Michael T.
Yelp
When I checked in the greeter sail said "oh you are the ones here on your 55th anniversary. Congratulations! That's rare, and the first to recall the 55th anniversary note I made in the reservation app.
And then at the table there was a "Happy Anniversary" card and key people and the server signing. A first for me! You can see it in the first two pix. It's a concrete example of how they LIVE customer satisfaction. Most restaurants say it. Stella demonstrates in actions, a much higher bar IMHO.
We shared the Burrata & Prosciutto di Parma both from Puglia. 10!
Next we also shared the "Light Salad" lettuces and flowers with oregano red vinigrette. A 10!
My grilled shrimp toast was a 9! Great sauce, great bread, "grilled" shrimp had a texture of boiled shrimp. No pix, I was too busy carving it up and slaterhing with the sauce that the toast was in with the grilled shrimp on top. This was a 9 for me. The shrimp tasted more like shrimp cocktail (boiled) shrimp. it was very very good, but if it was grilled it might have been great.
My wife loved her grilled (over open fire) Wagu beef, a true medium RARE. A 10!
Why is most of NorCal restaurants I go to think "medium rare to rare" means medium well???
For dessert I had a decaf affogato with housemade gelato. A 10!
My wife had a berry sorbet. A 10!
My wife had a "low alcohol" Strawberry margarita with wine as an ingredient to lower the % alcohol.
I had a glass of white Tansy Falaghina GL from Sonoma County's Russian River. The falangina had 12.5% alcohol but it hit me, so maybe it was something in the process. Service was wonderful.
The ambiance was very friendly from servers to the customers, and several customers talked to folks at another table.
It reminded me of a really really well done software startup that hired A-players for management, back of the house, and front of the house who were great food, great wine AND incredibly great client-centric.
This was my first restaurant visit to Kenwood. I got a sense that the restaurant was building on a warm and welcoming foundation of the Kenwood vibe.
The seating i chose was inside, and they're was a long bar connected to the chefs' area so you could be a single, the tables were modular so it could be 2 or for or with one side as a chair and one side as a giant piece of cushion (on bottom and back).
This was an incredibly high level. I've never experienced it for a LUNCH meal. Gonna have to come back for dinner.
And the next time I'm taking 101 north and turning on route 12. The google suggestion saved two minutes and was a nightmare of twisting and turning. I'll leave it to the locals from now on.