Adrie Reinders

A shining star under the Golden Gate Bridge

Murray Circle
Cavallo Point – the Lodge at the Golden Gate
601 Murray Circle, Fort Baker, Sausalito, CA 94965
(415) 339-4750

This week I was invited to have dinner at the restaurant at Cavallo Point called Murray Circle, a one star Michelin restaurant.
The already famous Chef Joseph Humphry is doing an excellent job here – coming from other locations where he won up to two Michelin stars that may not come as a surprise but still takes dedication to achieve.

As my starter I had Sunchoke Bisque, a very refined starter setting me up for a great meal. The main course was a dish with wood-grilled prawns, fennel and cucumber – again superb flavours all coming into their own. To finish I could not resist the Black Tea Creme Brulee – soft, creamy, delicate – one bite only inviting another. This all in all was probably one of the best dinners I have had on the West Coast.

The decor was a little too dark for my taste, it almost gave me the sense that I was in a living room instead of a restaurant, which was not entirely comfortable. Service was as you should expect in a top quality restaurant, friendly, knowledgeable, professional without being overbearing. All in all an excellent experience.

Food: 9.5
Service: 8.5
Comfort: 8
Price/Quality: 8.5

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A shining star in Düsseldorf

Victorian Königstraße 3a 40212 Düsseldorf Tel. +49 211 – 86550

On the infamous Königs Allee in Düsseldorf you can find one the best restaurants in town. The “Kö” as it is commonly known is the heart of a world-famous shopping area which can easily be compared to Madison Avenue in New York, Michigan Avenue in Chicago or Monte Napoleone in Milan in terms of quality and style.

The restaurant is rather austere in terms of decor – typical of the boutiques and shops you find in this area, lots of chrome, white and mirrors. The host, who is a regular at the restaurant, ordered the chef’s nine-course special menu – all nouvelle cuisine-like, small, beautifully presented dishes. The taste was phenomenal although the main course (a meat dish) was not as tender as I had expected. But other then that I cannot fault it at all. Though the dishes were all light, nine course later you are still full!

Personell was as can be expected in a restaurant of this standard, very smooth and knowledgeable. As mentioned, the decor was rather cold and not to my personal taste. One thing that seemed odd to me is that the tables had been set in such a way that the waiter had to hand me my dish over someone else’s setting. One minor point in an otherwise perfect evening.

Definitely worth visiting should you happen to visit Düsseldorf

Food: 9
Service: 8.5
Comfort: 8
Price/Quality: As I was treated this time, I don’t know the price part, but I assume in line with a Michelin star ranked restaurant.