Showing posts with label alexander's. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alexander's. Show all posts

Monday, December 27, 2021

Alexander's Patisserie

Update Review, April 2018 Visit

Setting

I finally got to visit Alexander's Patisserie in Mountain View while open!

I had been in the space for their pre-opening party, but I haven't returned since (not because I didn't want to, just because I'm never in Mountain View).  I was finally able to return in April 2018 (yes, this review is dated, and somehow I never published it before).
Exterior.
The shop bears the familiar Alexander's ALL CAPS print, with big windows to easily spy in to see all the goodies.
Interior.
The furnishings are grand, as you would expect from the Alexander's restaurant group.  This is not a simple little corner bakery.

Dark wooden floors, mirrors, chandeliers  ... yup.  Very clean, very classy.

The majority of the seats are tables for two, one diner in a chair, the other on the white leather upholstered bench running along the wall.
Tables.
The biggest tables are round white marble beauties, with white leather chairs, wooden legs.  Real plants, in very fascinating holders, were placed on each table.

Our group of 5 was lucky to get one of these, and as the evening drew on, the place quickly filled up, with no seating even for singles.  I imagine earlier in the day has times just as busy too.  So, be warned.
Counter Seating.
Smaller parties can opt instead to pull up an equally nice high chair to the bar, overlooking Castro Street, where they can enjoy some people watching ... or just make passers-by enviouss of their goodies.
Box.
Items packaged to go come in black boxes emblazoned with a gold logo, put into beautiful bags with fabric handles.  My bag was pastel, I think from Easter, which was just the week before.

The Goodies

Our Loot!
During this single visit, I managed to try ...
  • 2 pastries
  • 2 tarts
  • 2 mousse cakes
  • 1 pudding
  • 1 cake
  • 3 take home confections
Everything was gorgeous.  Most of it was tasty, some of it fantastic.  And none of it simple, of course.
Dessert for Four People.  Oops.
We ... wanted to try everything.  This was only *some* of the bounty we tried.  Yes, there were only 5 of us, and actually, only 4 who were eating dessert.  So, yes we ordered 7 full sized desserts.

To be fair, I didn't realize only 4 of us would be eating desserts (even though the 5th told me, I didn't really think she'd opt out entirely!), and, another diner went rouge and added on two extra desserts after I placed the group order.  So, my plan was a more reasonable 5 items for 5 people, which is still a bit extravagant at a place like this, but, not quite as insane.

We also threw on some drinks (espresso drinks, tea, hot chocolate) as well, and settled in to enjoy.

I cut everything into 6 pieces, thinking all 5 of us would have a piece, and whoever liked an item the best could have the extra piece.  Since we had only 4 people eating though, and some people didn't try everything (!!??  who are these people!!), that didn't quite work out.

We did a decent job though, and finished all but three of the pictured items, two which we just didn't really like, and one which I took home and ate the next day.

Breakfast Pastries / Baked Goods

Our visit was in the evening, post 7pm, so breakfast pastries weren't really what we should have been picking for freshness, but, I wanted to sample everything Alexander's Pastisserie had to offer.  Plus, one diner, who had been in the morning many times, said the pastries and baked goods were amazing.
Danishes, Muffins.
Since it was long past morning hours, the selection was a bit limited.  This case had two types of danish, 2 types of muffin, and a single flavor of kouign amann.  Normally it is filled with more varieties of all of the above.

However, I wanted to try a pastry item, so selected one from here.  And ... so did my fellow rouge diner.
Croissants.
The second morning pastries case was just as empty, only containing plain croissants, pan au chocolate, and a single matcha croissant, and a sole monkey bread.

Normally this area houses the chocolate almond banana croissants folks rave about, and almond croissants.

I was tempted by the monkey bread, but wanted to pick between monkey bread and bread pudding, and, bread pudding won out.
Chocolate Dulce de Leche Kouign Amann. $5.50.
My first pick: the mighty kouign amann.  The best of all the morning pastries.  I had to get this, even though it wasn't really kouign amann appropriate time, and even though the one flavor they had left was pretty much the last I'd pick, particularly in the evening, since I don't eat chocolate (or caffeine) in the evening.  But I'd make an exception.

I was a bit concerned by how dark it looked (burnt?!), but then I realized that was just the chocolate nature, it actually used a chocolate dough, and chocolate bits between the folds, for the chocolate component.  And in the middle, the dulce de leche, just on top.
Chocolate Dulce de Leche Kouign Amann: Inside.
This one I only cut into 4 pieces, once I realized the 5th person really wasn't interested in anything, and once one other person said he wasn't having any chocolate.  Plus, it was certainly the hardest of the items to cut without destroying it!

At a glance, it looked like a pretty great kouign amann.  Soooo many layers.  Flaky.  But ... I didn't like it.

It was lacking the signature caramelization on the exterior I expected from a kouign amann.  It was crispy, yes, but not necessarily in a good way.  And while it was dark, and clearly had chocolate in the batter, you couldn't really taste that.  The little bits between the layers was more prevalent, but still, this was far less chocolate forward than I expected (which was fine, actually, since I didn't want chocolate at night, but still ...).

The dulce de leche was fine, but just sweet thick caramel-like fairly standard dulce de leche in the middle, not integrated in.  Which is also fine, and how flavored kouign amann are usually done, but, just not very interesting.

Overall, it just missed the mark for me.  Kinda boring.  Not caramelized.  Maybe better earlier in the day?

Luckily, it was one of only two misses, my second to last favorite.  No one else cared for this either, one chunk went unfinished.

**+.
Red Berry Danish. $5.
As much as I like danishes, I wasn't at all tempted by the danish selection, two flavors, red berry or cherry, both in totally different forms.  They just aren't at all what I wanted in the evening, and I knew they'd be far past their prime.  A good danish is good, but not worth trying by the evening (and to be fair, I had an excellent danish that morning from another patisserie, so, danish cravings I had not).

