Chronic Negress

The Negress perused the menu at Anchor and Hope with an eye to her future. This wasn’t her first time at the place, but it was the first time she had dined alone. Previous dinners featured lively conversation with friends and some oohing and aaahing over the food. Tonight she could concentrate on flavors and interplay and wine selections without intrusion. It seemed best to kick things off with some soup. As much as she had made fun of the bundled-up Californians swaddled in fleece and down when the temps were in the low 60s, she was chilly. Lobster bisque was in order and not just any lobster bisque. “Lobster Bisque Tomato Concasse Chives” is the exact menu description. You receive a bowl with a small mound of lobster in the middle. The server pours the burnt orange soup over that mound and the temperature is perfect. Add the Simmonet-Febvre Brut Rose Cremant de Bourgogne NV and the meal was off to an extremely promising start. Also, Anchor and Hope delivers great bread with a pat of butter lightly sprinkled with sea salt. The Negress used some of the bread to mop up the last of the soup.

I didn't order these this time but I wasn't sorry

Although the Negress had loved the scallops in previous visits, she decided to branch out and try something different. This description caught her eye: Alaskan Halibut white corn puree chantarelles fingerling potatoes and truffled Hollandaise. Would the corn and potatoes be too starchy? Would the state that gave us Sarah Palin do right by halibut? Would the hollandaise be too much? These all seemed like questions worth answering so I ordered.

What wine then? There was a pure Semillon on the list, but the Negress was skeptical. Why not our pal Muscadet? So she ordered the 2008 Claude Branger Muscadet Loire Valley France Terroir les Gras Moutons.

Rarely in the food and wine universe does a gobbler hit upon a moment of perfect pitch. The muscadet and halibut pairing was one of those moments. The fish was ethereal but grounded by the surrounding starches and sauces plus some snap peas and the chanterelles.

The muscadet alone was an intriguing blend of steely and floral, thus making it a wine born for food. The Negress finished the last of the glass and contemplated dessert.

Why not chocolate? Why not cherries? Why not indeed? Enter the Valrhona chocolate brownie with Bing cherry ice cream and almond brittle. The Negress is becoming increasingly fond of darker chocolates (ironic note intended). The Valrhona was lighter than she expected and complemented the cherries well. The almond brittle added a surprising crunch and intermittent bursts of deeply sweet, smoky flavors. A decaf cappuccino finished everything off.

Now, it’s onto to taste the wines of Bonny Doon.