I have dined at Ubuntu in Napa a number of times – but always for lunch. A full report from last November, with pictures, is viewable over here at eGullet. Fortune brought me back into the Napa valley on a Friday evening and I convinced my sister to join me to experience dinner. Fortune could not have smiled more fortuitously as chef Jeremy Fox had just returned from New York where he prepared a meal for the James Beard House – and it was this meal we was recreating as a tasting. There is no way to express how lucky we are to have the likes of Jeremy Fox and his wife, Deanie, in our vicinity. In my last few years of expansive eating, little compares to the inventiveness and imagination being expressed in this Yoga studio. Besides my recent Ursawa experience, through this meal, this restaurant has moved very near the top of my best-of list.

A few regrets that I did not snap pictures of every course, but hopefully a full description will suffice. Having heard much of the watermelon soup, I was thrilled that a shot glass amuse was our first taste. Cool Watermelon and Lemongrass Soup made with coconut milk, basil seed “caviar,” and mint, the inside of the glass had a small smear of crème fraîche and a fresh miniature pansy. Thick and unctuous, the watermelon was immediately barely discernable, but evident by the red color of the offering and the bright and clean flavor behind the rich coconut milk.

A second amuse was also offered, one of Jeremy’s signature dishes, Carta da Musica with Ceci and Rocket – wafer thin crisps made in their stone oven, topped with a seasoned teaspoon of creamed chickpeas, topped with a bit of preserved lemon, parsley, black pepper, and a shaving of Parmesan cheese. Both of the amuses were paired perfectly with 2004 Domaine Carneros Brut by Taitinger.

Our first official course arrived (and was photographed) and the bounteous size and the beauty stunned us. Quite frankly, in ordering a tasting menu, one expects lots of tastes more like the sizes of our amuses. This was a very large bowl of English Peas in Shell Consommé topped with fresh pea sprouts, chunks of macadamia nuts, and a fine grating of white chocolate with a few leaves of fresh chocolate mint. Brilliantly paired with Cade Sauvignon Blanc, Napa, 2007, the overall impact of the intensity of this dish is difficult to describe. The consommé was perfectly clear and the unexpected flavor combination of the fresh peas, nuts, and white chocolate was one of the most revolutionary I have ever tasted. The chocolate was a very small component, but the oily coating of its sweet melting in one’s mouth, coupled with the bright explosions of fresh peas and crunchy nuts, was nothing less than astounding.

Our next pouring was a 2007 Robert Foley Pinot Blanc from Napa. Honestly, upon first tasting we were not as thrilled with this wine as we were with the Cade Sauvignon Blanc. That was, anyway, until the food came… This wine was paired with a plating of Grilled Peach and French Bean Panzanella with fresh Burrata, Basil Stem Dressing, and croutons made with Deanie’s Brioche. Again, another revelation. Trying to take a bite with all the components was the biggest challenge; tasting the rich creaminess of the burrata cheese juxtaposed with the grilled, fresh peach and fresh greens demonstrated a complex elegance most diners do not expect with mere fruits and vegetables.

Not part of the tasting menu but brought out as a complimentary course was Cucumbers with Miso “Bagna Cauda” and Olive with fried fingerling potatoes, ficoide glaciale, Parmesan cheese, and lovage. Ficoide Glaciale is ice plant and I had never tasted it before. Miniature clustered sprouts were served in addition to the cucumbers and potatoes again, again, it is the surprising combination, which creates an unusual gestalt of exciting flavors.

My sister was sad that she didn’t get to have her usual favorite, the signature Cauliflower in Cast Iron Pot. However it was quickly made up for with this James Beard concoction, a tasting of Courgettes and Succulents scented with the famous Vadouvan Spice and Panisse. This was paired with 2005 Cakebread Anderson Valley Chardonnay. This was served on two plates, the platter of freshly cut squash with fried panisse squares. The second part was the familiar cast iron pot filled with a “fettuccine” of squash and creamy vadouvan-flavored squash purée. This was easily as remarkable as the cauliflower version and my sister, being a huge squash fan, actually preferred this offering to the cauliflower. The rich, creamy curry-like flavors were well complemented with the rich, creamy-like flavors in the Cakebread Chardonnay.

Our first red wine of the evening was poured for our next course, a 2006 Ramsay Pinot Noir from the North Coast was paired with a platter of Anson Mills Grits, risotto-style with a Borage Pistou, Capucine Cappuccino, and Amaranth. The dish was studded with a few tiny fresh peppers and topped with a skin of milk, giving it a queso fresco-like flavor and of all the evening’s offerings, this was our least favorite. We are both hearty grits fans but the overall flavor was reminiscent of Mexican cuisine, something neither my sister nor I generally care for. I believe it was the combination of the peppers, corn, and queso fresco. I could easily see how a lover of Mexican food would adore the dish, reminding me of a good tamale, but it somehow seemed at odds with the cohesiveness of the rest of the meal.

Another red was poured, a 2001 Lion’s Run Cabernet Sauvignon. The initial flavors of this wine were expressively black: Black raspberry, black licorice, and black pepper. It was stunningly paired with our last savory course of the evening, Coq au Vin of Porcini with deep-fried domaine de la chance egg and a rich bordelaise sauce made from the Lion’s Run wine (made, by the way, from grapes grown in the restaurant’s own garden). Coming to the culmination of the meal, this offering was elegant and hearty. We were getting pretty full and neither of us could finish the egg, which I am not entirely convinced was necessary. Being a great mushroom, I would have been more than happy with a few of these gorgeous babies and the two sauces served; one porcini-based and the other wine-based. The hefty, dark wine worked well with the meatiness of the mushrooms which was heightened by the addition of a sexy little carrot known as a XXXXXX, purple on the outside and orange on the inside.

