Arcadia (a Michael Mina restaurant)

Location: downtown San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: modern American
Atmosphere: subdued, dim lighting
Meal: dinner, festive
Overall score: 8.7

Note: We apologize for the dismal quality of the pictures for this place, but the lighting was so dim that nothing came out on our phone camera without flash, and we didn't want to disrupt other guests' dinners.

Nina

Apparently many restaurants are closed on New Years Day - who knew? Thus, we decided that we’d have our anniversary dinner early, and we picked a place that came with high praises from a colleague whose taste in restaurants I’ve come to appreciate. Arcadia is located in the lobby of a San Jose downtown Marriott, and the only entrance we could find involved entering through the hotel lobby (and getting a bit lost in the process, we blame it on poor signage). The atmosphere inside was subdued, with dim lighting and some retro decor elements - overall, the light was so low that we weren’t really able to take any pictures of our food without using flash (and we left that out so it wouldn’t disrupt our meal and the meals of others sitting nearby). The decor and table layout didn’t go together as smoothly as I would have liked, the combination of chairs and benches at many of the tables felt more like a casual diner than a fine restaurant, but the noise level was low (maybe just because it was a slow night, but we didn’t mind) and service was great, so the overall experience was definitely positive.

For appetizer, we ordered a beef tartare. The presentation was certainly impressive - the hand chopped beef came in a neat cylindrical stack topped with a quail egg yolk, and alongside it there was a trail of fried capers, garlic and coarse salt. The server who brought it to the table neatly scooped up the seasonings, then folded them and the yolk into the mass of minced meat. Then, he placed it in a conical glass which rested in a bowl of ice next to a delicious and crispy pile of fries. The flavors were subtle and harmonious, and the homemade fries were a perfect vehicle for the meat. Towards the end we ran out of chips and used some of the bread we had left in our bread basket to finish up the tartare.
Appetizer number two of sorts was the bone marrow that I asked Ben to order with his steak - this was probably the weakest dish of the night, and most responsible for the point deducted from their food score. I like marrow cook whichever way (for some reason), but I can appreciate it when it’s particularly well prepared. This was cooked in the bone whole, which was a bit disappointing mainly because I was picturing the halved bones serving as a dipping boat of marrow, which would also allow it to develop the roasted crust and depth of flavor a bit more. The topping of bread crumbs, parsley and seasoning was good, but the overall dish a little hard to eat.
My entree was the daily special - the lobster pot pie. I saw it mentioned many times in reviews of Arcadia, so it was definitely something I had to try. I have to say first of all that the flavors were fantastic, the lobster was perfectly cooked, and was cooked in a creamy rue with a delicious assortment of vegetables and various wild mushrooms. The crust was crispy on the top and soaked up just enough of the sauce on the bottom, and it was topped with a few grains of coarse salt. The presentation, however, was epic in its own right - the server brought the pot pie in a large pan, with the crust baked on top and sealed around the edges of the pan. Then, with a knife, he carefully removed the crust from the top and placed in on a large plate, then proceeded to reassemble the pieces of lobster from the pot pie back into the rough layout of the animal whole. Finally, he arranged the vegetables and mushrooms around the lobster and top everything with the creamy sauce. The crust on the bottom of all this somehow remained crusty throughout my meal, and was a perfect complement to every bite of the dish.

Last but not least, there had to be dessert. After contemplating the entire dessert menu (everything looks good when it’s sweet and especially when it’s covered or otherwise rich in chocolate), we settled on the coffee ice cream deconstructed sundae. Seemed like a classic with a twist, which should be a guaranteed hit. The ice cream was tasty, if slightly icy, and it came topped with small meringue dollops. On the side, there was various toppings like slivered almonds and chocolate sauce, so it was overall an enjoyable dessert. The better dessert, however, was the one we didn’t order - the waiter apparently caught my fleeting reference to it being our anniversary, so he brought a second dessert from the chef (off the menu). It was a layered cake of vanilla batter and chocolate buttercream, served alongside cocoa nib ice cream, which I actually liked a little better than the espresso kind in our sundae. Also, to make things a little more special, the chef had also handwritten “Happy Anniversary” in chocolate sauce on the edge of the plate. A festive end to a delicious meal. :) I really enjoyed the experience at this restaurant, including everything from the atmosphere (though I wasn't a fan of the light fixtures) and service to the food and presentation.

Food	9
Drinks	9
Atmosphere	8
Service	10
Value	8

Ben

A restaurant in the Marriott in downtown San Jose. Arcadia does not give the “wow” impression that we’ve seen at similarly priced / reputed restaurants - it is entered through the hotel, and is a large (at the time very empty) restaurant. The wait staff was very polite and professional, and the mood once we settled in was more comfortable and intimate. We started off with beef tartare - a presentation at the table in which the tartare was mixed with quail egg yolk and a caper and garlic seasoning, and served with a side of freshly baked potato chips.

