Cyrus

by Mark F.

Had basically the same menu referenced in Mike C.'s 8/30/09 review, except risotto instead of abalone and the Cyrus BLT (Braised Pork Belly) as well the lamb.  Both dishes represented some of the best versions ever tasted. It does not get any better than Cyrus!!!!

by Lil P.

I was actually prepared to be disappointed.  Not because of anything that I had heard, but because I had it built up in my mind.  It was going to be hard to live up to those expectations.Cyrus did live up to those unrealistic expectations.  And then some.  The four of us did the tasting menu (eight courses, I think), with wine pairings.  And some amuses thrown in.Every dish was a hit.  There were no misses.  Four foodies, eight dishes and no one thought there was a miss or even an average.  I will say, I thought one of the wine pairings did not work.  That was the only flaw I could find.The service was like watching a ballet.  When you noticed it.  Items were refreshed before we even knew we needed refreshing (like a super yummy butter).  They anticipated perfectly.And to top it off - a little box of heavenly to-go yummies.  A perfect ending to a perfect meal.

by Scott C.

Let's just say my experience at this restaurant last weekend didn't meet expectations. When you get a 29 in Zagats, and people are comparing you to French Laundry and Gary Danko, I expect GREAT things. In my opinion, Cyrus missed the mark completely. Service was good, not great like Gary Danko or Quince. However the food was the real disappointment. My fiance and I each had the 8 course prix fixe dinner, and we only felt one course was outstanding. That's not to say the meal wasn't good, but for $700 (two bottles of wine), I've had MUCH better at Danko Quince. The other really strange thing about the night was the crowd. I'm guessing it was prom/graduation night because 50% of the place was under the age of 25. The couple next too us (22-ish) were high on something. The girl was spilling wine everywhere, and her boyfriend couldn't keep his eyes from rolling into the back of his head. I guess this recession isn't affecting recent college grads. Anyway, that will be the last time I dine at Cyrus. Unless of course, somebody else is picking up the tab. :)

by Layla G.

So, I hear it rivals French Laundry and my interest is immediately peaked.  Made a reservation, they advised that they would need a credit card to hold the reservation.  Sure, no biggie.  But when we call to cancel because someone is our party is SICK, they tell us that they are going to charge our credit card $50 per person.  Huh?  UNLESS, of course, we re-book for another day.  Hmmm... that might be a little difficult considering I'm leaving town the next day and not sure when I will return!I get a little miff'ed, but then realize - being in the industry, those are just threatening tactics to ensure that people don;t abuse the reservation system.  Surely they won't actually charge me $50 per person!?!?  OF COURSE THEY DID.  Pure profit!  Can't come because someone is sick - cool, we just made $200 off you for doiNG absolutely nothing.  And the irony.... oh the IRONY!  Are they really that dense that they think they can get away with that!?!?  I immediiately dispute the charges on my credit card and get issued a full refund.So, no I did not dine here and NO I have no intentions of EVER dining here.  i could care less How good the food is - the experience clearly SUCKS!

by nenette d.

Noise level 2/5Food here was very inventive and creative.   We did the 5 course menu and all of them were superbly done;  getting the wine pairing  was a smart move.  The sommelier did a fabulous job of pairing different wines with the food, picking up on the most subtle nuances of the flavor in the wine to match the food. The thai marinated lobster with avocado and melon was soo good! I would definitely go back for that.Service was attentive with staff very engaging and personable.Afterwards, they customized the menu that we selected along with the wines paired in a card to take home and a little box of brownies.  Nice touch.Overall,  a very nice experience- well worth the money spent.  If you are wine tasting in the beautiful valley,  go easy on food and wine before going to dinner at Cyrus; you'll  need the space and the attention to appreciate it.

by Jake F.

