Ad Hoc

Ad Hoc was classic, relaxed Californian dining. The fixed menu started with an endive and leaf salad with pickles and radish in a champagne vinaigrette. Perfectly dressed this could have been a perfect meal itself (with some grilled shrimp). The vegetables were at the peak of freshness. The main course was a seasoned Lamb Rack with quinoa cooked with baby asparagus, baby artichokes and black...+READ Ad Hoc was classic, relaxed Californian dining. The fixed menu started with an endive and leaf salad with pickles and radish in a champagne vinaigrette. Perfectly dressed this could have been a perfect meal itself (with some grilled shrimp). The vegetables were at the peak of freshness. The main course was a seasoned Lamb Rack with quinoa cooked with baby asparagus, baby artichokes and black trumpet mushrooms with a mint jus. First off the lamb was perfectly cooked for us (closer to rare than medium rare) and the quinoa, with all the vegetables, was excellent. What struck us most about the dish was the size. It was huge! And our first reaction was that we'd never finish it. Alas, bones sucked dry we both joined the clean plate club. Next was the cheese plate which, of all the items, was not so up to par. It was a tome de recollette with a grilled pepper and pinenut chutney. it's not that it was bad, just that its very italian feel did not mesh well with the rest of the meal. Lastly was the sticky toffee pudding with a creme freche glaze and toasted walnuts. I'm not a dessert person, but it was good. I wouldn't imagine it being much of a show stopper though.

All in all the meal was $49 each and, for that price point, this was a fine fine fine meal. We brought our own wine ($20 corkage), but the wine list had a large range of prices and some very quality wines were included both domestic and international.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (23 Replies) (by mahjede, created April 5, 2010)

Beware of these "deals." I was up in the area earlier this week. Went to Bistro Jeanty for $1 oysters at the appointed hour, they apologized and said that they didn't get any oysters in that day.

We then headed to our reservation at Ad Hoc, again at the right time, and said we were there for the Moveable Feast offer. They said that it is only available if booked through the hotel. Of course,...+READ Beware of these "deals." I was up in the area earlier this week. Went to Bistro Jeanty for $1 oysters at the appointed hour, they apologized and said that they didn't get any oysters in that day.

We then headed to our reservation at Ad Hoc, again at the right time, and said we were there for the Moveable Feast offer. They said that it is only available if booked through the hotel. Of course, there is no mention of this on the website or flyer.

Feeling a bit put off, but recognizing that $10 isn't a big deal for us (but apparently it is for them). We had dinner anyway. It started off well, with a very good hearts of romain salad, but the main course was a plate of below average bbq. Tender yet almost flavorless ribs and brisket, that could not be saved by the succulent shimp and slaw that came with them. I've been to Ad Hoc several times now, and as much as I have enjoyed their vegetable dishes, there's nothing particularly outstanding that would motivate me to return yet again.

With BJ I think it was just bad luck, they were sincere and fixed us some good drinks. But after having two strike outs, I would strongly encourage you to call and confirm before relying upon any information in the yountville.com flyer.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (8 Replies) (by wanderlust21, created February 2, 2010)

Hi again wincountrygirl,

Well, we're back from Ad Hoc and we were pleasantly surprised. The dinner menu last night began with a salad involving barley and pine nuts (great combo, BTW, so obvious, but I would never have thought of it), lollo rosa lettuce, and roasted squash, all in a vinaigrette with some dollops of seasoned "creme fraiche" on the side. It was tasty and seasonal (although what...+READ Hi again wincountrygirl,

Well, we're back from Ad Hoc and we were pleasantly surprised. The dinner menu last night began with a salad involving barley and pine nuts (great combo, BTW, so obvious, but I would never have thought of it), lollo rosa lettuce, and roasted squash, all in a vinaigrette with some dollops of seasoned "creme fraiche" on the side. It was tasty and seasonal (although what passes for creme fraiche in this country is pretty laughable after you've eaten the real thing across the pond) and went nicely with a glass of local Roederer bubbly. The main was a "catalan" beef stew: short ribs braised for 48 hours, braised fennel, leeks, olives and fingerling potatoes. We were surprised because I am not a big beef braise person, I like it (how could you not?), but I don't love it. Maybe I just haven't had a beef braise in a long time, but this was just lush. Perfect execution. Melt in your mouth short ribs (comparable to those of the short rib master Daniel Boulud). The leeks & fennel still showed some toothy resistance, which was perfect. The cheese was Cowgirl's Mt. Tam; always tasty. The desert was the low point for me, but acceptable: a genoise of some sort with poached peaches & pears and a dollop of riesling sabayon on the side: I wanted more sabayon, or maybe a big spoonful of high quality whipped cream on this slightly-too-dry dish.