 

I ordered a wagyu beef strip steak with a red wine sauce on the side. The steak was perfect - living up to high expectations. It was a perfectly homogenous medium rare all the way through, and was tender and juicy (maybe could have used even more fat.. but I’m not complaining). The sauce was a little thin and weak, which was at first disappointing - I felt like a hearty red wine flavor sauce would go great with bread or the truffle mac and cheese I ordered. I ended up appreciating the subtlety of the sauce, as it was at an appropriate level to eat with a quality steak without overpowering it. The truffle mac and cheese was decent, though I would have enjoyed a little more flavor … it was a little too subtle for me.
I tried a Nina’s lobster pot pie and it was really fantastic flavor as well as presentation (a little annoyed by the mystery price .. ended up being $20 more than the next highest menu item).

The dessert was pretty good - a sundae with crisp bites of cocoa meringue, served with almonds and chocolate sauce. Nina had mentioned our anniversary was coming up, and our server brought us a complimentary sponge cake with chocolate with a “happy anniversary” message in chocolate.

Food	9
Drinks	9
Atmosphere	7
Service	10
Value	7

Xanh

Location: Mountain View, CA
Cuisine type: Vietnamese, modern
Atmosphere: dim lit, modern decor
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.25

Nina

On one of those nights where you go “what should we cook today?” and then decide “nah, let’s just eat out,” we wandered to one place where we know choices are abundant - downtown Mountain View, Castro Street. The only problem we even find here is that there are too many choices, so sometimes it takes us quite a while to settle on something. This was of course, no exception, but we decided to eat at the slick looking Vietnamese place at the north end of the busy street, Xanh. It has a modern feel, with an interesting decor - chain link walls, a wall sized fountain with water just barely moistening the stone, very dim lighting and sectioned off rooms allowing each table to feel intimate, while the restaurant is quite large overall.
Their appetizer menu is domiated by Vietnamese spring rolls, so we picked two different kinds (kobe and shrimp) to try some variety. They looked the exact same when they came, so I had a moment where I wasn’t sure which one was which, especially since the meat was almost hidden among all the veggies in the rice paper. However, when I took a bite, it was clear that the juicy, almost creamy meat was the kobe, and the shrimp had its almost crunchy bite. Both rolls had clean and rich flavors, so I was pretty happy to have picked them, even though I’m not usually a huge fan of Vietnamese spring rolls.

My entree was dungeness crab and glass noodles, which was well seasoned though it came with little else on the plate. To be clear, I’m not complaining at all about the relative simplicity of the plate - the crab flavor was able to really come through (and the portion of meat definitely generous), and the finely shredded meat was well distributed into the noodles, so that each bite was well balanced.
The curveball in this meal (and the reason for a point or two deducted from the food score) was surprisingly the dessert. We picked the more authentic sounding one (figuring that we could get cheesecake and ice cream at any other place), the “DYI” Dessert Trio. The ingredients listed on the menu included tapioca pearls, yellow mung bean and coconut milk, so I was honestly expecting something that would present the ingredients in a somewhat disparate presentation, so that in the spirit of DYI we could combine them at will. Instead, there were three presentations that were each a somewhat flavorless combination of all three ingredients (except for the coconut flavor, which came through nicely in one of them) with strange gummy textures.
Overall, the subdued atmosphere, modern decor and creative food combinations of traditional Vietnamese with a twist coming together to form quite a nice experience.

Food	8
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	9
Service	9
Value	7

Ben

A restaurant/bar with an almost club-like feel .. dimly lit, packed, and with staff all in-black, the crowd appeared a mix of after-work techies and informal business gatherings. The menu and food all has a good touch of style .. with “modern” vietnamese cuisine. We started out with a spring roll with kobe beef and shrimp. A classy presentation, but a bit of a ‘meh’ taste. I enjoyed the duck breast that I ordered - a simple but elegant dish of duck cooked to a perfect medium rare, topped with a cocktail of fruits and vegetables. Overall a very good dish, a dash of class in its simplicity. We ordered a dessert trio, tapioca pearls, mung bean, and coconut cream.. a unique and pleasant finish to the meal. The place is definitely a hip spot, maybe better for gathering with a group of friends / coworkers than for a romantic meal.

Food	8
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	9
Service	9
Value	8

Incanto

Location: Noe Valley, San Francisco, CA
Cuisine type: modern American, rustic
Atmosphere: casual, lively
Meal: late dinner
Overall score: 9.17

