Ken and I had a truly amazing dinner at Campton Place, the hotel / restaurant near Union Square in SF. The new chef, Daniel Humm, is very impressive. We don't have Michelin here in the US, but it compares well to the 4 or 5 fork / 1 star places I've been in Europe. It's definitely among the best meals I could have in San Francisco. If you're looking for an excellent dinner or maybe a romantic overnight you will do very well at Campton Place.

We had the 10 course tasting meal along with the wine pairing. Every dish was quite rich with bold flavours and fantastic texture. The menu was also inventive, a variety of unique combinations. And what a variety! 10 courses is an underestimate. My menu has 13 items on it, and that's not counting a couple of pre-menu goodies. And on top of that the tasting menu was split, with Ken and I getting different items a few times. 20 separate items for a table is quite a feat for a chef to pull off.

And for all that dinner was quite reasonably priced, $85 for the menu and another $60 for the excellent wine pairing. Not bad for one of the best meals you'll find in San Francisco. This chef is working hard: go and enjoy it!

Here's our menu.

Sea urchin cappuccino

Heirloom tomato gazpacho with olive oil

Vichyssoise with Iranian osetra caviar

Goat cheese sorbet with baby beets and caramelized almonds
Orange cardamom sorbet with carrot emulsion

Carpaccio of wild bluefin tuna with crispy baguette and artisan foie gras
Marinated wild bluefin tuna with bonito-gelée raviolio, tomato, and basil

Duck consommeé with foie gras snow

Maine lobster with sweetbread canneloni and Maltaise reduction
Vanilla poached Maine lobster with Gewürtztraminer and ratatouille

Seared rouget barbet with jabugo "Redondo Iglesias," fava beans, and orange-thyme vinaigrette
Wild king salmon mi-cuit with Maldon sea salt, fennel, and saffron

Zucchini wrapped Sonoma squab with Provençale flavours
Herb roasted Niman Ranch lamb with pistachio crust and tomato confit

Selection of Andante dairy artisanal cheeses

Hibiscus cream-soda

Symphony of chocolate and caramel with Maldon sea salt

Passion fruit beignets with chocolate and coconut
Quark soufflé with balsamic-berries and sheep's milkbasil sorbet

The SF Chron has a couple of followup articles. a review, and something about the chef. I put this on Chowhound, maybe I'll get responses.

culturefood
  2004-09-25 17:34 Z