Manresa

Let's start by addressing one thing right from the outset. Manresa is absolutely not a "lunch" place. That's not to say that it's not a delicious place to spend the daylight hours, of course, but it isn't the sort of joint you'd order take-out from. However, we can allow ourselves an extravagance every once in a while, and this one came in the form of a meal at Manresa, a 2-Star restaurant in Los Gatos, California.

“Los Gatos?” True, this little town, situated halfway between Santa Cruz and absolutely nowhere initially seems like an odd location for a world-class dining experience. But by reputation, Manresa is right up there with the country’s most revered dining rooms. I can’t say that I’m the most qualified person to place the restaurant, a brainchild of chef David Kinch, among the global culinary pantheon, but I will say that it tasted good—really good. Siobhan and I visited for a slightly preemptive Birthday/Valentine’s Day celebration, and were left sleepy, slaked, and sated. I’ll speak mainly about the dishes themselves, but first, a few comments about the setting and service.

The restaurant is in a relatively small building just off of the city’s main drag, and the decor is understated and excellent. It artfully blends modern foundations with rustic accents, and the result is both elegant and cozy—just the kind of place you’d like to spend five hours indulging at least four of your senses at any given time. OK, so hearing goes pretty much unindulged unless you’re dining with a good companion (I was).

The staff makes those five hours all the more enjoyable. Our server was also a sommelier, or maybe I should say our sommelier was also a server, which was incredibly helpful, and she indicated that all of the waiters had similarly broad knowledge. Service was always prompt without any sense of urgency, and the pours were generous. I made the mistake initially of telling her that “maybe [she wasn’t] the right person to ask, but I [had] a question about wine.” That sure was embarrassing. But even though Siobhan and I were a good five years younger than the next-youngest diners and did not come with an expensive bottle of French wine for the staff, we didn’t feel the slightest bit of condescension, which can be a problem at high-end restaurants.

We knew beforehand that we would be getting the tasting menu, but had not anticipated that there would be a pork and black truffle menu, as well, so we decided to supplement the already cornu-copious tasting. We also shared a wine pairing, on account of having to drive, but it ended up being plenty.

By the by, let me apologize for the poor picture quality in many of the courses--or the outright lack or photo for some. We felt somewhat uncomfortable using the flash, and the overall yellowness of the ambient lighting, while not having this effect in person, tends to overpower the lush and beautiful colors of the food on the plate. As for the ones we forgot, well...The wine got to us.

Anyhow, on to the menu...



The menus were printed for us specially, since we got a substituted tasting. Clearly, they sprang for the expensive printer at Best Buy. They came in a pretty envelope, as well.

Amuse Bouche Courses, paired with N.V. Bailly-Lapierre Cremant de Bourgogne, France
First came the amuse bouche courses, which were really extraordinary and started the meal off on a flavorful but restrained tone. They were paired with a wonderfully crisp rose that accented many of the flavors, but didn't go great with a few of them. When you have several varied amuse plates paired with one wine, I guess that's the risk you run. But even when the rose didn't accent, it never hindered.

Amuse 1: Petit fours "red pepper-black olive"
These served as an apt introduction to the Manresa paradigm: blending the familiar with the unfamiliar to excite the senses. If you know the texture, the flavor will be foreign. If you recognize the form, the taste will be utterly unexpected. In this case, we had a perfect, warm madeleine cookie that tasted like olive oil, rather than shortbread, and a gumdrop that tasted like the distilled essence of red pepper, focusing mainly on its sweet quality rather than its spiciness.

Amuse 2: Chestnut croquettes
These went right from the server's tray to our mouths. They were somewhat cool on the outside, but the inside was pure liquid goodness, bursting with unctuous foie gras. We were warned that the croquette would fill our mouths, and it indeed seemed to almost burst out of our pursed lips, its modest, golden exterior hiding a an impossible amount of liquid within. While I the "fried" taste somewhat obscured the chestnut, the textural qualities more than outweighed my minor quibble with the flavor.


