El Paseo *

Since El Paseo was the closest rated restaurant on my list I though I would try this location first.  I've decided to just try the direct approach and plead my case with the chef's to let me work with them.  So today I went there after work to speak with the chef, I though it might be a tough sell I had herd that she brought her cooks in from japan and wouldn't let anyone else actually work past the basic prep stage.  But this is just rumor told to me by a former cook that was let go at El Paseo.

But as I rounded the corner of the building I noticed all the windows were papered up and a sign on the door reading closed with a notice pertaining to something about the former Van Halen front man, Sammy Hagar.

This is disappointing for several reasons.  One being this was also one of the three locations on my list where I had actually eaten. I thought that I could really learn something from the chef.

Before we had eaten there I had never herd of the place, and we only went there because our neighbor was remodeling their house.  At the time we lived on a very narrow, steep windy road in mill valley.   The kind of road that always ended in a Mexican stand off when you met a car coming in from the other direction.   It was so twisty you couldn't see where the road went in your rear view mirror to back up or down the hill.  

So every day when the trucks would come in to do the work we would let them park in our driveway, we didn't really use it during the day and it kept the peace with all the other neighbors. To show their appreciation they gave my wife and I a gift certificate for El Paseo ($150 value) which cover both of us for the 5 course menu without paring.   This was also the very first Star rated restaurant I had ever eaten at and it was then I realized I was doing it all wrong. What better place to begin my quest.  WRONG.

I was also reading the reviews of this place and realized none of them know what the f-ing hell they are talking about.  Complaints of petty shit like they "serve foie gras"  and The meal was "pricey" 1. Don't order the foie gras, if it all goes bad in the cooler they wont order any more if your soooo offended.  2. Just STFU about the price, that is not a review or a critique or any kind of measure.  First of all no one knows about the reviewer and saying it is pricey is pretty meaningless and just way to subjective to be worth while. Are you a ditch digger or are you a CEO of a fortune 500 company.   REVIEWS MUST CONTAIN CONTEXT!!!!!!!!!  Fine, tell me the service was bad, but also relate the reason behind that opinion.  

The Chef's name was Keiko Takahashi Perhaps I can track her down. I understand she is putting something together in S.F.