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This energetic, absolutely fabulous young Frenchman, Executive Chef Christophe Grosjean, fills his food with his boundless passion for beautifully balanced tastes using only the freshest of ingredients. This passion spills over into his relationships with everyone around him lighting up the room. We find he epitomizes the approach we search for and love in fine dining - the harmonious paring of flavors, often of unlikely ingredients, that blossom in the mouth, each building the other.
Chef Grosjean has embraced California. He chose Carmel and Monterey as his American destination since it is home to such a long growing season and such a plentiful variety of culinary plunder from vegetables to sea food, from herbs to wild mushrooms. He loves this "horn of plenty" and personally goes to the market in Monterey twice a week to supplement the goods that arrive at the back door of his kitchen daily. (See market story.)
L'Aubergine is the restaurant of the deluxe l'Auberge Carmel run by owner David Fink and his wife Kathleen Fink. It's ambiance is an extension of the hotel with a warm, Euorpean country feel with a smooth entwining of antiques, stone walls and modern art. The same calm, professionalism suffuses the staff who manage to be both efficiently professional with no display of effort while at the same time as friendly and relaxed as you would like them to be. Unobtrusive to a fault and anticipate every need.
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Foamy Gaspachio with sorbed of sweet basil
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Tomatoes and Tuna from world class French chef Christophe Grosjean.
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Peek into the dining room at night.
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Dining room flooded with daylight.
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To see larger version of the photo, click on the "zoom++" link.
Peter D'Aprix © 2009
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And Chef Grosjean and his small kitchen staff, keep the courses coming at a perfectly measured pace. He is ably supported in the dessert department by Ron Mendoza, executive pastry chef, formerly of "Sona and Boule" in Los Angeles and "The French Laundry" in Yountville, Napa Valley. The kitchen is just on the other side of the dining room wall, so plates arrive within seconds of preparation and Chef Grosjean is often to be seen peering around the door checking on his guests.
Options abound on the Aubergine menu. Diners have the opportunity to create their own three, four or five course menu by choosing from a variety of dishes progressive in flavors. Or, guests may ask the chef to create an exclusive tasting menu, whereby a diner's only decision is to trust Christophe and his kitchen team as they guide guests through a gastronomic journey. Each course may be ordered with or without a selected wine pairing but we can highly recommend allowing sommelier, Thomas Perez, to delight you with wines you may not ever have heard of let alone tasted all chosen especially to compliment the dish being served.
L'Aubergine boasts an underground wine cellar that was constructed beneath the inn's courtyard to house the restaurant's 4,500 bottle collection. The wine list features great wines from around the world but especially wines from Monterey County, California and France. But this is no ordinary wine cellar. It's racks are within temperature and humidity controlled cases with glass doors and the room itself doubles as both a tasting room and dining room for small parties with the racks of wine bottle serving to set the tone.
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Wine Cave with a 4,500 bottle collection.
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Potato & Char with New Sealand Spinach
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Foie Gras and Concord Grapes
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Turbot and Brussels Sprout
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We have had the pleasure of working with many amazing and talented chefs and Chef Grosjean is among the best of them! His food is truly inspirational. Enjoying the tasting menu complete with matched wine gave us the opportunity to really experience his fertile creativity and wonderful pairing of ingredients and their tastes. Tomato and Tuna, Potato and Char were both favorites of mine and Peter loved the Concorde Grape matched with foie as well as the Monterey Abolone, Artichoke Barigoule that Christophe had cooked especially for GourmetVoyageurs (to see recipe and preparation click here). Linda went on to have the Artichoke and Lamb which was terrific and the Kobe beef with Parsnip was lovely pairing. Peter vastly enjoyed the Turnip and Squab.
Unusual desserts like Nectarine and Huckleberry with Oatmeal Ice Cream and Passion Fruit and Chocolate made a perfect ending to this memorable dinner.
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Pastry Chef Ron Mendoza and Executive Chef Christophe Grosjean.
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Supplies of fresh shell fish and chef Grosjean.
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Chef Grosjean literally learned to love cooking at his grandmother's side growing up in the "Franche-Comté" (Burgundy) region of France where his grandmother taught him to love the land and its character, embrace great food and, above all, to love your family. Lessons he learned well and applies to his life, both personal and professional, to this day. He entered culinary school at age 16. After graduation, he worked in a number of restaurants, several of which were Michelin starred restaurants (the 1-star Michelin-rated Abbaye de Sainte Croix, 2-star Michelin-rated Chabichou and 3-star Michelin-rated Le Jardin des Sens) learning his craft and art under the best.
In 2000, Christophe came to the US and chose to settle in the Monterey Peninsula and joined the team at "Bernardus Lodge" under executive chef Cal Stamenov. By 2003, Christophe had secured the chef de cuisine position at the highly acclaimed restaurant "Marinus" at Bernardus Lodge. While continually growing his skills and palate he developed his own personal style as time went on. "I believe that if you respect the seasonality of local ingredients and build strong relationships with local farmers, foragers and fisherman, you can’t go wrong" he says. "As executive chef of L’Auberge Carmel, I am able to fuse my French heritage with California’s inspiring array of ingredients."
He loves the small 12 table dining room since it allows him his small but superbly designed and outfitted kitchen and as he says "The restaurant is so intimate and focused, I am able to personally attend to each guest.” Chef Grosjean changes his menu according to the availability of ingredients. He is inspired by the bounty at the market and the goodies his suppliers display at the kitchen door with baskets of new produce and ingredients.
This restaurant is well worth putting on your "to eat at" list and being located in l'Auberge Carmel, you can fall into bed within a few paces of your gastronomic indulgence, designated driver required.
Restaurant l'Aubergine
Street: Monte Verde St. and Seventh
Postal:: P.O. Box J
Carmel, CA 93921, USA.
Tel.: +1-831-625-6500
Fax: +1-831-626-1018
Web Site: www.laubergecarmel.com
Email: reservations@laubergecarmel.com
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Location:
L'Aubergine is located in the heart of Carmel-by-the-sea, one block from Ocean Avenue on Monte Verde Street at Seventh and four blocks from the world-famous Carmel Beach.
Restaurant: Opens all year, Daily at 12:00 noon. Lunch served from 12 - 2:30 pm.
Dinner served Sunday - Thursday from 5:00 - 9:30 pm, Friday and Saturday until 10 pm.
Telephone 831-625-6500 for reservations.
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Directions from North of Monterey
Take Hwy 101 south to Hwy 156 in Prunedale
Take Hwy 156 west to Hwy 1 in Monterey
Follow Hwy 1 south, take the Ocean Avenue exit - Carmel
Follow Ocean Avenue through the village, turn left at Monte Verde, the inn is a half block on your left
Directions from South of Carmel
Head North on Highway 1 to Carmel
Turn left on the Ocean Avenue exit
Follow Ocean Avenue through the village, turn left at Monte Verde, the inn is a half block on your left
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