Just look at that sky! As I write this from my Embassy Suites hotel room in Kansas City, I can hardly believe that I was in Yountville 48 hours ago, eating at a restaurant that after only one meal has made it into my top 10 in the Bay Area. Following our fabulous, beautiful day of yoga at Mayacamas Ranch, we went to Redd for an early dinner. I have to admit that this restaurant was totally off of my radar - I had only heard about it through Yelp. Shocking, considering how much I read about the local restaurant scene - how exactly did this one slip onto the same street as French Laundry, Bouchon and Ad Hoc without my even noticing? And then enjoy the quiet success that it has for 3 years, right under my nose? I made the reservation months in advance, perused the website dozens of times, and have since read about it in various publications.
Well, its elusiveness may be due to its understated style. The modern decor is a surprise in this area of No Cal, but instead of sticking out like a sore thumb, it just sits quietly in its simplicity. The experience of dining there is very much the same. While the service is polished, and the details are just so, at no time do you feel like you are in a pretentious environment. It's all about balance - from the environment, to the service, to the food.
As far as the food, we were surprised to find it so innovative, generously portioned, and fairly priced. I would have expected to pay twice what we paid for a meal of this caliber.
A great cocktail list is for me a sign of good things to come. I had a drink called the "Scarlet" something which was fantastic - refreshing with kind of a Christmas spice to it. And just look at my lovely dinner companion!
We started with 2 amazing appetizers, the Trio of Cold Foie Gras Preparations, and the Yellowfin Tuna Tartare with avocado and crisped rice. Both were excellent, and I would order them again in a minute. I was especially interested to see what they would do with 3 cold preparations of foie gras - not a seared slab to be found. And they were all excellent, with our favorite being the torchon, with its lovely pistachio crust, rhubarb on the side, and spread upon a perfectly toasted square of brioche.
For dinner, Jude had the Lobster Risotto (which I neglected to photograph) and I had the Spring Lamb tasting. Oh, my was that lamb delicious. Melt-in-your-mouth tender morsels, cooked to order rare, and in 3 different preparations (but plated so that it looked like one dish, which I appreciated - you can get Michael Minna'd to death with too many trios). The lightly breaded and fried artichoke was a mere accent - this dish was all about the meat. A seasonal delight.
As if that weren't enough, we splurged and split two desserts. They were both very different, and since each was a tasting of three, we actually got to sample six. The Citrus Sampler was light and bright, as you can imagine, with a Meyer Lemon Tart, Yuzu Float, and Grapefruit S'more. The Peanut Butter Gianduja was a peanut butter "bar", and ice cream and candied peanut concoction, and a little parfait with honey. Decadent, and delicious.
I don't know much about chef Richard Reddington (except from reading about his impressive career on the website), but whoever he is, he has got his finger on the pulse of today's sophisticated dining experience, and the talent to pull it off. Doing this in a way that is affordable and accessible to everyone is an added bonus and the definition of a truly modern attitude.
