There are few restaurants in the world that I want to see in
top form as much as Ubuntu.
For one thing most chefs today pay lip service to the
potentials inherent in cooking with vegetables, but do scant justice to
them. Vegetables are often relegated to
a secondary or lesser role in dishes concocted by great chefs, and sometimes
one is astonisted that in some Michelin 3 star restaurants one can eat very
mediocre vegetables used as "garnies" in meat and fish dishes.
For another thing, California
now boasts some quite good produce.
Maybe still not on par with the best examples of the Old Continent, but
a visit to the still reigning temple of California cuisine, that is Chez
Panisse in Berkeley, or a visit to Los
Gatos to the shining star “Manresa”, should open anybody’s eyes to the
potential inherent in California produce.
This is maybe why I was quite moved in hearing that Chef
Kinch’s assistant at Manresa, Jeremy Fox, had
left to become the chef of a new venture in Napa.
This very talented and nice fellow is now at the helm of the vegetarian
Ubuntu restaurant in Napa.
His wife is the dessert chef.
