UBUNTU- July 17, 2009

My review is late, I am the ultimate lagger! ;)



The place I chose was Ubuntu in Napa, vegetarian style for a change of pace :) It was a prefix menu and served as follows:



For starters:

Lavender, sugar and sea salt marcona almonds



Fried chickpea clusters with romesco, rosemary and lemon



Yellow bean hummus with wild fennel crackers



Followed by:

Forono beets and orion fennel with amaranths, whipped creme fraiche and caraway salt



Fregola in a spicy rosemary broth, agretti, zucchini costata romanesco, roasted whole garden

pepperonata



Organic grits infused with goats whey, strawberry soffrito, basils and shaved "midnight moon"



Cauliflower in a cast iron pot with vadouvan spice, delfino cilantro, brown butter toast



And ending with:

Warm and straight out of the oven chocolate souffle with fresh mint ice cream.



I picked this restaurant as I really like the idea that it bases it's menu on what's in season from local gardens and farms and has it's own biodynamic garden as well (the ingredients in CAPS on the menu). I enjoyed trying so many different things, none including meat (thanks for being open boys though I know you were wanting steak!), my favorite being the fregola in rosemary broth. I thought that the food could have been brought out in a better order to be enjoyed though. The grits and cauliflower were too similar and heavy to be served one after another and therefore not individually enjoyed. The dessert was fabulous, fresh mint ice cream and warm souffle, can't beat that!