Marinus Dinner

Every once and a while I have a meal that reminds me why I cook for a living. A meal that makes one happy to own a mouth. A meal I know is overseen by someone I love and admire, and who feels the same for me.

When I knew we were headed for Monterey, I emailed Ben Spungin. Ben can proudly say he worked at The French Laundry because of me. Or remember the exquisite pain and torture of it. The last time I ate his innovative and delightful desserts, he was at The Post Ranch Inn, where he first reigned supreme. Now Ben is at Marinus, a small, warmly comfortable restaurant within Bernardus Lodge.

Upon arriving I turned my wine glass over. {It's the best way of saying you don't drink alcohol without the un-comforted of saying it aloud in front of everyone.} Within a few moments our sparkly waiter came by, picking up my glass and greeting me immediately. This was the beginning of exceptional service. When restaurants remember important information they're paying attention to the details you're paying for. She gave us the menu but asked if we wanted the kitchen to cook for us.

But first, were there any ingredients we wanted the kitchen to omit from our meals?

he: mango (allergy)  me:  no white truffle oil (I don't like artificial flavors)

How could we say know to a special meal designed for us?

Here's what we were fed:

1st course: Abalone Tartare 
abalone cooked sous vide, diced and served round, packed into a ring mold with tomato concasse, fuyu persimmon dice, pomegranate seeds, hachiya persimmon emulsion and tiny brioche croutons. Served with a tiny mound of light micro greens.

~ wondrous in the mouth. I love when everything is cut the same size, but there are all sorts of flavours, textures and little pows! coming from fruits acidic and sweet.

2nd course: Spot Prawn
2 spot prawns, full body, on a mound of sunchoke puree, shaved white truffles and vegetable stock based truffle foam.

~ shellfish was tender, sweet and nicely salty on the exterior. I'm not always a fan of sunchokes-- they can overpower, but this little bit gave a barely smoky taste to the dish and  was a good pick for getting a bit of creaminess in without big dairy.

3rd course: White Truffle Risotto

~ a little on the salty side, and I was glad not to be eating a lot of it. The white truffles were sweet and sliced a bit thicker than they usually are, which I found to be a nice gesture.

INTERMEZZO: Meyer Lemon and Raw Milk Sherbet. What I loved about this was it it's absent sweetness. Because it was Meyer it packed little acid wallup, but melted into lemony milky snow. Gorgeous. A light touch is rare to find.

4th course: Kobe Beef

3/4" slices of kobe beef, glazed cippolini onions, arugula micro greens and a mound of thick cut Oregon porcini.

~ by far the very best course! Meat at a medium rare tenderness unmatched by mere mortal comparison. Heavily sea salted on the seared edges, making for a crunch before melt, and a salt foil before sweet bloody  beef taste. Porcinis mimicked the soft flesh of the kobe-ness, were bravely unsalted! When porcinis taste like porcinis one understands their rarity and price tag. Cippolinis were sweet with caramelization and slow cooking's generous patience.

This dish was about earth. Like being a gnome getting naked, carefully placing his nice red hat on a log, and rolling around in the moist black dirt. Laughing heartily. Like the abalone first course, it was about texture and surprisingly fantastically treated ingredients. Intentional planning.

Intellectual, but also very very sensual.

Then came the desserts, all small,  & ferocious.

5th course: Apple Fritter

white truffle caramel, cocoa nibs, Oak Tree ice cream, mint syrup dots.

IF YOU HAVE NO OTHER DESSERT EVER,
PLEASE GO EAT THIS YOUNG MAN'S OAK TREE ICE CREAM.

~ my most favorite ice cream innovation to arrive since Escoffier. There is a deeply warm flavor here which only might be copied with chicory or sassafras. I thought it brave for Ben to put cocoa nibs in a non chocolate dessert and the mint syrup climbed you into the tree's canopy.

6th course: Chestnut Souffle
round slices of whole clementines, chocolate anglaise.

~ preferring to pour in the anglaise ourselves I was happy to get a scent and taste of souffle before chocolate took over. In all honesty, though, the chestnut flavour and texture was almost too light to notice. Chestnuts aren't easy. One needs a lot of them to make an impression.

7th course: Les Gianduja
hazelnut dacquoise, tonka bean ice cream

~ mmmm tonka beans. again, as was the case with the oak tree ice cream, the tonka beans were about dark mysterious vanilla forest. It was another great marriage. Chocolate, hazelnuts and the flavour of vanilla, but denser. And I'm a sucker for the crunchy foil of dacquoise.

Finally, on a long plate, out came a big chocolate fish with these hand painted filled chocolates. We brought them home. After finishing tea picked out of a box filled with little glass apothecary jars filled with show and smell!

If I lived closer I would head here more often. It's indeed on the pricy side, but worth it for a something special night.

And there's a chef table in the kitchen!

But we were warm enough sitting by the big lodge fireplace. A deliciously warm night indeed.

HAPPY DECEMBER!

& the end of 2006

Comments

[Garrett]

Uhhhh, yum! Gah, the whole thing sounds decadent! Just like you! *kisses*

[kudzu]

I am not naked nor do I have a pointed hat to remove but I am laughing as hard as your gnome! What a wonderful description (I won't diminish it by calling it a review) of a meal. I look forward to getting down there soon.

Tell us more about the oak tree ice cream. I have been enjoying fir tree flavored things for the last couple of years but haven't heard of this before. Sassafras is so specific and powerful in flavor I can't imagine how oak could match it. I do miss sassafras here on the West coast, especially crushing the leaves when they're green and tender. Beautiful trees.

And now I want abalone. Now.

[Tea]

Can I go to Marinus with YOU? Please, pretty please? My birthday is coming up...:-)

Amazing, amazing--their food and your descriptions of it. Makes me feel rich and full.

And now I want to dig up my gnome book from childhood. I know exactly what you're taking about (a Waldorf education will do that to a kid).

Your wonderful tree photos make it feel very Big Sur-ish--my first home.

Thanks for letting us enjoy your dinner as well!

[Julie]

I love a thorough description of a remarkable meal.

Sadly, I dine most times with a finicky eater who is hard-pressed if I want a tasting menu. I could barely imagine what would happen if the kitchen sent out plates filled with gorgeous smoky mushrooms, avocadoes, olives...all on my partner's hate-it-won't-touch-it food list. On the other hand, he's willing to try almost anything if he hasn't developed a prejudice against it beforehand.

I'm thinking that on occasion, I should leave the boy at home and go for a swank dining adventure with another brave taster like myself...

[Hande]

"How could we say know to a special meal ..."
See, it does happen to the best of us. So don't be so hard!
On a different note: I read more and more often the term "the kitchen cooking for someone". I understand this means a surprise tasting menu. But I wonder who cooks for me all the times I go to a restaurant and order something I see in the menu.

[Ilva]

Very beautiful atmosphere in the wood!

[ben]

hi. thanks to the love from shuna fish. Garrett, the oak ice cream is very distinct with hints of vanillin flovour, and even a hint of coffee. I toast the wood (after cleaning), and then make a 'tea' with the cream and milk. It tastes as toasted wood smells.
i love it.