Le Voov! Chez Panisse – Black Truffle Event ? ? ?

LV Chez Panisse FF

Le Voov! Chez Panisse – Black Truffle Event ? ? ?

Chez Panisse, 1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, 94709  510 548-5525

Le Voov! Local Culinary Adventure – January 2015

I am very fortunate to be married to an incredibly thoughtful man. Early last winter (late January 2014), I told Brian that someday I wanted to attend Alice Waters’ Black Truffle Dinner Event at her world famous restaurant Chez Penisse in Berkeley, California. Well, guess what? Eleven months later, I received an invitation to attend the 2015 event from my amazing hus-Bee. He remembered!

Oh Okay, enough of this sappy little love story and on to our Voovacious culinary experience!

Helpful hint for all you romantics out there: Reservations are very limited and should be made at least a month or two in advance. (Brian made them 2 ½ months in advance!)

Our incredible epicurean journey began when we were seated and introduced to our knowledgeable waitress Megan, who did a marvelous job of navigating both the prix fixed menu as well as the very extensive wine list for us. We were pleased with her wine recommendation of the 2010 Château Belles-Graves Lalande de Pomerol, (France) which paired with our meal beautifully.

The meal began with a lightly fried local rockfish and chicory salad, with black truffle, crème fraîche, topped with fresh chives. This was followed by a perfectly tender leg of lamb, cooked in the fireplace with mustard and thyme, accompanied with a chard gratin and browned potatoes.

The sweet libation that followed this exquisite meal consisted of candied tangerine ice cream with a warm buckwheat crêpe surrounded by slices of Page Mandarins. (*For those of you unfamiliar with Page Mandarins, they are a sweet, juicy tangelo hybrid blend of three-fourths mandarin orange and one-fourth grapefruit. They are truly amazing!)

Now a bit of history regarding Chez Panisse and my longstanding ‘Conscious Hero’ Alice Waters:

Alice Waters opened the casual neighborhood bistro Chez Panisse in 1971. Her wise emphasis was placed upon fresh, seasonal food, served with an attention to detail. To this day the menu changes every night based upon seasonal availability of the finest local sustainably sourced, organic produce, meat and fish.

In 1996, Alice Waters also pioneered the pilot program ‘The Edible Schoolyard’ in Berkeley, California, which has since been nationally recognized for its efforts to integrate organic gardening, soulful cooking, and an altruistic sharing of school lunch into the core academic curriculum of many schools throughout the United States.

Another of her other amazing accomplishment is the enlightened approach behind the ‘Slow Food Movement”, which is an internationally recognized organization that promotes and celebrates local artisanal food traditions and has members in over 140 countries. Alice Waters is also the author of eight books, including ‘The Art of Simple Food: Notes and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution’, which is available at our Amazon Store.

Alice Waters is a local legend who is internationally recognized for her refreshing, innovative approach to the modern culinary experience. We are very fortunate to have such an amazing neighbor actively creating a revolution surrounding our approach to food and the entire eating experience. I do hope those that share the Le Voov! mindset will explore the many innovative, fresh concepts Alice Waters has set in motion over the last 40+ years.

Tips regarding making reservations:

  1. Plan ahead and make reservations in advance!!!! 510-548-5525
  2. Monday through Wednesday night menus are typically simpler and more ‘local-rustic’ than Friday and Saturday night menus, which are a bit more complex or elaborate in nature.

Read more restaurant reviews

Social media & sharing icons powered by UltimatelySocial