I went to Rubicon on Tuesday night and had the tasting menu. Of course, the service was attentive and knowledgeable, the wine list extensive and full of gems, and Larry Stone's expertise broad and deep.

But let me talk about the food. With the intent to build some credibility in my palate - I love to eat. I also love to cook. I also run a winery so these are not only interests but my life's passions. I understand food and spend a lot of time and effort gathering experiences. I have eaten just about everywhere in SF and NYC.

Okay, enough of that, the new chef is a young lad from Michigan. The courses - there were 7, we added an 8th, lamb, because we are gluttonous not because there was not enough food for the average to over average bear. Each course was comprised of 5-7 flavors. Visually stunning, indeed. But what blew me away was how you could take a bite of four elements - let's say the poached foie gras with a bite of the duck dragged through the oxtail reduction sauce - and it was rich and toe tingling and yummy. But then, in the next bite, you could combine 3 or 4 of the other taste elements and have an equally palate pleasing but altogether different taste experience. Woo Hoo. And it went like that throughout the meal. It started with an excellent pate amusee. Then a seared scallop course - i know yawn, another seared scallop - but this was carmelized and crispy on the exterior and slick and creamy on the interior. Not just your pan seared light on the outside etc., but lip smacking salty and crispycooked under a broiler, I presume. A wonderful olive oil was drizzled on top with pea shoots and fried lemon rinds. And also, what was it, yam puree? I can't remember. And an oxtail reduction of sorts surrounded a green puree of of...damn, i forget. But let the fish and animal kingdoms run together, i say. This was followed by, I think, the halibut. Excellent. It had been mentioned to me before by others who had eaten there. It is uniqely prepared and excellent. Then the lamb. Then the duck. Then the sirloin with a truffle creme. We asked for a cheese plate that was superb and not simply your standard lot. A former Rubicon sous has begun to make goat cheese and it was a highlight. The whole plate was excellent. It finished with dessert and final sweets. i have forgotten a few things; like all the important other flavors on the plates. But this is running long and it was, in short, heavenly.

We drank the 1996 Ente Mersault. He is a Lafon protege and it was billed as oak driven, and it was, but the years had taken the raw edge off and instead it was interesting - butterscotch, apricot, poached pear, yet framed around limestone and crisp acidity -and paired well with the cedar halibut. We also had a bottle of the 1997 Raphet Echezeaux. Um, yes. Oh indeed, yes. Rich, well balanced, sanguine with good minerality and excellent length.

So what am i saying here? I had a great meal, good for me. But more importantly to other forum readers, THERE IS A NEW CHEF AT RUBICON AND YOU MUST TRY HIS FOOD.

Enjoy and let me know if you had a similar experience.

Thanks for the write up Andy, sounds like a great meal.

Now if you could only ship your wines to Hawaii....

Thanks for the write up Andy and welcome to VinoCellar. I look forward to your participation.

Welcome Andy.

By the way, the Chef is actually a CA native. He just did time (served time?) in Michigan.
Stuart Brioza

Thanks for the write-up and welcome to VC. Where is Rubicon located?

Rubicon
558 Sacramento Street
San Francisco, California
415-434-4100
Rubicon

Thanks Andy, Glad to see you posting.

Thanks for posting, Andy.

It's nice to see another forumite who's ITB. (whatever that means).

How goes it in the hinterlands???

Welcome to VC, Andy. I'd love to hear a report of how things are going in your vineyard.

Andy! Great to see you posting here. Sounds like an experience not to be missed. Hmm, my birthday is coming up...

Great first post, Andy. Sounds quite the place to try out. We'll be in SF for two days in April followed by a week in Wine Country. It'll be hard making the decision where to have those two SF dinners, and your post makes it even harder!!

ARGH!

Welcome to the wonderful wacky land of vinocellar.

Thanks for posting & I look forward to tasting some of your wines which you are holding for me until Oct (to ship to NJ). Heard a lot of good things about them on this site.

Welcome, Andy, I enjoyed your write-up. We haven't been back to Rubicon since a disappointing dinner when Traci Desjardins was the chef.

Welcome Andy.

Thanks for the notes.

Quote:

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We haven't been back to Rubicon since a disappointing dinner when Traci Desjardins was the chef.

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Ditto. Only I would use a word more harsh than "disappointing". But you've given me new hope.

Ah ! The chef was previously at Tapawingo in Michigan; that explains everything. Thanks for the link to his bio.

More than once I've made it my business to take a major detour to eat at this restaurant which isreally out of the way. Each time I was amazed by the meal and wished I could contrive a reason to stay around long enough for another meal.

Michigan's loss is truly San Francisco's gain.

The 1997 echezeaux we drank was a ROUGET, not Raphet. Silly me and my pickled memory.

Andy - If you're anything like us, your brain isn't the only thing that's pickled!

Welcome to VC. When you go on your next gastronomical adventure, be sure to tell us about it. I'm one of the "vicarious eaters" - stuck in the Great American Outback and hanging on every word of a review of a good restaurant.

Oh, and you make a pretty fine bottle o' wine yourself!

Sounds like I need to give Rubicon another shot. Like others, I was thoroughly underwhelmed last (and only) time there.

fyfas, we enjoyed our dinner at Tapawingo very much, but preferred the nearby Rowe Inn. Have you ever been there? I thought the hostess at Tapawingo was pretentious and I also felt the food was better at the Rowe Inn. Tapawingo is certainly the prettier of the two.