er we had ordered dinner, I abse

2021/05/21

After we had ordered dinner, I absent-mindedly picked up a warm piece of pita bread and dipped it into the bowl. But having decided that we wanted something other than chocolate, we tried the Ginger Pear Cake. The crisp acidity and intensity make it a lively and extremely versatile grape. san It was a knowledgeable blending of textures and flavors that seemed just right for beginning dinner. Over ice with an orange twist, This is what a Mojito wants to be when it grows up! See the list. When dipped into their cilantro, cumin, and mint sauce, the Cigars were an unusual combination of crisp outer pastry accompanied by a spicy filling tempered by the mint sauce. Recently had dinner where we shared great starter salads (mista with prosciutto, fattoush with feta,) followed by a tasty (though a tad chewy,) bavette steak with perfectly grilled vegetables and a lamb aushak, (ricotta and eggplant filled pasta that was delightfully smoky, topped Cuisines: Asian, Mediterranean, Caterers, Greek, Family Style, Take Out, Fast Food, Italian, European, Middle Eastern, Continental, Kientz Hall - 625 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo, Julie's Hummus Bar & Grill - 1026 Court St, San Rafael, Kababbq Grill & Caf - 555 Francisco Blvd E, San Rafael, 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960, Valenti & Co. Ristorante - 337 San Anselmo Ave, D.G. restaurant insalata anselmo san How could this be hummus? Templeton Rye Whisky, Antica Carpano Sweet Vermouth, Regan's Orange Bitters, Angostura Orange Bitters. The restaurant has an ocher painted exterior covered with ivy. san Parker used all of that canvas to paint no more than eight persimmons, huge in scale, and opulent in shape and color. The small, central bar that divides the dining room into smaller spaces was directly before us. dine insalata CRAIG LEE / The Chronicle, San Francisco-based genetic tech firm will lay off 1,000 workers, California fire near Oregon border explodes amid thunderstorms, Rain reported inside Las Vegas casinos amid severe thunderstorms, Horoscope for Saturday, 7/30/22 by Christopher Renstrom, 55-hour full closure of Bay Area connector ramp starts Friday, Horoscope for Friday, 7/29/22 by Christopher Renstrom, Interior NorCal bakes in blazing heat with temps up to 113, Maps: Where the McKinney Fire is burning in Northern California, Ranking all 29 Durant trade destinations, from Warriors to Lakers. The rooms are spacious, with large, luscious paintings of fruits on the walls. And order it you must, because it is delicious and unique. Order Online San Anselmo restaurateur, Chef Heidi Krahling honors her late father, Italo Insalata, at this crowd-pleasing Marin hangout. Copyright 2009 - 2022. The restaurant information including the Insalata's menu items and prices may have been modified since the last website update. The prevailing theme of the food is bold and rustic; generous flavors laced with earth-toned spices like cumin and coriander, and Jim Warren's wine list projects a kind of supple, elastic quality to match these immediate flavors. Definitely will return here for al fresco dining. Service was almost perfect (they forgot one appetizer and one cocktail but it was for the best anyway! ", Most exciting wine by the glass: 2001 Ceja Sonoma County Vino de Casa Red Blend ($9.75) "This is a blend of Merlot, Pinot and Syrah, from third- generation grape farmers in Sonoma. The open kitchen is at the back of the restaurant with the busy take-out counter. Guests are nicely dressed, and the tables are often made up of multi-generational families and friends. DISCLAIMER: Menu items and prices are subject to change. Having experienced our fair share of hummus-overload at friends dinner parties throughout the years, my dinner companion and I both had nothing but culinary scorn for hummus. The warm cake was more like a pudding than a dry cake, and was served in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream accompanied by spiced pears and a caramel sauce. ", Most underrated region: Sardinia. Dinner at Insalata is refreshing and relaxing as the knowledgeable staff will ensure that your wine selection will match the ambitions of Krahlings food. USD "This is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Viognier. The charm of Provence right on your table. "I like the richness and spice of the varietal. Krahling does it all with ease. When dessert time approached, we took a look around and realized that we were surrounded by tables awash in plates of Smorsetto, which is the Insalata version of smores. ", Most unjustly overlooked wine: Albarino. It's just as likely that you'll