No one else voiced wanting any morning treats, so I picked the kouign amann only.  But then ... someone threw this onto our order.  He said the danishes are really good, and he hadn't tried this one yet.   Uh ok?  

This one I also cut into only 4 chunks, as I wasn't planning to have one.  I'd save my stomach space for the slew of other treats.

But ... some bits of the flaky pastry remained on the plate afterward, and I tried a bit.  Just to try.

Ok, wow, that was good!  Really flaky, buttery, crispy ... excellent.  Even hours after it was baked.

So I tried some filling too.  Cream cheese and red berry jam.  Creamy, fruity, nice compliments to each other, and to the pastry.

I admit this was pretty good, and I'd gladly come back in the morning to have one at a more appropriate hour!  My third favorite item, actually, and the others all gladly consumed it all, the first treat to disappear completely.

***+.
Bread Pudding. $5.
As a bread pudding affectionado, I had to try the bread pudding, right?  Even though I could see that it wasn't the style I like (e.g. it was a dense mass without distinct chunks, no custard visible, certainly no moist interior and crispy top), and even though it was served cold, unadorned (bread pudding should be hot! With ice cream or at least whipped cream!).

So, I did what any reasonable person would do.  I got it to go, so I could have it *my* way, the next day.

But of course I tried it cold, the next morning, for breakfast first.  It *was* made from breakfast pastries, after all.  And if I wasn't adding the ice cream, that basically made it breakfast, right?

It was ... ok.  As I could tell from looking at it, very dense, not the style I like.  It seemed to be majority made from the chocolate kouign amann dough that I didn't care for, with just a bit of plain in the mix.  It wasn't dry, but it certainly wasn't a moist custard.  The top was not distinct, besides a bit of powdered sugar on it.

Next, I heated it up in the toaster oven.  This was clearly much better, but, still, just a dense item.  Adding plentiful whipped cream, or ice cream to melt in, helped transform it a bit, and I did enjoy it, just more once I thought of it like croissant-bread, or perhaps cake, rather than bread pudding.

Overall, fine I guess, and just a different style than I prefer.  I wouldn't get again, and wished I had picked the monkey bread instead.  Overall, my fifth pick.  **.

(To understand what I prefer, specifically for croissant bread pudding, see my review of the one from Chaya ... that truly was the best ... ever.  Or the very very good warm custardy danish bread pudding served the breakfast buffet at Le First, at the Westin in Paris.  Or the inconsistently good one from the breakfast buffet at the Prince Gallery in Tokyo.  I really do eat a lot of bread pudding, even for breakfast it seems ...).

Desserts

The majority of the display cases are filled with more evening, or afternoon, appropriate items, real desserts.  Little tarts.  Mousse cakes.  Each stunning and elaborate.
Cases of beautiful treats!
Picking just a few items was hard, as the selection was beautiful, and extensive.

Individual Tarts

First, we went for two tarts, both vanilla based.  I'm not normally a tart girl, for sure, but, I had had the tart trio before at an event , and was impressed then.  We went for all vanilla mostly because I don't like lemon desserts, and the others have caffeine, that I was trying to avoid.  Plus, I knew their vanilla could be great!  Spoiler: it was.

This was not "vanilla" vanilla!
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Tart.$9.50.
"Vanilla mascarpone cream, soft caramel, vanilla bean ganache."

First up, the vanilla bean tart, the larger format of the mini vanilla bean tart I tried, and loved, previously at an event.  Oh, with caramel added.

I was very excited to dive into this one.
Tahitian Vanilla Bean Tart: Inside.
The base was a shortbread cookie-like, decent enough base (but when do you ever get a tart for the shell?)

On top of that was a thin layer of caramel, an element that wasn't present in the mini form, and did serve to make it a bit more interesting than just vanilla (although really, it wasn't necessary!).  The tart shell and caramel together reminded me a bit of banoffee pie (made with crumbled digestive biscuits and toffee).

The layer above that was thick and rich, intensely vanilla flavored, and reminded me of crème brûlée.  And then a lighter, also vanilla'ed layer on top.

Just like last time, I felt the components all worked together really well, rich, creamy, and somehow just sooo delightful, even though simple vanilla.  Two of us rated this our #2 pick, because, the next one was even better.

****.
Little Tahiti. $11.
"Vanilla mascarpone mousse, Vanilla cremeux, Vanilla sable."

The other "simple vanilla" item was called Little Tahiti, and I wasn't really sure how they'd be different, besides looks obviously, but still ordered both.

This one looked a bit more involved, with a glossy exterior and different piping on top.  The extra piped on stuff on top didn't really add much to the overall item, if anything, it detracted, as it wasn't as vanilla forward.  It added to visual appeal though I guess.
Little Tahiti: Inside.
The base of this was a vanilla sable, which tasted about the same as the tart shells used in the tarts, just, without rounded edges holding in the contents.  Again, fine, but the version with the caramel above it was slightly better.

Above that, more beautiful vanilla mascarpone mousse, fantastic vanilla flavor.  Surrounding that was the vanilla cremeux, which I kinda thought of like ... Fluff.  Just, well, 10000x more amazing.  It was super sweet and fluffy, and again, intensely vanilla flavored.  I loved it.

So while this sounds fairly similar to the vanilla tart, e.g. layers of vanilla mousse/cremeux/ganache/cream/etc on a cookie-like base, they really were quite different.  This one was far more intense in its vanilla flavoring, and, the fluffy layer really won it for me.  I loved that.

My top pick, third place for one other. ****+.

"Individual Pastries"

I'm not quite sure why these are known as "pastries".  I think I must not quite understand the term.  Anyway, this selection included many phenomenal looking chocolate based items, of which we picked one.
Chocolate Pillow. $10.
"Caramelized rice crispy / dark chocolate mousse / praline crunch / chocolate cremeux."

Our chocolate pick was the "chocolate pillow".  I personally would have picked the Bailey's Bar (!!!), but, the others thought this one was too cute to resist, and since they'd be eating most of it (chocolate! caffeine! night!), I didn't really voice my preference much.

