The WINE WRITER: George Medovoy

BOUCHEE IN CARMEL IS THE PLACE FOR MEMORABLE CUISINE AND WINE
By George Medovoy

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA --There are restaurants where the creative imagination overwhelms you.

Bouchee -- David and Kathleen Fink’s new, 49-seat entry on the Carmel scene -- is one of those places.

The restaurant and wine bar off Ocean Avenue is a place where food magic happens…and you can sit for hours soaking up the infectious spirit of the surroundings.

“We opened a restaurant that we wanted to be very comfortable and affordable,” David Fink says, “with delicious food and a very wonderful wine program.”

Kathleen explains the reasoning behind the name.

“The literal translation of Bouchée is ‘mouthful. We think of it as ‘delicious mouthfuls,’ to be served in a setting of simple elegance.

“I wanted to capture an old-world feeling. The interior design reflects that European influence, with hammered copper accents, handmade wrought iron work, a wood-burning fireplace and Inca travertine flooring, all combined with colors of amber, tortoise and bronze.”

Bouchee’s magic starts in the kitchen, reflecting chef Walter Manzke’s classic French training.

Manzke compares cooking to sport and ran marathons, if you will, in some of the most renowned kitchens in America and Europe, including Louis XV in the Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo, and Pinot Bistro in Los Angeles.

“I’m just doing what I always do,” he says. “I like to create, and I like energy in the kitchen…It’s a very physical job. I always compare it almost to sports. I used to be very much into sports, and I nearly became a professional athlete…racing motorcycles, football, and soccer.

“You get the same kind of adrenalin in the kitchen. It’s very physical… It’s a kind of thing where you get burned…and you put it out of your mind and you go harder.”

During my visit, I sampled the “Olive Oil-Poached Monterey King Salmon,” a heavenly dish made with braised baby artichokes, artichoke puree, roasted almonds, sauvignon blanc sauce – and local salmon.

It’s a simple recipe based on local ingredients, reflecting Manzke’s personal relationships with local farmers, much as when he cooked at Louis XV in Monte Carlo.

“The quality and freshness here is amazing,” he says. “I’ve gotten asparagus that I’ve never tasted since I was in France. It’s due to great farms. I know a lot of the farmers, some of whom bring their products to the restaurant.”

Manzke also visits markets in Moss Landing for prawns, salmon and calamari. Abalone comes live every day.

With the exception of small garnishes meant to make each bite a little different, the accompaniment to the salmon was basically a puree of artichokes flavored with a confit of orange, as well as almonds, lemon juice, basil, lemon verbena (from a Carmel Valley farm), and a wonderful surprise -- fried tempura.

The Salad of Organic Field Greens, seasoned with a champagne vinaigrette, came with Blossom Farms black mission figs from a grower Manzke knows on the other side of the hill in Hollister, green beans, Roquefort cheese, and caramelized walnuts to die for.

The Big Eye Tuna Tartare was like a virtual reinvention of tuna’s taste, with avocado, tomato, yuzu and soy sauce gelee.

My meal was followed by Artisan and Farm House Cheeses with Home-Made Walnut Raisin Bread. For dessert, I ordered the Almond Panna Cotta with a white peach soup, raspberries and peach sorbet. It was wonderfully inventive, light, and a perfume-like sweetness.

For those who might prefer the smallish wine bar (nine seats), there is a lot of fun with full meals and weekend tapas with incredible sardines and ham.

BOUCHEE WINE PHILOSOPHY

Bouchee’s wine philosophy is built on Fink’s idea that “you can’t have great food without delicious

wine” and sommelier Chris Bradford’s feeling that “Wine is food.”

The synergy of Bouchée as a restaurant, wine bar and wine merchant permits a pricing policy that could be one the most progressive in the industry.

Wines that sell for under $20 at Bouchée Wine Merchants are priced $5 above retail in Bouchée restaurant. Wines under $50 are priced $10 above retail, and wines over $50 are sold $15 above retail.

With over 500 eclectic selections, there is something for everyone. And Fink makes sure that “we always take care of our backyard here in Monterey County.”

“Monterey is a very special place to grow wine,” he says. “We have incredible wine makers here. Monterey has more premium grapes than Napa and Sonoma combined.”

Bouchee offers a large selection of California wines,including hard-to-find Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Cabernets. It also has wines from over 14 countries, including France and Italy, of course, but others from lesser-known places like Uruguay, Hungary, and Lebanon. Champagnes served are largely French, but with some domestics.

“Bouchée’s tasting flights are an alternative to bottles,” says Bradford, “in which a customer gets three glasses of different wines. There is a theme to the flights, which change often. We may offer wines of a similar type -- say a red Burgundy and Pinot Noirs from Oregon and New Zealand.

“A variation on this is to have three wines from the same region but from different producers. For our prix fixe menu, we select wines paired especially for the food. The idea is for the customer to have fun enjoying a variety of wines instead of just one varietal with dinner.”

Varietal selections also include wines like Albariño, Gruner Veltliner, and Pinot Blanc. Sauvignon Blanc selections come from Napa, Sonoma, Monterey, Bordeaux, two different Loire regions, and New Zealand.

Dessert wines cover traditional Sauterne or for tastes a bit more adventurous, Vendage Tardive from Alsace or Tokaji from Hungary. And there are Ports, too, 1963, 1966, 1970, 1977, 1980, and 1985 from all the top producers -- Fonseca, Taylor, Dow, Croft, Cockburn, Grahams, and Tawny Port, both vintage and non-vintage.

“Our vision,” says Fink, “is to bring the highest level of luxury and service to our guests with extraordinary accommodations, contemporary amenities and exemplary service.”

Bouchée Restaurant and Wine Bar opens daily at 4 p.m. Dinner is served from 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. nightly. Reservations recommended. Call (831) 626-7880. Bouchée Wine Merchants hours are from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. For more information, call (831) 626-7882 or visit www.boucheecarmel.com.

More articles By George Medovoy

• Return to Home Page