CYRUS - Of all the Restaurants in all the world....

The Magic Begins...

Ilsa: I wasn't sure you were the same. Let's see, the last time we met... 
Rick: Was La Belle Aurore.
Ilsa: How nice, you remembered. But of course, that was the day the Germans marched into Paris.
Rick: Not an easy day to forget.
Ilsa: No.
Rick: I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue.


HERE’S THINKING OF YOU KID

I recently learned that a favorite restaurant of mine, Cyrus, is closing its doors at the end of October.  Maybe this will be a temporary hiatus for the talented crew of this magical establishment.  Maybe it is just for now, but there is no immediate plan for relocation.  Certainly the gold-washed walls beneath the perfect mini-cathedral arches shaped just so will no longer house Douglas Keane and crew.  The massive wooden bar that is the first thing one sees upon entering the hall will no longer be where I sit and playfully interrogate the knowledgeable bartenders as to the merits of all forms of crystal tequila to enhance my personal education.  Cyrus, a place I have grown to love beyond reason, will, in this particular iteration, be gone forever.

The very special restaurants (and people behind them) that find their way into our hearts by taking us places we’ve never traveled before, can develop connections with their customers that become deeply personal.  This is particularly true when the occasions spent within their walls are ones as momentous as the anniversary of the date on which you pledged your troth to another human being until the end of time.  Those moments become the touchstones of our lives, and the surroundings are carried in the memories.  Precious and permanent.  Whenever we conjure up the memory, we cannot help but picture ourselves in the surroundings where that memory was born.

My husband and I went to Cyrus. And we fell in love. With the food, with the decor, with the people who run it, and a little bit more with each other.  And now it will be gone.

Caviar,
Egg,
Powdered Creme Fraiche
Blini

Rick: Don't you sometimes wonder if it's worth all this? I mean what you're fighting for.
Victor Laszlo: You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.
Rick: Well, what of it? It'll be out of its misery. 
Victor Laszlo: You know how you sound, Mr. Blaine? Like a man who's trying to convince himself of something he doesn't believe in his heart. 

THE USUAL SUSPECTS

Douglas Keane and Company have been fighting a battle with their landlord for years, almost since they opened the doors to this intimate little jewel in the sleepy California town of Healdsburg.  For reasons known only to them, they have finally given up that battle against the forces that have for so long wanted them gone. They have decided that it is no longer worth the soul-sucking battle and sleepless nights to remain in a location that is hostile, though they had over a decade remaining on their lease. This saddens me, both because these people are delightful, and what they made of the place was remarkable, and also because in my own small way, I felt I was part of the battle.  A cheerleader on the sidelines, but invested in their continued success.  It was their destiny to continue, as it was mine to enjoy the fruit of their labors.  So I am left with what feels like a destiny thwarted.

Egg & Noodles

Rick: [scoffs] You understand how I feel. How long was it we had, honey? 
Ilsa: [on the verge of tears] I didn't count the days. 
Rick: Well, I did. Every one of 'em. Mostly I remember the last one. The wow finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face because his insides have been kicked out.
Ilsa: Can I tell you a story, Rick? 
Rick: Has it got a wow finish? 
Ilsa: I don't know the finish yet. 

THE END OF A BEAUTIFUL FRIENDSHIP?

It’s never easy to accept an ending. I’ve never been good at it, and though I have lost my share of beloved eateries in my day, this is a particularly hard one to take.  I know that when one lives long enough this is going to happen occasionally, but it has never happened to a place as vital as Cyrus.  It feels as though it would have been easier to accept if they were at the end of their journey instead of so close to the beginning.  But as much trouble as I’m having, I have to assume it has been a much more challenging journey for the staff who have poured their lifeblood and creativity into the fruition of this magnificent establishment.  But I also know them to be passionate people, who have to have thought a lot about this decision before choosing to pack up their kitchen.  I don’t know how they are handling it internally, but I’m sure it’s with the grace and aplomb with which they do everything else.  As for me, I’m still stuck in one of the early stages of grief.  Denial.  And I’m acting out by returning in October for a last meal.