It was quite the sight, the most stunning of an array of stunning desserts, a base of chocolate coated rice crispies, a glossy chocolate covered log, with a thin chocolate wafer on top.

We didn't quite know what to expect inside.
Chocolate Pillow: Inside.
I cut into it, to find basically a chocolate mousse.  But, a log shape.  With praline crunch layers.

The chocolate rice crispy base I really didn't care for, as I just don't like that texture.  I don't like rice crispies in .... anything really.

The chocolate mousse was fine, but I found myself thinking that it was just that.  Fine.  Chocolate mousse shouldn't be just fine.  It should be rich, creamy, amazing.  This wasn't.

I did kinda like the crunch the praline added, but at the same time, it also seemed a bit soggy inside.

The chocolate cremeux coating *looked* amazing, so dark, so glossy, but, much like the chocolate mousse, it just didn't taste extraordinary.  I kept wanting it to be richer, deeper.

The thin milk chocolate slice on top was great though, very smooth creamy quality chocolate.

So overall, this entire thing looked much better than it tasted.  It didn't taste bad, and it was clearly elaborate and showcased a lot of technique, but, if you are looking for a real chocolately dessert, this wasn't it.  My forth pick, and the dividing line that started the list of items I wouldn't bother try again.

***.
Mandarin Pannacotta. $9.
"Gelee of kumquat confit / vanilla mascarpone mousse / shortbread."

This was another item that I wouldn't have ordered, but, our rogue diner added onto the mix.  Much like lemon and lime desserts, I had no interest in mandarin (sorry citrus!).  My interest in this one lay only in the fact that it was called a "pannacotta", which struck me for two reasons: why was it one word, and also, um, it didn't look like a pudding ...

It was a shiny orange dome, with a dot of something on top, wrapped with a thin milk chocolate, much like the one from on top of the pillow (again, really quite excellent!).  It made me really wish I had purchased some chocolates to take home (they have a HUGE selection of chocolates, and we entirely skipped that section).  It too was just stunning to admire.
Mandarin Pannacotta: Inside.
We really had no idea what to expect with this one.

I cut into it to find basically a mousse, an orange center, and a crust much like the tarts.  But this was a "pastry" not a "tart" ...

Anyway, it is a bit hard for me to evaluate this since I don't care for citrus desserts.  The crust was fine, a shortbread.  The mousse was fine.  The center and top were ... citrus-y.

It reminded me of a Creamsicle actually, orange and cream.  Which I never really liked, and always considered the worst of the assorted ice cream novelties.  But if creamsicles were your thing, perhaps this would appeal.

My sixth pick, but two others rated it their favorite. **+.

Other

And last, a singleton of an item: a pudding.
Coconut Tapioca.
"Lemongrass & Mango."

I couldn't resist ordering this one.  I knew it wasn't very sharable.  I knew Alexander's is known for pastries, tarts, mousses, chocolates, macaroons, etc, and not ... pudding.

But, I adore pudding.  I like tapioca.  How could I not order it it?

Except ... I didn't like it.  At all.  No layer of it was great.

The bottom was lemongrass flavored gel (I think), only a little bit, and very difficult to get in the same scoop as anything else, since at the very base and in a small cup.

The coconut tapioca layer was, much like my critique of the chocolate pillow, just "fine".  Nothing special.  The tapioca weren't too hard, or too mushy, or anything, but, it was kinda plain, and not as creamy as I'd like.

On top was a fruit compote that none of us could identify.  I originally thought mango, but, it just didn't taste like mango at all.  It was heavily spiced with flavors we also couldn't identify.  One person was convinced it was pear somehow, just, orange colored.  Another said peach.  Another was "100% certain" it was apricot.  The guesses were all over the place.  None of us liked the flavor, but we kept tasting and tasting, trying to figure it out.  It was mango, I guess, or so said the sign (which one person smartly went up to look at).

On top was a dollop of what seemed like simple cream, no real flavor.  And a cute edible flower, that had a bit of I think lemongrass as the stem.

This made me sad in so many ways, my least favorite item. **.

Drinks

A few in the group also ordered beverages, mostly espresso drinks, which were clearly out for me given the caffiene.
Small Hot Chocolate. $4.
One diner enjoyed the hot chocolate, served much like a cappuchino.
Peppermint Tea. $5.
I opted for peppermint tea, boring, but I wanted a warm beverage, and didn't even want the caffeine in decaf coffee.

Take Home Goodies

Retail Shop.
In case all the cases of pastries, desserts, macaroons, and chocolates aren't enough for you, the patisserie also has a retail area with packaged confections.  I of course couldn't resist grabbing a few things to take home.
Marshmallows: Blueberry, Raspberry, Vanilla, Lemon. $8.
Ah, yes.  Fancy marshmallows.  The trend I've been talking about for years.  I rolled my eyes, but also quickly grabbed a tube to take home.  Not only were they fancy marshmallows, they were flavored!

They were not as exciting as I was hoping.  

The texture of the marshmallows was fine.  The size was fine.  They were ... fine.

Some of the flavors were more pronounced than others.  The vanilla was quite plain, which you might expect from vanilla, but, Alexander's vanilla pastries were so great that I expected more.  The pink one honestly had no flavor, I couldn't detect even a trace of raspberry.

Blue was a bit better, some flavor to it, although I wouldn't have known it was blueberry.  

The best was yellow, actually quite distinctly lemon.  I'm not generally a lemon sweets fan, but I appreciated the flavor.

Overall, just, well, marshmallows, and certainly not $1.14 each marshmallows!

**+.
Chocolate Covered Caramelized Popcorn.
Another impulse grab on my part as I headed to checkout.  You know how much I love popcorn, particularly coated popcorn!

The little plastic container was really quite small though for the price, I kinda gulped at the price tag and fact that I could see ... 10 kernels?
Chocolate Covered Caramelized Popcorn: Close Up.
I plucked a few out and examined them.

