Chez Panisse

Alice Waters’ Restaurant in Berkeley has been on my list for some time, so I am excited to finally broadcast this review.  Last month my parents celebrated their wedding anniversary and happened to be in town for the occasion.  Michael and I had the pleasure of accompanying them to Chez Panisse to fête the event.  It was a lovely meal in good company.

Apértif of Proseco and Plum Purée

Antipasto of shaved zucchini with prosciutto and ricotta toast

2008 Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir

Albacore tuna with capers, olives,
anchovy, roasted peppers and orecchiette

1999 Chateauneuf-du Pape, La Crau, Télégraphe

Grilled Cattail Creek Ranch lamb with
chanterelle mushrooms, wild fennel and fresh flageolet beans

Nectarine and blackberry millefoglie with zabaglione

Chez Panisse has built its reputation – and a groundswell of support for the domestic Slow Food movement – on its use of the freshest local protein and produce prepared with honesty and a devotion to the ingredients themselves.  Some might call this kind of preparation “simplistic” or “unadorned,” which it is, but it is also a great way to get reacquainted with how basic good food should taste.  You won’t find any of the complicated, time-consuming preparations or techniques you’re likely to encounter at other fine dining establishments, but that doesn’t mean you’ll come away wanting.  The evident care and effort dedicated to sourcing the best quality local ingredients is where the restaurant focuses its attentions, while the kitchen does its utmost to preserve the native, natural flavors that blossom on the plate as a result.

The downstairs restaurant (as opposed to the café dining option available upstairs) has a warm, coppery patina with a low ceiling and a wide view of the rustic kitchen and its open fire spit and grill.  The service was spot-on and the wine list featured many quirky boutique options from local California vintners as well as a fair selection of Old World wines in half bottles and by the glass.  All of the courses demonstrated the pure, bright flavors of their component pieces and, while they were not sophisticated, they combined to create a pleasant evocation of summer.  I cannot tell a lie – the tuna in my orecchiette was overcooked; possibly the result of resting a little too long under the salamander, but I found this misstep more surprising than distracting.  The lamb was perfectly cooked and well matched with the mushrooms, fennel and beans.  It was fantastic with the Chateauneuf-du-Pape (for which, I admit, I have a weakness).

We are quite spoiled in the Bay Area for good food and great restaurants, which we owe in no small measure to pioneering chefs like Ms. Waters who care about the food they serve and are staunchly dedicated to doing it in a responsible and sustainable way.  What Chez Panisse lacks in technical pizzazz, it makes up for with refreshing simplicity and honest flavors.  I look forward to going back.

Cyrus

It’s been a while since the last post, but I have to say I think it was worth the wait.  Michael and I dined at Cyrus in Healdsburg last night along with two charming dinner companions visiting from Boulder, Colorado.  You know the drill.  Full menu followed by commentary.  Enjoy!  We certainly did!

Those are some happy campers!

~ Cyrus ~

May 17, 2009

Champagne & Caviar
California Select, Farm Raised White Sturgeon with Traditional Accoutrements
Chateau Jean Vesselle “But Rosé – Oeil de Perdrix”, Bouzy, France
~
Canapés
Five Flavors
Salty – Sous Vide Cucumber
Sweet – Guava Mouse with Mint Gelée
Bitter – Grilled Grapefruit
Sour – Sudachi Marshmallow
Umami – Shitake and Sushi Rice Fritter
Vin Gris de Pinot Noir
~
Amuse Bouche
Kampachi Sashimi with Ocean Vegetables
~
Thai Marinated Lobster with Avocado, Mango
and Hearts of Palm
Riesling, Dönnhoff “Grosses Gewächs Dellchen”, Nahe, Germany 2007
~
Foie Gras Torchon with Tamarind and Dates
Grasberg, Marcel Deiss, Alsace, France 2002
~
Soft Shell Crab with Corn and Scallions, Sauce Billi-Bi
Chardonnay, Rouchiou “River Block”, Russian River Valley 2007
~
Duck Breast with Bok Choy and Asparagus, Sesame- Shao Xing Sauce
Pinot Noir, Littorai “The Haven”, Sonoma Coast 2006
~
Wagyu Beef with Burdock and Shiso, Oxtail Umeshu Consommé
Sagrantino di Montefalco, Paulo Bea “Pagliaro”, Umbria, Italy 2004
~
Artisanal and Farmhouse Cheeses
Kapcsándy Family Winery “State Lane Vineyard”, Napa Valley 2005
~
Verjus Sorbet, Blood Orange Riesling Soup with Crystallized Picholine Olives
Riesling Spätlese, Robert Weil “Kiedricher Graferberg”, Rheingau, Germany 2006
~
Strawberry Rhubarb Bread Pudding
~
Mignardises
House-made chocolates and candy

