Chef's Blog

Such is the state of things during a busy summer, though.  We put on a great wine dinner with Charnu Winery and Dancing Hares Winery; the theme was surf and turf because I was cooking for six different Napa Cabs, all fairly young, and I couldn’t think of what other concept could match that weight course after course and still proceed in a manner that made sense on the palate.

Long sentences are a fact of life when I just cooked for 166 lunch guests in a 94 degree kitchen.  I don’t know if it’s the oxygen supply that’s missing necessarily but something has me dizzy.  And adverbs are firing repeatedly, unwantedly, and uncontrollably.  Anyway here goes

Zach tying beef tenderloins with El Gigante coffee

Pan-roasting veal tenderloins with thyme and butter

Yellowfin tuna BLT with tomato compote

A messy classic--Veal Oskar with dungeness crab, pommes puree, bearnaise mousseline, and toasted brioche

Beef tenderloin with Maine lobster and lobster risotto. This one knocked people out but it was perfect with the wine . . . lookit the size of those lobster paws!

My working prep list

The full (backstage version of the) menu with wine pairings. I forgot to take a photo of the scallops--the most photogenic dish, natch.