On Sunday I went with friends to Ad Hoc, which is Thomas Keller's most understated restaurant, located on the same block in Yountville as the legendary French Laundry and elegant bistro Bouchon. It was started as a temporary restaurant, an experiment in casual dining in which one menu would be offered per day, prix fixe, served family style, and with no reservations accepted. His original idea was to eventually put a burger joint it its place, but it became so popular that he decided to make it permanent. I was fortunate to dine at Ad Hoc in its early days, the experience made even more special by the fact that it would soon be going away, disappearing into the mist like Brigadoon. When I think back to that meal, it was so special - I knew only a few of the party of 10, and many since have become friends, largely due to the great time that we had that day. I will never forget the freshness of the heirloom tomatoes, the butter soft house-made mozzarella, and the tender pot roast. It was truly a perfect meal.
Sunday brunch is a new offering at Ad Hoc, quietly added this past Easter weekend and apparently still largely unnoticed by the public. While up the street Redd was full of people, we were one of three tables occupied at Ad Hoc. They had a great soundtrack playing, also something I remember from my first dinner there - like someone had put on all of their favorite CD's and hit "shuffle".
We started with expertly made Mimosas and Bellinis, always a good way to get everything going. We would later be glad for the acidity and citrus in the drinks to help cut through the rich ingredients of our meal, as well as the caffeine from our hot drinks for keeping us from slipping into a food coma.
First course was Hen-of-the-Woods Mushroom Crepes, with an oven-dried tomato vinaigrette and lettuce on top. The crepes were huge and delicious, with the mushrooms cooked perfectly and just seasoned enough to bring out their earthy flavor and unusual texture. The lettuce - oh, wow. I am not one to get excited about lettuce, but this was just-picked-from-the-earth fresh, and picture perfect. This course alone would have been enough for a full meal, but it was just the beginning.
Second course was Chesapeake Bay Soft Shell Crabs, with avocado, aoili, and a fried hen's egg on toasted palladin from Bouchon Bakery. I adore soft shell crabs, and don't have the chance to eat them very often on the west coast, so this was really a treat. And tasting that rich, dark orange egg yolk, I was reminded that all eggs are definitely not created equal. The scallion potato cake was decadent, rounding this out to a wonderfully delightful dish.
Dessert course was pressed melon, an interesting preparation of fruit that made it into a sort of a gelee. What one of my dining companions said was absolutely right - you got the full flavor of the melon, but not the gritty texture. Me, I was all over the shortbread cookies.
I love the simplicity of eating at Ad Hoc, and it is such a relief not to have to select your meal from a menu (and perhaps end up suffering from food envy, which is the worst). I also like the idea of all of the kitchen's effort being put into one meal, rather than trying to accommodate several.
If all of that weren't enough, we made a quick stop at Bouchon Bakery and picked up some patisserie to take home. Being a sucker for macarons, I had to try the vanilla and the caramel - they were delicious, and HUGE, but Miette still makes the best, in my opinion. The Nutter Butter Sandwich cookie that I got for Charles? Now that was tasty.
Yes indeed, I do love a day in the country.
