Ubuntu: Hold on to your palate!
A friend came into town last week and wanted to try out the new restaurant in town, Ubuntu. Before I describe the restaurant any further, let me tell you that we ate an INCREDIBLE meal over the course of two hours. Every flavor in our mouth was like a burst of spring coming into fruition. We started with the fried sunchokes appetizer and the radish salad which was the perfect beginning to this shared pleasure. The presentation was beautiful and the various radishes offered differing degrees of sweetness and pepper. We moved to the cauliflower in a cast iron pot (whoa! what a great dish), the pizza with truffles and burrata (soft mozzarella)…this is where the meal really took off!…and imbibed in the rubochon potatoes in red wine and the pearl pasta with rapini and mushroom broth. When they came for dessert we had to decline as we were absolutely stuffed! Not one of us could consider putting another bite of food into our mouths. So, back to the description of the restaurant…did you notice the menu? There was no meat, but lots of protein. Jamie and I are huge carnivores and love to gnaw on beef, chicken, and pork, but at this restaurant we walked away not even thinking that we had missed anything from our meal. Some food critics are comparing this chef Jeremy in the vegetarian world to Thomas Keller of the French Laundry in French cuisine. We cannot encourage you enough to set aside your “thoughts” about vegetarian food for one night and indulge in the pure pleasure of great food, incredible flavors, and solid cuisine. See the blogroll for the link to the restaurant’s website.
Tags: napa, napa valley, Restaurants: Wine Country, ubuntu, vegetarian