April 4, 2014 ~
Jeremy and I enjoyed dinner at Michael Warring in Vallejo, CA.
Yes, Vallejo.
This was our second experience with Michael Warring. His website says that Michael’s intent was to establish a restaurant that would provide an emotional experience. The emotion I experienced was giddiness. I smiled and giggled with delight as each morsel was prepared and served to us. The only thing more enjoyable than watching Michael create his art is eating his divine creations.
Michael’s kitchen is the stage at the heart of the restaurant making the seven counter seats the best in the house. Michael plates each dish with great care (and big tweezers) so that each creation is a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
Every dish was divine, but it’s quite possible that this was my favorite of the evening. The cardamom “soil” and the flavor of those mushrooms made my mouth HAPPY.
The hamachi course won the award for prettiest dish served AND it was mind-blowingly sumptuous. (Mind. Blown.)
I love polenta. This was the best polenta I ever ate with the MOST delicious yolk! It was just an egg yolk! HOW did he make it taste like heaven?
Michael and Ali plating the main course.
The FLAVOR!! OMG. Absolutely does NOT taste anything like chicken. (The texture was a bit like slow roasted pork loin.) Confit of guinea hen was deboned, wrapped in a sausage casing and poached to temperature before being (uncased) floured and fried. Pure ambrosia! Food for the gods.
The presentation of every dish is so much fun here! The vapors in the above photo emanate from the English cream frozen with liquid nitrogen.
Salted caramel and frozen anglaise are mounded atop a little french toast. The marriage of sweet and salty, mixed with piping hot and freezing cold, combined with mingled textures of oven-crisped bread and frozen English cream that crackles then melts on the tongue, all meld to create a perfect denouement to an extraordinary dining experience.
Can you tell I’m a foodie? Sorry if I’m gushing, but I do get emotional about truly great food. I simply could not stop smiling and giggling while we sat at the counter last night.
Another diner and I agreed that it could not be considered rude to lick the plates. And Michael got very excited when he told us of his plans to add a cheese course to the menu later this spring! (May have to make reservations to go back for my birthday.) Foodies are in good company here!
Well done Michael Warring! The emotional experience you provided was consummate. Delightful. Entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable.
Ali is a gracious hostess. Michael is a gifted artist. The Michael Warring experience is a feast for the senses. There are only 16 seats available and they stay busy, so make reservations! Oh, and the after dinner “mint”? Truffles from La Forêt in Napa. Seriously world-class chocolates.
When was your last divine culinary experience that moved you emotionally?
Our drive home was equally sublime. The hills are rolling spring-green across Hiddenbrook right now and the setting sun painted the sky in glorious shades of awe.