Sons and Daughters. Here’s what a 7-course meal is all about

See this tiny little kitchen?

It’s where the magic happens.

Because in this case, size doesn’t matter.

Seriously, you wouldn’t think that a tiny kitchen like this (that only fits 3-4 people comfortably) could rank amongst other top-tier Michelin restaurants in the city.

But they do.

And Chef Duncan Holmes just kills it in every possible way, earning him a highly coveted Michelin Star.

So here’s all the deets on Sons and Daughters:

They offer a multi-course tasting menu (7 courses) as their only dining option. Dishes are tweaked on a daily basis depending on the freshest ingredients available in their garden. They have an 83 acre farm in the Santa Cruz mountains… producing roots, greens, fruits, herbs, eggs, and so many key ingredients that you’ll see below.

The dinner comes with a hefty price tag for most of us ($98 per person), but for a 1 star michelin restaurant, prices are in-line with what you’re about to experience:

As I walked through the doors, I was prompted greeted by staff who said:

Welcome Cynthia, you look even prettier in person than on your website!

…and that was when I knew I already loved the place… lol jk

As we sat down, we were asked if we’d like a glass of champagne.

We replied with the only acceptable answer to that question: YES

They even customized our menu, which said “Welcome Cynthia and Jefferson.”

At that moment, I instantly regretted not putting down “Queen Cynthia” or “Best Amateur Food Blogger in the Universe”

The first course is a chilled tomato soup with ground cherries, lemon, cucumbers, and basil. They also added a tiny delicious barley chip, which I devoured in .01 seconds.

The 2^nd course is a black cod poached in olive oil, accompanied by an avocado puree and other ingredients that I had to Google: wax beans, finger limes, and sea grapes.

Next came this bread and butter. OMG. It’s heaven. This cornbread toast is buttery, rich and decadent. I was bummed that I ate it so fast.

Each bread corresponds with the next dish in the progression of their tasting menu (3 breads)

The 3rd course features roasted baby beets (which I assume is also straight from their garden). This dish is accompanied by Greek yogurt, mustard seeds and Vadouvan spices <– a fancy name for curry spices. The approach to this dish is simple and delicate, artfully displaying a clarity of key ingredients.

As soon as we hit the fourth dish, everything starts to get a little hazy.

Side: sorry for the slightly blurry photo. I assume it was due to a mixture of the champagne kicking in and loss of natural lighting.

The 4th dish features a complex and cleaver use of four different kinds of pork: belly, loin, budin noir, (and I forgot the last one, sorry!)

This plate is accompanied by thin slices of apple and bits of kale. My favorite was the pork belly, as it had the perfect amount of fat to belly ratio.

OMG. This pretzel bread. I die. It was warm and firm on the outside, yet the insides remained soft and dense.

The fifth dish was the highlight of my meal. The chicken was perfectly cooked with roasted sunchokes, burgandy black  truffle, and a sous vide egg yolk (fancy name for slow-cooked eggs).

The 6th dish is more of a palate cleanser, but it’s one of the MOST delicious palate cleansers I’ve ever had. This dish features bartlett pears (from their garden), with a whipped lemon curd and salad burnet. I especially loved the texture of this dish, as the cold and creamy texture was refreshing to my palate.

(It’s kinda like a mixture between froyo and ice cream)

The 7th dish: DESSERT.

There’s absolutely no better way to end the meal than with this persimmon cake layered with a creamy toffee mousse. You also get a delicious persimmon sorbet that hits the spot in all the right places.

 Oh. and right when you think everything is over. It’s not.

This delightful platter of candy comes out #winning

Throughout the entire meal, different servers came to check on us every 10 minutes to see if we needed anything else.

When Jefferson asked for a coke, our head server said “We don’t have any, but I’ll see what I can do.”

15 minutes later…

A glass of coke appeared before our eyes and we wondered if they had gone across the street to buy some.

Probably.

Needless to say, our meal was fab! Sons and Daughters embraces a true definition of farm-to-table.

Overall, the service was unpretentious and friendly. The flavors in each dish are delicate, yet intricately designed.

PS: Make your ressies a week in advance. Oh, and dinner takes about 2.15 hours. I know it sounds long, but trust me. It’s worth it.

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