Vacations are tricky-like; a week sounds like more than enough time to do anything you'd need to do.
Unfortunately, as far as I like to push my tapeworm, there are a finite number of meals that a gal and her trusty BFF can pleasurably consume in 6 days.
So we judiciously pared some of my overzealous Open Table reservations to give the heavyweights the GI space and focus they deserved: Enter Chez Panisse Cafe.
Like any devoted chowhound, I'd read about green goddess Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, and am a big fan of her Edible Schoolyard program, where urban kids are given an opportunity to grow and cook their own food. As soon as our flight to San Francisco was confirmed, I was on the phone to pin down a reservation at the more casual cafe, on the second floor of Chez Panisse proper.
After almost getting smeared across the Bay Bridge by a speeding Red Prius (THANK YOU, SF!) dinner at the cozy, warmly lit cafe was particularly comforting.
As we were lead upstairs and seated, we took in the highly-polished copper panels, the closely-quartered dinners flattered by yellow tint, all I could think was--this is like a tree house for adults! (In a good way!) Intimate and welcoming, the room felt like a shared secret.
I started with the Sweet Corn Soup with Zucchini Flower Butter:
Tasty, but very...vegetal. Being a Dairy Ho, I would have liked a spot of cream, or maybe some crumbled blue cheese, but I can understand and respect if they were going for unadulterated, fresh-produce tones.
Max won the Unspoken Ordering Contest (Category: Appetizer) with his Morel Mushroom Pizzetta:
Earthy, oozy, good crust integrity: WINNER! Max: 1, EF: 0.
Onto entrées; I ordered the Chicken Paillard with Sautéed Porcini Mushrooms, Crispy Frites and Green Beans:
Again, it was good: The flavors were clean and simple, the items well-prepared...but I was my own worst enemy on this one. I suffer from deeply entrenched chicken remorse. I should NEVER order chicken, because it's never what I really want, and two bites in, I always find myself longing after the lamb or duck item I'd glossed over--this time was no exception. POOP.
Max went with the Hand-Cut Pappardelle with Tomatoes, Basil and Artisan Ricotta:
Deliciously summer-appropo, reeking of freshness, but I didn't find myself consumed in covetous greed, so we'll call this round a draw; Max: 1, EF: 0.
Dessert...I was TORN when I saw a Bourbon Pecan ice cream lurking on the short list, but I'd remembered a recent sample of the legendary peaches at the Frog Hollow Farm storefront in the Ferry Building, so I went with the Frog Hollow Farm Cherry Tart with Ice Cream:
She doesn't look like much, and I've never been partial to cherry pies and the like, but this tart was exceptional. The crust was the textbook example of what tart crust is supposed to be: Wafer-thin, buttery, yieldingly flaky. (No bottom-half pie crust here!) The cherries were sweet, tart, plump and tasted darkly of caramelized juices. I was floored.
Max's dessert, Angel Food Cake with Macerated Berries and Crème Fraîche, was no slouch either:
'Twas like an assemble-as-you-go shortcake...appealing, but it seemed like the perky-kid sister of my sultry duchess of a tart.
Final score: Max:1, EF: 1.
Natch...everybody wins!
If you ever find yourself approaching the Berkeley area, do yourself a favor--get on the phone, and try to snag yourself a table. Hell, if you're feeling flush, get yourself a seat downstairs, where the grownups eat! You'll be treated to a good meal, and a reassuring bit of context for the current wave of minimalist localvore fervor...with none of the uppity fuss.
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Chez Panisse Cafe
(2nd floor of Chez Panisse)
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, California 94709
Reservation Policy
Café Reservations: (510) 548-5049
Restaurant Reservations: (510) 548-5525
Recommendations: A moot point, as the menu changes daily...take a minute to listen to your gut, and go with it (i.e. don't order chicken if you don't WANT chicken).
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