<a target="_blank" href="http://www.saisonsf.com/">Saison</a>

178
Townsend St.

San
Francisco, CA 94107

Tel.
+1 (415) 828-7990&nbsp;

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | OCTOBER 22, 2017&nbsp;

Menu

Saison Private Batch Caviar

2008
Marie-Noëlle Ledru&nbsp;Brut Nature

Live Diamond Turbot

Crab

Taka&nbsp;Noble Arrow Tokubetsu Junmai

Sea UrchinYamada&nbsp;Everlasting Roots Tokubetsu Junmai

Ratatouille

2016 Nägelsförst
Rosé

Barbequed Quail

2009 Domaine
de L’Arlot Nuits-Saint-Georges ‘Clos des Forets Saint-Georges’ 1er Cru

2014 Domaine
de L’Arlot Vosne-Romanée ‘Les Suchots’ 1er Cru

Pronghorn Antelope

A Broth Made of the Grilled Bones

1986 Guy
Bernard Côte-RôtiePineapple2001 Château
Suduiraut &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;

Fruit &amp; Tea

This recent dinner at Saison was one of the
very best meals I have had not just in 2017, but in a very long time. Executive
Chef Joshua Skenes and Wine Director Mark Bright have created one of the most
memorable dining and hospitality experiences in the United States. Before the
evening was over, I was already thinking about when I might be able to return.
I can’t remember the last time I felt that way about a restaurant.

Saison’s small dining room seats just
thirty people in one fluid space that runs from the bar to the open kitchen. A
soundtrack heavy on 1980s pop classics plays throughout the evening. There are
no tablecloths and no dress code, while service is warm, friendly and
unassuming. It is a totally stripped down vibe. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659823882-Caviar.jpg"> 

Saison
Private Batch Caviar; smoked with spinach poached in seawater and seaweed
butter

That same aesthetic permeates through the
food. An avid hunter, Skenes has a near-maniacal obsession for sourcing the
very best raw materials money can buy. In the kitchen the approach seems to be
about distilling each ingredient, each flavor, down to its purest essence. Vegetables
are often slow roasted, like the tomatoes in the ratatouille or the beets I saw
gently smoking above one of the stoves. Many dishes incorporate elements of
fire. Meats are aged on a very relaxed schedule. Much of this food is deceptively
simple in that elaborate preparations and cooking techniques never take center
stage. There are no foams, no rich sauces and no overly elaborate garnishes.
This food reminds me of power trio bands like Cream and the Jimi Hendrix
Experience where the musicians are all virtuosos, but there is a very distinct
feeling of spaciousness.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659845726-TurbotAlt.jpg"> 

Live
Diamond Turbot

Saison's dinner menu is priced at $398 per
person. While certainly very expensive, I think I prefer this approach to that
favored by other restaurants at the same level that offer tasting menus
with supplements. Actually, I am sure I do. Saison is very clear with their
policies. After making a reservation, I suggest forgetting about the cost.
While supplements for especially luxurious items such as caviar and truffles
might offer more flexibility and greater choice, I personally do not want to
think about money when I am sitting down for a nice dinner. Saison does&nbsp;offer&nbsp;à&nbsp;la carte dining&nbsp;in the bar
area for guests who don't necessarily want to have a full meal. The&nbsp;wine lists, one for whites the other for reds, are vast, to say
the least. Alternatively, guests can opt for wine pairings at $298 per person.
We decide to let the kitchen cook and ask Sommelier Noah Dranow to pick some
wines for us to taste.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659868041-Crab.jpg"> 

California
Box Crab; poached in wild fennel bouillon

The corner banquette table closest to the
open kitchen is a fabulous spot. As someone who worked in restaurants for
years, I love the feel here. There is something about the energy and adrenaline
that runs through a kitchen during service that is addictive. From this vantage
point, it is easy to watch as numerous dishes are prepared and served. But this
location within the restaurant might not be for everyone. The heat from the
stoves and ovens is noticeable, as is the steady communication between the chefs.
For diners who want to be part of the action, though, there is no better place
to be. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659887947-SeaUrchin.jpg"> 

Sea
Urchin on grilled whole wheat bread

Dinner starts with Saison’s Private Batch
Caviar, which is smoked and served atop spinach poached in seawater and seaweed
butter. The flavors are bold, intense and totally fused together. The eight
months the caviar spends being cured in barbeque salt and layers of nuances
from the smoke, along the natural quality of the caviar itself, make for a truly
memorable dish. The turbot is served in two preparations; the first is raw, while
the second is a more elaborate dish of cured, chopped meat that is placed on a
sort of rib cage made from the fish bones. Both are incredibly delicious. California Box
Crab is poached in a wild fennel stock, and dressed with vinegar made from the
grilled shells. It is one of the more delicate dishes on this menu. The sea
urchin, a Saison signature, is served over grilled wheat bread. It is also
fabulous.&nbsp;

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659905418-Ratatouille.jpg"> 

Ratatouille

A sort of
deconstructed ratatouille is presented as five separate components: Corn pudding, okra,
strawberry mint and tomato water jelly, grilled peppers, fairytale eggplant,
purple shiso buds and a dish of fresh and roasted tomatoes. The ratatouille is
the most fanciful of these dishes and yet everything works together beautifully. The
barbequed quail is tasty, but it would be easier to eat had the meat been
cooked a little more. Neither my guest nor I finish the quail. Dinner gets
back on track with the grilled antelope and radicchio, which is a perfect
example of a dish that is more about purity of ingredients and simplicity than
anything else. I am not ashamed to say I devour one of the large biscuits that
is served with the antelope. With extra hot sauce. This is comfort food at its
best. A broth made from the grilled antelope bones is next, and it is
delicious, with intense flavors and layers of nuance. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508674633992-FullSizeRender+copia.jpg"> 