Yesterday was a scorcher in the Bay Area and wine country was no exception.  We arrived 20 minutes in advance of our reservation and were promptly shown to a table in the bar to refresh ourselves before dinner.  The Cyrus bar serves a traditional mint julep – crushed ice, frosted silver julep cup and all – and, while I did not partake, it did appear to be particularly thirst quenching on a hot spring night.  The ambiance of the restaurant is refined – as one would expect – but relaxed enough to put one at ease.  Patrons used their normal speaking voices and chuckled to each other without the keen sense of being overheard that sometimes accompanies these fine dining experiences.  A welcome relief.  The more wine I drink, the harder it is to whisper.

The décor is simple, but luxe.  Columns of bone-white lilies atop rigid stems four feet tall were stationed at strategic intervals around the main dining room which was otherwise a calming combination of gold and ivory.  Textured white china and Laguiole knives.  Tables are placed at a comfortable distance from each other – close enough to feel sociable, but far enough apart to feel airy.  The staff was friendly, accommodating and jocular, which is crucial as the wine list is a tome and boasts many hard-to-find and limited release offerings about which our servers had much to say.  I had only a limited sampling of the wine pairings on offer.  None were outstanding, but all were good.  In addition to their standard pairings, the restaurant offers a “Grand” pairing of dinstinguished treasures.  I will certainly have the “Grand” the next time around.

The food was very, very good.  The lobster course was the best executed overall in my opinion, though the soft shell crab was a favorite of the table.  The foie with tamarind reduction and dates was served with miniature oven-warm naan.  Warm bread is always a good bet (even on a hot night).  The wagyu beef was more marbling than meat and a rare treat for that reason.  My favorite dessert component was the plank of picholine olive brittle propped against the verjus sorbet – perfectly crisp, salty and sweet and with just enough give in the flecks of olive to keep it from cracking apart.

Chef Douglas Keane just won the 2009 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in the Pacific region.  He is one to watch.  I like that his tasting menus are at most seven courses.  I also celebrate the fact that you can have an entirely vegetarian tasting menu.  I wasn’t brave enough to try it this time out, but I would  be very tempted to go veggie on the next round - particularly in spring.  Diners also have the option of a less daunting five course alternative.  Part of me felt a little disappointed that we only had the two “meat” courses, but most of me was relieved not to relive the labored breathing and “food sweats” that so often follow a 10 or 12 course meal.  I think seven courses is just right.  I was sated after the meal, but not uncomfortably so.  Happily, you’ll also notice that fewer courses translates to lighter bill at the end of the evening. 

It was a meal to remember and, for those of you keeping score at home, on food alone I’d rate it above Tetsuya’s but below The French Laundry.  That said, we got a booking without any trouble at all and it didn’t require a transoceanic voyage, so if you’re after a truly special meal without a lot of fuss and within driving distance, Cyrus has what you’re looking for.

More at http://cyrusrestaurant.com/

This Food Is Haunted

I have just come this evening from the Twilight Zone, from the Land That Time Forgot.  There is a time capsule of a restaurant – a shrine to the color mauve – within a mile of our house that remained, until tonight, undiscovered.

We dined this evening in a place beyond description – a chapel bathed in silk damask, with a thirty-foot ceiling and a four-piece band.  This is the dining room scene they edited out of “The Shining.”  This is the last vestige of the mediocre country club meals of which I never had the mostly qualified privilege to partake and never had the stomach to imagine.  This is where the 1960s Milwaukee mob goes to celebrate after a big heist.

I am at once horrified and delighted to report that such a place exists.  That it exists within a mile of my house prompts similar ambivalence.  This place sets out real silver and gilded plates for two seatings a night in a dining room of delectable irony of which the management is stubbornly unaware.

They stop short of doilies, but only just.

If you ever wondered what happened to Sole Meunière and Steak Diane, wonder no more, for these throw-backs survive in geriatric splendor at a restaurant called “Chantilly.”  If you’re willing to bump elbows with patrons 50 years your senior eating cuisine of a similar era, you too can stare agape at the six-foot flower arrangement – bristling with gladiolas – that dominates the room.  I didn’t fully grasp the meaning of the word “milquetoast” until tonight.  It is a triumphant and unsettling spectacle of mediocrity.

