A frustrated Feeder....

The feeder stands (well, seated actually) before you a frustrated and humbled man. Feeling the tug of loyalty to my readership, I thought I would be able to keep up with the flow so to speak. Well, flow yes, keep up, obviously not.


We last chatted on thing culinary after starting out with a breakfast at Café Paquals, and then sort of melting into the couches for most of the day and feeling somewhat revived we got DFD’d and sought out Big Deal Meal one, at Restaurant Martin. Now, when we were in the planning stages of our trip, I discovered someplace along the way that our stay coincided with the annual Santa Fe Film Festival. Of course that sent me into a panic figuring all the prime dining spots would be filled up with all the beautiful film people fresh from the French Rivera. So I tried to book Martin though Open Table (which I am warming up to, by the way) only to find they would book only a month out. So, I actually picked up the phone and called. The young lady I talked to said that the manager was busy with “staff meal”, but he would get back to me. Oh, Boy, here we go.. well, guess what. A couple of hours later the phone rings and it is the manager saying that he would be glad to book us for our chosen night. So, that was accomplished. Then, a week or so before we left, I got another call from him. Uh oh…. But all he wanted to do was inform me that they were having a Frog’s Leap wine dinner on our evening, and did I want to participate in that? Having been to as many of those as I care to do for a while, I declined, made sure the regular menu was available and thanked him for his consideration. Then, just before we left I had another call from his assistant confirming our reservation. I said I was also worried about noise from the Froggy folks, but she said she would keep us away.

So, with my research providing excellent reviews for the restaurant, and their following up, our expectations were high for Big Deal One. My DFD for the evening was my blazer (travels well) and my “Maryland Tie”. Turns out the place is just down the street from our Santa Fe digs, and we arrived just in time. They were happy to see us, and commented profusely on my tie. The restaurant is composed of several small rooms and we were led into a smallish room with 5 tables with a larger one set for a party. We were greeted by our server who gave us menus and the wine list, filled the glasses and left to attend to other tables.. Hmmm, that’s odd, I was dying for a DMOTRWAT but was not afforded an opportunity. He returned shortly and asked if we would like some wine. Well, actually, I would LOVE a DMOTRWAT. It was then I learned that they do not have a liquor license that allows them to sell spirits. (Head: WHAT The…!!!; Mouth: well, give us a minute to look”). He did and we decided on a split of some champagne. Excellent choice. I of course did not write down the bubbly, but it was brought in two glasses, no bottle. It was very tasty. He took the opportunity to inform us that the Blue Point Oysters on the appetizer list was replaced by a preparation of Tempura battered Pacific oysters in a broth with a variety of matchsticks vegetables over a flan. Wowee!...

Again he left us to sip and consider and about this time the Frog People apparently arrived in the next room with a fair amount of din and celebrating. At this point I was a bit warm under the collar, but MFO suggested I remove the blazer which I did and calmed down. And although through the door we could hear the Frog Guy talking about the winery a bit, they became quite quiet and were not a factor for the rest of the evening. I decided to try the fancy oysters (with risotto ON the list!), MFO selected the organic beet salad and then the Berkshire Pork Tenderloin (Coffee-Maple Rub, Eggplant-Pepper Puree, Herbed Gnocchi, Five Spice-Bourbon Reduction) and I for some reason (stomach still on the east coast) went with the Roasted Chicken (Stew of French Lentils, Plum Tomato Concasse, Wild Mushrooms, Broccolini, Black Truffles). And as I know you all read lots of restaurant reviews, a benchmark dish is how they do roasted chicken. For the wine I selected a Willamette Valley ’08 WillaKenzie Pierre Leon Pinot. It was not too dear, but we did not get different glasses than were on the table.

It was uncorked and a sample proved it very good, so we had a little while waiting for the food. Bread had appeared, and with noise subsiding things were looking up. Starters arrived soon thereafter, my oysters in a large white bowl, golden brown, with little matchsticks of cruncy radish carrots, beside them with just enough broth to not drown them. The oysters were just over golf ball size, forcing me to use a knife and fork. Usually that is death with oysters, but they held up and had very good flavor with the crunch of the tempura. By the end, however the flan had sort of dissolved and it wasn’t pretty, but it was good. MFO’s salad was a strip of greens in the middle of a rectangular plate with mostly watercress, some goat cheese, fresh carrots and a light sherry dressing. It was very tasty.

Well, this is getting long again so I’ll briefly state the entrees were also very good, thick cuts of just right tenderloin, and I had two little chunks of chicken, I think a breast and then an airline breast. Lovely sauce. Very tasty. My only complaint (which I was shushed away from verbalizing) was that MFO’s Bourbon Reduction had somehow “run” across the plate making a big patch of somewhat dried sauce. Were it me, I would not have left that plate leave the kitchen.

So our big deal one meal had a couple of chinks for me. I think not informing you that you can’t get a cocktail (I scoured the website) is not up front. Changing the “stock” wine glasses wouldn’t have hurt. Having a “run” of sauce is not right (Shut up, Bill). But, the food was up to what I expected so you come away with a mixed experience. Others might not have noticed any of this. I am cursed. I will say that maybe they kind of thought about some of this, because they took the Champagne off the bill. Did the Wine Dinner affect ours? Maybe.  If/when I return to Santa Fe, I would most assuredly go back, but maybe not first.

At this time, we have two more Big Deals. One has occurred and it included one of the most memorable dishes I have eaten in a long time, plus I had a bottle of wine that ranks right up there with any I’ve had. But, we’ll get to that.

Plus three lunches, another dinner, shopping delights, museums. Sigh.. I'll try. 

People around here must have nice 401K’s.

And I must admit that most

DFD!

Ps, a little extra, we had lunch at a place today, and I took my camera to the table because I wanted shots of the outside and interior. A couple roughly our same age was seated next to us, and he had a little camera around his neck. Hmmm... and when his food arrived out came the camera and an image was taken. His wife sort of was looking at me, and I gave her a thumbs up.  It takes a blogger to know one!! We’re everywhere