Taste

Taste

9402 Main Street, Plymouth, CA 95669. (209) 245-3463
http://www.restauranttaste.com/

A few months ago, a friend posted on her Facebook an inspirational quote that said, "One day someone will walk into your life and make you see why it never worked with anyone else."

 

I copied and saved the post because it really resonated with me. Mr.S. and I have both been in marriages where it just flat didn't work out (for very different reasons) but luckily the choices we made afterwards led us to each other. He's such an amazing man and I feel so lucky we met. He's a great boyfriend and my best friend. He tells me often that I'm beautiful and that he loves me, he always holds my hand whenever we're together and his eyes light up whenever he sees me...these may sound like small things but look around at many of the couples around you. Most aren't happy. They're together because of a multitude of reasons/excuses. The reasons I hear most often for staying together are because they have kids or they don't want to be alone...not because they actually want to be with their partner. It's sad. So when I see couple friends who are truly happy and in love, it warms my heart.

Speaking of being happy and in love, recently we celebrated our three year anniversary! (I know, where does the time go?) Our anniversary was on a Monday and we had his kidlets so we decided to postpone our celebration. He did send me these amazing flowers though (I love how romantic he is).

Our first free day to celebrate was this past Saturday, so we booked a table at Taste in the tiny outpost town of Plymouth. We were both quite excited about dining there because we had heard a lot of great things about the restaurant from friends and family who'd been there. Reservations were simple enough through Open Table. We weren't sure how long it would take us to get there though...our guess-timate turned out to be a wee bit off and we rolled up to the quaint little building a half an hour early. No worries though, the friendly hostess accommodated us immediately. Now before, I launch into the food, I just want to comment about the fantastic service we received at Taste. Even Mr.S. who doesn't usually say much about service, mentioned to me on the drive home that the service was wonderful-- a warm and knowledgeable staff who were attentive but not overly attentive (it was the perfect balance) and the courses were paced well.

Once we were settled into our seats and had time to peruse the menu, I ordered a glass of the St. Cosme Cotes-du-Rhone blanc. It was fresh-tasting with fruity undertones, well rounded and not overly acidic. I think it would appeal to most wine drinkers. (Taste's wine menu has a nice variety of selection and is reasonably priced.) Mr.S. really wanted to try the mushroom cigars so we ordered that as our starter. Without us asking, the kitchen split the order for us. The "cigars" were actually like little mushroom eggs rolls made with delicate phyllo dough. We each received one cigar cut in half. The earthy-tasting medley of shiitake, oyster and crimini mushrooms mixed with goat cheese was scrumptious. I just wished they had given us more.

For dinner, Mr.S. opted for the duck breast with red quinoa, black plum, fig pine nut relish and mache. He really enjoyed the duck, commenting that it was flavorful and tender. I had a bite and have to agree that the breast was cooked perfectly (kudos!). I went the seafood route and ordered the night's special- fresh sturgeon with a dijon/whole grain mustard/lemon vinaigrette over tiny roasted potatoes and caper greens. The sauce was so heavenly that I scooped up the leftovers with my potatoes. We were both still a bit hungry after dinner so we each ordered a dessert and coffee. I ordered their house specialty - "The Chocolate Rose." Can I say OMG? So decadent...creamy dark chocolate mousse topped with rose petal gelato and candied rose petals. Totally girly and almost too cute to eat! Mr.S. loves cheesecake so he got the vanilla citrus cheesecake with nectarine sorbet. There wasn't a speck of cheesecake left so I'll assume he gives it the thumbs up.

I enjoyed our dining experience at Taste...it was the perfect spot to have a romantic anniversary dinner. The prices are a bit steep so I think we'll have to keep it on our restaurants for special occasions list but we'd definitely go back. (Maybe next time we should do some wine tasting beforehand?) The food and service are superb. I think the only improvement I'd suggest is that the portions need to be adjusted to be reflective of the price (or vice versa). The serving sizes were on the smaller side compared to the other fine dining establishments in Sacramento we usually go to.