Cuisine:

• French
• Californian

étoile Description:
Strolling from the parking lot past meticulously landscaped grounds and over a bridge with pond and fountain seems a fitting overture for this house of bubbly. Inside, the long dining room with rounded wood ceiling mimics a wine cask. It feels elegant in an 80s hotel lobby way: tiered seating with cruise ship railings, black lacquer-trimmed armchairs, towering black vase centerpieces with lilies and tree limbs, single red tulips on tabletops, and smoky glass facing a lunchtime terrace. One needn't wear a jacket, though natty feels natural here. Eleven house sparklings, all available by the glass, offer a celebratory welcome, and the well-rounded wine portfolio makes for savvy food pairings. Chef Perry Hoffman's four-course tasting menu seems de rigueur, but flexes to be à la carte. Lead with lobster bisque poured over melting Chardonnay gelée, lobster pieces, prosciutto and mung beans. Or try green-apple-wrapped opah belly with dill accompanied by sweet onion purée---cream-colored but capturing the goodness of golden caramelization (all wonderfully paired with the estate rosé). Build with a boxy beaker of lobster consommé spilled over crisp-skinned wild striped bass with black forbidden rice and lardons, duck fanned out on pear purée with green lentils, or fork-tender venison fragrant with lavender (ideal with the house Merlot). Cheese or a chocolate-skewed finale keeps spirits effervescent.


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