Hmm.  Yellow coating, hard, shiny.  I assumed it was white chocolate?
Chocolate Covered Caramelized Popcorn: Cross Section.
I broke into one.

Double hmm.  There was a thin chocolate shell, the pale yellow shell, and the actual piece of popcorn.

The chocolate was milk chocolate, not remarkable.  I'm still not sure what the yellow layer was, I guess just white chocolate, it was slightly sweet.

I'm also not really sure where the "caramelized" element was supposed to be.  I didn't really detect anything caramelized.  I thought the popcorn itself would be caramel corn then wrapped in chocolate, but, it certainly didn't seem to be.

The popcorn kernel itself was ... fine?  Well popped?

There wasn't anything wrong with this item, but it certainly didn't turn into anything even equal to the sum of its parts.  Just, some chocolate and a piece of popcorn.  Too much coating to appreciate the crunch of the popcorn.  Not craveworthy.

***.
Chocolate Pop.
And last, we call this an impulse buy, no question.  Above the cases of beautiful house made chocolates were a couple pre-packaged chocolate based items.  I grabbed one, the only one I saw using dark chocolate, "for later".  I couldn't resist.  I didn't know what was in it, I hadn't read reviews on it, but, I suddenly needed it.

It was a very random choice on my part.
Chocolate Pop: Inside.
It seemed to be filled with hazelnut based cream. It was covered in Valrhona Dark Chocolate Crunchy Pearls.

I don't particularly love hazelnut (sorry Nutella fans!).  But ... I wanted to try Alexander's chocolate, and didn't want to place an order or agonizingly select one from the large assortment of options on display in the chocolate case.  I also kinda thought it was a cake pop, to be honest.

It was fine.  Good quality Valrhona dark chocolate, crunch (that I didn't like, but that is just me) from the pearls, hazelnut filling.  Not the item for me, and not what I ever should have picked, really.  Oops.

***.

Original Review, April 2017

It has been a long time since I've written about the Alexander's family of restaurants.

Going to the Alexander's Steakhouses, in Cupertino and Mountain View really is what turned me into a bit of a foodie (and, ok, a bit of a monster for a while during the foie gras ban days).  "Alexander's" was one of the first labels I added to my blog, which I added explicitly because I was writing about the same place so often.   

I still visit the San Francisco Alexander's Steakhouse a couple times of year, although now I reserve it for special occasions.  Since I last wrote though, the restaurant group has radically expanded.  The original location in Cupertino moved.  They opened more steakhouses; in Pasadena, Tokyo, and Taipei (!).  They introduced a seafood focused restaurant, The Sea, in Palo Alto (which makes so much since given how often I rave about the seafood dishes at the steakhouse!).

And ... they opened a patisserie (ok, two now, one in Mountain View and one in Cupertino).  Oh, be still my heart!  Yes, my favorite restaurant group opened a pastry focused establishment.  They brought in a very accomplished pastry chef from Belgium, who worked at the famed Pierre Herme in Paris (which of course I've reviewed), and Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas.  Let's just say I was excited to try it, particularly after the accolades started rolling in.


In October 2014, I was invited to the pre-opening event for Alexander's Patisserie in Mountain View.  To say I was excited was beyond an understatement.  At the time, Alexander's was my absolute favorite restaurant, which I clearly visited way too frequently, and you know me, baked goods are always my favorite, so, this was a dream come true for me.  However, they weren't able to be fully operational at the time (read on for more!)

I still haven't actually been to the store while in operation, but I've tried their treats on several occasions.  I now know, definitively, that I need to go to the store.  I *need* to try their kouign amann, and I need to try their banana chocolate croissant. This place, as expected, has quality products.

Pre-Opening Event, October 2014

I gleefully accepted an invite to the pre-opening, even though it was in Mountain View.

But ... quasi-disaster stuck.  I went all the way down to Mountain View to find that ... their final permit did not come in in time.  They couldn't use the kitchens yet.  Doh.

They served coffee and macarons, and showed off the space, but, they weren't able to offer anything else.  The coffee was fine, and the macarons were all decent (good cookies with slight give to them and proper chew), but, macarons are really not my thing, and I'll admit, I was pretty sad.
Decaf Coffee. $2.75.
They served Equator Coffee at the time, but have since moved to Stumptown.  I had decaf.  It was strong, dark, and particularly good for decaf.
Coffee Macaron. $2.25.
I started with the coffee macaron, filled with coffee ganache.

This macaron somehow made coffee taste delicate.  It was clearly coffee flavored, but in a really light way.  My third favorite variety.
Pistachio Macaron. $2.25.
Next I had a pistachio macaron, filled with toasted pistachio ganache.

It was a beautiful green color, with decent pistachio flavor throughout.  My forth favorite.
Chocolate Macaron. $2.25.
Next came a chocolate ganache filled macaron, with in it nibs too.

I loved the rich, dark chocolate ganache filling.  The cookie was slightly chocolate flavored.  My second favorite, and I really just wanted to eat a big bowl of the filling.
Vanilla Macaron. $2.25.
And finally, simple vanilla, with Tahitian vanilla bean ganache inside.

It was my absolute favorite.  Super sweet filling, it reminded me of frosting, but I really did like the sweetness.  The thick filling was balanced by delicate cookies.

[ No Photos ]
Lavender:
Lavender is a flavor I don't generally like, so I didn't take one myself, nor take a photo.  But I couldn't help myself from stealing a bite of Ojan's when he had one in his hand, it was such a beautiful light purple color.  I don't generally like lavender flavors, and this was no exception, but, if you like floral desserts, the flavor was nice, and fairly subtle.  Second to last favorite though.

Passionfruit:
Another flavor I don't tend to like is passionfruit (although I love the real fruit!) so I only took a bite of Ojan's, hence no photo.  Very strong quasi fake passionfruit flavor, which, predictably, I didn't like.  Least favorite.

Tarts, April 2017

In April, I was invited to a pre-opening event for Total Wines & More, in Mountain View.

