By Jenna Sanders
The bounty of fall has arrived at Lucy, Bardessono Hotel & Spa’s signature restaurant, with new menu items showcasing fresh local ingredients that will drive the culinary program through the holiday season.
Executive Chef Jim Leiken, formerly of Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena, brings the purity of seasonal produce to the forefront of his culinary program at Lucy. “When you have amazing ingredients at their peak, all you need to help them shine is careful technique, respect for the people who make them, and an appreciation of how they fit into culinary traditions, both past and present,” says Chef Leiken.
Fall produce from both Lucy’s onsite, certified organic garden and farms within a 110-mile radius of the restaurant, shine in the newest menu offerings, including a bright fall salad with pears and smoked duck breast, roasted beet toast with creamy goat cheese, house gravlax, pickled ramps, and dill, and orecchiette with roasted squash.
A Spanish-influenced seared octopus with blood orange, confit potatoes, crispy chorizo, and aioli nero is prepared to perfection. Hearty pork shanks with creamy polenta, swiss chard, crispy sage, and roasted shallots warm the belly and the soul when temperatures drop and comfort cravings set in. Coq au vin, another new menu item, shines a light on Chef Leiken’s culinary talent, taking a classic French dish and executing it at a level that meets Bardessono Hotel & Spa’s high standards for excellence.
Seasonal desserts are not to be missed. Warm pear cobbler studded with rum raisins topped with whipped crème fraiche and the New York cheesecake with red wine poached huckleberries are two standouts. Chocolate lovers will surely be delighted by the chocolate-passionfruit bombe with crème anglaise, melding rich chocolate with tart passionfruit.
Fall flavors extend to the cocktail program at Lucy as well, where mixologists craft Cider Jacks with applejack liqueur, hard apple cider, and a splash of grenadine. The pear nectar mimosa, another highlight of the fall cocktail menu, is garnished with earthy thyme from Lucy’s onsite garden.
Chef Leiken’s mindful approach to cuisine and respect for fresh local ingredients dazzle in these extraordinary dishes showcasing classic flavors of the Fall season.
6526 Yount St., Yountville in Bardessono Hotel & Spa | 707-204-6030 | bardessono.com/DINING
Breakfast 7 a.m. - 11 a.m. | lunch 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. | dinner 5:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.