Ad Hoc!

Time to wrap 2011 up before 2012 makes its appearance! And that means finishing my recap of the Napa trip. I left off at the end of day two in Sonoma County with our dinner at Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc restaurant in ritzy, yet quaint, Yountville. Knowing the popularity of this place, we called to make a reservations exactly two months in advance. The intrigue of this restaurant centered not only around the famously amazing chef behind its menu, but also the fact that the pre fix menu changed daily. I had subscribed to Ad Hoc's daily email of its menu and had been drooling over the offerings the past two months.

Anyways, enough filler, let's get to the important things. First up on the menu was an autum salad with frissee, Belgian endive, roasted pistachios, bing cherries, olives, roasted squash and a vinaigrette of sorts. The combination of everything was spectacular.

The main course was a roasted pork rack tenderloin with plums, brussell sprouts, cipolini onions, romesco sauce and polenta. The pork was SO tender and fraught with flavor. Perhaps they had brined it? I don't know, but whatever they did was on point.

Next up was a fantastic cheese course! We dove head first into some Truffle Tremor goat cheese, quince jam and breadsticks. Perfect way to prepare for dessert.

Last up to bat was a chocolate cake of sorts, coffee ice cream and candied hazelnuts. While I found the hazelnuts to be over powering, the rest of the dish was the perfect balance of creamy and rich. With that, we waddled back to the car and somehow found our way home before the coma set in. Perfect way to end a long productive day of wine tasting in Sonoma County.