I had been to Heirloom Kitchen years ago, but apparently had not written a review. Regardless, I…read moreremembered absolutely adoring that meal, which had driven me to their sister restaurant, Judy's, earlier this year for another phenomenal experience. So, when I was looking for a place to take my brother for his birthday, a second visit to Heirloom seemed like a fantastic option. I examined the current menus to discover that their Sunday evening menu-of-the-month was "Friendsgiving" themed, meaning it was full of holiday cheer and the Fall flavors both my brother and I adored. I was completely sold on the idea and went to secure a reservation. Unfortunately, seats at the Chef's counter had been booked, but they did offer a second row "back counter", which was a bit higher to enable guests to see over the front row and into the kitchen action. I figured those seats would be more exciting than the regular dining room, so I set us up in that area. I also noted in the reservation that we would be celebrating a birthday during our visit.
When we arrived, we were taken to our seats where a "Happy Birthday" postcard and message were waiting for us, which was such a gracious sentiment! We were also quickly greeted by Mike, who watched over our meal in conjunction with Kristin, and they were both beyond lovely and engaging. In addition to our delightful interactions with them, we adored that members of the kitchen staff took turns introducing each course to us; this allowed us to feel like we were truly welcome, breaking the invisible barrier between the back and front of the house.
From a beverage perspective, the restaurant offered several bottles of local Alba Vineyards wine and four crafted mocktails. Since I had a decent drive home, I decided to stick with the non-alcoholic selections, trying both of the Palapas, which were their interpretations of sangria. The white version used chamomile tea, peach, spice, and citrus. It was light and fruity with surprising notes of pineapple. The red version utilized mint tea, apple, spice, and citrus. The peppermint went surprisingly well with the apple and spice. Both drinks were delicious and just sweet enough, though I found the white variety more refreshing. I also took a sip of my brother's La Morenita, which contained tamarind, winter spices, and pineapple. I did not love the particular spices used in that mocktail, but found the base otherwise enjoyable. Neither of us tried the remaining spiced cranberry beverage, since it seemed to be the least complex. The Friendsgiving six-course tasting menu blew us away with its creativity and bold flavors. We left full, satisfied, and simply in awe. Our meal included the following items (had to shorten my comments to fit):
AMUSE: Apple fritter topped with Comte cheese and shaved truffles --Resembled a cider donut. Super soft and fluffy on the inside with perfect slight crunch on the outside. Aromatic toppings added a complexity that paired well with the sweet bite.
FIRST: Roasted Carrot Tartare served on toasted sourdough and topped with pickled grapes, herb aioli, and shaved cured egg yolk--Delicious, but the aioli overpowered the thin layer of carrots.
SECOND: Pave (like a less heavy potato gratin that was flash-fried) over butternut squash puree, paired with a smoked turkey rillette and covered with a horseradish foam.--Rich and delicious. Turkey rillette was like a mind game, because it tasted like you were eating real sliced turkey, rather than a thick pate of the meat.
THIRD: Cannelloni wrapped around sweet fennel sausage with a creamy pot pie sauce, topped with crispy sage, and drizzled with brown butter.--The dish I thought that I would like the least, as I was not a sausage fan, but it was actually one of my favorites.
FOURTH: Cornbread stuffing with cranberry butter--Another unique and heavenly creation. Slices of the bread contained bits of cornbread, carrot cake, and stuffing in the perfect ratios. The smooth, creamy cranberry butter was topped with dried cranberry crumbles for texture and was delicious enough to enjoy on its own.
FIFTH: Short Rib with chanterelle duxelle over a parsnip and sunchoke puree, jus, and crispy sunchoke chips--Meat was tender and had notes of cumin. The seasonal Fall vegetables added layers of flavor and texture. It was hearty and comforting.
SIXTH: Nutella Mousse pie--WOW! Base of the "pie" was more like a soft chocolate cake topped with a thick layer of decadent Nutella mousse and pieces of coffee-dusted meringue. Served with a creme fraiche ice cream and hazelnut brittle.
BONUSES: Pear jelly candies and an insanely good Caramel Apple dessert from the kitchen that included a small cake, burnt cinnamon ice cream, caramelized puff pastry crumble, and miso butterscotch caramel.
On top of these tidbits, the staff took a Polaroid of us, which they gave us on the way out, along with a signed copy of the special menu. It was one of the best experiences we had had in a while!