I was there to admire the store and sip on wine, and, let's be honest, I was excited to check out the food.  Savory bites were provided catered by places ranging from Michelin starred Chez TJ to casual Pokéworks, but my eyes were on the Alexander's Patisserie table from the moment I walked in.  It took a lot of restraint to wait to go for the sweets until after I had some savories first.
Easter Themed Display.
They easily had the best looking display, decorated for Easter, with tactful, not plastic, "grass", chocolate eggs, and bunnies (and yes they made all the larger chocolate creations too!)
Tarts!
Their offering was mini tarts, beautifully presented perched on top of a "soil" of cocoa nibs, in clear glass "planters".  It might sound tacky, but really, it wasn't.

The crew did an impressive job of keeping the display perfectly stocked throughout the event.   While other tables ran low, they never did.

I guess I expect no less from an Alexander's establishment, but they were true professionals, and, I believe the head pastry chef himself was there at the event.

I have a confession though - just like I don't really like macarons, tarts aren't really my favorite either.  I like pie crust, I like puff pastry, I like many other vessels for fillings, but, tart shells?  Meh!  So, I wasn't thrilled to see tarts as their item offered.

The tart shells were about as good as a tart shell is going to be.  Buttery, nice texture, a bit crumbly, not too hard.  And at least they tasted like something.  As Ojan put it, "you don't need to just eat the insides out of them".  But let's talk about those insides.  Spoiler: swoon!
Chocolate, Vanilla, Lemon Tarts.
On my first round, I tried all three.  Yes, all three.  And yes, I said my first round.  I'm sorry, I like my sweets!  In my defense, I *did* ask if it was ok when I went back for seconds.  The tarts were too good to listen to social norms about acceptable levels of consumption.

Chocolate Tart: cocoa nib praline / 66% dark chocolate ganache.

Those who have been reading my blog for a while might notice something here.  Chocolate.  I don't eat chocolate at night (caffeine).  I rarely make exceptions.  I don't even really care for chocolate desserts that much (but, I *always* have dark chocolate in the morning alongside my coffee).  So, I wasn't excited for the chocolate one, really.  Still, I knew my opportunities to try Alexander's Patisserie were limited, and I wanted to make the most of it.

It was glorious, just like the chocolate filling in the macaron.  The base layer had cocoa nibs in it, a surprise to me, wonderful bits of crunch.  On top of that was dark, thick, decadent chocolate ganache.  I'd say that I'd love to eat a whole bowl as pudding, but actually, it was too rich to want to do that.  Maybe a *small* bowl, with some whipped cream on top?

Anyway, the amount here was just right, and it was a fantastic bite.  It had a cap of more dark chocolate and a touch of edible gold leaf for some bling.  My second favorite.

Vanilla Tart: Tahitian vanilla ganache / vanilla mascarpone cream.

This. Was. Amazing.

I had zero expectation for this.  "Vanilla", aka, bo-ring, right?  No way.  (Side note: I wished I had re-read my notes from the macarons to remember that they made an amazing vanilla ganache, and perhaps I would have been more excited!)

Anyway, the vanilla ganache was a thing of wonder.  It was thick, sweet, and intensely vanilla flavored.  I'll be honest ... I didn't think vanilla *could* taste this good.  It was incredibly rich, even more than the chocolate.  There is no way you could have a bigger bite of this.

On top was vanilla mascarpone cream, also glorious.  Also wonderfully vanilla flavored, also sweet and rich, and somehow complimentary to the ganache.  How does one rich sweet vanilla element compliment another rich sweet vanilla component?  I don't know, but, it did.

One could take three bites to eat each of these, if he or she had restraint.  And I did, the first time, as I didn't know it would be so wonderful.  But when I went back for another, it was all I could do not to eat it in a single bite.  I settled for two wondrous bites, knowing I'd actually appreciate it more that way.

Seriously, fantastic.

Lemon: lemon cream / lemon zest / lemon segments.

And finally, lemon.  I almost didn't take this one, and really, I shouldn't have.  I do not like lemon desserts.

And this ... well, it was a lemon dessert.  The lemon cream tasted like lemons.  I did not like that.

However, the meringue on top was excellent, sweet, fluffy, light, airy.  And I give them kudos for the perfect execution of the toasting of each and every one, and the fact that these delicate treats were not damaged at all in their display!  Still, I wouldn't want another of these.
Alexander's Patisserie Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

ALX Gastropub

Alexander's Steakhouse.  A place that should require no introduction to my loyal blog readers, as you know it is my favorite restaurant in San Francisco (and restaurant group in general), so much so that I have an entire label on my blog for it.  There was a period of my life, around the foie gras ban in California, where I was quite the regular.

And thus, I was thrilled when the restaurant group announced a new venture, dubbed ALX Gastropub, just down the street from my house.  It was supposed to be a more casual establishment, but still with a high end beef focus, and very swanky setting.

The concept wasn't really a hit.  Maybe it was the location, maybe it was the branding - I think diners weren't quite expecting the price tag that came at the Gastropub, nor the more formal service (which, was still VERY scaled down from Alexander's Steakhouse).

After a few months, they rebranded as ALX by Alexander's Steakhouse, calling attention to the relationship with the mothership, and the steakhouse focus.  The head chef changed.  The menu changed.  Etc.  It still struggled, but got a re-birth during the pandemic as The Patio by Alexander's Steakhouse, when outdoor dining was required, and the formal space for Alexander's Steakhouse wasn't really pandemic friendly.

And then it closed, with some vague mentions of a new concept being developed.  I eagerly await more details.

Anyway, I did visit ALX Gastropub, and intended to visit another time before publishing a full review, but alas, I never did.  This visit was in the days of the ALX Gastropub branding, fairly early on in its life, November 2018.
Feast!
I visited with a party of 3, one weeknight evening when a friend was in town.  We sampled around the menu.

