Bay Area Foodie

For my birthday this year I decided to return to the place Mike asked me to marry him…Sent Soví, a small, romantic French-California restaurant located in downtown Saratoga. We hadn’t been in for a meal since the summer of 2006 and I was surprised to find many changes had occurred over the last 2 years to the menu. The regular à la cart items no longer exist. You now only have the option to get the Chef’s tasting menu ($85) or a 3 or 4 course Prix-fixe menu ($65/$72). The wine menu was also overhauled. They now have wine flights as well as glasses by the 1,3 or 5 ounce pour for reasonable prices. This was a welcomed modification. I assume in response to the down economy last month they introduced a nightly special. Each day of the week they feature one signature dish complete with choice of soup or salad and dessert for $45. Mike and I chose to try it out since it was pork night and we are fans of the piggie.

Our dinner began with a complementary Amuse bouche of cold lemongrass soup which had a yogurt consistency but custard taste. It was a interesting start. I chose the Spinach salad with toasted almonds and a harissa vinaigrette for my starter. The spinach was crisp and fresh but the dressing was a bit too spicy. Mike ordered the Squash curry soup which he thoroughly enjoyed. It was Tuesday so our main course was Pecan Crusted Pork Loin With Celery Root Puree, Brussels Sprouts in Brown Butter and Shallot Jus. The pork was cooked perfectly and the puree was light and smooth. I’d never had brussel sprouts before mostly because I only hear negative commentary about them. I think they get a bad rap because these were incredible. I ate ever last one but I’m sure this is not how most prepare the veg at home. There was a bit of a wait in-between our main course and dessert but to hold us over we were offered (large) glasses of a delicious port. I have to say that we have always had stellar service at Sent Soví. The staff is knowledgeable about food & wine and extremely polite. For dessert I picked the trio of sorbets (coconut, dark chocolate and strawberry) and homemade cookies. My dessert was presented on a plate with “Happy Birthday” written in chocolate. I was instantly transported to July 2, 2005 when my dessert had “Will you marry me?” scrolled in chocolate across the plate. I like how they go the extra mile to make events special. Mike had the Rosemary creme brulee which was more savory than sweet. It had a unique taste but I think Mike prefers the classic version. Overall, the nightly dinner was tasty and economical but it didn’t really wow us like meals of the past. I guess we are gonna have to shell out the big bucks in order to experience the flavors we grew to love, and you know what, I really don’t mind because Sent Soví is worth every penny.

Rating:
Website: http://www.sentsovi.com/

Tasty Tip: Nightly dinner specials (I don’t think these are on their website yet):
Tuesday – Pecan Crusted Pork Loin With Celery Root Puree, Brussels Sprouts in Brown Butter and Shallot Jus
Wednesday – Harissa Rubbed Lamb, Vadouvan Cauliflower, Peach Conserve and French Green Lentil Ragout
Thursday – Duck with Warm Duck Confit, Spinach and Fingerling Pototoes
Friday – Daily Seafood Special
Saturday/Sunday – Hanger Steak with Braised Greens, Shallot-Yukon Gold Potato Gratin and Sautéed Wild Mushrooms

Filed under: Saratoga | Tagged: food, Josiah Slone, restaurant, review, sent sovi |