chez panisse

with all the praise and reverence that is bestowed uponchezpanisse, it's easy to become jaded about it before even stepping foot in the restaurant.

nope. not that good.. i was so excited to to tochezpanisse. the birthplace of california cuisine? alice waters? organic? surely this would be a great food experience.

it was, instead, decidedly meh.

to make sure we didnt just go on an off night, we gave it a second try. again, meh.

i've had so many better meals at so many other places. and i've had similar dining experiences for much less money.

at least i can cross this off my list of "must-do's".

i first heard aboutchezpanisse when christina raved about the food from her last visit to san francisco last year at this berkeley restaurant, founded by alice waters . both her and her bf received alice water cook books for christmas after their dinner atchezpanisse. from my quick lil research onchezpanisse, i found that it was one of the top fifty restaurants in the world from 2002 to 2008, peaking at 12 in 2003 as listed by restaurant magazine. michelin guide echoed the sentiment by awarding its one star rating in its guide for san francisco bay area dining from 2006 through 2009. ryan and i definitely wanted to try the cuisine and were determined to fit a dinner reservation atchezpanisse which we made a month ahead in our one day trip to san francisco last weekend. there are two levels - the top level is the cafe and the restaurant located downstairs. the restaurant serves a four course prix fixe menu but if you prefer ala carte, the cafe might be a better choice. we wanted

in some ways, you could say i’ve dined atchezpanisse without stepping one foot into this famed berkeley culinary institution. that’s because california cuisine defined in the 1970s by founder and owner alice waters and chef jeremiah tower as local, fresh and simple is now the epitome of dining in the san francisco bay area where menus are flushed with seasonal ingredients, touting the farms and sources they come from.

this is probably one of those very rare occasions when i couldn't fault anything with a restaurant. it was all as perfect as humanly possible. while alice waters' main restaurant is downstairs, you will have to make a similar level of effort for reservations if you want to dine at the cafe upstairs.

the dining room's interior is absolutely spectacular. the fans and windows overlooking lush trees almost transported me to somewhere in the tropics. there was a calm stability to the experience. nothing was rushed but nothing was slow either.

and now to the food. the menu - which changes regularly - is a vegetarian's delight. and it is cooked and presented to perfection. we went with a big appetite and we weren't disappointed.

the thing that stood out the most to me was that alice waters was actually there on that afternoon. she was bussing tables, serving wine and clearing plates. her dedication alone speaks volumes of the place thatchezpanisse has come to represent.

loved our meal, dinner. my daughter went tochezpanisse
for her happy birthday, we had a
beautiful dinner and wonderful
wines for me. the service was great
the food fabulous, i have been coming
here since the 1980's nothing was
disappointing, this restuarant is
one of my top 10 in the world, and
i'm a globe trotter. i'm a sucker for
ambience too! i will be back we so enjoyed!
linda

forget it...it's just a shadow of it former glory. between the ages of 17 and 24, a man may go to a woman because she lets him and it is all so new. when he is over 30 and has children, he may go back to that woman because he remembers how special it was to be with her. but as he looks around and sees how desperate she is to be liked and loved, how transactional the experience has become, how old and putrid it now smells, he realizes he can never go back. jamais plus. jamais plus. the food is delicious. the service is somewhere between awful and serviceable but all is regrettable.chezpanisse is a faded memory of what it once was and probably ever will be again.

gastrotemple is the first word i heard to describe alice waters gift to dining,chezpanisse. i had always wanted to go (for over a decade in fact), but it wasn’t until my third trip to san francisco that i made the trek across the bay to find out what all the fuss was about.

one of the best meals on my sf vacation. this was the most anticipated meal i was to have on my trip during my week long vacation in san francisco. i had booked my table downstairs about 2 weeks prior to my trip. i was told beforehand it was an $85 preset menu for 5 courses. we sat down a little after 8:45 (our reservation was for 8:30) and we were greeted with smiles from the front of house staff. the bread was outstanding a very notable mention to the meal was the "fundo?" i asked and thats what they called it... it was similar to a baguette but curled in the middle.

