolate scone was also great (I wish I had also tried their almond currant scone with rosewater icing). There were a lot of relatively large pieces of chopped orange peel, the orange flavor was mellow enough so that the white chocolate fit in well to complete the flavor of the scone.

It looks like this inside. It had a light texture, and was just buttery enough.

I think that their fougasse changes rather frequently, so this time it was a shitaake mushroom, cheddar, jack cheese, and onion. We took a loaf home (um, plus another goat flat).

The shitaake mushroom imbued a flavor that approached bacon, and the chunks of cheese and mushroom were satisfying in the dough. It was yet another amazing loaf from Wild Flour.

And so begins my scheming to schedule my next visit there…

And so concludes my 18 part expose of a single Saturday in Marin and Sonoma Counties.

All I want to do now is go to Wild Flour Bread to celebrate. Friday is one of their pizza days….