Sweet & Savory

Chez Panisse

When A and I visited my Brother in Berkeley, we stopped by Chez Panisse for an exciting lunch. It was the perfect season in Berkeley. The purple and white wisterias were in full bloom in the neighboring streets and around Chez Panisse. It was April and all the plants were vibrant green and thriving. The front patio, which I thought was really pretty, offered a cool retreat from the sun while we waited for a table.

We marched up the stairs, passing the kitchen area to sit by the windows with white wisterias hanging outside and proceeded to order our lunch.

Bread and Butter

This was your standard bread and butter. Enough said. On to more exciting fare.

Garden Lettuce Salad

I ordered the garden lettuce salad, which as you can see, is just fresh salad greens dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a little salt and pepper. It tasted fine but I wish I had ordered something a little more exciting, like the ...

Green Garlic Broth with Snap Peas

Brother had ordered the garlic broth and it was delicious! While it could potentially have been potent and pungent (and produced a scary-breath Brother), this broth was instead surprisingly light, clear, and flavorful with a mild spring garlic flavor.

Sonoma County Duck Breast with Asparagus and Green Olives

This dish reaffirmed my dislike of olives or at least such strong-tasting olives. The duck was nicely executed, juicy in the middle and more well done towards the skin. The asparagus was tender — they had obviously taken care to peel the tougher part of the stems. But the olives just bugged me. There weren't very many actual olives on the plate but it had such a strong presence that both the duck and asparagus tasted of olive and not much else.

Pizza with Parma Prosciutto and Greens

A ordered this thin crust pizza and we all sampled a thin slice. The greens, though unidentifiable, were quite good — neither too wilted nor too stringy. The good quality proscuitto, sliced extremely thin so as to not make you feel like you are chewing like a cow, helped to make the pizza delicious.

Grilled Cattail Creek Ranch Lamb Leg with Peas, Carrots, Mashed Potatoes, and Anchovy

Brother ordered this dish, which I thought was a real winner. Our recent trip to The French Laundry had me raving about fresh peas, and the peas in this dish reminded me again of how much I loved them. I practiced great restraint and allowed the Brother to finish more than 50% of his peas in peace. The lamb was tasty as well, but the anchovy was a little strong for my taste.

Hazelnut-Ricotta Cake with Swanton Farm Strawberries and Strega Cream

Dense crumbly cake paired with light fluffy cream and macerated strawberries is always a good pick for dessert. Especially if the cake is hazelnut flavored!

Chocolate Custard with Espresso Cream and Candied Almonds

Sadly, I must confess I have a very foggy recollection of how this dessert tasted. Hm... I think the chocolate custard reminded me of a chocolate pot de crème. The biscotti on the side were quite crunchy, I think... Oh, A says that he remembers they would have been better with coffee.

Honey Nougat Ice Cream with Pain D’amandes

Having this ice cream was like having gelato, both in its lightly-whipped texture and with the thin almond tuilles served alongside. Add the delicate flavor of honey and the little bits of nougat, and this was a simple, yet refreshing way to wrap up the meal.

We stuffed ourselves silly and got to take home the leftover food in this nice box.

I know this is sacrilegious to say, knowing how almost everybody raves about Chez Panisse and how it is such a Mecca for foodies, but I did not love my first meal there. Perhaps it was what I ordered or they were just having a bad day, but I left the restaurant feeling a little disappointed due to the incongruous taste of many of our dishes. However, there were several highlights which indicate to me that this restaurant can and does produce fabulous food — food that would make me swoon. I would like to go back another day and give them a second chance. Could those of you who felt you had a great experience recommend some dishes that you enjoyed and felt lived up to the name of Chez Panisse and Alice Waters?