I haven't had chance to eat at the French Laundry, but even then, I think my favorite restaurant will still be Cyrus.  My wife and I were eager for our dinner at Cyrus after hearing so many glowing reviews.  When we first entered the restaurant, we were greeted cordially and seated in the middle of the bright and spacious dining room.  I'm glad that some restaurants still think bright and cheerful beats ornate and poorly lit.  If I'm paying for a michelin starred dinner, I certainly want a good look at the food that the skilled kitchen staff spent so much effort creating.  Service was impeccable.  Waiters were friendly and welcoming.  Everyone around us was laughing, having a great time - classy yet comfortable.  All of the little extras made such a difference.  If you had a birthday, your table got chocolate egg creams and cookies.  If you ordered caviar, you got a full service vodka ice-bar wheeled over and your dollop of fine eggs weighed by an exquisite old-fashioned silver scale (one of many trolleys).   The best part of the entire experience was the menu.  Although the tasting menu was too good to resist, I was most impressed by the flexbility given the diners when ordering.  You can order anywhere from 3 to 6 courses (IIRC) with ANY combination of courses.  For example, you could start with an appetizer of Wagyu Beef (listed as an entree) then move onto a healthy salad entree and conclude with a decadent foie gras dessert.  Everything is scaled up or down accordingly in size.  Needless to say, this is the best thing EVER.Now, as for the actual meal I ordered:  The 7 course tasting menu had everything I dream about when I go to sleep hungry - foie gras, wagyu beef, an ample cheese plate, a dessert trolley, and so on.  The wine list was vast and included many excellent local selections with a modest mark-up.   The pacing of the courses was spot-on and never gave us just enough time to reflect on how good the prior course was.  Simply put, we had an amazingly enjoyable time thanks to sublime food and picture-perfect execution on all fronts.I can't recommend Cyrus high enough.  It has beat out some terribly tough competition to become my favorite restaurant.  If only it werent several thousand miles away.  I just hope they keep things running the way they are for the next 50 years so I can return again and again and again.

by Petra S.

After going back and forth trying to decide on a restaurant to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary, we had finally decided to go to Cyrus as French Laundry wasn't available for the date until the following week.We unfortunately incurred some moderate traffic on the way there and I immediately called up the restaurant to let them know we might possible be running late. The hostess was very nice and told me it wasn't going to be a problem. Fortunately, we ended up coming right on time.We were seated in a middle table side by side, rather than across from each other, next to another couple who happened to be celebrating their 50th anniversary! (now that's what I call dedication)We were told we could mix and match from different  menu items and decided to try the 7 course tasting menu which included two desserts.I honestly have to say that I didn't enjoy most of my food as it was either raw fish/oysters or the pot pie they had. It wasn't that they didn't make it well, it was mostly because I wasn't into that type of food.A few minutes after being seated, a waitress came by with a tier of different "bites" which we were told were palate teasers. Each one was supposed to evoke a certain taste bud: Sweet, salty, sour and bitter. I enjoyed these the most.The did enjoy the lobster though it was quite small, the Japanese fish which was pan seared as well as the pumpkin pasta which was surprisingly very good. The desserts that came with our tasting menu were not very impressive and I was hoping for more choices, which Gary Danko gives you.Overall, they did give us a special anniversary dessert which came in a glass vase where inside were 4 warm mini chocolate chip cookies and once I turned the nob on the glass case, the balloon then sprinkled out the chocolate dust onto the cookies, which was a surprise. It also came with two little glasses of chocolate cream soda (I was told it was a Brooklyn thing.)We did have some trouble flagging down waiters most of the night. They had brought us butter and salts but no one came by with any bread until we pointed it out to them. The staff was attentive but not quite as attentive as the ones we've had at Gary Danko, where they actually would clean up the crumbs off the table when replacing utensils. Most of the evening, although the staff was nice and accommodating, we continued to get the feeling that they were paying more attention to the older couples there as we were the only young couple. I wasn't sure if they thought we didn't expect as high of a service from them, but after dining at Gary Danko and receiving impeccable service along with waitstaff that literally stood by your table to see if you needed anything, I was expecting a little more form Cyrus for the money.In between our entee's and dessert they gave us a palate cleanser which was a little frozen cube on a stick made of lime and pear juices, which I loved!The best part of the night was the dessert cart I suppose. There were so many different selections, including dark chocolate, truffles, fruit geles and even lolly pops. We took samples of everything they had home as we were too full to finish them there. At the end of the night when our bill came, we received a bag with their logo on it and inside was  a menu with all the entres we had that night, along with "Happy Anniversary" imprinted on it. We also received a dark chocolate brownie in a cute little white and gold box to enjoy at home. Aside from not feeling impressed by a few entrees, the limited dessert choices and the slightly slow to come to our table or get our check, I felt all the sweet little extras of the night were a wonderful and kind gesture. We were definitively feeling stuffed. I guess my biggest complaint of the night was that we constantly had to try and flag down someone to take our picture as no one really offered, despite seeing us with a camera tying to take our own.I can't say that I like Cyrus more than Gary Danko, but they do come in at a close second for me and if we could award half stars, I would be giving them 4 1/2 instead of 4 stars.Cyrus is definitively worth visiting if you're looking for a long dining experience (ours took about three hours) and don't mind trying unique foods.

