MANRESA - On the Occasion of My Last Winter Garden

A little over a year ago, I had the privilege of dining at Manresa in Los Gatos.  It was my birthday celebration, and what could possibly be more special than dinner for two in one of the world’s premiere restaurants?

An Imaginative Amuse Bouche

While sitting in the tiny foyer waiting for our table, my glee at glimpsing the kitchen preparing the night’s repast became evident to the well-dressed man who I mistook at that time for the Mâitre d.  He approached and we chatted.  Being a food writer, I asked about the restaurant’s upcoming plans, and he told me that they were building a sort of garden bar, the specifics of which he did not disclose as it was to be something of a surprise.  Polite and informative while holding back any real detail about the planned project that might spoil it’s launch, I found him charming.  I’d met him before, on a previous trip to Manresa, and he was no less gracious on this second occasion, remembering me and addressing me by name.

Grapefruit & Fennel Ceviche of Scallop with Truffle

At some point during the meal, Michael and I (he’d introduced himself by this point) got to talking about the wait staff.  I’d become increasingly transfixed by their orchestrated movements, the way each one always came in one side of the room and left by the other, circling the tables as naturally as water flows downstream.  They were graceful, more graceful than many I’ve seen, and I’ve been to quite a few Michelin-starred establishments.  It appeared to me that they were actually choreographed.  Since I have a theatrical background, I wondered if they were indeed rehearsed in this seamless ebb and flow of perfect service.  I asked Michael if this were the case. He smiled, beaming, clearly proud of the effort and pleased that I had recognized this attention to detail.  I asked him if I might come back and interview them (and him) on the intricacies of their specific routines.  He replied that I would be most welcome to do so.  I wish now that I had managed to find the time to schedule the interview.  The opportunity has passed.

Michael Kean was Manresa’s Manager, but he was more than that.  Losing him, they lost a friend and a presence that cannot be replaced.  Certainly the restaurant will not suffer any lack of attention to detail, nor will it become less than it was, they will see to it that a great talent is brought in to fill the void.  But I felt it important to take a moment to let the world know that anyone who missed out on an evening with Michael Kean, missed something truly remarkable.

He wasn’t just the Manager, he was your host for the evening.  The kindly uncle who politely saw to it that each patron’s experience was something better than flawless, something even bigger than memorable.  I met him only twice, but he knew who I was on that second occasion, and I felt as though the restaurant was open just for me.  That everyone else dining there were guests at my table.   I'm sure all the other guests were made to feel the same way.  And that’s just how Mr. Kean would have wanted it.

Into the Vegetable Garden

At the conclusion of this magnificent meal, Michael asked me if I would like to stop by and visit the Chef in the Kitchen. An invitation to The Inner Sanctum! Of course I said “yes!” faster than a smitten teenager responds when first invited to the prom.  I cannot emphasize enough how lovely the experience was, and how much it was enhanced by Mr. Kean’s smooth management of the environs.  We rarely notice those who manage.  We don't notice because nothing goes wrong. The people who make things run smoothly, who spot problems before they happen, who solve, who labor to protect us from the things that might lessen our adventure protect us from the things that might spoil the moment.  Michael Kean was such a man, more guardian angel than administrator, he cradled you in the warmth of blissful abandon inside the cocoon of experience that is Manresa, until it was time to return to the less than perfect world outside those doors.  It was for me a perfect birthday, in large part, because Michael Kean had made it so.

Don't get me wrong, the meal was remarkable as well.  Chef Kinch is a master of the perfect meal.  We began with petit four of “red pepper-black olive” which was a red bell pepper pâtes de fruits mingled with black olives.  Next up were garden beignets seasoned with a lovely concoction called “vinegar powder.” The wine that was poured to accompany this delectable treat a Bailly La Tiere.

Enchanted Oysters

The oyster, aptly titled “elemental oyster” arrived on a bed of seaside rocks, looking hand sculpted of some beautiful, exotic stone ---  opening to reveal a large and luscious bite of meat.  Salty, seaworthy, the water refrain continued.

