Citron
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Citron is clearly set up to look like a classic Parisian bistro, complete with Art Nouveau flourishes. Warm wooden tones from the walls and trim contrast with the white tablecloths on the tables. The atmosphere is simultaneously elegant and casual--you'll see people in evening gowns and others in jeans. Judging from the conversations flowing around our back-corner table, it's a popular place for birthdays and anniversaries.
The menu, which changes regularly, offers numerous temptations that reflect the restaurant's French-Mediterranean theme. However, Melissa and I both decided to try the 5-course "chef's menu." This is quite reasonably priced and we figured it would give us a good sense of the restaurant's style. The menu also offers a wine pairing option, which we decided to try.
Some thoughts on the wine list. The wine list is ample, and for the most part reflects the restaurant's emphasis. Some sections seemed out of place. Much as I love German wines and the way they pair with food, it seemed an odd addition given the focus of the restaurant. But this is minor: while there was an Austria/Germany section with five or six wines, there were also larger sections each for Alsace, the Loire, the Rhone and so forth. Clearly they're keeping the French focus as well as they can. A notable list of California and Australian wines completed the list, though these seemed like they were included less to pair with the cuisine then to appeal to the appetites of California wine drinkers (though, see below).
The meal started with an amuse-bouche, which always makes me happy. I love these little bites of flavor, in this case a beet salad with a meyer lemon curd.
The first course was a composed salad of asparagus, favas, and baby carrots with green aioli, which was accompanied by Cantina Bolzano's 2002 Müller Thurgau from the Alto Adige region of Italy (near Switzerland on the eastern side of the country; German is almost more common than Italian). This dish set the tone for the whole meal. The composed salad was artfully but not lavishly presented, and featured a medley of vegetables that had been cooked to a just-perfect state, and had obviously been cooked separately as each demanded. Well seasoned, and a nice combination of flavors, with the green and orange carrots making a lovely visual combination.
This wine pairing also foreshadowed things to come. None of the wine and food pairings were mind-blowing, but instead demonstrated a very solid understanding of how wine and food pairings should work. In truth, the magical combinations one reads about in the press are rarer than many food and wine writers would have you believe. The wine director at Citron is clearly someone who knows what s/he is doing and the combinations were almost more stunning for the obvious thought process which worked so solidly in each case. That kind of consistency from dish to dish is tough. It's also obvious that the chef and the person choosing the wine had collaborated quite a bit, or at least knew each other well enough to make it work. The wine had light grassy notes and, as befits an opener wine, a sprightly acidity. It was not pungently flavorful, obviously so that the subtle flavors of the vegetables would not be overpowered. It was served at the right temperature: refreshing, not frozen.
Our second course was Les Coquilles St. Jacques au Gratin, or a Day Boat Scallop Gratin, which was served with a silver-dollar-sized English Pea Soufflé. Melissa reminded me that this is a Loire Valley dish, which made us feel warm and fuzzy, since we spent part of our honeymoon in that region. The pea soufflé was not as puffy as I would've hoped, but I can't conceive of the impossibility of getting a risen soufflé to the table in a restaurant; I have a hard enough time at home. You've got about five minutes after a soufflé comes out of the oven before it falls. They had obviously used a bit more flour than normal to give it a bit more structure; I could tell from the mouth feel. The flavor went well with the day scallops.
The wine pairing for this was a regional pairing, showcasing a 2002 Quincy from Jean-Claude Roux. Quincy is nearby Sancerre and Pouilly Fumé and like them uses the Sauvignon Blanc for its wines. I didn't take careful notes, so I'm afraid you won't find much in the way of descriptors for this review. But, again, it complemented the food very well.
The main course was a pork osso bucco with crispy polenta, spring onions, and swiss chard (maybe that's what I should be doing with all the chard we get in our produce box). The polentas struck me as an idea worth copying. They had refrigerated the polenta and then deep-fried the diamonds they made. It's virtually all made well before service, with a last-minute plunge into hot oil to give them a crispy exterior which contrasted with the soft interior while at the same time warming them up. The pork was wonderfully tender and flavorful. Though this was easily the heaviest dish, they kept the portions modest for each course, so that we still had plenty of room for the last two courses.
The wine they paired with this was a 2002 Magnet Pinot Noir from Sonoma. Very typical (meant in the good way) Pinot Noir, with a nice acidity but enough weight to stand up to the pork. Again a very balanced pairing.
I was stunned when they described our cheese course; Melissa and I only knew one of the five cheeses on the plate. We consider ourselves very knowledgeable on the subject, so this is an unusual occurrence. Clearly we're falling behind. I was worried about the number of cheeses on the plate; I consider four a max on cheese plates. But I needn't have worried; they gave us just a bite or two of each cheese, so we would appreciate each one and move on to the next. They had a nice selection of almonds, apples, and such to contrast the cheeses.
They chose not to pair a wine with this course, which made sense; there was a range of flavors in the cheeses, so a single wine would've been tough. The message was clear: take a break from the meal, enjoy some tasty bites, let your stomach settle before dessert.
Dessert came out with "Happy Anniversary" piped in chocolate on the plate; Melissa let them know it was our anniversary when we made the reservation. It was a nice touch for them to remember, showing that they really do pay attention to these things and want their guests to feel special. The rest of the dessert was a gingerbread parfait with a caramel semifreddo and coffee cream. Now, I don't like coffee, much to everyone's dismay. I don't even like the flavor. But I didn't mind this dessert one bit. The gingerbread was wonderfully light, and reminded me that I need to make gingerbread more often.
The wine was the 2001 Francis Tannahill "Passito" Gewurtraminer from Washington (so says the menu, anyway). When I looked it up online, I discovered that it hails from Oregon. I was looking it up because I assumed it's fortified (it isn't). It had that fortified-wine flavor profile, so I was surprised to learn it's made by drying grapes. Anyway, it was quite a nice dessert wine.
Melissa called our meal at Citron one of the best she had eaten in a while. I have a hard time arguing with that; the food was quite good, the portions modest but filling, and the pairing of flavors, within the dish and from dish to glass, was all spot on. It wasn't even that expensive; the 5-course menu was $46 and the wine pairing was $21. I mean, it's not an every night kind of place, but I think we'll definitely eat dinner there more often.
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