We return tonight for the fried chicken. Apparently every other Monday is fried chicken night and the staff is pretty hypped up about it.

My biggest issue with the place is that the noise level is a bit high; I like to speak to my husband without having to raise my voice. Although I suppose most people like noisy restaurants since it seems to be the norm these days?

Overall I am going back, so I would recommend it. In my mind it represents quite a contrast to TFL or PerSe (been to both multiple times, I am a fan). The presentation isn't fussy, portions are big generous family style platter-fuls and the dishes themselves are remarkably soulful. I wouldn't have guessed this was a Keller restaurant.

Is it worth the $49 prix fix? Well, wine country is expensive, so given the location, I would say yup. It is popular so you need to reserve ahead. If you are willing to do non-peak hours like 5:45 or 6:15 then you can probably snag a table with a week or less notice.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (16 Replies) (by chickenluv, created November 2, 2009)

»REVIEW (w/foodie porn flix and pix!): Ad Hoc, Street, and BarBersQ - the Fried Chicken Trifecta

For foodie porn flix and pix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

A preview of coming attractions – a platter of fried chicken at Ad Hoc:

People up here are always baffled by how far I’m willing to drive for food. The Nappans are always shocked that I do food shopping in Berkeley (it’s cheaper!) and the people in San Francisco can’t understand why I would drive from Napa to the city...+READ For foodie porn flix and pix click: http://myculinaryadventures.blogspot.com

A preview of coming attractions – a platter of fried chicken at Ad Hoc:

People up here are always baffled by how far I’m willing to drive for food. The Nappans are always shocked that I do food shopping in Berkeley (it’s cheaper!) and the people in San Francisco can’t understand why I would drive from Napa to the city for dinner. In Los Angeles no one thinks twice about rejecting a potential squeeze because they may be considered geographically undesirable but a true foodie worth his or her salt will drive anywhere for a good meal.

How far was I willing to drive (one way) for good fried chicken?

Ad Hoc (11 Miles):

Ms. Diva Princess was in the city for a few days and informed me that she would be coming up to Napa to stay with me for a day or two. It’s only the best for my little Princess so I made rezzies at Ad Hoc. It didn’t really matter what was on the menu that night since all Princess needs is a bottle of wine to make her happy. Nevertheless, I was thrilled to discover that it was fried chicken night since I’ve been hearing of its infamy for months.

Some balk at paying $48 per person for fried chicken but how many of those dinners are served with a white anchovy salad?

And French Laundry garden vegetables?

I totally dug this fried chicken. The execution was perfect: nice and crispy without being greasy. The batter had a nice kick to it. Princess remarked to mumsy that she was unimpressed with Ad Hoc since they “only served fried chicken” but she obviously forgot that she raided my refrigerator the next morning and ate three beautiful pieces and left me the dregs – those dregs still tasted pretty damn good the next day.

Fried chicken is normally served on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday of each week.

Street (46.9 miles):

When I told mumsy that I was going to drive into the city for a fried chicken specific dinner, she said, “When you were really skinny you wouldn’t go near fried chicken.” Well, I’m not really skinny anymore and I’ll now drive 50 miles for it.

I was initially a little skeptical about the fried chicken at Street. I had read that it was skinless and I wondered if the chicken would be dry. I was pleasantly surprise when I took my first bite: although it was not really juicy, the meat was not dry at all. The coating was crispy, well seasoned, and not at all greasy. Everyone really liked the fried chicken but I have to say that this chicken needs to be eaten right away – it wilted tremendously on the ride home (ok, ok, it was a long drive and I got hungry) and wasn’t as good left over the next day.

The sides were a carboholics dream: fresh shucked sautéed corn; mashed with gravy; and if you are feeling indulgent, you can splurge for the sour cream corn bread - and I suggest that you do. I wasn’t too enamored with the coleslaw though, it had too much celery seed in it and it also tasted like the acid in the dressing was Meyer lemon which gave it a somewhat weird flavor like slightly sour (not in a good way) mixed with lemon ice cream.

Fried chicken is served only on Sunday nights.

BarBersQ (5.2 miles):

The unveiling of the BarbersQ fried chicken (Pepper approved!):

After reading about fried chicken night at BarBersQ in Napa my expectations were really high. The chef, Stephen Barber, took a foodie road trip throughout the state of Kansas researching fried chicken, and his efforts have paid off: I had an excellent meal. I was a bit worried at first since I got the dinner to-go but the chicken stayed very warm and crispy in its container on the ride home (it’s obvious that this chicken is fried to order). This fried chicken dinner was my favorite of the three due to the well seasoned and crispy crust (they use a flour coating as opposed to a batter) and the fact that the meat was uber juicy. And it tasted great the next day.

