Before my experience here, I had read about the history of this particular dining destination, Chez Panisse. It is a place where notable individuals who impacted the evolution of food in the United States, specifically California cuisine, have participated in various roles. Alice Waters and Paul Aratow established the restaurant in 1971, and it has since impacted many chefs. It has been credited with for the creation of the California style pizza, as well as the goat cheese salad, and they developed and continue to serve house made carbonated tap water. The restaurant has received many accolades over the years as being a top restaurant, so needless to say, I was excited to experience it for myself. At the same time, having read current reviews, I did have an inkling that the establishment might be riding along on its historic dominance to carry it forward. I wondered if it might currently be somewhat outdated and historic, but still serving solidly satisfying, albeit predictable, cuisine.
Nonetheless, I remained thrilled to be stepping through the historic doorway! I found the indoors to be shrouded in dark wooden tables and benches, a stark contrast to the airy openness of the indoor seating area with French doors open to the outside. Once seated in the area upstairs, I requested recommendations from the server, although I had my eye on several menu items from the start. After our discussion, I decided on the carrot with ginger soup with mint and yogurt ($9), Grilled Sonoma duck breast, black mission figs, and herb salad ($14), Grilled Devil's Gulch Ranch rabbit with fried pink potatoes, green beans, sage, and mustard sauce ($26). Honestly, I was most interested in the duck and rabbit, but the soup was suggested and it sounded like it would have a lovely layering of flavors. That was a very wrong assumption! I enjoyed the experience aside from the soup, which turned out to have the flavor of baby food. I wish that I could say that was an exaggeration, but it was truly bland, which seemed incomprehensible based on the description. I actually did not eat it due to the lack of flavor, but my dining partner was very hungry, so she consumed it, although she agreed that it completely lacked flavor. That disappointment did cause concern for me as to how we would find the remainder of the meal. In contrast, I enjoyed the salad very much, as the fatty nature of the duck was balanced with the lightness and sweetness of the figs and vinaigrette.
Next, the kitchen was so kind as to accommodate my body's baneful intolerance for chicken and put the sauce (that contained chicken broth) on the side rather than on the rabbit. My friend loved the rabbit with the accompanying sauce. Although I was grateful that the kitchen accommodated me, the rabbit was not the same without the sauce! I recognize this was my fault for ordering something that required an alteration, although one would hope that this caliber of restaurant would have a substitution that would be comparable or, if this was not possible, that they would kindly suggest ordering something else. Unfortunately, neither was the case. It turned out to be a well-executed, albeit predictable dish (as I had feared). The rabbit was tender and juicy, but lacking in flavor with the substitute sauce that was sent for me. Surprisingly, the potatoes were one of the best aspects of this dish in my opinion. They had a lovely light fry with a nice saltiness to contrast the rest of the plate. Speaking of plates...I did not find that the plating for anything presented was worth noting at all.
Finally, I enjoyed a beautiful black mission fig galette with marsala ice cream ($12). This was a delightful finish to the meal. The soft and sweet characteristics of the figs were satisfying without being overdone, and the ice cream was a perfect compliment. I was pleased to see this combination rather than a more predictable ice cream flavor with the dessert.
Overall, I am glad that I went and experienced the restaurant for myself, but I do not feel that it is a must-have experience. I was disappointed by the soup and that the chefs did not rise to the occasion to modify my meal with a fantastic substitute sauce or deter me from ordering the dish altogether. However, the food was generally very enjoyable, nicely portioned and, for me, the duck was most memorable, as was the marsala ice cream!
Cheers!
