Cafe Campagne @ Seattle, WA

Between allowing this poor effort to languish and my experiments with Zapd, I'm going to try a different format more in keeping with my current eating habits: the short and sweet.

Cafe Campagne
Seattle, WA

I am a frequent offender.

Watch the prices, bill can rack up if you're not watching it. Avoid the bottled sparkling water - steep tag!



Carrot soup with seasoned cumin, a little shallot, and butter to smooth it out. I've hated carrots in all forms up until Cafe Campagne.




Gravlox tartine. Pretty self explanatory and pretty to boot! Can never get enough of quality cold-smoked salmon.




Today's quiche du jour is a shallot and gruyere cheese. I rarely care what the filling is, I always order a slice. I've never had quiche like this anywhere before, where the filling is light and fluffy like steamed eggs.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

CinCin @ Vancouver, BC Canada

http://www.cincin.net/
Serves: Dinner
Cost: $$$
Experience: ^_^
Decor: Comfortable to Fine dining

Pronounced "Chin-chin", this is one of four sister restaurants that I have had the pleasure of visiting, one after the other, over the two weeks I was in Canada; the others being Araxi, Blue Water Cafe, and West.

It is as elegantly beautiful as the others. In spite of this being touted as an "Italian" (though it turns out it is more of an Italian/Mediterranean) restaurant, after perusing the tasting menu, I gave in and decided to try out their 5-course meal. I had not wanted to become too bloated from a pasta-heavy menu, but between the smaller portions and the mix of non-pasta dishes, I hoped that it would not be terribly heavy.



The bread was warm - excellent. Usually my other pet peeve is if the butter is cold and hard, rather than easily spreadable, but they did not provide butter in this case. Instead, there was a small dish of olive oil and what turned out to be a mound of olives in its center. I usually detest olives, but not only am I willing to give anything another try, but I honestly didn't know what they were until after the first bite. It was a bit of a shock - I doubt I've suddenly begun to not-mind, much less love olives in other circumstances, but it turned out to be a surprisingly good combination to my tongue. I nearly polished off one of the little loaves dipping it solely in the mix.



The tastebuds were then prepped with something which, unfortunately, I am not absolutely certain what the contents were except that there was a mention of Japanese eggplant. It had been an unexpected addition, and thus, I had been unprepared to absorb its details (headhangs). Regardless, it was lovely; light, smooth, a perfect mouthful in both size and taste.



It set a great tone for the first course - their house-marinated swordfish. Other than cold-smoked salmon and the occassional herring appetizer, I have never tried any sort of cured fish. Before I had decided on the tasting menu over the prix fixe, I had been tempted to select the garlic soup over the fish, but now am I ecstatic I didn't - if anyone visits Cincin, the swordfish is a must order. Light, citrusy, with a touch of blood oranges to help take the edge off.



Next course was a mushroom ravioli in a gorgonzola cream sauce. I love mushroom ravioli. I love gorgonzola and cream. I was a little apprehensive, though, at the thought of what traditionally is a "heavy" item...but I was surprised at the lightness of the flavor and the food itself. The sauce was more of a light foam, the cream a hint of after-taste rather than a thick soup to flavor the ravioli. I'm a little disappointed that the mushroom filling did not make much of an impression on me, but in the end, I feel that it is better that it blended into the rest of the dish instead of simply over-powering everything else. The crushed nuts added a nice bit of texture - overall, a thumbs up, though thus far, I feel it the least interesting of the offerings.



The arctic char was beautifully prepared - the flesh moist and tender, while the skin had just the right hint of crispness without becoming tough. One thing I was afraid of with fish prepared this way was saltiness - I usually find these things over-salted to my taste. But it was light in this case - just enough to enhance flavor without being overwhelming. Paired along with the slick, chewy nostrano and the clam jus and chervil sauce - another winner.

The next course was "snuck" in by the chef - it was not included on the original menu I had been presented. A creamy polenta, veal cheek, and a mushroom I recognize more from Chinese cooking than Western: the King Oyster mushroom (which is one of my favorites). Oddly, the mushroom had more "body" to it than the veal; not just in texture (a good thing), but in taste too (not quite as good a thing, but nothing I'm crying over either). The veal was falling-apart tender (best preparation I've ever had) compared to the perfectly-cooked firmness of the mushroom, and this unevenness was only punctuated by the veal's relative blandness on the inside...not to say that it was plain. It had a beautifully flavored exterior, and if there had been more sauce or jus available, a little dipping would have made it perfect. I am rather glad that it leaned on this side though, rather than being over-intense...too much flavor often makes me feel too full, and in this case, I could mix the side flavors to help compensate and balance things out. If it had been too heavy on taste, there would have been nothing I could have done except borne it.