find tagines and charmoulas on her menu as penne rigates and insalata mista. If a person's name is a food, I assume that they're good at making it. Gone was the paste of our past and in its place was a truly delicious, spicy, silky, garlicky, and peppery delight. A real dinner gem in Marin county. Can scientists reverse Tahoe's worst environmental disaster? Insalatas upscale setting is framed by lemon-yellow walls hung with grand depictions of natures bounty, setting the scene for an array of fresh and flavorful cuisine to come. Good food with wide selection for everyone. Over ice with an orange slice, Tito's Handmade Vodka Shaken with Fever Tree Ginger Beer over ice with Lime, St. George Botanivore Gin, Gran Classico, Carpano Punt E Mes, stirred and served up with an Orange Peel, Sazerac 6 year Rye, Peychaud & Angostura Bitters, seasoned with Kubler Absinthe and served with a twist, 209 Gin, Lemon Juice, Dram Honey & Chamomile Bitters. It was served on a bed of bulgur and almond pilaf, which was a robust complement to the heartiness of the chicken. Astonished, I asked our waiter and, sure enough, it actually was hummus. ", Ratio: 56 percent domestic; 44 percent imported. Mediterranean Cuisine. Take, for example, the painting of the persimmons, which measures roughly five-feet-high by fourteen-feet-long. A local gin, earthy & infused with the botanicals that thrive on Mt. Hours: Insalata Owner Heidi Insalata Krahling began her white tablecloth restaurant career at Joyce Goldsteins iconic San Francisco restaurant, Square One. (415) 457-7700. this is a wonderful restaurant! This bizarre fruit is showing up at Costco and Trader Joe's, LEGO is releasing a 'The Office' set with 1,000+ pieces, This 1,100-piece LEGO Vespa will transport you to Italy. 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo, CA 94960 Food-wine pairing: Braised Lamb Shank with Roasted Summer Pepperonata and Sardinian Fregola ($19.95), paired with 2001 La Carraia Sangiovese, Umbria, Italy ($24). The sheltered entrance portico is complemented with weathered wood benches and a sparkling carriage house lantern to welcome all guests warmly. The building that houses Insalata is a nod to an earlier, gentler time. It's just wine! Nice (if not a bit dated,) interiors but always filled lively ambiance. OpenMenu is not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided. "This wine is medium in body with rich, ripe cherry fruit, supple in texture with hints of leather and pepper spice that complement and seduce the many flavors of this dish, from the earth of the lamb and the bite of the peppers and eggplant in the pepperonata.". ", Advice for the adventurous diner: "Don't be intimidated! The walls are painted a soft butter yellow; the ceilings are high and supported by wood-clad beams; and the lighting is soft, while still enabling diners to both see their companions and food. ", Wine chef has with her meal: 2001 Luna Pinot Grigio ($31). 120 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, San Anselmo Strengths: The full Mediterranean package, from Gibraltar to Beirut, and the forward flavors of the Mediterranean from all points of the globe. MICHELIN-Starred Restaurants In California Wine Country, 50 the food is exquisite: we had eggplant fries with a green yogurt sauce, lamb chops with a slightly sweet sauce and tzatziki, fantastic fresh fettuccini with porcini, fresh peas and spinach, and barely seared ahi in an heirloom bean medley. Suggest an Edit. Selecting a wine was a challenge because the extensive by-the-bottle list covers the entire Mediterranean region of Italy, France, and Greece, while layering in wines from Napa and Sonoma Counties, Oregon, Germany, New Zealand, Chile, and Australia. Boxed lunches are a fun, tasty convenience. Also sample grilled lamb skewers drizzled with cumin-yogurt atop crunchy salad and flatbread. I took cowardly refuge in a familiar glass of white wine, the Picas Negras Torrentes from Argentina, but in retrospect I recommend that you ask and explore Insalatas adventurous wine list. It's probably shortsighted of me, but when a restaurant is named after a food, I assume it's a specialty. It was flavored with the spices of the Mediterranean, transforming the Ginger Cake into a rich and luscious finale. Insalatas general manager, Jim Warren, worked at San Franciscos Square One restaurant for many years honing his encyclopedic knowledge of world-wines. The staff loves to drink it, Current passion: Syrah. 