by Eat N.

I don't like Cyrus, I don't have warm fuzzies... it was rather a disappointting.  So why give it 5 stars?  It truly is the class of Sonoma County fine dining.  General's Daughter, Girl the Fig, Syrah others... they are all wannabes... Cyrus based on ingredients, creativity service is VASTLY superior to the rest in town.With that said.. I also found it way overpriced uninspiring.  The food was not flawless... not that anything was bad... some of the dishes conceptually were just way off the mark.  There was absolutely no consistency story behind the dishes wines they choose on the Food Wine price fixe, and the service was impeccable if you like choreographed, disneyish, hovering style service.  Also the dining room is ugly devoid of style.Canapes... these were very nice tasty. One was a rift on Mexican Empanadas the other was simply roasted tomato in pastry. Both nice, neither memorable.Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Hirame Basil. Not a gazpacho at all... maybe a cross between a Deconstructed Gazpacho a seafood cocktail. It was a clear cucumber "broth"... with a Hirame sashimi wrapped around a cherry tomato. The flavors varied from resort spa water to very subtle Thai lemon grass soup. It was refreshing, tasty and fit what we tend to think of as creative Calfornia cuisine.This was paired with the Francois Cotat - Culs de Beaujeu - Sancerre 2004. It was an okay French style wine, well structured with good silky texture but plain, minerality that would be nice with a Chicken Kiev but completely mismatched to a dish of this delicacy. Seared Foie Gras wtih Hazelnut Crusted Doughnut, Apples and Cinnamon. This was very nice... carmelized exterior, buttery interior, excellent doughnut, sauteed apples.. heavenly for three bites thats when my tongue instinctively begged for a mouthful of some sharp, gamey Chevre.... and I realized the dish - while well executed - was unbalanced and a surprising misstep for a chef of this caliber.Paired with Heidi Shrock - Furmint Sauvignon Blanc - Ruster Ausbruch 2001. A sweet Austrian wine with flavors that reminded me of nail polish remover. It of course only added to the sweetness of the Foie Gras... a terrible pairing imo (but maybe with the Chevre)Langoustine with Sweet Corn, Mussel-Saffron Sauce. This was one of our favorites... perfectly cooked, tender, light helped us recover from the overly sweet Foie Grass. The sauce was really a foam that really evoked a coconut curry. Very nice.Paired with the Guy Amiot - 1er Cru Maltroie - Chassagne-Montrachet 2004. Again the insistence on pairing such delicate Thai-ish flavors with such a plain French wine seemed wrong... and was not particularly enjoyable.Cyrus BLT (Pork Belly, Pancetta, Heirloom Tomato, stroke of aioli) This was one of our favorites... the pork belly was succulent carmelized with some kind of red wine reduction.Paired with the Williams Selyem - Bucher Vineyard- Pinot Noir 2005 (Russian River valley). The wine selection really started getting better here. It was well structured, luscious wine with very nice black cherry that melded perfectly with the "BLT".Rib Eye of imported Japanese Wagyu beef with Bamboo Rice, Matsutakes Ponzu Sauce. The beef...all 1 ounces of it... was wonderful. The rice was a disaster however it incorporated preserved limes lime oil... and was way too bitter and clashed with the red wine pairing.Paired with Gaja - Pieve Santa Restituta Rennina - Brunello di Montalcino 2001 (Tuscany). A very nice red that seemed very similar to the previous Pinot Noir.... structure, luscious, less black cherry, a bit more tannin.Cheese Cart (French style service). Unfortunately the cheese monger read us incorrectly because he ended up selecting mostly young cheeses and we prefer aged... but it was still very nice. I can't remember all the cheeses... half were European, half were American (Indiana, Washington and a single local cheese). Our favorites were a French double creme Camembert, a Portugese "spread in cheese cloth", and the Indiana manchego like cheese that was wrapped in Grape leaves.Paired with Alta Gracia - Eisle Vineyard - Araujo 2004 (Napa). Another nice red. However, I don't understand the insistence of red wines with cheese.... the pairing just doesn't do much for me.Chocolate Egg Cream with Chocolate-Hazelnut cookies. (Complimentary for special occassions). The cookies were great, the egg cream was like ovaltine... they do something with a balloon and a hookah looking device to blow sprinkles over the cookies. I thought they were about to bust into a choreographed number as well.Green Cardomom Ice Cream with Lychee Granite, Chilled Rose Soup. Nice refreshing. The ice cream was a perfect, silky texture. Not particularly memorable.Paired with Chateau D'Yquem Sauternes 1997 (Bordeaux). An okay dessert wine... also had a bit of that nail polish remover essence. I don't think the sommelier has ever heard of the virtues of a nice Mosca