Second to last course was lamb prepared two ways; wood fire grilled lamb saddle and a confit shoulder braised in duck jus, on a bed of spinach with three chestnuts. Again, the tenderness was utterly amazing - the chef is absolutely incredible in preparing meats. However, this dish also had the biggest drawback of the meal - I felt the salt was a little too heavy this time. I've noticed that I tend to eat meals that go lighter on the salt now, so maybe I am sensitized more than the average American, but still, I usually prefer subtlety over punch. Between that and my rapidly filling stomach, I decided to forego the last three bites or so (though not without quite some reluctance).

Another mark of an excellent restaurant - as soon as I mentioned the issue of the salt, not only did the waiter ask for details and pass them on, but the restaurant director came by to get the information straight from the proverbial horse's mouth. They really care about the quality of the experience, and are always interested in fine-tuning things along the way. This chance to give feedback, and the sense that my suggestions are being taken seriously for consideration, more than makes up for any slight deviations from excellence any meal makes, which were very few and slight indeed for CinCin.



And the final course: a chocolate with hazelnut ganache succe, tiramisu, passionfruit mousse rolled in a cake layer...and what I think is a gooseberry (which was really fun to eat, because I have never had it but always looked longingly at in the Granville Market fruit displays). The tiramisu was utterly delightful, and who can say no to chocolate and hazelnut, particularly one that was made as dark and smooth as this? Even the passionfruit mousse, I went through the trouble of picking out of its cake layer (I'm not a big fan of cake textures) because it was so good. The gooseberry was a wonderful accent atop all these tastes - I think the next time, regardless of their cost, I really will have to buy a basket of them from the Granville Market.

I think my one biggest disappointment in this culinary adventure was that I didn't have a chance to eat wood-fired pizzas. They are one of my absolute favorites, but they are definitely filling, and I would rather try out all the other menu items first. Another time, perhaps. It will become a contest to see whether I am tempted away again by other entrees the next time I visit, rather than whether I will visit again.

Some closing remarks on the people - not only were they unfailingly holding up the reputation of their restaurant as elegant and professional, but they had exquisite memories. There were no less than three involved in my meal (beyond the kitchen which was preparing the meals themselves, of course), but each and every one remembered and passed the information around when I had half-jokingly mentioned that I was allergic to alcohol and caffeine put me to sleep (to the traditional question at the beginning of the meal of whether I would like anything to drink). Every time there was even a chance that a meal contained alcohol or caffeine in it (such as used in cooking or, as in the case of the desserts, contained in the coffee/chocolate), the restaurant director came around to warn me of what was in the dish and asked whether I would rather substitute something else.

What an absolutely wonderful experience - definitely one I would like to repeat, particularly with some friends towed along.

Aubergine Grill @ Whistler, BC Canada

http://www.westinwhistler.com/itoolkit.asp?pg=AUBERGINE_GRILLE_AND
Serves: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Cost: $$$
Experience: :)
Decor: Comfortable to Fine dining

I have been a complete ski bum this year, and thus find myself still in Whistler 2 weeks later in the season than I thought I would be still indulging in the sport. The Aubergine Grille has received many awards and much attention which you may read all about on their own page - below, I am only going to speak of the dishes that I ordered.

I happened to visit them on the one night when they had a more bistro-type menu instead of one of their fancy dinner arrangements (I also missed their $35 prix fixe dinners - maybe I'll try to catch it tomorrow just before driving back to Vancouver), so the dishes may seem a bit more "ordinary". However, the flavors were solidly balanced and refreshingly subtle (particularly where the salad is concerned) for all that they were more commonly found items.



The dip is a black-bean hummus - the appearance sort of reminded me of black sesame products, with little flecks of black in a lighter background. Though usually I'm not a big fan of black beans, it blended well with the usual hummus taste.



Butter lettuce, a block of goat cheese, organic beets, and roasted shallot vinaigrette. Again, I'm not usually a big fan of beets (at least, in large quantities), but all the flavors on the plate balanced perfectly against each other - a few folds of lettuce, half a wedge of beet stacked atop, with a smear of goat cheese and vinaigrette...utterly delightful. I polished off the whole plate, carefully divvying up the portions so that even the last bite would not lack any particular component.



I love risotto, but find it a little peculiar that it is often offered as a main course all on its own, rather than paired up as a side to some other item, or being paired up with sides in turn. Even for a vegetarian, I think it contains too little variety just by itself to justify a whole dinner based on it alone. Thus, I paired this up with another appetizer which I had been hankering after - the mussels.

