December 18, 2006, 2:28 pm
On Saturday, we went up to Thomas Keller's newest (albeit temporary) venture in Yountville--Ad Hoc. There's not much information about the restaurant aside from a few article mentions and message board postings. So here's what I learned: they DON'T serve lunch, they DO take reservations, you have one choice--a prix fixe menu ($45 for 4-courses although they can accommodate dietary restrictions), and everything is served family style.
Although we'd originally intended to head up for lunch, we found out right when we were headed out the door that they're open for dinner only. So, we had to adjust our schedules and head there for dinner instead. We filled in the time with some bowling and outlet shopping and made it just in time for a delicious four-course dinner.
Ad Hoc has an informal theme (although the service--with transfers from Per Se and French Laundry--is too impeccable to be truly informal). So, they're not really informal, because it is a Thomas Keller restaurant, after all, but they strive to be. So the waitstaff is outfitted in Dickeys shirts and the Ad Hoc logo resembles a "Hello my name is..." sticker. The menu arrives in a file folder...
I'm going to apologize in advance--I never remember to take pictures until I've taken a couple bites...if not more. I'm an embarassed (and hungry) picture taker, so I rarely take the time to perfect the lighting.
We started with some bread and a pretty simple but great big salad, which was perfectly dressed. The croutons were amazing. We didn't think we'd finish such a gigantic bowl, but the greens were so fresh, that we had to finish them.
The sommelier also hooked us up with some great wines by the glass to go with our salads--a sparkling wine for me, sauvignon blanc for Hubert, and uni blanc (sp?) for Jason. For the second course, he brought out a great red wine from Spain, the specifics of which I've forgotten.
Next came the tri-tip of Wagyu beef on a bed of spinach with a side of polenta. The beef was perfectly seasoned and each bite was as juicy and delicious as the next. And...everyone who knows me knows I love polenta...so it was definitely a hit.
Next came the cheese course. I generally prefer something softer, but I ate it anyway. Pretty good! When Hubert mentioned he wasn't a fan of the cheese course, our waiter/sommelier/guy (couldn't figure out if he was our sommelier, server or if he just liked hanging out with us) brought out a soft camembert, which he liked better. I think I ate most of it.
Finally, panna cotta for dessert. It had a bit more sour cream than I liked, but I was already plenty full. When J mentioned that he particularly liked the cookie that lined the panna cotta, the guy immediately brought out 3 more cookies, which J devoured.
As with all of the Thomas Keller restaurants I've been to (this is the 4th), the service was impeccable and the food was amazing. Can't wait to go back and try dinner on another night!
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December 15, 2006, 10:22 am
I've been playing with the Nintendo Wii that my brother gave us a few days ago...and my arms are SORE! I guess it has been that long since I've lifted weights. But the good news is that American kids will finally get some much-needed (pseudo) exercise!
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December 10, 2006, 5:35 pm
Yesterday while running errands, Jason and I saw someone dragging something across 3 lanes of traffic. As we got closer, we realized it was a woman dragging a black cat by the tail...she must have hit it while driving. EEEEW.
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December 08, 2006, 7:14 pm
Change is on the horizon! As always, it is scary but exciting.
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December 07, 2006, 1:24 pm
Now that I'm not training for a marathon and my gimongous project at work has wrapped up, I've found myself with more time on my hands. I baked cookies a few days ago, and last night, we had some friends over for meat and cheesy things: Filipino steak cubes (salpicao), Korean shortribs, rice, cauliflower au gratin (Linda's recipe), creamed corn, artichoke dip, and cupcakes from Miette. Of course, since I'm a poor picture taker (I only took a handful of pics from my 2 weeks in Chicago), there are no food pics.
Thanks for organizing, J!
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December 04, 2006, 9:54 pm
GMAT preparation has commenced. Old study habits have returned: I've done laundry, unpacked my suitcases from Chicago, vacuumed, cleaned the kitchen, and baked a batch of almond & chocolate chip cookies. I got through some math problems...and then drank too much wine to really retain much more for the evening. Good thing I'm not taking this until April. However, I plan to nerd out and study as much as possible to do as well as possible. I want to get into a top-ranked school.
When I was applying for undergrad, I was very intimidated by both the application process and the prestige of the Ivy Leagues (plus there was no way I could afford the flights to and from, let alone tuition). This time around, I'm going to try anyway and let them reject me instead.
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