Author Archives: Doc

Manresa, Los Gatos

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wpid-IMG_20131005_180542_669.jpgAnniversaries should be special. With this in mind Troya and I decided to visit one of the better known restaurants in the area, Manresa in Los Gatos. Any search result for Manresa leads to numerous praises, both locally and internationally, as well as numerous statements of sticker shock. So we were prepared to open up the pocket book, and then some, when we made the reservations. Like I said, anniversaries should be special.
As you approach the relatively non-descript building that houses Manresa you are instantly greeted as they open the door for you. I am not a spa person, but I imagine the service you get at a really good spa is similar to the service here. They have an almost army of service people working in unison to make you feel special. It almost feels choreographed. Not something I am used to but they do it with such grace it does not make you feel uncomfortable.
We got there early and decided to have a cocktail on the front patio and take advantage of the perfect evening. They have a long list of unique drinks that would make any mixologist smile as well as many classics. They also have many wines available by the glass and several beers. It was such a nice way to start it was almost disappointing whey they told us our table was ready.
Our table was almost directly in the middle of the whole dining area, perfect for a couple of people watchers like us. We even had a happy anniversary card on the table signed by the wait staff. You only get two options for dinner, both pre-fix menus. The first had each course listed out. The second had a long list of foods and flavors that the chefs could use in putting together your meal. As adventurous eaters, the choice, while expensive, was easy. The next option was deciding to select our own wine or partake in the wine pairing. Again, an expensive but easy choice. Then we just sat back and enjoyed the show.
Looking back, the meal was clearly separated in halves. The first half was seafood heavy with Abalone and milk panna cotta, Belon osters in lemon-seaweed ice and what was called a fall tidal pool salad. These courses were paired with several white wines, a Riesling from Germany and Sauvignon Blanc from France being the notable choices. All of these dishes and wines were good, but no home runs and we were getting a little concerned. The halfway point was the turning point of the meal, when it went from good to excellent. It started with a simple garden salad but with several sauces that made all the flavors of the salad come alive. It also included a porcini and pear soup that was phenomenal and venison with saffron and licorice. These dishes were paired with various red wines including a Nebbiolo, a Moshin Vineyards Zin, and a French Bordeaux blend that was the hit of the night.
In the end it was far and away the most expensive meal we have ever had, and while the food and wine were very good, the service made the evening. The meal took over 3 hours to complete but never dragged and we never felt forgotten. While memories of the details may fade, experience will not be forgotten. Anniversaries should be special.

Santa Clara County Region Rosé Throw Down

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Wine Throw DownRosé’s here US have had a very bad reputation. While respected and popular in other parts of the world, most oenophiles here have thought of this varietal as the sticky sweet cough syrup that teenybopper would drink, until recently. Rosé has had a surge in popularity in the last several years and while still not on my favorite list it is one of Brax’s. What I do find interesting about Rosé is it has a wide variety in interpretation and thus it has essentially become the grab bag, or “box-of-chocolate” for each winery, you never know what you are going to get. Some lean towards the sweet side, some are light and crisp, some a little bitter, and some can be big and bold, yet they all look alike. So with all of this in mind Brax decided that we should hold the first Santa Clara County Rosé Throw Down and try to determine who makes the best Rosé in the SCC region. On October 20th, 2013 we are going to invite some wine enthusiast and neophytes as well as a couple of our local sommeliers and try to crown the SCC Rosé King (or queen). Interested in joining us? We may have a few tickets available for this event, just email, tweet or respond on facebook and we will let you know.

Letdown from the Ridge

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Letdown: verb; to fall short in satisfying the expectation or hope of.disappointed1

With much anticipation the FTF finally carved out an afternoon to visit Ridge Winery in Cupertino. Why we have waited this long to visit one of the most famous wineries in this area is beyond explanation. Ridge consistently gets great reviews and their flagship wine, Monte Bello, gets recognition around the world. In fact it was recently chosen to be served at a private dinner for President Obama and a national dignitary. I think this is what finally pushed us to take the challenging drive up to Ridge to visit their renown tasting room. Unfortunately what we experienced was a letdown (see above). I do not know if my taste buds are just not refined enough, or if my tongue got up on the wrong side of the bed, but the big WOW that we were expecting was not there. I am in no way saying the wine was bad. It was good, just not what we were expecting. We only tasted the reds, so my comments are intended only for them. What you will not get at Ridge is big, no big fruit in the zin, no big tannins in the cabs, and I am not saying that is bad. The wines are all soft and complex with multiple different flavors from front to finish but they all tasted somewhat similar. Maybe I had set myself up, but this is not what I was expecting. That said, now that I do know what to expect, I am more than willing to give it another go. Who knows, some things are better on the second tasting. Tune in next time……….

Booka in Aptos, a possible go-to?

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We have all been waiting for something to “stick” at the Bayview Hotel in Aptos, CA. Over the years several restaurants have come and gone. Some quietly, some in front of a national audience thanks to Restaurante Barolo being on the Food Networks Restaurant Impossible. That didn’t work out too well. Now we have Booka, the newest inhabitants at our local “haunted” hotel. Troya and I stopped by on 4th of July and enjoyed what they had to offer on this limited menu day, so we decided to return for the full experience. The new owners and both chefs hail from Israel and the menu definitely has a Mediterranean feel with a California/Organic influence as well.
We did not have reservations and were told we would have to sit at a table without shade. While it was one of the warmest evenings of the year in Aptos, we did not mind the table, but noticed many other open tables throughout our meal. We decided to start with a couple cocktails and appetizers. The drink menu has several intriguing mixology wpid-IMG_20130816_183250_692.jpgoptions, unfortunately at this and our last visit none of the drinks had the “pop” of flavor they should have given the ingredients, and all ended up looking and tasting very similar. Our appetizer fennel salad was good, decent portion, but nothing memorable flavor wise. The focaccia bread with three dipping sides on the other hand was fabulous. The bread alone has great texture and flavor, and the three sides, all unique and flavorful, each held their own. They include a lemon yogurt, a smoked eggplant and a roasted tomato. You cannot go wrong with any of them.
All of the entrees looked appetizing but I choose the halibut with polenta and Troya had the lamb pasta. I was very happy with my selection. The polenta was perfectly cooked, not gritty or mealy, but smooth and creamy with a smoky corn flavor. I have not had any wpid-IMG_20130816_185114_952.jpgbetter. The halibut was a perfect match and also perfectly cooked. Troya’s pasta was also very good. The noodles were handmade, not an easy find in this area, and the lamb had enough flavor without being gamey and was seasoned nicely with fresh mint. We both had wine with dinner, but nothing spectacular. I would have liked to see more options on the wine list, either intriguing foreign varietals or more of our various local wineries.
The one thing that kept haunting our meal was poor coordination. We ordered our drinks and appetizers at the same time yet waited over 5 minutes after our appetizers arrived for our drinks. We never had bread delivered to our table, but it looked very good at the other tables around us. We also mentioned that we were going to order wine with dinner, and while our server recommended we get our dinner choices in early so the chefs could get everything ready, we had to reminder her that we wanted wine after she delivered our meals. We then waited over 5 minutes for our wine. We did overhear her tell another table that this was her first waitressing job, so our experience might not be the norm, but we do remember waiting a long time for our drinks on our first visit.
So while they say that good service can make up for a mediocre meal, I would say the opposite is true here. And while good service can make one good meal, good food is what you build a restaurant around. They definitely have the core for a long term relationship with our beloved historic hotel, great food and great location. A little fine tuning and Booka could definitely become a go-to in Aptos!