first course was squash flowers (deep fried) with hand-made mozzarella. the mozzarella was nice and added a silky texture to contrast the squash flowers.

second course (which took about 15 minutes to come out after) was king salmon and squid in a broth with cherry tomatoes and garlic. this was a very interesting dish. i shall make mention of how tender the squid was (i was able to cut it with a spoon...) i think it was most likely sous vided. the salmon was cook very well, but being from vancouver, meh... salmon...

third course (about 15 minutes again to arrive) as you can tell the pacing of the meal was rather slower paced but tolerable being a fancier restaurant. [in total the meal lasted about 2 and a half hours] lamb rack, loin and leg with grilled rosemary, fava bean and pea puree. this dish was pretty awesome. not just because the lamb was cooked perfectly med/rare, but that fava bean and pea puree was by far the best thing i ate that meal!

fourth course was dessert, apricot galette and noyau ice cream. now i had no clue what noyau was, i later found out it was almond and pitted fruit stone liqueur, so they matched quite well. the galette crust was that of a danish on steroids. and the ice cream was the second best thing i ate that meal.

we did get sugared currants and chocolate truffles at the end. quite nice.

other things that happened and should be noted. the meyer lemon sparkling drink is meh as opposed to the elder flower sparkling drink. the elder flower tastes like lychee. the waiter dropped my bill and currants in the wrong order and consequently the wrong table, but i didnt mind since their service was pretty awesome thus far. i ended up tipping 33%. they auto you a mandatory 17%, but if the service is good, it deserved to be noted! i think the only thing if you're going to eat there is to eat before, i ate a couple hours before (southern bbq... in oakland) and i walked out ofchezpanisse very full, but not wanting to explode. yes, i'd go back.

i don't know what's happened tochezpanisse since it was one of the most well-regarded and famous restaurants in the us, but i can only tell you time has not been kind on this berkeley stalwart and these days the pioneer of california cuisine now appears happy to charge credulous guests (that would be me then) a vast amount for dreadfully boring food.

summer ice cream desserts (dish review).chezpanisse is often known for it's decadent and innovative desserts. this one leans towards the traditional and simplistic. it consists of two scoops of beloved, homemade ice cream - one a summer berry ice cream and the other a basic but delicious peach sorbet. the summer berry is full of flavor (and seeds), and is one of the best creams i have tried in all my travels. the peach, on the other hand, is somewhat icy (yes, it is a sherbet after all), a trait i never like (which i why i don't eat many cups of sherbet), yet full of fresh flavor and even the occasional chunk of fruit. both scoops are topped with an entire "summer lady" peach, a fruit known for it's sweetness and tangy flavor. unless they strongly dislike sherbet, this is the closer for anyone's perfect meal.


-----12 feb, 2013-----

braised lamb shoulder (dish review). lamb is one of the world's most beloved meats. even those who shy away from beef run for a plate of this delicacy.chezpanisse does lamb right. the kitchen, which serves hundreds of hungry and high-paying patrons daily, puts it's heart into every serving of their signature braised lamb shoulder. this dish comes in a giant ceramic bowl, which is filled with both broth and a perfect polenta. the meat itself is fork-tender and essentially melts in your mouth after many minutes (or hours) of braising. a peperonata and fried rosemary add extra flavor to the shoulder, which is finally topped of with a handful of fresh "rocket", more commonly known as arugula. it is a meal to devour and then order seconds, assuming your checkbook allows you too.


-----12 feb, 2013-----

shaved fennel salad (dish review). this dish is not only pricey and amazing, but large enough for an entire meal. the plate consists of the freshest fennel known to man shaved, sliced, and diced on fine glassware. then, the lettuce-substitute is tossed with a light salsa verde for a touch of acid. afterwards, the chef places in sliced hard-boiled egg and fine prosciutto for a kick of salt. altogether, the combination of the fennel, egg, acid, and meat makes for the finest salad i have ever sampled. thoughchezpanisse offers dozens of other appetizer and dinner versions, each time i see this particular offering, i will fly across the bay for a taste.


