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Hi foodies,
We are lucky to have so many global cuisines, price points and atmospheres represented in Fayetteville’s food trucks and restaurants.
One thing we don’t have, however, is fine dining. We don’t have a restaurant serving sophisticated multi-course meals.
So, when I visited a few locales in central California last month, I was excited to seek out a restaurant with a daring tasting menu.
Michael Warring restaurant in Vallejo, just south of Napa, fit the bill perfectly.
Not that it was overly fancy. The 18-seat restaurant has no overhead sign, and it’s in a nondescript shopping center. The interior decor is akin to a hotel lobby. Chef-owner Michael Warring cooks in an open kitchen, while his wife Ali Gulczynski serves customers.
What Warring’s lacks in glitz and glam, it more than makes up for in flavor.
I went on a Friday, when there was one 6 p.m. seating, and guests were served each of the nine courses at the same time.
Caviar and truffles made appearances, but the chef didn’t lean on those ingredients excessively. I was impressed with how much local produce, especially stone fruit, was incorporated.
Among my favorites was one of the dessert courses: a pluot sorbet, carbonated pluot kimchi and sabayon. For the uninitiated, a pluot is a cross between a plum and an apricot; sabayon is a creamy French dessert made of sugar and egg yolks.
Another lovely course was a savory creme brulee made with Vacherousse d’Argental, a cheese similar to brie.
I left feeling totally satisfied, but not stuffed. I didn’t have to hit the drive-thru afterward.
Now if we could just bring a restaurant like Warring’s to Fayetteville!
Happy eating,
Taylor
Taylor Shook writes about food, dining and culture for The Fayetteville Observer. She can be reached at tshook@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Shook: Fayetteville food scene has much to offer, but not a restaurant like this
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