Chez TJ or other special occasion restaurant on Peninsula?
Shannon
I'm looking for a 'special occasion' restaurant on the Peninsula this
weekend. I've found favorable reviews of Chez TJ in Mountain View, but
none are recent reviews. According to http://www.cheztj.com/staff.html
their chef is now Christopher Kostow, and the reviews I've found are at
least nine months old and reference a chef named Joshua Skenes.
Is Chez TJ still the best place for a special meal, or should we look
elsewhere? Would Manresa be a better choice?
Thanks!
-Shannon
Todd Michel McComb
Shannon <stj...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Is Chez TJ still the best place for a special meal, or should we look
>elsewhere? Would Manresa be a better choice?
I didn't realize Skenes had left. He did a good job. Not all chefs
at Chez TJ have been as good, and the rate they lose them is a bit
alarming.
Anyway, Chez TJ under Skenes had some good stuff, but they weren't
as good as Manresa. If you're choosing between those two, Manresa
should be a no-brainer.
Spam Gourmet
> Anyway, Chez TJ under Skenes had some good stuff, but they weren't
> as good as Manresa. If you're choosing between those two, Manresa
> should be a no-brainer.
Speaking of Manresa, is anyone planning to go to the special dinner with
Lefebvre? Here's the description from opentable:
Experience the synergy of two dynamic chefs. Celebrated Chef Ludovic
Lefebvre of Bastide Restaurant, Los Angeles, will join David Kinch as a
guest chef at Manresa on Sunday, March 5, 2006. One of the most adventurous
chefs in LA, Ludo will surprise and delight with his modern French cuisine.
Ludo grew up in Burgundy, and was mentored by Marc Meneau, Pierre Gagnaire,
and Alain Passard. He recently published his first cookbook, Crave, The
Feast of the Five Senses. This six-course dinner is $135 per person, plus
tax and gratuity.Please note that reservations for Sunday, March 5, 2006 are
for this not-to-be-missed event only.
--A
Shannon
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/living/food/13706607.htm
from January 25:
"Joshua Skenes, the twentysomething wonder chef who dazzled with his
exquisite fare at Chez TJ in downtown Mountain View, has joined the
Mina Group, star chef Michael Mina's illustrious group of fine-dining
restaurants.
Skenes left Chez TJ last fall to become executive chef of Mina's new
Stonehill Tavern in the St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach, in Orange
County, which will open Feb. 8 to serve modern American cuisine.
...
Not to worry, though. Chez TJ, 938 Villa St. in Mountain View, now is
in the very capable hands of new executive chef Christopher Kostow, who
apprenticed at Michelin-starred restaurants in France and was most
recently the sous chef at San Francisco's Campton Place Hotel
restaurant. His menu showcases dishes such as chilled carrot soup with
Dungeness crab, sea urchin and lime; and glazed pork tenderloin with
five-spice prunes and kumquat marmalade."
So has anyone been to Chez TJ in the past six months or so?
I spoke too soon about Manresa - it's booked up for the weekend already
so we're still searching. Any other suggestions in the area are
greatly welcomed.
Thanks!
-Shannon
Todd Michel McComb
Shannon <stj...@gmail.com> wrote:
>Are there any other restaurants in the area that we should consider?
Maybe Marche in Menlo Park? What are you looking for anyway?
>Or can anyone who's visited Chez TJ in the past six months or so
>share their experience?
I'd be interested in that too.
Dave Opstad
> Is Chez TJ still the best place for a special meal, or should we look
> elsewhere? Would Manresa be a better choice?
Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino is a good place for a special meal,
IMHO. I've been there a few times in the past year and it's a bit pricey
but well worth it.
Dave
Mean Green Dancing Machine
Yes and no. I mean, no matter how they dress it up, it is, as the name
says, a steakhouse. That means that it may not have the "special
occasion" ambience desired. Also, while it was quiet enough for a
weekend lunch with few people there, it looks like it would be extremely
noisy with a full set.