10 Cane Rum, Lime Juice, Mint Leaves, Angostora Bitters & Mumm Brut Prestige, served up with a lime peel. Krahling's cuisine has Italy at its roots. But Italy is only a jumping- off point to the rest of the Mediterranean Basin, especially the farther reaches west and south: Sardinia, Southern Spain, and especially North Africa. Check with the restaurant for accurate menus, menu items and information pertaining to the menu. WINE: Refreshing and Crisp Ros Wines Perfect for a Hot Day. Owner Heidi Insalata Krahling became interested in food as a child in a food-intensive Italian family. The Insalata dining experience is a creative interpretation of Mediterranean cooking. This one's nice and forward, creamy on the palate with fig, pear and nutmeg spice. The green swirl that topped the hummus tasted of garlic with a subtle pepper after-shock. Chef-owner Heidi Krahling's Mediterranean fare is some of the most exciting in Marin County. Insalata has always searched out good, local, food sources and the chicken was so tender and flavorful that it reminded me of how good chicken can and should taste. Over ice in a Chimney Glass. The Moroccan Lamb Tagine is a complicated recipe with a spice list that includes ginger, curry, coriander, cumin, cardamom, saffron, and cinnamon, plus lamb and another dozen or so ingredients ordering this dish in such a restaurant is the preferred alternative to tackling it at home. The staff at Insalata spends a lot of time discussing and solving the question of which wine goes with what food, and welcome questions. organic greens, prosciutto, pickled red onions, pinenuts, grana, balsamic vinaigrette, with Fresh Run Farm beets, blue cheese, sunflower seeds, crispy quinoa, with Skyhill Farms yogurt and seasonal fresh fruit, With crushed avocado, pancetta, fried eggs and chimichurri, two poached eggs, chive scones, spinach, wild mushrooms, smoked pork loin, lemon hollandaise, crispy potatoes, house corned beef, crispy potatoes, seasonal vegetables, two poached eggs, Dijon hollandaise, zatar, lemony greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, sumac onions, cumin yogurt, lemony lentils, Japanese eggplant, curried spinach, Turkish yogurt, couscous, sweet herbs, shallots, white wine, shoestring potatoes, buffalo mozzarella cheese, pesto aioli, housemade focaccia, potato chips, St. George "Terroir" Gin, Fresh Lime Juice, Diced Fresh Cucumber, Soda. How lucky for diners that the art of the food at Insalata is equal to the art on the walls. The locally sourced products Goldstein used at Square One were a continuation of Krahlings family cooking experience and encouraged Krahling to seek locally grown elements when she opened Insalata. TableAgent.com. At a restaurant named Insalata, how could we possibly skip the salad course? This is a name I prefer to the more formal Moroccan Lamb Tagine, because it hints at a story. DRINK: Escape to Saint-Tropez with these Ros Wine Cocktails. All rights reserved. The Yogurt-Marinated Chicken was topped with preserved lemons and watercress that tied the spices of the chicken together with the earthy flavors of the bulgur pilaf. Bulgur is wheat that has been steamed, dried, and ground, and it has a slightly nutty flavor. I bring this up because of Insalata's, the San Anselmo restaurant. How does anyone navigate a list this complex? You are free to download the Insalata's menu files. The Moroccan Lamb Tagine (pronounced with a soft g, tay-jean) was once called $10,000 Lamb Stew on the Insalata menu. Ask questions, see what the server is excited about and go for it. Meeting spice head-on means tangy whites like Albarino and Pinot Grigio, and earthy reds from places like Portugal, Lebanon and Greece, in addition to Italy. Insalatas interior strikes the right note in recalling the colors and romance of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. It would be hard to surpass enjoying the cuisines of the Mediterranean's southern shores at Insalata's. The appetizer we ordered, Crispy Cigars, arrived with a little fan fare. Created by Audrey Saunders for the Pegu Club in NYC, Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose, Dolin Blanc Vermouth, St Germain, Grapefruit Juice. Pastry had been spread with Feta cheese, squash puree, and Turkish spices. Beautifully presented and perfectly seasoned and flavorful. My dinner companion and I stepped into Insalatas large open dining room and were welcomed by the enthusiastic staff. This tasty and refreshing salad got us ready for our entrees. Copyright Insalata has its own small parking lot and, should the lot be full, there is abundant free street parking within an easy walking distance to the restaurant. Check out the lists. The recipe won a $10,000 prize, thereafter being listed on the Insalata Menu as $10,000 Lamb Stew.. Insalata's wine list takes spicy menu head-on, Jim Warren, sommelier at Insalata's