Nina

Incanto was truly a magical food experience. We went there with two friends visiting from the East Coast, who had watched Top Chef Masters (in which the winner, Chef Chris Cosentino, is the executive chef at Incanto) and were very excited at the opportunity to meet the chef. This place is on a quiet street in Noe Valley, and looks quite unassuming from the outside. Reservations are strongly recommended, since it may take a long time to get a table on a walk-in basis, especially on weekend nights. We fortunately did have a reservation for a late dinner time, and got seated within a couple of minutes from entering through the door.
The restaurant has a very lively, rustic atmosphere, with stone walls and large printouts of food and fields hung as decoration in the dining area. The kitchen was open to the dining area, so guests could see the magic in action, and the waiting area was adjacent to a cooler window with cured meat and salami hanging enticingly underneath a statue of a pig, honoring the beast that makes all those delicacies possible.
As soon as we sat down, we were presented with a wine menu which had a good variety, while not being overwhelming, which is something I always fear a bit in nicer restaurants. In keeping with the rustic European feel and style of the restaurant, the wines were selected mostly from European varietals, and I was surprised to not find any California wines on their list. I asked for an Italian Barbera, which we could all share at the table and hopefully pair well with our red meat dishes (I saw enough pork product by the waiting area that I knew what to expect). After the wine was served, we also got some crusty freshly baked bread, served not with butter but with an olive tapenade, which was a pleasant and delicious surprise.

The appetizer Ben and I decided to share was one of the daily specials - calf brain and lobster mushroom bruschetta with a beef consomme. This was love on a plate - the thick, crusty bread had a perfect crunch, which was mostly drowned in the savory beef broth. It was topped with perfectly cooked creamy chunks of calf brain, mixed in with large and tender pieces of lobster mushroom and topped with parsley. It was rustic, homey and exquisite at the same time, a perfect opener for a delectable meal.

I found out that his winning array of dishes were built around the ideas of letters to loved ones, how he would express himself through food. Our friends ordered the “letter” to himself, or what he would want to eat as his last meal - a blood sausage seared to a crisp, served with poached oysters and a sunny side up egg. Similarly rustic and delicious, this dish had a rich simplicity that was savory and delightful.
My entree was another one of his letters, this time his Apology Letter, what he would make for his wife to apologize for working too much (her favorite food) - sea urchin and cauliflower puree, served with seared scallops, pancetta and sea urchin and drizzled with scallion oil. Ben had a variation on pasta carbonara, with firm egg noodles and raw egg yolk, in which the bacon’s role was filled by dry cured and thinly shaved tuna heart.

For dessert, because of course there is dessert with an outstanding meal like this, it was tough to choose between the delicious sounding and creatively unique desserts on their menu. I finally settled for the pistachio macaron served with a cactus pear float with sabayon foam - the combination of flavors and textures was incredibly innovative and nothing like I’ve ever had before. If I was trying to be extremely nit-picky I could remark that the macaron was slightly dry, the tiniest bit too crunchy/sweet from the light and creamy bite that I usually prefer, but realistically it was as close to perfection as I’ve ever had.
Service at the restaurant was outstanding - everyone from the hostess to our waiter and everyone who brought us our dishes and cleared up the table were very friendly and accomodating. But to make things even better, the man himself, executive chef Chris Consentino, came out to talk to us after we were done. He chatted with our friends about his experience on Top Chef Masters and how he got along with the other contestants, talked about the restaurant and what changed for him after the competition, and even gave us a neat autograph on the evening’s menu as a souvenir. Incanto is definitely a must-visit for the adventurous foodie who is interested or curious about the more unique parts or preparations of meat.

Food	10
Drinks	10
Atmosphere	9
Service	9
Value	8

Ben

A perfect fine restaurant for the city; discreet from the outside but refined and lively on the inside. This is the crown jewel of chef Chris Consentino, the chef made famous from the show Top Chef and various appearances on Food Network. Chris is visibly involved in the kitchen - which is largely to the dining area - and is available and interactive with the patrons (he even chatted with us and posed for a picture with friends). We ordered a bottle of wine (reasonably priced at around ~40) and an appetizer: a calf brain and lobster mushroom bruschetta with beef consomme. The appetizer was one of the best dishes; the brain was creamy soft beef consomme sauce gave a great savory flavor to the dish. The lobster mushrooms were fresh and delicious, overall a perfect combination. For entrees we ordered a tuna heart noodles with egg yolk and a sea urchin puree with seared scallops. The sea urchin dish was fantastic - perfectly seasoned, creamy sea urchin with a rich, salty flavor.

The tuna heart spaghetti was decent - a warm egg yolk with shavings of smoked tuna heart over spaghetti with oil and various herbs. The tuna taste came through, though the dish was very salty and a little spaghetti heavy. Our friends ordered a delicious blood sausage with a sunny side up egg, which I was able to try and thought was fantastic. The sausage was fresh and smooth, and the juice from the sausage pooled with a basic (stock?) sauce giving a great flavored soup over the eggs. The dessert was decent; pistachio macaron served with a cactus pear float with sabayon (whipped alcoholic custard). The macaron was very sweet and a little chewy and the float was a little tart, but the combination was a pleasant overall experience. Overall the experience was great; a highly creative menu with several exotic meat selections, and a variety of preparations with masterful technique. The service was friendly and professional, and the atmosphere is cozy, tasteful, and generally very pleasant.

