Review: Auberge du Soleil

Twin food babies. That's what I left Auberge du Soleil with. It was one of the best meals I've had so far this year, and definitely by far the best since leaving Vegas. Located on the side of a hill in the heart of Napa Valley it obviously had an amazing view.

View From Our Table

First off let me say that the service was impeccable. I couldn't believe that we were able to make reservations less than 24 hours in advance for a patio table at 5:30PM for dinner. The absolute best time for dinner as the vineyards generally start closing their tasting rooms around 4PM or 5PM - although many will let you linger after your are done with your flights. Since we arrived a bit early, we decided to grab drinks at the bar first. Where the bartender was more than accommodating and made me a rendition of a Strawberry Fields a la The Tipsy Pig. My (more alcoholic) spin on the drink is: strawberry puree, blueberry vodka, sparkling wine, 1/2 a lime served in a mason jar (this place was a bit too fancy for mason jars, so I guess a regular glass will do) and garnished with fresh strawberries and lime.

Delicious - Guess Who's Pink Drink That Is ;)

Once we were seated, we quickly realized that the cocktails were going to ruin the wine, so we dispensed of those right off the bat. We couldn't decide between the six course with the wine pairings or doing four courses. We chose to go with the four course and getting a bottle of Pinot which was perfect for the warm Napa evening which was by far the better choice for us as we had a late lunch in Marin.

Merry Edwards 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

To start off, Auberge provides a chilled cucumber soup shooter with a dash of crab. It was just the perfect amount to whet your appetite for all the scrumptious foods to come.

Chilled Cucumber Soup With Crab

For my first course, I selected the poached Maine Lobster with mango, snap peas, black sesame, curry and cilantro. Boy, the best thing about having a date is picking at his plate too. He selected the roasted kurobuta pork belly with romaine, avocado, brioche (so yum!) and smoked tomato. Honestly I preferred his dish (which is probably why I ate half of it..) over mine. [Note: he wasn't too fond of me taking pictures of his food sooo I super stealth mode snapped a picture or two of a few of his courses]

First Course: Maine Lobster

For the second course I selected the Veal Sweetbreads with a side salad of frisee, capers, salsa verde and a slow cooked egg yolk. Even though I thought that the veal was so-so, the side salad with the egg yolk was absolutely divine. The chef cooked that egg yolk to perfection where he was able to achieve a creamy rich texture with the egg yolk. The warm egg yolk paired with the crisp fresh frisee was a perfect pairing which left you wanting more. 

My Second Course: Veal Shortbread And The Most Amazing Salad Ever. Ever.

For my date's second course (this is one of his courses that he let me take a picture of) he selected the seared Ahi Tuna which was paired with mini falafels, mint, and grilled little gem. The falafels were very good, especially paired with the mint. Still light and airy, but full of texture. I myself am still a little tired of raw fish (too much sushi, sashimi and ceviche during and after Vegas), but the Ahi was still delicious. It always helps when it is perfectly cooked. 

My Date's Second Course: Ahi Tuna With Grilled Little Gem, Falafels and Mint

Onto the main, and third course: I selected the Liberty Farms Duck (done two ways) with a cherry and endive salad, topped with pistachios, tarragon and cocoa nibs. I was a fan of the braised duck, however I did find that the brine had been over seasoned. The salt was a little overpowering, but once you scaled down the brine to duck ratio (basically almost no brine to a larger portion of duck) it was amazing. The dark meat of the duck was very good, you definitely got more of a gamey flavor to it which turned out to be a great balance to the braised duck. The pistachios and cocoa nibs were the perfect addition to the plate as it really did need that "crunch" to make it more satisfying.

Third Course: Duck Two Ways - Clearly I Ate A Portion Before Remembering To Take A Photo

My date indulged in the lamb which rested on a bed of the most tender potato gnocchi and favas. His dish was also paired with olives, lavender and orange sauce. I personally detest olives, or I might have also ordered his dish for the main entree! The gnocchi is probably the lightest and best that I have tasted since I was last in Belgium, which is saying A LOT. Unfortunately I didn't get to snap a picture, so we all kind of lose out. 

To cleanse our palettes after our very savory meal, and to gear us up for our sweets, we were provided with watermelon shooters which were not only delicious, but also very refreshing. This also might have been my first shot of anything since the ski lease ended. 

Watermelon Shooters

For desserts I am happy to say, my date also let me take a picture of his plate. I'm pretty sure this is only because he was nearing food coma and couldn't move fast enough to take a bite before I snapped a picture. He chose the 'Loukoumades' Greek style honey beignets (thinking of Cafe du Monde right now, even though these were *nothing* like them) on a bed of peaches, whiskey flavored ice cream and pistachios. At this point I had at least one food baby in me so I only grabbed one bite that had everything in it. It was melt in your mouth good, however, it wasn't as amazing as my selection.

My Date's Dessert: Beignets With Whiskey Ice Cream, Peaches and Pistachios

For my dessert I chose chocolate wrapped filo dumplings, served with tarragon ice cream and olive oil. It was MELT IN YOUR MOUTH (dare I say it?) Orgasmic. Oh. My. Lord. SO amazing. Unfortunately I didn't read the menu properly and had to ask for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream to be brought out (I also dislike anything that faintly reminds me of licorice - ew), but the staff was very accommodating and brought it out in a jiffy. Let me tell you, this dessert was worth the extra food baby.

My (Far Superior) Dessert: Chocolate Filo Dumplings And Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

To top it all off, they also sent out a plate consisting of almonds covered in cocoa nibs, house made truffles and toffee.

House Made Chocolate Goodies

The final bit was a wonderful end to our dinner - and coincidentally this was also our "farewell" dinner. So now that I am officially back on the market, let the good times roll!