Opening A Restaurant: dessert menu testing.

If only I didn't need any sleep. Then I could tell you everything. Every day I could come home and write and write and tell you about how much I love the sous chefs. They're great. Both of them. Different in complementary ways. Ones is learning and it's great to watch him fill shoes. The other is being stretched and poked and prodded and I like to give him a good squeeze here and there because when I look at his open freckled face I feel better.

Or I could tell you about the pastry team. How we are 5 strong women pushing and getting pushed. When my team is ready to take flight from me I want them to leave 100 times better than they came to me. I want to get the messy ones neat and the frantic ones confident. I want the best of them and I hope to give them my all.

I want to tell you about the way one of our managers was dressed today. The suit he wore was striped and so was his shirt and tie! It took my breath away his handsome-ness. Does someone have a fan?

I could go into great detail about what it feels like to meet new diners and hope to have them as regulars. Or to have a waiter spot people in the industry, chat with them and give them an extra treat to thank them for supporting us in our endeavor. (Today a well known SF pastry chef came in with her sous chef and assistant just because. They were 3 and ordered all 4 desserts!)

I might have time to tell you about a new dessert I plated for the first time today. Or the process it takes to get to the point from tossing and turning and having a notebook by the bed for almost sleeping notes, to today when the food was in mine and my chef's mouth. Us closing our eyes and imagining what else will go on the plate to complete the thought.

It's a gorgeous feeling, I don't mind saying.

Tomorrow another one should come out of my hands. And the oven, freezer, out from under the sharp blade and my imagination.

Who here likes lemon desserts to taste like lemon? Call me a Purist. You wouldn't be the first.

But the truth is I have to sleep.

For those of you looking for the complete dessert menus,

DINNER:

first blush
toasted kataifi, quince,
warmed manouri & strawberry-rose sherbet
9

soft & evocative
poached pear, buckwheat cake &
brown butter crème anglaise
9

icy bright
almond milk gelee, woodleaf peach and blackberry granita, seasonal fruit
8

warm & sumptuous
cocoa cake, baked chocolate, cardamon ice cream
& shuna’s famous dark chocolate sauce
9

autumn arrival
honey-cumin pot de crème, heirloom apple-walnut-white fig salad
8

LUNCH:

soft & evocative
poached pear, buckwheat cake &
brown butter crème anglaise
9

icy bright
almond milk gelee, woodleaf peach and blackberry granita, seasonal fruit
8

crunchy & sumptuous
sesame cake, cocoa nib cream dome,
& shuna’s famous dark chocolate sauce
9

autumn arrival
honey-cumin pot de crème, heirloom apple-walnut-white fig salad
8

See you soon?

Comments

[Nicole]

See me soon?

Next time I am in SF, for sure! First blush sounds totally like my kind of dessert!

N.

[jennywenny]

Now you're just taunting me. I would like crunchy warm and soft and then sit very still for a few hours glowing.

After trying so many terrible desserts in San Diego I just want to be there already!

I went to a very well liked place for dinner recently and their creme brulee was eggy and curdled and their chocolate mousse was grainy. So sad. :( maybe that means there is room for me.

[Nichole]

My partner and I celebrated our anniversary there last weekend, and it was wonderful. The food, the place, the waitstaff. We don't often go up to the city from the South Bay for dinner, but we were SO glad that we did. It was such a treat and turned out to be a really special evening.

All your work was well appreciated, so thank you for your inspiration and talent and skill!

By the way, the Warm & Sumptuous was indeed that, and SO delicious.

[Jim]

With some creative applications of Provigil you won't need AS MUCH sleep, but short of converting yourself into a robot the biggest stumbling block to human productivity will catch up to you eventually. :)

The dishes all sound amazing. I hope I get to go someday.

[Claire]

Man, next time I'm out in SF, I am THERE. I love your descriptions - sensations, tastes, and feelings all wrapped up in a nice little package. Go sleep, and dream of warm & sumptuous things.

[lindsey]

i feel like i can just say "yeah" to this whole post...i'm coming in tomorrow for the new dessert, possibly with aaron but if not with a FH coworker!

and as for sleep...you can do it when you're dead, yeah?

[Richie]

yeah...everything on that menu is good/amazing. simple flavors...that taste HUGE. again, thanks. we had a great time.

ps
halen mon vanilla salt. le sanctuaire...they have the bigger cans of it.

[Nell]

Best wishes for success. Haven't been back to SF since moving away thirteen years ago, but if I do visit, I'm now determined to include Sens.

The picture with the review at 7x7 was intriguing. What's the topping on the honey-cumin pot de creme?

[shuna fish lydon]

Nell,

well I'm glad to be on your radar indeed! Please say hello if you come in...

There's a few things on top of the pot de creme: bee pollen, honey and Welsh vanilla sea salt.