A Star Dimly Lit - etoile at Chandon - Yountivlle, CA

There were a few shining stars the night we dined at etoile. It certainly wasn’t a meteor shower, and even the Michelin star, touted on their voicemail, didn’t shine in my wife’s and my eyes.

The night stroll from the parking lot to the restaurant doors was romantic. With the bare winter oak trees lit each with its own light, and crossing the bridge over the babbling stream surely would add to the ambiance of our Valentine dinner celebration, so we thought.

Up the stairs we climbed, we opened the door at the top, and bam- a whiff of fish aroma permeated the air. We looked at each other, and both our heads tilted opposite of each others and eyes rolled. There were a few couples already waiting in the tasting room, and we too would be asked to wait for our table to be ready.

Service was banquet-like, dishes were placed in front, and plates & flatware removed mechanically. Service wasn’t very personable. My wife was missing a napkin and we asked for one. The bread and butter plopped on the table. No explanation. There were two types of bread and the butter had black salt specs. We figured it out that the breads were sour dough and the other filled with cranberry and raisins.

The Sweetheart Tasting Menu included Dungeness Crab and passion fruit puree (sweet crab and tart sauce that balanced it out nicely); Seared Dayboat Scallops (tender and flavorful with smoked bacon and sweet kumquats); Roasted Beef Tenderloin (really tender and perfect, with earthy mushrooms); My wife doesn’t eat beef, and asked for a substitution of venison and our waiter checked and confirmed. It was so tender. Cowgirl Creamery Red Hawk cheese (creamy and pungent; and the frisee and blood orange was a good compliment); and for dessert, the Chocolate bag with raspberry milkshake and amaretto cookies (the chocolate bag was creatively made; milkshake creamy and cookies moist (I really liked the cookies the best)).

My wife added the wine paring (and of course I sipped from here glass): etoile Tete de Cuvee 2000; Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay, 2007; Newton Unfiltered Cab Sauv, 2006; etoile Rose. The best match was the Cab, nice nose and long finish.

There wasn’t an amuse bouche or parting truffle mini gift box, not that we wanted them, but just surprised there wasn’t for this caliber of restaurant. Our linen napkins weren’t folded when we each left (on seperate occassions) the table upon our return from the restroom.

The food came out at the right temperature, flavorful, and creatively. Service wasn’t bad, not exceptional. There are other one Michelin stars in the area that are much more deserving. etoile is French for “star”. This restaurant sits under the Yountville stars, but sitting inside, we don’t see many.

Garlic-Ginger Dungenous Crab

The other day my wife and I were craving garlic-ginger crab. That afternoon, we were on a mission to buy crab, dungenous crab specifically. We purchased a two pound (about 1 kilo) weighted sized one. About $4,99/lb. We already had the garlic, ginger, olive & sesame oil, and butter. I find the dungenous crab the sweetest and most meaty. And it's readily available in the San Francisco bay area. It turned out delicious. Definitely finger licking good. It's messy, but worth the work. I figure it tastes better when there's work involved.

Ingredients:

1 Dungenous crab

2 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon sesame oil

1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

4 cloves garlic (diced)

1 Tablespoon fresh ginger (sliced thinly)

In a large pot, fill with water just enough to cover the crab. Boil water and drop crab inside boiling water. Cook for about 20- 30 minutes. Drain crab when done cooking.

When the crab is cooled enough to handle, remove the claws, and legs. Crack the claws and legs with the back end of a knife or seafood cracker. Separate the main body from the top shell. Remove the lungs and discard. Cut the main body into two halves.

In a small bowl, save and remove the crab fat (the yellow liquid & solids) from the top shell and from the main body. The crab fat has the most flavor. Use the liquid and solid later at the end of the cooking period.

Use a wok, preheated on med-medium high heat. Add cooking oils in the wok to heat for about one minute. Add garlic and ginger, cook for 2 minutes. Add butter. With a wooden spoon, stir the ingredients so not to burn. Add the cooked crab pieces. Mix together and cook for about 3- 5 minutes. Add the crab fat liquid and solid.

Serve on a large plate. Side dishes include steamed rice or french bread and steamed green veggie like asparagus, green beans, broccoli, or bok choy.