Skip to main content

Fall Break Dates: La Balena Tasting Notes

By
While the boys are away, Mom and Dad will play. We headed to La Balena tonight for our Fall Break Date Night v.2. I'm sure you have a favorite restaurant. What makes it your favorite?

La Balena tops our list for a few of different reasons: (1) we adore the owners, Anna and Emanuele; (2) Chef Brad Briske is a culinary genius; and (3) it doesn't matter what you order, it's going to be amazing. La Balena is our pick for celebrations - my 40th, Easter lunch, capodanno, and more - and for delectable, romantic meals.

Tonight Anna and Emanuele weren't there - for only the second time since they opened the restaurant! - because they were celebrating their 14th anniversary. Auguri e baci! But, before Anna left, she poured us some prosecco and settled us in at the Chef's table. I loved being able to peer into the kitchen and watch the magic happen.



We started off with Polpo Grigliato. Grilled octopus and grilled watermelon with chili oil, lemon, and mint. I loved the sweet of the watermelon, the heat of the chili, and the zing of the lemon. And the octopus was, as it always is, super tender. I still have no idea how they do that.


After our prosecco, we had a Menabrea amber beer. Cin cin!


After the octopus, we had la Serata Insalata with lettuce from Blue Heron Farm in Santa Cruz, grapes from Silvestri Vineyards in Carmel Valley, pecorino from Sardinia, and - the clincher - quince vinaigrette.


We ordered D's favorite dish; Pappardelle alle Erbe with a wild boar-pancetta sugo. There are so many beautifully tasty words in that title, I don't even know where to start. But I will always order a dish that features wild boar. Always. 

Funny story - the only objection D had to going on the trip with Nonni: Mommy, you're going to go to La Balena without us, aren't you?!? Yep, sure are. Sorry, Wom.

 The boar sauce is aromatic and perfectly spiced. The pasta has a nice bite and slight hint of fresh herbs. No wonder this is his favorite dish...but we won't mention that we had it. He would be sad that he missed it.


We ordered il Pesce del Giorno - fish of the day - which tonight was a whole roasted sea bass, Manila clams, cherry tomatoes, in a chili-lemon butter. I loved the tender sea bass, peppery bite of arugula, and grassy notes from the shaved fennel bulb.


We made light work of the sea bass, eating it down to the bones!


We ended the meal with an Italian caffé. Potent, dark, and delicious. 


Well, I ended my dinner with the caffé. Jake wasn't going to skip dessert. He ordered tiramisù and it was rich, chocolate-y, and delicious. I know he wanted to lick the plate.



Complimenti, Brad. It was another extraordinary culinary adventure at La Balena.


After chatting with Brad for a few minutes, we headed over to check out the charcuterie cabinet that Jake had build last year. Again, it was nice to peer behind the scenes. We might have to sneak over there one of these days when Brad is stuffing the salami. 



It's nice to kick up our feet - me in my Barbie shoes and Jake in his Jesus slippers - for some kid-free time on the town.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Hot Chocolate Agasajo-Style {Spice It Up!}

By
photo by D For my Spice It Up! kiddos this week, I was looking for an exotic drink to serve while we learned about saffron. I found a recipe from food historian Maricel Presilla that mimicked traditional Spanish hot chocolate from the 17th century where it was served at lavish receptions called agasajos . When I teach, I don't always get to shoot photos. Thankfully, D grabbed my camera and snapped a few. Ingredients serves 14-16 1 gallon organic whole milk 3 T dried rosebuds - or 2 t rosewater 2 t saffron threads, lightly crushed 3 T ground cinnamon 3 whole tepin chiles, crushed 2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise 1 C organic granulated sugar 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate Procedure In a large soup pot that can hold a gallon plus, combine milk, dried rosebuds (or rosewater, if you are using that), saffron threads, ground cinnamon, chiles, vanilla beans, and sugar and warm over medium heat till it steams. Whisk to dissolve sugar, then lower heat an...
183 comments
Read more

Frozen Art Gourmet Ice Cream

By
As we headed inland from the coast, I cringed as the temperature gauge in the car for outside temp climbed into the triple digits. Ugh. I'm a rather wimpy central coastal Californian who begins to wilt when it's 70 degrees outside. Thank goodness for air conditioning and a planned ice cream stop. When I parked the car outside Frozen Art Gourmet Ice Cream in Santa Rosa, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. We knew that we still had to get to the campsite...and set up our tents in the heat. But we were going to enjoy the cool, sweet treats from Frozen Art first! Michoacana ice creameries are the equivalent of Starbucks in Mexico; they're ubiquitous. Purists, however, claim that operating a true Michoacana ice cream shop require ties to Tocumbo. It's estimated that almost ninety percent of the Tocumban population is currently employed in the ice cream business from making ice cream itself to making equipment. But the real art of Tocumban ice creams: imaginat...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige #ItalianFWT on CulinaryCam.Com

By
I am in the process of migrating over to my new domain. Come on over to read " A Cheese Board Anchored on a Trio of Italian Cheeses + A Pinot Nero from Alto Adige " for December's #ItalianFWT.
Post a Comment
Read more