Saint-Germain offers only a 10 course tasting menu that moves between the 2 rooms of the place.  They wanted to recreate the feeling of eating at a chef’s home and they certainly did that with their tiny dining room.   First to find the place, look for the sign that says “Sugar Park”  that marks the spot and reservations are a must.  The menu changes regularly and wine pairings are available.  The award winning chefs go for a French bistro type of fare and partnered with Drew DeLaughter, their business partner who runs the front of the house, to open in 2018.   It’s in an older house that used to house a pizzeria – you can see the marks in the dining room where the oven was pulled out.  You start at the bar with the lovely and friendly bartender, Hillary.  She like all the staff are lively and engaging and make the evening a delight.  Pacing and portion control were spot on and I’d encourage anyone to go there that can, – the food’s terrific.  They do give you a copy of the menu at the end of the meal.

Set-Up and Bar

 

We were greeted in the bar with a cocktail of green tea infused white rum with lime, and Campari.   It was light, fruity and a fun way to start.

 

A cup of warm Parmesan broth was next.  This was made from boiling the parmesan rinds at 185º.  It was truly like having a cup of liquid parmesan, delicious.

 

Next Koshihikari rice was mixed with onions, cabbage, fermented gooseberries and wasabi. This rice has an amazing texture and it so good but mixed with the other ingredients it had a little bite in the background and was very tasty.  Interestingly it all blended perfectly so not one ingredient dominated.

 

Bison tartare was topped with bleu, presented with sourdough and aerated Bearnaise.  The tartare was from the strip loin and on a spoon topped with the cheese.  You were to put in on top of the housemade sourdough bread and then cover with the Bearnaise to taste.  The toasted bread added a crunch to the tasty meat blend and then when you covered it with the sauce the richness soared into the divine category.  I loved that you could be as indulgent with the delicious sauce as you wanted to be. This was definitely a favorite.

 

They did offer to add white Alba truffles for an upcharge but we passed.

 

Tempura crab, sherry aioli, kelp sauce and lettuce was the last combination at the bar.  The luscious ingredients were wrapped in the lettuce and yielded wonderful tastes and textures to this dish.  After that we moved to one of the 5 tables in the small dining room.

 

Dining Room Set-Up and Food

 

Bread and Butter turned out to be small corn cakes with house cultured butter.  The  hot, tender and delicious corn breads had a perfect crispy edge and a soft center.  They were so rich and lovely they really didn’t need the addition of the cheesy tasting butter, but who could refuse to try it together – I couldn’t and could have made a meal on these alone.

 

Smoked Caviar, potato and barley were all in separate dishes.  The caviar was wrapped in the seaweed, which you did not eat, and smoked with hay.  The barley was mixed with the aerated potatoes, shellfish stock and vermouth.  A roll of milkbread with rosemary was the last component and you were to make combinations of these things as desired.  The milkbread was chewy yet crisp and the caviar nicely smoked.  The barley and potatoes was light and offered another texture to mix with the rest.  I couldn’t find a bad way to go.

 

Aged Black Cod was plated with grilled lima beans and chorizo ragu.  A Meyer Lemon vinaigrette finished the plate.  This plate was also full of marvelous tastes and textures.  Black Cod is a terrific fish when cooked right and this was perfect.  Add to this the strong flavors of the ragu and lime and you have another real winner.

 

Steak and spinach was made with American waygu that had been dry aged 40 days.  It was then seared with shallots and served with creamed spinach and maiitake mushrooms.  A classic steakhouse plate but this creamed spinach was topped with browned, buttered breadcrumbs that were spectacular.  Add to this the tender, tasty, and really beefy piece of meat and you win.  So very simple yet done with complete elegance of flavor.  It wasn’t Japanese A5 but this was the next best thing.

 

A palate cleanser of aerated Satsuma sherbet with lovage oil and Meyer lemon juice and zest was not on the menu but also delicious.  It was nicely frozen, yet not so hard you couldn’t eat.  Great transition.

 

Saint André cheese soufflé was made with Calvados and coated with sugar on the outside of the cooking dish so the edge got a wonderful caramelized crispness.  It was topped with a creamy sauce.  It was fluffy and sweet with lovely flavors.

 

Vanilla bean panna cotta, French style praline, lemon and smoked maple was the final dessert.  There were hazelnuts and some Meyer Lemon granite in there too, then topped with a bit of sea salt.  This was a bowl of edible flavor and I loved it.  A fine way to end the fabulous meal.

 

A parting gift was a small bag of salts with cherry blossom and tarragon.  It looked fun.