Once in a while, you see something so beautiful that time seems to stand
still.
At Applewood Inn Bed & Breakfast in Guerneville on a recent night, the view
through the restaurant’s windows was like that. A setting sun backlit the top
of a plum tree, turning its dark burgundy leaves bright strawberry pink.
Behind the tree were coral pink walls, sunk in shade. As pretty as the scene
was, the food at the restaurant was even more beautiful.
Chef Brian Anderson proves you don’t have to apprentice in three-star
kitchens to create remarkable dishes. He learned his craft from his
grandmother, his French mother-in-law, from traveling and dining in France,
and from teachers at the SRJC culinary school. The art of cooking isn’t
something people learn. It comes from within the cook. His art expresses
itself in the delicacy of the flavors and the assiduous care taken with the
ingredients.
For instance, fish is always a measure of a chef’s talent, especially
halibut. This low-fat fish so easily toughens up and dries out if even the
least bit overdone. And that goes double when you’re sauteing it in a hot pan.
But Anderson’s
Sauteed Halibut (**** $26 ) reaches perfection. The outside is golden —
cooked just enough to add flavor to the moist, succulent, translucent, flaky
fish inside. An extra few seconds in the pan and the outside would have
started to turn chewy, the fish to turn chalk-white. Anderson nailed it.
But the fish is just the beginning of the wonders of this plate. It comes
with a lobster and fava bean risotto. Risotto is another dish that challenges
its maker. Underdone, and the rice grains are chalky. Overdone, and they are
gluey and sticky. This risotto was perfect — the grains done but separate,
all encompassed by a lovely, delicate lemongrass sauce. Each bright green fava
bean was shucked out of its grayish jacket, each half the size of a thumbnail.
Bits of tender lobster, white and red, flecked the risotto. The kitchen sends
dishes like the halibut out to the dining room as soon as they’re ready, so
they come to the table in the best possible condition.
The dining room at Applewood is in two parts. The interior is natural wood,
stone fireplaces, large tiles inset with small figured tiles, and a gray rug.
The exterior is a glassed-in porch that overlooks the courtyard. Tables are
set with fine Italian linens (from the Frette company), and soft dinner music
plays in the background.
The wine list holds some excellent bargains and some rather hard-to-get
wines. A 2001 Stonestreet Merlot is $35 — a good price for an excellent
bottle of wine. Tom Dehlinger’s 2003 Estate Pinot Noir is $65, and there are
many other choice bottles, especially from the Russian River appellation.
Among the dessert wines, the 1985 Smith Woodhouse Vintage Port is $15 a glass,
and the 1994 Smith Woodhouse Late Bottled Vintage Port is $8 — and 1994 was
one of the better years for Port in recent times.
If you’re a fan of good service, you’ll love it at Applewood. The head
waiter is very experienced and has trained his bus-folks well. Even as the
dining room filled up on a recent night, the staff kept everything moving
along nicely, without rushing the patrons. As soon as I was finished with an
appetizer, the dishes were whisked away and the next one arrived.
The first appetizer was one of Anderson’s signature dishes. He met his
wife, Francoise, in Brittany, where buckwheat crepes are a local specialty.
You can find them accurately made at Ti Couz in San Francisco, and at
Applewood, where they are more upscale. His Buckwheat Crepe appetizer ($12 ***
1/2 ) is Brittany comfort food. He fills the spongy crepe with duck confit,
and folds it into a square. It also carries the flavors of Gruyere cheese and
garlic jus.
Foie gras may be a controversial delicacy, but the Seared Foie Gras ($15
*** 1/2 ) might win a few converts, with the melting duck liver in a pool of
fresh huckleberry gastrique made from our native wild huckleberries, and
French toast made from pain d’epice, a sort of French gingerbread made with
cardamom, ginger, rum and other spices. The combination of foie gras,
huckleberries and spicy French toast is inspired.
Chilled English Pea Soup ($8 ***) is no ordinary pea soup. Fresh garden
peas are pureed and given a dollop of creme fraiche and a splash of oil
flavored with tarragon and watercress. It’s served chilled and has the taste
of fresh peas — a pleasant surprise when one is used to beany dried pea soup.
The soft, green and yellow leaves of the Butter Lettuce Salad ($8 ***) are
given a delicate vinaigrette made with crumbles of ricotta salata — a salty,
spongy sheep’s milk cheese, sort of an Italian version of feta. But the leaves
are also mingled with ultra-thin slices of spicy spring radishes and a
sprinkling of fines herbes like chives and tarragon.
Anyone can steam up a bowl of clams, but Anderson’s Steamed Manila Clams
with Spanish Garlic Broth ($10 **** ) were something extraordinary. Green
creme fraiche was slathered over the clams, but I wondered why the croutons
were extra large, soft, brown bread until I tasted the exquisite broth. Then I
was glad for the croutons so I could sop up every last drop of it. A final
appetizer was a Seared Aged Goat Cheese Crottin ($11 ***) served with grilled
Belgian endive and pear salad, toasted hazelnuts and a honey-and-wine
vinaigrette. The searing and aging bring out that essential goatiness in the
cheese, which the French love but others sometimes find funky. Be forewarned.
The Rack of Lamb ($32 ***1/2 ) is crusted with herbs de Provence
(lavender, thyme, sage, rosemary) and the contrast between the perfect sweet
lamb and the slightly medicinal herbs makes for excitement on the palate. An
accompanying portion of rich, meaty farro made with garlic and mascarpone lets
you understand why this grain fueled the Roman legions as they conquered their
world. A Pan-Seared Duck Breast ($29 ***) was tender and served medium rare,
but the accompanying artichoke-potato duchess stole the show. The artichokes
and potatoes were cooked, pureed with egg yolks and butter, then baked to a
golden brown.
Anderson makes all the desserts. He’s got crepes and creme brulee, sorbets
and affogato, and must be working 28 hours a day, but the Apple-Rhubarb
Charlotte ($7.50 ****) is worthy of the effort. Apple and rhubarb fill a
brioche crust, the charlotte is given a scoop of toffee ice cream, and all is
drizzled with caramel syrup.
To sum up: Applewood has had many chefs over the years. Its current chef —
a local guy — is the best yet, and his cooking is not to be missed.
Jeff Cox writes a weekly restaurant review column for A&E. You can reach
him at jeffcox@sonic.net.
Dining and Cooking