I spent my weekend in Western Sonoma County with really good friends. On Saturday afternoon we hiked on the rugged coast where 40 mph winds are constantly buffeting you. The walk wasn't long in terms of distance, but walking on the loose sand is quite a workout, and being in such an extreme, primal and beautiful milieu both energized me and wore me out at the same time. We really worked up quite the appetite.
My friends Guy and Cori took me to one of the best restaurants I've ever had the pleasure to experience: Terrapin Creek. Everything we had was magnificent. Slow, seasonal, locally sourced food.
The bread and olive oil at the start was amazing--the locally sourced olive oil tasted like Spring itself, almost like wheat grass. A very distinctive olive oil. The bread was amazing--sourdough and seeded breads.
I started off with an Arugula Salad with Roasted Filberts and Black Trumpet Mushrooms which was just unspeakably exquisite. Guy's appetizer was Hamachi (Yellowtail) in an herb reduction, and Cori had fantastic Caesar Salad. Which might not sound impressive. Sure, you can get a Caesar Salad almost anywhere. But the key here is the quality and freshness of the ingredients. Romaine lettuce that tasted fresh picked, with flavor, crispness, and integrity. I've never had better Hamachi, Arugula or Black Trumpet Mushrooms. And I've eaten a fair amount of the latter two that I have picked myself.
My entree was Sonoma Liberty Duck breast with jus, Black Forbidden Rice and greens, Cori had a Halibut dish that was mouth-melting, and Guy had a pasta with asparagus and house made sausage that was incredibly delicious and triumphant in its simplicity. The pasta and sausage dish was the best of the three, though all three entrees were superb. This was sausage on another level: great tasting meat with spices that tasted freshly roasted and ground.
For the first time in ages I ordered a dessert--I had a lemon tart cheesecake, Guy had this decadent chocolate pudding, and Cori had the best carrot cake I've ever tasted. So was the voluptuous white wine Guy ordered.
Here's the mark of a great restaurant. It's one thing to make and serve great food. It's quite another thing when the owners are there too, smiling, unstressed, and the employees not only don't look panicked, but they are practically blissful in their happiness to serve you. Now THAT'S the way it should be. There's nothing that puts me off my dining experience more than restaurant employees acting like they're oppressed. When I left, I gave the entire staff a standing ovation. Bravo!http://www.terrapincreekcafe.com/
