An evening drive back to San Jose took me through the heart of Steinbeck country. Dinner in Salinas, Steinbeck's home, was a perfect way to cap off the experience. Patria is elegant and welcoming with tall ceilings and superb service. The menu features an interesting combination of Italian and German selections.
My meal started with soft, pillowy bread.
My squash soup was superb, creamy with a touch of heat.
My veal was creamy and hearty. The potatoes added a touch of carmelized goodness. The baby carrots were superb, as one would expect from this rich farm country.
My apple strudel was outstanding, flaky and with great fruit taste.
Our Texas Instruments colleague Cathy Wicks was gracious enough to host several of us at Ecco tonight. This is one of those restaurants that has been on my list for a long time. Even though it is within easy walking distance of Georgia Tech, I hadn't made it there until tonight. The menu is a combination of Italian, Spanish, and French that make use of some local Georgia ingredients. The combination of those three countries is sometimes a little forced, although the georgia ingredients (fruit, cheese) were all great and perfectly appropriate. We started out with a meat and cheese board. This actually reverses the French tradition, where cheese usually follows the main course. Everything was excellent. The Georgia cheese was a big hit, as was the French cow/goat cheese. I thought the sauscisson was very subtle and very good. The waitress said that the roast pork pasta was their signature dish, so I had to try it. It had traditional broad pasta (fresh, of course)
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