World Class Wine Country California Cuisine
By
Carol & Joe Davis
Dining Detectives
Yountville
in the Napa Valley continues to be the center of the universe
for fine dining in California. A new contender for world class
wine country cuisine, Bardessono, opened in 2008 with talented
veteran Executive Chef Sean O'Toole and Sous
Chef Roger Eggleston. They use the best fresh, sustainable,
organic ingredients most of which comes from their own garden,
local purveyors, and the farmers market where they go twice weekly.
Bardessono is located in the center of town just
one block off of Washington Street and has a 62 Room Luxury Hotel,
Spa and Restaurant. The complex exudes Napa Valley charm and has
also received the Platinum LEED rating for their Green Program
since it is 70% solar and uses geothermal wells for heating and
cooling. The entire property is non- smoking which is great for
those who want to breathe clean air or are hypo allergenic.
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As
we entered, on this cozy rainy night, we could see that their
festive Holiday lights were already up. We were escorted to our
table next to the windows which gave us a view of the outdoor
courtyard which has a lovely lit water pool. We appreciated that
the tables were nicely spaced which made dining more private and
so civilized. We started out with signature Cocktails. The
Cosmopolitan made with fresh lime juice was perfectly tart
which is just how we like it. We also enjoyed their Moscow Mule,
which was made with Vodka, fresh ginger, mint and California sparkling
wine. Both were an excellent way to settle in as we looked at
the menu and listened to light jazz in the back ground. The menu
offers flexibility as it is set up by categories which are Field
& Forest, Ocean and Pasture & Range and features both
appetizer or entrée sized portions with options for a Six
Course Tasting Menu with Wine Pairings.
Sparking
water and a Warm Bread Basket with Bouchon Bakery epi baguettes,
Della Fattoria Petaluma organic Meyer lemon rosemary and whole
wheat breads were soon at our table. Our first course consisted
of Tomales Bay Oysters on the half shell, with lemon
and mignonette. They tasted cold, fresh and so luscious. The
La Quercia Organic Prosciutto with Ed George figs and sherry
honey gastrique was also fabulous. Next, we enjoyed the Hale
Farms Apple Salad with heirloom apples, Haas avocados, Orchard
Farm lamb's lettuce and Meyer lemon vinaigrette dressing which
tasted very fresh and healthy. The Star Route Farm Beet Salad
with burrata cheese, pistachio, argula, sherry vinegar and grilled
bread was also delightful and was the best Beet salad we had to
date.
Our
next course was delicious Little Farm Potato Gnocchi
with red kuri squash, golden chanterelle mushrooms, lardon, and
parmigiano reggiano and from the White Truffle Menu the Vialone
Nano which was dwarf risotto with parmigiano reggiano organico,
mascarpone, white truffle, regina extra virgin olive oil. After
enjoying this dish we understand why truffles are the rage. The
entrees were both exceptional. The Liberty Farm Duck
with Hale Farm apple, radish, Sonoma coast matsutake mushroom,
artisan foie gras and cider jus was luscious. The Marin Sun Farm
grass fed Beef filet was exquisite and very different from most
grass fed beef. It was extremely tender with the perfect consistency.
The
accompaniments were also spectacular consisting of short rib stuffed
artichoke, crushed little farm laratte potatoes and beef jus.
There
is an extensive Wine List which features many organic, sustainable
and biodynamic wines from California and around the world. We
ordered wines by the glass and enjoyed the 2007 Hartwell Vineyards
Sauvignon Blanc from Carneros which paired perfectly with
our starters and the 2006 Rocca Family Bad Boy Red from
Yountville which paired perfectly with our entrees. Our desserts
were both wonderful as well. The K & J Farm Pear Soup
consisted of delicious Bartlett pear vanilla soup with beignets
and Hill Family Farm verbena sorbet. We were also impressed by
the Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with tongan vanilla caramel,
carmel ice cream and fleur de sel which was served molton hot.
A Blue Bottle Coffee double espresso was the perfect finish to
our delicious dinner.
Bardessono Restaurant is definitely a World Class
dining destination and will rightly have stars in the future!
They have created elegant cuisine using artisan ingredients that
made our taste buds come to life! We were delighted by the incredible
freshness of the food and the simplicity with which it was prepared.
The ingredients selected for each dish were extremely comp-limentary
and never overpowered the main focus of the food. This was truly
a delightful dining experience!
Bardessono
Restaurant
6526 Yount Street
Yountville, CA 94599
707-204-6030
www.Bardessono.com
