Best Entrees from Mobil Travel Guide
 The French Laundry |
Most Memorable, Must-Try Dishes
1. Kobe Beef & Watermelon, Alinea, Chicago, IL
Dinner at Alinea is truly sublime, as chef and owner Grant Achatz seems to make it a personal mission to both tease and tempt your palate at every turn. This was a tough choice, as picking out our favorite dish at Alinea was like choosing a favorite child, but in the end, it was the explosive flavor of the cocoa-dusted watermelon and melt-in-your mouth Kobe beef that made a lasting impression on us. But then again, so did the hot potato truffle soup, the dry caramel, the lamb buried underneath steaming eucalyptus leaves...we could go on and on.
2. Amuse Bouche at Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
These little bites to start off the meal set the stage for David Kinch's star-studded lineup of spectacular dishes. An array of opening amuse bouche challenge and tease your palate, and among them could be a creamed corn croquette, tomato bisque with a parmesan crisp, black olive madelines or red pepper gelee. Out of the several we've tried, it's always Kinch's take on a classic French dish that stands out as the winner: an egg shell filled with a warm egg yolk, whipped cream, sherry vinegar, chives and maple syrup. It's so delicious that when we were finished, we were disappointed that someone wasn't bringing out a dozen more.
3. The Signature Dishes at the French Laundry, Yountville, CA
There's a reason why so much has been written about the Salmon Cornets, the Oysters & Pearl, the Foie Gras Torchon, and the Coffee and Doughnuts. Simply put, they're just consistently delicious. Thomas Keller is the master at blending haute cuisine with comfort, and each dish seems to be an appropriate balance of the familiar with the unusual. The cornets, mini ice cream cones filled with salmon tartare, or the chocolate semifreddo with cinnamon-sugared doughnuts always seem to stand out, no matter how many times we've tried them.
4. The Lobster Risotto at Gary Danko, San Francisco, CA
We've been told that there would be protests outside the restaurant should this dish be taken off the menu, and rightfully so. The perfectly prepared al dente risotto, accompanied by chunks of lobster and rock shrimp, is a stunner, and one of those dishes that you just can't bring yourself to share.
5. Tomatoes Lampreia, Lampreia, Seattle, WA
There are few things better than a perfectly ripe tomato in the summer, and it's even better when Chef Scott Carsberg includes nearly 10 different preparations of tomatoes in his signature dish. The explosions of flavor, texture and temperature are what set this dish apart, as well as the chance to try a tomato and basil popsicle, tomato gazpacho, tomato jam, and tomato wafers all on one plate.
6. Braised Short Ribs, Alex, Las Vegas, NV
Chef Alessandro Stratta's reverence to French Riviera cuisine reaches its apex here at his Five-Star dining experience, Alex. In a day that so many restaurants are featuring this modest cut of meat on their menu, most should take a cue from Chef's Stratta's interpretation. Impossibly tender short ribs are covered in a thick red wine glaze and accompanied with pillow-soft potato gnocchi and sweet candied shallots. Not only is the dish exemplary in its contrast of textures and tastes, but it also pairs so well with any of the selections from Paolo Barbieri's fantastic wine-by-the-glass program.
 Oysters |
7. Crab or Shrimp Louie, Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco, CA
This landmark restaurant boasts James Beard awards and numerous other recognitions, and offers some of the freshest seafood available. The charm of the restaurant is indelible—a single counter with 17 seats and, almost inevitably, a long wait. But once seated, you'll be rewarded with delicious San Francisco sour dough bread, Pacific oysters, Anchor Steam beer, and as a throwback to an earlier time, the shrimp or crab Louie (your choice)--an extremely generous portion of shellfish that still tastes like the Pacific served atop shredded iceberg lettuce and Thousand Island dressing.
8. The Bread Cart, Joel Robuchon at the Mansion, Las Vegas, NV
It's nearly impossible for your jaw not to drop when the service staff wheels over a cart displaying over two dozen different kinds of bread at this Five-Star gourmet temple Chef Robuchon insists that not only are the breads baked daily, they are baked just a few hours before service. Combined with Echire butter from France, it would be pretty easy to just make a meal out of buttery brioche, the basil focaccia, the milk bread, and the mini baguettes with a perfectly crunchy, crispy crust.
9. Roasted Berkshire Pig, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
Blue Hill at Stone Barns is the "country" version of the Manhattan Blue Hill and operates out of the Rockefeller Stone Barns. The setting is picturesque, with rolling hills, functioning greenhouses, and a farm that the restaurant uses to source many of its ingredients. Late summer is the best time to visit, as the full bounty of the gardens is available and Chef Dan Barber has enough confidence in his ingredients to showcase them with as little manipulation as possible. It was our main course of the Roasted Berkshire Pig with a hearty slab of cured bacon and fresh zucchini, summer beans, and patty-pan squash that was truly the highlight of a spectacular dinner.
10. Japanese Hot Pot, Silks, San Francisco, CA
Located in the Four-Star Mandarin Oriental, Silks prides itself on effortlessly weaving Asian influences with California cuisine. No dish better illustrates this than Chef Joel Huff's Japanese Hot Pot, featuring sake-cured bass, rock shrimp gyoza and nearly a dozen different types of mushrooms and vegetables swimming in an intensely flavored chicken consommé. While it may sound like there's a lot going on, it's the kind of interesting yet comforting dish that we wish could be cloned in every neighborhood restaurant, just for the pleasure of eating it all the time.