Food	9
Drinks	9
Atmosphere	10
Service	9
Value	8

Magnolia Gastropub and Brewery

Location: The Haight, San Francisco, CA
Cuisine type: Modern twist on American classics
Atmosphere: pub style casual
Meal: brunch
Overall score: 8.4

Nina

We rarely end up spending more than a day or evening in San Francisco, and we’ve never spent the night in the city, so when we committed a whole weekend to the city we were ready and excited to experience some of the local treats. Our host recommended Magnolia as the best place for brunch, and since we started the day watching a football game (and skipped breakfast), it sounded like an awesome idea.
Turns out this place is not only a popular gastropub, but they brew their own beer. One of the most popular items on the menu is their beer tasting flight, for which you can pick any of their house made beers. We let our server do the choosing, and what she brought us was the following array of beers, ranging from mild and light to dark and rich: Pearly Baker’s Best Bitter, Kalifornia Kolsch, Big Cypress Brown (cask), Rosebud, Prescription Pale and Proving Ground IPA. The one that really resonated with me was Rosebud, which is what I later ordered with my meal as well, it had a perfect balance of sweet, tart and bitter.

For appetizer, we shared an order of scotch egg - I was excited to see it on the menu since I’ve had such positive experiences with it in the past, but their execution far exceeded my expectations. The egg inside was perfectly cooked, with a barely runny yolk, and the creaminess of the yolk perfectly complemented the crunchy sear on the outside of the ground turkey shell. It was served on top of a delicate and flavorful romanesco sauce and topped with arugula.

Since I can’t resist a well poached egg, I had to try the one on their brunch menu - two perfectly poached eggs (runny yolks, completely cooked whites), served with BBQ pork belly on top of creamy cheddar grits and topped with fried shallots. The pork belly was slow cooked to an incredible level of tenderness, then seared to crisp up on the outside, and then drenched in a homemade barbecue sauce. The grits were creamy, with a pleasant sharpness from the cheddar, and the crispy shallots offered a great textural contrast in the dish. If I were to find one flaw with this dish, it would be in the barbecue sauce - it was a bit too tart, maybe the tomato component a bit too pronounced for me against the flavor of the cheddar, but it was not a deterrent from the otherwise perfect brunch.

The rest of the menu was also a series of creative twists on American and British classics, and I look forward to trying their food again, along with the delicious in-house brews, of course.

Food	9
Drinks	10
Atmosphere	9
Service	9
Value	8

Ben

The ultimate hipster place - almost cliche - it is actually a working hipster/hippie blend, working in a lot of the Haight-Ashbury culture and decor with a modern-American menu and large selection of craft beers. It is a thriving place that may only suffer from becoming too popular - I found the prices to be much too high for overgrown dive-bar vibe they seem to try to emulate. They offer a large selection of beers, including tasting menus and many beers brewed in-house. So, if you’re looking for beer, you won’t find much better. We had a beer tasting menu of in-house beers that I really enjoyed. The food was a little over-the-top in some instances, it seemed like they made too much of an effort to try to appear unique. For example, my chicken sandwich came with pickled jalapenos, fennel cabbage slaw, thin onions, fennel honey, and aoli. Sounds interesting, but the result was … average (too bready, dry chicken, overall meh). We had a scotch egg - which was solid, but again just seemed overpriced for the venue. I do think the over-the-top menu results in a real hit-or-miss experience, in that the other two at the table seemed to really enjoy their dishes. In principle and style (small brewery with creative food)t is the type of place I want to love, and in-all-fairness may have just been a “miss” for the day. I would prefer a place that would lose some of the pretense in the food ingredients and focus more on the execution, and drop the prices about 10-20%, which would still put it in the mid-upper scale SF bar food scene. Then again, the fact that it is always very packed suggests they have no reason to change anything (or there is a large demand for such a place).

Food	7
Drinks	10
Atmosphere	8
Service	8
Value	7

Fino

Location: Lower Nob Hill, San Francisco, CA
Cuisine type: Traditional Italian
Atmosphere: rustic, elegant, intimate
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8.1

Nina

We landed here since it was the nearest place with good Yelp reviews from where we found parking on Geary (not a very exciting story). The restaurant is hidden in a hotel lobby, with the main entrance from a higher level back alley, which makes it feel low-key. The atmosphere is subdued and authentic, with rugged-looking stone walls, warm tones, dim lighting and rustic decor. Their wine selection was all Italian imports, with enough wines served by the glass that we didn’t have to get bottle service to enjoy something we liked.

One of their daily special was certainly not authentic Italian, but a tempting treat - fries with parmesan, parsley, garlic and truffle oil. They came on a plate in a huge pile of crispy potato sticks, almost glued together by melted parmesan, and with a pleasant nuance of garlic and truffle.
For the entree, I turned to something more in tune with the restaurant’s theme - I ordered gnocchi with gorgonzola, tarragon and cream sauce. While the gnocchi were a bit dense and chewy, they had a delicate flavor that paired well with the gorgonzola cream sauce, and the tarragon provided much welcome relief from the richness of the dish. It was a generous portion a little on the heavy side, but overall a good experience.

