A little bit of our history with this restaurant first. Bill & I first met David Kinch at this restaurant, about a week after he first opened. David came out and did his “walk the tables” thing and we started talking and just hit it off with he and his then partner Aimee Herbert. I even created Sent Sovi's first website for him! We haven’t been back to Sent Sovi since David left to start Manresa--until now.
It was like coming home again! Tim, a server who worked at Manresa was our server at Sent Sovi. It was nice to come and see a familiar face who remembered us! He was kind enough to let Sandi & Willie change tables so they could sit next to us. Needless to say, the service was fabulous!
But on to the food. The menu was on the restaurant website so I’ve copied it here for you to let you know what our choices were.
Silicon Valley Restaurant Week Prix Fix Menu
October 14th through 21st
35 dollars per person—no substitutions please
First Courses
(Please Select One)
Roasted Beet Salad with Apples and Truffles
Red Kuri Squash Soup with Vadouvan Pesto
Organic Greens with Citrus Vinaigrette
Entrées
(Please Select One)
Lobster Mushroom and Roasted Shallot Risotto
Porcini Rubbed Chicken with Pearl Cous Cous, Roasted Brussels Sprouts & Golden Raisin-Harissa Jus
Butter Poached Prawns in Saffron Broth with Root Vegetables
Desserts
(Please Select One)
Rosemary Crème Brulee
Trio of Massimo’s Gelatos with Cookies
Wine Pairings:
4oz each for First Course and Entrée, 2oz with dessert: add 20 dollars
Supplemental Courses to Share:
Half Dozen Oysters on the Half Shell: add 12 dollars
Cheese Flight (5 cheeses- Chef’s Selection): add 17 dollars
We didn't get a chance to meet Jerome Slone the Executive chef/owner but I did email him about our visit and our blog.As you can imagine, between the 6 of us, we ordered every dish on the menu! Sandi & Willie ordered the Wine Pairings with their meal and said the pairings were well chosen. Bill brought 2 bottles of wine from Rochioli: 2004 Rachels's Vineyard chardonnay and 2002 East Block Pinot Noir to share at our table and sent a glass of each to their table as well as one for Tim to taste.
We all were treated to an amuse bouche of a crouton topped with a celeriac mousse and a fried caper. Creamy, crispy mouthfuls that melted in our mouths. Very subtle flavors that were well paired. Sandy, Jerry & I ordered the Roasted Beet Salad with Apples and Truffles. It was attractively served in martini glasses. I ordered it to compare it to Janis’ Roasted Beets with Apples Salad from our Greens Cookbook dinner. The apples were slivered so they were more of a bright accent to the salad than the equal beet/apple flavors of Janis’ salad. The beets were golden beets which made a very pretty presentation and delicious to boot. Sandi & Bill had the Red Kuri Squash Soup with Vadouvan Pesto. It was a thick, reduced to a flavorful squash soup we all got to taste. The Vadouvan Pesto was a curry like swirl on the top of the soup...very nice!
BTW, I was so engrossed in our conversations and enjoyment of the meal, I forgot to take photos so mea culpa. You’ll just have to let your imaginations soar!
Willie had the Organic Greens with Citrus Vinaigrette and he said it was also delicious and the citrus vinaigrette was perfectly balanced.
So far so good!
Sandy & Sandi had the Lobster Mushroom and Roasted Shallot Risotto and it was all that a risotto should be! The risotto cooked to just the right “bite” and the mushrooms and shallots were cooked to just the right texture to flavor the risotto. I got a bite...begging works, honest! Bill, Jerry and Willie had the Porcini Rubbed Chicken with Pearl Cous Cous, Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Golden Raisin-Harissa Jus. I only got a bite of the chicken that was succulent and the porcini rubbing gave it earthy, rich overtones. They all said it all good and was evidenced by clean plates. I ordered the Butter Poached Prawns in Saffron Broth with Root Vegetables. I was expecting a pale broth but this one was dark and rich with flavors from the roasted root vegetables. The vegetables were diced pretty small so it wasn’t like I had these huge pieces of vegetables in the bowl…which was a good thing! I thought my dish was the best but I think everyone thought that of their own choice. The shrimp were tender and sweet and the broth was so good, I just had to soak up the remaining juice with my bread…my mother would not have approved, but it was sooooo yummy!
On to Dessert!
Of the desserts, the Rosemary Crème Brulee was the better choice although the caramelized crust was a bit too thick, making the brulee a little too sweet. The gelatos were small scoops of chocolate/orange, coconut and passion fruit, again served in martini glasses. Most of the cookies were disappointing. Being a cookie monster myself, I look for great cookies and only one of them was great. There was a small square chocolate chip shortbread cookies that was buttery, chocolatey and just the right balance between crispy and crumbly...as I think shortbread cookies should be! If there is any weakness at Jerome’s Sent Sovi, it’s his desserts but we didn't try the ones off the regular menu and I did love that shortbread cookie! Tim brought a special treat to our table of sliced fruits and nuts and we enjoyed every bite...even though I was pretty full by then.
The portions were good and we were all satiated by the end of the meal and declared it to be a restaurant we would all return to in the future. They do offer a 3-course prix fixe dinner all the time but the regular price is $45 which is still a reasonable price for a great meal. They have tasting menus as well as ala carte items so there is something for everyone….even a vegetarian tasting menu!
So, if you want a small intimate restaurant with friendly, efficient service, give Sent Sovi a try. www.sentsovi.com and you can make reservations on opentable.com.
Sent Sovi, 14583 Big Basin Way Saratoga, CA 95070 Phone: 408-867-3110
Bon Appetít!
Sandi
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