--
--- Aahz <*> (Copyright 2006 by aa...@pobox.com)
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 http://rule6.info/
Androgynous poly kinky vanilla queer het Pythonista
"Not everything in life has a clue in front of it...." --JMS
Marcella Peek
Our family likes 231 Ellsworth in San Mateo. It's always quiet and they
have a nice prix fixe as well as a regular menu.
marcella
Aaron Bergman
"Shannon" <stj...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I spoke too soon about Manresa - it's booked up for the weekend already
> so we're still searching. Any other suggestions in the area are
> greatly welcomed.
You could try Marche in Menlo Park.
Aaron
Marcella Peek
aa...@pobox.com (Mean Green Dancing Machine) wrote:
> In article <marcella-698D57...@comcast.dca.giganews.com>,
> Marcella Peek <marc...@extra.peek.org> wrote:
> >
> >Our family likes 231 Ellsworth in San Mateo. It's always quiet and they
> >have a nice prix fixe as well as a regular menu.
>
> With both you and Asya recommending it, I suppose we'll have to give it
> another chance, but I felt cheated the last time we went.
What was it that made you feel cheated? Were the portions too small or
too small for the price or something? I quite like their 3 course lunch
and last year took several girlfriends for their birthdays.
marcella
Mean Green Dancing Machine
Marcella Peek <marc...@extra.peek.org> wrote:
>In article <dt11lh$112$1...@panix3.panix.com>,
> aa...@pobox.com (Mean Green Dancing Machine) wrote:
>> In article <marcella-698D57...@comcast.dca.giganews.com>,
>> Marcella Peek <marc...@extra.peek.org> wrote:
>>>
>>>Our family likes 231 Ellsworth in San Mateo. It's always quiet and they
>>>have a nice prix fixe as well as a regular menu.
>>
>> With both you and Asya recommending it, I suppose we'll have to give it
>> another chance, but I felt cheated the last time we went.
>
>What was it that made you feel cheated? Were the portions too small or
>too small for the price or something? I quite like their 3 course lunch
>and last year took several girlfriends for their birthdays.
For more details, look up my review, but basically we felt they did a
poor job of cooking meat. Since that is absolutely basic, we felt
cheated.
Marcella Peek
aa...@pobox.com (Mean Green Dancing Machine) wrote:
> For more details, look up my review, but basically we felt they did a
> poor job of cooking meat. Since that is absolutely basic, we felt
> cheated.
Ah, I generally stick to the vegetarian or fish options. The regular
tasting menu is quite meat heavy with seemingly one or more meats in
every dish. After the first try of that I learned. Their gnocchi with
mushrooms is quite good.
marcella
Stef
>I'm looking for a 'special occasion' restaurant on the Peninsula this
>weekend.
Chantilly's in Redwood City/Atherton is a good special occasion
restaurant. Their food isn't what I would call modern, but it's
consistent and good. The decor is really nice and the service is good.
(I think it's been about a year since I've been there.)
Iron Gate in Belmont is also quite good, in an un-modern sort of way.
They have various prepared-tableside dishes and desserts-for-two.
--
Stef ** st...@cat-and-dragon.com <*> http://www.cat-and-dragon.com/stef
**
Premature optimization is the root of all evil. -- Knuth
Mean Green Dancing Machine
The portions of the tasting menu containing seafood were no better cooked
WRT the meat part. Although I'm generally quite happy eating vegetarian
food, if a high-end restaurant serves meat, they damn well better cook it
properly.
Max Hauser
Tried new chef's cooking last week. Ought to mention that I and friends
have been irregular regulars at TJ for 15 years as of this month and it was
by coincidence also the first restaurant in Santa Clara County that I posted
notes about online (ba.food, 1991). (Earlier notes, through 1980s, were
from other parts of the Bay Area.) Other regulars might be saddened to hear
that "Mo" no longer serves there, though two other front employees with 15
or so years tenure are still serving. Some new servers were just hired.
The place still has those spun-patterned lamp shades on the tables, though
"they are dwindling with inevitable breakage now and then."
