Category Archives: Chefs

A Culinary Tour de Force in Sacramento

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Pork belly, as prepared by the staff of Sacramento's Enotria restaurant.

Pork belly, as prepared by the staff of Sacramento’s Enotria restaurant.

 

Sacramento is many things.

An often testy political hotbed. A rich agricultural center. A place of torrid summers.

But a powerhouse of destination-dining?

Not so much.

Enter Pajo Bruich, executive chef of Enotria Restaurant and Wine Bar in the Del Paso Heights neighborhood, who aims to change that.

A native of Sacramento, Bruich came on board at the 15-year-old restaurant a year ago, following a major remodel. He’s serious about making it a must-stop for discriminating diners, having brought on board Sous Chef Stan Moore, formerly of The Kitchen in Sacramento; Pastry Chef Edward Martinez, formerly of Hawks in Granite Bay; and General Manager Jenny Yun, formerly of Per Se in New York and the Restaurant at Meadowood in St. Helena.

A five-course tasting dinner is $75 while a seven-course one is $105. A la carte options also are available.

Executive Chef Pajo Bruich readying the first course.

Executive Chef Pajo Bruich readying the first course.

Perhaps, it’s no surprise that Bruich, a former caterer and executive chef of Lounge ON20 in Sacramento, became a chef. After all, his grandfather owned a kitchen equipment company, as well as a fast-casual burger joint in Sacramento.

Still, he knows he has an uphill climb to lure people to make a special trip from the Bay Area to his restaurant in Sacramento. To generate more fanfare, he has invited some of San Francisco’s stellar chefs to cook at Enotria this summer, including Matthew Accarrino of SPQR and Dominique Crenn of Atelier Crenn. On Sept. 21, Chef Mark Pensa of Acquerello will join him in the kitchen.

The table is set at the Stable Cafe, the original location of Saison restaurant.

The table is set at the Stable Cafe, the original location of Saison restaurant.

To spread the word even more, last week he held a media dinner in San Francisco at the Stable Cafe. I was a guest at the intimate dinner, where Bruich’s staff outnumbered the diners 12 to 8. That included bringing all their own plateware and stemware, too. After all, if you can’t lure the SF press to Sacramento easily, the next best thing is to bring the restaurant to them.

The food served that night would easily give many top restaurants in San Francisco a run for their money. The fact that it came from a chef who is courageous — or foolhardy — enough to do it in Sacramento instead made it all the more extraordinary.

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You’ll Never Guess What’s in This Seafood Curry

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Calamari and crab star in this curry dish -- along with an unexpected ingredient.

Calamari and crab star in this curry dish — along with an unexpected ingredient.

 

Yes, watermelon, of all things.

Crisp cubes of it, as well as its own bright pinky-red juice.

“Watermelon and Seafood Curry” is from “Full of Flavor” (Kyle Books), of which I received a review copy. It’s by Chef Maria Elia of Joe’s in London who has a way with unexpected flavor combinations such as with her “Blueberry and Coffee Muffins” and “Jerusalem Artichoke and Chestnut Soup with Chorizo and Apple.”

Of course, with summer watermelon in abundance, it was the curry recipe that really intrigued me. Sure, I’d enjoyed my share of watermelon just eaten out of hand in big cold wedges. And I’d eaten plenty of watermelon salads accented with salty feta or pops of chiles. But in a warm seafood stew? This was a new one.

Summer watermelon used in a unique way.

Summer watermelon used in a unique way.

The base of the broth is watermelon juice that is cooked down on the stovetop to concentrate its flavor. You think it’s going to be way too sweet, but not after you add in ginger, lemongrass, garlic, turmeric, coriander, cumin and chiles, as well as fresh lime juice and fish sauce.

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Three Seasons Heads Into A New Decade

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Crab cake with sriracha mayo at Three Seasons.

Crab cake with sriracha mayo at Three Seasons.

You know a restaurant has got the pulse of Silicon Valley if Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan frequent the place.

Yes, you just might spy the hoodie-clad one at Three Seasons, the pan-Asian restaurant in downtown Palo Alto.

After 10 years in operation, Chef-Owner John Le has given the place a facelift with new furniture, lighting and patio seating.

As always, it remains a beautiful, expansive space with a soaring stained-glass dome in the center of the dining room. Sparkling chandeliers hang from the high ceiling and stone buddhas are arranged throughout the restaurant. Live music can be enjoyed on the patio regularly, too.

The domed ceiling.

The domed ceiling.

Statue

A mixologist was hired to reinvigorate the cocktail list, which such refreshing libations as the “Saigon Gintonic” ($12) with fresh grapefruit and juniper berries, which I enjoyed when I was invited recently as a guest of the restaurant.

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The Debut of Chef David Kinch’s “Manresa” Cookbook

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Chef-Owner David Kinch of Manresa stands in front of a display of his new cookbook, hot off the presses.

Chef-Owner David Kinch of Manresa stands in front of a display of his new cookbook, hot off the presses.

 

David Kinch, the supremely gifted. Michelin two-starred chef-owner of Manresa in Los Gatos, has wanted to do a cookbook for more than seven years.

But the timing was never right.

Until now.

His first cookbook, “Manresa” (Ten Speed Press), will debut Oct. 22.

Like all that he does, it was meticulously thought out beforehand. So much so that the concept and artistic look were nearly fully formed already when he finally sat down to commit to doing it.

The book was 14 months in the making, but years in the thinking.

The book was 14 months in the making, but years in the thinking.

For instance, the measurements for the ingredients in the recipes are listed first and foremost in metric weights with imperial quantities following in parenthesis. That’s because that’s the way that chefs cook for greatest efficiency and precision.

Kinch spent 14 months crafting the book, which focuses on dishes served at the restaurant over its past 13 years. Almost all of the gorgeous photos in the book were taken in the Manresa dining room, with photo shoots once a month of a dozen dishes each time.

The result is a stunning book that’s quite personal, too, with stories about how Kinch took the advice of Thomas Keller of the French Laundry to buy the building he opened Manresa in, rather than just lease it, in order to cement a future there. Kinch also writes about how his relationships began with Love Apple Farms, which supplies exclusively to Manresa, and hobbyist farmer Gene Lester, a retired IBM engineer who now grows some of the most illustrious citrus around that’s spotlighted in a multi-course dinner each year at the restaurant.

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Dog Days of Summer at SusieCakes, Alcatraz Prison Fare & More

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SusieCakes salutes man's best friend during August. (Photo courtesy of SusieCakes.)

SusieCakes salutes man’s best friend during August. (Photo courtesy of SusieCakes.)

SusieCakes Salutes National Dog Day

Throughout the entire month of August, SusieCakes bakeries in the Bay Area will be hosting the “Dog Days of Summer.”

Just donate any new pet accessory during that time-frame and receive 2-for-1 cupcakes (limited to two dozen).

The bakeries will be accepting donations of items such as dog toys, dog beds, leashes, collars, unopened bags of dry dog food, blankets and towels. They will all be given to local pet shelters.

LYFE Kitchen Offerings Available on New Delta Airlines Route

If you’re a fan of LYFE Kitchen’s healthful fast-casual dishes served at its Palo Alto restaurant who flies to Los Angeles regularly, you’ll be glad to know you can satisfy your cravings on the new Delta Shuttle service that starts up Sept. 3.

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