For dessert (of course there had to be dessert) I ordered the zabaione marsala mousse with fresh berries - for the cost and just generally for what I am used to for dessert portion sizes, I was expecting a small cup (maybe a martini glass?) with berries, topped with a few spoonulls of decadent zabaione. What I got was a little surprising - a large, hurricane glass, with berries at the bottom and filled, overfilled even, with warm marsala and egg yolk mousse. The presentation was messy, with the zabaione flowing over the sides of the glass and pooling around it on the plate. However, the execution was beyond reproach, with the warm mousse light and delicate, complementing the berries perfectly, and the marsala coming through without overwhelming the flavor of everything else.

Overall, I found the restaurant to be authentic with sparks of brilliance, but not outstanding; portions were very generous but presentation was somewhat lacking, and service was good, but the experience not quite memorable.

Food	8
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	9
Service	9
Value	7

Ben

A classic italian restaurant downtown SF with a dimly lit, intimate ambience. This is a place on the edge of casual and formal, and both seem perfectly in place. Following some delicious fresh-baked bread, we started with a mountain of french fries for appetizer; loaded with parmesan and garlic, along with parsley and truffle oil. In all its simplicity, it was delicious and a tough dish to beat if you’re in the mood (though it is probably more appropriately portioned for a party of 4 than 2). My main course was al dente fettucine with prosciutto and mushrooms in a creamy garlic tomato sauce. A classic, heavy, simple italian dish - “it is what it is” - it was executed very well and I really enjoyed it. Completing the theme of large portions - I tend to eat what is on the table .. so no complaints from me :) - we had a “zabaione”(very airy warm mousse) with marsala and fresh berries, served in a tall glass that had been completely overfilled, spilling down the sides and puddling into the bottom. As desserts go … it was pretty solid (though a little too light, almost soda-esque flavor), and we again managed to take care of the large portion. I will say Nina’s dish was less recommended - in that it was extraordinarily heavy with dense gnocchis and a very rich thick cream sauce, which had a somewhat homogenous cream flavor, but overall it is a solid downtown Italian date place, with reasonable prices.

Food	8
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	9
Service	7
Value	8

Nola

Location: Palo Alto, CA (University St area)
Cuisine type: New Orleans, Cajun
Atmosphere: casual, festive
Meal: lunch
Overall score: 7.3

Nina

Cajun, why not? At the end of a long bike ride to Palo Alto, we decided to stop for a nice, but casual lunch. This place looks and feels like a piece straight from the heart of New Orleans, with a multi-level interior courtyard with garden style seating furniture, a lively atmosphere, and Mardi Gras decorations. They had a decent selection of local, domestic and imported beers, both by the bottle and on tap.
We ordered a half dozen oysters and steak tacos as appetizers. The tacos was quite good, with the steak pretty tender, topped with avocado, pickled red onions and house made chimichurri, which struck a good balance of creamy, sour and savory. However, I was pretty disappointed with the oysters. Even though they were fresh (i wouldn’t expect any less), they were poorly shucked and had shards of shell in each one, making them hard and almost unpleasant to eat.

I ordered something that by name at least sounded very authentic New Orleans - the 4 napkin boudreaux. It was a grilled chicken breast sandwich, topped with crispy bacon, sauteed mushrooms, blue cheese, napa cabbage and red wine vinaigrette. The chicken was tender and bacon was crispy, but I found that there was too much napa cabbage and vinaigrette and too little mushrooms to be a well balanced sandwich. Even so, I enjoyed eating this with my hands, and having it live up to its name :)
We skipped dessert since we eyed this one French bakery down the street with luscious macarons that we couldn’t pass up.

Food	6
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	9
Service	7
Value	7

Ben

Right off of University Avenue in downtown Palo Alto, Nola Restaurant wraps around an inner courtyard with outdoor tables. The outdoor seating is a pleasant, lively area, a great place to hang out with friends for a meal / drinks. The indoor seating has TVs playing sports, seemingly divided into smaller single / double party rooms. The beer selection is a solid list of good microbrews, including many local. We started off with some fresh oysters and steak tacos. The oysters were clean, the cocktail sauce was fresh, and the tacos were tasty with avocado and pickled red onions. I ordered a spicy jambalaya. The jumbalaya had a decent flavor though the meat was a little overcooked. Overall a nice setting, average food (though where else are you going to find cajun food?), good drinks, though somewhat pricy.

Food	7
Drinks	7
Atmosphere	8
Service	9
Value	7

Étoile

Location: Yountville, CA (Napa Valley)
Cuisine type: classic (French) haute cuisine
Atmosphere: elegant high-end restaurant
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 9.4

Nina

As my birthday treat, we went to Etoile, the Domaine Chandon estate restaurant, and my first real Michelin starred experience (one star). Wanting to fully enjoy the experience, I decided ahead of time I would go for a prix-fixe menu with a wine pairing, and I decided on the four course dinner menu. I passed on that evening’s “Chef’s Menu” because some of the course proposed on that menu were not as exciting to me as some of the options among the four course offerings.