Based on that recent meal (a quiet night, and "please let the chef choose
the courses") Christopher Kostow is doing a worthy job. He seemed to be a
young and confident Northeasterner, most recently worked sous at the Campton
Place in SF before recruitment to TJ. He apprenticed in France for some
years, earlier. We talked for a few minutes, he was full of ideas for
directions for TJ. (BTW a nearby table included a woman who, though
apparently liking her meal in general, kept nit-picking to her companion
"This is not real French cooking. No, this is California cuisine." I got a
sense in conversing with the chef that she had been hard to please. For
what it's worth, after many meals there in 15 years, and menus on file from
throughout that period, TJ has never claimed to be specifically a "French"
kitchen though TJ himself (RIP 1994, aged 44) was trained by Simca Beck and
some cooks have had French experience. Probably even less is it "California
cuisine," which I happened to see arrive and develop, at 1517 Shattuck
Avenue in Berkeley
Cooking that recent night had departed from the Japanese-influenced
sashimi-herbs-minerals themes Skenes had emphasized during his year or two.
There was a sense of sureness of touch, as you might expect after chef's
experience at the much larger, renowned SF hotel kitchen. The menu for this
dinner (elaborated a little beyond the card's offerings, the request for
chef to choose having brought forth enthusiasm) was
Avocado-custard amuse garnished with clam bits
Baby octopus, fresh hearts of palm, preserved lemon, Berberé
Foie gras (of duck) au torchon served with warm sliced brioche
Spanish mackerel with a savory butter foam, red lentils, cumin
Palate-cleanser sorbet of green apple and yuzu, on Champagne gel
Niman-ranch leg of lamb (sous-vide) with caperberries and currants
Cheese (Epoisses) with balsamic/fig garnish
Tangerine "Tryptich" dessert
This was $75 plus extras (wine etc.). All was interesting and satisfying.
High points for me were the octopus with delicate citrus aromas, the
mackerel, the very delicate tender slices of lamb, and the amazingly good
tangerine dessert trio (sorbet blob atop fruit slices with herbs, little
glass of drink with whipped topping, custard in a tangerine skin with gel
below).
Some future food historian will be able to accurately place restaurant
scenes into this era (middle 2000's) by the telltale presence of arrays of
multiple mini dishes on a theme, like the tangerine trio with little
fountain glass for tangerine drink and whipped topping. (A few months ago
Viognier in San Mateo served a little array mimicking a drive-in's menu,
with miniature burger and hot dog made of duck, French fries, and tiny
chocolate malt.) Just as you can look at food fashions from the past and
accurately know the year. 15 years ago (and even 10) Chez TJ would serve a
sequence of substantial plates that were basically each light meals. Good
old Andrew Trice and his sauces! (He's doing well in Savannah BTW, Angel's
BBQ and Catering.) Under chefs Bruderer (2000) and Skenes (2004) it became
a more contemporary style, much smaller portions, complex exotic garnishes.
This one recent meal under Kostow had slightly larger portions but again
subtle, imaginative garnishes. Influences from other restaurants and US
high-end cooking trends were also obvious.
You can't judge a restaurant or a chef by one meal, or two (point I stressed
when posting here about TJ in 1991). I'd return happily though.
Cheers -- Max
Max Hauser
>
> Speaking of Manresa, is anyone planning to go to the special dinner with
> Lefebvre? Here's the description from opentable:
>
> Experience the synergy of two dynamic chefs. Celebrated Chef Ludovic
> Lefebvre of Bastide Restaurant, Los Angeles, will join David Kinch as a
> Passard. He recently published his first cookbook, Crave, The Feast of
> the Five Senses.
Yes.
Besides there and TJ (which I just posted about separately), others in this
thread helpfully named high-end restaurants circa peninsula and south bay
that are consistently sastisfying to many diners. Each has its strengths.
I can second the following recommendations based on enough meals at each to
see consistent quality:
231 Ellsworth in San Mateo (reborn 2001 or so, known somewhat for good
value, and consistently very capable in a number of recent meals); Village
Pub in Woodside (offering pub food alongside high-end; it too was reborn, or
rather remodeled, a few years ago but already a thriving inventive
restaurant 15 years ago); Howard Bulka's Marché in downtown Menlo Park
(which I characterize sometimes as specializing in elegant comfort food --
like the oversize duck-breast raviolum drizzled with meat juices, served
with garlic puree and bitter greens -- seldom if ever on menu but they've
made it by advance request before, for tables of four or more). Have posted
some reports on individual meals at these restaurants on this newsgroup in
recent years too.