The risotto had cubes of squash and whole hazelnuts sprinkled in it. The hazelnuts added a nice scent to some of the bites, but unfortunately, they were quick to grow soft in the heat and dampness when I did not eat them fast enough. The squash added a touch of sweetness, and even when I lumped them into a large spoon-full, did not overpower the taste of the risotto. The risotto's texture was perfect for my mood - just enough body to let me chew on it a bit, while being an over-all cooked-through soft; and thick with sauce that was neither runny or too dry.



The picture of the mussels suffered the most. Between the laptop, camera, phone, various table decorations and 4 large plates; I did not have much room by this point to rearrange settings. (Besides which, I had little patience left to let the food remain sitting there without taste-testing!)

This was the least-surprising dish of all in terms of flavors, but again, they were beautifully prepared. Tender, plump, and juicy; with just a hint of their seafood flavor without being too fishy.

While there may be other restaurants in Whistler which I may prefer to revisit first for the novelty of their dishes and/or ingredients (most notably, Araxi), Aubergine Grill is also solidly on the list of locations which I would be happy to revisit.

The Mint @ Raleigh, NC

http://www.themintrestaurant.com/
Serves: Lunch & Dinner
Cost: $$$
Experience: ^_^
Decor: Fine dining
complete gallery of pictures for The Mint

The Mint was a happy convergence of circumstances when I was visiting my brother in Raleigh, NC over Labor Day weekend. Having been blindsided by some last minute work, I had not had time to set up an itinerary of local activities before the long weekend was already upon us; and so, upon his apartment-mate's suggestion, we went looking for Fayetteville Street for rumored shopping and restaurants.

In order to locate the street, I had googled for a restaurant on Fayetteville while we were en route from Cary, and one of the first links was The Mint. At the time, I had paid little attention to it beyond grabbing its address to map on the iPhone, but once we were there, it boasted one of the few facades besides bank lobbies to leap out and grab my attention. Tantalized by the menu they had posted outside, we decided that we would wile away a few hours elsewhere before returning at 5:30pm for their dinner hours.

We actually returned at 5:10, and in spite of it being before official opening hour and our bedraggled street clothes (my brother and I were both in denim shorts, I in a tank top and flip flops and he in a worn t-shirt and sandals), they greeted us with smiles and impeccable welcome. They offered us the lounge and bar upstairs until they were ready to serve dinner, and I happily took advantage of the opportunity to explore a space that had been prepared in every detail for the evening's customers (but without the customers, yet):


The entrance after the entrance. My brother and I had peered curiously behind the safe door - it's genuine!


The bar upstairs had a beautifully designed lounge area that made me sorry that I don't even drink recreationally. The source of the rich colors at the top come from what looks like banks of red and green LEDs - quite an innovative design.

We eventually wandered back down to the lobby once 5:30 was upon us, and we were immediately seated. Our waiter for the evening, Geoffrey, promptly started us off with the menus and the usual slew of questions on our choice of beverages. Having been walking around in ninety degree weather for the last three hours, it was a welcome break, and the evening only got better from there.

I am an adventurous omnivore, and Geoffrey was an unrepentant accomplice. In promising venues, I like to get as much input from the waitstaff and kitchen as possible (they are a very valuable resource - never forget to take full advantage of them!), and Geoffrey had been more than happy to accommodate with not only input as to his own experiences with the food, but also anecdotes on past menus. (It was unfortunate that my brother and I had eaten a late lunch not too long ago, otherwise I would have taken him up on his suggestion of the tasting menu.) I like to hear and see that the chef is willing to experiment - in ingredients, in preparation, and/or presentation - and from reports thus far, Chef Jeremy Clayman was one of those.

The regular appetizer of poached lobster with popcorn, miso caramel and peanut butter raised my eyebrows. (Geoffrey explained, what goes more naturally with butter than lobster and popcorn?) The stories of some past seasonal ingredients raised them further, such as fiddlehead ferns and kangaroo. (I think it was kangaroo. It was something outrageous which made me wish I had been in the area at the time to try it.) Most of the other menu item descriptions seemed more run-of-the-mill (Geoffrey mentioned that some of their more adventurous creations had not found enough willing palates to remain regular items) but from the restaurant decor to the knowledgeableness of the staff, I was confident enough that we would get a show regardless of what was ordered to select generously from the available dishes.


Our palates were prepped first with this little morsel. I do not recall all the items on it anymore, but I believe pineapple, a shaving of apple, and steelhead roe (fish eggs) were involved.

The appetizers and soup we had ordered - the poached lobster, the foie gras, and the lobster bisque - were carried to us by a procession of no less than three of the waitstaff. It made me sorry that I had been fiddling with the iPhone at the time (getting this specific blog set up, actually) and wasn't able to capture the impressive display of coordination and pomp on camera. I was, at least, fast enough to capture a single snapshot of how our bisque was served to us - from a teapot!

