Bouchon is where fresh, local ingredients meet excellent culinary skills. The restaurant is also passionate about wine (Bouchon mean wine cork in French), offering some of the finest wine from the California's South Central Coast. The Seasonal Wine Country Cuisine dinner menu was a great way for us to savor Chef Greg Murphy's French influence with California produce.
Some bread to start us off
Butter Spread
2007 Vogelzang Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Ynez. The aromatic fresh berries and sweet oak created a rich mouthfeel.
Dungeness Crab Cake served with fennel puree, celery, micro green salad coupled with grapefruit aioli and fresh local avocado.
Exotic Mushrooms came with roots farms carrots and black truffle potato gnocchi. Finishing off with truffle salad and carrot puree.
Shepherd Farms Mixed Organic Field Greens tossed together with spiced quince, Marcona's almonds, goat cheese and quince verjus vinaigrette
Prime Rib Fiorentina placed on top of some horseradish whipped potatoes, carrots and asparagus.
Fresh Pacific Ahi Tuna which are lightly smoked, crusted with Shepherd Farms' fine herbs and seared rare.
Maple Glazed California Duck Breast; Confit of Thigh - Succotash of sweet corn, fava beans, applewood smoked bacon and Windrose Farms' butternut squash.
Char Grilled Rack of Lamb served together with root vegetable gratin, petite onions, broccolini and Banyuls jus
Blueberry Lemon Upside Down Cake topped with McConnell's California Lemon Zest ice cream
Creme Brulee
Warm Santa Barbara Molten Lava Cake - with McConnell's Cappuccino Ice Cream
The dinner resembled a tour of the region's best food and drink combinations. Bouchon is truly in a class by itself at Santa Barbara.
Verdict: TOTALLY SMITTEN
Yum! Next trip, Bouchon is on my list. Actually you had me at the first photo - wine and bread - I don't need a lot more to make me happy. :-)
ReplyDelete