Next was a red enamel bowl of raw milk panacotta, and beautifully prepared Monterey Bay abalone, the hint of radish giving the briny dish a bit of earthy balance.  It was followed by a lovely garden green velouté, a sort of soup with Orleans mustard cream, assorted vegetable purees, and a delightful Riesling from Marin County.  The wine pairings are as precise as the feet of the dancing waitstaff.

We savored the scent of house made bread and sampled our Nantucket Bay Scallop Ceviche, delightfully enhanced with grapefruit, fennel & black truffle.  Divine.  As we nibbled we sipped a crisp, refreshing Ryan Chenin Blanc from Monterey, our wine tour of California landing in every major wine-producing port.

The shellfish in bonito butter was a mix of octopus and dungeness crab accompanied by a Cheverney Domain de Sabard Sauvignon Blanc.

One of the highlights of the meal was the next dish an amusing and whimsical salute to the winter “garden” theme of the evening: a platter of warm greens on a bed of faux “dirt” — picturesque and toothsome.  The wine, a Chenin Blanc, Chateau de Pierre.

The garden itself was followed by another bowl of liquid enchantment, the Winter Tidal Pool, warm, inviting and delicious.  The colors somber but the flavors inviting and reinvigorating.  Served with an Arvois red wine from the Jura region.

Sea Bass

After warming us with the soup, we were presented with a lovely serving of black bass, set off with sweet onion and marrow broth, and seasoned with chervil, and smoked lentil.  The next dish a crispy roasted portion of squab, on a bed of carrot, potato and truffle croquettes.  The wine a Sangiovese Pleiades.

As our evening drew to a close, the dishes got richer, each portion a partner in a dance, the music lasting just long enough to tantalize before that particular partner was whisked away to be replaced by another.  Our plates suddenly contained a roast rack of veal prepared tonnato, chilled and drizzled in a sauce of tuna.  The veal atop a mixture of assorted garden cabbage, porcini mushrooms & onion.

Squab

After a moment to breathe and to acknowledge the journey our tastebuds had been on, it was time for a palate cleanser, this time a lychee champagne gelee with lychee ice cream, and a kiss of rose foam.  And then, of course, the elaborate red cheese cart rolled up to the table.  Manresa has a beautiful hand tooled cart, as lovely to look at as the wide variety of cheeses that ride its surface like Cleopatra on her palanquin.  We sampled a Cow’s milk from the Loire valley, that had been aged in abandoned railway tunnels.  It had a beautiful hazelnut and butterscotch quality, the humidity of the tunnels having provided the perfect environment for its maturation.  Next a cheese whose name sounds a bit like “de la vorc” with a similar flavor and texture to a parmegian.  Also a fudgy-textured delight with a nutty profile from the Western Pyranee’s Basque region; a Pireille papillion from Rouillard France (its double buttercream texture holding nuances of truffle and mushroom); a Goat’s milk Cyrus Gouda (the goat’s-milk is produced locally but aged in Holland);  a Cel Courshare, also from the Loire valley.  This cheese has a wood ash rind of blue mold, which makes it tangy with a nice runny interior; Finally a Trepa fuillard robiola – the mix of sheep/cow/goat, mingling to make it firmer than a triple cream.  This kind of world tour of cheeses is one of my favorite parts of any fine-dining experience.

Dessert was light and refreshing, a panacotta of orange, meyer lemon and vanilla ice cream & honey over a light graham cracker “crust.”  Simple, sweet, delectable.

Cheese Cart Magic 

There are many things about that wonderful meal that I have long-since forgotten. Details of presentation and preparation that elude me with the passing of time.  But the experience, the memory that I was warm, and comforted and dining on something like edible magic, that has not dimmed.

As we left, and Michael handed us those lovely envelopes that contain the evening’s menu, my copy thoughtfully signed by each member of the staff with birthday wishes, I had no idea it would be the last time he would do so.  So if you haven’t been to Manresa, or to any other special place you’ve always wanted to experience, don’t wait.  The lesson is, there is always a beautiful experience to be had, but just like live theater, no two shows are ever the same.  I’m glad I was afforded the opportunity to enjoy the Michael Kean experience, and will cherish my memories when I return.

