Three Stars, Take Two: Quince Completes Our Michelin Journey
Having experienced our first three-Michelin-star dinner at SingleThread two nights prior (you can read about that incredible experience here), we were about to complete something pretty special - our second "first" at the three-star level. While SingleThread had set an incredibly high bar, Quince was ready to show us their own interpretation of culinary excellence.
SETTING THE STAGE
If you've been following along, you know that Dio and I had been exploring wine country for nearly a week at this point (catch up on that adventure here). After our final tastings in Napa, we were headed to Berkeley's Greek Theatre to check out the band Phoenix. After sampling over 60 wines during the week, I decided to cancel my planned wine pairing at Quince - sometimes even the most devoted wine enthusiasts need a break! So I called Quince on the way to the concert and cancelled the wine pairing.
However, when I woke up the next day, I was feeling much better and decided to hold off on the detox! I called but couldn't get a hold of Quince to "un-cancel" the wine pairing, so I was a bit worried!
After checking out of our Napa hotel, we made our way back to San Francisco for our final dinner.
THE EVENING BEGINS
Once the evening came, we got dressed up and grabbed a pic in our hotel lobby. We then took an Uber from our hotel to Quince. The moment we arrived they let us know I could definitely do the wine pairing, so crisis averted! Our table was in a space that married modern luxe with classic refinement - the room radiated a sophisticated warmth that immediately put us at ease. The dramatic floral arrangements drew the eye upward, softening the formal elements and creating an atmosphere that felt both grand and intimate. What a striking contrast to SingleThread's serene, minimalist aesthetic - each restaurant crafting its own unique vision of exceptional dining.
LET THE FEAST BEGIN
Here's our complete menu for the evening, along with the remarkable wine pairings that would prove to be such a highlight of our experience:
Tomatoes "On the Rocks" Aqua Pazza
2021 Furlani, Rosato Frizzante, Trentino
Cucumber Elderflower, Bronte Pistachio
2020 Gérard Boulay, "La Côte," Sancerre, Loire
Chanterelle Mushroom Celtuce, Meyer Lemon
NV Vale da Capucha, "Branco Especial," Torres Vedras
Brassica Soy Bean, Sea Bean, Sudachi
2019 Domaine Lajibe, "Serres Seques," Sec, Jurançon
Tagliolini First of the Season Matsutake Mushroom
2018 Anne et Jean-François Ganevat, "Arces," Arbois, Jura
Each course was meticulously crafted, but it was the wine pairings that were already setting this evening apart from our previous experiences.
A STANDOUT PAIRING
The next course arrived with what would prove to be one of the evening's most interesting wines:
Artichoke Green Farro, Negi Onion
2017 Valentini, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo
THE WINE OF THE NIGHT
Then came what wasn't just the wine of the night, but possibly the best pairing I've ever had at a restaurant:
Agnolottini Verdi Smoked Squab, Black Truffle
1985 Prunotto, Barbaresco, Piedmont
The way this aged Barbaresco complemented the earthiness of the truffle and the richness of the squab was nothing short of magical. I mentioned to our sommelier, Adam, that I'd have to track down some bottles for my cellar. He laughed and said good luck finding this wine outside of Quince's cellar - he had bought all of it when restocking their cellar!
THE FEAST CONTINUES
Paine Farm Squab New Crop Sunchoke, Red Cabbage
1990 Calera, "Reed," Pinot Noir, Mount Harlan
Thomcord Grape Fresh Run Farm Lemon Verbena
Gooseberry Valrhona Dulcey, Coffee, Caramel
2010 Château Climens, Sauternes, Bordeaux
And then finally Mignardise (dessert and small bites)
EXPLORING THE CELLAR
After dinner, we were treated to a tour of their impressive cellar, where we spent about 20 minutes talking wine with Adam. During our conversation, we learned something that put our evening's wine experience in perspective - during the pandemic, they had to sell off two-thirds of their cellar just to survive. But the silver lining was that Adam had been methodically rebuilding it, including securing every bottle he could find of that incredible '85 Prunotto.
A SWEET SENDOFF
As we prepared to head out, they gave us our menus in elegant folders, just as SingleThread had done. When we mentioned we were walking back to our hotel, they sent us off with cups of their amazing hot chocolate - a thoughtful touch that perfectly encapsulated the warmth of their service.
COMPARING THE INCOMPARABLE
Having experienced both SingleThread and Quince in the span of three days, the contrasts were fascinating. The atmosphere was calmer at Quince, and the staff felt more warm and personable. While SingleThread's service had this precise, ballet-like quality where everything was timed to the millisecond, Quince took a more relaxed yet equally professional approach.
The food at Quince was more my style, and getting to spend time with the somm during each course talking wine sealed the deal - I actually enjoyed dining at Quince more than SingleThread. Of course, SingleThread was much busier when we visited, so I completely understand their somm not having time to nerd out about wine with us!
Note that Quince has a sister restaurant next door called Cotogna that has a very cool looking outdoor area. According to the folks at Quince, it's more casual and the food is fantastic. And here's a great tip - they share the same impressive wine cellar as Quince. So whether you're looking for a more casual experience with access to an incredible wine list, or you can't secure a reservation at Quince, Cotogna offers another way to experience this restaurant group's excellence. We're going to try that one out next time we're in town.
One final piece of advice if you're planning a week of wine tastings and back-to-back Michelin-starred experiences: pack your "tight" clothes for the beginning of your trip and save the looser fitting options for the end. Trust me on this one!
For my detailed wine notes from this evening and the entire trip, you can find them in my CellarTracker tasting notes below.