Our dinner was preceded by a complimentary rose champagne toast and chef’s amuse bouche as a perk of being wine club members at Chandon. While I already knew that I would enjoy the rose (I’ve had it a couple of times before), the amuse bouche blew me away and was a great way to start a meal. We were presented with a simple but elegant ceramic spoon with a smooth and light vegetable panna cotta on the bottom (I think it was corn, but I don’t recall). On top, there was some smoked salmon tossed with mild spices, a small sphere of what might have been cucumber juice (light, refreshing, and which melted in my mouth), and garnished with a single crunchy sprout. It was one perfect bite, with the flavors melding harmoniously in my mouth, and accomplishing the precise goal of this course - enticing the palate and raising excitement for the meal to come.

As we were waiting for our first course, we were presented with a duo of butters, a cow milk butter with coarse sea salt sprinkled on top, and a goat butter with an herb infused olive oil drizzled on top - needless to say, they were both addictive. A server would pass by every now and then and offer us a fresh portion of bread - I went for the olive loaf every time (imagine a beautiful crusty sourdough, with meaty and tart olives baked right into it), but the other two options were a multigrain and a french baguette style bread.

My first course was the lamb tenderloin carpaccio, served with small mounds of fresh minty tabbouleh, yogurt spheres, a dash of lime, and one thin slice of green tomato to top it off. The meat was more tender than I could have imagined, literally dissolved in my mouth, and the bright notes of the mint and lime countered the richness of the meat to create a perfect balance. The yogurt presentation was my first experience with molecular gastronomy. It was hard to believe that the tart and light yogurt could stay on the plate as the neat little spheres that the chef placed sprinkled across the plate in small clusters, but as soon as I picked them up they would fall apart in my mouth and meld beautifully with all the other flavors on the plate. This appetizer was paired with a light and crisp sancerre wine from the Loire Valley (Thomas & Fils “La Crele” Sancerre, Loire Valley, 2010), and it was quite pleased with how nicely the white wine complemented the lamb, even though it was not along the often used (and abused) white meat/white meat, red wine/red meat paradigm.

The fish dish was much more substantial, but equally beautiful and enticing. Two thick slices of flavorful heirloom tomatoes served as the presentation platform for a beautiful, creamy and perfectly cooked piece of salmon. The fish was pan roasted (though it was so incredibly tender I still have a hard time believing it wasn’t slowly poached), and served alongside a tart and smooth escabeche dressing and a frisee salad with radish and green beans. I can say with certainty that I have never had such a smooth piece of fish, literally melting in my mouth with every bite, and striking a perfect balance with the acidic sauce and bring and rich fresh tomatoes. The pairing was an aged Napa Chardonnay (Newton “Unfiltered” Chardonnay, Napa County, 2009), which had mild citrus notes to serve as counterpoints to the fish, but also enough smooth butteriness to go along with the texture of the meat.

My main entree consisted of medium cooked slices of veal tenderloin, served alongside roasted lobster tail. The meat came on a bed of mild and braised endives, alongside sauteed leeks and chanterelle mushrooms and a sweetbreads roulade. Upon presenting me with the dish, the server poured a rich and thick lobster sauce on my plate, which really brought together the sea and land components of the dish. As garnish, there were thin shavings of pickled ginger and creamy dijon mustard and seeds, all of which provided a bright acidic balance against the richness of the sauce and meat. This course was rounded off by a rich, almost chewy Cote de Rhone aged red wine (La Font du Vent, “Les Promesses” Cote du Rhone, 2009).

Dessert is, of course, my favorite course of any meal, not only in Michelin praised establishments, which made the decision on this course the hardest of them all. I finally settled on what I considered somewhat of a safe choice - the chocolate option. It was a chocolate marquise (thick mousse), topped with white chocolate ganache and served with house made cocoa rice crispies (yes, you read that right), and topped with a rich vanilla torrone ice cream. The plate was adorned with a reduced cherry compote (and a very artistic brush stroke with the cherry sauce), and garnished with very delicious chocolate covered espresso beans. This dessert was delicious, don’t get me wrong, but it was the first time (that I can remember) that the chocolate dessert was not my favorite. I can’t really put my finger on why that is, but the richness of the chocolate, combined with the amazingly rich and delicious vanilla ice cream and the thick and sweet cherry reduction felt like it was missing something. I actually preferred Ben’s dessert, which was a much more balanced dish, with a light vanilla cream infused with pear notes. The other small glitch on dessert was that the server left me with the impression that my four course dinner would come paired with four wines - as such, I was excited about the port listed as the pairing for my marquise. However, when the dessert came out I still had no wine, and the server I first asked said he would inquire and never returned. Finally, our server stopped by and apologized for the confusion, explained that wine pairing does not continue into the dessert course, but ultimately brought me a complimentary glass of dessert wine to compensate for the misunderstanding.

