14
Jul/090
Jul/090
Restaurant Cyrus
First off I have to say it’s really a shame I don’t have any pictures from this restaurant, because everything was pleasing to the eye; the food, the decor, even the presentation of the wine was something else! 2 thumbs up to the restaurant, and one in my eye for not bringing a camera!
I visited this restaurant with two collegues back in July 2006 when I was in San Francisco taking a training in relation to work. I spent 6 weeks there, and during one of the weekends, me and the two other Europeans (British and Swedish) who we’re there decided to rent a car and go to Healdsburg in Sonoma Valley to visit a restaurant, Cyrus, which had been highly recommended by a sommelier we met during another restaurant visit.
Upon arrival we we’re escorted into the bar adjecent the dining room, and offered a liquid apptizer. After a while we taken to our table, discretely located in one of the restaurants quiet corners, without feeling cramped.
I have to say that the thing about this restaurant was the way the food was presented. Unlike traditional American cooking, nothing was in abundance. Needless to say, we didn’t leave feeling wanting anything and least of all to fill a void in our stomach, but the point I’m trying to make is that in some magical way they managed to make every dish a selection of smaller dishes, greatly varied in taste, yet coming together like a symphony of tastes; each dish presenting a different melody and each ingredient a different instrument.
The restaurant focused heavily on local wines. Sonoma, beeing the largest wine producing county in the US, has a great selection of wines. Some of the best wines I’ve ever tasted came from the US west coast, and some of the best wines I tasted from the US west coast I tasted during this visit. Selecting wines to match a dish composed of 3-4 smalles dishes, and an endless array of tastes was a challenge, but it was a challenge meet and defeated by Cyrus’s skillful sommelier.
In retrospect I have nothing bad to say about this restaurant. If you’re ever in Californina, this restaurant is well worth a visit. I’m told that it’s also a good alternative to the more expensive and exlusive French Laundry in Napa Valley, and it proves once and for all that Americans can cook to!
Visit the restaurant website here
To make up for not having any pictures from the restaurant, here are a few scenic shots from Sonoma in general.
25
Jun/091
Jun/091
A €400 dinner
How do you spend in excess of €400 on a single meal. Simple; go to the Michelin website and look for any restaurant with 1 or more stars. My girlfriend and I visited Amsterdam a couple of weeks back and did just that. We ended up eating an extravagant dinner at Ciel Bleu.
The hotel is a bit outside the city centre, located in Hotel Okura, but it resides on the 23rd floor with a great view of the extended Amsterdam area.
I had the 8 course Menu Printemps, and my girlfriend had the more moderate 5 course Menu Alliance. The meal in itself was amazing, and here’s the photo evidence:
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- Bass
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- Mussels
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- Hake
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- Beef
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- Dusk
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- Stichelton and pear
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- Coconut, pinaple and rum
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- Suffle
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- Nearing the end
The sommelier was an elderly dutch gentleman with a wealth of knowledge. He was clearly passionate about his work, and had alot to tell us about the wines he served. I spent some time talking to him between courses, and I told him about some of the wines we tried the previous summer during our vacation in the US.
All in all it was an awesome meal and great service. We ate, we drank, we laughed and enjoyed the view as the evening grew dim and afterwards we strolled out into the sinful dutch night, content, full and a little bit drunk…
25
Jun/090
Jun/090
The first post
I just finished installing Wordpress and setting up my theme; all the stuff you have to do to get a decent looking blog, and I thought I’d throw out a little something on what to expect.
I’m currently 28 years old. I work as an IT-consultant and my work involves a bit of travel. In my spare time I’m getting a pilots license, and although I’m almost done, I might publish a few articles on my experiences during my PPL training. I also love good food and wine, and I enjoy cooking.
I’ll be writing about my hobby flying, about restaurant visits and home cooked meals, and about my experiences, both good and bad, while travelling.
And last, to those who wonder about the title of my blog, check out the about section. It has all the answers.
Enjoy…
Pictures