We all enjoyed our meal.  The food was good.  Every dish had a special touch, everything was well prepared, thoughtful dishes, flavorful, nicely presented.  Not a single dish was mediocre.

Service was good, the ambiance inviting.

Summary from one fellow diner?  "I really like this meal".  I concur.  We planned to be back.

Setting

Curb Appeal.
ALX is located on Folsom Street, near 3rd, slightly set back from the street.

This area was transformed into a patio for the Patio by Alexander's Steakhouse outdoor dining concept.
Interior.
The decor is upscale casual, all brand new, well designed, with a dark esthetic.
Lighting.
Lighting was a big focus, with candles on the tables, overhead lights, wall lights.
Group Seating.
Tables exist of all sizes, including this kinda cool round shaped one for a medium sized group.  There are private areas as well.
Open Kitchen.
We were seated right near the kitchen, with large windows overlooking, so I could peek in from time to time to watch the action.  I saw the exec chef there the whole night, mostly expediting, but on the line a few times.  Clearly keeping an eye on things.

At one point, the entire grill was loaded up with burgers and buns, clearly the top selling item.  The kitchen was busy, but not ever frantic.
Table Decor.
Each table is set with a decorative candle and succulent, a nice touch to have a live plant, and not a flower.

Drinks

As a gastropub, ALX takes the drinking aspects of the menu just as seriously as the food.  I had a cocktail, but it wasn't remarkable.
Cocktails, Beer, Wines by the Glass.
The entire backside of the menu is drinks, a generous beer selection (it is a gastropub after all), bottles, cans, and draft, more than a dozen cocktails (all named after places in San Francisco), and wine.

The wine line up looks legit, broken not into categories of red/white/sparkling, but also into "Approachable" ($12-18), "Lavish" ($19-26), and "Xtravagant" ($35-45, all Coravin preserved).

I went for a cocktail, but wish I had opted for wine.

No mocktails were offered, and an attempt to order one was met with lukewarm "I could ask about it".
Wine Bottle List.
A bottle list is also available.
Ocean Beach? $15. Dolores Park?
"Monkey Shoulder Scotch, Sweet Vermouth, Cherry, Blood Orange."

For my cocktail, I ordered the Ocean Beach.  I was told it was the most popular.

I was confused when I tasted it however.  It tasted ... like beets.  I told myself that it was my just my brain playing tricks on me due to the red color, which I decided must be from cherry and blood orange.  It also tasted floral.  Botanical.  Herby.  I really couldn't detect cherry or blood orange, and really, really didn't taste scotch.  It was a bit too sweet, unexpected from a scotch drink.

My confusion intensified when I found a slice of beet in it at at the end.  Um, what?  When our bill arrived, I checked, and it did say Ocean Beach.  I thought I was crazy at this point.

But later, when I re-read the menu, I decided this must have been the "Dolores Park", not the "Ocean Beach".  Yes, both San Francisco neighborhoods, but very different.  The ingredients in the Dolores Park?  Gin, beets, lavender, jasmine, orange blossom.  Yeah, something that *would* taste like beets and botanicals.  Sigh.

Minus a point for this mix-up.

Food

While I enjoy a nice glass of wine or cocktail, I was there for the food, obviously.  This is a dining club after all!
Dinner Menu.
The dinner menu is broken into 5 sections: to share (appetizers), salads, flatbreads, entrees, and sweets.  I appreciated that the dessert menu was provided up front, so I could plan how much "space" to save!  I often ask for dessert menus before ordering my main meal, and this saved me the effort.

Our group opted for one "to share", one salad, one entree, and two desserts, plus a bar snack gift from the kitchen, all to share.  It was the right amount of food for our not that hungry group of 3 (we weren't planning to go out that night, it just happened).

To any menu item, you can add truffle butter, black cod, chicken, steak, avocado, bacon, or egg.  Or you can opt for "Luxury Add-Ons", seared foie gras or several types of truffles.  Because, although this is a casual gastropub, it is still an Alexander's establishment after all!  If you want to go big, you certainly can.  Yes, you could totally add a hunk of seared foie to your ... salad.  Or your ... mac and cheese (hmmm ...).

To Share

The starters section of the menu is called "to share", which, I understand the naming, but, the flatbreads also look to share?  And, well, we shared everything.

This section has classic standards like oysters, cheese, and charcuterie and also some bar snacks, taken up a notch, like a fancy mac n cheese, ribs (served with tempting sounding slaw and cornbread), wings (house made hot sauce), and fried stuff - regular fries, sweet potato fries, and, their signature tots.  We went for the later.
Totes M'Goats Tots. $12.
"CHEVRE GOAT CHEESE, HOUSEMADE KETCHUP, PICKLE MAYO."

We started with the cutely named "Totes M'Goats Tots" to share.

So, the tots.  ALX seems to have two signature items.  One is the burger, although that one struggled, and the other, the tots.  The "Totes M'Goats Tots" that is.

Now, I was almost crazy excited about these.  Fresh crispy fried things, with housemade sauces, is exactly my style.  But ... GOAT CHEESE ALERT.  I hate goat cheese (yes, I've tried all kinds.  Yes, my sister even has goats, I had her goat milk, cheese, ice cream, etc.  I've had it fresh as can be.  I've had award winning goat cheese of all varieties, fresh, aged, etc.  I'm sorry, I don't like it).

We still ordered the tots, as the others like goat cheese, and I wanted to see if possibly I could ignore the goat cheese.

They arrived extremely quickly, before our drinks even.  Ridiculously hot and fresh from the fryer, but not oily.  The serving vessel, a little metal fry basket, was a cute touch (that we'd see again in the dessert round).

The texture of the tots was fantastic.  Super crispy exterior, and inside, was like mashed potato.  Well, oozing cheese mashed potato.  So fabulous ... almost.  It *was* goaty , so I just couldn't really like it.  I respected everything about the execution though, and the form factor, and wished more than anything that something other than goat cheese was used.  "I like how perfectly crisp the outside is", said one diner.