I finished the meal with a small but fragrant cup of espresso, that I topped with a teaspoon of milk foam. It was a great palate cleanser and a refreshing end to a long and delightful meal. I truly enjoyed every moment of this meal, and appreciated their careful attention to detail as well as the chef’s art of pairing flavors and textures in harmonious and inventive dishes. I would wholeheartedly declare this experience a success and am looking forward to trying out other restaurants of this caliber in the future (as well as returning to this one, of course).

Food	10
Drinks	10
Atmosphere	10
Service	9
Value	9

Ben

For Nina’s birthday, we had our first real meal at Michelin star rated restaurant (though we had previously stopped in for hors d'oeuvres at Bouchon), Etoile restaurant located in the Domaine Chandon winery in Napa Valley. We went with the prix fixe menu and ordered different dishes for each of the four courses to try a larger variety. We were started out with a toast - a bubbly sweet aperitif - and an “amuze bouche,” a delightful single bite spoon with smoked salmon as the star. Three types of fresh-baked breads were passed around, for tasting with three types of butter (including an incredible goat milk butter).

While we each tried all 8 dishes, I will focus on the four that I ordered. For the first course I had an oxtail aspic. This was the 3rd time in my life I’ve had oxtail, and definitely sets a new bar. The oxtail was blended into an almost molasses/bbq tasting jello, with bits of oxtail embedded. The dish itself was probably the prettiest dish I have ever been served at a restaurant. Along with the hemisphere of oxtail aspic, there was a diced stack of wild mushrooms, neatly halved snap peas in the pod, with a delicious sweet white corn sauce poured at the table, baby white corns and slices of white truffle. This was definitely a fantastic first dish, and our first courses set the stage - and standard - for the rest of the dishes.

The next dish I chose was similar in appearance to the first: 2 large scallops with a ring of mussels with a compressed squash topping, and a watercress sauce poured at the table. The mussels were a perfectly seared, buttery texture that went very well with the rich, herby sauce. The mussels and squash were a great pair as well, and the dish again demonstrated a great attention to detail and aesthetic.

The next dish was my favorite of the night: rabbit leg and tenderloin, each topped with a cherry sauce, a pistachio sauce, fennel and lavender flowers, and topped with bing cherries. The whole mixture was creative and simply fantastic. I finished off the night with a fantastic pear “mille-feuille” (“thousand sheets”), alternating puff-pastry and cream layers with caramelized pears. Like the others, this dish was clearly very carefully prepared and presented.

My overall impression was that there is a high effort and attention to detail, which was likely a large factor in Etoile earning their first Michelin star, and they appear determined to maintain or progress to another star. As expected, the price can get pretty high ($90 for the menu, $65 for wine pairing). For the attention to detail and the restaurant renown, the menu price is not bad at all. However, I might recommend against the wine pairings as they only provide them for the first three courses, so you come out around $22 per 4-5 oz glass. Optimally, a table of 6-8 could split the three bottles of the paired wines likely pay much less even with markup. Aside from that, the wine selection is top-notch and naturally features many of the award winning champagne-style wines of Domaine Chandon. The service was very friendly and patient, and the setting in the beautiful gardens of the winery is very pleasant. Overall, Etoile was quite an enjoyable and memorable experience.

Food	10
Drinks	9
Atmosphere	9
Service	9
Value	8

Fiesta Del Mar

Location: Mountain View
Cuisine type: traditional Mexican
Atmosphere: casual, lively
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 8

Nina

I got two dinner treats for my birthday - one on the day of, and a trip to Napa the following weekend. On the actual day we were in a bit of a rush to make it to a show, so we wanted to find somewhere with nicer food, but with a somewhat casual atmosphere and relatively fast service. Fiesta del Mar fit the description and was close enough to work that it was easy to get to. Even though we got there during the earlier part of the dinner shift, they were already quite busy and building a line of larger groups at the door. Fortunately, they had one more 2-person table available so we were seated right away.

We got a trio of salsas with fresh fried chips, and ordered a pair of margaritas that came quickly and were delicious, balanced and cold. The appetizer we shared was a chile relleno, roasted, peeled then poached in a spicy salsa and filled with a creamy cheese mixture. The waiter lured us to upgrade to the seafood filling; it was tasty but I would not necessarily consider it an enhancement to the original dish, which was creamy and delicious.

My entree was a chicken enjococado, designated as "Great Grandma's Special" on their menu. It was a pair of breast pieces drenched in an orange colored sour cream based sauce, made with roasted guajillo chiles and herbs. It was rich and filling, the meat moist and tender. The flavor was predominantly sour cream, with mild spice notes and definitely reminiscent of chicken tikka masala in style.