The entire experience is devoid of imagination – everything about it had been done, and done better.  The food is as musty as the 70-year-old four-tops around you, and, but for a three-generation-family celebrating the birthday of a 13-year-old the spitting image of the Beave, we would have been the youngest people in there by leagues.

The food is, frankly, abysmal, but if you, like I, celebrate the strange and unusual – relics that defy the odds – you will make it a point to see it for yourself.

Go there (but do not eat anything).  They have a full bar, which is the strategy I would recommend.  I am sure – with a certainty approaching fact – that the kitchen is whittling down overstock from the 80s, but these past few hours spent in a freakish David Lynch snow globe has inspired in me a gratitude and appreciation for our current reality that I would not have imagined possible.

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish

Michael and I will be leaving Australia in a few days to return to the Bay Area, which prompted me to reflect upon the many unique experiences and valuable lessons derived from my time here in Sydney.  Foremost among them are the following, many of which I will dearly miss and always remember fondly.

 

Centennial Park – Sydney does great parks and Centennial Park is an especially fine and sprawling specimen.  Many of my favorite days in Australia were spent on the bank of a quiet little pond on the outskirts of the city with a book or a game of Scrabble while James splashed around after ducks and chased the ball.  Always a crowd pleaser on a sunny day.

http://www.centennialparklands.com.au/

 

Danks Street Depot – A perennial favorite and the one Sydney restaurant that I wish I could take with me when I go.  This place never fails to satisfy.  The freshest produce and best quality ingredients prepared with integrity and imagination.  I especially enjoy their Bar Food Nights featuring themed menus once a month on Thursdays.  Their Mexican Bar Food Night was a triumph and provided – hands down – the best Mexican food I’ve had in Australia.  I’m picking the head chef, Jared Ingersoll, as one to watch.  If he doesn’t end up with a signature line of sustainably-grown, responsibly-hewn and beautifully-crafted wooden salad bowls and nubby, organic cotton kitchen towels, I will be shocked.

http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/

 

Cafe Sopra (Fratelli Fresh) – Just across the street from Danks Street Depot in Waterloo, this rustic but refined first floor eatery with a massive menu written by hand on an impressively scaled black board is the perfect place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon lunch.  Sadly, for the moment the Waterloo location is only open on Saturdays, but the new Potts Point version is a good second bet.  As mentioned, the menu is just dizzying in dimension – ranging from a light but aromatic osso buco in bianco with gnochetti and gremolata to a rich and satisfying crockery-baked smoked chicken farfalle with whole grain mustard and leeks.  Fantastically coy little salads – cavalo nero, shaved brussel sprouts, and crisp prosciutto mounded beneath a poached egg dressed with aged balsamic and peppery olive oil – are also on offer alongside more traditional antipasto features.  I prefer the atmosphere of the Waterloo spot for dining – it affords more elbow-room and has better ambient light – but the Potts Point destination has a better grocery set-up which is very attractive for the multi-tasking dining/shopping option it presents.  This place is not to be missed.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/restaurant-reviews/sopra-at-fratelli-fresh/2005/11/11/1131578221002.html

 

Pasta Emilia – I am now thoroughly spoiled for pasta having had this exceptional boutique shopfront just up the street from our place in Bronte providing handmade fresh pasta and fabulous sauces.  Anna-maria, the proprietor, is a wonderfully warm personality with an infectious smile.  She makes all the pasta and sauces herself and I have found she is always ready with serving suggestions and recipes to augment her flawless creations.  My personal favorites include the duck and porcini ravioli with truffle cream sauce and her pre-made lasagne with béchamel and bolognese (just put it in the oven – what’s not to love!).  She also hosts dinners (often in conjunction with Hudson Produce) to commemorate traditional festas of Northern Italy – do yourself a favor and get on that mailing list.

http://www.emilia.com.au/

 

