Auberge du Soleil in Rutherford, CA

Jul 18, 2011 in american, ca, new orleans. Read the original on: The Foodographer

Auberge du Soleil
180 Rutherford Hill Rd.
Rutherford, CA 94573

ambiance

The ambiance was very upscale. It was raining when we arrived in the parking lot and two men in rain coats with huge umbrellas ran to either side of the car and walked us into the restaurant without a drop of rain landing on us! Now that is service!

my place setting

The service was excellent! We got new silverware with each course. The place was pretty much ours and I wouldâ€™ve loved to have eaten on the patio but it was raining out. I think we were both still drenched from earlier in our day so they considerately gave us a place by the open roaring fireplace. Toasty warm!

lamb tartare

Joe started off with lamb tartare. It was bursting with flavors in addition to the typical lamb taste. The texture was almost like sushi in quality. Easy to bite into. Joe loved the quail egg on top, he described it as richer than a regular egg but not overwhelming because of the small size.

gnocchi

This gnocchi just melts on your tongue.Â My motto for gnocchi is that I shouldnâ€™t have to bite it to eat it. The fresh truffle mushrooms were amazing with the parmesan cheese reduction that came out in a frothy presentation. I have never had that before in my life and it was a welcomed change. Very innovative!

Quail leg on crouton

Joe ordered quail two ways: The quail was amazingly tender and the perfect amount on top of the black garlic crusted crouton. The marinade was a complex blend of spices.

quail

Short Rib

I ordered the short ribs. It came out super dark and I could tell right away that the marinade would be very rich. It was some sort of caramelized onion marinade. The meat just gave way for my fork and I had a hard time picking it up with my eating utensils. It came with an assortment of vegetables and corn which I thought it was interesting. The meat was awesome but I did have to pace myself to enjoy the flavor and quality of the meat. No wonder why this place has 2 Michelin Stars!