Meet the new model for what used to be called fine dining, the intimate, scrappy, and refreshingly unintimidating Semilla.
Some might miss the white tablecloths, bone china, and hushed tones of the country’s finest restaurants. But not me. What chef José Ramírez-Ruiz and his partner and pastry chef Pamela Yung’s 18-seat spot lacks in grandeur, it makes up for with an ambitious and inventive set menu. For $75, you receive ten works of art. I’m not exaggerating. Each visit featured several dishes that I didn’t know whether to eat or simply admire (the sliced, roasted, and reassembled carrots were an Instagram slam dunk). Meat plays a supporting role—think radish with a whipped foie gras dip—while workhorse vegetables like onion, celery, and potato are given star turns, prepared in ways that I never could have imagined. The cabbage slaw sandwich (crisp dehydrated leaves around chewy buckwheat groats) sounds like something Bilbo Baggins would take to work. But it’s a three-bite miracle. As for the always-on-the-menu sourdough bread? You’ll want to hug Yung, its creator, and ask for more. She’ll likely oblige. This is fine dining, after all.
Semilla's 10-course tasting menu, as served on June 18, 2015:
Get the spring greens salad recipe here.
Get in the mood for your visit to Semilla with Google Play's A Rustic Ramble station.
To read more, subscribe now. You’ll get instant access to the Best New Restaurants Issue and exclusive bonus content.