So, considering we went to Chez Panisse for our anniversary in April, I’d say this post is way overdue.
But!! I had good reasons. I had bar nuts and no-churn ice cream and mac n’ cheese to share. In fact, I was saving this post for a “rainy day” (which in food blog world means a failed recipe, shhh) and a batch of delicious but incredibly falling-apart-and-totally-unphotographably-messy black bean burgers was justttt the ticket. Sigh. On the bright side, I finally get to talk about arguably the most influential foodie restaurant in our new city, Chez Panisse!
So as soon as I knew we were moving to Berkeley, I immediately knew we at some point had to go to Chez Panisse. It’s considered the epicenter of the farm-to-table movement, embracing the now-ubiquitous spirit in the Bay Area in the 1970s when it was still new and a little hippie-dippie. Chez Panisse is one of the most well-known and world-renown restaurants in Northern California, if not in the whole country! I was so excited to go, but also didn’t want to set my standards TOO high and be disappointed, so I played it coooool and didn’t freak out too much (<– that is mostly a lie, but I tried, yo).
Luckily for me and my giant-food-nerd self, Chez Panisse completely did not disappoint. It was so lovely because it felt fancy and special and yet completely unpretentious all at the same time. The vibe is very cozy – it literally feels like you walked into a (very rich) person’s house for dinner, and the service is impeccable and friendly without being over-the-top or overbearing. There’s a more casual café upstairs, but since it was for our anniversary dinner, we did the three-course prix-fixe meal, and I was so glad we splurged on such a special experience.
The menu changes daily based on what’s in season and what’s at the market, so you never know what you’re going to get, but I was pretty pumped about the menu we got:
We started with an apertivo of a simple champagne cocktail (woo hoo!) and selected a red wine from their very unique wine list. The wine list was a little overwhelming since we’re no wine pros, and there was no run-of-the-mill cabernet sauvignon to be found, but with the help of our server we selected a unique local wine that was great. I wish I took a picture (FAIL) but overall the selection was very cool. And the little glass of champagne to kick it off was a great touch. We also got a little “bite” of salmon puree on toast, and an EPIC bread basket of soft and doughy bread (which we, uh, ate all of.)
For our first course, we had some fried gulf shrimp with a little snap pea salad. The shrimp was perfectly fried – crispy but not greasy at all, and so incredibly flavorful. The salad went perfectly with the Asian-inspired shrimp, and the whole thing was maybe my favorite plate of the day. And I’m not even a seafood-crazy gal usually! Major thumbs-up for this dish.
We then moved on to the pasta course, which was homemade farfalle (SWOON) with pancetta and a light cream sauce. While this was also fantastic (and the pasta was very well-cooked) this was probably my least favorite dish of the night, because I didn’t feel it was as unique in terms of flavor as the other dishes. But still, let’s be real – I will never, ever complain about bacon in carbs. Life motto.
The meat course, which was a perfectly cooked, thinly sliced medium-rare beef loin served with vegetables and the most incredible fava bean puree, was phenomenal. I felt like this course depicted completely what Chez Panisse is all about – simple, seasonal food made incredibly special. The fava bean puree was insane – warm and creamy and hearty and so flavorful. The steak was fantastic, and the veggies were salty and unctuous in the best way. I loved this course so much! (Although I have to add we were feeling VERY full at this point. Maybe it was the entire bread basket? Insert monkey-covering-his-eyes emoji here.)
Finally, the dessert was small, simple, and sweet – which was exactly what we wanted after such a big and satisfying meal. It was a little bombe of layered gelatos that was the perfect sweet bite. And how cute is that Happy Anniversary sign?! I was totally impressed with the servers’ attention to detail for the entire meal, but that cute little touch took the cake.
Overall, I highly, highly recommend a dinner at Chez Panisse if you’re in town in the Bay Area. I thought it completely lived up to its expectations and was just such a special, yet totally uncomplicated meal. There’s no molecular gastronomy or other crazy stuff – just simple, straightforward food made incredibly well in a cozy yet fun and fancy atmosphere. It was such a fun meal, and I can only hope we can find another excuse to go again soon!
Restaurant Info:
Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Avenue
Berkeley, CA 94709
(510) 548-5525
http://www.chezpanisse.com
