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(with a few Bay-area eateries thrown in for good measure)
Ooh,
how do I love thee? Let me count the ways: Creamy, velvety,
sensuous, crowned with a paper-thin, crackling of caramelized
sugar. Or perhaps topped with a compote of rhubarb. Or maybe
flavored with Valrhona chocolate, or racy ginger. There are
as many ways of making crème brûlée as there are of enjoying
it. The trouble is: the classic French dessert is starting to
appear on every restaurant's menu. What tiramisu was to the
1990s, crème brûlée is quickly becoming to the 2000s - ubiquitous.
Which ultimately spells doom for the trend.
Even so, there are visitors to Napa Valley who will make a dinner
reservation for six people just because there is crème brûlée
on the menu. For them, here is our assessment of the crème brûlée
standings in Napa Valley. (Because there are so many variations
on this theme, we present a rundown of detour-worthy destinations
where the dessert can be enjoyed. This list will be added, subtracted,
inflated, retracted over time, so check back often. It only
represents a snapshot of recent discoveries…)
Celadon, Napa
A half-inch-deep ramekin is filled with a creamy, velours-like,
vanilla bean-flavored, custard with an almost tapioca pudding-like
texture. It is sealed with a layer of sliced bananas that have
been sugared and shellacked with a blowtorch. A bit firm, and
very yellow, possibly from the inclusion of one-too-many eggs
in the custard. But tasty, nevertheless. 90 points.
Cole's Chop House, Napa
This is the identical puddle of pudding that is served at Greg
Cole's less formal, Celadon, a couple of blocks away. Here the
crème is served without a top skin of sliced bananas. 90 points.
All Seasons Bistro and Wine Bar, Calistoga
For 20 years, Gayle Keller and Peter Dierkhising have been warming
the hearts of locals in Calistoga with rich comfort food. Their
crème brûlée has a voluptuous cream base, is silken in texture;
on a recent visit, we found the crème lacking an identifiable
finish (could have used more vanilla…) and the caramelized topping
was blackened rather than golden browned, and too hard. 89 points.
(But there's something so warm and charming about the restaurant
that, points be damned! - go and enjoy yourself anyway!)
Pinot Blanc, St. Helena
There are not many dining rooms in Napa Valley as beautiful
as this one; the room is spacious, gracious, the fabrics and
appointments tasteful, and the food is good. On a recent visit,
we ooohed over the crème brûlée, a large ramekin of silken,
perfectly made, happiness. One of those textbook crème brûlées
that you read about. The caramelized topping is so perfectly
done that it resembles a thin piece of duck crackling. 95 points.
Beaucoup, San Francisco
The pistachio crème brûlée here is a gorgeous, sensual, sublime
finish to dinner. The crème is silken, flavored with a nuance
of nut, an alluring, but très subtile, pistachio flavor. It
doesn't scream out or shout the way artificially flavored ice
creams do. We think it would be interesting, from a textural
standpoint, if the crème were studded with nuggets of toasted
pistachio. But even without, this perfectly crusted, caramelized
confection earns high marks. And we love the bowl it is served
in. The tasty chocolate-almond tuile served with the crème is
a sweet touch. 92 points.
Brix, Yountville
In the cheese world, a "triple crème" is a cheese with considerably
more fat - and hence, more flavor - than other cheeses. Brix
has developed a dessert "triple crème" that while not more fattening
than anybody else's brûlée, does have considerably more flavor
than other brûlées tested for this award.
We are presented a very Japanese-looking dessert called The
Trio; here are three small pots, each filled with a different
crème, each sealed with a thin, crackly, caramel crust.
The Green Tea Crème is pleasing enough, greener in color than
green tea flavor. As is, 89 points.
The Burnt Honey Crème has such a rich middle palate that it
reminds us of darker-than-clover honeys. It has an almost alfalfa
honey flavor. And the texture is sublime. 90 points.
But the winner of the three is the Meyer Lemon Crème, which
is probably the best single crème brûlée in all of Napa Valley.
It tastes like a soft yellow pastel, has the hue of a soft lemon
drop cookie. And the flavor goes on and on, lasting for 20 seconds
after the swallow. What an achievement! 96 points.
Taken as a trio, the three crèmes, along with the good, but
not outstanding, palmier cookie, the dessert as a whole rates
93 points. But that single, focused, fabulous Meyer Lemon Crème
Brûlée - that's worth a trip to Napa Valley on its own!
Celadon,
500 Main St., Napa. 707-254-9690.
Cole's
Chop House, 1122 Main St., Napa. 707-224-MEAT.
All
Seasons Bistro and Wine Bar, 1400 Lincoln Ave.,
Calistoga. 707-942-9111.
Pinot
Blanc, 641 Main St., St. Helena. 707-963-6191
Beaucoup, 1001 California St., San Francisco.
415-409-8500.
Brix
Restaurant and Wine Shop, 7377 St. Helena Highway,
Yountville. (Just south of Mustards Grill on Highway 29.) 707-944-2749.
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