by Julie K.tessie n.Petra S.Paul K.Brett W.

Yes, I eat foie gras. And, yes, I do love it, thank you very much. But I don't eat it at every opportunity. In fact, foie was the last thing on my mind when my companion and I decided to stop at Cyrus for cocktails after a day of winetasting and as a prelude to a late dinner at the Girl the Fig.But as we approached the restaurant I noticed, nay, heard a commotion ahead. There they were, some animal rights activists intoning via megaphone the horrors of foie gras production. They weren't being nasty about it, I'll admit. But come on, did they really think that someone with his mind set on having foie would decide not to just because of their demonstration?Well, yes, I suppose they did or they wouldn't have been there. But I'm pretty sure they didn't think they might actually *encourage* somebody to order the foie. WRONG! My immediate visceral reaction was, Dammit, now I want foie! However, knowing we were only going in for drinks, I didn't think I'd have the opportunity. But it was my turn to be wrong.The bar at Cyrus serves selections from the tasting menu a la carte. And there it was, near the top of the bar menu: Seared Foie Gras with Asian Pear Coulis and Lentils, and Vanilla Bean Gastrique. The two slices of foie were crisped on the outside and melted on our tongues. We savored our morsels, enjoying the sweet and sour notes of the coulis and gastrique--but also calculating if we could maaaaybe sample another of Chef Keane's creations without ruining our dinner appetites. This time I held my desires in check, and we saved room for dinner. But I'll be back--and I hope the protestors will be there again, too, just to remind me to order the foie.I had high expectations for this place and maybe that was the downfall. Don't get me wrong, dinner was good. The caviar chart was good, Many of the courses were good. The cheese cart was my favorite.Was I expecting to be blown away? Yes.. But I came away with a  very good dinner experience instead. That's okay too.After going back and forth trying to decide on a restaurant to celebrate our 5 year wedding anniversary, we had finally decided to go to Cyrus as French Laundry wasn't available for the date until the following week.We unfortunately incurred some moderate traffic on the way there and I immediately called up the restaurant to let them know we might possible be running late. The hostess was very nice and told me it wasn't going to be a problem. Fortunately, we ended up coming right on time.We were seated in a middle table side by side, rather than across from each other, next to another couple who happened to be celebrating their 50th anniversary! (now that's what I call dedication)We were told we could mix and match from different  menu items and decided to try the 7 course tasting menu which included two desserts.I honestly have to say that I didn't enjoy most of my food as it was either raw fish/oysters or the pot pie they had. It wasn't that they didn't make it well, it was mostly because I wasn't into that type of food.A few minutes after being seated, a waitress came by with a tier of different "bites" which we were told were palate teasers. Each one was supposed to evoke a certain taste bud: Sweet, salty, sour and bitter. I enjoyed these the most.The did enjoy the lobster though it was quite small, the Japanese fish which was pan seared as well as the pumpkin pasta which was surprisingly very good. The desserts that came with our tasting menu were not very impressive and I was hoping for more choices, which Gary Danko gives you.Overall, they did give us a special anniversary dessert which came in a glass vase where inside were 4 warm mini chocolate chip cookies and once I turned the nob on the glass case, the balloon then sprinkled out the chocolate dust onto the cookies, which was a surprise. It also came with two little glasses of chocolate cream soda (I was told it was a Brooklyn thing.)We did have some trouble flagging down waiters most of the night. They had brought us butter and salts but no one came by with any bread