Certainly our most recent meal was enough to inspire anyone’s life-long dedication.  We began with the caviar tasting. Mounds of tiny little briny eggs atop these incredible house baked blinis.  Amuse after amuse, follow by an incredible salmon (for my husband the fish lover) and a chicken for me.  By the time the chicken rolled around I’d eaten so much that for the first (and I hope last) time ever I couldn’t finish my main course. It was so good I didn’t want to stop but there comes a point when a girl knows she’s met her match.  Another reason to go back.  Well, that and the amazing flavors.  Douglas Keane’s menus are a thing of wonder and beauty.

Cold Soup "Salad"

Rick: Tell me, who was it you left me for? Was it Laszlo, or were there others in between? Or - aren't you the kind that tells? 

AS TIME GOES BY

In spite of the news of the imminent extinction of this magnificent place (or maybe because of it), I decided to write about our most recent meal at Cyrus.  To celebrate the perfect night.  It will be perfect in my memory, no matter what comes afterwards, because when we ate there that blissful June night, we had no idea of what was to come.  Anything was still possible.  We could imagine returning year after year to celebrate our special day with these wonderful people in those beautiful surroundings.  I will continue to imagine it until they make a return.

I believe in the culinary skills of Chef Keane and Company.  And because I do, I don’t believe this will be the final chapter in their story.  Maybe you’ll think I’m in denial, but I think they will be back, and they will be better than ever.  In October, after the final diners have finished their meals and paid their checks, I imagine Doug and Nick walking off into the fog together.  They will figure it out.  And while they do, I will continue to dream of my next meal at their table.  I will wait, if not patiently, for a reunion.  I’m guessing I won’t be alone.  From my perspective, this has been, and will continue to be, the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  So check it out, if you can, before October brings the run of this magnificent establishment to a close.  And don’t forget to ask Nick to pour the good brandy.

CYRUS Healdsburg
(until 10/31/12): 29 North Street, Healdsburg

Moist roast chicken, skin crisped to perfection
sits atop a bed of greens

(after 11/1/12) coming to a theater near you...*
 *the Cyrus name and brand have retained by Douglas Keane & Nick Peyton

FIFTH FLOOR - Foie Fest 2011 “Twitter” pated by Chef David Bazirgan

Every once in awhile the stars align to bring with them an opportunity.  As it so happens, astral chance provided one such gift to my lovely little family over the holidays.  I must say that we took full advantage of it.

Heavenly Oyster

Twitter is an unusually chaotic form of communicating, but the connections that “tweeting” can form between members various groups of similarly interested people is impressive.  For some, the spontaneous voice it fosters can lead one to trouble, for others it can lead to delightful opportunity.  It’s all about thinking before you tweet, people.  Careless words can fly out into the Twitter-sphere to linger, haunting one with missteps.  But a thoughtful query can reward us with a new form of genuine human connection.  Some people might toss off a tweet as casually as a hat flies onto a coat rack; but my advice would be to pay a bit more attention.  Remember that what is made public remains so in perpetuity.  Our comments often land with unexpected affect, especially in the Land of Twitter.

In my case, a particular Twitter conversation between myself and @theDapperDiner, a fellow foodie particularly astute in where to find great dining, led to the most wondrous of offerings. I’d thrown him a challenge: find me a resto where my daughter could have some yummy foie over her Christmas holiday in the States.  Visiting from Rome, Italy, she was in the mood for loads and loads of the soon-to-be-banned substance.  @TheDapperDiner responded quickly to my query, mentioning several possibilities.  Among his suggestions were Lafitte’s on the Marina and Fifth Floor.  As the discussion progressed, @bazsf  (aka FF’s New Executive Chef, David Bazirgan) jumped into our twitter thread with an offer to prepare a 12-course Foie Dinner for me and mine.  After pinching myself heartily in disbelief at receiving such a generous offer, I discovered I was indeed, awake.  So before he had time to reconsider, I responded with an enthusiastic Yes!  It was on...

The Untweeted Course, Part One:
Seared Foie Gras

The Untweeted Course, Part Deux
(Terrine of Foie Gras with Toast)

A few weeks later, in the dark, wintry cold of California December in San Francisco, we arrived at Fifth Floor.  The wait staff appeared green with envy at what we were about to enjoy, mentioning that Chef Baz had been laboring intently over various ways to present the delicacy to his guests.  (Pinch self again, at being the actual “guests”)  Chef had, indeed, worked up an imaginative and unusual tasting menu that began with an apple cider concoction and ended with foie ice cream and cake!  All but one course featuring foie gras (Chef Baz in his wisdom opting to omit the foie from the palate cleanser).