Hudson Produce – Hugh Wennerbom, slow food wrangler and providor, is a force to be reckoned with.  On his farm, he raises much of the fruit, veg and meat he delivers to discerning restaurants and private clients in the know.  By happy accident, our apartment is located just above Hudson Produce HQ, which I have to think is the only reason we have even an inkling of these hand-crafted and home-grown treasures.  Based on what I can gather from my self-guided neighbourhood watch (I am a culinary stalker in the making!), Hugh spends much of the week on the farm trellising broad beans and coddling piglets before heading back to the Eastern suburbs heavy with his bounty.  The operation appears to be manageably sized – private distribution is driven by circulation of a weekly email with gallows-humor and tongue-in-cheek descriptions of the latest hiccups on the farm along with romantic photos of this week’s culinary features (faces and all!).  We’ve enjoyed wonderful Taralga Farms jam, pork sausages, fresh fish, farm-reared beef, and wonderful La Barre olive oil.  As though that weren’t enough, Hugh is also a retired chef and hosts periodic dinners using his excellent raw materials at a funky diner location in Chippendale – they always go over a treat.  If I were to judge, I’d say Hudson Produce is poised to quickly outgrow its banks and it will be interesting to see how Hugh manages to do more on the farm while developing the distribution side; although, in fairness, both Hugh and his lovely, unflappable wife, Mary Ellen, have ambition and ability to spare.  If anyone could increase the scale of this business without a skip in their stride, it’s them.  Remarkably, there isn’t a website to send you to, but if you’re truly interested, you can leave me a note and I’ll see what I can do.

 

Work/Life Balance – The best lesson I’ve learned in Australia is to insist upon and fiercely defend an appropriate work/life balance.  Coming from the Bay Area, I used to think that work/life balance meant eating at least once a day and not sleeping on the floor of your office.  The Aussies seem to understand that your work should not define you.  Now to see if that’s an import I can get past US Customs.

 

Bronte & Clovelly Beaches – I can’t pretend we’ve had the best beach weather while we’ve been here (judging by the foregoing, the weather has, however, been ideal for stuffing our faces!), but on those rare days when the sun shone bright, it was a special treat to be able to lather on the SPF +400 and walk down to the beach from our little apartment.  James Brown in particular will miss his walks down to the cliff-side park for ball chasing with a postcard-ready backdrop of the ocean.  He may not appreciate the view, but I certainly do.

 

Fare thee well Australia and many thanks to the locals and ex-patriots alike who did so much to make me feel welcome while I was here.  A special thanks to Madeleine, Sterling and George, who rented us our apartment in Bronte; they have been a wonderful source of information on all things Aussie and have demonstrated remarkable patience in dealing with us “yanks.”  Thanks also to Hugh, Mary Ellen, Henry, Adelaide, and Winnie for suffering our proximity with grace and humour (and an affectionate ear-tousle to Nelly, their dog, who just never could trust that we didn’t have some nefarious plot in the works).

Becasse Degustation

Michael and I had dinner at Becasse last night – degustation menu with wine pairings.  Menu and commentary below.

Canape
(puff pastry coin, olive tapenade, tomato confit, marscapone cream)

Salad of baby beetroot ad Hindmarsh goat cheese with mulled wine gel and hazelnut crostini
2007 Stefano Lubiana “Alfresco” Reisling, Granton

Confit yellowfin tuna and king prawns with green apple and lemongrass sorbet, soy and sesame
2007 Laurenz V Singing, Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal

Seared swordfish and squid with fennel puree, lemon verbena, fennel and olive vinaigrette
2007 Shaw and Smith M3 Chardonnay, Adelaide Hills

Terrine du pays Basque with sherry gel, smoked apple preserve and crisp jamon ficelle
2006 Paradigm Hill Pinot Noir, Morington Peninsula

Roast hiramasa kingfish with aubergine puree, crisp cannellone of mushrooms, turnips
2005 Poderi Colla, Nebbiolo d’Alba DOC, Piemonte

Roast loin of Kurobuta pork with stuffed trotter, confit celeriac and Savoy cabbage, olive oil potatoe puree and Modena jus
2006 Olivier Jullien, Les Etats D’ame du Mas Jullien. Languedoc

Honey panna cotta with rockmelon and lavender granita

Citrus baba au rhum with Honey Murcott mandarin, basil ice cream
2007 Mt. Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling, Clare Valley

Highlights include the roast hiramasu kingfish and Kurobuta pork, though the wines were the real stars of the show in my view.  I loved each of the first 4 wines and the Languedoc Shiraz-Grenache.  Despite my continued efforts, I have yet to find a dessert wine to really wow me, but if I never find one it won’t be for lack of trying.

Michael and I agree Tetsuya’s is certainly better food, but the food at Becasse was undeniably good and the wines were, at times, even better.  Also, it’s nice not to have to make a booking months in advance.