-----12 feb, 2013-----

bacon/scallion pizzetta (dish review). this mini-pizza is a gift from the gods.chezpanisse sure can make a killer, italian-inspired pie. this one comes with an airy tomato sauce and crunchy crust, and is covered with thick, chopped bacon and fine, fresh scallions. when paired with a fresh fennel salad, anyone can savor a perfect lunch. don't be fooled,chezpanisse doesn't offer just one pie; they have their own wood-fire oven, allowing them to offer at least two chef's specialty pizzas a day, such as the popular wild nettle version, or the immortalized wild mushroom disk.


-----12 feb, 2013-----

house-made spaghetti (dish review). if the title doesn't tell you this already, here goes:chezpanisse makes all their noodles, pastas, and breads (not to mention ice creams) in house. yes, that's dedication to excellence for you boys and girls. alice water's brainchild churns out some of the best homemade pasta around, and then proceeds to showcase it, not hide it, in every dish. this house-made spaghetti should be trade-marked; it throws the meat sauce to the dogs and instead features a light herb pesto on each noodle. on top, the skilled chefs place fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden out back and ancient parmesan cheese. it is both the simplest and cheapest dish offered at the restaurant (that isn't pizza). i'd eat this any lunch of my life.


-----12 feb, 2013-----

#700 -chezpanisse (californian/farm-to-table).chezpanisse, arguably the most hyped restaurant on the west coast of the united states, deserves every good word it gets. this restaurant is among the finest i have dined at, ever. period, end of story. the service is impeccable, adding to the already enchanting charm of the eatery. though the price tag is astronomical, most days it is worth every penny (their menu often changes, so try to check in advance to make sure it appeals to you before plopping down $300). every dish is almost perfectly cooked; tender meats and savory vegetables rest on each $30 plate. perhaps my favorite offering is the simplest of all, the house-made spaghetti. you won't find a thick sauce atchezpanisse; instead, the chef tosses the noodles in a refreshing herb pesto and then tops them off with fresh tomatoes and aged parmesan. another, even more succulent option is the braised lamb shoulder, which comes on a bed of polenta after being fire-braised and seasoned with pepper corns and fried rosemary. perhaps the best, most consistent section of the menu is the dessert list, which incorporates both traditional favorites and the freshest local ingredients on each plate. i particularly enjoy the homemade peach sherbet and berry cream topped with "summer lady" peaches, often only served in summer. all things (and dishes) considered,chezpanisse takes the cake for best restaurant in not only the east bay, but all of california outside san francisco and the peninsula, where a few enduring favorites keep it from the title. if you have a few hundred dollars lying around that you want to use for a special occasion, drive over to the heart of berkeley for a crack atchezpanisse.

rating: 9.2/10

every restaurant and chef has a story.  but rarely does a restaurant have a more than 40-year history, a legendary owner, and a book to chronicle it all.  this makes my visit to alice water’schezpanisse in berkeley, california an experience that is about far more than the food.

mediocre. i foundchezpanisse did not live up to expectations. my wife and i were very excited to dine here on our honeymoon. in fact we traveled 1.5 hours to get there from sf on public transport.

nothing was bad about the restaurant, however, nothing was that great either. the food was well executed, but not very inventive. i felt like i could have made my meal at home, which is not a good feeling when paying top dollar for a meal at a famous restaurant.

the waitstaff did a good job, but i've had much better service (and food) in calgary and edmonton, which aren't places normally known for their food.

so if you're staying in berkeley, it might be worth checking outchezpanisse, but if you're in sf, there's much better food and service closer by.

hidden amongst a grove of green, the understatedchezpanisse gently reveals itself in all its glory. it’s famed owner, alice waters is one of the pioneers of california cuisine. she is the original advocate of sourcing fresh, organic, seasonal produce from farm and bringing it to the table. alice waters also created the now famous slow food movement and the edible school yard concept.

this was our most highly anticipated reservation of our vacation. i kept calling it a pilgrimage, and i don't think that's an overstatement.chezpanisse was really, by nearly every account, the progenitor of fresh, seasonal, local foods as a way to be fo