The bisque was quite, quite good - just the right amount of richnesses to make it a proper bisque without it becoming cloying. I let my brother finish most of this one off, though - I was not only interested in more irregular dishes but I did not want to become full too quickly.


As one can see, there is no actual visible popcorn in the poached lobster appetizer. I was told that it was all pureed - and while I might not have caught on as to what exactly that secret ingredient was if I had done a blind taste-test (due to incredulousness), there was a most definite popcorn scent to every bite. Most importantly, it was not intrusive - it was enough of a hint to make me laugh and to excite fond memories of home moviewatching without overpowering the elegance of the dish.


The chef's presentation style continued to impress. While the foie gras I found a little too salty for my tastes (rather than eat it alone as I tend to do in order to savor its richness, I suspect it would have been better if I had taken it with the pain perdu, which was excellent - and thus, the unfortunate first victim of my appetite), the accompanying flavors available upon the plate - from the huckleberry sauce to the bread - were enough for me to make specific comments to Geoffrey the next time he had swung by our table.

For entrees, my brother ordered an off-the-menu special of wagyu, which will hopefully become a regular menu item in the future. (The beef had elecited quite a bit of discussion between myself and Geoffrey - I had never heard of it before - and eventually a visit from the chef himself. Jeremy Clayman was as friendly and approachable as everyone else who staffed the restaurant, and I saw him circulating amongst the other occupied tables to chat with customers after speaking with me. Unfortunately, having been too distracted by his food at the time, I did not ask him about the wagyu which had actually instigated Geoffrey's suggestion that I ask the chef directly. They had me covered though - Geoffrey later came back with a full report on the subject from Jeremy.)

By the way, the meat itself? Incredible. Knife unnecessary. The flavor was rich, without being overly salty or overpowering in taste. (Actually, the taste contained hints that reminded me a little of some Chinese dishes that I am particularly fond of - ones my mother makes for special occasions; definitely not a bad association!) It was originally conceived as an appetizer, but they made it into an entree with a double portion; for which I was glad, because then I was able to steal more than one bite from my brother without feeling too guilty.

As for my own entree, I suggested that the kitchen decide whether I should have the salmon or the trout. I was already feeling full by this point and was interested in something light, and unfortunately, only felt I had enough room for a few bites of the salmon that was suggested before I let my brother finish the rest. After the wagyu, the salmon seemed a little lacking in its own particular stand-out qualities (especially when I was already becoming disinterested in more food), but on its own, it probably would have been quite good. (I think I would have preferred it to be a bit more moist - but on the subject of fish, I am making allowances that I am an avid sushi lover and prefer everything a little more on the moist side, while I have many friends who like their seafood on the done side, rather than be subjected to the fishy melange of the ocean.)



And what meal is complete without a dessert course? Or two. I admit that I am one of those people who can say I am completely stuffed and refuse to take even one more bite of dinner, but always have a little crack left to fit a few bites of dessert (the sweetness helps it down, I swear). Geoffrey swore up and down on the peaches & cream, so of course we ordered one of that. Since I would most likely not be returning to the Raleigh area for at least a year, I decided to be a hedonist and also ordered the espresso cream custard.

Utterly delightful, the both of them. In spite of my fullness, I raced my brother to ensure my full share of both desserts. The peaches & cream were a wonderful contrast of taste and textures; of gentle sweetness with a titillating hint of tanginess, and a creamy texture accented by the entertaining crunch of granola. The espresso cream custard was a perfect cap to the dinner - served in a large cup (a rather fun visual trope as follow-up to the teapot bisque that began the dinner), it had just enough coffee-and-chocolate taste to feel as if I truly have concluded the evening without making me feel like I had grossly over-indulged, or too caffeinated to truly appreciate the post-dinner lethargy. I absolutely loved the crunch of the bean bits sprinkled on top, and finished even the whipped cream (which I usually eschew due to heaviness of flavor, but which was satisfyingly light here).

All in all, I would count The Mint one of the great assets of Raleigh. I cannot say that I have spent as thorough an exploration of the city's local offerings as in other areas of the country, but I had made two week-long visits previously without encountering anything that even approached this level of presentation and experience. The final bill was high (considering all that we ate and what we ate), but I did not find it any higher than I would have expected from any other restaurant of this calibre. In conclusion, this is now one of the locations that I have on my list of "must-return-to" when visiting Raleigh.

(A very big thank you to Geoffrey, who helped coordinate a wonderful experience.)

complete gallery of pictures for The Mint