Amuse 3: Horchata and lightly toasted parsnip
An excellent horchata by any measure. Despite being an absolute horchata fiend, I've never had it warm before. While that may not be the best option to pair with a burrito and sweat-scented hot salsa, I will certainly go back to warm horchata in the future. Again, this was the perfect interplay of the familiar and the surprising.


Amuse 4: Arpege farm egg
Likely my favorite of the opening salvo from Chef Kinch's kitchen, I've gathered that the dish came about when Chef Passard of L'Arpege was guest-cooking at Manresa. It presents a complex and rewarding mix of flavors in every dripping and rich spoonful: sweet, salty, cool, warm, all at once. It's the sort of dish you could write an English thesis on, comparing it to the works of Joyce.

With our palates sufficiently primed, it was time to move on to the first "main" courses, which did not disappoint. The first dishes presented all the different sides of Manresa, and the next few would prove to be a little more bountiful, more robust, and more focused, each centering on a particular facet of Chef Kinch's exceptional cuisine. Before I forget, the bread and unsalted butter were fresh and excellent--we got two helpings.


Marinated bay scallops with avocado and pistachio, paired with 2007 Txomin Etxanix, Gipuzkoa, Spain
It is not an overstatement to say that the scallops were truly sublime. They had a delightful citrus flavor that did not overpower the clean, natural sweetness of the bay scallops. The scallops were topped with a great, light "potato chip," but the avocado on the plate was the Danny Glover to the scallops' Mel Gibson. The texture was absolutely surreal, closer to gelato than guacamole. And the flavor was pure avocado. The wine was a great Spanish white with a crisp citrus taste and just a little CO2 that was great with the cool, raw scallops. Excellent.


Mussels in butter, leeks with roasted pear, smoked bread, paired with 2004 Bruno Clavelier Aligote Burgundy
Another standout. The leeks, pears, and mussels were all extremely tender and interlaced with flavor, with the mussels being a little more firm than I'm used to. The sweetness of the pears was imminently present with each bite, and everything was unbelievably rich and creamy. The bread was truly surprising--it tasted exactly like smoke, and greatly enhanced the flavor of everything else on the plate. The aligote was a great pairing, given its apple and pear-like flavor and unobtrusive lightness.


Into the vegetable garden..., paired with 2007 Chateau de Pampelonne Cotes de Provence
This is one of Chef Kinch's signature dishes, and it did not disappoint. The winter herbs and vegetables were each bold, and confidently stood on their own. The "dirt" made from chicory and dried potatoes was savory and truly earthy, while the purees of garlic and sunchoke(?) under the vegetables added flavor that was excellent, but not always necessary, given the "jus" of the vegetables in the form of a foam. Each ingredient had such personality--it was a revelatory experience to find out just how great undressed vegetables could be. (Click here for a great article about this dish.) The wine was a great rose with very subtle and complex flavors that did its job: stay out of the way.

Winter tidal pool, paired with 2006 Chateau de Clery Muscadet Loire Valley
Another signature dish of Chef Kinch's. I unfortunately didn't snap a picture, though many are available online. It featured geoduck, razorclam, shaved abalone, uni, foie gras, and some garnishes, all in a dashi broth. The uni was great, as were the individual components, but both Siobhan and I found the dashi to be too salty. While it faithfully mimicked a saltwater tidal pool, it made each bite a chore rather than a pleasure. The foie gras certainly helped to cut through the saltiness, but it didn't get the job done. The muscadet, accordingly, was a great pairing with the rich components, but didn't salvage the broth itself. Maybe it's just me, but I had a hard time with this one. Note that while other reviews heartily disagree, I've found one that shares this complaint: Orthagonal Thought.

Monkfish and lettuce veloute, mushrooms in pear vinegar, paired with 2007 Domaine Massiac Viognier Languedoc
Another one without a picture. The monkfish itself had its usual smooth texture, and I found that the lettuce veloute did not add a whole lot. Monkfish is, in and of itself, always a treat, however, so I thoroughly enjoyed it. The mushrooms were excellent, with the pear vinegar coating but not outshining their meatiness. I loved the viognier, as well, which provided an excellent accent to the mushrooms and some needed spice for the monkfish. Note that we had not yet seen a heavy red wine.