Giving Thanks for the Danks

Danks Street Depot is my new favorite place in Sydney.  I love it there.  I recognize this will not be of tremendous utility to those of you who are not, say, living on this continent; but if you’re ever in Sydney and looking for a great, casual place to have a meal, I cannot recommend Danks Street Depot highly enough.  We have been for brunch every weekend for three weeks running and I am only growing more and more enamoured of the place.

 

The exterior of the restaurant is an unassuming blank concrete.  If you didn’t know to come here, you could easily pass it by.  The interior has high ceilings and large windows with views out to the street, which afford plenty of daylight – perfect for leisurely perusal of your periodical of choice.  The decor is warm and inviting and the chairs are real chairs, not the flimsy plastic scoops that are so prevalent (and such a deterrent).  In addition to the standard four top tables, there is also a long communal table for diners to share.  The bar features a few stools and, in the afternoon, is laid with mouth-watering pastries and desserts.

 

The food itself, of course, is the real draw.  I would characterize it as “modern farmhouse bistro” fare, i.e., fresh local produce prepared with a light touch but with intensity and brio.  The menu, which changes daily, reflects a careful balance of comfort, luxury and wholesomeness that I find irresistible.  Everything that walks out of the kitchen looks fresh and exciting.  So far highlights include creamed eggs with roasted mushroom and truffle oil, served with a two-inch thick slab of grilled sourdough.  The chunky house-made bacon hash with poached eggs is a crowd pleaser (also comes in a veggie silver beet (Swiss chard) version).  On our first visit Michel enjoyed a braised beef sandwich that was a sticky, smoky, messy triumph.

 

We have yet to visit the Depot for dinner, but it’s on the list.  I have high hopes!  More info at http://www.danksstreetdepot.com.au/

 

We owe this discovery to Hugh, our neighbour and “food-purveyor-to-the-palates-that-matter,” who sources seafood for the Depot.  Thanks Hugh!

Lunch at Tetsuya’s

Yesterday Michael and I had lunch at Tetsuya’s here in Sydney, a restaurant ranked fifth in the world by Restaurant Magazine (just after The French Laundry).  It was a singular meal and our thanks go to the Berenses and the Musils for the recommendation and generous wedding gift that helped to finance the experience.  It’s always nice to dine with benefactors.  *smile*

A bit of background before a presentation of the menu and my impressions of the food.  Tetsuya’s is tucked away on what is otherwise a busy street in Sydney’s downtown CBD.  Once inside, it’s easy to forget you’re in a bustling city.  The two wings of the restaurant overlook a Japanese garden and pond.  The tables are set rather close together for this caliber of dining, but that is certainly the case in restaurants in general here in Sydney, so not entirely surprising.  Tetsuya offers Japanese-influenced modern Australian cuisine using French techniques.

2007 Henschke Joseph Hill Gewurtraminer – Eden Valley, South Australia
sweet corn soup with saffron & vanilla ice cream
raw oysters on the half-shell with ginger & rice wine mignonette
smoked ocean trout tartare with scallop mousse & sevruga caviar
crab & leek custard with parsley oil
blue eye tuna sashimi with shiso blossoms & radish

2005 Pierro Chardonnay – Margaret River, Western Australia
tasmanian ocean trout confit with fennel, konbu, daikon & salmon roe
raviolo of spanner crab & basil tomato vinaigrette
grilled baby barramundi with fennel confit

2006 Felten Road Pinot Noir – Central Otago, New Zealand
roasted duck breast with walnut & orange oil
veal with wasabi butter & tarragon jus
french lentils & comte gruyere
poached white peaches & vodka sorbet
miniature summer pudding
banana mousse & caramel ice cream
chocolate terrine with mascarpone & cognac crème anglaise
espresso

petit fours

 

In my opinion, the stand-out courses were the oysters, the ocean trout confit (Tetsuya’s signature dish), the veal and the chocolate terrine.  These four courses alone would have made for an excellent meal.  The oysters arrived pre-dosed with mignonette and sprinkled with the tiniest chive “micro-dust.”  I cannot imagine how man or machine could produce this volume of impossibly miniscule but impressively consistent cross-cut snipped chives.  I admire that kind of insane dedication.

While the meal overall was exciting and a real pleasure, there were a few courses that, for me, did not make the mark.  The blue-eye tuna sashimi fell a bit short for me.  The tuna was not the sashimi grade fish I expected and the dressing and garnish were not impressive.  Also, I was confused by the decision to have two fish courses of ocean trout in a similar preparation – both essentially raw and with caviar/roe garnish.  Ocean trout is very rich, so to have two courses with similar presentation was a misstep in my mind, especially given that Sydney does not lack for fresh and unusual seafood.  That said, the chocolate terrine was a triumphant finish – a dense, chewy, fudge-like cube of dark chocolate under a crisp cocoa-dusted wafer nestled in a moat of cognac infused crème anglaise – color me happy.

