Aubergine - Carmel, CA

Dinner - Saturday, February 9, 2013

"The buildings have no street addresses here," said Nathaniel Munõz, sommelier and restaurant manager of Aubergine at L'Auberge Carmel. He was referring to the sleepy hamlet of Carmel-by-the-Sea, where many cottages have proper names and mail delivery is nonexistent. When night falls, the quiet village is plunged into an engulfing darkness - naturally, there are no street lights here either (indeed, we drove past the hotel's street twice before finding it).

Such is the setting for the twenty-room L'Auberge Carmel, a beautiful and historic inn, where Justin Cogley and Ron Mendoza just happen to be working magic in the kitchen. On this night, the main dining room was reserved for a private event, so we dined at a lone table in the privacy of the restaurant's wine cellar (making the experience all the more special), where the kitchen served us 22 courses over four hours.

NB: Due to the length of the menu, I have kept descriptions succinct. Suffice to say that no dish was less than good, and a few were exceptional. Wine pairings (on this night, completely from the Old World) were likewise inspired at points.

Coi - San Francisco, CA

Dinner - Friday, February 8, 2013

This was supposed to be a meal at Saison's latest incarnation, but unexpected emergencies forced a weekend closure of their new space. Fortunately, their helpful front-of-house staff rebooked us at Coi for the evening - one can certainly think of worse contingencies.

We were seated in the dining area that occupies their (much-missed) former lounge, a strangely organic mix of dark wood and shag pillows. It is loud - the tables are spaced a little too closely for my linking, but c'est la vie. Choices were minimal - still or sparkling water, and would you like the wine pairing? We placed ourselves in their hands for the 11-course tasting menu. Sweet surrender.