Etoile*

Yountville, CA

I don't know what has been my motivating factor, but I've been wanting to check out Etoile restaurant at Domaine Chandon. It's one of  few restaurants we have not dined in at Yountville and finally got a chance to do so on a perfect December afternoon. We walked from our hotel to the vineyard, which was a beautiful property. There were a ton of patrons enjoying sparkling wine tastings but when we entered the restaurant, it was half empty. One of the first things that I noticed is that Etoil strives to be a white table affair, a bit old school, and a bit stuffy. The lunch menu is small with about five options in each section and the prices are quite steep. We decided to have our own appetizers and share an entrée for lunch. For our appetizers we asked for a Chandon sparkling wine to pair with and were offered the Extra Dry Riche. It was an excellent match, and Chu-Toro especially enjoyed how it brought out the richness of the foie.

Roasted Shinko Asian Pears

Chu-Toro wanted a lighter starter and went with the roasted shinko asian pears which was as tasty as it was visually appealing. The beautifully laid our course reminded us of the delicate plating of vegetables we received at Ubuntu. The flavors were excellent as well, thoughtfully incorporating a component of sweet, sour, salty and textures to form a unique and successful course.

Seared Foie Gras

I was immediately intrigued by the seared foie on the menu and was really glad I ordered it, an excellent dish. I was quickly learning that Chef Hoffman is really cognizant of offering a balance dish, both with flavors and textures. The real standout flavor was immersed in the lentils, probably the first time I've ever said that. There was a bold, sweet flavor combined with the fattiness texture of the foie that really made this foie dish original than others I've had. I enjoyed the inventive starter, and was impressed early on by the chef.

Venison Tenderloin bacon wrapped dates, yam purée, scarlet turnips

We originally ordered the pork tenderloin until we overheard from another waiter that we could substitute the pork for venison with no extra charge. We also heard that there was a $5 split plate charge that we weren't informed about, but ended up not being charged for anyways. We immediately waived down our subpar server to change the order, which he was able to do. The Giovanni Risby look-a-like sommelier recommended the Reserve Pino Noir Rose for our pairing. Upon arrival, my first bite was a little underwhelming. The venison I had at Gary Danko a few weeks before was much juicier and flavorful. But after a couple more bites combined with the other components of the dish, I began to like it more and more. Chef Hoffman's vision is definitely about the sum of all parts on a plate and it quickly turned my judgement of the course to a positive review.

Our main waiter was subpar in comparison to listening to other nearby waiters and the sommelier had a bit of attitude also. The overall vibe of the place is a little stuffy and were surrounded by a lot of older patrons. The setting of a restaurant is almost as important to us as the food and unfortunately Etoile isn't our style. It's a shame because the food is excellent. I can definitely envision Chef Hoffman branching out to his own dining establishment as his career develops (he's only 26!). The prices are pretty steep also for rather small portions, but the best part of the meal was that they forgot to charge us for our wines. The bill still came out to be nearly $100 with tip, so buyer beware. Overall, we really enjoyed the food, the execution and creativity of the chef and will be on the lookout for his next move. It would probably be a good option for a formal dining affair as well that we'll keep in mind in the future.


December 30, 2010
Rating 7/10