until we pointed it out to them. The staff was attentive but not quite as attentive as the ones we've had at Gary Danko, where they actually would clean up the crumbs off the table when replacing utensils. Most of the evening, although the staff was nice and accommodating, we continued to get the feeling that they were paying more attention to the older couples there as we were the only young couple. I wasn't sure if they thought we didn't expect as high of a service from them, but after dining at Gary Danko and receiving impeccable service along with waitstaff that literally stood by your table to see if you needed anything, I was expecting a little more form Cyrus for the money.In between our entee's and dessert they gave us a palate cleanser which was a little frozen cube on a stick made of lime and pear juices, which I loved!The best part of the night was the dessert cart I suppose. There were so many different selections, including dark chocolate, truffles, fruit geles and even lolly pops. We took samples of everything they had home as we were too full to finish them there. At the end of the night when our bill came, we received a bag with their logo on it and inside was  a menu with all the entres we had that night, along with "Happy Anniversary" imprinted on it. We also received a dark chocolate brownie in a cute little white and gold box to enjoy at home. Aside from not feeling impressed by a few entrees, the limited dessert choices and the slightly slow to come to our table or get our check, I felt all the sweet little extras of the night were a wonderful and kind gesture. We were definitively feeling stuffed. I guess my biggest complaint of the night was that we constantly had to try and flag down someone to take our picture as no one really offered, despite seeing us with a camera tying to take our own.I can't say that I like Cyrus more than Gary Danko, but they do come in at a close second for me and if we could award half stars, I would be giving them 4 1/2 instead of 4 stars.Cyrus is definitively worth visiting if you're looking for a long dining experience (ours took about three hours) and don't mind trying unique foods.I've been looking forward to dining at Cyrus for sometime since I've read so many high praises for the food.  Last weekend, we finally made it up there.The Mediterranean interior was very open yet warm.  Compared to Gary Danko, there is a lot more space.  The overall experience was very nice.  Everything from the service provided by the server and the sommelier, the space and the decor were outstanding.  The food was very good, but it was not as unique as I had hoped it would be.   As expected, our dinner was long at about 3 hours.Cyrus offers a 5 or a 7 course tasting menu plus a 5 course vegetarian tasting menu.  We both opted for the 5 course dinner with White Truffles added to one of our entrees.  Prior to taking our order, the server brought to the table a fancy box that contains a huge piece of white truffle.  He asked us to smell it and then proceed to tell us the cost which is $20 per gram.  He also informs us that we will probably need about 3-4 grams of White Truffle on a dish.  We ended up trying the White Truffle shavings on one of the entrees.-Canapes (4 stars): which consisted of various types of exotically fruity, teaspoon sized, Jello-like finger foods.  Very interesting sweet and sour flavors.-Amuse Bouche (4.5 stars): shredded spicy Dugeness Crab.  This was a good starter, just slightly spicy.  Very tasty.-Spot Prawn Sashimi with Tomatoes, Melon amp; Cucumber in a Sesame Balsamic sauce (4 stars). This was very good and very Japanese, but it's not that different from the sweet prawns at a very high end contemporary Japanese restaurant in Asia.  Good but not that extraordinary or unique.-Seared Foie Gras with Asian Pear Coulis and Lentils.  Vanilla Gastrique (5 stars).  This was outstanding.  I wish it was bigger!  The Foie Gras was so rich and went will with the slightly sweet and tart Asian Pear Coulis.  Paring Foie Gras with Lentil is something I've had before.  