After the cocktails were brought out by the waitstaff, I looked up to hear the next course presented and did a movie-worthy double take.  I was dumbfounded to see that we were being served by Bazirgan himself.  That delightful gesture was a thread throughout the evening and I was thrilled.  I like to think it was because I’m special, but in reality, he’d just worked up the menu, and may have been the only one he felt could describe his preparations correctly.  Whatever his reasons, it made for a very special evening, indeed.   We felt like a thrilling combination of family and the judges on Iron Chef, as he showered us with the fruits of his labors.  As it happens, Chef Bazirgan live-tweeted the event, so rather than my feeble attempt at reciting the menu, let’s recap in the Chef’s own words:

Tweet one:
@bazsf (david bazirgan)
Aperitif , foie gras hot toddy http://pic.twitter.com/w93rO5ey

Nantucket Bay Scallops

An imaginative cocktail that tasted of apple and a hint of buttery foie, it was intriguingly flavored, its heat nicely warming any lingering chill from our brisk walk in the December cold.  The fatty richness of the foie was nicely offset by the spices in the beverage. The cocktail reminded me a bit of an apple pie that had been subtly laced with bacon, but the flavor profile was a bit more elegant and complicated than my clumsy description might suggest.  It was a lovely way to begin a meal held in the frigid heart of winter.

Tweet two:
@bazsf (david bazirgan) 
First course , island creek oyster, bearnaise glacage, grated foie, grey mullet bottarga http://pic.twitter.com/8k8OYLp3  

Chef Baz prepared each of us a blissful oyster, still in the shell and presented appetizingly on tiny plates, cuddled in their shells and bathing in a blanket of foie-flavored goodness.   These single bites of delectable perfection glided creamily over the palate. The perfect opener for our delectable adventure.

Tweet three:
@bazsf (david bazirgan) 
2nd course; winter harvest, foie mousse , pomegranate gastrique , za'atar , walnut http://pic.twitter.com/zG8kScmX 

 This leafy salad of bitter greens, was crisp and refreshing after the rich and creamy oyster. The wonderfully acidic gastrique of pomegranate, the nutty sesame of the za’atar and walnut all blending into a rewarding flavor profile.  And we can’t forget the foie gras mousse.  Another hit... what could be next?



Pheasant Roulade



Tweet four:

@bazsf (david bazirgan)   

3rd course Nantucket bays, blood orange gel, sea cress, Vin Jaune foie monte , satsuma http://pic.twitter.com/aC8yf1jc 

The tiny Bay scallops were perfectly cooked.  The tiny buds of briny fish were complimented beautifully by the richness of the foie, and the acid of the various citrus components added up to culinary magic.

Tweet five:

@bazsf (david bazirgan) 



4th course Pheasant roulade, prune, candy caps, crosnes, purple mustard greens, squash gnocchi @FoodAprecianado need a picture posted! 



The pheasant was mad good!  Rolls of beautifully prepared roulade covered in jus, the greens and the squash another perfect balance.  I love a well done bird, and this concoction was particularly toothsome, blending blissfully with the hint of fruit in the prunes... and the tiny gnocchi were killer.



Venison



Tweet six:

@bazsf (david bazirgan)

5th course Venison Loin, grains of paradise, celeriac, foie powder/espuma , chestnut, pain d'epices http://pic.twitter.com/yoHkAX6X

Venison carries with it the flavors of the hunt.  The meat’s natural flavor is almost spicy, the elements of the forest the animal consumes forming in alchemic fashion flavors that have always reminded me vaguely of cinnamon.  The venison in this dish was so moist that its natural juices melted into a lovely gravy, enhanced by the requisite foie in the foamy espuma.  The toasted slice of nut-crusted pain d’epices providing a lovely textured crunch against the toothsome slices of  meat.  We were getting full, but that’s never stopped us before!

Tweet seven:
@bazsf (david bazirgan)
Dessert ; foie GRAS ice cream lolli, cotton candy, yuzu/ foie gras cake foie gras buttercream , yuzu mousse,Francis Ang http://pic.twitter.com/gSMCx5ey



Foie Cotton Candy

 The first of these two dessert treats was a lovely cotton candy dish that was both light as air and fantastically plated.  The second was a tiny little cake made with, you guessed it, foie gras.  It was rich but not overly sweet, which was good because by this point we were near to bursting.  The two desserts were topped off by a platter of fruit gelatins or pate de fruits.  Tiny, succulent sugary treats to conclude a magnificent feast.