A Sweet Finish

Go to Manresa as soon as you can.  Do not wait.  Life is short and meant to be lived with abandon.  Ask Michael, he’d have told you the same thing.

MANRESA (Los Gatos) ~ It Might As Well Be Spring!

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti

A wonderful sentiment, that. It touches on the essence of what eating with those I care for means to me. A chance to stop and smell the roses, or in this case, the foie gras. Food is a great way to celebrate anything, whether it be something truly momentous like graduation from Law School, or something of seemingly less import, a moment that in its slightness of being might seem trivial. Like simply being alive and in good company. Pavarotti’s words seemed an appropriate way to open this entry.

Parmesan Cheese Sticks

This particular evening found my Better Half and I joined by our Grad Student for a meal at Manresa in Los Gatos. Manresa isn’t just a restaurant. It is a hideaway-of-bliss tucked gently into a small unassuming little brick building in the heart of quaint downtown Los Gatos, California. Manresa is so well hidden, in fact, that one practically needs a knock and a secret code word merely to find the driveway. Fortunately, they are consummate professionals at their craft. So well prepared are they at Manresa that they provide the code word in the form of excellent, if complicated, directions, complete with turn into the driveway at the bank and through the back parking lot. It was like finding a speak easy. None of the first-time diners at Manresa will fail to arrive due to a lack of directions onto the property.

Soft-Boiled Egg
with savory foam

We’d been looking forward to this meal for awhile. The Grad Student had worked very, very hard for three years and a great meal is her favorite payoff. Well, other than a job, and that she had successfully secured. The big day was upon us — she would graduate from Law School the following morning. By noon, she would be a Grad Student no more, but transformed by the conferring of a Juris Doctorate. As a family, we could think of no better form of celebration than to enjoy our favorite pastime — excellent food. In addition to being blissful, Manresa is a Michelin-starred Restaurant. Chef David Kinch, Manresa’s resident genius had just won a James Beard. So the restaurant was at the top of it’s game, feeling its mastery, definitely on a roll. The odds that we were in for a stellar meal with an artful presentation were high indeed.

Our reservations were fairly early evening, about 6:00 ish, since the GS had to be at the venue by 6:30 the following morning. (Don’t get me started on the Powers That Be scheduling a graduation event for 9:00 am in the morning on a Friday). We were graciously escorted to our seats promptly upon arrival, it was a lovely table in a location perfect for absorbing the feng shui. Once we sat, the festivities began almost immediately. First up, an amuse bouche of these serendipitous little Fried Parmesan & Kale sticks. They were this delightfully amusing cross between a super high-end Cheeto and a slightly meatier Cheese Stick. From the time she was old enough to say “cheese sticks” the GS had been ordering Cheese Sticks at just about every restaurant we had ever visited. She’s always been a very big fan of all things cheese.

Monterey Bay Abalone

No surprise then, that she was absolutely thrilled with these cheesy little taste treats. The spin taken by the chef was a good one, as parmesan forms a nice crispy frico as it cools. That salty crunch on the outside of the stick combined with the softer insides made for perfection. If you love cheese, these bites would have thrilled.

Then second Amuse was a soft-boiled egg in the shell. The egg yolk was buttery and delicious, it’s golden pudding topped with a savory cream foam. Another home run.

Japanese Medai

Moments later I am staring down at the most amazing platter of delicate Japanese Medai laced with olive oil and chives. Like butter it melts on the tongue, as good raw fish should. The brine mingled with the seasoned oil to accomplish a complex blend of simple flavors. Excellent.

I followed that with a Monterey Bay Abalone it a broth of its own bouillon, sitting atop a bit of smoked lentil puree. A hint of apple finished the flavor profile. Now I love abalone, so almost any preparation sends me over the moon, but this may have been a round trip. The meat was tender as brie and all flavor. Abalone is a seafood that has to be prepared perfectly to be eaten, or it is little more than salty shoe leather, but if done right, tenderized and buttered, it becomes something like ambrosia, fit only for royalty and kings. (Or queens!)

