Michael Warring

Reviews 4

SP

Spencer Star

Do I have good reasons for a 1 star review of an acclaimed restaurant? Well, you judge. The restaurant is in a standard retail storefront of a small shopping center. It has no atmosphere at all. If you plan to have a romantic date, this is one of the last places you would want to go. Everyone can hear everyone elses conversation unless you whisper. Its obvious obvious that this place was chosen because the rent is cheap and nothing was done to make it an inviting atmosphere. We reserved by phone and were told the only time open was 6:30pm. From S.F. you can plan on 90 minutes to get there during the dinner hour. It was a long drive and traffic was bad; we arrived 25 minutes late. There were exactly eight other people in the restaurant; it was more than half empty. The fixed tasting menu has four very small courses plus cheese and dessert. We were told that the first course, a salad, had been served and that the "chef" did not want to prepare it for us now because it would interrupt his concentration. We were also told by Mrs. Warring that there were three seatings in an evening, that each seating had a window of two hours, and if service did not start promptly and follow the schedule, the next service would be disrupted. Although I was upset about not receiving the first course, I sighed and accepted this reasoning. (It was only after the meal ended and I paid that I found out that there were no other seatings this evening and that Mr. and Mrs. Warring were anxious to close the restaurant and get home early.) Still under the illusion that there would be two more services that evening, I ordered a glass of an excellent red and received approximately 3 ounces, if that much. I asked if that was a standard pour and was told yes by Mr. Warrings wife, who was quite coldly and unsmilingly providing the waitress duties. Servers of course range from those who smile and are obviously happy with their work to those who hate their job and see you, the customer, as a problem that is ruining their day. Unfortunately, Mrs. Warring is a perfect example of the latter. Each time she passed by our table the few drops of wine in my glass became a few degrees cooler. The promise of great food, of course, is the main reason that one drives an hour and a half and pays high prices to eat in a shopping center. I cant comment on the first course. But the second course was a small one-inch cube of raw fish with a few bits of something and a 1/4 teaspoon of sauce drizzled over the fish. Perhaps a super-taster with a very dense system of taste buds and a nose for every nuance could appreciate the subtlety of the dish, but it was lost on me. The one bite of fish was excellent. The rest of the dish was all promise and no delivery. The third course was some kind of raw meat cut into five one-inch cubes. Tough and stringy is a perfect description of the quality of the meat. Almost impossible to cut and about five minutes to chew each cube. I suppose this was a strategy to extend the dining time given the miniscule portions. The chef would then have more time to prepare the cheese plate for the patrons. The cheese plate had three local cheeses. Mrs. Warring seemed very proud to announce that one of the cheeses had been aged for six months. Given that the week before in Bologna, Italy, I had tasted a three-cheese plate of Parmigiano aged 21, 24, and 36 years, I was not terribly impressed. Dessert was fine. When I paid, a little before 9pm, I noticed Mr. Warring cleaning and closing the kitchen. Of course, they charged me for all the courses even though they refused to serve the first course. Of course I will not be back. But as a warning to you, there are so many other excellent restaurants in the Bay Area and the wine country, why run the risk of an unpleasant experience, a server who doesnt like serving, a long drive, a high price, and a snob-attitude. Spend your money someplace else where you have a much better chance of having a great time!

VI

Vincent Sartor

Michael Warrings seems almost out of place here in Vallejo. The food is on par with the top stops in Napa and San Francisco. Certainly the setting is a little odd - a mini strip mall out at Hiddenbrooke. I am certain that many people drive right past it on their first trip. They only take reservations, dont bother showing up without one! Many of his dishes need hours to prepare (often using Sous Vide). Do yourself, and everyone else, a favor and show up on time. He uses a large variety of ingredients in most dishes, and they require plenty personal touches to get right. If you show up late you will be out of sync with the other diners and you will all have to wait a bit longer for food, and Michael will have to rush to get everything prepared. It certainly will not feel as relaxed in the restaurant if you are late. They also cannot make substitutions, it is a small place with very customized food. If you are a diner that expects the chef to change his meals to fit your tastes this restaurant is not place for you. If you are the type of diner that is delighted by tasting amazing food prepared in unique and unexpected ways you will not be disappointed. If you have read this much of the review you have noticed that I have not posted much detail about the food. The simple reason is that it is different every time. One last note - I have never seen a chef use tweezers as much as Mr. Warring. He has a large selection of them!

JO

Joel Rogers

My Second Visit to Michael Warring Restaurant I pleased to say that my second trip to Michael Warring equaled the experience of my initial visit. Elated by my first visit two months ago, I returned this time with another couple, to see what Michael Warring was going to offer. I am pleased to say, the second meal was no less memorable than my first. The fresh greens, at the beginning of the meal, were much the same as during my prior visit. The salty Champagne Vinaigrette was an excellent accompaniment to the bitterness of the greens. The roasted loin of long & bailey pork with the Danvers carrot, rouge vif detampe, and green beans was outstanding. The searing on the pork was amazing. We had been looking forward to the pineapple upside down cake with pineapple guava ice cream, and salted caramel with anticipation. The ‘cake’ component was indefinably delicious. Was it a scone? Was it a biscuit? Nothing in any of our memories could classify why the inside was so light, while the outside had a firm crunch. Michael’s version of pineapple upside down cake ranks in my top ten desserts of all time. I came to the conclusion that while I tend to be a protein with heavy sauce guy, Michael’s unsullied, elegant food satisfies my spiritual pallet.

ER

Erika Brostrand

Short review... OMG this place is OFF THE HOOK! The gory details... when we first arrived, I was GRUMPY. It was pouring rain, they have an almost invisible sign, we drove by it three times. It is a "restaurant" in an office building. Completely lacking in restaurant "decor". I was really impressed with how nicely Alli treated us - despite my being a jerk. Except for the size of the steak entree (literally 1.5 cubic inch) I have NOTHING else negative to say. And I have a TON of positive things to say! They only seat 20 people/night. Can you say, "unbelievable customer service"?! And that means you can be at your table all night long. The set menu, five courses and dessert, was the best food I have ever had. Definitely get the wine - we are probably buying four of the five bottles we tasted. And I dont mean they only gave us small tastes - we got a glass of each wine. The seasoning and combination of flavors was like nothing you could normally find outside a big city. I dont know how Michael creates these INCREDIBLE dishes! If you work for a nice company - you should get them to have a holiday party here. If you want to impress a date - you should bring them here. If you want food that tantalizes your pallet - you should eat here!