March 11, 2011
In a weekend bursting with inspired tastes, Tommy Noel's stood out.
The gang and I were in Big Sur for the Big Sur Chanterelle Cook-off, grazing on everything from chanterelle mousse to chanterelle paella. Sunday took us to Fernwood for brunch and my first bout with the new master of the kitchen.
I was also taking pictures for a review of the new Redwood Grill by Weekly contributor and longtime Big Sur devotee Stuart Thornton.
The chanterelle dishes Noel crafted won't soon leave my memory banks. At $14-$18, they weren't cheap, but such is life in Big Sur these days, and we were talking ingredients like lobster and golden wild chanterelles on a weekend when they were running out of them at the BSCC—and the sticker price included a glass of bubbly. Here's the chanterelle benedict. Delicioso.
The biscuits with chanterelle gravy were crazy good. I can see why Noel was calling it the best dish on the decorated special menu.
Not that the lobster-chanterelle omelet was too shabby. Here's hoping Noel succeeds in bringing weekend breakfast to Big Sur, and continues with the tasty daytime-nighttime fare too.
Mucky Duck
Monterey
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