Menu of the Month

Chez Panisse, Berkeley, California

Every year, Terry Sheehan makes an annual pilgrimage to San Francisco, and when there he makes an annual pilgrimage to eat in Alice Water's legendary Chez Panisse restaurant. And, having eaten, he posts us the menu and writes a few words. "San Francisco is a hot spot for food and I love it", he writes in his annual missive, and during a 4-month internship he enjoyed "the best food experience ever".

Such is the strange world of food lovers, for we only ever met Terry once, several years back when he was touring Ireland and we bumped into each other one night up in Monaghan. But we keep in touch thanks to Chez Panisse, and the global friendship of great cooking.

Here are two menus which Terry posted to us from Chez Panisse, one from the Chez Panisse Café, and one from Chez Panisse itself. Just drool over that mature culinary simplicity, and admire David Lance Goine's beautiful artwork.

Chez Panisse Café Dinner Menu
Saturday, May 12, 2001

Alice's bagna cauda with spring vegetables, anchovy, and garlic vinaigrette, $8.00
Seared Yellowfin tuna with pickled faro and peppercress, $9.00
Rocket salad with zucchini, lemon, and pecorino cheese, £7.75
Avocado and beet salad with citrus vinaigrette, $8.00
Venetian-style mackerel baked in the wood oven with sweet onions, pine nuts, and currants, $11.00
Pizzetta with spring onions and basil, $11.00
Pizzetta with wild nettles and hot pepper, $11.00
Baked Sonoma goat cheese with Viki's garden lettuces, $8.50
Garden lettuce salad, $6.75
Carrot soup with dill and crème fraîche, $6.99

Bucatini pasta with morel mushrooms, English peas, and Parmesan cheese, $16.00
Local king salmon baked on a fig leaf with asparagus and champagne beurre blanc, $20.00
Hoffman Farm chicken and pork sausage ragout with chickpeas, artichokes, and romesco sauce, $19.00
Grilled James Ranch leg of lamb with, turnips, fava beans, new potatoes, and olives, $24.00
Crostata di Perrella with goat cheese, mozzarella, prosciutto, garlic and herbs, $16.75

Side orders: anchovies, Tuscan olive oil, or Parmesan cheese, $1.50 each
A plate of olives, $3.50

Desserts

Rhubarb-almond crisp with vanilla ice cream, $6.50
Hawaiian ginger cake with rum cream, $6.00
Bittersweet chocolate-espresso custard with biscotti, $5.75
Ruby grapefruit sherbet with candied citrus peel, $5.50
Meyer lemon ice cream with toasted almonds and pain d'amandes, $5.50
A bowl of Jim Churchill's Pixie tangerines and black Sphinx dates, $4.25

Service charge: 15%
Tipping is not necessary.
Corkage: $18. per bottle.

Most of our produce and meat comes from farms and ranches that practice ecologically sound agriculture.
The Café accepts advance reservations one month ahead to the calendar date.
Please refrain from cellular phone use within the restaurant

Chez Panisse Dinner
Saturday, May 12, 2001

An aperitif
Warm asparagus and morel salad
Lobster, flageolet, and fava bean ragout
Grilled Paine Farm squab with onion rings, peas, and artichokes
Silver lime parfait with mangos and sparkling Vouvray

Dinner: $75
Tax: 8%
Service: 15%
Corkage: $18

Website: www.chezpanisse.com