Barbequed
Quail&nbsp; 

Much fanfare is made of the slow-roasted
pineapple. I think the same pineapple is shown to every table. Regardless, it
is tasty. But the smoked ice cream over pineapple soup and coffee oil is
even better. A dish of raspberries is a repeat of
a similar theme seen in the tomatoes in the ratatouille where a single ingredient
is presented two ways, in this case&nbsp;lightly touched with a fragrant syrup, and then sugared.&nbsp;Saison's yuzu creamsicle is both refreshing and the perfect conclusion to
this sensational dinner. The raspberries and yuzu probably should have either
been served together, in the style of the ratatouille, as components of the
same course, or sequentially, but with more time in between the two dishes.
Instead, they were served in quick succession, which was awkward. But that is a
very small, and admittedly fine, point.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659945587-Wines1.jpg"> 

Marie-Noëlle Ledru’s Champagnes are always big and generous, with
plenty of Ambonnay resonance. Her 2008 Brut Nature complements Saison’s caviar
course nicely. Personally, though, I would have preferred a more refined,
focused Champagne to start this meal. There is so much to like about the
Taka’s Noble Arrow. A sake
of precision, the Nobel Arrow graces the palate with a striking array of green
pear, Mirabelle, spring water and chalky nuances that play beautifully against the
live diamond turbot and crab courses. Dranow chooses the much richer, deeper Yamada&nbsp;Everlasting Roots
with the Sea Urchin. Here the flavors and textures are bold and expansive on
the palate. A lovely, transitional wine, the 2016 Nägelsförst Rosé is very pretty. Silky, aromatic and gracious,
the Rosé is an ideal wine for the last days of summer. Served with the
ratatouille, it is a real pleasure to drink.&nbsp;<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659969076-Antelope.jpg">

Pronghorn
Antelope; grilled radicchio braised in sour grape juice

I remember tasting Domaine de L’Arlot’s 2009 Nuits Saint-Georges ‘Clos des Forets
Saint-Georges’ with Olivier Leriche, first from an array of different
barrels in the cellar, and then from&nbsp;bottle. At the time, the 2009 was a dark,
brooding wine. Now, several years later, the 2009 is still quite imposing, but
it also shows more brightness and aromatic lift, perhaps the result of the 95%
whole clusters Leriche used. Even so, the 2009 is developing at a far slower
pace than I originally envisioned. As good as it is today, the 2009 needs
another five years or more before it is at its best, but it will always be a typical,
chunky Nuits. The 2014 Vosne-Romanée Les Suchots offers quite a bit more charm and finesse. Then again, that is
Suchots. Despite being very young, the 2014 Suchots is a pure joy to taste and
drink. Lifted aromatics and silky tannins add to the wine's sheer allure. The 2014
Suchots is disarmingly accessible for such a young Burgundy. At times, it comes
across as a touch light, but it is undeniably beautiful and expressive, not to
mention very nicely suited to the food on the table.

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508659989186-Broth.jpg"> 

A
Broth Made of the Grilled Bones

Guy Bernard’s 1986 Côte-Rôtie is attractive, but also a bit fleeting. I would have liked to see greater&nbsp;depth. But more
than that, stylistically, the Côte-Rôtie is quite similar to the two red
Burgundies that precede it, which means the 2001 Suduiraut, a big Sauternes, comes somewhat as a
shock to the senses. Ample and inviting, the 2001 is loaded with apricot jam,
citrus, honey and exotic floral notes, all in a pleasing, if somewhat burly style that works better with the pineapple dessert than with the raspberry and yuzu courses that follow. We finish the evening at the bar, where Sommelier Thatcher
Baker-Briggs prepares two of Saison’s signature cocktails that more than
satisfy my newly found craving for rye and bourbon.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508660469661-SmokeIceCream.jpg"> Roasted pineapple; smoked
ice cream, pineapple soup, coffee oil<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508674714674-Yuzu.jpg"> 

Saison's yuzu creamsicleDinner at Saison is not an inexpensive
proposition, but the brilliant cuisine, informal ambience and friendliness of
the staff make for an unforgettable experience. It is easy to completely lose
track of time at Saison, and that is always a great sign. 

<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1508660036944-Wines2.jpg">The Wines
















<table>
 <tbody><tr>
 <td>
 2008 Marie-Noëlle Ledru&nbsp;Brut Nature
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 NV Taka&nbsp;Noble Arrow Tokubetsu Junmai 
 </td>
 <td>
 94
 </td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 NV Yamada&nbsp;Everlasting Roots Tokubetsu Junmai
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2016 Nägelsförst Rosé
 </td>
 <td>
 90
 </td>
 <td>&nbsp;</td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2009&nbsp;
 Domaine de L’Arlot Nuits-Saint-Georges ‘Clos des Forets Saint-Georges’
 1er Cru
 </td>
 <td colspan="2">
 94
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2014 Domaine de L’Arlot Vosne-Romanée
 ‘Suchots’ 1er Cru
 </td>
 <td colspan="2">
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1986 Guy Bernard Côte-Rôtie
 </td>
 <td colspan="2">
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2001 Château Suduiraut
 </td>
 <td colspan="2">
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
</tbody></table>

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