Since it was my birthday, i went ahead and ordered dessert even though the meal so far had been quite rich and the portions generous. I went for the flan, since it’s something I always enjoy and often crave. The presentation was beautiful, with a perfectly shaped truncated cone of flan plated in a pool of runny caramel sauce and drizzled with strawberry syrup. The flavor was good, with a hint of nutmeg that really elevated the dish. However, the flan was a little too dense for my taste, and the texture was a little stickier than I would have liked. I suspect this was probably from the use of condensed milk, which I’ve seen in Mexican recipes for flan, but I have to admit I prefer mine with whole milk or cream.
Overall, it was a wonderful birthday dinner, with delicious food, friendly service and lively atmosphere. And as an added bonus, we made the show just before tickets sold out, so it was a perfect night end to end.

Food	8
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	8
Service	8
Value	8

Ben

A very popular mid-level Mexican restaurant in Mountain View, this place is packed around dinner time. Three fresh salsas are served on the table, with some housemade chips (tasty, but little thick/heavy for me). The appetizer (chile poblano stuffed with shrimp / cream cheese) was pretty good, though a little heavy on tomato. I really loved the Mole Poblano Burrito I had; the mole was great - a deep, smoky pepper flavor - and was an overall fantastic combination with the chicken and pepper. I love - but don’t eat a lot of - mexican food, and this place is definitely a little bit of a step above the generic spicy burrito I tend to eat.

The dishes are a little more complex, the ingredients are generally quality and fresh. The salsa is decent but not particularly memorable, the margarita was pretty good, not too sweet. The prices are about double the run-of-the-mill mexican places, some dishes are worth it, many probably not. My experience was overall very positive, though I was not blown away (to be fair, my expectations may have been raised from the generally rave reviews I had heard / read previously).

Food	9
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	8
Service	8
Value	6

Pasta Market

Location: San Jose, CA
Cuisine type: Italian, mostly pasta dishes
Atmosphere: casual, order at the counter with table service
Meal: dinner
Overall score: 7.67

Nina

When I first laid my eyes on this place, I assumed it was a store that sold homemade pasta for cooking at home. Turns out that wasn't the case, they actually have a small, but not tiny dining area with pasta-themed decor (paintings) and simple wooden tables and benches. There is table service, but ordering is at the counter, which makes it feel casual but not quite fast food.
I ordered what seems to call to me every time on an Italian menu - veal medallions (scallopini) with mushroom Marsala sauce (the combination of cream and mushrooms must be it, though veal is a plus too).

But first things first. They brought us a basket of bread sticks without having ordered them. I have to admit I was surprised, since I didn't expect the free bread and dip treatment from a place where you order at the counter. The bread was nice, a focaccia style loaf broken up in thick strips, served with a tangy, slightly spicy cheese sauce. The sauce was a little too thick to count as a dip, and it felt strange to treat cheddar as butter; aside from that, it tasted a little too much like something that came out of the box than the homemade treat it was meant to be, I suspect due to the quality of the cheese.
Along with my entree I ordered a clam chowder. That's a treat I've come to enjoy greatly since moving to the bay area, so I was looking forward to it. The soup was a little disappointing, too many chunks of celery and too little of clams, not quite creamy enough but not exactly light either. I'll probably save ordering the chowder for places that are closer to the ocean or focus on seafood a little more in their menu.

Last but not least, came my entree. The plate was quite large, and it was separated in three distinct sections, which looked more homey than professional. On one end I had the steamed vegetables, which were quite plain but well done (not overcooked) and reasonably well seasoned. On the other end of the plate I had some pasta, which was delicious and perfect al dente, though not dressed with anything and just a little too wet. In the middle was the most prized component - the actual scallopini. the veal was tender and cooked just right, the sauce was creamy and mushroomy, and the mushrooms were well integrated, though nothing out of the ordinary (plain sliced button mushrooms).
I was happy to see that they not only offered carryout service of their full menu, but they sold individual components for the home cook - fresh pasta, various sauces, and Italian seasoning mixes (parmesan with herbs etc). The prices were reasonable and the service was great, and while I am not sure I would come back to eat in their dining room - I am looking forward to picking up some fresh pasta and a possibly even some sauce and pairing it with veggies (and maybe meat) of my choice at home and tweak it to my taste.

Food	7
Drinks	7
Atmosphere	7
Service	8
Value	8

Ben

I had a great first impression of the Pasta Market, and the food lived up to expectation. It is a place where one orders at the counter, but with plentiful seating. They offer raw noodles, pastas to go, and a variety classic italian entrees. The prices are a little high for what looks like a to-go market, but the food generally lived up it. The minestrone I had was decent, but the pasta bolognese (with a rich tomato sauce and sausage) was fantastic. As was the fresh bread on the table served with the meal served with a chili cream cheese. They offered a variety of wines, and we got a small half carafe of some table (red) wine that was a great complement for the food (and pretty cheap at ~$6).

I would say all of us really enjoyed the food. It has the quality (and price) of a decent italian restaurant, but the feel of a small market despite the large amount of seating. Without the “wow”- or romantic - factor of a more formal italian restaurant, they have a strong design and execution of classic italian dishes.

Food	9
Drinks	8
Atmosphere	7
Service	8
Value	7