Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, CA

The Wall Street Journal has been making me sad lately. First, they did a wonderful story about one of my favorite restaurants, Bluestem in Kansas City. They went on and on about their experimental cuisine and the cute little dining room as well as their star, Chef Colby Garrelts. I've eaten at this place quite a few times and once even with my esteemed food and wine group, La Confrerie de la Chaine des Rotisseurs, where not one of these foodies went away with a bad word to say about the place. (I even made a point of having my "last supper" in Kansas City at this very place)

In a recent edition of WSJ, they raved about Cyrus Restaurant in Healdsburg, CA. My wife and I went there for dinner on our food and wine pilgrimage to Napa Valley. The place was probably still in its first year of business and they knocked our socks off. We ate from the Chef's Tasting Menu which meant they prepared an entire menu just for us. They even gave us a copy of our special menu as a souvenir. In case you cared, here it is:

Thursday, August 3, 2006

Canapes
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Amuse Bouche

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Thai marinated lobster, avocado, mango and fresh hearts of palm

Riesling Spatlese, Ziliken "Saarburger Rausch", Germany 1993

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Seared foie gras with peaches, blackberries and buttermilk biscuit, bourbon verjus sauce

Tokay Pinot Gris, Ernest Burn "Grand Cru Goldert-Clos St. Imer", Alsace, France 2001

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Pen shell with sweet corn and pickled ramp greens

Gruner Veltliner, Nigl "Kremser Freiheit", Kremstal, Austria 2005

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Duck breast with red curry braised soybeans and cinnamon cap mushrooms, tamarind glazed eggplant, kaffir lime sauce

Pinot Noir, Cep, Sonoma Coast 2004

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Ume'-glazed pork belly, caramelized baby leek and cherry blossoms
Rioja Crianza, Sierra Cantabria, Spain 2001

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Artisanal and farmhouse cheeses with complementing breads and fruits

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White nectarines with almond financier and white chocolate ice cream
Muscat Beaumes-de-Venise, Domaine de Durban, Rhone Valley, France 2004

-and-

Caramel soup with kettle corn sorbet and chocolate filigree

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Mignardises