Coi, San Francisco CA

Coi

Gonet-Medeville Tradition Premier Cru Brut Champagne

2011 Two Messengers Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley

Cultured Butter with Whole Wheat Milk Bread

Black Olive and Caraway Seed Bread

California Bowl – Brown Rice Crackers, Avocado Puree, Sprouts

Rocky Point Oyster, Cracked Wheat, Pig’s Feet, Fermented Pepper, Cilantro

Coffee Roasted Carrots, Mandarin, Mint

Wild Steelhead Trout Roe, Smoked Egg Yolk, Crème Fraiche, Chive

Live Spot Prawn, Charred Cucumber, Lemon Flavors

Charcoal Roasted Beets, Blackberry, Salted Marrow Fat, Arugula

Chilled Spiced Yellow Squash Soup, Saffron, Lime, Nasturtium, Esplette

Celtuce, Brown Butter, Burnt Hay, Comte, Tarragon, New Potatoes

Monterey Bay Abalone, New Onion, Pea Shoots

Emigh Ranch Lamb Rack lightly poached with chard Leaves and stems, garum, and rosemary

Seascape Strawberries, Tiny Herbs

Frozen Lime Marshmallow, Coal-Toasted Meringue

Whipped Coconut, Olive Oil, Rhubarb, Blood Orange

Frozen Chocolate Ganache

Perhaps America’s most well known proponent of foraging and local-seasonal modernist cuisine my visit to Daniel Patterson’s Coi was long overdue when I arrived at the small, minimalistic dining room early on Wednesday evening. Knowing full well that this meal would likely be the most cerebral of my trip and potentially also the most formal it came as no surprise when I was greeted by the dining room manager at the door and soon thereafter by Patterson himself before being offered my choice of tables and a complimentary glass of champagne by my server, Zion, who explained the restaurant’s menu, approach, and each of the subsequent fourteen courses with great detail – a great treat not only as a solo diner, but also as someone happy to discuss the sourcing and preparation of such pristine and unique ingredients. Admittedly not a meal for everyone – particularly with dishes such as the clever “oyster’s and hot sauce” where trotter and bivalve arrived with full funk and flavor, the intensely smoky oil poached egg custard with briny trout roe, or the nearly raw and minimally adorned rack of lamb – it was exactly these facts that made the meal relevant; a reward for placing implicit trust in the chef and allowing him to show his vision and skill plate after plate, opening the diner’s eyes to something novel with nearly every bite.

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