Indigestion - Part Two
Holiday Over Doings
I had lunch this afternoon with Tom Shugart! Tom looks well and is planning some serious tech marketing work. We had a light meal at E O, a pan-Asian restaurant near the hotel. A satay platter with chicken, salmon, beef, and portabella mushrooms - all on skewers convenient for dipping in the tasty peanut sauce, a sweet soy concoction, and/or a savory garlic gravy. Accompanying the satay we had naan - fresh baked flat bread with a cucumber sauce for dipping, and bok choy that had been steamed and rolled in flax oil. This is not the source of my indigestion.
No, my indigestion flared up last night after three days in a row of serious high-end dinners…
Day 1 - 12/23: Farallon — where’s the beef? On my plate… I decided to bolster the failing US beef industry, threw fear BSE to the winds and tied into a filet that was served with a delicious merlot sauce and chestnut and mushroom “stuffing” on the side. We started with a demitasse of cauliflower cream soup and an assortment of three kinds of oysters. We finished with an assortment of desserts. Mine was a quince and pear crisp, all buttery and brown sugar.
Day 2 - 12/24: The Fairmont — coming out of Grace Cathedral with all of Nob Hill at our feet, we thought dinner at the Fairmont might be nice. We had scallops for an appetizer. They came with a cute little bouquet of lettuces and tiny mushrooms held vertical in a wrap of thin cucumber slice. I continued my support of the American beef industry with a filet mignon, prepared and served with the traditional bacon wrap. Roasted root vegetables were served on the side and I finished up with a delicate, buttery, plum pastry for dessert.
Day 3- 12/25: The 2:30 seating at the Ritz Carlton Terrace room — light jazzy piano and string bass in the background occasionally dropping into pop carols to remind us of the season, but also folding out into old Brubeck originals and jazzed or bluesy renditions of old pop standards. We started with an amuse bouche, a demitasse of champagne consomme with chestnuts and diced black forest ham followed by an appetizer. My appetizer was the foie gras with gewurztraminer gele. Beth returned to scallops, this time served in a citrus soup. Beth’s entree was the “duck duet.” Patriot to the end, i continued my support of America’s feed lots by ordering the roast rib-eye. This was a medium rare serving of the best part of a standing rib roast, accompanied by small leaves of romaine lettuce providing troughs for a creamy horseradish garnish. Roast potatoes and a tiny roasted onion offset the beef. (Maybe it was that onion that did me in later…). For dessert I had a “mont blanc” meringue with whipped cream and thin panes of dark chocolate stuck in the top to give the whole a modern sculpted look. It was early enough in the day that I risked finishing Beth’s chocolate tart for her along with two cups of cafe filtre prepared at the table in a “French press.”
About two hours later I was suffering. I think it was that onion. Fortunately I recovered in plenty of time for lunch today with Tom Shugart at EO and home cooking at our friends’ in Oakland tonight.
Day 4 - 12/26: The fourth remarkable dinner in a row! Tonight it was a roast pork tenderloin rolled in pepper and cooled with a tangy fruit salsa. Red whipped potatoes and a mesclun salad with a delicate goat cheesey dressing rounded out the meal and the wonderful conversation. For dessert, decaf and home baked frosted ginger cookies.
I realized as I finished this little remembrance that I didn’t mention any of the breads, the buns, the brioche, or the baguettes that accompanied these fine meals - nor the sweet butter and olive oil that came with them. Trust me… they were all among the Bay Area’s better baked goods, but I’m too tired to sort them all out right now. I’m just glad that last night’s dyspeptic moments passed off so easily… maybe it was third cup of cafe filtre.
Hey! Tomorrow is my birthday!
