"Well, I love food, most all food actually. I'm sort of what you would call a foodie. I like gourmet food. Does that help?"
I look back on this conversation now and wonder how he could have possibly narrowed down my taste preferences with the vague information I'd provided him. But when he started dropping words like "local ingredients" and "fresh" when describing Bouchon, I knew I was going to like the place.
My husband and I were paying our first visit to Santa Barbara and, because it was our first weekend away from our 14 month old daughter, we'd planned an extravagant night away at a local hotel. We'd spent the day in the Santa Ynez wine country, sampling some incredible wines. I don't know if we just got lucky and picked the best vineyards in the area or if all the wines from this region are just that good. At Beckman Vineyards, we were able to sample a Grenache that was served to President Obama and his guests at a recent White House State Dinner. It wasn't until I asked the tasting room staff what foods one might pair with the Grenache that I unearthed this information. Apparently it had been served with an Indian curry dish. I've always had a hard time determining what to serve with Indian food but I'll be this wine would be a delightful match!
After checking into our hotel and pretending like we have far more money than we actually do, we walked the few blocks down State St to Bouchon. We were initially offered a seat inside but requested to sit outside on the covered patio, which was romantically lit with cobweb-covered chandeliers and heat lamps. We were provided bread and a small porcelain dish of parsley butter which we devoured almost the instant it was laid before us. I'd briefly perused their menu earlier in the day, just to make sure I liked what I saw but it still took me just as long as usual to decide what I wanted. We opted to order a few different course and share them; this tends to be our dining style.
We started with Tutti Frutti Farm's Heirloom Tomato Stack: "heirloom tomatoes, pickled shallots, Purple Haze goat cheese, teardrop tomatoes, heirloom basil, balsamic and tomato oil." Our waiter kindly split the salad onto two plates for us and still, each of us had a healthy portion. The heirloom tomato slices were huge and thickly-sliced; we cut into them like steak, the syrupy balsamic oil their perfect compliment.
Next we ordered the savory Hudson Valley Foie Gras preparation: "porcini and chicken confit fricassee, pearl onions and red wine jus." It cost us a pretty penny but was worth every cent! Never have I encountered a foie gras that I haven't loved. Knowing that the restaurant's mission was to use ingredients that are "as-fresh-and-local-as-possible," we wondered about the origin of the foie gras. Are there foie gras producers in the states? Our waiter informed us that they used to import their foie gras from France but have since found some producers here in the states.
We had a hard time selecting a main course as none of them jumped out at us. Our waiter recommended the Bourbon and Maple-Glazed California Duck Breast which is the restaurant's signature dish: "duck confit, thyme-infused jus, succotash of corn, fava beans, applewood smoked bacon and windrose farms butternut squash." I'd had duck on salads while in France but was unsure whether I'd love it as a main course. We were not disappointed! I may have mistaken the breast portion, which arrived sliced and fanned out across the plate, for beef. It was so tender I could cut it with my fork. The meat on the bone was a little more stringy, like pulled pork, but was my husband's favorite.
Throughout the meal we sipped the '08 Costa de Oro Pinot Noir by Santa Maria Valley, probably the best pinot I've ever tasted. We were planning to order the Grenache that our menu suggested pairing with the foie gras but our waiter convinced us this Pinot would be a better complement to the rest of our courses. He brought us a taste, we loved it and so ordered two glasses, not knowing what kind of hole it would leave in our pocketbook. We figured that, like a good waiter should, he'd pulled a fast one on us and served us the most expensive glasses in house. But after enjoying an incredible meal with a perfectly-paired wine (turns out there were 4 more expensive on the wine list), I'm pretty sure his only goal was to create satisfied customers. If ever I find myself back in Santa Barbara, count on another meal at Bouchon.
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