As I recount an evening filled with such delicacies, I can’t help but think of the impending ban of foie gras that will hit California this July.  Spear-headed by vegetarian/vegan zealots, and mast-headed by several well meaning celebrities, it is a short-sighted and outrageously misplaced law.  I respect those who choose not to consume animal proteins, but resent the desire others seem to have to impose their own morality on those around them.  The subject is less a debate about the alleged cruelty of foie gras production than it is about the almost religious posturing of people who believe the consumption of any animal protein is immoral. The anti-foie group would outlaw any meat if they could, foie is simply the easiest target because it is a small industry without high- profile lobbyists and a history that is too easily misrepresented or misunderstood.  Much of the horrific facts that are presented as truth are, in reality, a fairytale.

Foie Cake

Some online resources to better inform the diner:

http://www.artisanfoiegras.com/about/

http://incanto.biz/2009/02/01/shock-foie/

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMA5J3gfxNQ&feature=player_embedded
http://www.zesterdaily.com/zester-soapbox-articles/1173-don’t-ban-foie-gras
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/16/us/in-california-going-all-out-to-bid-adieu-to-foie-gras.html
http://la.eater.com/archives/2011/10/17/local_chefs_rally_to_keep_foie_gras_legal_in_ca.php
http://restauranteugene.blogspot.com/2011/07/foie-gras-our-story.html

SIGN THE PETITION TO STOP THE BAN: http://artisanfarmers.org/

To say that this was an unusual and imaginative journey in food preparation would be an understatement.  Chef Bazirgan was on a mission to create, to amaze and to entertain and he succeeded brilliantly.  When I thanked him via Twitter, he responded with

@bazsf (david bazirgan)
@FoodAprecianado Right on, So stoked to cook with that much foie , you are much appreciated!!!

What a host!  My recommendation?  Stop by Fifth Floor, Bazirgan is as talented as he is easy on the eyes.  Check it out, make a memory of your own.

Fifth Floor Restaurant
(Within the Hotel Palomar)
12 Fourth Street
San Francisco , CA 94103
Phone: 415.348.1555
www.fifthfloorrestaurant.com
@bazsf

ATELIER CRENN: An Evening of Art and Alchemy

Opening Notes, Foie & Pumpkin caviar...

Some people are born possessed of a boundless desire to make beautiful things and to share that beauty with the world around them.  It is how they communicate.  I have always identified myself as an artist.  When I was younger I envisioned my future self living in a dark and barren garret, filling canvas after canvas with mood, beauty and emotions — my world view would be realized in oil paint.  I imagined I would sell these paintings to earn my way in the world.  I took every class offered in high school and applied to be accepted at what was then the California College of Arts & Crafts.  For a young painter, it seemed the Julliard of its time.  Though I was accepted, I never made it to art school.  When it came time to put down the deposit, my father casually informed me that he could no longer afford it.  He’d paid an overdue bar tab with the monies in a trust account reserved for my tuition.  Visions of my garret faded as life took me on another journey.

Crackling fish skin
and bits of caviar

Although my imagined successes in art school failed to materialize, the need to express myself artistically never diminished.   I continued to interpret life via my muse, and the mission to create  tangible beauty fueled many youthful decisions. It shaped who I became.  Born with an artist’s brain, I struggled with math, yet could focus for hours on a pencil sketch in an attempt to capture the shadowed minutia of a human hand; the gentle slope at the nape of a neck.  A free-spirited child of the seventies, the only college classes I never missed were art-related.

A tiny bubble of chocolate,
more fragile than an eggshell,
meant to be lifted to the mouth
where it exploded in a burst
of liquid ambrosia
spilling across the palate

Once I started working there was less time for painting, but I always managed to find some outlet, eventually becoming a professional designer of theatrical costume.  Manipulating the fluid and dramatic lines of fabrics and millinery to enhance an actor’s performance on the stage was a rewarding pursuit indeed.  There were moments of personal and professional triumph that will last me a lifetime.  Before retiring several years ago, I was fortunate to find myself mentoring the next generation of talented young designers.  Watching these gifted young women flourish as they expressed themselves in the creation of beauty was inspirational.  We experimented together.  We shared successes and failures.  We grew.  We spoke the language of art, and it was good.

