Terra (September 6, 2002)

St. Helena, CA

Just the two of us again, and it'll be our last big meal this trip.  We really enjoyed Terra last time, and are looking forward to the reprise. We shared a half-bottle of chardonnay, which was good, but I can't remember which it was. I had clearly reached the saturation point after eating and drinking like this for a full week.

sj: Heirloom tomatoes and beet gazpacho with avocado mousse and peekytoe crab
js: Lobster tortelloni in sweet corn lobster broth with tarragon

Stacey's opening dish was served in a martini glass, which added to the cool factor. Again, you can't go wrong with fresh tomatoes, and the beet and avocado added a nice color difference and complemented the chunks of crab meat. An inventive and flavorful dish. But I'm sticking with mine, which deftly blended the flavors of lobster, corn, and herbs. I'm generally not a broth fan, but this was really pleasant to eat.

sj: broiled Black Cod with shrimp dumplings in shiso broth
js: King Salmon in Thai red curry sauce with basmati rice

Stacey went straight for the dish that I ordered last time we here, but it's changed slightly.  Just about all of the restaurants here have stopped serving sea bass because of overfishing concerns, so they're instead using black cod. I'm happy to report that the final dish is still every bit as flavorful as the first time we had it; the broth, combined with the slightly caramelized surface of the fish, is just great. I go with the salmon in the curry sauce, and this is great; the salmon remains tender even though it has been grilled, and the grilled flavor blends well with the mild red curry sauce that surrounds the fish and its bed of basmati rice. The cilantro ties it all together. (I've since made this dish from the Terra cookbook, and got very close to what we were served. It's really tasty, and doable at home if you don't mind spending some extra time in the kitchen.)

sj: Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Strawberries
js: Beurre Noisette tart with Lemon Verbena ice cream

My tart and the lemon verbena ice cream were interesting and good, but that buttermilk panna cotta is to die for. So creamy, with that buttermilk flavor.

We walk back to the car, a bit wistfully, as the week of dining like royalty is over.  But if it has to end, Terra is the right coda for the experience.