Bistro Elan
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Finally, the day we had been impatiently waiting for, the day to visit Bistro Elan, had come.
The day started exceptionally busy: I left home fairly early, in order to bring in to the dealership, my sophisticated car whose undying rattling was making a usually sane and calm person (like me) on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Then I waddled through the driveway between the dealership’s service department and rental, with a heavy gym bag on one shoulder and on the other, a large garbage bag containing all other junk collected from the car’s backseat and trunk, only to learn of the outbreak of a loaner-car shortage.
The solution was that the “late bloomers” (that was every one coming in after 8 am) were to be taken to a contracted rental car shop a few blocks down the Boulevard.
We went through the car-rental ritual, accepting terms and declining offers. As I was ready to drive out, the service representative added, as an afterthought: by the way, Happy Birthday! (Uh? Right, it was written on my driver’s license.) What a fine way to start a birthday celebration!
As works (and breaks, if any) filled up the day, the dealership called to keep the car for further investigation (Why was I NOT surprised?). So with the rental car which made more noises than my precious, the birthday girl, notorious for her Californian driving style, offered to serve as this evening's chauffeur, so that her companion could enjoy some wine -- wasn't she unprecedentedly considerate?
With much detour hence (almost) bringing my fast u-turn and swift lane-change skills to perfection, we safely arrived at Palo Alto, 15 minutes before our reservation. We strolled down California Street, trying to act like locals, and suddenly found ourselves in front of the restaurant’s unassuming exterior that would have been easily missed had my companion not been here before.
A quarter past 6, the restaurant was already 3 quarters full, not including the patio seats. We walked in, and before the hostess greeted us, had a quick view of its modern minimalist, black-and-white décor. One food critic said that at Bistro Elan, Food is the Star. We were eager to prove the critic right.
When we were properly seated, the waiter brought over tidbits of amuse bouche: bruschetta with plump shrimp and crispy celery in a creamy dill dressing, refreshing and sustaining us during a careful study of the menu.
For appetizers, we discussed, debated and settled on foie gras and crab. A generous cut of Sonoma foie gras, sautéed and placed atop a slice of toasted brioche, was bathed in browned hazelnut oil. The tangy sweetness of caramelized orange slices and the peppery crispness of arugula leaves delicately balanced the foie gras’s richness, both in texture and in flavor. Here we took the first sip of the 2004 ''LA DIOGOINE'' rouge. Some tasting notes in June 2004 suggested flavors of little red berries, licorice and pepper in this burgundy red. But two years later, what tickled our palate was an aromatic roundness, devoid of edgy, peppery or smoky taste. This was a taste to our exact liking.
Succulent shards of fresh Dungeness crab with thin avocado slices and apple shreds, drizzled with sweet red pepper and pistachio oil, was served in a chilled deep salad bowl. Again, the outstanding texture and flavor of each ingredient mingled blissfully with one another, unfolding to the eye as well as in the mouth, a playful contrast yet a harmonic enrichment. Although being accustomed to light cooking, we both agreed the overall flavor would be much enhanced if the dish was taken with a few grains of salt (literally).
Duck confit, my all-time bistro destination dish, was served with a creamy risotto. The skin of the duck leg was crispy but not oily; however, the meat was a little bit on the dry side. Fortunately, the sauce was able to supplement it. The thyme-imbued risotto was dotted with bits of asparagus and draped with slices of pungent ricotta cheese that unfortunately overpowered the subtle flavors of fresh ingredients. This dish was good but not impressive.
As Niman Ranch steaks generate a lot of rave reviews, we by all means had to order the flatiron steak. Pan-seared skirt steak came medium-rare, fanned out at the center of the plate with a dollop of herb butter, and accompanied by sugar snap peas and fries. The meat was tender, moist, juicy; so fine that it could be enjoyed without any adornment. We worked our way through it effortlessly.
Between the duck and beef, we sipped a generous portion of the rouge. As it oxidized with time, the wine became smoother and suppler, perfect complement to both dishes. The sun began to set, casting a softer light through the ceiling window (which, unfortunately, was not good news to a green amateur photographer eager to capture every delicious moment). Breezes sent in fragrances of an early summer evening, and teased the flame of the table candle that the wait staff just lit.
No meal is complete without desserts. There were four desserts on the menu, all with fruits (This is summer!) As I was inclined for chocolate and/or coffee based desserts and would rather enjoy fruits in their original form without further manipulation, we ordered one just to pacify our palate: lemon tart, orange sorbet and fresh oranges. They came trigonometrically arranged on a square dessert plate, and when viewed at different angles, cast perfect photogenic shadows. And the portion? Take the sorbet (a 1 inch sphere) as reference, and extrapolate the size of the remaining geometric objects….
We walked out the cozy bistro, into the gentle night under the turquoise skies. Many thanks to my companion, my dear little brother, for a memorable dinner. There was one lamentation, though: why does each of us only have one birthday each year?
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