For the Ambience

How come when I go to google Ambience in Carmichael, I just get RAVE reviews?! This eating experience was beyond my expectations.

4 piggies out of 5






Prix Fixe Menu to prefix yourself:
http://www.ambiencerestaurantsac.com/ambience_prixfixe.html

My choices:
1st course: Spinach and Gorgonzola Cream Gratin with Oaxaca Cheese
2nd course: Natural Tenderloin Beef Tartare, topped with Quail Egg, garnished with Truffle Oil Vinegarette, Organic Watercress, Sliced Pear, Pinenuts
3rd course: Asparagus Puree Garnished with Lemon Creme Fraiche
4th course: Seared Buffalo (Marinated w/Molasses, Garlic and Herbs), Hangar Steak on Golden Yukon Potato Gratin, Asparagus finished with White Truffle Oil
Save #5 Dessert

We'll start with...

The Spinach and Gorgonzola Gratin: It was good... it reminded me of this Chinese steamed egg dish that I do not know the name of. It tasted like maybe it needed a little more gorgonzola for my taste--also maybe something more bready or something to really capture a crisp on top that will make the gratin. Also, on the menu was a Salmon/Scallop Brioche served with Tomato Casino de Paris and Smoked Mozzarella. (I was sad when I found out M didn't know what a brioche was... I have no further comments.) This seemed like a great dish--and was going to be my choice but M ordered it so I could have a bite. The tomato was overpowering but the puff pastry of the brioche was yummy! The smoked mozza was a good touch--it tasted like smoked bacon!

The Beef tartare was very well made. It was of a slightly different style then I'm used to. When I think of a tartare, I usually think of cubed meat the size of jelly beans. Chef chose to mince the rare beef, almost like you would mince garlic. The quail egg was a good touch, but my favorite surprise in this dish was the sliced pear. I remember it having a good balancing effect on the dish, because when you're eating a tartare it's like eating a raw meat salad. It's comparable to a pear walnut salad. There's always something about the sweetness that balances out a combination of rich tastes. I wouldn't think to pair pear (haha) with raw meat.

All I have to say is WOW! about the Poached Boat Scallop with Cambozola and Spinach Agnolotti w/Creamy Saffron-Dill Sauce. In order for me to taste everything, I pretty much had M order everything that I wanted (haha) and ate a bite off of his plate while also eating mine! When I stole a bite of the boat scallop, my first reaction was that it was cooked PERFECTLY! It was soft and not chewy at all--and I think I've been eating scallops since I was 10. And, I am always a fan of dill sauce (with seafood especially--this probably isn't the best place to mention it, but have you ever had the Salmon with Dill Butter from Costco?! Try it. You'll like it.) I'm inspired to cook with dill--if you have any good recipes, please feel free to share.

Mmm, now for the third course, I could tell that the Chef put a lot of thought in to this menu when he chose the Asparagus Puree Garnished with Lemon Creme Fraiche. I'll be honest, when I first read that off the menu, I thought, it's such a simple dish when I was expecting such fine dining. It turned out to be the perfect palette cleanser (that's two perfects--I hope you're starting to see why I had given this restaurant four piggies). It's not too heavy and not too fancy. The lemon creme fraiche was refreshing and great in preparation fo the main course.

When I was first deciding on my fourth course, I was trying to decide between the lamb and the buffalo. I ended up taking our waiter's, Kent's recommendation and chose to be bold and different and went for the buffalo! Kent prepped me by telling me, "It's tender and not as gamey as you think." I'm still trying to figure out if I know what "gamey" tastes like... The first bite was more tender than I had expected. And I was pleasantly surprised the way it melt in my mouth (as good meat should). I was comforted with the fact that my waiter had taken care of me by making sure I ordered it rare. And I was thankful. I was also surprised when the port reduction was included in the presentation but no in the description of the dish. Honestly, I didn't even taste the "molasses, garlic and herb" marinade.

And now... there's always room for dessert...
I almost cried when Kent told me that they didn't have the Baked Alaska with Fresh Berries. I was thinking in my head that I'm going with the "If they're out of it, you know it's good" rule and I'm pretty sure I missed out (this time). I opted for the Apricot Creme Brulee with Apricot Brandy and Fresh Berries. It was great. Again, it wasn't too heavy and it tied the whole meal together.

Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience, and the layout of the restaurant provides for a great "ambience". There are multiple rooms that are still connected through the cute windows at each booth.

Oh no! I almost forgot about the wine! Recently, I have a curiosity about the unknown. I'm fresh from my brief stopovers in Seattle, and I'm starting to really wonder about Northwestern wines. M and I tried a Viognier by Walnut City Wineworks from Columbia Valley (2006), and also a Carneros Pinot Noir by Robert Stemmler (2007) from Sonoma in Napa Valley. Both were under the direction of our wonderful waiter, Kent. I was surprised that I liked the Viognier because those are usually too sweet for me. The bottle even had this extensive description including "white peach, green apple peel, star anise... dried pineapple layer ginger, coconut, angelica... nectarine acidity". When I read those descriptions, I just think about how sweet it must have been but I remember it being not as syrupy as a moscato and actually really nice. The pinot I loved. There's really nothing like pairing a hunk of meat with a good red wine. Pinots are really starting to grow on me too. After letting it breathe for about 15-20 minutes (Kent persists it's really better after it breathes), I remember tasting it and the black cherry taste was apparent and appreciated.

I recommend this joint.