Boar sausage with truffle and potato croquettes, apple, paired with 2005 Jean Louis Chave Selection Offerus Syrah Saint-Joseph
This was one of the substituted dishes, and Chef Kinch carefully placed it exactly where it should go. The truffles were shaved generously on top, and the potato croquettes were masterful; essentially perfect mashed potatoes with a light breading. The apples were cooked expertly, as well, until they reached the perfect texture for this plate. The sausage was a bit dry for me, but quite flavorful. As a major sausage buff, I was not disappointed. The wine was great, as well, a truly robust red with currant flavors, a grainy mouthfeel and quite a bit of pepper in the finish. , I did sense something a bit un-Manresa-like about this dish as a whole. It seemed tame in comparison to the rest.

At this point, we asked for a lull in the parade of dishes. We were duly accommodated, despite it being rather late at this point; it was a break both of us definitely appreciated.


Roast lamb, our broccoli with braised leeks, hazelnut piccada, paired with 2006 Manresa Bordeaux Blend Santa Cruz Mountains
This dish helped to put things back on track. The lamb was perfect--for all the vegetables they feature, one could be fooled into thinking that Chef Kinch doesn't have a grasp of proteins, but the meal certainly proved otherwise. In terms of temperature and texture, the lamb was one of the best preparations I've had. But the excellent combination of broccoli and hazelnut also served as a great accompaniment. It was an unexpected earthy addition that definitely grounded this dish firmly in the month of February. The "house" wine was wonderful, as well, providing a bold but nuanced companion to the plate.

Fried polenta and currants with white coffee ice cream, cara cara orange, all desserts paired with Graham 10 Year Tawny Port
This was a great start to the dessert courses. The cara cara, a reddish-pink variety of navel oranges, made the rest of the coffee ice cream take on a truly unique flavor, equal parts latte and lemonade. I enjoyed the polenta, though Siobhan found it a bit superfluous.


Cherry blossom mousse with rhubarb consomme and kisses
You'll notice that we became a little more bold at this stage and decided to use the camera's flash, as the clientele started clearing out. This was another highlight of the meal. The consomme was tart but utterly refreshing, while the cherry blossom mousse provided a surprisingly rich but flavorful foil. It's rare to get such a creamy texture without sacrificing the fruit flavor, and this certainly was another one of those unexpected tastes that you ironically come to expect when dining at Manresa.


Dark chocolate veloute with fresh mint ice cream, hazelnut rochers
This was another decadent and exciting dessert course, with rich textures and a mix of flavors and colors that all screamed "I AM THE BEST GOD-DAMNED MINT CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM YOU'VE EVER HAD!" And they couldn't have been more accurate. The hazelnuts acted as a high-end "topping," and nicely held up the underlying clean flavors of the mint and dark chocolate. A definitive experience.


Finale: Petit fours "strawberry-chocolate"
Again, a perfect madeleine, crispy on the outside but lusciously soft on the inside, and again a gumdrop, but with completely different flavors: chocolate and strawberry. I enjoyed these with a cup of espresso as the last few guests filtered out of the restaurant. Because our extended menu (and our extended seventh inning stretch), we were by far the longest occupants that evening, and we soon said goodbye to the warm interior.

As I drove back to San Francisco with Siobhan happily sleeping next to me, I continued to think about how perfect an ending the petit fours were. Manresa is a place that challenges and subverts your expectations with every dish, if only to make the traditional preparations once again surprising; Chef Kinch prepares you to expect the unexpected. So after starting with the most unusual madeleine and gumdrop I've ever had, what better way to finish than with a customary flavor? Following the sort of culinary re-education that Manresa provides, nothing could be more surprising than the everyday. It's the sort of experience that gets you excited about eating again.

I'm often taking the role of the molecular gastronomy apologist, the person who says that science really can bring something to food. But that argument has no place when assessing Manresa and Chef Kinch's inventive cuisine. Here, food is not combined with science to create new tastes; rather, food is combined with intelligence and imagination, and the result cannot be missed. So as I thought about those petit fours and all the other dishes we'd tasted, driving back to the city in the rain, another thought kept creeping up: God, I can't wait to go back.