It’s been several months since Frankie officially visited Cry Wolf but she always enjoys her time in this place.  Chef Ross Demers was back to finishing out the plates before being served while others enjoyed some vacation time.  Since we were sitting at the Chef’s Counter this was a plus.  The place was really hopping with returning and new customers all enjoying some heavenly food and the lively atmosphere.  The bar turns out some fun-sounding cocktails but I prefer to put us in the capable hands of Sommelier Tim Case.  He always has something new and different to try that compliments the food turned out by the kitchen staff.  In fact, all the staff seem to enjoy working here and translate that into the fine service delivered to the diners.  The menu changes regularly but staff will help you make decisions if you want.  Put this one on your list to visit soon.

Set-Up

Food

We started with the raw Cascumpec Bay Oysters that were with a Chardonnay Mignonette and shaved horseradish.  Chef Demers accented them with some caviar as a treat for us.  Trust me on this one though, it’s not the gifts that keep us coming back, it’s the tasty food.  These were terrific medium-sized oysters and the caviar was just the right touch.

Foie Gras Torchon was with gooseberries and cornmeal ‘krackers’.  The torchon was cut into creamy slices of heaven that were lovely eaten alone but equally good with the thin corn intense cracker, which added a nice crunch.  The berries were quite tart but the torchon was pure bliss.

Santa Barbara Uni carbonara with an organic egg was a rich wonderful dish.  The uni was stirred into the thick sauce and mixed with the long thin ‘spaghetti’.  Before you eat it you could mix in that last egg yolk for even more richness.  Then there was a dollop of caviar to mix in too.  It was pure delight on the palate.

Redfish was topped with trout roe and alongside a napa cabbage roll, stuffed with dirty rice, and Beech mushrooms.  The fish had the skin seared to a crisp crust that contrasted nicely with the soft, moist fish.  The cabbage rolled around the dirty rice studded with sausage and the mushrooms were on the side.  It was a fun mix of flavors and textures.

Seared “A Bar N” ranch beef coulotte steak was served with grilled endive, preserved apple and creamy sunchoke.  The cut is from the cap muscle of the sirloin butt.  It was cooked just as ordered, rare.  The good beefy flavor was accented by the chew of the meat and it was extra lovely with a dab of creamy sunchoke on top.  The endive was nicely browned and tender enough to easily cut.  Very good.

The complimentary dessert was a slice of cake topped with lovely chocolate and a layer of sweet pineapple in the middle.  It provided a nice sweet ending to a wonderful evening meal.