Dori S.'s Profile

We've had some great meals, many of them here in Healdsburg. Here, we've enjoyed meals at Dry Creek Kitchen, Zin & Cena Luna. In SF, we remember meals at Farallon & Postrio fondly. We had a bunch of good meals when we lived in LA.

Cyrus was something else. Wonderful food, excellent, friendly service. They provide really fine dining without getting stuck-up or stuffy; the staff is great at putting you at ease.

When we arrived, we walked into the bar, where we met the Maitre'd. There was no wait. He escorted us into the dining room, where he picked up a phone connected to the kitchen & said, "Chef, the ... party is here celebrating their anniversary with us. I'm seating them at table 42. If you could, please send canapes to them." Then he seated us. It was simultaneously over the top & completely cool (perhaps the theme for the entire evening). It certainly makes you feel special.

The room is gorgeous, with waxed Venetian plaster, terrific lighting & nice art. Banquettes are around the edges of the room with some tables in the middle. We arrived at 6:30 & it was near full. People were dressed in everything from jeans to business suits.

Shortly after we sat down, the canapes arrived. There was some asparagus chopped with something-or-other on a little spoon & tiny bits of rabbit in a miniature dumpling with an amazing sauce. Do I like asparagus? No. Have I ever had rabbit? No. But my policy at fine restaurants is simple: Eat everything they put in front of you. It usually pays off. This time, it certainly did.

Our waitress appeared, asked if we'd been there before, & explained how you can mix & match 3, 4, or 5 courses from the prix fixe menu (dessert counts as a course), or have the chef create a 7-course tasting menu. Tom chose the 4 course & I had the 3 course, both with wine pairings.

We passed on the champagne & caviar cart; perhaps another time.

1st Course: I've come up with a general rule for high-end restaurants: I talk a little to the server, & if I think that they're going to be honest with me, I then hand myself over to them. In this case, I told her that I'd never had foie gras before (and thought I should while it was still legal) & which did she recommend? She said that while the menu didn't show a sampler plate, it was available & that that was the way to go. It sounded good to me. She then explained that because of the 3 different flavors, it came with 2 wines, & which wine to drink with each foie.

The last thing I need is another expensive habit, but. Oh. My. God. It was amazing. Very rich, very tasty, & the wines made them each even better. I'll just have to remind myself in the future that the chances are small that any place will make foie as good as Cyrus, & that should help me stay away.

Foie Gras 3 Ways:
- Salt Cured "Torchon" with Macadamias & Pineapple, Lychee Gelee
- Seared with Fennel, Capers & Raisins, Sauce Sultanas
- Terrine with Meyer Lemon Marmalade & Goji Berry-Rhubarb Compote

Wines:
- Riesling Kabinett, Langwerth von Simmern "Erbacher Marcobrunn", Rheingau, Germany 2004
- Tokaji Aszu, Royal Tokaji "5 Puttonyos," Hungary 2000

Amuse Bouche: A spoon with a bit of lobster, a yogurt sauce, mint & some other stuff I can't remember. It was really good.

2nd Course: Japanese Sea Bream with Shitakes, Bay Scallops, & Pickled Watermelon Rind, with a Scallop Broth
Wine: Ama No To "Heaven's Door" Tokubetsu Junmai Sake

The Sea Bream was pretty darn amazing. The pickled watermelon rind almost tasted like a mild onion with the broth on it. Tom agreed that my pick was probably better than his.

Dessert: 3 Custards; Chocolate Pot de Creme, Mousse of Creme Brulee, & Huckleberry Pain Perdu.
Wine: Dow's 20 Year Aged Tawny Port, Portugal

You could hold a gun to my head & I wouldn't be able to pick which one of these 3 I liked the best. The Huckleberry Pain Perdu was darn good & if I'd eaten it anywhere else I would have been raving about the wonderful dessert. As it was, it was the weakest of the 3. The Chocolate Pot de Creme had a slight jelly layer on top but of what I can't recall. The chocolate was lovely both with & without the jelly. What can I say about the Creme Brulee except that even though it wasn't a Creme Brulee, it may have been the best Creme Brulee I've ever had. All of them went well with the Port.

As we were finishing dessert, our server showed up with four small extras: a sour cherry ice on a small spoon, an itty-bitty marzipan strawberry, a chocolate peppermint cream & a Gewurztraminer gelatin. It was almost too much, but we ate them anyway.

All in all, it was an amazing experience & all we'd hoped it would be. I couldn't have asked for more as regards the food. Cyrus was the complete package: a beautiful restaurant with phenomenal service & incredible food. It's not cheap, but it's not as expensive as, say, the French Laundry, the restaurant it's most often compared to. Best of all, it's right here in our own town.

When traveling, some people want to go to places where the locals hang out. Barndiva isn't for those people.

If when you come to wine country you want to make sure that you never actually meet any locals, then Barndiva is the place for you! Outside of the staff, you'll be surrounded by fellow tourists.