Went to Enclos in Sonoma last night for my wife’s birthday. It was quite good, but we had eaten at Sons and Daughters in SF a few weeks ago and unfortunately comparison was a bit of the theft of joy here; nearly everything at Sons and Daughters was better. That is not to say that Enclos is bad, but Sons and Daughters outclassed it pretty much step for step in every way.
The starting bites were very good. The lobster farce in a circle is pretty incredible followed by the venison tartar, they make for a great one two punch. The next bite was forgettable, with the duck liver being overshadowed by the other ingredients, but the last small bite, a savory bread pudding with caviar and 100 year balsamic was fantastic.
The next couple of seafood bites were pretty forgettable as well honestly. Pretty bland raw fish followed by an odd oyster course with a lot of texture, but was too sweet. Then the chawanmushi as New England clam chowder was interesting; my wife loved it but I liked the bread that came with it more. I found the “chowder” to be too salty.
The next few dishes were great. 60 aged tuna over rice, the tuna was great with an incredible punch of tuna-ness from the age, but the rice was overcooked and mushy. The best dish of the night was the quail, served with a broth from its bones. Absolutely incredible depth of flavor here. The final savory course was beef served 3 ways, NY steak, brazola, and a small bite of short rib. All good, not great.
The desserts were fine, again nothing really stood out. Maybe the honeycomb bite (not pictured) was the best with ice cream and honey from their farm.
I had the NA pairing which was new from the previous week. It was ok; nothing really enhanced the dishes I was eating and they were all pretty one note drinks. All just fruit and veggie flavors with a ton of acidity and lemon.
In terms of ambiance, it’s fine. Some tables got a little loud which was annoying. I think it was due to drunkenness; people are in Sonoma and probably come from some wine tasting during the day. The service overall was great though; everyone was nice, personable and laid back.
While Enclos was good, I don’t think I would go back. I really don’t think it is close to a three star either like some people are saying. I think I had a better meal at Huso last year, and certainly Enclos is outclassed by Sons and Daughters in nearly every aspect. Few dishes wowed me and most were just good. For the price and the rating I expect better. Good but not outstanding.
by Steph_Better_
2 Comments
Thanks haven’t been but the food hasn’t enticed me to go tbh
Interesting take on the comparison between Enclos and S&D. I recently ate at both, and I found S&D’s use of acid overwhelming. Many of the dishes leaned heavily on fermentation, which ended up overpowering the core flavors. When there’s too much acid, you lose the depth and balance of the sauces, and the dishes feel unbalanced overall.
I also don’t think the partridge at S&D reaches the level of the quail at Enclos. The difference comes down to flavor depth and restraint, which I consistently found stronger at Enclos.