Apr 2009

Ad Hoc – Yountville

AD HOC

During the conversation where my brother insisted that I give the foie gras at The French Laundry a taste, he also encouraged me to make a reservation at Thomas Keller’s lesser-known gem, Ad Hoc. Although I was reluctant to pencil in a Sunday brunch at Ad Hoc following our French Laundry feast, the opportunity to eat like the Kings of Yountville couldn’t be passed up.

AD HOC

In addition to a three-course Sunday brunch ($39), Ad Hoc also serves a four-course dinner ($49) five evenings a week. The restaurant offers a single, fixed menu each service that is served family-style. Chef de Cuisine Dave Cruz changes the menu daily based on the season and the bounty collected from The French Laundry’s garden down the road.

As The Astronomer and I settled into our table, we were handed espionage-esque file folders listing the morning’s offerings. Our waitress informed us that the menu’s simplistic language didn’t come close to doing the food justice. We were definitely in for a treat.

AD HOC

In contrast to The French Laundry’s dark and elegant dining room, Ad Hoc’s space was infinitely brighter and more modern. All of the tables were topped with mirrors, which made for some interesting photos. The Astronomer and I felt relaxed and comfortable as we dug into the ample bread basket.

AD HOC

Brunch began on an amazing note with a smoked trout and frisée salad. The bed of grown-down-the-street greens was adorned with piquillo peppers, California asparagus, toasted Marcona almonds, herb croutons, and mint crème fraîche. Each of the individual components, from the fish to the nuts, tasted fantastic alone. Taken in together, the stellar ingredients elevated the seemingly humble salad to a whole different plane. I’d eat greens on the hour, every hour if salads were always this delightful.

AD HOC

Our second course was simply titled Steak ~n~ Eggs. The marinated beef blade steak was generously portioned and served sliced and sprinkled with coarse salt. Cooked and seasoned just right, the steak was ridiculously delicious and just plain perfect. I make a conscious effort not to throw around the word ‘perfect’ when describing good food, but sometimes, especially during brunch at Ad Hoc, it just can’t be avoided. The Astronomer and I were oohing and ahhing with every awesome bite.

The steak was served upon a heap of wilted Bloomsdale spinach, which had a pleasantly crinkly texture and sweet, buttery flavor.

AD HOC

Alongside the spinach and steak were potatoes dressed in an oven dried tomato vinaigrette. Although the spuds resembled ordinary home fries, they were anything but. Prepared using a decadent double frying method—one round in vegetable oil and another in rich duck fat—the potatoes possessed a delectable texture and deep golden hue.

AD HOC

Two sunny side up eggs from Alexandre’s farm arrived on a separate platter. The whites were fried to a slight crisp, while the yolks remained runny.

AD HOC

Dessert came in the form of two berry crumble bars topped with an almond struessel. A ramekin filled with crème anglaise was served on the side for liberal drizzling. The cherry- and blueberry-filled bars struck The Astronomer and me as fairly ordinary, especially since I recently baked a very similar treat. Nevertheless, the bars were a sweet (and buttery) note to end our Ad Hoc brunch on.

My brother gives me the best dining advice.

Ad Hoc
6476 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
Phone: 707-944-2487

Ad Hoc on Urbanspoon

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9 thoughts on “Ad Hoc – Yountville

  1. Ad Hoc sounds delightful. I’m sad I didn’t get a chance to eat there while I was in Davis. Next time, you should try to prix fixe lunch at Redd. Looking forward to your next Napa trip!

  2. The brunch looks great. I think it’s a place on my “to try” list for awhile now…..I must check it out when I’m free during my visits home.

  3. oh, the steak and eggs here look delicious! What a wonderful trip. You’ve got one great brother there =) Wish I had a good trusted guide like that, but alas I’ve got yelp.

  4. Ha, I love the Tour de France reference.

    I’ve always thought that natural foie gras should be possible. Is it really that hard to get animals to overeat? My family’s dog gains 10 pounds in two weeks when we send him to the kennel and they give him all the food he wants. That part about the geese eating peppercorns is a little hard to believe though…

  5. I found your blog while doing a google search on brunch at ad hoc and good thing I did because it gives me better idea of what my upcoming meal there will be like. I already booked a table for sometime in December and I’m counting the days till I get there. Thanks for the delicious post!

  6. Hello, I found your blog by accident and love all your posts. Your writing is captivating, and your photography is excellent too. You are a true gastronomer!

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