Moto

The four of us went to celebrate the launch of project.  Sensible luxury is what i thought as i walked in. The decor was peaceful and small...a luxury  me. We walked downstairs and it looked like a lab. We started with a sparking wine and continued with a 14 course meal with the accompanying wine for each course. The service was friendly, kind and knowledgeable. Everything was delicious and the presentation was unique and you could tell the person making them loved what they do. The few items that stand out are:
- distilled jalapeno shot...refreshing and peppery
- burning cinnamon sticks
- huge jar of thyme with a tangerine filled with a sweet sauce to pour over your dish.

It was pricey but worth it.. a real treat for all the hard work we did on the project.

I went to Moto around 2005 when they were still a young establishment.  There was a lot of promise and creative energy back then, but some aspects of the experience were pretty clumsy as they were just getting started.  Flash forward eight years and this place is remarkably good.  The food was really well-thought out and the theater was just over-the-top enough to give a sense of playfulness in the otherwise austere environment.  I found the wine pairing quirky and interesting and deftly chosen.  The service is a little strange and a bit unrefined in places, but that was only a small distraction during an otherwise excellent evening.  In a year full of many, many restaurants, some of which had one or two more Michelin stars than Moto, this was our favorite dining experience.

I recently attended the cooking demo with Chef Cantu and he personally presided over most of the 3+ hours of eating, drinking, cooking and conversation (kitchen, lab & farm tours included).  There was a light mood with alot of laughs, interesting conversation about the future of food.. and great wine.  Since I've eaten at Moto twice  before, I'm sticking with the 5 star review!