The house made ketchup I really liked.  A strange thing to call out, but it was quite flavorful, the spicing in it was lovely.  The pickle mayo was also good, creamy mayo, bits of pickle, but it was the ketchup that really shone.

I think these were a remarkable item, just not the cheese for me.  They were actually my favorite dish, just because I respected them and almost loved them so much.  Third pick of one other diner.  Please ALX, make a version with a different cheese ...
Scotch Egg (gift from kitchen).
As we indulged in our tots, a second dish appeared, a gift from the kitchen.  A ... scotch egg!  This wasn't on our dinner menu, but is available on the separate bar menu.  It came perched atop some nicely dressed greens.  My companions really enjoyed the greens and kept mentioning how well dressed they were, particularly once that egg yolk came oozing out and coated them.

So, about that egg (and yolk).  As you can see, it was pretty good egg porn, oozing out as I cut it in half.  Eggs aren't really my thing, so I don't have much to say about it, besides that it was a fine cooked egg with runny yolk.

The sausage based coating was fantastic.  I was surprised to find it packed some heat, just the right amount to keep you going back for more.  The sausage was really nicely seasoned, and that spice ... excellent.  "This is really perfectly spiced in my opinion," said my companion.  It was also perfectly crispy on the exterior, just like the tots.

A very well executed dish, the second favorite of the one diner who gave me his votes ("They just have this hint of something special", he said), but only my forth pick since I'm just not that into egg.

Salads

One area of the menu that seems to be constantly evolving is the salad lineup.  The menu had three available on our visit, and all sounded pretty interesting to me, which is quite rare.  I am not a big salad eater, and I certainly don't order them in restaurants, but each one had unique components, and all used interesting greens as the bases.  They sounded like all very thoughtful salads, full of colors and textures and flavors.

So, yes, we ordered a salad.
Marin Salad. $12.
"CASHEW KALE CHIPS, DRIED CHERRIES, BALSAMIC, YOGURT, PARMESAN."

This was a really good salad.  But yes, it was just a salad.  Next time, I'll throw some foie gras on top ... I'm only half joking.

The salad really was nicely done.

The kale chips were actually the part that made me want to order this, I do sometimes really love kale chips, particularly ones coated in things like nutritional yeast to make them "cheesy".  I wasn't sure how they'd work in a salad, and the answer was that they were kinda crushed up and used on top.  I liked them quite a bit, but they were easily lost, just a bit of crunch added.  I'd love to see these offered as a bar snack or alternative to fries, in a larger portion!

The real crunch in the salad came from sunflower seeds, not mentioned on the menu.  Not my top choice, but they went well with the salad, were more interesting than standard pecans or walnuts, and added that needed crunch.  Chew came from dried cherries, again, not my top choice, but slightly interesting, and a nice match with the sunflower seeds.  There was also shredded parmesan on top,  which I appreciated for the salt and strong aged flavor.

The base greens were the best part (besides the kale chips that is).  Fresh, crisp, assorted greens.  I appreciated the spicy greens in the mix, and non-standard offerings.  It is hard to be excited about greens, but, these really did put in a good showing.

It was lightly dressed in a decent enough balsamic vinaigrette, with an additional yogurt based dressing in the base of the bowl that you could mix in as desired (we didn't realize this initially, and all served from the top, missing it until we were halfway through the salad).  The yogurt dressing was quite tart, not really my thing.

Overall though, a nicely designed and composed salad, with unique ingredients.  My third favorite dish.

Entrees

We skipped the next portion of the menu, flatbreads, available in two sizes, and moved on to an entree: the signature foie gras wagyu burger.  

Our group split only one entree, not because the others didn't sound good, but because we all had been at a happy hour with food prior, and weren't that hungry and knew this burger was going to be quite heavy.  The other options included something in just about every major protein group: seafood (black cod!), poultry (beer can chicken), vegetarian (a fairly boring sounding risotto with sous vide egg), plus pork, ribeye, and a less decadent burger.  My second choice certainly would have been the black cod.
 Foie-Gyu Burger. $44.
"2 OZ FOIE GRAS, 15% WAGYU BEEF, TRUFFLED MUSHROOM DUXELLE, WHITE CHEDDAR, CRISPY SHALLOTS /W FRIES."

Well hello, burger!

I've long loved the burger served at Alexander's Steakhouse (bar only), and when ALX opened, this was touted as *the* signature item.  Perfectly fitting, for a gastropub spin-off of the steakhouse.  The only problem?  People didn't really like it.  Reviews were ... tepid.  I was still excited to try it, but I was even more thrilled when I learned that ALX has taken the feedback and already changed the burger entirely.

The previous version was slightly less expensive, but came with the foie gras integrated into the patty.  Now, it comes topped with a beautiful seared portion.  ZOMG.  It used to have a different cheese, and other toppings, but always had crispy shallots spilling out everywhere.  It looked (and was) very messy to eat, and was pretty busy, but I couldn't wait to dig in.  And yes, it was $44, although, adding the same 2 ounce portion of foie to any item costs $20 normally, so its really a $24 burger with foie added.  You could also opt for the regular burger, with cheddar and mayo, for only $15 if that is more your style.

The fries however were entirely forgettable.  Thin, crispy fries, they were ... fine, but highly highly uninteresting.  None of us finished them.  I'd recommend subbing out for at least the sweet potato fries.

House made ketchup was provided alongside the burger as well.
Foie-Gyu Burger (Medium-Rare): Closeup.
So, this burger.  As I said, it was quite a mess to eat, even worse because we were trying to split it.  But even if you weren't the fillings were so extensive that there was no way to do this cleanly.  Which isn't a bad thing, just don't wear a white top, and be on a first date?  It was quite satisfying to dig into in all its messy glory.

Starting with the bun.  They picked my favorite type of bun, a brioche bun, fluffy and light, well toasted on both sides, gleaming.  The inside was slathered with house made mayo.  I usually could care less about a bun, but this one was really quite good.  "I really, really like the bun," one of my companions said, and I entirely agreed.  Don't get a lettuce wrap.  You want this bun.

