SF: Chez Panisse (in Berkeley, CA) (June 2013)
Exec Chef: Alice Waters
Website: http://www.chezpanisse.com/about/
Date: June 29, 2013
I’d been here only once beforehand, it was several years ago with two of my best friends from growing up. It was amazing then, and I fondly remember their baked alaska with strawberry ice cream as being my favorite dessert ever. The meringue was so soft and chewy like a marshmallow, and I had never in my life liked strawberry ice cream before but Chez Panisse’s made me have that Ratatouille moment where my eyes glistened and I was mentally transported to a sunny field of strawberries. These memories had built really high expectations that I had to keep curbing, the giddy kid in me to be undoubtedly disappointed unless I gave him reality checks.
Luckily, it was a great experience. Alice Water’s pioneering of local organic food has always been admirable and I never fully appreciated it until I moved to New York. The fresh ingredients truly shine and make the dining experience a thoughtful one.
Auckland: Sidart (Aug. 2013)
Exec Chef: Sid Sahrawat
Website: http://sidart.co.nz/
Date: August 9, 2013
I’m in New Zealand for a few days, and I decided to stop by a fine dining restaurant during my time in Auckland. I settled on Sidart, which is apparently one of the top fine dining restaurants in the city. (The actual story is that I made my reservation around 5 p.m. the day of. I had just jumped off a 192-meter building, and I wanted some good food to relax me. Sidart just happened to have a seat available haha.) The food looked exciting, though, so I was looking forward to the meal!
NYC: Atera (May 2013)
Authors: Victor and Monte
Restaurant: Atera
Exec Chef: Matt Lightner
Website: http://ateranyc.com/about/information/
Date: May 29, 2013
Victor:
We recently got the chance to eat at Atera again! I’ve been too lazy to make reservations the usual way (online via CityEats), so I just made this one spontaneously via Facebook. Occasionally, the Atera Facebook page will post about last-minute openings (due to cancellations), and… I’m usually online enough to see the occasional opening and reply quickly! (Yeah, I have no life hahaha.) Anyway, that’s how I made this reservation, and Monty and his sister, who was visiting, decided to come with!
We all really enjoyed this meal. Monte said something that I think summed up the meal well: “I have really fond memories of the previous meal here, and it’s nice to know that my memories aren’t totally off. The food really is that amazing. I feel, you know, vindicated in my beliefs!”
Then again, it could have been the whiskey talking. Everyone’s always a little happier with alcohol! All in all, it was a great meal with great friends!
Monte
Victor
tadv3
Happy Noms 