One Good Meal

In an earlier posting, I mentioned our dinner at L'Auberge in Carmel. It was easily one of the best meals we've had (on par with Georges at the Cove in La Jolla, CA and Jean Georges in NYC).

I think afterwards I said: "Man, this place makes Charlie Trotter's look like Joe's Crab Shack."

It was so ridiculously indulgent that it reminded us of the over-the-topness of The Onion's Smoove B, like "the very finest chocolates in the world, etc." Seriously, read the menu below. It was good but when you step outside yourself, it sounds over-the-top.

Everything was first-rate from the intimate setting (about 12 people) to the exceptional service to the glass of Prinz Riesling and the outstanding food. We had the 10-course tasting menu, which included:

-Three different kinds of butter; three kinds of salts; and olive oil for dipping a variety of freshly baked breads
-Bacalao Croquette
-A three-part meal consisting of a bloody mary shot, a prawn, and an oyster
-Tuna tar tar (with white asparagus, chorizo and fennel)
-Spring pea Soup poured over tapioca, orange segments and scallops
-Poached fish with squash, verts, asparagus and chamomile emulsion
-Duck served with ravioli filled with duck-mousse, porcini mushrooms and applewood smoked bacon
-24-hour braised short-rib served with Hudson Valley foie gras
-A cheese selection with a unique pairing for each of the four types; served with walnut-raisin bread
-Berry cocktail with champagne sabayon and mascarpone sorbet
-Saturn peaches en croute (peche de vigne and honey ice cream)
-Banana flavored chocolate truffle

As we were departing, the waitstaff stopped us and had us meet the chef. We thanked and complimented him on the meal and found out that he was from Scarsdale, NY and was familiar with Park Slope, Brooklyn.

It was a phenomenal dining experience.