Chez Panisse Magic

Wow. It has been a long, long road since my last post. Literally: I found myself in New Jersey, NYC, San Francisco, Berkeley, back to NYC, with a quick stopover in Vermont before heading to Chicago and finally back to Michigan. It was a long three weeks, but filled with friends and deliciousness!

To start off the amazing food journey, I wanted to share the revelatory meal I had at Chez Panisse. Jimmy and I trekked out to Berkeley on St. Patrick's Day and indulged in a feast of green. I wish I had the actual menu from the day but my attempt at recreating the names will have to suffice. Everything is local, organic, etc - but I can't remember the names of the farms and such from which ingredients were sourced.

1) Local halibut tartare with shaved fennel and lemon vinaigrette
2) Roasted golden and red beet salad with baby lettuces and green goddess dressing
3) Roasted squid with arugula and gremolata
4) Blanched asparagus with capers, parsley, egg and mustard vinaigrette

We sat in a little room off the main dining room on the second floor, where the café is located. Doused in sun with a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge, we were like two cats napping in the afternoon. Except it was morning, we are human, and at least our taste buds were wide awake.