Journey at Home Day 53
Manresa in Los Gatos is a 3 Michelin Star restaurant that I have refused to patronize due to the $295 tasting menu price, without wine. Adding the wine is about another $200. To survive, Manresa has become a take-out restaurant. Same chef. Their complete meals (salad, sides, main, dessert) run from $39 to $59 with an occasional higher price for special aged beef ($89 to $129). Add-ons include the sommelier’s bottle of wine for the day and the cocktail du jour. At these prices, takeout is a great way to sample the cuisine of a pricey restaurant.
Manresa publishes a menu at 8:00 AM on the day prior to making it available. They tend to sell out fast. I was able to reserve the BBQ chicken meal for two, which we ate last night. It was fabulous.
BBS chicken with ramp “ranch” dipping sauce. One large breast and a thigh-leg per person. Basically enough for two meals.
Buffalo style cauliflower, meaning spiced like buffalo chicken wings—hot and very tender. I enjoyed it and ate it all.
Orzo pasta salad with sun dried tomatoes and arugula. Very yummy, but enough for two nights.
Biscuits with honey butter. One each, and we finished them.
Blueberry and pistachio financier. I’ve never had one and found the name quite strange as it has nothing to do with finances! It's a French almond-based pastry.
I opted for the sommelier’s recommendation: Brovia Ciabot del Fi, 2017, Barbera D’Alba. The wine went well with the meal. Earthy aroma, lightly fruity, very smooth. I enjoyed it. Glen opted for the cocktail of the day, which was a barrel-aged Manhattan. The bartender included hermetically sealed ice cubes and cherries to make assembly at home quite easy.
You get a printed menu with the meal. Not shown here, but printed lower on the menu, are instructions for exactly how to reheat the food should your journey home be longer than a few minutes. Each item has its own time for reheating. The instructions are quite easy to follow.
I hope Manresa continues to offer take-out even after they resume in-person seating. The social distancing rules will make it so they can’t fill up the restaurant. I think take-out will given them an additional revenue stream.
I know that the take-out experience is not like the tasting menu experience, as that has more exotic and fussy preparations, smaller portions, more courses, and lots of pampering. But takeout is a great way to sample the service, the chef, the sommelier, and not overburden the wallet.
Comments