Although my favorite mashed were at Ad Hoc, BarBersQ gravy was fabulous – it had such a rich, deep flavor. The meal was also served with collards. These I had an issue with: they either had sugar in them or the restaurant used a very sweet vinegar to flavor them. I guess it’s a matter of personal taste but I prefer a savory chile spiked vinegar on my greens. Since I wanted to go into a carb coma, I also ordered a side of macaroni and cheese which was fairly good.

Fried chicken is served all day Sunday.

Ad Hoc
6476 Washington Street
Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-2487
http://www.adhocrestaurant.com/

Street
2141 Polk Street
San Francisco, CA 94109
(415) 775-1055
http://www.streetonpolk.com/

BarBersQ
3900 D Bel Aire Plaza
Napa, CA 94558
(707) 224-6600
http://www.barbersq.com/-COLLAPSE / REPLY (15 Replies) (by Bon Vivant, created December 2, 2008)

»Fried Chicken at Ad Hoc

My favorite food in the world is fried chicken, and since moving to the Bay Area three years ago I've been sorely disappointed in my quest to find a replacement for my much-beloved chicken shack in upstate New York.

I'd read numerous positive reports about chicken night at Ad Hoc, especially the tantalizing report of Morton the Mousse, and finally made the trip last night.

The menu of the day...+READ My favorite food in the world is fried chicken, and since moving to the Bay Area three years ago I've been sorely disappointed in my quest to find a replacement for my much-beloved chicken shack in upstate New York.

I'd read numerous positive reports about chicken night at Ad Hoc, especially the tantalizing report of Morton the Mousse, and finally made the trip last night.

The menu of the day was...

Salad of mixed baby greens with iberico ham, pickled vegetables, roasted red beets, julienne endive and sweet pepper vinaigrette

Buttermilk fried chicken with green beans in a mushroom cream sauce and yukon potato pave

Redwood Hill Farm's Crottin with satsuma mandarin jam and buttered toast

Pecan bourbon tart

We started off with a sliced bread from Bouchon, both white and a wheat. I tried a little bit and enjoyed the crust, but who's kidding who? I was there for chicken and didn't want to waste any real estate on bread.

The salad was delectable, very similar to the one I tried there during a visit three or four months ago. I loved the pickled vegetables and only wished there were a bit more ham.

The star of the show, buttermilk chicken, arrived at the same time as the haricots verts with a mushroom cream sauce and potato pave. I could not believe the amount of chicken they supplied for our table of three; probably I should have counted the pieces, but instead I dove in for a drumstick before my fellow diners could nab one. Someone else did likewise and one unlucky pal was left stick-less. It's a credit to our friendship that no blood was spilled.

And the verdict? The chicken was delicious, by far the best I've had in the Bay Area. The crust was expert, quite thick, crisp but not cracker-like, and with a lovely blend of spices--onion powder, garlic powder and rosemary stood out. They fried it in peanut oil, I think. It sounds derogatory to say that it was the second-best fried chicken I've ever had, but my quest has been long, my favorite is long established, and I was honestly stunned by how delicious Ad Hoc was.

The sides...I'm not sure if my appreciation was lessened because I was busy with the chicken, but both the potato pave (thinly sliced potato layered into a tall chunk) and mushroom dish seemed overly rich and one-dimensional. I would have appreciated some other touch of the palate to cut the very rich, very fatty hit of chicken--an interesting take on cole slaw would have been nice. Amazingly, we ate all the chicken; I took only two bites of the potato pave and we had more than half of the mushroom dish left.

Then there were two more courses. By this point I was half-slumped, drowsy, and relegated to breathing out of my mouth. The piquancy of the mandarin jam served with the cheese was nice, but I wasn't able to get through much of the crottin or any of the bread.

Next up was the pecan bourbon tart. Luckily we had grown second stomachs for dessert by this point, because the tart was great--a flaky crust, lovely pecans without too much sweetness, and pillowy whipped cream infused with vanilla.

Total bill, with two beers and a glass of wine, was a little over $200, and well worth it. I can't wait to return.

Of note: I thought fried chicken was served every Monday, but it turns out that it's every other Monday. For the past three weeks they've served it every Monday, according to my server, because so many people drove a distance and were disappointed that it wasn't chicken night.-COLLAPSE / REPLY (35 Replies) (by pane, created February 19, 2008)