El Dorado Kitchen
| El Dorado Kitchen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2005 |
| Owner(s) | Moana Restaurant Group |
| Head chef | Armando Navarro |
| Food type | Californian cuisine |
| Street address | 405 1st Street West |
| City | Sonoma |
| County | Sonoma |
| State | California |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 95476 |
| Country | United States |
| Seating capacity | 226 |
| Reservations | Yes |
| Website | www |
El Dorado Kitchen (also called EDK) is a restaurant and bar located in Sonoma, California in the United States. It is located on the property of the El Dorado Inn in downtown Sonoma.
Background
El Dorado Kitchen opened in 2005. It took over the location of the Sonoma location of Piatti.[1] Ryan Fancher left French Laundry to become the founding executive chef at EDK.[2] He also served as owner of EDK alongside Tim Harmon.[3]
Fancher left the restaurant to work at Barndiva in Healdsburg.[4] Justin Everett was executive chef in 2010.[5] In 2012, Armando Navarro was executive chef.[4] In 2012, EDK won the title of having "Sonoma's Best Bartenders," in the annual Sonoma Bar Battle.[6]
The restaurant and bar are designed with earth tones. Furniture is made of dark wood. There is a large communal table in the middle of the main dining room.[7] The table is made of a single piece of tree trunk that was used in a bridge in Vermont.[4] An open kitchen is connected to the main dining room.[7] There is a dining patio outside connected to the hotel pool.[8] The patio has cabanas which are available for dining.[5]
Cuisine
Michelin Guide describes EDK's food as California cuisine[7] while Zagat's calls it "Cal-Med," combining California cuisine with Mediterranean cuisine.[8] It uses seasonal local food.[7] A house speciality are french fries with truffle oil.[9] EDK also makes it's own charcuterie.[5] Appetizers may include fried green tomatos[7], caesar salad served with olives, and prosciutto and Vermont cheddar served with a cup of San Marzano tomato soup.[9] Entrees include Alaskan halibut with asparagus, pea shoots, and pudding made of corn[7], Pacific salmon with cassoulet made of white bean, and lamb with polenta spiced with rosemary.[9] They serve cheese using cheesemakers products from the West Coast of the United States. Desserts include rhubarb crumble.[7]
The bar has it's own bar menu that is different than the main menu. The bar also serves cocktails made with seasonal ingredients. Drinks may include martini's made with green tea. It also serves craft beer. Most of the wines on the wine list are made by Sonoma and Napa winemakers, including many that are organic or biodynamic.[5] The bar also serves mocktails.[10]
Reception
Michelin Guide calls the restaurant "stylish" and a "wine country hotspot".[7] It is acknowledged as being the "most hip and contemporary" restaurant in the downtown Sonoma area. Frommer's calls the restaurant "sexy".[9] The San Francisco Chronicle called the "vibe" of the restaurant and bar "Wine Country casual."[5] Zagat calls EDK "solid" yet expensive for a non-special occasion. They rated EDK a 22 out of 30 for their food in 2014.[8] To contradict, Frommer's calls the prices at EDK "surprisingly reasonable."[9]
The San Francisco Chronicle's food critic Michael Bauer visited the restaurant in 2007. He praised the fry on the french fries and said that the frying was lacking on the fritto misto. He called the halibut a "perfect summer dish," and called the pork osso bucco "mildly disappointing but not a deal breaker." He said that the was the highlight of the meal which included poached stonefruit on cake and ice cream sandwiches. He described the service as "friendly" and that the "minor glitches" he saw were not important in the overall review.[2] Another San Francisco Chronicle reviewer, Carey Sweet, visited the restaurant in 2010 when Justin Everett was executive chef. They said the charcuterie was "cutting edge."[5]
The Press Democrat food critic Jeff Cox reviewed the restaurant when Armando Navarro became executive chef around 2012. He described his experience as "pocked with hits and misses." He ate a mixed lettuce salad which he said "every salad should taste this good." The butternut squash soup he had was "tasteless". The soup was decorated with small marshmallows on top which Cox called "gratuitous". Cox enjoyed the duck confit with foie gras terrine, giving it three stars, he also praised the Petaluma chicken. He gave the the risotto served with pumpkin one star and said the lamb roulade "defied expectations," in a bad way. In contrast to Bauer's visit in 2007, Cox said that the desserts "needed work." He called the patio "one of the prettiest" in Sonoma. He called the wine list "cosmopolitan" but acknowledges that the wines are overpriced based on their at market value, with some "bargains."[4]
References
- ^ Irwin, Heather. "El Dorado Kitchen". Wine Country. Freerun Technologies. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ a b Bauer, Michael. "El Dorado Kitchen caters to all seasons". SFGate. Hearst Publications. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ Walden, Grace Ann. "El Dorado Kitchen replaces Piatti in Sonoma Square". SFGate. Hearst Publications. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d Cox, Jeff. "Hits and misses at El Dorado Kitchen". The Press Democrat. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Sweet, Carey. "El Dorado Kitchen, Sonoma". SFGate. Hearst Publications. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ "Cocktail contest to name 'Best Bartender' on Saturday". Sonoma Index-Tribune.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "El Dorado Kitchen". Michcelin Guide. Michelin. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ a b c "El Dorado Kitchen". Zagat. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ a b c d e "El Dorado Kitchen". Frommer's. Retrieved 14 August 2014.
- ^ McConahey, Meg; Beck, John. "Our Favorite Things". Sonoma. Sonoma Magazine. Retrieved 14 August 2014.