Unable to live a life absent some artistic endeavor, I now use language.  My labor of love is to craft a sentence precisely, to capture the essence of the emotional flavor of everything I experience,  and to share that joy with others.  There is no success greater than having made the effort.  No matter the medium, the process of translating life to art has always felt familiar, coming to me as naturally as I breathe.  I am connected to it, and it to me.

The infamous Foie Gras Log.  Nuff said

When I stepped into Atelier Crenn in San Francisco for a holiday meal with my visiting daughter, the Wandering Lawyer,  I was flooded with a palpable sense of connection to Chef Dominique Crenn's sensibilities.  It was clear we shared a kindred spirit.   Atelier is French for “workshop,” but I believe its usage in this context more closely resembles what we would term an “art studio”.  Her father was an artist, his Atelier Papa Crenn providing the inspiration for the name of her own establishment, which is decorated throughout its minimalist interior with an artist’s eye for detail.  The furnishings are precise, there is no doubt that a great deal of thought went into its layout. Sprinkled with sleek, amber tables whose wood glows beside soft green walls, the back wall is glass and provides a view into the kitchen, where Chef Crenn can be seen darting about, working her magic.  Occasionally one can hear a vibrant voice shout something in French.  The frenetic activity behind the glass is mesmerizing.    The restaurant manages to be clean and modern without being cold or dispassionate.  One wall is lined with elaborate lamps, sconce-less crystal spirals in appearance more fuse than lightbulb—  they are intriguingly beautiful.  There are personal touches— a small oil painting of a sailboat that hung on the wall just by our table.  Signed only “D. Crenn, 1973.”

Magic Mushrooms.  Flavors varied from woodsy
to something perhaps reminiscent of marshmallow
then to an herbal acidity... mind-boggling
in its complexity

I recognized something of myself in that simple little painting.  I have small canvases tucked away in corners of my home, recalling a time when I sat in my mother’s house and created for creation’s sake.  It is easy to imagine a young Dominique standing at an easel in her father’s atelier, painting to pass the time, sharing a passion with a parent.  My mother was a painter.  That’s how it starts.  If one is inclined, any exposure to art leads to that self-awareness: the knowledge that this is what one was born to do.  Starting a fire that burns for a lifetime.  I smiled in the realization that she’d been born to it, too.

The Alchemy Machine
prepares a warm concoction
of cinnamon and citrus

That Chef Crenn’s world view is that of an artist is unmistakable in everything she does. Throughout our meal we were presented with one remarkably expressive dish after another, each stunningly beautiful.  It was December, so her visuals on this visit recreated a lengthy foray into a dark and wint’ry forest.  My palate was tantalized as the various combinations of flavor danced on my tongue, daring me to experience them, to give myself over and succumb entirely.  Often these flavors seemed to me to defy any single identity of taste.  A plate of mushrooms, tasted at one moment of umami and earth; the next bite of the same dish gently sweet and effervescent.  It was a little like listening to a carefully orchestrated piece of music, the melody pleasing to all but each of us hearing a slightly different song.  Sirens performing variations on a forest.

Chef Crenn succeeds on a grand scale.  The thoughtfulness in her dishes dares her diners to travel down that forest road beside her.  I could hear the wind in the trees.  I felt the roar of a campfire.  I experienced this meal with a sense of wonder, at her almost alchemic skill with ingredients.  Maybe her mushrooms were, indeed, magic.

Re-purposed Pear... in appearance a faux fruit,
in taste a heavenly ice cream
in a bed of powdery goodness

Her website says it beautifully: “Atelier Crenn, a painting.  An empty white canvas.  With tools... a brush, paint and a vision, creativity is given its breath.  Here from this place, the artist can suggest emotions.  A lasting moment from childhood... little drawers of heartbeats.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Go.  Treat yourself to an experience that will last a lifetime.  For myself, I can’t wait to see where she’ll take her diners in the Spring.  A budding garden?  The French countryside?  Wherever it will be, it will be an adventure not to be missed.

Atelier Crenn - Poetic Culinaria
3127 Fillmore
San Francisco, CA
415-440-0460

Note: Parking is non-existent, so the restaurant shares valet services with the Balboa Café at Filbert and Fillmore for $16.

Service: Excellent
Noise level: Perfect for conversation
Price: $125/pp for pris fixe - excluding wine