Remembering the Menu
"When a fire ripped through Napa Valley and reduced Christopher Kostow’s three-Michelin-star restaurant to charred rubble, I pulled out my menu from 2018. A heavy black envelope closed with a wax seal held a near-transparent sheet of paper printed with the day’s offerings. The night’s dinner came rushing back to me. I thought of the smoked avocado—its center filled with foie gras and black truffles. I marveled at the cheese that had been with me all night, hidden and kept warm inside the torso of a flickering candle at the table. I recalled the oversized pine cone filled with chocolate. This wasn’t just dinner; it was an immersion, a celebration of California and a thrilling display of culinary craft. The envelope included a quote from naturalist and explorer, John Muir: "In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks." - MICHELIN Inspectors
