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Sanford Restaurant
Sanford Restaurant
eryngo
July 11, 2011
5.0
0
0
0
0 Votes
Stunning
How can you go wrong with James Beard Award winner Best Chef: Midwest Sanford D’Amato (chef and owner), not to mention Best Chef: Midwest and Rising Star Chef of the Year nominee Justin Aprahamian? We were at the mercy of two of the Midwest’s finest chefs and we loved it! It’s a very rare restaurant indeed that can command the type of faith and trust from patrons to get them to walk in the door and simply say, “Feed me,” and have the mad skills to pull it off!
The Chef’s Tasting Menu has one restriction: it must be for the entire table. Well, I had absolutely no problem finding friends to join me on this venture… drop the word “Sanford” and everyone was on board! We were a spunky group and our server Joriah was a perfect match. Young, respectful, sincere, knowledgeable, professional and relaxed enough to get us all laughing. Add in (for lack of a better term) the sommelier/Wine Guy and this meal was not only satisfying but captivating and educational. I have a very open mind regarding food… not so much about wine but this was the absolute best wine pairing I have ever had, hands down. Proving that there are no hard and fast rules with wine (yes, you can pair a red wine with fish), this guy really knows his stuff!
For a wonderfully memorable experience, let Sanford take care of you!
Dishes I tried:
Chilled Peach Soup with Mango Sorbet
Course 6: I have a very slight, trivial reaction to extremely fresh (raw) fruit… bake it in a pie and it won’t trigger. The fact that the mango sorbet tickled my allergy speaks to how fresh Sanford’s ingredients are… and this dish was delicious! On a side note: we were all asked ahead of time and I did not acknowledge any allergies.
Fresh Strawberry Tart with Vanilla Ice Cream
Course 7: Paired with 2007 Vin de Glaciere-Riesling, Pacific Rim, Columbia Valley, WA.
Like I said, I have to admit my prejudices against some wines… ice wine (well, dessert wines in general) are one of them. I took a sip and thought, “Yep, don’t like it.” Enter the strawberry tart (with strawberries gathered at the farmer’s market that day). Everything about this tart was perfect… rich, sweet, creamy, light, crumbly… no soggy crust here! And somehow, the tart really mellowed out the wine and made that very palatable too. A perfect ending!
Amuse Bouche
Not technically a course but impressive enough that I had to say something about it. Creamy and crisp and crunchy… a perfect two-bite awakening for the meal to come.
Seared Sea Scallop with Pickled Peach and Mustard Greens, Peach Vinaigrette
Course 1: Paired with 2009 Gewurtraminer, Banyan, California.
They must have known that scallops are one of my favorites. Perfectly done and combined with the earthy greens, acidic vinaigrette and subtly sweet peach, this was an intriguingly delicious example of how contrasting flavors and textures can be perfect together!
Provincial Fish Soup with Rouille
Course 2: Paired with 2009 Vouvray, Domaine Bourillon, Demi-Sec France.
I guess fish soup is not my thing but when you sit down to a Surprise Me seven-course meal, you accept the possibility that there may be a dish that you don’t absolutely love.
Grilled Wild Sturgeon with Spring Onion and Candied Olive, Romesco Sauce
Course 3: Paired with 2009 Zinfandel, Seghesio, Sonoma.
While by itself the sturgeon was not my favorite dish, paired with the wine took it straight to the top. This was my favorite duo of the night. Exceptional!
Duck Breast with Maple and Mascarpone Polenta, Grilled Fennel and Endive, Tart Cherry Reduction
Course 4: Paired with 2008 Nero D’Avola, Colosi Rosso, Sicily.
Thoroughly enjoyable but not as crispy as I would have preferred.
Chargrilled Elk Tenderloin with Pea Mash, Truffle Dressing
Course 5: Paired with 2008 Pinot Noir, Calera, Central Coast California
Wonderful, deep flavor… my first experience with elk!
Sanford Restaurant
LauriAnn
July 22, 2010
5.0
0
0
0
0 Votes
A real treat
My friends and I went for the “chef selections” dinner which was a 7 course wonderment of delights. We did the wine pairing with the courses. Each course was superb! The presentation, the tastes, the explanation of each dish, the explanation of each paired wine. We basically had 5 small entrees and two desserts each paired with a small glass of wine. The dining expereince took about 3 hours and we were thoroughly delighted throghout the entire evening.
There was one point where my girlfriend said “i want to lick my plate”. So that she didn’t leave any of the wonderful sauce. Her husband said “please just use to your bread”. We all concurred, it was just that good!
The restaurant is very pretty and intimate – it’s the food & wine that really stand out. Oh, and the service! Exemplary!
Dishes I tried:
Chef's Selection w.wine pairing
Like I stated earlier, this was a 7 course dinner with wine pairing. The chef selects each course and then pairs a wine to bring out the flavors of each dish. For a foodie, this was truly heaven!
- from Citysearch
- from Citysearch
Best Dishes at Sanford Restaurant
These dishes from the Sanford Restaurant menu are contributed by Menuism users directly, as part of a restaurant review, or as part of an image upload.
Amuse Bouche
Chargrilled Elk Tenderloin with Pea Mash, Truffle Dressing
Chef's Selection w.wine pairing ()
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