It definitely works.  This along with Trio in Chicago are the best Foie Gras I've had.-Roasted Lobster with Daikon and Blood Oranges.  Tamarind Ponzu (4 stars).  Another Japanese inspired dish.  Similar to the Prawn, I thought it was good, but not that original.  The Japanese flavors are nice but a bit too subtle for me.  The Lobster while fresh, did not taste sweet, like it was alive just before serving.  I was a bit underwhelmed with this dish.-Wild Turbot with Matsutake adn Junsai, Ginger Shiso Dashi... Another Japanese inspired dish (4 stars).  The sauce was very refreshing, but similar to the lobster, the fish was fresh but did not have the sweetness of fish that was swimming hours before.  I'm a bit disappointed that it did not taste like it was flown in that day (as it would be in high end Chicago restaurants) and being Asian, the Japanese approach to the seafood was too familiar and too ordinary for the price.Red Wine Truffled Risotto with Glazed Pork and Braised Cabbage (3 stars).  This was the dish we had the White Truffle shavings added which added $64 more to the bill.  I thought the pork was good, but had a hint of the strong porky/meaty flavor.  The truffles were good, but much milder than it smelled and for $64, it's not quite worth it.Lamb Roulade with Cannelloni and Parsnip Puree (5 stars).  The lamb was outstanding.  It was extremely tender and not a hint of gaminess.  The texture was velvety.  Polenta with Figs and Pear (3 stars) - This dessert was surprisingly light.  Warm Gianduja Doughnuts with Caramelized Banana and Avocado (3 stars) - The doughnut was like any doughnut found in a high-end contemporary American restaurant.  It didn't really stand out.Overall, it was a great dinner.  The service was stellar, the ambiance was luxurious and not stuffy.  The food was good, but it did not make a strong impression.  I was expecting it to be more unique.  The entrees were overwhelmingly Japanese in approach which made it light but it was a bit too familiar and a bit too "light" in the seasoning and flavor.  It also did not stand out when compared to real high end Japanese restaurants which cost a lot less and in someways are more particular (obsessive) about the freshness of the seafood.  I guess I was looking for something a bit more decadent, more unique and more French for a meal that ended up costing $250 a person.  Without a doubt the food was very good, just not $250 good.  4 stars over all5 stars for the experience (flawless service and superb ambiance)4 stars for the food3 stars for price vs food quality uniquenessan unforgettable dining experience. impeccable service to match. order the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing, sit back and relax and prepare to be wowed.

by Jaime C.

There are many things to say that are great about Cyrus. This is a 2 Michelin Star restaurant, experts agree this place is fantastic. There is a heavy Asian influence on the menu right now. It was all delicious, but took me back at first since these types of restaurant typically deliver a French Influence. The few criticisms I have include 1) service. Service was great, however, the 10 servers attending to our table never felt in the background. I felt like I was being watched the entire meal which made me slightly uncomfortable. 2) the Up sell. From the minute we sat down the first "temptation" came. That was how champagne and caviar were described, The 2nd "temptation" came with the offering of shavings of truffle for $20 a gram. The meal is already pretty fantastic and those items were on the menu, seems like you should let diners request them instead of having the up sell from the salesman. Just seemed weird to me. There is not enough great things I can say about the meal. Each course was incredibly unique and delicious. The highlights for me were the pork cheeks risotto dish. It seemed the least interesting to me on the menu, but I found it to be fantastic. There was also a white fish that has already escaped me, but it was served in this Asian broth. It appeared very simple, but the flavors were unbelievable.