With that came the beginning of dessert. Again, we were served a few extra courses not on the ascribed menu. First off was a lovely palate cleanser of a Raspberry Sorbet Float, rose geranium soda with watermelon granita accented with tapioca. This was complex in its combination of flavors and also in the intensity of the raspberry sorbet.

Deanie then sent out something not on the menu, which was entirely enchanting; Miniature Apples on skewers served with her thyme-scented caramel and chopped hazelnuts. Scooping up the caramel with the apples, we were instructed to then roll them in the nuts, making a playful, adult version of caramel apples. It was all we could do to keep from licking every speck of caramel out of the bowl.

My sister had never tasted the Vanilla Bean “Cheesecake” in a Jar with blueberries with chamomile and an almond-teeccino crumble.Two were offered and we quickly asked if one could be scooped out to be brought home for her husband. Any way, at this point in our three-plus hour meal, sharing one was more than enough and thoroughly enjoyed. I am continually shocked at the folks on the ‘net who don’t get or enjoy this dessert. It is so rich and perfectly creamy, showcasing the bounty of summer berries and Deanie’s amazing skill as a pastry chef. This was paired with a splash of 2002 Topaz Late Harvest Semillon-Sauvignon Blanc made by Jeff Sowells. I felt as I had come home as I had researched and written about Sowells, a bit of an enigmatic master of botrytis-affected wines who floats about the Napa valley, always searching for fungus-covered vines.

Finally was an offering of  vegetable-based mignardise, a perfect ending to a perfect evening; beet gelée, fresh fennel madeleines, miniature tomato linzer cookies, and carrot cake muffins. Despite their vegetable basis, these were all sweet and compelling, but not overly so. We were incredibly lucky to arrive early enough to nab a seat in the garden and stay well into the evening. As we passed back through the crowded interior, I felt doubly lucky as the limited seating in back is much more intimate and quiet.

The post Ubuntu – Napa Valley first appeared on Feast Blog.

I’m writing this from a Barcelona tapas bar, just trying to keep ahead of the reports. Our last day-time meal in London was at Papillon, recommended by the concierge at our hotel. We had wanted to go to brunch at the The Ritz, but it is still under renovation. I was a tad dismayed when I saw the menu as there were no “typical” brunch items that one would expect. My friends had gotten accustomed to my devilish ways of wanting many tastes and we essentially ordered the entire left-hand side of the menu; all of the soups, most of the salads, and all of the appetizers. Nine courses for five people, way too much money, and one of the most memorable meals I have ever had.

1. Escargot – slightly typical with tons of garlic but atypical in that they were redolent with herbs and delightfully presented in individual cups. The side-dish of chips were also a bit different and went mostly un-eaten, but that okay…

2. Beef Tartare – very, very nicely cut meat but a tad heavy on the Worcestershire sauce, but certainly appreciated by the testosterone which surrounded me.

3. Asparagus salad with pistachio panna cotta and Parmesan crisp – the asparagus in London has thus far been delightful. The dish we had at Rules a few evenings before was a bit fresher and better quality, but the presentation of this vegetable with the panna cotta was inventive and refreshing.

3. Green pea soup with poached egg – We ordered this as several of us were craving eggs. Breaking open the yolk and stirring it around the thin, bright soup was perfect. Redolent of the ingredient and not of cream or fillers and not too thick; the way one wants creamy pea soup in the spring. Bright and clean pea flavor.

4. Salad with fried pigs trotters – Granted, who really wants the greens? This was all about the perfectly crisp and rich pigs trotters which were not too heavy, perfectly fried, and a huge hit.

5. Terrine de foie gras with a layer of quince – Quite possibly one of the best foie terrines I have had; served appropriately with two slices of brioche, the slice was huge, the preparation perfect (nary a blood vessel to be found!) and the insertion of the quince in the middle an easy way to not have too much or too little.

6. Mediterranean fish soup – On the menu, the description made me think it would be a bouillabaisse as it was described as a fish broth accompanied with rouille, croutons, and cheese. Little did we know that what would arrive would be a tureen of dark, muddy broth and three copper pans of our self-serve accompaniments. I spread the rouille on each tiny slice of bread, sprinkled the cheese in the broth, and placed the laden croutons atop the broth. This dish was quite nearly the show-stopper and a beautiful example of well-integrated flavors and a perfect example of classic of classic flavors superbly presented.

7. Salad with black trumpet mushrooms, poached egg, jambon, and a light vinaigrette – again, another winner. The ham was not sliced too thin or too thick, the egg was perfectly poached so that the runny yolk blended well with the fresh greens and the fresh mushrooms were plentiful and enough of an earthy flavor to round out a great dish.

8. Gnocchi – Okay, the one dish ordered from the entrée-side of the menu. Somebody wanted it; I only tasted a bit but enough to know they were well-prepared and perfectly light with a rich, creamy sauce.

9. Presidential Soup – the clear show-stopper; in a small tureen and topped with baked puff pastry, the rich beef soup was filled with bits of marrow, fresh vegetables, and foie gras. It is difficult to express how terribly rich and how ultimately perfect this soup was. We all had spoonfuls but some of us produced very large chunks (bigger than the soup spoon!) of foie gras. It was artery-clogging, decadent, and a taste that I will not soon forget.

The post London – Papillon first appeared on Feast Blog.