I haven't starved to death

It's been a chunk since I updated and the break doesn't mean I've been deprived of delicious food! In fact, the past few weeks have been jam-packed with memorable dining experiences. But if one stands out, it was my evening at Acquerello. If dreams could dream, they would fantasize about dining here. I've always referred to it as the unsung hero of fine dining in San Francisco. It's supposed to be as good as Michael Mina and Gary Danko, yet most people haven't even heard of it. It's location (buried next to a auto shop on Sacramento at Polk) adds to its under-the-radar status. Yet, it has received a coveted Michelin star rating and countless other awards.

I walked in and upon finding my chair, the maitre d' asked approached me with a black napkin to see if I would prefer it over the white one already on my lap (presumably to match my pants? or to make lint less visible?). He also brought over a foot chair, so god forbid, my Nordstrom Rack purse wouldn't touch the ground.

Diners can choose between three, four, or five courses from the menu. With the bread, various "surprises from the chef," and complimentary truffles at the end - three courses is plenty. I started with a chilled melon soup, then moved to a pasta with foie gras, black truffles and Marsala; and closed with a Monkfish. The soup was like a five star smoothie - refreshing, flavorful, and not something I have access to often (ever since I had the chilled melon soup at Jean George in NYC, I've always been drawn to them). The highlight was the pasta. I am not a big pasta eater at all, but this dish may turn me into a convert. The pasta was so perfect, I could imagine the chefs in the kitchen carefully crafting each rigatoni ring; add in the sauce - which tasted like a slightly savory carmel sauce - and I was in heaven. To be brutally honest, the monkfish wasn't a homerun for me but I blame it on bad ordering. Monkfish is, by nature, mild and thus the flavors didn't pop like the previous two. No fault of the restaurant.

The service is what transforms this from a simple meal into an experience. Each diner at the table has a personal waiter who brings her the plate and explains exactly what's going on. The dining room is large and open, yet I felt like I was the only one there. Lastly, the waiter brings a truffle cart with about six different varieties and lets you pick out the ones you want to try (you can try all if you want to!). Oh, I was also brought out a small gift box on my way out (home-made biscotti for the road).

As you may imagine, this stuff ain't cheap - it is a "once a year" type of place. Only 345 days to go....