Roast Porcelet w/ Boudin Noir

The mains we had were varied. We shared so much I’m not sure I remember whose was whose. But I remember the taste of the pork. It was a splendid roast porcelet accompanied with a boudin noir (black boudin sausage), and a mortar sauce of fava beans and mint, with a sprinkling of crispy potatoes. It was rich, moist and delicious. The mint a nice addition to the naturally greasy pork & sausage. We had also the Beef Bavette, a beautiful little trio of perfectly grilled steaks, pink and bloody on the interior and brown and caramelized in its own fat on the exterior. There is nothing quite like biting into perfectly prepared red meat. The juice of its blood with the smoky crunch of the grilled fat blending on your tastebuds — nature’s original flavor profile.

Heavenly Cheese!
Alakazam~!

Ah, but we are not done yet. There was also the Roast Duck. It was roasted in rhubarb and beet, a musty symphony of black trumpet mushrooms in the background, echoing a delicate canticle of the earth, pierced gently from time to time by the acidic punch of the citrus-y orange puree. All these things integrating perfectly together in yet another masterful flavor profile.

And then there was the cheese board. This was unlike any cheese board I have ever partaken of. Not only were the selections vast and varied, the board itself was magnificent. A red-laquered cabinet resembling nothing if not a magician’s cabinet, one would have expected a beautiful, sequin-clad woman to pop out of its depths at any moment. Instead, it opened to reveal all the cheeses one might possibly imagine. We were talked through our selections by the knowledgeable and charming Cheese Meister (is there such a term?). Once we had made our selections he cut lavishly proportioned samplings of all of our favorites. They were just delicious, and they were accompanied by nuts, toasts, dried fruits, fresh honeycomb and tiny little ballet dancers. Okay, maybe not the dancers, but everything else imaginable that compliments the flavors of cheese.

Spring Flower Pot - dessert!

But we’re still not done! At this point we were ready for something sweet, and sweet was to be had. There was actually a dessert on the menu titled “Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans” My heart fluttered, my senses reeled. Could it be? Did they get it? Yes. They did. A sampling of coffee & chicory ice cream, pecan praline, beignets and banana. All the flavors of my favorite place in the world on a platter. Magnificent!!!!

The other desserts were tantalizingly, temptingly and teasingly springlike. One was actually titled a “Spring flowerpot” and as you can see from the picture, it really was a flowerpot of goodness. Can there be any flaw in a dish in which “earth” is replaced with shaved chocolate? I think not! The colors were inspiring and the taste was like eating magic. The final dessert was a Kieffer lime parfait, smothered in the ripe red goodness of Mother’s nature’s kiss, the strawberry.

The flavors were all simple perfection. Bits of natural sugar, citrus and cake. So many combinations of that rainbow. Like a simple bouquet of perfection, as tasty as a newly blooming flower garden is pretty.

The meal was finished off by a lovely little “post” bouche of truffled chocolates. The Grad Student had a pot of the most mezmerizing tea, another play on the flower theme, it literally bloomed before our eyes.  As it was a special occasion, we were graciously invited back to meet Chef Kinch, which was a delight in itself.  I am always honored to be in the presence of an artist, and the modern chefs are the Picassos and Monets of our time.

Tea - Before

The meal was springtime itself, all the promise, all the beauty and color and all the fulfillment. A lot like the Grad Student herself, in the bloom of life, blushing with promise. May things turn out as well for her as that lovely meal did for us. A meal at Manresa will turn any special occasion into a memory worth keeping. Memories are something we can replay over and over again, like a favorite song. This was a song of spring. We can keep those memories to take out anytime in the future, like a pressed rose in a scrapbook, the scent still clinging to the petals. Eyes closed, we breathe in, and all the experiences come floating back.

Definitely check it out. Bon Appetit!

Manresa
320 Village Lane

Los Gatos, CA 95030-7218

Tea After!

(408) 354-4330
http://www.manresarestaurant.com/

Service: perfection
Table Size: ample
Noise Level: intimately quiet