The meal was well-paced.  We were there for three and a half hours, but we never felt bored or rushed.  I will say that the wait staff served courses while diners were up from the table – at our table and others – which is a pet peeve of mine and, I believe, a breach of dining protocol.  In general our servers were knowledgeable and open to questions.

A wonderful way to spend an afternoon in Sydney.  I recommend it to anyone who finds themselves down this way (though reservations, while not impossible to get, should be made well in advance).

Merry Merry

Merry Christmas from Oz! 

Wishing you the merriest and most festive trappings of the season!   

Michael, James and I spent a very relaxed Christmas here in Australia and, with the help of a couple of our American friends (and their chocolate lab, Angus), we managed to eat, drink and be merry despite being far from our families this holiday season.   Happily for us, we are friends with Melinda and Andy, who also live here in Sydney, and happier still, Andy is a more than capable cook and a knowledgeable oenophile and Melinda owns a chocolate fountain.  I can’t think of two people better suited to stage a Christmas celebration.  Unfortunately for Mel and Andy, the most I can say for Michael and myself is that we appreciate these traits in others and are generally easy to get along with.  Andy treated us to a multi-course seafood extravaganza accompanied by copious and artfully selected wines, and Melinda orchestrated a chocolate fountain to cap off the evening.  If you haven’t yet had the privilege of experiencing a chocolate fountain first hand, I strongly encourage you to rectify that oversight at the earliest opportunity.  You just haven’t lived until you’re wrist-deep in chocolate fondue. 

The Sydney weather continues to be uncooperative, so we didn’t get in the beach time we’d planned over the Christmas holiday, but hope springs eternal, so perhaps we’ll see some sunshine on New Year’s Day.  We plan to watch the annual New Year’s Eve fireworks show in the Sydney Harbour, which promises to be quite a spectacle. 

Happy New Year!

Green Reaper No More

For those of you anxiously awaiting an update on the garden, here it is!  The tomatoes are a-reddening and the cucumbers are in blossom.  We truly live in exciting times.

We are rolling out a new feature here on the garden update called “scale,” which should hopefully give you an idea of the actual dimensions of the produce we’re talking about.  Unfortunately, we had a little trouble settling on the right stand-in item for the job.  The dog was not feeling especially cooperative, so that idea was a bust.  We settled on Domokun primarily because he is inanimate and a lot less likely to trample tender shoots and/or eat fledgling fruit.  Of course, you may not be familiar with Domokun and his dimensions, so for present purposes we’ll all just agree that he is approximately 7 inches tall (more info at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domo-kun).

And away we go.

Unfortunately, burgeoning produce is not the only thing flourishing in the garden; there appear to be slugs and other critters that enjoy binging on the fruits of my labors.  Also, the weeds seem to be of some super virulent strain that grows like gangbusters.  But I suppose that gives me something to do with my time.

Maybe we need a garden gnome. 

Or several.

Where’s an El Grullense When You Need One?

Another foray this evening into what Sydneysiders call “Mexican food.”  Another rip-roaring disappointment.  Don’t get me wrong – there is plenty of good food to be found here, but none of it can fairly be called Mexican.  We tried a little place on Oxford Street out at Bondi Junction called “La Fiesta.”  The decor was appropriately festive and there were pinatas hanging from the ceiling, so we thought we’d give it ago.  The most unsettling feature of this place was the crazy prices.  The completely lackluster “beef burrito” I ordered was priced at an ungodly AU$21/US$18.  WTF?  That’s too much for a good burrito and far too much for a bad burrito.  Nevermind that in my current state of need I’d pay $50 for my standard carne asada super burrito from El Grullense.

Seems like it was not so long ago that I was foolishly taking El Grullense (http://www.elgrullensegrill.com) for granted and wondering aloud at the speed at which its franchises were popping up like mushrooms on every street corner in my former neighborhood of Redwood City, California.  Little did I know that I would soon be craving a carne asada super burrito with no relief in sight.  Shame on me.  Shame!  I wonder if El Grullense would consider opening a franchise in Sydney.  They’ve got to have the Bay Area saturated by now.

The good news is there are at least four El Grullense locations between SFO and the South Bay.  Another month to go and I’ll be eating a carne asada super burrito out of each hand!