Then there is the burger patty.  We asked for medium-rare, and, a true medium rare it was.  Two of us lamented it was actually a bit more rare that we'd like, and that we would have enjoyed it more if it was more cooked.  That isn't to say the kitchen cooked it rare, it was medium-rare, but I think particularly for a patty that is so high fat content with the wagyu, it needed a bit more.  That said, the patty was juicy and fine, just not particularly remarkable.  I did wish for a harder sear on it however.

On top of the patty was perfectly melted white cheddar cheese, plenty of it.  It was decently sharp, so provided good flavor, and seriously, I've rarely seen cheese melted on just that well.  Then there was a mushroom duxelle with a bit of truffle in it, decent flavor, not too "truffle oil" tasting if you know what I mean.  I think I might prefer this without it actually, just to taste the other elements more, but it certainly enhanced the burger in some ways.

And then the best part.  The 2 ounce portion of foie gras perched on top.  Just as the cheese was perfectly melted,  this was perfectly executed too.  Great sear on it.  Decadent, perfectly prepared, fantastic.  The Alexander's restaurant group certainly knows how to do foie gras.

The crispy shallots spilling out everywhere were tasty and added nice crunch, and I didn't mind scooping them up from around the plate.  The very large fresh crisp lettuce provided a slight bit of freshness and crispness amongst the other heavy elements, quite necessary.  Its position above the bun base however made it so the juices from the burger didn't run into the bun, something I always like.

So, overall?  This was a well composed, well executed burger.  Every element had its place, although there was a lot going on.  The favorite dish of one companion, my second favorite just due to the foie and bun, they really shone.

I'd get this again, and try it medium, but I don't necessarily consider it a "must get" item, and I think, due to the richness, it is best split with others.

Sweets

As a dessert girl, I was fairly let down by the options.  The sweets lineup was not particularly inspiring, at least, for me.  

Housemade sorbets and ice cream (made using liquid nitrogen), a seasonal cobbler, chocolate cake (I don't have caffeine at night), a cookie platter served with milk (cute, but, no), churros, and profiteroles.

The ice cream flavors were actually fairly interesting, peanut butter or elderberry balsamic, but, just a scoop of ice cream?  Not a "real dessert" in my world, to me, ice cream is part of a sundae, or served alongside a warm baked dessert.  That said, they did have a seasonal cobbler served with ice cream, normally something I'd love, but, the seasonal fruit was smoked pear, which, eh.

So we settled on churros and profiteroles, a bit half-heartedly.  They didn't really deliver.
Profiterealz. $10.
"Crunchy top, sage honey caramel, blood orange cream." 

I never really like profiteroles, as I don't care for choux pastry much of the time (too eggy).   And I don't tend to like citrus desserts.  Let's just get that out there.  But these I liked less than normal, and it was due to the execution.

They game 4 to an order, nicely plated with the red fluid on the plate, which I think was blood orange?  It didn't taste like much, and there wasn't enough to actually dunk or even drag the profiteroles though.  Pretty, but lost.

I was intrigued by these due to the description with the "crunchy top".  That sounded unique.  Maybe like crunchy asian buns?  But, they ... didn't really have a crunchy top.  They weren't soggy or anything, but I certainly wouldn't describe as particularly crunchy.  The pastry itself wasn't eggy, usually what I dislike about choux pastry and thus profiteroles, but it also wasn't light and airy as it should be.  Maybe ... that was the crunchy part?

On top of the pastry though was the sage honey caramel, and that was fairly unique and fascinating.  "Oh, wow!", my notes read.  You truly could taste the honey and the sage, in a sweet caramel.  I appreciated the subtleties of it.  I also liked the candied bit of citrus rind on top.

Great toppings, but, the rest?  Eh.
Profiterealz: Inside.
Inside was the blood orange cream.  I love creams, but was a bit leery of the blood orange, just because I don't really like citrus desserts most of the time.  On the plus side, there wasn't too much citrus here for me.  But on the minus ... there also just wasn't much cream at all.  The cream that was there was very thin, and ran out as I bit into it.

These were not a winner for anyone in the group.  I ate one, one other diner ate one, and the other only took a single bite.  None of us wanted the final one.  We wouldn't get these again.
Baby Churros. $10.
"Chocolate sauce, dulce de leche."

The menu listed "baby" or "papi" churro options.  I inquired about these, to learn that "Papi" was a large taco shaped churro, filled with avocado ice cream scoops, and the "Baby" were small little churros.  All are made to order.

We opted for the baby churros, and they really were cute little things.  Served just like the tots, in a fry basket, with two dipping sauces on the side, this time, chocolate and dulce de leche.  And just like the tots, they were hot and fresh, made to order, clearly freshly delivered from the fryer.

The churro bites were ... fine.   Crispy.  Not oily.  Well coated in cinnamon and sugar.  The dulce de leche was also ... fine.  Sweet, standard.  I didn't try the chocolate, because, caffeine.

These just weren't inspiring.  There wasn't anything wrong with them, and the serving was cute, but we all commented on how we wanted to like them more than we did.  One person had two, and put down his fork, saying they weren't worth it.  I kept trying, because I really did want to like them, and I couldn't point at anything *wrong* with them.  My other companion just dunked them into more and more of the sauces, but even the dulce de leche wasn't really improving things for me.  I wanted something creamy perhaps.

When the staff asked what we though, I was honest, and mentioned that the profiteroles were lacking filling, and that I thought the churros would be better with whipped cream to dunk into.  Moments later, a little bowl of whipped cream arrived!  Fairly amazing, as, I don't think they have whipped cream to go with any of the other menu items?  If I thought they had it on hand, I actually would have asked for it ...

The whipped cream really did help, as my fellow diner noted, they were "way better!" this way, as they were just a bit too dry without it.

But even with the whipped cream, I wouldn't order these again.  Perhaps the taco version with a fun ice cream flavor would be better?
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