restaurant in San Anselmo. We moved from the bar into the dining room and took a look at the wine list. Warren, 52, honed his wine skills at Joyce Goldstein's Square One in San Francisco for many years, another place that invoked all shores of the Mediterranean. It was then rolled, hence the name Cigar, and fried. The wine has wonderful black cherry fruit, a bit of toasty vanilla with soft tannins. Please confirm that this restaurant at this location is permanently closed organic greens, prosciutto, pickled red onions, pinenuts, grana, balsamic vinaigrette, spring greens, fennel, toasted walnuts, manouri cheese, muhamarra croutons, with a choice of Hobbs bacon or Canadian bacon, home fried potatoes, toast, with chorizo, roasted peppers, spinach, manchego cheese, two poached eggs, chive scones with spinach and wild mushroom ragout, smoked pork loin and lemon hollandaise, crispy potatoes, with lemony aioli, endive and fennel salad, shoestring potatoes, topped with 2 poached eggs, Rancherai salsa and Cumin yogurt, strawberry rhubarb compote, whipped mascarpone, toasted almonds, applewood smoked bacon, lamb skewers on grilled housemade flatbread with lemony greens, tomatoes and cucumber sumac, cumin yougurt, Hobbs bacon, avocado, housemade shoestring potato, creamy lime-cilantro dressing, avocado, pumpkin seeds, manouri cheese, cabecou cheese, pistachios, greens, clementine vinaigrette, artichokes, chanterelles, pancetta, pecorino cheese, mint, hot chilies, filled with duck confit, chanterelles, butternut squash, Fromage blanc, lemony lentils, acorn squash, curried spinach, Turkish yogurt, couscous, Hobbs bacon, avocado, shoestring potatoes, zatar, lemony greens, tomatoes, cucumbers, sumac onions, cumin yogurt, sweet herbs, shallots, white wine, shoestring potatoes, on smash-fried potatoes, peppers, venetian pine nut relish, manila clams, tomato, chorizo, grilled bread, rouille, romaine, toasted pita, feta cheese, onions, cherry tomatoes, olives, cucumber, cilantro, mint, lemon vinaigrette, Cabecou cheese, pistachios, greens, Clementine vinaigrette, lemony lentils, acorn squash, curried spinach, turkish yogurt, couscous, chickpea stew, chorizo, wilted greens, cilantro, agrodulce, potato puree, cippoline onions, chanterelle mushroom sweet corn saut, crispy polenta, horseradish cream, bulgar and pumpkin pilaf, ginger pear chutney, chard, peppers, smash- fried potatoes, venetian pine nut relish, with Tahitian vanilla gelato, bourbon caramel sauce, Devils Food Cake, filled with whipped ganache, chocolate pudding, finished with bittersweet chocolate glaze, mocha, caramel sauce, white chocolate curls, with port poached forelle pear, sesame tuile, mascarpone cream, caramel sauce, pumpkinseed-ginger praline, French almond macaroons, mascarpone cream, tuile cookie, cornmeal-raisin, double chocolate-hazelnut, lemon-almond-fennel, Cranberry-Orange, Pear or Grapefruit-Compari with shortbread, with One Piece of Bacon and Crispy Potatoes (Sunday Brunch Only). Copyright 2022 MICHELIN Guide. The big surprise that catapults the dining room from comfortable to extra-special is the huge paintings of sensuous plums, persimmons, and lemons that hang on the walls. The zucca-orange stucco exterior alludes to the Mediterranean air within. Clean and fresh. RESTAURANTS: Best Outdoor Dining Restaurants. The complex Mediterranean food of Insalata has been made from locally sourced produce, meat, and poultry long before locally sourced was a standard of excellence in the restaurant industry. The San Anselmo lifestyle focuses on relaxed, healthy, family life; and a stroll through the center of town is a somewhat nostalgic walk past family-owned businesses and restaurants that are situated along the local creek. The 2002 Vionta Rias Baixas Albarino ($8.75/glass, $35/bottle) is definitely of the citrus variety, hints of grapefruit and lemon with a balanced acidity that makes it come alive. Served over ice with a Grapefruit Twist, Inspired from Tom Colicchio and Sons' Restaurant in Manhattan. "The list is big on wines with fruit and spice and some versatility," he writes via e-mail, "to complement and enhance the nuances of the menu." It goes like this: The folks at Insalata entered a lamb recipe into a contest sponsored by the American Lamb Board. GAYOT presents the Wine of the Week, featuring tasting notes as well as history on the vineyards and winemaker. See the recipes. The Yogurt-Marinated and Grilled Chicken was tender and moist with the crispest of chicken skins. Looking at them in all their sumptuous glory, I concluded that San Francisco artist Laura Parker must have been in love with the Mediterranean region when she painted them.