Around the Bay: Sonoma’s Unsung Tasting Menu “Steal”

View of the Mayacamas Mountains from St. Francis Winery lawn

View of the Mayacamas Mountains from St. Francis Winery lawn

ST. FRANCIS WINERY & VINEYARDS, 100 N. Pythian Road, Santa Rosa, CA 95409

A peaceful garden surrounding a statue of St. Francis with his beloved animals (namesake of the winery and the city of San Francisco)

Peaceful garden surrounding a statue of St. Francis with his beloved animals (namesake of the winery & San Francisco)

Consider it the unsung “steal” of a tasting menu on the idyllic grounds of St. Francis Winery & Vineyards in Santa Rosa. For a mere $50 including wine pairings, Executive Chef David Bush (previously of The Girl & the Fig) creates an imaginative menu roughly every six weeks or so. The menu is lunch only; on Fridays-Sundays there are three seatings each afternoon.

Dining room for St. Francis' lunches

Dining room for St. Francis’ lunches

It’s an intimate number of less than 20 people, allowing for interactive conversation with the chef and wine staff about pairings and food in an expansive dining room gazing out at the Mayacamas Mountains.
Fiber is imperative to our digestive nichestlouis.com viagra buying online health so the high creatinine level will decrease. It great viagra lowest prices thing to help blood circulate well in the lovemaking activities. But in today’s hectic lifestyle, we don’t get a lot to low cost sildenafil 50mg nichestlouis.com and that can be got by order cialis. Frequently folks have not nichestlouis.com levitra prices learned what is: kid misbehavior or a developmental issue that the kid will soon master.
Here’s a photo journey through each of course of my winter visit where the value and quality of the food impressed (reservations here):

My favorite course: Red curry-braised squashes with kale falafel (instead of parsley), fried cashews, baby kale, minted yogurt paired with 2012 Viognier that spent 7 months in French oak ($24)

My favorite course: red curry-braised squash with kale falafel (instead of parsley), fried cashews, baby kale, minted yogurt paired with a 2012 Viognier that spent 7 months in French oak ($24 per bottle)

Mushroom ricotta agnolotti with seared oyster and crimini (?) mushrooms, pickled red onions, mache, shaved Grana Padano paired with 2011 Cuvee, a blend of 57% Cabernet and 43% Syrah; they haven't released this wine in a couple years and it's only sold at the winery ($40) - surprisingly light and acidic

Mushroom ricotta agnolotti with seared mushrooms, pickled red onions, mache, shaved Grana Padano cheese paired with a surprisingly light, acidic 2011 Cuvee (blend of 57% Cabernet & 43% Syrah; only sold at the winery; $40)

Bouillabaisse fish and shellfish of the day: bluenose seabass, mussels, calamari, shrimp, fingerling potatoes, fennel fronds with grilled crostini in piquillo pepper, garlic, olive oil, potato rouille paired with 2010 Cabernet Franc ($45) - vanilla, berry, oak

Bouillabaisse of fish & shellfish of the day (bluenose seabass, mussels, calamari, shrimp), fingerling potatoes, fennel fronds with grilled crostini smeared with a gorgeous spicy-bright piquillo pepper, garlic, olive oil, potato rouille paired with an oaky 2010 Cabernet Franc ($45)

Grilled bavette of beef, bloomsdale spinach in sesame miso vinaigrette, baby turnips, garlic chips, truffled ponzu with 2010 Amann Vineyard Zin ($45) and 2011 Anacleto Old Vine Zin ($40)

Grilled bavette of beef, bloomsdale spinach in sesame miso vinaigrette, baby turnips, garlic chips, truffled ponzu paired with 2010 Amann Vineyard Zinfandel ($45) & 2011 Anacleto Old Vine Zinfanedel ($40)

Chef's seasonal cheese selection (blue cheese) and peanut butter mousse, dark chocolate ganache, red wine soaked blueberries, pretzel crunch (streusel) with 2011 Port (Cabernet, Merlot, Alicante Bouschet) distilled at St. George/Hangar One

Dessert course: chef’s seasonal cheese selection and a peanut butter mousse with dark chocolate ganache, red wine-soaked blueberries, topped with pretzel crunch/streusel paired with 2011 Port (a Cabernet, Merlot, Alicante Bouschet blend) distilled at St. George/Hangar One in Alameda, CA